The Robert E. Lee Experience by Christian Scroggins

 

The Robert E. Lee high school is a symbol of Baytown not only because of the old antique features it keeps in the front of the school but also the history of what happened in it. In 1928 Robert E. Lee high school was founded. The name of the school came from the popularity of the general of the confederate army in the south. Robert E Lee’s school colors are maroon and white. The mascot of the school is the Robert E. Lee Gander. This campus looks like an old historical building in the middle but as you go further out you see the new structures that were acquired by this magnificent school. Imagine walking onto this campus and realizing you are standing on a piece of Texas history.

            Robert E. Lee. High School had many awesome traditions, one which is the great traditions of the Robert E. Lee Brigadiers. This was a group of female drummers that would drum military style during football games and the parades. A group of fifty female students started this pep squad at the high school in 1930 to 1931, (Lee Brigadiers). This group started without any instruments and had to raise money to buy them. In 1931 this group had expanded to 60 students and they began to be active in their community. To find the name of this group they had a contest and a person by the name of Louise Pridgeon won when she submitted the name “Maroon Brigadiers” in 1935, (Lee Brigadiers). In 1933-1936 the Maroon Brigadiers group expanded to 75 members and also purchased new instruments and uniforms. From 1938 to 1942 the confederate uniform was chosen and a military system of officers was put in place by the Brigadiers, (Lee Brigadiers). In 1962 the Brigadiers changed their style of marching to the “measured step” and in 1963 to 1964. This group had expanded to a two platoons marching system of each group having 64 students each. This group was a very popular group for Robert E. Lee but this group lasted from 1930-2000 when they were replaced by modern pep squads and dance teams because of lack of student participation. This group is now known as the Robert E. Lee Celebrities. Robert E. Lee was a school to bring the community together to have a fun time and a place for students to learn.

This school was not always on the bright side of history.  On April 29, 1987 a disaster happened on the campus. A fire emerged in the school, burning the high school down to the ground at 3 A.M. in the morning. The fire was then spotted by a Baytown police officer by 3:15 am. The fire looked to have started on the second floor of the main building. This fire was first thought to be accidental but later was considered to be arson. The fire burned down the main building and it was destroyed. This included buildings such as the counseling offices, the administrative offices, and math class rooms that were on the first floor. The English and business department on the second floor was damaged heavily. Big portions of the class room’s were destroyed. 35 out of 85 of the classrooms were totaled. This included desks, computers, textbooks, typewriters, and other school supplies were lost in the fire. The estimated cost of the building replacement was approximately 10 million dollars to as far as 30 million dollars. The community and the school alumni thought that the main building should be rebuilt and in 1988 the school was rebuilt and rededicated. In February 2011, the Baytown Historical Preservation Association believed that the school should become an historical landmark and a dedication ceremony took place at the school on April 27, 2013. This school still continues to succeed and prosper and will stay a symbol of Baytown forever.

When I first pulled up to this school you can see this nice antique building that is filled with bright white and maroon paint. As I looked around outside I spotted my eyes on a cemetery across the street. The floor of the school ground is a salmon like color and it has plaques in it. There was also a nice grey marble sign with the words “Robert E Lee Ganders.” As I walked into this exquisite school the first item to catch my eye was the two wooden doors that enter into the main office. As I walked into this main office on my right there was a painting of General Robert E. Lee that was from the class of 1959. Behind the main office desk there was a huge painting of General Robert E. Lee between by two staircases that goes to the main office upstairs. As I walked around this campus, smiles of students and staff filled the halls. All the lockers in the school were a maroon color. This school was filled with college flags and gander posters. By walking through the Robert E. Lee High School grounds I was able to see the large hallways and the wide commons that many students use to go from class to class. The cafeteria is very nice and big and has many cuisine choices for the students. It also has a snack bar just in case the students want something sweet. I then walked up to the building above the cafeteria. This building looked new and very nice and the view from the back of the hall was amazing.  As I continued my journey through the school, I directed my eyes to the art and science building. As I walked on the other side of the school I saw the huge auditorium that is very large and amazing, the math building which looks very nice and new, and  the basketball gym where the ganders practice for their basketball and volleyball  games. Across from the auditorium is the railroad track. As I continued my walk through the hall outside the school I saw the band room, and the Robert E. Lee Celebrities dance room. Outside the hall my eyes catch the REL field house, the practice field for the football athletes of the school. As I went farther out on the school grounds I saw the awesome Robert E. Lee football and track field. Right next to that was the Soccer field where the REL soccer athletes practice and play. In an Interview I had with Mr. Matt Bollinger, who graduated in the class of “92,” he said that “from 1992 to now Lee High School has changed the cafeteria is new, the 400 building above the cafeteria, and the science building is also new from since then,”  (Bollinger).

