Category: Past Angora Chronicles Stories

Amazing Things, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

The Green House Mall on RR 620

lewisotr

Matt and Muriel Wiggers started The Greenhouse Mall sometime in the 1970s. There was some variation of that business still operating (or was at the time of this original writing) with the name Outside in Style. I have heard it is relatives of the original owners carrying on the family tradition. Mr. Wiggers’ Dutch accent became quite recognizable in Austin in the late 70s and 80s with his TV and radio ads, “250-0000, come see us, won’t you?” My own personal story about this business. Hooked On Hydroponics: A takeoff on the name – Hooked on Phonics We took our … Continue reading The Green House Mall on RR 620

Amazing Things, In and Around Austin, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, Texas History, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Von Boeckmann-Jones Co. Building in 1950

lewisotr

G&L VBJ – The Next Chapter G&L was a great office supply store in downtown Austin for many years – Just across the Congress Ave Bridge, south of the River. The initials G & L were two brothers. Gunnar and Louis Johnson. G&L Stationers teamed up with VBJ (Von Beckman, Jones) to form G&L VBJ and moved across into a new store building south of Riverside on the east side of So. Congress – in the early 80s. Below is a blurb from the Chronicle. Below is my own story about G&L The Strange Things We Remember It’s been almost … Continue reading Von Boeckmann-Jones Co. Building in 1950

Amazing Things, Another Daily Happening, Crazy Times, In and Around Austin, Kenny Lewis, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

It Wasn’t Me

lewisotr

Kenny always had a lot of company pride. He liked for all of his machines to be looking nice and clean. Everything needed to be ship-shape in Kenny Lewis’ world. He enjoyed having his company name on jackets and caps. He spent a lot of advertising bucks and it paid off for him. You would see people wearing them often, putting the CCI name out in the public. Kenny and I had an arraignment for about a decade that lasted until 2003. We pooled resources and CCI was the name that was in the forefront of the business. I still … Continue reading It Wasn’t Me

Crazy Times, In and Around Austin, On The Job, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Replacing The Old Brackenridge Apartments On Lake Austin Blvd.

lewisotr

Sometime in the earlier part in the mid 1980s, I contracted to run the underground utilities (water, wastewater & drainage) for the New Brackenridge Apartments that were being built. The project involved the tearing down of the old wooden buildings that had far outlived their normal life. Then the site was prepared and prefabbed concrete modules built by the HB Zachery Company In San Antonio were brought in and stacked together like toy building blocks. It was a new building concept. The Zachery Company had just finished building the Palacio Del Rio, a high rise hotel on the San Antonio … Continue reading Replacing The Old Brackenridge Apartments On Lake Austin Blvd.

Amazing Things, In and Around Austin, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

The Man in the Little 4 Foot Wide Watch Repair Shop

lewisotr

We were driving down Guadalupe by the State Hospital a while back. I glanced over to see something I hadn’t thought about in years. The tiny watch repair shop. As a small boy I had been there several times with my mother to drop off or pickup a watch. Back in an earlier day (the early 60s) watches needed repairing, cleaning or adjusting pretty often. I guess I was puzzled by not only how small the place was, but how the watch fixer was able to get into such a small place. Then one day we arrived at about the … Continue reading The Man in the Little 4 Foot Wide Watch Repair Shop

Amazing Things, Cecil Lewis, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, Texas History, The Construction Biz, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Woodsboro, Texas

lewisotr

it was the summer of 1961. I would turn 9 in late August. An engineering firm from Austin, Marvin Turner Engineers sent my dad down as the Chief Inspector for a project to upgrade the water and sewer systems for the City of Woodsboro. There were pipes being laid all over town, the wastewater plant was upgraded and the water tower was being sandblasted and repainted. Our family, well my mother, brother and I went down to spend the summer with him as it was a very active time and required him to be there all the time. While all … Continue reading Woodsboro, Texas

Amazing Things, In and Around Austin, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, The Construction BizLeave a comment

Martin Hill Reservoir – City of Austin’s Water Utility

lewisotr

West of Loop 1 at Shoreline Dr. (north end of Mopac) This is the largest steel potable water tank in the US. (or it was not long ago) It’s capacity is 34 million gallons. It is 260′ in diameter, 120′ high (in the center) and 80′ at the edges.It covers 53,000 sf in area. It is a landmark that can be seen for miles and miles away on approach into Austin by air. . I always wondered where the name Martin Hill originated. After posting recently about Austin White Lime, the name AF Martin jumped out at me, the original … Continue reading Martin Hill Reservoir – City of Austin’s Water Utility

Amazing Things, In and Around Austin, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, The Construction Biz, The History of Texas, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Austin White Lime – Austin, Texas

lewisotr

Strange how much of it doesn’t look so much different 134 years later. I was informed that Austin White Lime ceased producing products in August 2024 and preparations are being made to get the property ready for its next life. HISTORY – Austin White Lime Company, Ltd. was founded in 1888 as Martin and Walker, with A.F. Martin serving as president and proprietor. Around 1891, the company become officially known as Austin White Lime Company, Ltd. The company quickly gained a reputation for manufacturing quality products and was recognized in prominent publications for that time. The Industrial Advantages of Austin, … Continue reading Austin White Lime – Austin, Texas

Amazing Things, In and Around Austin, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, The Construction Biz, The History of TexasLeave a comment

Georgetown Rail Equipment Company (GREX)

lewisotr

Edwin “Ned” deSteiguer Snead(1929 – 2015) (The following is excerpted from his obituary) In 1992, at an age when most men are retiring, Ned created Georgetown Rail Equipment Company (GREX). GREX is a rail services company providing the railroads with specialty equipment and innovative technological products and services to maintain and repair track all over North America. Much of the equipment that GREX uses was invented and patented by Ned, including the DUMP TRAIN, a train that unloads itself by way of a conveyor belt running the length of the train. Also unique to GREX is the SLOT MACHINE, ballast … Continue reading Georgetown Rail Equipment Company (GREX)