Take a Trip to Brownsville: In 1961
Take a trip with me, if you please, to Brownsville, Texas in early August, 1961. it was hot, but there was some wind blowing in cooling things down a bit. Skies were also partly cloudy.
City Goings-On: Boca Chica was being expanded from a two-lane road to a four lane road from Military Highway to International Boulevard (Four Corners), and a proposal was being introduced to secure state funds to expand Boca Chica from two to four lanes from International to the Y split with Billy Mitchell.
Police Chief Gus Krausse was defending the city's thin, 12 inch tall road medians (called "cattle chutes" that had been installed on Boca Chica and Palm Boulevard. Chief Krausse said they were primarily installed as safety measures to prevent cars from meandering from one lane to another.
It's interesting to see road issues persist on Boca Chica Boulevard some 60 years later.
A woman didn't want to wait for a train stalled on the railroad tracks at Fourth and Fronton Streets. When she crawled under a boxcar, the train began moving and she lost five of her toes. She was taken to Mercy Hospital via a Delta Ambulance (interesting the city had private ambulance companies 60 years ago).
County Goings-On: County Judge Oscar Dancy, along with U.S. Representatives from McAllen and Corpus Christi were trying to shore up support for the South Padre Island Seashore Area, but was meeting some resistance from the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors, who were opposed to the project.
Back-to-School shopping was in full swing. You had several options to choose from when doing your back-to-school shopping. You could choose from S.S. Kresege at the corner of East Elizabeth and 14th Streets, a watch or diamonds at Dorfman's, Perl Brother's Fashion, Valentin's Department Store, Sears, Shopper's World on East 14th Street, Terry Farris, Aziz Brothers, Kress, Grant's, Mr. John Men's Shop, J&O Men's Wear, Bell's on Elizabeth, Parisian, Popular, Zale's, Vogue, Ralph's, Central & Gralo Drugstore on East Elizabeth and 12th, Darcy's, Joy Lee, Kent's, Weldon's, or Anthony's.
Need Groceries? Take your pick. You can choose from Minimax, Gibson's Discount Center, Lopez Supermarkets, Neuville Grocery, H.E.B., El Centro, Bonham's at the Hospital Shopping Center, Glen's Supermarket, Ray's Supermarket on International, or you could pick up a Pearl Beer, a Lone Star Beer, or another adult beverage at Feldman's.
You could get some eyeglasses at Lee Optical, lumber and building supplies at Gloor Lumber or Morris Lumber, a TV at Cisneros TV on East Washington, or some jewelry and furniture at Edelstein's.
You needed a cot? Need cash? See Bernie (if you know, you know).
You could go home and watch Channel 4 or Channel 5, or you could take in a movie at The Majestic, the Capitol, the Mexico Theatre, the Charro Drive-In, Fiesta, or the Rialto in Harlingen.
You missed eating at White's Cafeteria? They're open after the fire now, where a T-bone steak will set you back 78 cents.
Need a Volkswagen? Go see Charles Ferguson down at Ferguson Motors at 543 West Elizabeth Street.
Bullfighting anybody? You could go to a corrida at the Matamoros Bullring at 4:30. Pedro de la Serna, Porfirio "El Boni" Lopez, "Chavalillo" Galvan, and Federico "Currito" de la Cruz would all vie for top honors in the ring.
The Texas International Fishing Tournament was in full swing, a Port Aransas native snagging the top prize by hooking three massive sailfish,
Oh, and the Cowboys beat the Minnesota Vikings. How 'bout them Cowboys?
August 1961. A simpler time. A better time. If you lived it, I envy you. At least these beautiful times still exist in your memories.
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