If you read about Glen’s time in Albuquerque, one of the clubs that he frequently played was The Paradise Club. The Paradise Club had several names throughout its long club history. It was located about 15 miles east of Albuquerque (which today is 1 mile east of Central and Tramway) in Tijeras Canyon on Route 66, close to the small town of Carnuel. Over the years, several different structures occupied the setting, all of them burning down and being replaced with another structure.
Here is a postcard that depicts the area probably around 1940:
- 1940 Postcard of Tijeras Canyon Outside of Albuquerque
- 1940 Postcard Tijeras Canyon.jpg (386.08 KiB) Viewed 13676 times
Here is a current Google Map view of the historic postcard picture, which indicates where the Paradise Club was located:
- Current Google Map Area of Above Postcard
- Google maps postcard.jpg (189.44 KiB) Viewed 13676 times
Ferdinando Selva, a stone contractor/cutter, acquired property in Carnuel in the Tijeras Canyon on December 28, 1887, and opened a roadhouse known as "Selva's Ranch/Resort" in the early 1890's.
In 1898, a fire started, burning a good portion of the building. It was put out with blankets, but started up again the following morning. Later that morning, it rekindled and burned the remaining structure completely down.
On June 4th, 1899, Selva’s Resort reopened.
On September 3rd, 1922 a Dancing Pavilion was added. This is what is believed to be a 1925 picture of Silva’s Resort and Dance Pavilion.
- Selvas Resort and Dance Pavilion Side by Permission of East Mountain Historical Society
- Selvas Resort and Dance Pavilion Side by Permission.jpg (85.48 KiB) Viewed 13676 times
The above photo is owned by and used with the expressed permission of
The East Mountain Historical Society
- Selva's Resort and Dance Pavilion in Carnuel, New Mexico
- Selvas Resort and Dance Pavilion front.jpg (110.81 KiB) Viewed 13676 times
This structure caught fire and completely burned down in 1939 and was re-opened as the Paradise Valley Dude Ranch in May of 1940. Here is an ad from 1950:
- 1950 ad for Paradise Valley Dude Ranch
- 1950 ad for Paradise Valley Dude Ranch.jpg (228.24 KiB) Viewed 13676 times
Although it appears that no pictures of the club are available…this is a picture, from around 1970, is of the feed store that inhabited the same structure that was open in 1940.
- Building that was once the Paradise Club
- Spears Feedstore.jpg (34.21 KiB) Viewed 13676 times
The grand opening of the Paradise Club occurred on November 29, 1951.
- 1951 Ad for Grand Opening of The Paradise Club
- Paradise Club (Custom).jpg (93.11 KiB) Viewed 13676 times
In 1953, The Paradise Club changed owners and the Embassy Club opened in that location.
- 1953 Ad for Grand Opening of the Embassy Club
- Embassy Club (Custom).jpg (108.64 KiB) Viewed 13676 times
In June 1956, Dick Bills became a partner in ownership and reopened the club as the Paradise Supper Club. It is appears that it is commonly referred to as the Paradise Club. It appears that he sold the club in 1959. This would explain numerous accounts of why Glen played frequently at the Paradise Club.
Several more bars came and went until 1970 when it became the Spear Cross Ranch, which was a feed store.
In 1984 Town & Country Feed Store bought the building and on March 9th, 1996, the Town & Country burned down.
- Building Once Paradise Club Burns Down in 1996
- Town and Country Feedstore Fire.jpg (86.76 KiB) Viewed 13676 times
In February of 1999, Town & Country open their newly built store in nearly the very same location as Selva’s Resort.
- Location of Original Building in Tijeras Canyon 1925
- BEFORE (Custom).jpg (104.13 KiB) Viewed 13676 times
- Location of Feed Store in Tijeras Canyon 2013
- AFTER (Custom).jpg (73.88 KiB) Viewed 13676 times
It appears that the Koinonia Church purchased the feedstore and has opened a worship center at the Paradise Club location!
- Koinonia Church at Paradise Club location
- Todays Paradise Club.jpg (433.86 KiB) Viewed 13467 times
I greatly appreciate
Mary Van Dyke,
East Mountain Historical Society,
Vickie June Bills-Ross and
Mo Palmer for their input, memory and research that was indespensible in creating this thread.