This school from since it was first built to now is a wonderful sight and from my experience of walking through this nice school I now know how it is to walk in a nice piece of Texas history.

 

Matihew Cook. http://www.baytown-lee-1954.com/memories2.html. Asa Ray Walker. The Baytown Sun Nov. 18, 2013

“Lee Brigadiers History One of Service, Old Traditions.” The Baytown Sun 9 Nov. 1967: 9. Print.

Bollinger, Matt. Interview. Interview by Christian Scroggins. 14 Nov. 2013

The State Of Texas, Texas Historical Commission, Robert E. Lee High School. Baytown: State of Texas 2011.Print

Kelly Hawks, Michelle Richards, Barbara Castellanos, Michelle Warner, Lisa Smith, Angela Taylor, and Laura Contreras, ed. “Lee Traveler.” Robert E. Lee High School Year Book. 1987. Print.

Legal Street Racing in Baytown by Zach McDaniel

Houston Raceway Park, now known to many as Royal Purple Raceway, owned by the Angel Brothers, opened its gates in 1988 as an NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) racetrack. It was opened so people like myself would have a place locally to drag race either their racecars or their street cars. Over the years it has made Baytown a safe place with little to no street racing. Every Friday night Royal Purple Raceway (RPR), has what they call "Legal Street Racing". Ever since I was born I have been going out to the drag strip with my dad, and since I was 9 years old I have been Drag Racing at Royal Purple Raceway, throughout the years I have seen many people come to RPR to with either their drag racing car or their street car. This place has made Baytown a safe place to drive without too much worry of street racing because everyone knows on Friday night they can go do it legally without taking the chance of getting a ticket and its fun for the whole family and friends. It has also been a place that NHRA has been to every year since the first year they opened the gates back in 1988. In 2000, Houston Raceway park opened a 1/4 mile oval track for dirt track cars to come and have fun, they often offer free admission for spectators to come and support the racers on Saturday night events. I feel like doing this not only brings people out to watch but also keeps people there watching races instead of being out at a bar or club. Even though RPR does sell beer most people are more worried about the races and less worried about getting drunk. Royal Purple is Houston’s only major multi-purpose motorsports venue, so it brings people from all over the greater Houston area together and makes Houston and the surrounding area’s safe for drivers.

”Built in 1988, the Park is situated on 500 acres on the eastern edge of the greater Houston metropolitan area and is Houston's only major multi-purpose motorsports venue. The dragstrip boost a three story tower building that incorporates 23 VIP suites, a media center, and race control facilities equipped with state-of-the-art timing and scoring equipment.  In  2000, Houston Raceway Park opened a new world class high banked 1/4 mile dirt oval at the facility. Royal Purple Raceway's spacious, paved pit area holds approximately 400 racing rigs, with additional pit parking available on grass. The spectator parking lots have a capacity of over 10,000 cars, along with a special VIP parking area capable of holding an additional 600 vehicles. The Park has a seating capacity of 30,000, with additional grandstand seating brought in during major events to accommodate reserved seat requests. Royal Purple Raceway has modern, permanent rest room facilities and concession buildings, conveniently located near spectator seating on both sides of the race track. Royal Purple Raceway enjoys an exclusive contract with the National Hot Rod Association to host a Full Throttle Drag Racing Series National Event within a 200 mile radius of the Houston metropolitan area. The track is owned by the Angel Brothers of Baytown, Texas. The Angel Brothers, as well as the entire track staff, have an extensive background in motorsports and an unwavering commitment toward maintaining the highest standards of Texas pride and professionalism in all areas of track operations and event production.” You can find this information all at Royal Purples website www.royalpurpleraceway.com. I have had the privilege of personally knowing the owners of the racetrack and the staff. They are the first people to make sure you are having a good time at their facility. 

Royal Purple has been like a home-away-from-home for me. I try to spend every weekend I can at the drag strip, being basically raised at the drag strip I have had the honor of meeting and becoming friends with some amazing people, we call it our “Racing Family”. For as long as I can remember at least 100+ cars come out on ”Legal Street Racing” night. I have been at a restaurant or at the grocery store and have heard people talking amongst themselves asking, “Hey you gonna be able to make it to the track Friday so we can race” and “I can’t wait to run my car down the track now that I have it all put together”. Meaning that instead of testing it out on the street or IH-10, everyone knows to take their car to Royal Purple for a safe, fun filled night with friends and family. Racing there is NOT free but for a small fee of 20$ for car and driver, 10$ for spectator, and children 12 and under are free, you can make as many passes as you want from 6 p.m. until 12 a.m. "NO COPS...NO TICKETS!!!" is the slogan for the Friday night legal street racing at Royal Purple. I have seen street cars running from as slow as 21 seconds in the ¼ mile to a Nissan GTR running 9 seconds at 145 mph in the ¼ mile. People even stand on the side of the track on the fence and bet on which car they think will win. Also the ages of people racing also very from anywhere from 8 to 70+ years old. The oldest person I have ever personally seen racing was an 87 year old man racing his street car at a bracket race that Royal Purple had put on. My Grandpa will be 67 years old on November 27^th this year. He has 2 racecars just for him, a 2002 C-5 Corvette, all tube chassis, with a role cage and a 565 Big Block Chevy that will run low 8 seconds in the ¼ mile, and a pro stock truck with another 565 Big Block Chevy that will run about the same as the corvette. I am 19 and have a 2002 Mullis Dragster with a 585 Big Block Chevy motor that will run 7.40’s @ 190 mph in the ¼ mile. None of these cars are street legal but my grandpa has always told me “Racing is for the strip not for the street!” and I will continue to live by that rule and promote it to everyone I know to make sure Baytown and the surrounding areas continue to be a safe place to drive. Royal Purple Raceway has been a great symbol of Baytown just by giving people a place to be safe to race and have fun. 

