Life on Aurora Drive, Austin, Texas
1941-1960
By Charlotte Carl-Mitchell
In 1930, my maternal grandparents, JM and Mercy Ramsey created the Skyland Terrace subdivision in Austin.
A
close-up of the plat map for Aurora Drive showing not addresses
but lot numbers.
The
photo
above left was probably taken in 1941 when my parents, Ed and
Mercy Carl built their home at 5409 Aurora. The house on the
right belonged to the Kruhls at 5317. The picture on the right
was taken by the Lenharts after more houses were built.
The earliest houses on Aurora listed
in the current tax records were built in 1938. They were at
5317, 5302, and 5412. Two houses were built in 1939 - 5306 and
5314 Aurora.
According to tax records and memories, this is a list of the addresses, lot numbers, years houses were built and the owners or occupants starting with the northeast lot fronting on Houston:
5411 Aurora, lots 18,19; ca. 1960;
Howard Onstot, Wayne & Elaine Laymon, Mike, Sondra
According to Stephanie, “I do remember there was
a 5411--we did the March of Dimes several years and that
address was on the list. It was a vacant lot with a
garage apartment on the rear of the lot. I remember when
they built the garage apartment--we played all over the
construction site--seemed to take them years to build
it. It had a corner bathtub upstairs and I found that
fascinating. There was a huge mulberry tree on the
property and we all would climb it and stuff ourselves with
mulberries. When they built the garage apartment, we
could reach the tree better by going out on the deck of
the apartment, after climbing the tree.” Patty remembered, “-
Next door to your house is an apt. and behind it is a garage
apt. that had been there for ages (don't know if it is still
there). In front of the garage
apt. used to be a "garden?" before the other apts. were built.
and a mulberry tree I remember eating mulberries from. Lot was a garden and had tall corn.
“ Later the Laymans built a house on the lot and lived there.
In Mercy’s Christmas card booklet, Mr. &
Mrs. Howard Onstot was listed at 5411 Aurora and cards were
sent and received from 1947-1950. Miss Ann Butler was listed
at the same address and a Mrs. W. A. Butler was lumped with
the Onstots and Miss Butler as if they belonged together.
Left, Mike and Sondra Christmas 1959; Sondra and Mike Laymon; Lacy and Lillian Wallace (Grandparents), Wayne Laymon; Olive Cora Nesbit (GGrandmother); Sondra age 4
Mike and Sondra on her second birthday, April 28, 1961; A current family photo taken at Wilson and Leigh Skomal’s wedding, August 16, 2016 in Denver, Colorado.
In Feb 2019 I got an email from Sondra Laymon Skomal after she
found this essay online. She said about life on Aurora, "It was a sweet place as I
lived there three times in my life and got to be a part of
your parents’ and Mrs. Knesek’s lives off and on. Oh and
Mrs. Lenhart’s but she didn’t care for our yellow lab,
Harry, and met me with a scowl most days...I still
remember how upset I was that Mike and I had the mumps at the
time of [Madeline and Billy's] wedding [in 1964] and weren’t
able to serve as ring bearer and flower girl. I promised
my mother that I wouldn’t breathe on anyone but she remained
unconvinced that I was not a threat to public health." Sondra
sent me the photos above.
5409
Aurora,
lots 20, 21; 1941; Ed & Mercy Carl, Madeline, Catherine,
Charlotte
Ed
Carl worked as an engineer at the Texas Highway Department.
Mercy Ramsey Carl was a teacher when she wasn’t on break being
a mother. Ed’s main hobby was fishing and later in life,
genealogy. Mercy was in a bridge club for over 60 years, very
involved in Phi Mu, Rainbow Girls and Eastern Star and liked
to putter in the yard. Ed died in 1987, Mercy in 1996.
Ed Carl working on the foundation of 5409 with two existing houses in the background. Our house was built on lots 20 and 21, block 3.
Mercy
Carl
and Mercy Ramsey in front of 5409 being built in 1941.
5409
from
the front and back. It was a two bedroom, one bath home with a
detached garage and cost $4, 008.62 to build.
5409
Aurora
Drive in 1944
Aurora Drive had lots of kids who played
together. Above left, a faded color photo from Madeline’s 1st
birthday in July 1945. Marian, David and Patty Lenhart are
second from left. Above right, Madeline’s 2nd birthday party in
July 1946. Patty Lenhart is third from the left, the blond with
the bow in her hair. David Lenhart is second from the right.
