1951 - Mrs. Margaret P. Tipton is a winner!

Rene Torres

On February 5, 1951, the “All Valley Morning Express,” which at the time, was published as part of the San Antonio Express, ran a story about a contest winner.

The $1,000 “Match the Twins contest,” was awarded to, Mrs. Margaret P. Tipton, wife of M.J. Tipton of Brownsville.   In the rush of the leaving city during this period—her entry barely made the deadline.

Mrs. Tipton explained that having children of her own, helped in the process. “I figured I could match them up pretty well by their noses, mouths and other features. Her method worked, but it wasn’t easy.

Every time she had the countless photos spread out on the floor —her toy rat terrier would walk on them and mix them up again.   But, maybe she didn’t take under consideration that the terrier knew something she didn’t.

Mrs. Tipton said that she had quit her job, “just to do some of these things, like entering contest.”  Winning this contest, was a milestone, “the biggest I had ever won.” 

She had previously been crowned as the “Mattress Queen,” in a guessing contest at Edelstein’s Furniture Store—winning prize, a mattress.

Demonstrating her diversity, and not allowing her momentum to slow down, she immediately entered in a cooking contest in another newspaper. 

Her three daughters shown in the photo, Mary Margaret, Joanna and Agnes, wasted no time in suggesting how they would spend the winning cash.

Agnes had her thoughts on a new sweater, Mary Margaret said she would buy a new record attachment for her radio and Joanna, was speechless.   As for father Tipton, Mrs. Tipton added, “I guess he can pay the tax on the $1,000 prize money.

 Mrs. Tipton was well known in the city for her community and humanitarian service—winning life-long friends through service. 

1977 - House of E Adams and 13th St

Joe Von Hatten takes us back to take a look at a house that was removed as downtown made the transition to expanding itself as a business district with a few photos.  We added a couple to help tell story with photos what we cant tell with words since we have limited info about the corner but what you can see in photos. 

1948 Colorized Photo Has a Story to Tell

Here's a li'l taste of a colorized photo which will include some details about the time and place and incidents that precipitated the event which is playing out in this scene.  The "Friedman Motors" sign is on the 1880's built Vivier Opera House which was once the entertainment venue for Brownsville's upper echelon which by this time had been reduced to a garage but was also used to stage amateur boxing and wrestling matches.  That Sinclair service station would later be replaced with more modern Sinclair gas station by the 1950s.  Both buildings on the corner of E Levee St and 10th are now gone.  

Be sure to check our sister page which includes colorized photos which might be of interest to the vintage photo enthusiast.

1938 Tom Sawyer brings smiles to “Depression” era kids

Capitol Theater invites city’s poorest children to the movies

By Rene Torres

According to economist, “The Stock Market crash of 1929 was the beginning and/or a symptom of the Great Depression.”  The “Depression”, which lasted for about ten years, caused mass poverty as many people lost their jobs and had no choice but to live in shanty towns.  It was said then,” That those that were rich in the roaring twenties were reduced to selling apples and pencils on street corners.”

Families lost all their possessions, were divided and forced to go on Public Relief.  The era created more hoboes and drifters than ever before.

Word spread throughout the country that the Rio Grande Valley was prosperous; with a mild climate and that you could eat as many grapefruits as your stomach could hold.  It was a combination of these reasons that a flood of bums, hoboes and drifters made their way to the Valley. 

“They came in record numbers—more than this region had seen before,” said local peace officers.  A newspaper report read “The highways of the Valley are literally lined with human driftwood, hobbling along the side of the road, or footing it along the railroad tracks.”

Brownsville today, is not absent of baggers, but what the city experienced then was a stranger at every corner.  They were at street intersections appealing for money, waiting for rides and at the backdoor of many homes looking for food.  In the Valley, the most vulnerable to the ills of the period were kids.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer comes to the rescue…

During the decade, Brownsville and the rest of the Valley was deeply touched by the hard times of the period.  This city, according to Mark Fanning, Capitol Theater manager, saw the rise of more poor kids than ever before.  Fanning wanted to do something to bring some instant smiles to those that could not afford to go to the movies.

Speaking then, Fanning said, “I’d hate for a child in Brownsville to miss seeing this classic of child life, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.  This is why I am giving tickets to poor children.”