The Fred Hartman Bridge

   

 

         " The Baytown Bridge"

 

The Fred Hartman Bridge is a proud symbol and historical landmark of Baytown in that its one of the most alluring structures you will come across today in our city. It brings a symbol of growth in our society , showing how Baytown has expanded. The bridge was built to replace the Baytown tunnel and provide fellow commuters a way to travel gracefully between La Porte and Baytown. Without this bridge we would have a very difficult time traveling having to make our way around the surrounding waters. It's almost impossible to miss while your in the city, you can practically see it from miles away while driving around town.

 

 

The Bridge was names after Fred Hartman who was the editor and publisher of The Baytown Sun from 1950 to 1974. The construction of the bridge started in 1986 and was completed on September 27,1995. The Bridge was designed and is owned by the district 12 of the Texas department of highway and public transportation. It was constructed by the Williams brothers who have their local office here in Houston; they are known to have built highways and bridges for the past 50 years. The bridge replaced the Baytown tunnel when it had to be removed because the ship channel was deepened to 45 feet to accommodate larger ships. The bridge provides a capacity of 200,000 vehicles per day compared to the tunnels capacity of 25,00 per day. In 1996 the bridge received The Merit Bridge Award from the American institute of steel construction and the National Steel Bridge Alliance. The Fred Hartman bridge is the tallest bridge in Texas.



 

The bridge consists of two 24 meters wide composite concrete decks suspended from diamond shaped concrete towers using a total of 192 stays. the stays are comprised of multiple 15mm. seven wire strands grouted inside HDPE tubes. The yellow stayed bridge portion of the bridge is 754 meters long, consisting of steel griders and transverse beams, and includes a 381 meter main span.

 

On this beautiful Friday night me and my fiancé love to just go for a ride across the bridge. Right before we get ready to get onto the bridge we roll our windows down, turn up the oldies we are jamming to and just enjoy the cruise. I can feel the breeze of the wind going through my hair and feel the sway like feeling. The view is incredible you can see all the lights from the refineries, the ship channel and of peoples houses. The sky looks amazing I can see every star in the sky so bright and clear it just looks like im on top of the world looking down on everything!

 

 

Works Cited



 

"Baytown, Texas Historical Sites." Baytown, Texas Historical Sites. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.

 "Fred Hartman Bridge - Harris County, Texas." Fred Hartman Bridge. Pure Technologies, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.





George Wahington Carver By Marcelina Zamora

Historic mark of Baytown

G.W. Carver Elementary those peanut colored bricks joined together to form a building on 610 S. Pruett. The playground is the candy skittles so small and many different colors. The hall way walls are white and sprinkled in with small blue dots, the class rooms filled with tall blue cubbies and itty bitty desk with a hallow table for the students belongings. The black boards on two walls of the class room are always clean from what I hear coming from former students who attend the fifth grade, and a window the length of one wall right above the cubbies. With every hallway being a different grade level, and only pre-kinder thru first grade have restroom in the class room. The rest grades, which are second thru fifth have a restroom at the end of the hall. The cafeteria is the largest room in campus, is lacking color. Their floors are gray tiles with random yellow tiles all around, and the stage at the front of the room had a red dusty curtain. There is lots of light and the rays of the sun shine thru a back door leading to the playground. This brings me to the second largest room on campus which is the gymnasium, it’s connected to the cafeteria with only a foldable wall. The gym’s walls are a sad gray also, but just like the cafeteria it has the rays of the sun spreads thru the back door that’s also connected to the playground in the back. The school parking lot is obviously not so big and full like the one at Lee College the first day of school or the one at galleria in Christmas days, but ideal for staff members. We really don’t need fifth graders driving to school anyways.

