West Park Drive-In
Huron,
SD
57350
2 people
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NETR Online has put up a 1947 aerial, which makes it 2 years before the drive-in opened. Obviously to compliment their 1951 aerial which is two years after the drive-in closed.
After a thorough comparison, it was no help at all. Very little changed in the area in which the drive-in should be located.
The fact that it is called the West Park Drive-In and West Park Avenue is one mile due west of the fairgrounds would seemingly provide a clue, but I’ve found nothing. There was no real development along that road save for a lone house.
Almost four years since my last post and I’m no closer to its real location. All I can say is that it is not on 3rd SW Avenue or West Park Avenue.
I agree.
I don’t believe that anything on Third Street Southwest could be the location. Everything is private property and open, at least in 1951. 100 cars are going to leave their mark.
My guess is the property at the SE corner of what is now Old HWY 14 and Pennington Ave NW. In 1951, it had a series of odd structures that I cannot identify. Today, it’s an open field with lots of junk on it.
At least being next to the highway makes more sense than tucked away on Third Street SW.
I’m thinking it was one of those temporary setups, since they didn’t even have in-car speakers, so the land was probably sold and built upon.
There is a “West Park Avenue”, a street that runs north/south on the west side of the town. It’s about a mile west of the fairgrounds. However, there is no indication of a drive-in out that way from the 1951 aerial.
The area just to the west of the fairgrounds has a motel (which still exists today) and a considerably amount of private land mostly in its natural state. So, that doesn’t seem to be it either given the trees that are present.
You got me. I’m simply not seeing any area of land that fits the description of where a 100-car drive-in would be located west of the fairgrounds. At least nothing from the 1951 aerial. So, either the ads and description are wrong or it was totally demolished and rebuilt into something completely different.
I also can’t find any trace, newspaper ads said it was west of the fairground (the oval with a running track around it).
Wow, this is a tough drive-in to find. A 1951 aerial shows no sign of even a small drive-in on Third Street.
Which may mean that it was demolished almost immediately after it closed and turned into something that is simply not detectable as a drive-in.