Hazelle Calcote, a tireless worker for a better Kerr County

In honor of Hazelle Calcote, whose funeral is today, I thought I'd publish these photos from the late 1960s.  Hazelle was a long-time friend, and she was in the print shop only a week or so before she died.  She was a volunteer's volunteer -- and she was a hard worker.  Kerr County is better for her efforts.

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Hazelle Calcote, center, with parade flag. Kerrville, late 1960s.

Hazelle Calcote, center, with parade flag.  Kerrville, late 1960s.

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Starkey PTA Officers -- late 1960s

This group of ladies were volunteer leaders at Kerrville's Starkey Elementary School in the late 1960s.  I recognize quite a few -- do you?

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Starkey PTA Officers, Kerrville, late 1960s.
My mom, Pat Herring, standing on the far left; Marj Nicholson is seated on the far left.

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Pontoon Bridge, Kerrville's Louise Hays Park

When Kerrville built Louise Hays Park in a single day, it was quite a big deal.  One of the features of that day was a pontoon bridge crossing the Guadalupe.   It didn't last long; the next flood washed it away.  Therefore, photos of the pontoon bridge are rare.
Folks who were here in 1950 tell me the bridge crossed about where the Blue Bonnet Hotel once stood. That was about where the Pavilion stands today, near the end of Earl Garrett Street.  Some suggest the concrete bridge which stands there today was built near the spot of the pontoon bridge; I'm not sure.  If you know where the old pontoon bridge stood, please fill me in in the comments section below.
This photo was sent to me by Hilma Noble, who tells me the four women are her two grandmothers, her mother, and herself.

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Hilma Noble and her family on Louise Hays Park Pontoon Bridge, Kerrville, around 1950

The pontoon bridge under construction, Kerrville, 1950

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First peek inside the Schreiner Department Store building

They opened up the old stairway to the basement of the old Schreiner Building today, and I was excited to see it.  The workmen said no work had been done on the steps themselves -- they're the same steps that were in place when the stairway was open, back in the 1920s.  Feel free to share these images with your friends.

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Basement, Schreiner Building, Kerrville, July 2011

Doorway to basement "Martini Bar," Schreiner Building, Kerrville, July 2011

Detail, upstairs bathroom, Schreiner Building, Kerrville, July 2011

 A portion of the upstairs section, Schreiner Building, Kerrville, July 2011

The upstairs portion directly over the old office, Schreiner Building, Kerrville, July 2011

Upstairs over the old shoe department, Schreiner Building, Kerrville, July 2011

The "Restaurant" area, which was once the Ladies' Department,Schreiner Building, Kerrville, July 2011

Downstairs, in the room that had the mezzanine, Schreiner Building, Kerrville, July 2011

The Mens' Department, Schreiner Building, Kerrville, July 2011

The Shoe Department, Schreiner Building, Kerrville, July 2011

An ad one of the workmen showed me, placed by my father when our print shop was only 1 year old.

The finally re-opened stairway to the basement, Schreiner Building, Kerrville, July 2011

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Do you recognize any of these Kerrville students from the late 1960s?

If you were in the Kerrville public schools in the late 1960s, you'll probably recognize at least one person in the photos below.  Please use the comments to help me identify these kiddos.  Thanks!

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Tivy FFA Dairy Cattle Judging Team, Kerrville, late 1960s

Tivy Students working on a project, Kerrville, late 1960s

Tivy Students, Kerrville Municipal Auditorium, late 1960s

Young graduates, Kerrville, late 1960s

Tivy students rehearsing a play, Kerrville, late 1960s

Young recipients of the Presidential Physical Fitness Award, Kerrville, late 1960s

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It's likely this auger helped build Kerrville's railroad.

Auger, found by L. A. Mosty, Kerrville, around 1900.  The ruler in the photo is 1 foot long.

L. A. Mosty

My long-time friend John M. Mosty brought by a fascinating old auger the other day.  It's 4 foot 4 inches long, and it came with a story:
" The auger that I gave you was found by my grandfather, L. A. Mosty in two pieces next to the small drainage railroad trestle near what is now Clearwater Paseo  and Rio Monte Drive (KPUB).  This was around 1900.  The auger was used to drill holes through the timbers for bolts to build (or maybe in this case repair) the trestle.  Apparently the auger broke and was thrown away by the workmen.  After found in the weeds, it was taken to a local blacksmith who welded it back together.  No one is sure how long it lay there and so I am not sure whether is was used to the original construction or for repairs or re-building the trestle.  At any rate it is a piece of history of the railroad in Kerrville."

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A sneak peek inside the Arcadia during its renovation.

So... the front door of the Arcadia was open, and someone went inside and snapped a few photos.  I'm not sure who our photographer is, but here are some of the images.

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Where the stage, pit, and movie screen once stood, Arcadia Theater, Kerrville, July 2011

What's left of the balcony, Arcadia Theater, Kerrville, July 2011

They've opened up the wall behind the old orchestra pit, Arcadia Theater, Kerrville, July 2011

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For more information about Joe's book, which has over 200 historic photographs

 of Kerrville, please click here.

Joseph A. Tivy, Kerrville Pioneer and Benefactor

A kind reader gave me an old book a few weeks ago, John Henry Brown's "Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas," which includes a biographic sketch of Captain Joseph A. Tivy, which includes facts about the man I'd never found before.

Joseph Albert Tivy was born in Toronto, Canada during the winter of 1818, raised and educated in New York state, and headed to Texas when he was 19, when it was a new republic. That’s right, he came here as soon as he could, like so many of you did. While he doesn’t count as a native, I think you’ll agree he made significant contributions to Kerrville.

