So many great old photos and articles that I just had to
open up another new page. Putting them up just as I find them.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Artists drawing but still pretty neat. |
Another drawing but tells us a great deal of how PA was. Probably the 20s. |
Those of us in Groves appreciate this. Whoever labeled it wasn't from there, or couldn't spell.
|
Queen's Coronation of 1961. Annabelle Taylor was my 1st. cousin. |
The main schedule of the night. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The PA-Orange Bridge, built in 1938. This has to be the 30's because that's what the cars are. | Amazing photo of how they built it. | This view gives an idea just how long the bridge really is. | It's what the Hussars did, march in parades. | It's Mrs. Fredeman again I believe. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
All we know is it's a St. James School 1st Grade. But, what year? |
About the 4th Grade at St. James. Mr. Pineda instructor. I'm in there somewhere. So is Micka Primeaux, Wade Hebert, Helen Holzaphel. |
St. James Church in the 40s. |
Post Card of St. James Church, has to be very early, nothing around it. |
St. James Elementary, A recent photo just before it was demolished. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Has to be the 30's as BB Stadium was moved further back at some point. | Tanners Auto. Not sure where this was located but the date says 1944. | This was before there was ever a Locker Building. | The real TJ High, with snow. I don't remember the trees so it must go way back. | Not sure why I scanned this but might as well use it. Dated 1952. |
Ok, here comes the good stuff, or probably bad stuff.
When Paul F. called me on that Saturday, January 14, 2012,
I raced over there, took the picts, grabbed a dozen bricks from
that pile from the Gym. A guy drove over, told me I can't be here,
I told him I was HERE 50 yrs ago and I was talking the bricks.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Jan 14, 2012. The demolition of TJ/Edison. I wanted to cry but what can you do. | I walked that sidewalk along the Gym so many times. | I can still remember the smell of walking into that Gym. The Dodgeball games. | The side of the Gym, and the Tennis Court, where I picked up the bricks. | Sat in the Cafeteria with Seniors who talked about what pranks Janis Joplin did the night before. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Not sure what project this was but it's dated 1945. |
All we have is what's in the title. Winsor Hotel in Sabine Pass. |
This was our Walmart in the 80's. I still have stuff I bought there. |
Has to be very early W. Wilson. The 20's? |
When they took down this name, the school and the city went to pot. |
This incident has generated a lot of interest in me. We can't go back 70 years and relive history
but it has caused me to do a lot of thinking. It truly was an amazing but sad story. To add
we have a short but moving commentary from our classmate, Howard "Skip" Austin. It's
amazing to me how much he can remember even though he was about 8 yrs. old at the time.
I am really grateful for his thoughts that he has allowed us to publish here.
|
|
|
Long story here, will try to cut it short.
The Memorial came out of the 1952 Annual. Two teenagers out in a boat in
Lake Sabine, boat overturned. This kid, son of a local Dentist, thought he could
swim back. Granted out in the lake at night, the lights look closer
than they are. He didn't make it. The other kid, my Cousin
Jack Austin, not mentioned here, stayed with the boat and was rescued.
I remember grownups in the family talking about something bad. Recall my uncle saying, "They had a shotgun to do some kind of hunting, the gun was caught in the boat and was recovered, wish it had been lost". BTW, one of the 1952 Annuals I bought had this kid's school picture inside it at this page. Someone gave it up. What a find ..!!!!!! I decided to post it here with the Junior photo of Jack Austin. Many thanks to HE "Skip" Austin for his commentary. |
|
Howard "Skip" Austin's great
commentary......
I remember that day as if it were yesterday. I was standing in front of our Dearborn heater, it was cold that day, when they brought Jack in. He had deep depressions in his hands where he had tied himself to the bow of the boat. The Poole's, on Gilliam Circle, had a Vacuum cleaner sales and service, were shrimping on the lake and heard Jack calling for help. Mom didn't get any fore warning that they had that accident so we were taken by surprise. I located Walter's grave about 8 years ago but have since lost the map. I thought about putting some kind of remembrance on his grave but never did. I wasn't allowed to go to the funeral or even talk about it. Oh well such is life. I'm o.k. with anything you put on the site about the accident. I don't think there's any Kirkpatricks living and it did happen. |
|
So many thoughts run through my mind on this. Here were two teenagers, 16 or 17, doing what so many of us did growing up in an area with great fishing in lakes, bayous, and reservoirs everywhere. No TV to watch, no games, so they did what most did, head to the outdoors.
Port Arthur was a great town then, Thomas Jefferson was one of the best high schools in Texas. But teenagers still looked for fun things to do. They did what probably hundreds of their classmates did. They launched a boat and headed out to the lake.
One life ended that night. The other lived to lead a long life. Got married, raised a family, employed at Texaco to earn a good salary for the rest of his life, until he retired. Lived up into his 70's. I wish he was here to tell his story but thankfully we have the next best thing.
For the rest of us, we are in our 70's. I have lived a long life, had several close calls in my day, been out in a boat many times too. I'm lucky to be here now, I was quite a rounder in my early days. Close calls in an automobile, almost shot one time, health scares.
So, why are we still here..?
Hopefully to keep digging up stories like this and sharing them with all of you. |