Carver elementary may be a horror to all these kids that attend it but to me it now seems like a good memory I wish to go back to everyday in my English 1301 class. G.W Carver elementary was named after the African Inventor George Washington Carver. Carver elementary hasn’t always been an elementary, back in the late forties it was a high school. It was opened the spring 1948 but just for Baytown black students and remained like that for a couple years up until 1967 when students from the surrounding communities started attending. This school was mainly known for how well sports were played and how many wins they had. As time changed the race status in the communities eyes former Carver students transferred to Robert E. Lee and Ross. S. Sterling instead. Once this school was emptied and all students transferred it became an elementary. The names were changed to Carver-Jones when Anson-Jones was closed but changed back to George Washington Carver in 1988. The property that this building was on donated property by Humble Oil also known as Exxon. This became a problem that caused the closure of the school when oil started breaking thru the grass in the playground, students were to stay home for a couple days but then re located to elementary schools around like Lamar Bui etc. in 2002 carver wad built again where the old Horace Mann Junior school was and where Carver elementary still stands. Carver elementary was once “my school” and as school for a lot of my class mate’s where we learned a lot and mad many friends. That is where I met my best friend to who I’m still close too. This was my oldest sister school and my brothers, once it was mine, at this time it’s my nephews. And some day it will be my kid’s school.

When pulling up to the drive in picking up my nephew I right away see the playground I use to once play in. the time got hit with the swing on my head, and the time some kid jumped of the swing and broke his wrist. When the coach brings up my nephew to the car I remember playing dodge ball in that dull colored walls. I would always get hit. I remember my favorite teacher when my nephew tells me about his teacher. I became close friends with the dictionary all because I wouldn’t do my homework he would make us write it standing up with o leaning and no talking for the rest of the day. So 8 hours of standing holding that book. My nephew always runs up to the car all excited about showing me his folder with a green happy face for the day…I would be embarrassed of showing my mom the sad red face I got….

Texas Avenue By: Kassey Wright

Texas Avenue has been a part of Baytown’s history since 1917, but this part of Baytown hasn’t always been called Baytown, but Pelly. Texas Avenue was the center of Pelly, the road housed many different local stores, such as, clothing, barber shops, and other frequently used places. I believe Texas Avenue is a huge symbol of Baytown, it represents the growth and the belief of a bigger and better Baytown, Texas.

When I think of Texas Avenue, I picture myself driving down the long narrow road with my grandmother. When I was much younger, I remember her taking me to all the local shops, we used to be gone for hours enjoying the little things around the road strip, but now my grandmother has past, and every time I drive on Texas Avenue I imagine my grandmother and I walking the sidewalks. Texas Avenue to me symbolizes much more than just a road that developed Baytown, but as a memory for everyone. Texas Avenue symbolizes a joyful memory in all of Baytownians life for just enjoying the little things.            

Recently in the past couple of years, Baytownians have been renovating Texas Avenue, bringing the road back to its former glory by building new buildings and fixing the older ones who needed it the most. Many Baytownians are ecstatic about the new buildings on Texas Avenue, it is in hope that these new improvements will bring the “life back” to Texas Avenue, as it was when my father was in high school. Texas Avenue represents more than just a road, but symbolizes the wonderful memories of local Baytownians.

In 1917, Texas Avenue brought the three surrounding towns, Pelly, Goose Creek, and East Baytown, all into one area to shop. With Texas Avenue technically in Pelly, it still drew all three of the town locals to one. Texas Avenue housed many different local shops, such as clothing, barber shops, and a theater for entertainment. Therefore giving Texas Avenue the life of the future Baytown.

Texas Avenue has been through almost a century of Baytown’s history, therefore the grand street has had many different looks with continuous remodeling going on throughout the years. One of Baytown’s biggest landmarks is sitting right in the middle of Texas Avenue; The Big Oak tree, going back to the early 1920’s the Goose Creek Ku Klux Klan used Texas Avenue to host their weekly parades. Another great landmark on Texas Avenue is the Brunson Theatre, in 1929 this theatre became the first and now the oldest theatre in Baytown.

As I was trying to recall Texas Avenues glory days, I got a chance to interview Paula Avila, a life long resident of  Baytown. In the interview she stated “ Texas Avenue used to be the party place, there were so many people on that street it took at least an hour and a half to reach the opposite side of the street, in a car. Picturing this in my head, I developed of the idea that maybe one day this glory could be restored.