The idea was to bring some joy to the less fortunate by inviting them to the movie theater.  Perhaps a movie would redeem some life into the poor sentiments of the period.  .

Tom Sawyer, the novel, was written by Mark Twain in 1876 which eventually made its way into film.  The movie has been filmed and animated many times since its inception and the first was a silent version in 1907.

The classic movie came to Brownsville in Technicolor in 1938—ten years after the Capitol Theater had opened its doors on February 14, 1928.

 

On that day there were many in the audience that could identify with the adventures and escapades of the lead character.

 The movie reminded all of us of the importance of imagination and having fun, especially whether you lived along the Mississippi or the Rio Grande River.

An afternoon at the movies was a rich experience for all. And perhaps for a couple of hours, the pains and wounds of the “Depression” were less than before.

John C. Fanning at one time was the manager of both the Queen and Capitol Theaters.  He was very prominent in local civic affairs and in the advancement of a “Better Brownsville.”  His deeds went beyond talk. 

Throughout the years, the Capitol Theater was a source of inspiration to the citizens of this community.  It was a venue where people from all walks of life gathered to witness a premier, a stage performance by local talent and/or a Hollywood movie star. 

But more importantly, it played a major role during WW II in “Brownsville’s Scrap Iron Drive.”  The ticket to the movies was a piece of scrap iron— hundreds of kids lined Levee Street to do their part on the home front.

1978 - Historic Preservationists Did Their Darndest

Bronsbil Estacion takes a look at the past to rediscover an era when revitalization and preservation of historic structures was in peril and the destructive nature of incompetent city officials or poorly managed city buildings entities allowed the debilitation and destruction of many of this city's historically significant structures.

As many of our locals know, our crusading friend at Rrun RRun, Juan Montoya used to write for the Brownsville Herald.  Here's story he did back in 1978.  

 

November 13, 1927 - E Adams and 13th St

It looked a lot worse before.  At least the owner painted and boarded it up but this is a clear example of how building facades were ruined to give them a modern plain square look.

1927

1927 Padre Island Hwy near Four Corners (Boca Chica Blvd and International Blvd.)

J.J. Young building on E Elizabeth and 13th St.

Today it is another typical downtown eyesore that was once a dignified building

1960

1980

1984 1024

Mr Lackner risked political future by trying to light a fire under the asses of city officials to finally get on the right track but didnt make a dent due to the historical cronyism and corruption and apathy that is still prevalent in Brownsville, Texas.  We're glad to report that Mr Lackner fared well in spite of Brownsville's retarded pace for historical preservation and when we last heard, was set to retire this fall of 2018.    Historically speaking, it actually only takes a few to accomplish what the majority or reality owners downtown are unwilling to do.  Many new businesses have appeared around the Market Square area.

1985

Back then our city officials also deemed the Missouri Pacific Railroad an eyesore.  People today can still lament the loss of this structure because we have historic photos to prove it once existed.  

The historical community will always recall Ruby Wooldridge for her efforts to save our historical resources and her collaboration with preservationists to survey historic sites.  Much of her published work continues to serve historians and preservationists today.  Her best known work is the Brownsville, A Pictorial History book she co-authored with Bob Vezzetti.

In 1989 the owner wanted to tear this building down and put a new one.  This is the old Yturria bank building near E Elizabeth and 13th Sts.  If you ever had a historic tour downtown,  Dr Tony Knopp likes to begin tours by pointing out that the history of downtown buildings can be viewed from the second floor and up.  

1890  Kowalski home on E Elizabeth and 13th St.  Many of these photos were gathered on a whim.  What is set here is a pictorial look at this home on E Elizabeth.  Many homes on the westside have been saved by restorers recently

1972 Kowalski home on E Elizabeth and 4th as it stood since being partially damaged by the 1933 hurricane.  The previous owner could not afford to fix it so decades passed before new owners brought it back to life.

2003 Brownsville Herald regarding preservation of  Kowalski house on E Elizabeth and 4rd Sts.

2018 4 July parade photo

Additional research material below provided by Jose Cazares

Safety Patrol boys kept children safe

While “Safety Sally” took a beating in the streets of Brownsville

By Rene Torres

St Joseph's Patrol Boys

front row l to r:  Fred Champion, Rolando Flores, Hector Gonzalez and Humberto Garcia

back row l to r:: Ruben Recio, Ernest Pena, Willie Cavazos and Edward Medellin

Keeping school children safe on the streets of Brownsville in the 1940s was a serious proposition.  It was so critical that the local schools formed safety patrol groups—kids that took their places on street corners to safeguard movement of their classmates.

