Fort Bend County

I want to plug Fort Bend County for a moment. I am chairman of the Fort Bend County Historical Commission, and over the past 3 years I have become aware of the myriad things our county does to preserve local history.

The first thing to highlight is the archeological work our Cemetery Committee does. The committee has more than 25 members who do all sorts of things to preserve the county's subterranean historical assets. The recent issue of The Medallion (from the Texas Historical Commission) included an article titled Super Stewards. 

Look closely at the accompanying photo and you'll see two of our Cemetery Committee members, Bob Crosser and Bruce Grethen. Bryan McAuley (also in the photo) is a Fort Bend County Historical Commissioner, as well as site manager at San Felipe de Austin. Sandy Rogers and John Rich (also appearing in the photo) are good friends of the Fort Bend Historical Commission even though they aren't members.

The article explains the thoroughly professional work these volunteers perform to preserve local history.

Click the photo to view the article.
 

Super Stewards at San Felipe de Austin. (Photo courtesy of The Medallion.)

Some of you may be aware that the County is planning to restore the old Missouri City Gym. The historical commission is assisting the county government with this project.

Click the photo below to read an article about this renovation project.

  

Missouri City Gym in 1937. (Photo courtesy of Lee Elkins LeGrand.)

The historical commission's Historic Preservation Committee has launch an ambitious, long-term project to survey the historic structures across Fort Bend County. The last survey was performed in 1980, well before the 'computer age,' so the end result will be an electronic version of the data collected.

The project began just a few months ago, but data collection is well underway. Here is an example collected by Bradley Stavinoha. It's the Horak Gin in Needville. (See the photos below.) 

I won't go in to a lot of detail, but here's what Bradley sent me in a brief email message:

"Original building constructed after WWI.  Victor Horak original owner. The 1929 Hurricane destroyed the building.  It was rebuilt and remodeled as ginning technology has changed through the years.

Ignac Horak operated it after Victor. Then Rodney Horak and now the brothers Kevin and Dustin Horak operate the gin.  Continuous operation at same location with same family for over 98 years.  One of the oldest in Fort Bend County."

(I'll bet most of you didn't realize there was a cotton gin still operating in Fort Bend County.)

 

Undated photo.

My cousin, Becky Bass Gallimore, sent me this article she found in a 1940 issue of The Rosenberg Herald. It is an announcement that the Sartartia Plantation (located in today's New Territories subdivision) planned to open a milk depot in Rosenberg. I assume this was a storage facility for home delivery of dairy products in Rosenberg and the surrounding area. It may have included a shop and ice cream parlor. (They operated retail stores in other location.)

 

  

One last item: The Fort Bend Museum is showing an exhibit of historic local maps through June. If you're a map fanatic (like I am), you might give it a try.  The article below is not directly related to the exhibit, but it explains the 'tools of the trade' in early map-making. Click the image to read the magazine article.
  

(Photo courtesy of Fort Bend Life Style and Homes.)

Miscellany

A colleague recently directed me to a superb collection of photos taken in 1979 & '80 by Sandra Batey for the Texas Historical Commission.  I thought I'd post four.

The first shows the 1927 Sugar Land Depot in 1980. Click the image to view a larger version. Many of you know it was located on the north side of the tracks where they cross Ulrich St. The depot was moved to Commerce Green Blvd. in 1985 and extensively remodeled. It now houses the Fort Bend County Chamber of Commerce.

 

Sugar Land's 1927 Railroad Depot in 1980. (The Portal to Texas History)

 

The second shows Captain Brooks's home, which was located on what was called Dam Rd. in 1980. In today's topography, it's roughly where Sugar Lakes Dr. crosses Kingfisher Dr. The house was demolished in the 1980s. Click the image to view a larger version.

  

Captain Brooks Home in 1980.
(The Portal to Texas History)

 
The third photo shows the old Schulze Store on FM 359 north of Richmond. It is now home to the Foster Creek Vet Hospital. Click here for a current view. Click the image below for a full view taken in 1980.
  

Old Schulze Store in 1980.
(The Portal to Texas History)

  

The final image shows the Scanlan House near Arcola.  It has a fascinating history, which you can read by clicking this link.  Click the image below for a view from 1980.
   

Scanlan House in 1980.
(The Portal to Texas History)

Missouri City High School Mementos from 1935 & '36

 

Thank you, Lee Elkins LeGrand, for letting me scan these images from her family's scrapbook.  Many of you will remember her father, Lawrence Elkins (MCHS '42), long-time administrator in FBISD. These items come from his older sister Maidie Lee Elkins (MCHS '36).

