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May 5, 2020
Growing Up In Bandera
By Glenn Clark
The Bandera Prophet
Among the many memories of my earliest years here in Bandera are places of business that were nearing the end of their time. One such place was the subject of a recent conversation I had with someone of a more advanced age than myself. The place was a little barber shop located on 11th street.
The small woodframe structure is still in existence and served as a small bar on 11th Street for many years. Today it is part of the 11th Street Cowboy Bar complex.
Back in the day when it was a barber shop its owner was a man named Ed Coughran. I don't recall the gentleman myself but I was told he was somewhat of a righteous man. According to Al "Squeaky" Evans he always rode a bike to work from his house near the old school and he always tied his pant leg up on the chain side.
I recall being told that my Granddaddy Kindla worked there as a barber at one time. I do know that every summer when school was out the first order of business for brother Eddie and I was getting a buzz cut from our granddaddy. No need for another haircut until school started again. It lasted all summer. He had some professional looking barber tools and knew how to use them.
Around that time in Bandera the old outhouses were still very common. I was told that most were built with hinges attached so they could be tipped over for pumping. Seems there was a common prank among the teens of that era which involved unscheduled and unauthorized tipping. After warnings from Mr. Coughran some boys didn't take heed so there was an episode involving a shotgun loaded with rock salt. Since the nameless person relating the story to me was involved with that episode I will take his word about how bad that salt stung. Seems there is another similar story involving young boys and a man named Bud Kalka. I'm tracking down witnesses as more research is needed.
On the south side of the old barber shop were some apartments belonging to Pearl Edwards. They would have been located about where the stage and dance floor are situated now at the 11th Street Cowboy Bar. The driveway for the apartments tied into the alley between my granddaddy's house and Ida Boyle's residence. It provided another escape route for some of my outlaw relatives and others who frequented that area.
I'm not sure when the change occurred but 11th Street was the main drag of Bandera long ago. Lots of buildings have changed and some have disappeared while I've been Growing Up In Bandera but there are familiar names like McGroarty and Stein that remain connected to the area around there.
#228 2020
The small woodframe structure is still in existence and served as a small bar on 11th Street for many years. Today it is part of the 11th Street Cowboy Bar complex.
Back in the day when it was a barber shop its owner was a man named Ed Coughran. I don't recall the gentleman myself but I was told he was somewhat of a righteous man. According to Al "Squeaky" Evans he always rode a bike to work from his house near the old school and he always tied his pant leg up on the chain side.
I recall being told that my Granddaddy Kindla worked there as a barber at one time. I do know that every summer when school was out the first order of business for brother Eddie and I was getting a buzz cut from our granddaddy. No need for another haircut until school started again. It lasted all summer. He had some professional looking barber tools and knew how to use them.
Around that time in Bandera the old outhouses were still very common. I was told that most were built with hinges attached so they could be tipped over for pumping. Seems there was a common prank among the teens of that era which involved unscheduled and unauthorized tipping. After warnings from Mr. Coughran some boys didn't take heed so there was an episode involving a shotgun loaded with rock salt. Since the nameless person relating the story to me was involved with that episode I will take his word about how bad that salt stung. Seems there is another similar story involving young boys and a man named Bud Kalka. I'm tracking down witnesses as more research is needed.
On the south side of the old barber shop were some apartments belonging to Pearl Edwards. They would have been located about where the stage and dance floor are situated now at the 11th Street Cowboy Bar. The driveway for the apartments tied into the alley between my granddaddy's house and Ida Boyle's residence. It provided another escape route for some of my outlaw relatives and others who frequented that area.
I'm not sure when the change occurred but 11th Street was the main drag of Bandera long ago. Lots of buildings have changed and some have disappeared while I've been Growing Up In Bandera but there are familiar names like McGroarty and Stein that remain connected to the area around there.
#228 2020