Slowly, Texas Avenues shops closed due to the rapid growth of population more towards I-10, local business got put out of business and one by one, Texas Avenue became dead. Recently, in the past couple of years, the city of Baytown have started to return this old glory, by renovating buildings ;like Texas state optical, and allowing new stores to come in and bring in crowds. Hopefully in the near future, this glorious return will boom and make Texas Avenue what it used to be,

           

As I walk along the sidewalk of Texas Avenue, I feel a sort of abandonment, as if I’m the only one out here, which I am, that there isn’t a soul within miles of me. As I walk a little faster, I walk into a new café called Cork Grinders, this café is refreshing. It feels nice have a build surrounding engulf me, you can tell where the old building met the new ceiling. It was very pretty and accented both the old and new part of the building. As I walk out, I am brought back to the abandonment of before. I feel sad to know that this place used to be such a lively area for everyone in Baytown to enjoy, and now it’s just the remains of what it used to be. As I walk a little further I see that the city is finally starting to fix part of Texas Avenue, the part by TSO and Dirty Bay.

It is very enlighten to see these renovations, to see that Baytown is finally restoring what it had once lost. I get super excited when I see the Baytown Remembers building. I see the glorious painting of soldiers from Baytown, which have bravely gone off to protect their homeland. It is very depression seeing some of the painting, because they show such detail in each paint brush. As I continue my walk, I start to see some of Lee College’s building, and finally I see the remarkable Oak Tree of Texas Avenue, that shows such great symbolism of Baytown. The tree covers the entire road with it enormous limbs, and it is very breathe taking to see. As I reach my truck, I feel a sense of hope on Texas Avenue, that hopefully one day it will be restored to its former glory.
Works Cited
Avila, Paula. Personal Interview. 1 November 2013.
Bert, Baytown's. "Baytown Texas!  Pelly-Goose Creek-Old Baytown Our History!" Baytown Texas!  Pelly-Goose Creek-Old Baytown Our History! N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
"The City of Baytown." History of Baytown. N.p., 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
 

Memorial of Freedom: The San Jacinto Monument by Elisabeth Shell

               As a child, the San Jacinto monument had to be my favorite landmark in Baytown. Its intricate designs and towering structure captured me even at a young age. But I did not quite grasp its reason for existence until I grew older and was able to understand the meaning behind each carefully crafted stone put into creating such a marvelous monument. It gave me a sense of pride and awe for the lives and stories it stood for. To this day, it still completely serves the purpose of representing the history and symbol of not only Baytown, but of Texas as a whole.
The San Jacinto Monument was constructed from 1936 to 1939 and its design was put together by Alfred C. Finn and Robert J. Cummins, both locals to Houston (“San Jacinto Monument - Shining Symbol of Texas Independence”). Its architecture seems to baffle modern day engineers as it was not a common design in the time period that it was built. Back then, it was known as the largest masonry construction project ever built. It stands at roughly 567 feet and can be seen for miles around Baytown. At its base stand six flags that represent the nations that called Texas their own (“San Jacinto Monument - Shining Symbol of Texas Independence”). Inside the base of the monument is a museum containing tens of thousands of artifacts that pertain to the Texas culture and can help one understand the hardships and history of the great state. Around the outside of the museum are inscriptions of the story of the War of Texas Independence (“San Jacinto Monument - Shining Symbol of Texas Independence”). On the base of the octagonal structure are detailed depictions of no only the Battle of San Jacinto, but also the development of the Texas community. On the very top stands a 220-ton stone star that represents the effort and difficulties of the freedom we have today and the hope that is provided with the pride we have for our history. 
The San Jacinto Monument is located off of Independence Parkway in a city in Texas called Baytown. Its large outstanding star at the pinnacle of the structure can be seen for miles around the city. As one travels down the smooth winding road leading to the monument, a large rectangular pond comes into view. Surrounding it are vast fields bearing many plants and creatures that make the scene a bit more lively. Close to the steps leading up to the base of the monument stand various flags representing the different countries that attempted or gained ownership of the land known today as Texas. There are delicate designs and drawings wrapped around the bottom of the monument that depict the lives of past Texans, as well as a worded memorial that pays tribute to those very lives. As one’s eyes travel up the stony path of the body of the monument, it is an obvious fact that the structure was made with much determination and time. The stones are different shades and the lines between each section are evident. At the very top stands an obelisk style star that seems to bring the whole monument to life. One may be able to see a long slender window near the top that enables visitors to look down and absorb the marvelous view of Baytown’s major industries. It allows a curious traveler to experience not only the history and sacrifice but also the success and prosperity of Baytown. It also serves as a reminder for those who live nearby to feel thankful to those who sacrificed there lives for freedom as well as prideful for those who invested money and labor into leaving such a strong legacy to the citizens of Texas.

