HomeMy WebLinkAboutTornado Spotter's Origins 1960 BRAZOS COUNTY
CIVIL DEFENSE
COURTHOUSE BRYAN, TEXAS
TA 2-0777 TA 2 -1569 TA 3 -2865
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April 28, 1960
Mr. Don Halvarson
Civil Defense Director
Caldwell, Texas
Dear Don:
This is to advise you as to my progress on the
Tornado Spotter Network.
After I left Caldwell last Thursday, 1 went south
on Hwy. 36. I stopped at Marvin Hood's plaCe and
got some information about the telephone lines on
Hwy 36 and on the FM 975. There are seven (7)
p ones on 36, the last one is at F. B. Small's at
the second oig curve. There are three (3) phones
on FI4975, the last being J. G. Shanklin.
I saw only the long distance wires from Smalls
place on into the edge of Lyons. I found out in
Lyons that a private line runs along the surfaced
county toad west of Lyons and that a phone or two
is on it. I followed it for about two (2) miles
and found one very nice home on the line but no
one was at home. It was getting late, so I came
back to Lyons.
I headed for home then along FM 60. There were no
phone lines along the road until I got to FM 2039,
nearly to Snook. The phones there follow FM 60 on
into College Station. Between the river and College
Station there are a few phones but all Negroes ( I
want to avoid using them if possible).
I didn't get to Sommerville and I didn't catch Mr.
Lawrence at home when I came tnrough Snook, I did get
nine (9) spotters in Burleson Countp and learned
quite a lot about the area.
The following is a list of the spotters I selected
in your county.
Henry Kovar (Snook) VI6-6934
Erven Duesterhoft (Snook) V16
H. H. Maniord (River Bridge) VI6-5575
N. A. Lunsford (hiver Bridge) V16-5172
Clyde McFarland (Lyons) LY6-5828
Cecil AateJowsky (Lyons) LY6-5749
John Sablatura (5 mi So. Caldwell) L07-3605
Roy Herwan (4 mi. So. Caldwell) L07-4
Marvin Hood (3 mi. So C L07-5205
These people were 6elected according to their response
to the program, vantage point of their house, and
having a telephone, of course. The ones with the
yf) to the rigat of their phone numbers Are the
p aces I talked to the wives because tae men werenSt
at home.
I have picked up several wore spotters in Brazos
County and everyone here seems to be real pleased
with what we nave so far. Attached is a aet of the
papers I give the people in our county. It way be
well for us to work up another "Tornado Spotter"
sheet that would be a little more universal and not
using the na me of any particular county or city.
I left only the card and the Tornado Precautions
with the spotters in your county and exp lained the
rest.
I don't know just when that we can get together and
run out the north end of Burleson County. With the
weather acting like has the last four days we
might should have already done itt Our County
Director and the Meteroligist at the College say
that the North-west quadrant is just as important
as the South-west in our particular area. It may
turn out that we will have to work into Robertson
and &lam Counties to rest easy on the effectiveness
of the system. Well, I will try to get back over
to see you this next week. I am about to burn up
all the gasoline I nave been alloted for this pro-
ject and an not near through. have got to get
some more spotters on Hwy 21 between us and if I
get close enough to you, 1 will go on into Caldwell.
Let we know if I can meet you some Thursday (all day),
a Saturday (all day), or a Sunday afternoon. My
home phone number in Bryan is TA3-2865 and 1 am
usually ready to roll on pretty short notice.
If I can be of any futner nelp to you, let we know.
Sincerely,
Walter A. Heaves
Deputy to County Director
Brazos County Civil Defense
Courthouse Bryan, Texas
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