They are the programs for the 1935 & 1936 Junior-Senior Banquets & Dances. I'm pretty sure the location must have been the Missouri City Gym. You can see from the list of students in the 1935 program that class sizes were very small.

Click the image to view the album.
  

Lists of the MCHS Junior & Senior Classes in 1935.

  

More Missouri City High School Memorabilia

I want to thank Lee Elkins LeGrand (DHS '71) for letting me scan this copy of Missouri City High School's first yearbook.  It was called the Criterion and was issued in 1937.  As you'll see, the senior class made their yearbooks.  This copy is in very good shape.

I can understand why they took this approach.  After a few years of recovery, the Great Depression resumed with a vengeance in 1937.  I'm sure self-published annual was much more economical than contracting with a publishing company.  Sugar Land High School didn't publish an annual of any kind until 1947.

I will post more excerpts from this yearbook.

 

News & Updates

 

I forgot to mention last time another piece of bad news.  Martin Villareal (DHS '66) passed away recently.  Here is an obituary.  Thank you Scotty Hightower Bass (DHS '66) and Marsha Bauman Shaw (DHS '68) for relaying the information.

I don't recall who brought this to my attention, but another resident of old Sugar Land, Bertha Presas Cantu died recently.   

My best to the Villareal and Cantus families.

I got help from Marsha Krause Smith (DHS '68), Peggy Norman, and Debbie Duggan Gamble herself with an identification of her sister Pam Duggan Gray, who is pictured in this photo.  Thanks to you all.  Debbie said Pam was the Vikette mascot that year.

 

  

I want to give a big thank you to Sadie Williams, Jimmy Williams, and Charles Court for identifying members of the Missouri City boys basketball team, which I got from Lee Elkins LeGrand and posted last time.  Here's the photo again.

 

 

Here are the ids:

Lawrence Elkins, Coach

17 Glenn Jochec

21 Bobby Williams

20 Bobby Davis

18 Alfred Renfrow

13 Charles Court

19 Andrew George

16 Louis Rychlick

12 Donald Jordy

14 Donald Cothern

15 Eugene Dinges

Sadie also pointed out that the director of the 1941 Mustang Marching Band was Leonard Scarcella's father.  I knew he was the school's band director, but I didn't know which years.  Mother has told me many times that she remembers Leonard was the band's mascot for a few years.  He wore a white suit to football games -- I wish we had photos of that!

 

 

Finally, I want to post info on some upcoming events that may interest you.

 

Missouri City High School

I wanted to post another round of Missouri City High School photos I got from Lee Elkins LeGrand (DHS '71) and daughter of Lawrence Elkins (MCHS '42), long-time administrator in Fort Bend ISD.

The first photo shows Lawrence at the Missouri City garage in 1941.  Obviously, that's Highway 90A in the background.

 

 

The next photo shows the Missouri City Mustang football team of 1940.  They look pretty fierce to me.  There are annotations on the back, which you can see immediately below.

 

   

 

The next photo of a MCHS boys basketball team is undated, but my best guess is that it shows the '53 squad.  Bobby Williams (Class of '53) is number 21 in the second row.  Coach Elkins is on the left.  I'm hoping my Missouri City friends can identify more players and determine the year.

 

World War II

 

I've just finished reading a book I highly recommend.  It's title is Voices of the Pacific, by Adam Makos.  Here's a link to Amazon, where you can read more about it.  Of course, I'm prejudiced because I know one of the men whose oral history was included in the book, Wayburn Hall.

  

 

Makos interviewed 15 men, still living in 2012, who served in the 1st Marine Division during WWII.  The author said he didn't want to interfere with each man's story.  He wanted to present them as if they were sitting around a kitchen table talking about their experiences, and the reader was merely eavesdropping in a dark corner.  I think he achieved his goal.

Wayburn talks about being wounded in the invasion of Pelelieu and participating in the battle for Okinawa.  I'm very grateful that he's left a record of that chapter in his life's story.

  

I had a chance recently to see a few WWII-vintage planes that had stopped at the Sugar Land Airport the day before the recent air show at Ellington Field.  The centerpiece was a B-17, which was open to the public.  I took a camera and made a short video of crawl through the plane.

Click here to view the video. 

Last but not least is a photo of Lawrence Elkins, graduate of Missouri City High School, Class of '42, and WWII veteran of the Army Air Corps.  Thanks to his daughter Lee for letting me scan this photo.

Missouri City High School

Thank you, Lee Elkins LeGrand (DHS '71), for letting me scan these photos from the Elkins family scrapbook.  Many of you know her father was Lawrence Elkins (MCHS '42), who worked for MCISD and Fort Bend ISD for many years.  In fact, Elkins High School is named after him.

