The junction of HWY 270 and HWY 271 is the town of Whister which is about four miles from Poteau. A 1955 aerial shows no sign of a drive-in at that location, just housing and some open land. However, if a drive-in was there, it may have been totally demolished by 1955.
However, there are definitely remains of a drive-in at the junction of HWY 270 and HWY 59 which is much closer to Poteau which can be seen in the 1955 aerial. So, unless more evidence arrives that confirms the drive-in was in Whister, I think the HWY 59 location is more likely it.
A 1973 aerial shows the drive-in intact, but it does not appear to be open. At the back of the drive-in are some trailers which may indicate that it had been closed for some time.
A slightly closer address is 231 N Angola Rd, Coldwater, MI.
This puts it right on the property (Google has been updating their map addresses lately).
A 1958 aerial shows the drive-in operational. By 1983, it had been demolished. Today, the property has been plowed and seemingly resurfaced with on trace hints of a few ramps remaining.
In addition, the 1979 and 1988 topo maps state “Drive-In Theaters” (plural) at the location of the Moonlight Drive-In & Theater. That indicates two separate drive-ins, not a single drive-in with two screens.
I believe that the Twin City Drive-In was located right next to the Moonlight Drive-In & Theater.
I have a couple of questions about this drive-in and the Moonlight Drive-In & Theater.
A 1960 topo map shows the Moonlight, but nothing in the area where the Twin City Drive-In was originally located. It’s quite unusual for a topo map to not include one drive-in when it includes another just two blocks away. Unusual, but not impossible.
Another is the 215 Sherwood Drive address for the new setting of the drive-in which is basically empty in a 1966 and 1973 aerials. It is about one block from the Moonlight which makes its existence at that location off the main highway unlikely.
Given that both drive-ins were closed during the same year and both were owned by seemingly the same person, could the Twin City Drive-In be located right next to the Moonlight?
The 1966 and 1973 aerials show the Moonlight Drive-In has two screens. The second screen being right behind Cody Chevrolet. If so, then both drive-ins shared the same location.
A closer address is 3927 South El Dorado Street, Stockton, CA.
The entrance to the drive-in is now a parking area next to Desi Truck Sales. The entire property has three truck driving schools and related businesses present.
The old entrance is the only thing left from the drive-in, which sat on the opposite side of the street from a small office that is seen in a 1957 aerial and is still present today.
A 1985 aerial shows the screen gone. By 1990, the entire drive-in had been demolished with the trailer park being built. About the only remnant is the entrance/exit road which is still in the same location.
A 1983 aerial shows the drive-in was not connected to Judson Road. The two entrance/exit roads were located on the I-36 Frontage and Toepperwein Roads respectively.
The address of the hospital which sits on the southside of the property is on Judson Road. But the buildings on the northside are connected to the I-35 Frontage Road.
A 1957 aerial shows the drive-in intact, although it certainly looks closed. By 1959, the drive-in had been demolished. By 1983, all traces of the drive-in had been removed.
Today, three businesses which include Vidalia Market sits on the property.
The drive-in featured two buildings. One of which was the projector booth/concession stand and another structure was in the back corner of the drive-in on the north side.
The building in the back was gone in a 1982 aerial, but the projection booth/concession stand survived until at least 2010. By 2012, only the foundation remained. Today, you can just barely see an outline of the foundation of the projection booth/concession stand.
A November 2020 Google Street View shows the drive-in relatively unchanged since 2014. The screen is still a skeleton with no panels, but the concession stand/projection booth and ticket stand are still intact. The grounds themselves are still overgrown.
Despite the condition of the drive-in being fairly intact, I’m not sure how someone would go about reopening it. It’s behind several houses in a residential area. It does seem destined to never change.
By 1980, the drive-in had been demolished with a private residence located where the projection booth/concession stand once stood.
However, there is some debate whether the house was built on the foundation of the projection booth/concession stand or whether the building itself was remodeled into a home.
A 1995 aerial shows the building to have undergone some considerable changes compared to a 1980 aerial. But what is interesting is that the house today has two front doors despite it’s small size.
