HomeMy WebLinkAboutTexas' historical markers are vanishing m arkers are vanishing
exas T historical
� � from his vehicle to the mark - „,,
A s sociated P oc iated P ress MICHAEL GRACZYK � � _ � �
As er, spun his wheels trying to
' extract the whole marker
„
"V A. ,'' ” <. fi: before it snapped
LA VERNIA — A steel bridge . Grammer said his call to the
nearly the length of a football € ' � ,. sheriff's department to report
field has weathered floods, the . . ' , , the theft wasn't as traumatic
' " ` as calling his wife. Together,
Su and ' , F. ..
ry th worth Texas of heat traffic to a surviv centu ,�- they've worked to keep the
its a ra a and to e marvel of
k ��� ,:,� �,�� area mowed and cleared of lit -
its era and to earn recognition ,; " '� ter.
as to a Texas and national his r "This is something we'd
"
to The landmark• thought about but dreaded the
The silver and black cast : c '=:, � ii , thought of it actually happen -
aluminum sign heralding its ing," the semi - retired oilman
formed
said.
historic status lasted two z The marker program start
years. „. -
" I just couldn't believe it," <p��� ,� g '-' AP photo ed in 1936 to celebrate the
said Shirley Grammer, 68. "I Texas 1936 t nice. celebrate e
grieve for a few gray or pink granite form
cried. You gr John and Shirley Grammer walk the Mueller bridge over Cibolo Creek
the bases for the engraved
f m
days, then you get mad and get near La Vernia. She worked for eight years to win historic designa-
angry about somebody tion for the 1915 bridge, but the accompanying marker lasted just metal plaques, about 1,000 of
destroying something You . two years before it was stolen. which were installed around
worked so hard for."
Grammer worked historic des for eight aged b y clly ac acct sot. O Others are Pla but a marker with that state. familiar to Texans metal markers
years to win the hi aged by ciden designation has not yet been began showing up in 1962.
ignation and the accompany- damaged deliberately.
ing marker for the bridge over "I'd say three or four times a installed.
Cibolo Creek at McAlister month we hear about one Grammer's Bred the
Crossing, known locally as the damaged," Brinkman said. "I band, John, disc
Mueller bridge because that's think it's always been sort of a ss b arrcc intersection where
as whose land it crossed. problem."
About two months ago, some- Scott Southwell, whose fam- County o d 25 33252-foot once ra-
body snapped it off and stole it, ily -owned Southwell Foundry
leaving just a bottom sliver of in San Antonio has manufac- ' C built in 1915 for $9,0 „ John
shiny marker attached the loss s t ons, i said markers while genera
alu- Grammer all d. "Some -
heny
post. Sadly,
the 27- inch -by-42 -inch marker minuet prices have gone up thing's not right.
is not an isolated incident. somewhat, a 35 -pou o n the All that was left the ild -
"We hear about them regu- at $1 or $2 per pound
larly," said Bob Brinkman, scrap market "is not enough more than d cl ga h
ere
worth heads the two - person to make it wor stealing."
office in the Texas Historical "1 think it's just random unveiling ebrate
in the marker
Commission that reviewed 284 vandalism," he said.
applications for markers last Adding insult cost o of replacing was
of a a c ticked post sti ou
year. "And what we hear injury is he
about, I'm sure, is just a frac- it: $1,600 with no help from the crete A o e of brown some met was ruts.
tion t s m s happening." stath.
Wte r edd the named kinelOctoberdgt the ently with a rope or chain tied
scattered
w