The first photo shows the 1941 Mustang Band on the steps of the old auditorium, which I'm happy to say is still standing. 

The next photo shows the 1939-40 championship boys basketball team.  (I'm not sure what championship they won.  Most likely their Class A bi-district title - maybe higher titles, too.)  I've included the annotations on the back.  I recognized Mr. Elkins and Mr. Jerry Segers, Sr. right away.  I didn't realize the coach was Mr. E. O. Jones, Dulles High School's first principle.

The last photo shows the 1950 boys basketball team, which also won an unidentified championship.  I recognized Coach Bobby Williams (#21) right away.  As you can see, Mr. Elkins is their coach.  I don't recognize anyone else.  Any help with ids?

 

News & Updates

I got a note from Dale Gandy (DHS '65) who spotted himself in the following photo, which I received from Stephanie Youngblood Wilson (DHS '65) and posted a few weeks ago.  After taking a closer look, I think I've identified two more of his classmates.  We'll see what he thinks.

I received a note from Jane Broughton Schiller about moving from Sugar Land to Missouri City.  Here's what she said:

How hard was it to go to Mo. City?  I spent the whole summer crying, Mother even took me to talk to Mr. Jones to no avail.  I was a very shy, tall and at the most unattractive age for a girl.  However as always seems to be the case, had I not changed schools chances are I would never had met JD Schiller.  We were blessed with a great marriage, better and worse, but always together for fifty- eight years.  Three years high school and fifty-five years married.

I found this photo of Jane when she was still a Sugar Lander. (Update: Oops. Looks like I confused one sister for another!)

 

From the 1949 Gator annual.

Donna Christopher Baker (DHS '63) and Leon Anhaiser confirmed the following photo shows Miller Christopher and Charlie Tise.

I wanted to remind you that the City of Sugar Land has posted video of the workshop where the City Council and Planning & Zoning Department considered the development of Sugar Land's Historic District.  Click here to view the video.

And, last but not least, Jackie James (SLHS '57) sent me this photo showing 'CU' on a sign for Foster Farms north of Rosenberg.  (Recall that Sugarland Industries used those initials as its cattle brand.)  

She said she and her grandson took the photo on FM 762, but I think she meant FM 723.  Next time I'm in Rosenberg, I'll drive up to the Foster area and see if I can find another sign which I think has the 'CU' brand on it.

News & Updates

I regret that I have bad news to report.  Jesse Rayburn Morton, long-time Sugar Land resident passed away recently.  You may know his children: Gayle Morton Adler (DHS '65), Jesse M. Morton (DHS '67),  Janice Morton Padgett (DHS '70), and Lesa Morton Tyson.  (I'm not sure of Lesa's graduation year.)  Here is an obituary for Mr. Morton. 

Sandra Broughton Gandy (MCHS '59) also passed away recently.  Sandra was older sister to Bill Broughton (DHS '63) & Diane Broughton Lundell (DHS '65).  I'm not certain when sisters Jane Broughton Schiller and Joan Broughton Vaccaro graduated from MCHS.  Here is an obituary for Sandra.

My sincerest condolences go to the Morton and Broughton families for their loss of cherished family members.

Many old timers may have heard that Frances and Charlie Tise (SLHS '48) lost their home and most of their belongings in the devastating floods on Memorial Weekend in May.  They live in Wimberly and barely escaped the rampaging Blanco River.  Fortunately, their granddaughter lived near them and help them escape danger, and I think Charlie's brother Earl was able to give them shelter.

  

 

David Wickersham (DHS '63) has told me they are getting mail at their home address, so if you'd like to contact them please post a comment on this blog, and I'll send you their address.  (I'm reluctant to post it on an open blog.)  I'm sure they'd like to hear from friends. 

David also gave me some help identifying a fellow JC in the following photograph. Here's what he said:

Sorry to hear about Charles Thomas.  In the picture he and the others are wearing Jaycee hats so it must have been one of the many public events we worked at.  The one in the middle is Louis Mullberger (sp).  I do not know the other one; he looks like me but I do not remember being there.  We were all in the JCs around that time.

 

 

Jackie James (SLHS '57) has confirmed John Pauswang's (DHS '67) recollection that 'CU' was the brand used by Sugarland Industries.  She's trying to get me a photo of a sign on FM 359 showing the turn off to Foster Farms, which the Kempner family still owns.  The brand is included in the sign's artwork.

Here are a links to the Katy Heritage Society and their yearly bulletin, which serves as an annual report.  I never realized until recently that a large part of old Katy is in Fort Bend County.  I always assumed all of it was in Harris County.

Link to Katy Heritage Society Web site.

Link to Katy Heritage yearly bulletin.