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Property Professionals, Inc.421 S. Seguin Ave. New Braunfels, TX 78130 Tel: (830) 625-8065 Fax: (830) 625-3633vww. Property N B.comounucty, Idiiuciry z, zu 11 - Herald-Zeftung — Page 5ASeveral area dance halls included in new guidebookBy J. Louise LarsonThe Herald-ZeitungGruene Hall is one of ahandful of central Texas landmark venues that grabbed theattention of author ShirleyJinkins in her newly released hook, 'Texas LandmarkSaloons Honky Tonks Dance Halls” (2010, The GreatTexas Line Press.)Small enough to tuck in a jeans’ pocket and thin as the soles of a good pair of cowboy hoots, the book’s 76 pagesdocument some of the besthardwood floors in the LoneStar State to do the I\vo-Step or Cotton - Eyed Joe.Photo by Ben Noey Jr.Gruene Hall isTexas oldest continually operating danceIT T I If1 A am — ^ S Mb I____I a IWe thought it would be fun built in the late 1800s.hall. It has remained much the same as when it wasto do a book for people traveling around the state, whoaren’t really music insiders or people who go to dance halls a lot ... Maybe they would want to see some dance hallsthree tiers of open windows” and an adjacent bowling alley. The Kendalia Halle, built inings like Adair’s Saloon in1903 with red fir brought in1 *4 ■las, a happening nightspot for preppies, downtown busi-and get to see a show,” Jinkinssaid.by rail from Oregon, is still in use, 25 miles northeast ofBoerne on PM 3351, morenessmen and hippie cowboys” where Don Henley filmed his “End of the Inno-“The halls are great to see, even if you’re not there *o hearthan acenturv later.wKendalia is a beautiful oldcence.In Austin, she chroniclesthe music.”hall, and I know people driv-Whilehead into Gniene Hall's screening around the state wouldA* - * S. ldoor just about any time thevintage settlement’s retail area is open for business, some ofjust love to see it, she said.“The Freiheit Country Store(on PM 1121 in New Braunfels) has a little store, a cafethe more obscurely locatedwatering holes aren’t alwaysopensaid.or easy to find, Jinkinsand a big dance hall in the back. A big hen with a bunch of chicks followed us outIf you’re in New Braunfels, you’re going to find Gruene Hall. You’re not easily going to find the ones that are a littlethere. It was just great.” fhe Twin Sisters Danceon 1J.S. 281 south of Blancois a family-friendly place dat-more hidden, Jinkins saiding back to its construction after the Civil War. RumoredOther New Braunfels area sites noted in the bookby some to be the oldest dance hall in Texas, it was firstinclude Clear Springs DanceHall on State Highway 46, which has a history dating back to its use as a cotton gin. There’s Albert Dance Hall ina community center.In Castroville, it’s the Quihi Gun Club Dance Hwhere dances are held theSpring Branch, one of a cir cuit of Central Texas hallssecond and fourth Saturdaysof the month at one of theoldest social clubs in thewhere German brass bands .“IGET A COPYA portion of the proceeds from Texas Landmark Saloons, Honky Tonks Dance Halls will benefit Texas Dance Hall Preservation, Inc.In New Braunfels, the book is carried by Gruene General Store andCotton-Eyed Joe’s.T’ve been lucky enough to travel around and see a fewand Germonimo Trevino. T’ve been there to showsof them now and then, link- when the weather was ideaA 44k 4* M II ■ ■ — .’-v. m A ains said. T loved going down there to the (1878-era) Gruene11and Floores CountryStore (in llelotes) ... that’sand they open those hip windows and the breezeI hreadgill’s, originally opened^ a. m Ik 4 4a -_where the music can really take hold of you,” she said..X jflLi ( ma .atin 1933 as a filling station fornew-fangled autos.She’s done a book signingcomes ip.It’s just heaven to he thereand to listen to music,” she said.Shirley Y. Jinkins is some-i aat Billy Bob’s, a Port Worth landmark, perhaps one of the“You guys there in New Braunfels wrote the hook onthing of an icon at the Fort higgest vej.lues ()f its -i. # . „ nnn ruio n nut ____Worth Star-Telegram, whereshe has built a journalismand one of just three danctcareer that has spanned mori than 30 years.She covers education now,halls to merit a photo spread in Jinkins’ diminutive guide. Gruene Hall was another.I will tell you that every time it floods down there ontheBehind its white clap board n’t, she said.upe, I live in fear something has happened to Gruene Hall. So far it has-but for more than a decade [!*u‘Jl()r ls a tbat feels Jinkins hits particularly fond, Ul«»l « UCCctUtr i;l Lnmil . cu | . I u' VII c III y I Vi I Ifshe covered country music in !, Shirley Jinkins. memories of a Sunday after— wvuiu y I11UTIL III OU^ ...__• 11 ' ,general and Texas music in , '™s c(?lle8e * An8el°. \rtlfo I Iniirnrrtli, * a *___particular — and gained a deep affinity for Texas dance hall fare, she said.State University the first timeJinkins went to what she con-noon performance by Mary Cutrusello.was during that time, Isiders the queen of Texas dance halls.It was February, and coldgot to go to a lot of places likeIn the interim, she’s heardthat. I got to see the old halls and honky tonks. That’s where the love of it started.” she saideveryone in Gruene from ArloGuthrie and Jerry Jeff Walker to Robert Earl Keen, Fat Greenand the potbelly stove in the-front room had a fire going, and the faithful few were gathered to hear the guitarist.“It was a rare momJinkins said.played for dances.immigrants in 1890 as the Quihi Schuetzen Vereintu0 m nnn ^ c ocuueiI he 10.000-square foot Khoorinp Hum Saengerhalle Dance Hall on (snooting club)-n m mm .* .Saengerhalle Road was established as a performance hallfor German singing societies in the Hill Country, Jinkinsnotes in her book.And in one-horse stop Luckenbach, there’s the legendary Luckenbach DanceHall, 13 miles east of Freder-Fischer Hall boasts a soaring woodbeamed, tin-roofedicksburg, made famous by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson in a duet.dance hall cooled only by lin^ns ,akes i” urban Texasy j as well in her guide, with list-
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New Braunfels Herald Zeitung
New Braunfels, Texas, US
Sun, Jan 02, 2011
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
San A.
Texas, USA 29 Sep 2020
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