           
                As I sat on the Lynchburg Ferry on my way to the San Jacinto Monument, I was warped back to the time when my fourth grade class took a field trip to the famous landmark. Of course, I had already been there a few times before, but this time I could experience it with my closest friends. When we arrived, I could feel the excitement and awe at looking at such a tall imposing building. I looked around at my friends and they too looked ecstatic, although that may have been because we were getting ready to eat lunch. Anyway, as we walked up the stairs, I looked up at the inscriptions and drawings on the side of the monument. My teacher told us to take a moment and read what it said. I never really paid attention to it before but as I read it, I could feel the air of pride that resonated from every letter and curve even at a young age. After a few group pictures and countless explanations sounding similar to “Yes! We are going to the top Steven!”, we began our expedition inside. I and everyone else became so engulfed in the displays of artifacts and remnants of the old ways of life. I could not even imagine how much harder life was back then, but I could not help wanting to experience it myself just to see what it was like. Walking through this museum combined with my own crazy imagination was close enough to my desire. Trinkets of all kinds, such as feather pens and sickles and hoes gave me so much insight to the lives of the people who lived and fought for this land. I also felt gratitude for them, because they were the reason I and many others were able to live so freely and comfortably. We finally made it through the museum, and we were all ready to head to the top. As we all stood in the elevator in anticipation, I began to imagine how terrifying it must have been to even build at such heights. With the ding of the elevator, all my thoughts at the moment vanished. We walked around and came to a window. We took turns and when I finally reached it, I looked out. It was the best view of Baytown I had ever seen! I looked around spinning on my tiptoes, from left to right, trying to absorb the picture in front of me. My eyes started to drift downward and for one reason or another, I imagined what it would be like to see a battle going on in the fields. My fourth grade mind geared into action and I could see it with eyes tightly closed. I finally stepped down and my mind brought me back to 2004. Right, the field trip. After everyone had their turn, we went back down the monument and down the steps and proceeded to start lunch. Now, as I stood there 9 years later, I could feel the same swirl of excitement and awe looking at the tall imposing building, all before I even took one step inside.

Works Cited

                     “San Jacinto Monument -Shining Symbol of Texas Independence.” San Jacinto Museum of History. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. www.sanjacinto-museum.org/Monument/

          San Jacinto Monument front view, Baytown, Tx. Personal photograph by author. 2013.

          Observation floor view, Baytown, Tx. Personal photograph by author. 2013.

Roseland Park and the Southern Pacific Locomotive No. 895 by Christian Wright

            Ever since I was a little kid I used to love going to Roseland park and playing on the playground there. But since I had adoration for trains, I used to love to go look at the train in the park. I admired the locomotive and I would try to go to the park every day to see the train. I’m sure that the train has a significant value to the park and to Baytown itself. The train was always an iconic figure to me. The Southern Pacific Locomotive No. 895 that sits in the park is a wonderful sight to see. The park is a great place for people to go to and let their kids play in the playground, for people to go fishing, have a family barbecue launch boats and Jet Ski’s for summer family fun. It’s a great place to go, seeing the train after it has been restored after years of sitting there and rusting from the moisture of the salt water from the bayou and the Trinity bay. The staff at the park takes good care of the Locomotive, so it’s never a sight for sore eyes; No. 895 is a great symbol of Baytown and it could have been used for many things back in the years, such as helping move things in to start the town we live in now. There are a few railroad tracks and train stations in Baytown, and one track runs right by Roseland Park, on the opposite side of the bridge that is, it’s a bridge itself for trains to cross. People love to go to the park, it’s not a safe place to go to at night but there can be measures taken so that people can enjoy the park without having to worry much about crime, the area the park is located in 
has a high crime rate.

            There wasn’t much information that I could find for the train or the park themselves but from going to the park here’s what I gathered from the plaques on the side of the train. It was built by the American Locomotive Company in the year 1913. The weight of the engine itself is around three hundred forty-one thousand six hundred pounds and its total length is seventy two feet two and five eighths inches. Its tractive effort, which is the force generated by a vehicle's engine or motor in order to generate motion, was around forty one thousand one hundred forty pounds. The train was used in freight services on Texas and Louisiana train lines, gathering from this, knowing that Texas imports fuels like gasoline, oil and other items, which is what the train was used for, importing and exporting goods. The train was donated to Baytown in March 1957 to Robert E. Lee Senior High School’s key club and to the city of Baytown by the Southern Pacific lines. Due to hurricane Ike a few years back, the train was dealt some great damage, and was recently restored back to its former glory a few months back. This is what was gathered from reading a tiny bit of an article on the newspaper article, The Baytown Sun. Also the bell that was in the train was also stolen but either a new one or the original was recovered and shipped back to Texas from California, this took place in roughly about a year ago. The train now stands in the park in all its glory.

