County Drive-In
1002 W. Tucumcari Boulevard,
Tucumcari,
NM
88401
1002 W. Tucumcari Boulevard,
Tucumcari,
NM
88401
1 person
favorited this theater
Showing 16 comments
In the 1954 Tucumcari Yellow Pages, the County was listed at “1002 w Gaynell av”. There is no Gaynell any more, but 1002 W Tucumcari Blvd (present-day equivalent) points to about the right spot.
To restate that 1960 news, the school board bought the land and a concrete building (probably the concession/projection building) formerly used by the County / No Name. The drive-in was dead by then. Perhaps the board thought it could use the building somehow, which would account for its survival for another three decades.
In 1979, New Mexico authorized a vocational school in Tucumcari. I would speculate that’s about when the school board made a chunk of its land available for what later became Mesalands Community College.
MichaelKilgore - Okay, I was confused by your March 22, 2021 post.
So, all of Yessler’s property was purchased, but the high school was built on the opposing side of the property away from the drive-in which continued to exist for some time in an operational state.
Kenmore, Mesalands Community College is on the site now. The high school was built on the east side of Loren Yessler’s property, which must have been extensive.
MichaelKilgore - If the County/No Name Drive-in was at 1100 S. Seventh Street, then what is sitting at the corner of W. Hines Avenue and S. 11th Street?
Thanks to the amazing work of the Reference Desk staff at the New Mexico State Library, I have more new info.
The exact date of the County’s grand opening was Oct. 29, 1948, with the double feature of “Way Out West” and “Bad Men of Missouri.”
The more surprising news is that there was an ad in the Tucumcari News on Aug. 24, 1956 announcing that the No Name Drive-In Theatre, “(Formerly County Drive-In)”, was under new management. The No Name continued to advertise through the summer of 1957.
Quay County Sun, March 23, 2010: (looking back, 50 years ago today) “Tucumcari’s school board held a special session 50 years ago today and unanimously approved a plan to build a new high school. The board agreed to acquire 32 acres and a concrete building – formerly used by a drive-in theater – on the “Yessler property,” where the school would be constructed, according to the Tucumcari Daily News. Voters approved the plan, 829-427, a few weeks later and construction soon began on the school that remains today at 1100 S. Seventh St.”
I think that means that the Yessler family kept the land even as it leased the drive-in, that the County closed by the end of the 1959 season if not earlier, and that the correct address is that of the high school, still 1100 S. Seventh St.
It is rather difficult to believe that the drive-in from the picture could hold 400 cars. So, I believe some creative math was used in the advertising of the drive-in.
Sure, you might count the large field behind the drive-in, but that looks a little rough for parking.
Boxoffice, Sept. 11, 1948: “TUCUMCARI, N. M. — Construction has begun here on the County Drive-In, a 400-car airer being built by J. H. Snow of Hinton, Okla. The new ozoner is located on highway 66. Snow, a native of Oklahoma, has been in the theatre business only three years. He owns and operates two theatres in Hinton. Snow said the Tucumcari ozoner would be opened about October unless construction work is delayed by material shortages. He plans to operate the airer nine months out of the year.”
Boxoffice, Dec. 4, 1948: “TUCUMCARI, N. M. – The first drive-in in Quay county opened recently on West Highway 66 with accommodations for 400 cars.”
Boxoffice, April 16, 1949: “The County Drive-In, located on west Highway 66, opened for its second season. J. H. Snow of Hinton, Okla., is owner and operator.”
The April 3, 1954 Motion Picture Herald wrote that Arthur Salcida bought the County from Waldo Slusher. But that was a typo. The Aug. 13, 1955 issue of Boxoffice spelled his name correctly, as Arthur Salcido.
The April 27, 1956 Albuquerque Journal, reporting the District Court docket, wrote: “Sidney Johnson, dba Southwestern Film Service, given judgment of $2739.34 against Arthur Salcido, dba County Drive-In Theater, on defendant’s confession of judgment.”
And here’s the story of how I found the online proof of the County’s former existence. Feel free to read it and leave me a comment there too.
Yup, I actually saw that before in a 1967 aerial, but dismissed it as not being enough evidence. That is an unusually wide projector booth/concession stand for a drive-in. The ground seems level, so that eliminates some spaces for vehicles.
After some serious digging I found this 1954 USGS aerial shot, from which I posted a detail to the Photo section here. It shows a drive-in screen facing southeast with room to expand. (The wider image also had the Canal Drive-In in its usual spot.)
The County Drive-In was due north of the bend in the canal north of Tucumcari Elementary School and just a little bit west of the current site of Mesalands Community College. The best address I could get out of Google Maps is W Hines Ave & S 11th St.
And now that we know where to look, you can still see that really large projection building and traces of ramps in the 1967 aerial.
The County and Canal were listed concurrently by both the Theatre Catalog and the Motion Picture Almanac. The evidence is strong that the County never became the Canal.
The County was in the first Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list in the 1950-51 edition. It was in the 1949-56 Catalogs with a capacity of 378 (later 400), owner L. R. Yessler.
All MPA list mentions:
still can only find one drive-in theater and it’s called canal drive-in i added it a couple of days ago. unless you can put evidence that Tucumcari had two drive-ins this should be taken down and the canal drive-in being updated to also being named county drive-in
could only find one drive-in