He came to Texas, stopping first at Houston, then went to Washington County, and then on to what is now Burleson County, where he lived for several years. This community was considered the extreme western frontier at the time. He was a true frontiersman, spending months in the field, and spent a lot of time with Captain George Evart.
During those early years in Texas, he was as a chain carrier for a survey crew out of the General Land Office. He was later promoted to General Surveyor, and his travels brought him to the Guadalupe River valley. In 1842, he acquired the ‘military’ grant to the heirs of Thomas Hand, a tract of 640 acres. That land later became important to the young community. (He acquired this land even before Joshua Brown started his shingle camp. I suppose there was an active market in 'military' grants.)
There was no City of Kerrville then. Kerr County was part of the Bexar District, and Tivy served as deputy surveyor. He had also served with Jack Hays’ Rangers, joining Hays in 1844. 
Then, 1849, the gold bug bit, and Tivy went out to California to seek his fortune. I don’t know how successful a miner he was, but history records he was a surveyor in California, ran a hotel (the "United States Hotel" past Tejon Pass) and later a store, and served in the California Legislature during the winter of 1853-54. He also served in the Texas Legislature during another part of his life, winning election in 1873.
Coming back from California, he spent a year in New Mexico, then returned to Texas settling in Karnes County in 1858.
During the Civil War, Tivy served in the Confederate Army from 1862-64, being discharged with the rank of Captain. While in the service, his health deteriorated, and he left the army in 1864.
And finally, after all of this, in 1872 he and two spinster sisters moved to Kerrville, to their 640-acre tract of land. I guess you could say he was one of the first retirees to move here.
Like most retirees here, he was active: seeing the need for a sound public school system, he gave the community 16 2/3 acres to be used to build free schools. Because the only entity that could accept the gift was an incorporated city, petitions were circulated and the City of Kerrville came into existence in 1889.
Not coincidentally, Captain Tivy was Kerrville’s first mayor.
He also gave the lot for St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, which still stands on the site. His Tivy Hotel can be found on Tivy Street, just north of Main Street. The building once faced Main, from what I’ve been told, but was moved long ago to face Tivy Street. In its early days it sported a cupola on its peak. Captain Tivy is rumored to have raced horses on the old “Tivy Flats,” an area where Broadway Street is today.

Joseph A. Tivy

Captain Tivy married late in life. His wife, was the widow of Dr. Henry Losee, a U. S. Army surgeon who died in Kerrville. (Though I've looked for information on Mr. Losee, I have not yet found him.)

"For some time," the book by Brown reports, Tivy "had been actively engaged in overseeing the work of boring for artesian water on his place. Owing to his advanced age and physical condition, this undue activity brought on stomach complications which proved to be the immediate cause of his demise."  I believe Lanza Teague discovered some photographs of a well being dug by the Tivy Hotel; I wonder if Captain Tivy is in the images.

Men at work on well
behind Tivy Hotel

Captain Tivy is buried with his wife, one sister (Suson), and his wife’s cat on the top of Tivy Mountain, to the east of the downtown area. The hill has a dirt road, off of Cypress Creek Road, leading to its summit; this road used to be open to the public. An excellent view of our valley home is afforded from up there, and you ought to take the time to visit the hill. Up there in the sunshine, with the wind blowing and the smell of cedar trees, you’ll find the four graves and a small stone obelisk. Looking below you can see what the Captain’s land has become. 

Relatives of Captain Tivy live in the area today.
Until next week, all the best.
Joe Herring Jr. is a Kerrville native who graduated from Tivy (rhymes with “ivy”) High School, many, many years ago now. More than twenty, but less than one hundred. This column originally appeared in the Kerrville Daily Times July 23, 2011.

For more information about Joe's book, which has over 200 historic photographs

 of Kerrville, please click here.

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Kerrville Veteran -- of the 'Philippine Insurrection' -- late 1960s

I need some help identifying this man -- the medal he's holding says "Philippine Insurrection 1899," so I'm assuming he's a veteran of that conflict.  This photo was taken in the late 1960s.  If anyone recognizes the fellow, please let me know in the comments below.

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Man with Medal, Kerrville, late 1960s

For more information about Joe's book, which has over 200 historic photographs

 of Kerrville, please click here.

Kerrville Athletes -- late 1960s

Here are a group of images of Kerrville athletes -- and I'm having trouble identifying them.  I know they're from the late 1960s.  If you recognize anyone, could you please let me know in the comments below?

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For more information about Joe's book, which has over 200 historic photographs

 of Kerrville, please click here.

Village Blacksmith -- late 1960s

I ran across these images of the "Village Blacksmith," and I'm hoping someone will recognize both the man and the site of his shop.  It kind of looks like a building in Ingram, but I'm not sure.  If you have any clues for me, please put them in the comments below.

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Wednesday Ephemera: 1911 Tivy High School Graduation items

Mark Mosty brought by some of the graduation items from his grandfather's graduation -- Mark was named for his grandfather, so they share the same first name.  Several things really intrigue me about these items.  First, notice how many events were scheduled for the graduating class.  Second, notice the colors for the invitation aren't the same as today's school colors; I don't think in 1911 the school colors had been decided.   Grandpa Mosty's class had some interesting folks in it, including Earl Garrett, for whom Mountain Street was renamed; Otto Nimitz, brother, I believe, of Chester Nimitz; along with a lot of other family names you'll probably recognize.   I appreciate Mark (present-day Mark!) for sharing these with all of us.

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The 1911 graduating class, Tivy High School, Kerrville.  Courtesy John M. Mosty.

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