            I return to the train after not being there for so many uncounted years, with my friends Caleb and Lane. They drove me there since I have no car, I wanted to take pictures of its beauty so I hopped out of the car, my friend Lane stayed behind in the car but Caleb went with me, though he wasn’t born in Texas, or neither has he lived here long. So he was silent while I approached the train to take my pictures, first though I wanted to view the plaques that used to be in front of the train. I was startled when they were not there and I wondered where they had vanished to, then I remembered hurricane Ike flooded the area so nothing was there, the rushing water from the storm may have torn the plaques off and carried them away. I shrugged it off and continued looking at the glorious steam powered Locomotive. Remembering when I was a little kid and how I used to adore trains. I had many different sets for electronic toy trains, though not many of them looked realistic, they were Thomas the tank engine toys, but this is not the point here. I stared at the train some more while Caleb walked around the other side, still silent, I started to take my pictures and smiled wondering what all it carried it could have helped carry in the equipment to help found our town, importing and exporting oil from the many oil wells Baytown had spread out. I walk around to the other side taking long distance shots of the train trying to get the park in the background, though all you could see was part of it and a chain link fence that blocked some of the view. I missed going to the park and seeing the train, it was one of my favorite things to do when I was a kid. I find 2 plaques with a small bit of information on them, snapped a few pictures of as close as I could of them and finished taking my pictures. As I walked away from the train back to the car, I take a look back and smile knowing that the train had a bit to do with our town history, at least I think so. I turn to Caleb who is now beside me and ask him, “so what do you think of the train dude?” He shrugged and chuckled “I think it’s a wonderful sight to come see.” We then loaded up in the car and left, as we were leaving I thought to myself that I should start coming back here I can make more memories of the wonderful park and of the train.

Portrait of a Warrior by James Brown

Baytown, Texas is a city of history, industrialization, and growth. Some would say that it is a dead or dying city, and although it isn't necessarily the best and most beautiful, it has rich tradition. It started as 3 separate townships before coming together to form our current city, yet through that time as well as it’s seeming steady back and forth of growth and decay there has always been a common thread through it all; community. Baytown has a history of freedom fighters and honoring them and those that served with them. Their sacrifice has been forever captured and memorialized for all to see, from The San Jacinto Monument (which can be seen from Baytown) honoring the locals and others that fought for Texas independence, to the Baytown Veterans Memorial Plaza at Bicentennial Park honoring the Baytonians that fought and died in the World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, and even the seven Astronauts killed in the tragic Challenger explosion of 1986, and the annual Memorial day celebration at Bicentennial park. The desire and tradition of honoring our fallen heroes is something deep rooted not just in Baytown but also in the hearts of Americans all over the world. The death of a soldier is tragic and it brings a community together. This is evident in another memorial, tucked away in a little store but definitely not hidden. As you drive down the historic (now straight) Texas Avenue, you can’t miss the bold red, white and blue painted sign above the entrance and the paintings that line the storefront of the Portrait of a Warrior Memorial Art Gallery. The colors jump from the neutral backdrop of the beige building and explode from the windows against the white walls. They can be seen from a distance and are an assault on the senses. As you walk along the sidewalk in front of the building you are taken by the depictions of soldiers enjoying a break with a Mercedes Benz after a victory over Nazi Germany, celebration with loved ones in America’s streets, the occupation of the Middle East, and the sad reality of a soldier being carried home by his brothers in a casket draped in the red, white and blue flag that he did more than bleed for but died for. Along with this are the faces of twenty-four of these men. Approaching the entrance, you walk into showcase corridor filled with paintings, uniforms and artifacts of war on either side with the glass boasting the name “Portrait of a Warrior.” You are soon met with an eight foot tall, half inch thick glass door. The heavy door swings unnaturally easy but also swings very quickly because of the weight. I was slightly thrown off balance as I pulled the thick glass giant open. The gallery is in an old galley style store, narrow and deep. Down the center there is a six foot, black partition and on either side there are the painting we see outside as well as actual wallet size pictures of the fallen men and women. On the towering, white twelve foot walls on either side, there are portraits from floor to ceiling and from front to back. The portraits along the floor are small, probably 17 inches by 21 inches, while the two rows of portraits above them are very large, about 3 feet by 4 feet, but they are all very bold in color and each tells a story. The background of every portrait proudly boasts a very bright and bold American flag waiving in the wind and in the top right corner of almost every one is the majestic bald eagle. Each portrait is painted with the focus of the picture being the fallen soldier in uniform and they are surrounded by a story of their life; depictions of them and their lives back home, doing what they love, what their passion was, and things and people that were most important to them. Each portrait also has a name plate below it displaying the warriors name. Past all the portraits, in the back of the store, there is a seating area with a television for showing films, an easel, and a computer where the gallery is operated from. In the very back is what appears to be a storage area through a wide doorway.