In the early days, the idea was not to control car traffic, but to instruct, direct and control the members of the student body in crossing the street at or near school corners during the “rush” to get home.  

In some cities in the Valley, it was common to see a patrol boy hold his arms out from his side, and students would line up behind him.  When the traffic cleared and it was safe to cross, his arms would come down and children would proceed across the intersection.

The Safety Patrol program was started nationally in 1920 by the American Automobile Association (AAA).  Locally, many kids eagerly volunteered for the chance to use their whistle and to wear a belt- like strap across their chest and waist.   Still others were adorned with arm bands, a variety of hat wear and yes, even a dress jacket—as you see in the given photo.

There was upward mobility within the safety patrol organization; the program had a “ranking” system which led to leadership roles.  In some schools, you had to be in a certain grade level in order to participate and if you demonstrated initiative, you could be promoted as an officer of your squad.  It was common to start as a flag bearer and then work yourself up to giving commands with the elusive whistle.

In the 1940s, those school districts involved with the national school safety program could choose to participate in the summer vacation camps.  Those lucky kids chosen to attend a camp went through several days of intensive leadership training and upon returning to their school were promoted accordingly.  

One of those local safety patrol kids of the 1960s that became a role model to others was Victor Rodriguez.  As a youngster, Victor attended Resaca Elementary where he climbed up the safety patrol ladder to become chief officer of the program. 

 Speaking recently, Chief Rodriguez commented that it was also the duty of a patrol boy to monitor behavior around campus.  For instance, “I vividly remember reminding some of my classmates that speaking Spanish on campus was against school rules.”  Victor went to say that the language rule was one of the realities one faced growing up in the Rio Grande Valley in the 1960s. 

Rodriguez moved on to become this city’s police chief and soon after was appointed to the Texas Board of Pardon and Paroles in Austin.  Today, the former safety patrol boy from Resaca Elementary leads all patrol boys and girls as McAllen’s Police Chief.

The familiar safety patrol boys that were stationed at various intersections to safeguard children from traffic hazards is a thing of the past.  The Safety Patrol programs vanished and rightly so, as motorists today are so engulfed with rushing somewhere that they even ignore the flashing lights of a school bus.

“Safety Sally” took a beating in Brownsville…

1946 September

Beyond the school intersections there was another icon on the streets of Brownsville performing the same chores as the patrol boys did.   Her name was “Safety Sally, a metal sign that was placed in the middle of the street warning the careful and careless motorist to drive safely.

In 1946, the little girl that mutely attempted to protect pedestrians took a beating from motorists that ran through and over her smiling face.  There was no exact number of how many were broken, but a newspaper report stated that the breakage was significant.

While little Miss Sally was the pet of Brownsville, she was also seen in other main streets of the Valley.  The gals were brought here in 1942 by the 20-30 club and all 50 of the rosy cheeked Sallies became an instant hit…if you know what I mean. 

According to Gene Barton, Herald staff reporter of then, at one point the young ladies were rather lonely as their dads marched off to war.  Although ignored during WWII, they survived and made a comeback when the local lads returned.  Barton wrote, “In 1945 they went to the ‘beauty parlor’ and again assigned their jobs near school building.”

Soon after the war, there were provisions made for 6 of the gals along 14^th Street, two on 13^th Street, and two each on St. Charles, St Francis and Levee Streets.  Along Elizabeth Street, there were stations for six, Jefferson four, Madison and Adams Streets two each, and 2 at the Los Ebanos School crossing.

Although brave on the job, the little ladies were afraid to venture out to Elizabeth Street as it proved to be one of the most dangerous spots in the city.  It was estimated that about 25 had lost their lives from hit and run drivers.  With those statistics, do you blame them for being afraid?

To the motorists of Brownsville and the Valley, the message was clear.  Next time you see a “Safety Sally,” members of the 20-30 club said, “Think about the 25 who were victims of hit and run drivers and remember one of them could have been your own daughter.”

The 20-30 club was a service organization made up of young men between the ages of 20 to 39 whose mission was to help the children of the community.

A word of advice, “Look both ways before you cross.”