Looks like the land has been either plowed or resurfaced so there is no trace of the ramps or even an outline left. The projection booth/concession stand has basically been demolished with only some rubble left.
However, as of August 2019 the screen is still standing.
A closer address is 2620 Cherokee Ave, Sallisaw, OK
This puts the marker right on the property.
The drive-in was still intact in a 1980 aerial. By 1995, the property had been cleared and a small structure built near the center which still stands today.
The screen is long gone, but you can still see the ramps. Plus, as indicated in the previous post, the concession stand/projector booth may still be standing at the back of the property.
The structure that sits on the ramps is NOT the projection booth/concession stand. It did not exist in the 1971 aerial photo and does not appear until the 1995 aerial photo. And it is too off-center from where the screen stood to be the projection booth anyway.
However, the structure that apparently was the projection booth/concession stand which sat at the back on the property near the road seems to still be standing. It has been repainted to match the house that sits next to it.
The junction of HWY 270 and HWY 271 is the town of Whister which is about four miles from Poteau. A 1955 aerial shows no sign of a drive-in at that location, just housing and some open land. However, if a drive-in was there, it may have been totally demolished by 1955.
However, there are definitely remains of a drive-in at the junction of HWY 270 and HWY 59 which is much closer to Poteau which can be seen in the 1955 aerial. So, unless more evidence arrives that confirms the drive-in was in Whister, I think the HWY 59 location is more likely it.
To be fair the ramps still remain. And the entrance and exit roads still connect to 59th Street.
But more importantly someone is still mowing the field, so it is being cared for unlike many other long-gone drive-ins.
As of January 2022 the property is still empty. If the property is for sale, there are no signs present to indicate it as such.
A 1965 aerial shows the screen gone, although the projection booth/concession stand is still intact.
By 1986, the elementary school had been built on the property. No trace of the drive-in remains.
The correct address is 8986 US-4, Whitehall, NY.
A 1986 aerial shows the drive-in as demolished, but the ramps and projection booth/concession stand foundation are still present.
Today, Adirondack Natural Stone occupies the property with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/3xne3ey2
A 1973 aerial shows the drive-in intact, but it does not appear to be open. At the back of the drive-in are some trailers which may indicate that it had been closed for some time.
A slightly closer address is 231 N Angola Rd, Coldwater, MI.
This puts it right on the property (Google has been updating their map addresses lately).
A 1958 aerial shows the drive-in operational. By 1983, it had been demolished. Today, the property has been plowed and seemingly resurfaced with on trace hints of a few ramps remaining.
http://tinyurl.com/mr2etju9
In addition, the 1979 and 1988 topo maps state “Drive-In Theaters” (plural) at the location of the Moonlight Drive-In & Theater. That indicates two separate drive-ins, not a single drive-in with two screens.
I believe that the Twin City Drive-In was located right next to the Moonlight Drive-In & Theater.
I have a couple of questions about this drive-in and the Moonlight Drive-In & Theater.
A 1960 topo map shows the Moonlight, but nothing in the area where the Twin City Drive-In was originally located. It’s quite unusual for a topo map to not include one drive-in when it includes another just two blocks away. Unusual, but not impossible.
Another is the 215 Sherwood Drive address for the new setting of the drive-in which is basically empty in a 1966 and 1973 aerials. It is about one block from the Moonlight which makes its existence at that location off the main highway unlikely.
Given that both drive-ins were closed during the same year and both were owned by seemingly the same person, could the Twin City Drive-In be located right next to the Moonlight?
The 1966 and 1973 aerials show the Moonlight Drive-In has two screens. The second screen being right behind Cody Chevrolet. If so, then both drive-ins shared the same location.
A slightly closer address is 59417 LA-10, Bogalusa, LA.
This puts it on the property at the end of what was the entrance road.
The screen is no longer present and if anything else exists under the trees, it cannot be see from the aerial view.
https://tinyurl.com/488tpe9k
A 1985 aerial shows the drive-in had been completely demolished with not a trace left. Today, it is private property with a single house in front.
