Anyone remember this story ? I read it in the Austin Statesman, about a fellow that worked downtown and would drive past Camp Mabry each day. One of the Jets on a pedestal caught his attention after awhile. The tail … Continue reading Jet on a Pedestal @ Camp Mabry
In 1960 my Dad, Cecil worked as a construction inspector for Marvin Turner Engineering. He was assigned to overseeing the building of two missile launch sites in the Austin area. There were deep underground silos dug into the ground where the Nike Missiles were to be launched from. I’ve read that the launch sites were decommissioned in 1966. I think the program was being scuttled before it really ever got off the ground. There is one off of Bee Caves Rd. The Command Center, for both launch sites, has now become the Bee Caves Armory, is across Bee Cave Road … Continue reading Nike Missile Bases Built To Protect Bergstrom Air Force Base
Back in 1970, not too long after I graduated from high school, I was driving a truck for Nelson Lewis, hauling equipment all over the state. I remember being dispatched to Devine, Texas to haul a Parsons Trencher from there over to Port Lavaca. It was a trip of around 200 miles, maybe more with weaving my way down through the many little south Texas towns. This was before any big highways were built. Those towns were connected with Farm to Market Roads and a few State Highways. I got to Devine late in the afternoon one day, loaded the … Continue reading Hauling A Parsons Ladder Trencher
LJ lived in Burnet. He and my Dad were friends for most of their lives. They entered the service at the same time. There is a story of them hitchhiking back home to Burnet Co. at some point. Either during … Continue reading LJ Henderson – The Best Blaster In The Country
I was about 10 years old. LJ was drilling a well for us in Smithwick. He got me off to the side to ask me a few questions. “When your daddy goes fishing, what kind of bait does he use“?I was more than willing to tell him my daddy didn’t use, bait. He used a telephone to fish with. He got me to tell him exactly how it was done and how many fish they would get each time. About that time he reached in his pocket a flashed something, real fast, saying “you see this badge, I’m an undercover … Continue reading An LJ Henderson Memory
My dad Cecil talked LJ Henderson into bringing a track drill, normally used to drill holes for blasting rock, down to Smithwick to drill a water well. That wasn’t the conventional way to drill a water well, but Cecil Lewis … Continue reading Drilling A Water Well
Bill is a woodworker. Actually he is a woodturner, mainly. His works are beautiful. He lives in Bertram. It’s an amazing story of how we met. Madeline has a cousin in Houston that owns a bookstore that specializes in Murder … Continue reading Let me tell you about Bill (originally told on Dec. 3, 2014)
I received a text from a fellow I know this morning. He sent me a picture of one of my business cards. It was a card from sometime prior to 1985. That is when I sold my office on Montopolis Drive and moved on with a new address. So that’s how I knew how old the card was. He found it taped to the wall in a house he had recently purchased. Out of curiosity I ask where the house was, thinking that I may know the person that lived there. As soon as he told me which house it … Continue reading Connecting The Dots After 43 Years
The year was 1991. I had spent 20 years digging ditches and I thought enough is enough. The economy was in the crapper. The great real estate boom of the 80s was over and all the big water and wastewater lines had been constructed to the far reaches of the city and beyond in Austin. The future didn’t look so swell for our business. I needed a break. I thought it was time for some new scenery, so to speak. I had two groups of employees by that time. The old and the new. It was time for the old … Continue reading The PreCast Concrete Venture That Exposed Me To A Ponzi Scheme
After eating the big ole hairy steak in Del Rio, Butch crawled back in the sleeper for some much needed rest. He had been on the road for several days straight. We were in his Cabover Kenworth that was powered by a 335 HP Cummins engine that was turn to something like an additional 100 HP. This truck was equipped with 4 x 4 transmission. Meaning it had 2 – 4 speed transmissions. To shift those transmissions you stuck your left arm through the steering wheel and shifted the front transmission while shifting the back one with your right hand. … Continue reading The Rest Of The Trip To California
Angora Chronicles 