Abbey Dixie Drive-In is one of the many forgotten drive-in theatres across Texas and United States. There is already so much history behind this drive-in theatre yet the quirky unique history of this drive-in theatre has been forgotten over time. Abbey Dixie Drive-In operated in Seguin, Texas from 1950 to 1985 by Seguin Theatres Inc.
Abbey Dixie Drive-In Theatre has been referred to names such as follows over the years.: Abbey Dixie Drive-In Theatre, Abbey Dixie Drive In Theatre, Abbey Dixie Drive-In, Abbey Dixie Drive-In Theatre, Dixie Drive-In, Dixie Drive-In Theatre, and Dixie Drive In Theatre.
Abbey Dixie Drive-In was located where a part of the Guadalupe County Poor Farm once stood and where a prison farm was located. A prison farm shared the same property too as well. Originally the convict farm for Guadalupe County Poor Farm was a 202 acre area that Edward Nolle sold to Guadalupe County for the purpose of housing prisoners from the area.
On March 31, 1937, Edward Nolle transferred 31 acres of the property were to Guadalupe County to be used as a poor farm. The house you see near the intersection of East Kingsbury Street & Highway 123 was built in 1937 by Edward Nolle. Its address was 1405 East Kingsbury Street, Seguin, Texas, US 78155.
Edward Nolle sold the property and house to Arthur Schmidt in 1941. Arthur Schmidt later owned the property and had a slaughterhouse on the land. Sometime in the mid 1940s is when Arthur Schmidt sold the house and property to Robert Felsing Jr. with his family.
In 1949, Robert Felsing Jr. sold 10.11 acres of land to Seguin Theatres Inc with H. A. Daniels as trustee. By late 1949, Seguin Theatres Inc would assume full ownership of the 10 acres worth of property formerly owned by Robert Felsing Jr. as the company soon had full rights.
The Abbey Dixie Drive-In opened March 15, 1950 and was operated by Seguin Theatres Inc and headed by H.A. Daniels of the Daniels family. They also operated the Texas Theatre and the Palace Theatre. Abbey Dixie Drive-In was located at the address of 1406 East Kingsbury Street, Seguin, Texas, US 78155. (Ref: The Seguin Gazette, February 1950)
Harvey Jordan was the contractor and designer from Dallas, Texas that constructed the theatre. Abbey Dixie Drive-In was built on property owned by Robert Felsing Jr. The house near the intersection of Highway 123 (TX 123) & East Kingsbury Street was used as a ticket booth and employee offices for Seguin Theatres Inc. for a period of time. (Ref: Seguin Gazette, February 1953)
In 1954, Abbey Dixie Drive-In was converted to play wide-screen films and later CinemaScope. The Abbey Dixie Drive-In had all the latest innovations in equipment such as RCA individual car speakers. The Abbey Dixie Drive-In had all the latest innovations, simplex machines, electric bottle warmers, and all the latest concession equipment for the convenience of the patrons.
On the date of Friday, December 2, 1959, a fight had occurred at the Dixie Drive-In. However people had left the scene. What started the fight was unknown. (Ref: Denison Press, Page 6, Friday, December 4, 1959)
On April 30, 1960, H.A. Daniels established his Go Cart Speedway, located on the property of Abbey Dixie Drive-In. He geared his Go Cart Speedway more towards children than adults. The go-carts were added as the attractions so that the children could race cars before, during, or after films. Admission was 35¢ cents per ride.
What is unique about this drive-in theatre is that drive-in theatre also had a trampoline center. The trampoline center opened in 1960. (Ref: The Seguin Gazette, Page 4, June 22, 1960)
Grand jurors indicted two men on aggravated robbery charges in connection with the February 15 robbery of a teller at the Abbey Dixie Drive-In Theatre. Robert Earl Threadgill and Ricky Sherman were charged in the indictment with placing Patrick Aguilar in fear of imminent bodily injury by the use of a deadly weapon while unlawfully appropriating property. The two men were arrested along with a 16-year-old male from San Antonio after a DPS trooper and a Seguin police officer pulled over a vehicle on Highway 90.
Officers had been called to the drive-in at approximately 9 PM. by Patrick Aguilar, who told them a man had walked up to his ticket booth with a small-caliber pistol and demanded money, then left in a red or maroon late-1950s model pickup headed east on Highway 90.
(Ref: The Seguin Gazette, March 5, 1985)
Seguin Police received a report early Friday afternoon of a burglary at the concession stand at Abbey Dixie Drive-In Theatre. Owner Tom Van Bexar, reported that sometime between 1 AM and 8 AM, the concession stand was broken into and a number of items were taken, including a black and white portable television, hamburger patties, assorted candy, cigarettes, soft drinks, and other items. A video game arcade was also broken into and approximately $10 dollars in cash was taken. Total value of the missing items was estimated over thousands of dollars.
(Ref: The Seguin Gazette, April 14, 1985)
Abbey Dixie Drive-In closed on October 5, 1985. The citizens of Guadalupe County enjoyed the convenient location of the drive-in and counted on Seguin Theatres Inc to provide a great variety in movies there for over 30 years.
In a lawsuit filed September 4, 1987, H.A. Daniels, Diane D. Benson, and Seguin Theatres Inc. challenge the Guadalupe County Appraisal District's revaluation of 12.6 acres at the intersection of Highway 90 and Highway 123 Bypass where the Abbey Dixie Drive-In Theatre formerly was located. The property includes a 7.575 acre tract at Highway 90 and the bypass and an adjoining 5.03 acre tract fronting on the south side of Highway 90 east of the bypass.
In the initial 1967 reappraisal, the 5.03 acre tract was assigned market value of $492,786 and the 7.575 acre tract was appraised at $744,876 bringing the combined total market.
(Ref: Revaluation protestors file suits, Bob Thaxton, Thursday, September 24, 1987)
In 1999, the City of Seguin and Seguin Theatres Inc was working on a deal to have a multiplex cinema built on the site of the Abbey Dixie Drive-In by Third Coast Cinemas. But the deal never came through for whatever reason. Nothing happened for 2 years.
(Ref: Seguin Gazette-Enterprise, Page 5, Wednesday, December 1,1999)
Abbey Dixie Drive-In lost a chunk of their property when Highway 123 Bypass needed to be expanded and rebuilt in 1999. That portion of Highway 123 Bypass was completed.
Abbey Dixie Drive-In was demolished in 2001. Its parking spaces were paved over with hauled in dirt and planted with fresh new grass. Only the house remained by the end of late 2001.
Robert Felsing Jr. sold the property to Robert Felsing in 2005. Robert Felsing Jr. later sold the house to the Robert S Felsing Revocable Living Trust. Robert Felsing Jr. lived there again from 2005 to 2006.
The last occupants known to be living in the house were Robert Felsing Jr. and Robert S Felsing. Its last date of occupancy was 2013. In 2014 the property was abandoned. In June 2016, the property along with the house was put on the market for sale by Anders Pierce Realty at a price of $285,000. (Ref: Corner Post Real Estate)
Today the 2 acres of property and house that was once owned by Robert Felsing Jr. is currently up for sale for any potential buyers that are interested. The 2 acre lot is vacant and unused. The land property is currently owned by the Robert S Felsing Revocable Living Trust.
Abbey Dixie Drive-In was located at 1406 East Kingsbury Street, Seguin, Texas, US 78155. Their headquarters was located at the address of 1405 East Kingsbury Street, Seguin, Texas, US 78155.
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