A closer address is 3927 South El Dorado Street, Stockton, CA.
The entrance to the drive-in is now a parking area next to Desi Truck Sales. The entire property has three truck driving schools and related businesses present.
The old entrance is the only thing left from the drive-in, which sat on the opposite side of the street from a small office that is seen in a 1957 aerial and is still present today.
https://tinyurl.com/yj296hu4
A 1985 aerial shows the screen gone. By 1990, the entire drive-in had been demolished with the trailer park being built. About the only remnant is the entrance/exit road which is still in the same location.
The trailer park is known as the Sunset Estates.
A 2021 Google Street View shows the land is now a pasture for cows.
A 1983 aerial shows the drive-in was not connected to Judson Road. The two entrance/exit roads were located on the I-36 Frontage and Toepperwein Roads respectively.
The address of the hospital which sits on the southside of the property is on Judson Road. But the buildings on the northside are connected to the I-35 Frontage Road.
A closer address is 1645 Carter St, Vidalia, LA.
A 1957 aerial shows the drive-in intact, although it certainly looks closed. By 1959, the drive-in had been demolished. By 1983, all traces of the drive-in had been removed.
Today, three businesses which include Vidalia Market sits on the property.
https://tinyurl.com/yckm9kfn
The drive-in featured two buildings. One of which was the projector booth/concession stand and another structure was in the back corner of the drive-in on the north side.
The building in the back was gone in a 1982 aerial, but the projection booth/concession stand survived until at least 2010. By 2012, only the foundation remained. Today, you can just barely see an outline of the foundation of the projection booth/concession stand.
A November 2020 Google Street View shows the drive-in relatively unchanged since 2014. The screen is still a skeleton with no panels, but the concession stand/projection booth and ticket stand are still intact. The grounds themselves are still overgrown.
Despite the condition of the drive-in being fairly intact, I’m not sure how someone would go about reopening it. It’s behind several houses in a residential area. It does seem destined to never change.
By 1980, the drive-in had been demolished with a private residence located where the projection booth/concession stand once stood.
However, there is some debate whether the house was built on the foundation of the projection booth/concession stand or whether the building itself was remodeled into a home.
A 1995 aerial shows the building to have undergone some considerable changes compared to a 1980 aerial. But what is interesting is that the house today has two front doors despite it’s small size.
Looks like the land has been either plowed or resurfaced so there is no trace of the ramps or even an outline left. The projection booth/concession stand has basically been demolished with only some rubble left.
However, as of August 2019 the screen is still standing.
A closer address is 2620 Cherokee Ave, Sallisaw, OK
This puts the marker right on the property.
The drive-in was still intact in a 1980 aerial. By 1995, the property had been cleared and a small structure built near the center which still stands today.
The screen is long gone, but you can still see the ramps. Plus, as indicated in the previous post, the concession stand/projector booth may still be standing at the back of the property.
https://tinyurl.com/2edmy5tt
The structure that sits on the ramps is NOT the projection booth/concession stand. It did not exist in the 1971 aerial photo and does not appear until the 1995 aerial photo. And it is too off-center from where the screen stood to be the projection booth anyway.
However, the structure that apparently was the projection booth/concession stand which sat at the back on the property near the road seems to still be standing. It has been repainted to match the house that sits next to it.
Screen and projection booth/concession stand remained standing until 2009. By 2010 they were demolished.
Today, even the faint traces of the ramps have disappeared.
It does appear that all traces of the drive-in are now gone.
Why the name Kiamichi?
The Kiamichi River is not far away. Antlers is also located in southeastern Oklahoma near the Kiamichi Mountains.
So given the location of the drive-in, a better question is “why NOT the name Kiamichi?”
A closer address is 2885 Murfreesboro Hwy, Manchester, TN.
This places the address on the first house on the property next to the entrance road.
It seems Google has updated their maps to include more street addresses.
https://tinyurl.com/2hsvxpwv