2017 0129 San Fernando Clean-up Work with Peek at Basement

Here are a few pics I took while visiting downtown Market Square area.  

 Park Hotel building fountain getting a pressure wash.

 It looks like non-retaining walls have been removed.

 Same area to the left.  Those tin ceiling tiles which look like they have been ruined by years of paint and dirt will be preserved rather than completely ripping them out and replacing with the soft plastic reproduction "tin" ceiling tiles.  Also, there were no tiles of the exact pattern found on the market so they will remain.  How they will be "cleaned" is a mystery for now.

 Stucco is being removed to expose original brick on E Adams side

 Ancient heavy floor joists

Ricardo Carlos of Rival Builders stands over basement area.  It has long been rumored that there were tunnels beneath some Brownsville churches and buildings.  According to Ricardo - there is no trace of that to be found here.

 Here it is -- our first look at basement with no clues of sealed passageways to Market Square.  

 Since there are no official plans drawn up at this time we cannot say how the structure will be used.  For now, it is only a matter of demolishing what is not original to the building and prepping it for the next stage of restoration.  The goal is to save as much of the original building as possible to return it to a historical "look" before it was altered numerous times.  

New planks have been laid upon original ceiling joists.  There was a wood shed on the roof which was not original to the building so it was demolished and removed.  

 Temporary support posts.

The windows are almost refurbished all around the Market Square building.  The planning for the second floor galleries and archival rooms is still in development.  Because the building was completed with add-on construction through various stages of its development and some spaces do not align evenly and additional factors such as walls which can or should not be removed which make reorganizing the building spaces a difficult task.  We'll post another update when we can.  If you're on Facebook be sure to look-up Revitalize Downtown Brownsville for much more photos and frequent updates for this and other ongoing development in downtown Brownsville, Texas.

2017 Charro Days Parade Then & Now Part 2

1955 digitized 8mm film still (BHA/James Downing)

 I hope these composite photos don't look overdone.  It was difficult deciding which photos to use after taking so many so I combined a lot rather than post 77 photos which can be overwhelming for some but hey - it's Brownsville and it's for us.  (1966 William Quinones)

 (1966 William Quinones photos)

(BHA photo - year unknown c1978)

 Gilberto Velasquez and photographers documented in 1942 by Arthur Rothstein

Downtown couple Miguel Roberts and Claudia Henry in front of Sacred Heart Church

 Find the Sacred Heart photo-bombers 

 1942 Arthur Rothstein inset of band on E Levee passing Chamber of Commerce building and Marine Military Academy band from Harlingen.  

 I bet Charlie Clark's "Green Ghost" is what the kids really like!

 Wells Fargo ladies

 I finally got a close-up photo of the H-E-B cart!  

 Thanks to all the sponsors who make our parade greater each year!

There be giants among us

 The friendliest park rangers and living historians are from Palo Alto Battlefield Park

 This was a Coca Cola float passing the Enrique Manautou house (1925) on the corner of Palm Blvd and East Elizabeth St.

 Setting his sights on the future

 Historic building restorationist Fernando Balli & Co. in front of Enrique Manautou house (1925) on the corner of Palm Blvd and East Elizabeth St.

Retired judge Ben Neece aimed for the downtown city commission seat and took it.

 Gotta love these guys for not trying this during the poorly attended Fourth of July parade every year

 Postcard photo copied of Ebay

 Mr Amigo 2016 Fernando Landeros - Grand Marshall of the parade during Charro Days 2017

 Not as cool as the original Ghost Bustermobile but the kids dont realize that so it's cool

Dance of the Veijitos (Old Men) is older then the Charro Days parade which was first done in 1938