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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Aerial view of Kerrville, late 1930s

I'm not sure the exact date of the photo below, kindly sent to me by Steven D. Meeker.  I have some clues, though.
The bridge was built in 1935, and is visible in the photo.  The Nook is standing where the St. Charles once stood; the St. Charles Hotel was razed in 1936.  (Both the Nook and the St Charles were on the corner of Water and Sidney Baker Streets, where the Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital most recently stood.)
The Dixie Theater can be seen in the photo, as can the Ice Plant, the Blue Bonnet Hotel, and the Cascade Pool.  I see the Rialto Theater, too.
Since the Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital is not seen, and since it was built in 1949, this photo was probably taken between 1936 and 1949.
I love the message on top of the Charles Schreiner Company.   "SA-->60"  I suppose this was a message to lost airmen: San Antonio, this-a-way, about 60 miles.  Note, too, the curved wall of the old Schreiner wool warehouse and the other Schreiner buildings, including the windmill shop.
If you have a good guess as to the date of this image, let's hear your theory in the comments section below.
Click on image to enlarge
Image courtesy of Steven D. Meeker.

19 comments:

  1. I believe your time estimation is very accurate.

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  2. I don't see snow on the town side of the river, but the side opposite the town appears to be covered in snow.

    It could be an optical illusion, or the ground cover may have been sparse at that particular time of the year.

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  3. I love old photos like this one. When the photo is enlarged, many surprising things can be seen around town.

    This is a great picture!

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  4. I magnified this photo and it looks like snow or ice on the other side of the river.

    Or, perhaps there was a recent flood and what looks like snow is really water.

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  5. Which building was the Dixie Theater?

    Can anyone tell me about the theater?

    I'd like to know its history beginning with, who owned it and what years did it exist?

    Thanks.

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  6. The curved wall buildings are very clear in this photo.

    Also, just down from the intersection of Washington and Main Streets, I believe that I see Mr. Wolfmueller's house. Wasn't that the house that was owned by the first Wolfmuellers to live in Kerrville?

    I could be wrong. It's difficult for me to remember that long ago.

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  7. I can't see the dam in this photo, and the water seems to be very deep even in places where it is normally low (directly below the dam).

    I wonder if this photo was taken immediately after a flood.

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  8. I loved the old bridge that crossed the river. It had a distinction all its own.

    Although it had to be replaced, I was sad to see it go.

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  9. I see something interesting in the photo.

    There appears to be a concrete or gravel parking lot and driveway located behind the Schreiner Mansion.

    Great photo!

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  10. I wish that I could see the ice plant more clearly. This is the first photo showing the front of the ice plant that I have seen in years.

    There are many parts of the ice plant that I would like to see once again.

    A close-up of the front of the building would answer many questions that I have about that beautiful old building.

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  11. I can see what was, or later became, Reiter's auto repair/parts store located next to the ice plant.

    The Reiter's were good people. Even today, I can see Mr. and Mrs. Reiter in my mind. Later, their two boys worked in the parts department, too. I can no longer remember the names of their two sons. It seems like one was named Giles. I can't remember the other boy's name.

    Also, didn't the Couch brothers have a bicycle shop on Sidney Baker? If so, I believe this photo shows their store.

    If memory serves, there was a saddle shop right behind Couch's store. It faced Clay Street.

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  12. The caption below the photo says:

    "Passenger service had ended much earlier, signaling the end to a once flourishing flow of visitors from surrounding towns to Kerrville."

    I wonder how much it would cost to convert downtown Kerrville to something similar to Fredericksburg's downtown. Then, bring the passenger train back from San Antonio to Kerrville.

    It might bring hundreds of thousands of visitors and day shoppers to Kerrville, especially during the summer.

    I realize I'm dreaming, but as long as I'm dreaming, I'm going to do it on a grand scale.

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  13. This is my new favorite Kerrville photo.

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  14. The old Secor Hospital went through a number of physical changes over the years.

    Is enough of the building showing to help determine the date of the photo?

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  15. I now believe that I was incorrect when I mentioned the concrete/gravel parking lot and driveway behind the Schreiner Mansion.

    It looks as if the parking lot and driveway are behind the post office building.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I remember the Couch Brother's Bicycle Shop. I remember it very well.

    Once, a representative from the Winchester Ammo Company put on a demonstration right inside of Couch's store.

    The rep. fired a Winchester Rifle in the store. There was some type of box or backing that stopped all the bullets.

    Shooting at the edge of a playing card, the rep. shot a card in half.

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  17. Is that Mr. Cooper's store next to the Ice Plant?

    In addition to being Kerrville's Mayor, he was also a very nice person.

    The last time that I saw him was in 1979. It was at Love Field in Dallas.

    He was hurrying to make his flight. I was sitting in a chair reading a newspaper. As he ran by me, he slapped me on the shoulder and said hello.

    He made his flight, but only by seconds.

    We didn't have a chance to talk, but I wish that we had.

    Again, I say, he was a very nice person.

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  18. In what year was the current dam built?

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  19. This appears to be a newspaper photo.

    I would so love to see a clearer copy of it.

    Joe, do you think that the newspaper office still has a copy of the photo?

    If so, I would be so very grateful to you if you could scan the photo and post it on your blog.

    It would help to better see details of the town.

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete

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