This memorial didn't start by any goal or mission that some group or individual desired or set out to accomplish initially, but as a favor that grew out of control and took root, one that the community fell in love with and took over the painters heart. As I walked along looking at the black partition, I see a little old man poke his head out from around the back of it. The man looked old with his wrinkly, sun spotted skin, his long white goatee, slightly hunched posture, wearing all denim covered in veteran’s patches, an American flag bandanna around his neck, and a veteran’s hat. As I walked back towards him he asked me if I served in the military and of course I said no. This man was an Air-force veteran by the name of Ken Pridgeon (78). Mr. Pridgeon isn't even a native Baytonian, but a transplant from Florida, and is the artist and owner of “Portrait of a Warrior.” I went to the Memorial Art Gallery to spend some time with Mr. Pridgeon and gain some insight on this memorial. “Wesley Riggs started all of this” said Mr. Pridgeon, “Wesley died in Iraq in 2005. A woman asked me to paint a portrait of him for an event for the Wounded Warriors Project.” He told me that it would've been the last one he did but Jessie Ainsworth was being buried in Dayton that day and someone approached him saying “Ken, you’re gonna have to paint a portrait of Jessie.” Mr. Pridgeon said “I argued with them a bit, but at that time I didn't realize I was going to be on some kind of mission.” He started to paint this portrait and it was like a domino effect. Word started to spread of his paintings of fallen heroes and very soon family after family from all over started asking him to paint their sons and daughters who had fallen in war. There were parents from as far as London that came to him and even local parents who had no idea that he had already heard of their child’s death and started on portraits of them. He even painted a portrait of Nick Marshall, son of local blogger Baytown Bert. Families send pictures of the fallen soldier in uniform and pictures of the solider doing what they love and of them with the people they love for a reference to paint from. I asked him if he charged for the paintings to which he answered with a resounding “NO.” He then told me about the mother of Army Sgt. Shaun Tousha who had heard about the portraits. She called and said “I understand you paint pictures of soldiers and their stories.” Mr. Pridgeon said “yes ma’am” and when she asked how much it cost to have a portrait done, he told her “you already paid the price, he already paid the price, they’re all free, thank ya ma’am.” Mr. Pridgeon pays for everything himself and through donations, and each family gets a print of the portrait. Along with the community, he has been recognized by the Texas House of Representatives commending him for his efforts. When I asked him why he continues to get up every morning and paint these portraits when it was just supposed to be a one time favor Mr. Pridgeon stated “I love what I do, I couldn't quit if I wanted, they all deserve this, and it’s hard to believe sometimes that this is what I get to do all day."

Generally I don’t have a very emotional reaction to things like this. I've always agreed that the fallen should be respected and honored for their service, but with my observation of the direction America is going, I've had a hard time believing in the military, particularly with what they are asked to do and who asked them to do it. I've also been a very disturbed for a long time by the way we “remember” people in America. Whether or not you are a soldier, it seems that all deaths are treated the same way, with the same honor and what seems like the same, insincere, over the top idolization and worship that continues for years upon years out of some sort of social or behavior obligation. I've always been able to understand the family of a fallen warrior honoring them year after year and people showing respect, but what has bothered me is complete strangers showing up and “worshiping” for lack of a better word, paying an inordinate amount of attention. My reaction when I walked into the Portrait of a Warrior Memorial Art Gallery wasn't any different that it would be for other memorials. It was an unemotional reaction but respectful. I didn't feel uncomfortable with what was going on there though. I was simply expecting to walk in, see portraits and talk to the owner then leave, but when I spoke with Mr. Pridgeon and heard the individual stories and even more so the reactions of parents, my heart broke and I couldn't hold back tears. The paintings of the soldiers are uncanny. As I walked through, I came across people I had seen before, Shaun Tousha, Jessie Ainsworth and Pat Tillman, but one of them in particular that I knew a little better was a young man by the name of Jeremy Burris. I know his siblings and have worked with some of his family before in music. His face was unmistakable and i can remember the day the his funeral procession came through town, right past the school I was working for. After getting the tour, Mr. Pridgeon thanked me for coming by and invited me to come back anytime. He firmly shook my hand, walked off, and I slipped back out the front door, stopping to take another long look at the portraits and the gallery before taking my forty minute long drive back to Liberty.

 I feel that Mr. Pridgeons approach is perfectly tasteful and exactly what it should be when it comes to honoring our fallen warriors. It’s a memorial that everyone can see and one that captures each individual and personality, but it’s done between him, the soldier, and the family, which I think is the most beautiful thing. His dedication to memorializing and honoring not only the local heroes but also those from all over America that have fallen for us in our most recent wars is a vein that runs deep, not only in Ken Pridgeon, but through all Baytonians. I believe it is a true testament and image of the community of Baytown, Texas.

Ken Pridgeon (DePrang)

Works Cited

DePrang, Emily. Ken Pridgeon. Digital image. Texasobserver.org. Texasobserver.org, 11 Feb. 2013.                     Web. 12 Nov. 2013
Pridgeon, Ken. Personal Interview. 24 Oct. 2013

Portrait of a Warrior Storefront, Baytown, TX. Personal photograph by author. 2013.