1917 - 1956 Queen Theater ads

Here's a selection of ads which seem to be the only things in existence to tell us that Brownsville, Texas once had a Queen Theater downtown.  Very few photos of it are known to exist and fewer memories have been shared since it disappeared long before most Bronsbil Estacion readers were born.  Our next post will give an overview of the history with a few photos to help understand where it was and a few glimpses from images collected over the years for a history of theaters and drive-ins of Brownsville, Texas.

 1917

 1918 from Palmetto Brownsville High School yearbook

  1919 from Palmetto Brownsville High School yearbook

 1920 ad

 1923 Palmetto

 1928

 1928

 1928 logo

 1929 Collegian

 1938 

 1938

 1955

 1956

 1956 ads

1957 Barber shop in front of Queen Theater

1926 American Venus at Queen Theater

Bronsbil Estacion is working on a mini-history of the Queen Theater that was long before our time and our parent's time and there's still little that is known.  Here's a 1926 ad for the theater.  I'm still putting together some resources to tell the story of the Queen Theater and if there's interest this may become a series of articles on the Theaters & Drive-Ins of Brownsville, Texas.

 1926 February 7th Brownsville Herald ad for Quen Theater on E Elizabeth St.

 An image search the web will yield all kinds of images and references to most any movie you search.  Below are images found searching the names with year 1926 to see what they looked like.  There were not very many movie stills found worth our while.

 Esther Ralston

 Ford Sterling

 Lawrence Gray

Fay Lanphier

Leno Zapata and the Last Days of the Pipero

by Rene Torres

It was perhaps one of the most colorful funeral processions ever seen in this city—and it all happened at the turn of the century.  Before the modern waterworks system in the city existed, the water cart was skillfully maneuvered through the streets of this city.

But on this particular day, the local piperos buried one of their own, Leno Zapata.   He was considered one of the most popular in the business, who after twenty years of ritual service, left behind his most valuable assets, his water cart and donkey.  

It was a majestic march to the cemetery—with burros, water carts and barefooted salesmen following the hearse to his last resting place. 

The piperos dressed in their daily attire with no frills and fancies, brought part of the city to a standstill.   As competitors, friends and family mounted their wagons, about 28 in all, gathered at the home of the deceased, a dilapidated shack, in the alley way close to the Cameron County court house.

After the viewing, began the slow, very slow procession of mourning.  The march was along 13^th street to Adams and eventually reached the Immaculate Conception church, where there were services for the departed.

The funeral movement toward the cemetery was tranquil as the hearse was followed by the plodding, faithful and patient little animals. All with heads lowered and mouths against the bottom of the water cart.  Their every step displaying explicit obedience and apparent sympathy with the mourners that followed the hearse.

It was an era when the affluent of this city got their water from a water well and stored it in cisterns (tank for storing water).  While the ones from the poor side of town depended on the pipero for their muddy water.   For a few cents, the household could have a barrel of Rio Grande water delivered to the back door and placed it in a special container—usually another barrel.

Speaking of the cost for water? in 1908, the piperos were accused of overcharging their customers.  Mayor Combe, gave them a free and forceful lecture on keeping their price at a reasonable rate. 

He informed them that they must conform to the city ordinance regulating the sale of water.  Placing the price at the limit for selling the barrel at 7 cents.   The mayor was hard on the voiceless, which also included the hack drivers.Leno might have seen his last ray of sunshine, but the business went on until the 1920s when the last pipero disappeared and became relics of the past.

Modern day water carrier downtown on 10th and E Elizabeth c2009 (photo by Javier R. Garcia)

Assortment of Charro Days Photos

Here are a few photos shared on the Facebook page a couple of years ago.  Thanks to all who shared their photos.  

 Couple dancing from slide image by Erik Sunde (his mother took photo)

 1947 Amelia Gaona Gomez sent by Veronica Ortiz

 1950 Lydia Paredes

 1954 Esperanza Solis, Olga Serna and Lydia Paredes at Fisher's Cafe (Sergio Paredes)

 1955 Lydia Paredes and Amelia Garcia (Sergio Paredes) 

 1956 Eusebio Franco

 1964 Fausto Yturria at left with Jose Besteiro on right.  

 Lisa Garza 

Sylvia Christine Cayce (Pat Odabashian)

 1966 (Robin Gelfer Prince) 

 Nellie Rodriguez Linares (sent by daughter Lisa Garza)

  Nellie Rodriguez Linares (sent by daughter Lisa Garza) colorized by Bronsbil Estacion 

Helen Martin

Ratfink in Washington Park

The piece of dogsh*t on the right bears no significance but the one on the left will throw a rat on you whether you break the law or not.