Special to El Rrun-Rrun
* Have a coke! In 1925, Thomas H. Sweeney, proprietor of the Coca Cola Plant invited the public to visit his new bottling plant. The facility was located where it still stands today, at Washington and Eleventh. The product at the time, was to be known as “Sweeney’s Soda Water,” and was placed in the market as such. This writer remembers walking by the plant and listening to the sound of glass bottles moving through a conveyor belt. The building with open doors and with plenty of windows invited you to see and hear the bottling process - a distinct sound you could hear from blocks away.
Then there was the stirring newsboy call familiar to everyone, “Extra! Extra! Extra! Read all about it...” The music brings the roar of the presses to the listener’s ear, the clatter of the typewriters and
teletype machines and the brisk activity of the editorial room.
* In 1850, according to the census, it showed that there were 53 slaves owned by 20 families in Cameron County. Most of the slaves were house servants of long-standing with the families. By 1860, there were only six owners of slaves. Total number of slaves seven, one of whom was a fugitive from a Louisiana owner.
* Who’s Who of Brownsville High School of 1964: Roy Zepeda, Eddie Vaughan, Donna McCabe, Laura Tobin, Judy Pate, John Marin, Kathryn Harrison, Jane Autz, Karen Brittain, Linda Davis, Scott Etchison and Rosie Garcia.
* The sound of the radio: It was December of 1927 that the Valley’s newest radio station hit the airways and the tower was located on top of the El Jardin Hotel in Brownsville. It was not five minutes into the Christmas program that a telegram from San Antonio was received saying that the station was coming clear and strong from there. A long string of calls from throughout the Valley followed. Just imagine hearing the voice of Santa Claus on the airways (yes, he was there!) he came in with bang to the accomplishment of sleigh-bells and a stamping of a reindeer.
* Riding the rails on a car: In 1937, the shuttle car automobile train which was operated by the Port Isabel and Rio Grande Railway Co. made daily trips between Brownsville and Port Isabel. The old piece of railroad equipment, serving as passenger and mail carrier, was a standard car, equipped with rigid steering and flanged railroad wheels.
* What was so special about 1915? It was the birth of the Brownsville Independent School District.
Although the public schools were around since late in the 19th Century (1875), prior to this period, the school system was in control of the city government. The schools in 1915 included Brownsville High School, City Grammar School, the Black School, the Matanzas School, the Media Luna School, the Nopalita School, the Linerro School, and the West Brownsville School.
* In 1922, sports fans in Brownsville were discussing the proposition of making a park for football, baseball and other sports on the Chautauqua Park. The land was located near the West Brownsville school house. There were several blocks, and would only accommodate a ball park, but would
serve a city park as well.
* During late in the Depression, especially on July 10, 1937, the three major Valley newspapers, the Herald, Harlingen Morning Star and the McAllen Monitor were combined as one Sunday issue. The morning paper’s purpose, according to management, was to give the people of the Valley the best Sunday newspaper they could buy and to give it to them while the news was fresh. That idea lasted until 1942—as paper officials decided to go back individual publications.
* Mexican fliers contributed in our efforts to win WW II. Herald headlines read, “Mexican Fliers Ready to Fight.” The daily report stated the following: The first flying Mexicans destined to see actual fighting in WW II, the pilots of the 201 Fighters Squadron, trained in Brownsville. Only two weeks of a six-month training program was conducted at the Brownsville Army Air field for preparations for entry into Pacific aerial combat.
* In 1850, according to the census, it showed that there were 53 slaves owned by 20 families in Cameron County. Most of the slaves were house servants of long-standing with the families. By 1860, there were only six owners of slaves. Total number of slaves seven, one of whom was a fugitive from a Louisiana owner.
* Who’s Who of Brownsville High School of 1964: Roy Zepeda, Eddie Vaughan, Donna McCabe, Laura Tobin, Judy Pate, John Marin, Kathryn Harrison, Jane Autz, Karen Brittain, Linda Davis, Scott Etchison and Rosie Garcia.
* The sound of the radio: It was December of 1927 that the Valley’s newest radio station hit the airways and the tower was located on top of the El Jardin Hotel in Brownsville. It was not five minutes into the Christmas program that a telegram from San Antonio was received saying that the station was coming clear and strong from there. A long string of calls from throughout the Valley followed. Just imagine hearing the voice of Santa Claus on the airways (yes, he was there!) he came in with bang to the accomplishment of sleigh-bells and a stamping of a reindeer.
* Riding the rails on a car: In 1937, the shuttle car automobile train which was operated by the Port Isabel and Rio Grande Railway Co. made daily trips between Brownsville and Port Isabel. The old piece of railroad equipment, serving as passenger and mail carrier, was a standard car, equipped with rigid steering and flanged railroad wheels.
