Category: Historic Preservation

Historic Preservation, Public Communications

History Blog: Old Hrdlicka home had long, storied history

City of College Station's 75th AnniversaryNOTE: 2013 marks the City of College Station’s 75th year as an incorporated city. In recognition, we’ve highlighted some interesting moments from our past.

The following message was authored by Henry Mayo, a surveyor and long-time resident of the Bryan-College Station area. As a surveyor and historian, Henry retrieves information from local, state and national resources to assemble history-themed messages for email subscribers in a series titled “This Week in Brazos County History.” To subscribe to Henry’s email series, click here.

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FORMER HRDLICKA/FUGATE FAMILY HOME BURNS (Sept. 22, 1988) 

The history book that chronicles the College Station Fire Department’s first 25 years (1970-95) includes the following under notable fire calls from 1988:

“September 22 — A house was totally destroyed at Luther Street and Wellborn Road. The house was near collapse from the intense fire on CSFD’s arrival.”

This home and associated businesses have a rich history. In a 1995 interview archived on the City of College Station’s Project HOLD website, Marilyn Hrdlicka Fugate said she was born in the home on Feb. 22, 1922 and that it was built around 1919 by her father, Ed Hrdlicka. It was located on the west corner of a few hundred acres of land owned by the Hrdlicka family. Marilyn and her husband, Jack Fugate, raised their own family there following World War II.

Continue reading “History Blog: Old Hrdlicka home had long, storied history”

Historic Preservation, Public Communications

History Blog: Solving the puzzle of A&M’s Veterans Village

City of College Station's 75th AnniversaryNOTE: 2013 marks the City of College Station’s 75th year as an incorporated city. In recognition, we’ve highlighted some interesting moments from our past.

The following message was authored by Henry Mayo, a surveyor and long-time resident of the Bryan-College Station area. As a surveyor and historian, Henry retrieves information from local, state and national resources to assemble history-themed messages for email subscribers in a series titled “This Week in Brazos County History.” To subscribe to Henry’s email series, click here.

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VETERANS VILLAGE DUPLEX HOUSES FOR SALE (Sept. 17, 1953)

Duplex clipI had heard of the Texas A&M project houses on Jersey Street (now George Bush) and the married-student College View apartments, but I was puzzled about exactly where Veterans Village was located. In the course of my research, I ran across the ad at the right from The Eagle published on Sept. 17, 1953, which refers to duplex houses.

BlackberryadI also found several classified ads (left) for items for sale by Veterans Village residents. Most ran in the late 1940s. Continue reading “History Blog: Solving the puzzle of A&M’s Veterans Village”

Historic Preservation, Parks and Recreation, Public Communications

A fitting week to celebrate the Bear’s 100th birthday

City of College Station's 75th AnniversaryNOTE: 2013 marks the City of College Station’s 75th year as an incorporated city. In recognition, we’ve highlighted some interesting moments from our past.

The following message was authored by Henry Mayo, a surveyor and long-time resident of the Bryan-College Station area. As a surveyor and historian, Henry retrieves information from local, state and national resources to assemble history-themed messages for email subscribers in a series titled “This Week in Brazos County History.” To subscribe to Henry’s email series, click here.

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PAUL BRYANT IS BORN IN ARKANSAS (Sept. 11, 1913)

Bear BryantI’m not sure if this is something to celebrate in College Station — especially this week — but former Texas A&M and Alabama head football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant would be 100 years old on Wednesday. Fittingly, the Aggies play top-ranked Alabama on Saturday at Kyle Field. The Crimson Tide’s only other visit to College Station was on Dec. 1, 1988, but it was a non-conference game that had been postponed due to the threat of Hurricane Gilbert.

Continue reading “A fitting week to celebrate the Bear’s 100th birthday”

Historic Preservation, Public Communications

Remember when Aggie football tickets were $4?

City of College Station's 75th AnniversaryNOTE: 2013 marks the City of College Station’s 75th year as an incorporated city. In recognition, we’ve highlighted some interesting moments from our past.

This blog was authored by Henry Mayo, a surveyor and long-time resident of the Bryan-College Station area. As a surveyor and historian, Henry retrieves information from local, state and national resources to assemble history-themed messages for email subscribers in a series titled “This Week in Brazos County History.” To subscribe to Henry’s email series, click here.

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BRYAN SCHOOLS ORDERED TO INTEGRATE (July 30, 1963)

This article from the front page of the The Eagle 50 years ago is self-explanatory. The stair-step method mentioned allowed the integration process to be phased in by grade levels to allow the school district to make facility, staff and acceptance adjustments more gradually. In College Station, the stair-step method had started but after a few years, Lincoln School burned and the remainder of the integration process was implemented immediately. Continue reading “Remember when Aggie football tickets were $4?”

Historic Preservation, Public Communications

History Blog: Much has changed in my 50 years in BCS

City of College Station's 75th AnniversaryNOTE: 2013 marks the City of College Station’s 75th year as an incorporated city. In recognition, we’ve highlighted some interesting moments from our past.

This blog was authored by Henry Mayo, a surveyor and long-time resident of the Bryan-College Station area. As a surveyor and historian, Henry retrieves information from local, state and national resources to assemble history-themed messages for email subscribers in a series titled “This Week in Brazos County History.” To subscribe to Henry’s email series, click here.

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PERSONAL MILESTONE HIGHLIGHTS ST. JOSEPH’S HISTORY 

Pardon me for imposing my personal history on you, but Tuesday is a historic day fo me. I was born June 18, 1963 at St. Joseph Hospital in Bryan.

The hospital was located west of downtown Bryan and opened as Bryan Hospital in 1913. It was reopened as St. Joseph Hospital in 1936. The building is still standing and used as apartments, I believe.

Continue reading “History Blog: Much has changed in my 50 years in BCS”

Historic Preservation, Public Communications

History Blog: The King ruled College Station in the summer of ’73

City of College Station's 75th AnniversaryNOTE: 2013 marks the City of College Station’s 75th year as an incorporated city. In recognition, we’ve highlighted some interesting moments from our past.

This blog was authored by Henry Mayo, a surveyor and long-time resident of the Bryan-College Station area. As a surveyor and historian, Henry retrieves information from local, state and national resources to assemble history-themed messages for email subscribers in a series titled “This Week in Brazos County History.” To subscribe to Henry’s email series, click here.

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PETTY WINS ALAMO 500 AT TEXAS WORLD SPEEDWAY

Richard “The King” Petty, driving well-known Dodge number 43 for STP, won NASCAR’s Alamo 500 at the Texas World Speedway just south of College Station on June 10, 1973. Darrell Waltrip, still a rising star in the sport, came in second in the Winston Cup race. 

This was the last NASCAR championship race at the four-year-old superspeedway until the 1979 Texas 400, which Waltrip won. The Wikipedia site for Texas World Speedway has great information on its history, and all of the track’s races are listed on the Ultimate Racing History website.

Richard_Petty[2] Continue reading “History Blog: The King ruled College Station in the summer of ’73”