* What was so special about 1915? It was the birth of the Brownsville Independent School District.
* In 1922, sports fans in Brownsville were discussing the proposition of making a park for football, baseball and other sports on the Chautauqua Park. The land was located near the West Brownsville school house. There were several blocks, and would only accommodate a ball park, but would
serve a city park as well.
* During late in the Depression, especially on July 10, 1937, the three major Valley newspapers, the Herald, Harlingen Morning Star and the McAllen Monitor were combined as one Sunday issue. The morning paper’s purpose, according to management, was to give the people of the Valley the best Sunday newspaper they could buy and to give it to them while the news was fresh. That idea lasted until 1942—as paper officials decided to go back individual publications.
* Mexican fliers contributed in our efforts to win WW II. Herald headlines read, “Mexican Fliers Ready to Fight.” The daily report stated the following: The first flying Mexicans destined to see actual fighting in WW II, the pilots of the 201 Fighters Squadron, trained in Brownsville. Only two weeks of a six-month training program was conducted at the Brownsville Army Air field for preparations for entry into Pacific aerial combat.
15 comments:
When you pay the poll tax if you were hispanic they would scratch out white and mark you as colored. Look it up Juan gringos culeros and we have a bunch of cocos wanna be whites back then these cocos would be labeled as BLACKS
Again, interesting stories.
It's not just a “war with American tradition”, if Trump were moving the country forward without regard to 'tradition', it would be fine (not fine though disrespecting the law, constitution, and common morality).
Unfortunately, he is NOT moving the country forward. Not in terms of legislation, not in terms of dealing with debt, not in terms of GDP growth, not in terms of our standing in the world.
Now we appear to be heading towards recession next summer based on technical market indicators. That is exactly what we DON'T need. Already we are faced with $ trillion deficits, record breaking deficts on trade, and a weakening job situation.
It will be very difficult to make a legitimate case for Trump in 2020 if things deteriorate from now, and there is every indication that it will. The way he treats children. The way he uses taxpers money, is that honorable?
Would like know more about 201 Fighter Squadron trained in Brownsville Texas at Les Mauldin's lying school. Did they engage in aerial battles during WWII or not. To the Coco hater - only dark skinned non-English speaking Mexicans were counted as black. Their fault for having parents that baked in sun too long picking beans for you.
Bullshit...There was no race box on Poll Tax receipts. This is coming from a guy who is not old enough to remember when we had a poll tax and is repeating bullshit he heard at some beer joint.
Para los dos pendejos there are copies in the internet don't fool yourselves more than you are already and to the wanna be white coco you'll never change maybe in your next re-incarnation, no way you'll came back as a worm.
Please don't say you too are Scotch-Irish peasants potato eaters hahahahahaha
y el frijolero wanna be white coco. Heckel and jakel
@July 7, 2019 at 12:16 PM
Stop your rantings and ravings, lunatic and go back to your failed blog not even your gringo idols support your ass idiota
@ July 7, 2019 at 10:52 AM
Interesting version of what you perceive as truth. Try to not view what is the reality of President Trumps historically significant election and successful first 2 1/2 years of his presidency through the prism of what must be a fear of President Trumps eventual election.
@July 7, 2019 at 12:16 PM
Uncle Sam:
a black man considered to be excessively obedient or servile to white people.
a person regarded as betraying their cultural or social allegiance.
Tio Taco:
A hispanic wanna be white coco, considered to be excessively obedient or servile to white people.
a person regarded as betraying their cultural or social allegiance.
Pick your choice or you can be both frijolero
Trump is one of the greatest presidents we’ve ever had. Democrates want to rule by entitlements. The illegal aliens get more benefits than our veterans. Trump heaters... why don’t u open your house door to an illegal alien family... that would help in solving the issue
The Coca Cola building is and has always been at 10th and Washington, not 11th. I remember standing at the window as the bottles ran through a railing.
La Black school was not a Black school. The name was Blalack School named for P.E. Blalack a prominent citizen of Brownsville. It was built in 1907 and had one teacher and 24 students.
Keep this stories coming! Very interesting but sad in one way, because I was actually a primary source to the event! Ha!
There are a very few wanna be trump twitter warriors here that were not invited to the wh, wonder why? Racist republicans idiotas.
Demo ratas live in la la land
50 percent of the people love trump, that’s not just a few. And 50 percent don’t like him. Demos can go to hell
@July 11, 2019 at 9:07 PM
why weren't you invited to the wh? We have here a trump twitter warrior hahahahahahahah...
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