Catherine’s
1st birthday, October 1946; Catherine’s 2nd birthday
in 1947
Photo above left, Mother noted that these
people were at Catherine’s party: Grandma Ramsey, Patsy &
David Lenhart, Patty & Marjorie Wood, Jackie Pealing,
Johnnie & Mrs. Lance Walker, Sarah Ann & Mary Jean
Redfield. Madeline remembered Margie & Tom Wood. She said, “He worked at
the Highway Dept with Daddy. They lived maybe two streets
over...Joe Sayers?? Tiny little house...then moved to nicer
place.” We have a photo Christmas card from the Woods and the
woman above on the left holding a baby does look like Marjorie
Woods which means the baby would probably have been Patty
Wood.
Photo above right, squinting against the
sunny day of Catherine’s 2nd birthday in 1947 are
from left to right front – unknown girl (Patty
Wood?), Patsy Lenhart, Catherine, Madeline, Stephanie seated,
David Lenhart in shade and Billy Bob Knesek. Back row – probably
Sandi Gail Hoes, Sarah Ann Redfield and Mother.
Madeline also said, “Do you all remember
the different trills our Mother's had to call us home. Patty,
your Mother used a whistle. Our Mother did some kind of trill
with her tongue!” Patty said, “I still have the whistle my mother used to call
us. A certain number of whistles
for David and me. Mrs. Carl would
trill.”
This photo of 5409 Aurora was taken in early
1948. The trees that, twenty years later, would be blown down by
Hurricane Camille, have just started growing.
Above left, Madeline, unidentified boy, Stephanie Clark; middle row – Catherine, Sandra Diver, a friend of Patsy’s who lived on Roosevelt, Patsy; top row – Billy Bob Knesek and David Lenhart in 1948. Above right, Catherine’s 3rd birthday party are back row - David and Patsy Lenhart and Roy and James Walden. (They had a sister Anita who wasn’t in the photo.) Front row – unidentified boy, Catherine and Madeline
Playing
in
the snow in 1948; above right, Catherine’s 5th birthday in 1950
On October 30, 1950 Catherine celebrated
her 5th birthday and, as usual invited the
neighborhood kids to her party. The kids who could be identified
in the photo above are, seated: Madeline
far left, then Charles Moore, Catherine, Patty, Sharon Paulson
and ‘Little Joe’ Fletcher. Standing: unidentified girl, Douglas
Smith, maybe Billy Gene Gault, then maybe Bob West, then Sandy
Gail Hoes holding an unidentified girl.
Catherine’s
5th birthday in 1950; dress-up in 1951
Friends
and
neighbors gathered for Madeline’s 7th birthday party in July1951.
Madeline remembered about growing up on Aurora, “We had dog parades where we would hitch them up to wagons or just walk them in some kind of costume. Summer was the best with the Ice Cream Man. We could hear him coming from blocks away, scrounge up some coins and go stand out front to wait for him. We played games in our yard like Red Rover, Red Rover and hide & seek til it got dark. We played “house” in the hedge on the north side of the house. We’d have hammocks for our baby dolls, rooms, etc. We played “cars” in the area on the south side before the addition. We had very elaborate driveways, houses and landscaping. If we weren’t outdoors we played board/card games in the summer at our dining room table…Michigan poker…yes with chips, authors and monopoly. Charlotte you were friends with the Kratt kids. Us big kids called you little guys the “peabodies.” I remember when Sandy Hoes fell off her bike. That was the start of her polio. DDT trucks would come around spraying and we all had to take polio naps. Summer really didn’t have much to do with the grown-ups!”
Charlotte’s 1st birthday in Aug 1951
I celebrated my first birthday on Aug 26,
1951 with the usual gathering of neighborhood kids. Photo above
left, the kids from left to right are unknown, Catherine,
Stephanie on ground, Jeff Kratt and the Fletcher brothers, Joe
and Jerry. Patty is seated next to me, then standing Madeline,
Sandi Gail Hoes and, I think, Janon Kratt.
Above right, another photo from my Aug 1951 birthday.
Grandma Ramsey was there as were neighborhood kids. In the photo
above, the girl on the far left isn’t identified, Madeline is
behind her, Catherine behind me, Stephanie Clark, Patsy Lenhart
and Sandy Gail Hoes.
Madeline’s 8th birthday in July 1952; Catherine’s 7th birthday in 1952 at Kiddie Land Park
Photo above right, back row from left:
Lauraette Carl, Donna Sassman?, Paula Toungate?, me, Sharon
Paulson, ?, Madeline and Sandra Crippen?. On the front row:
Sharon Lee Myers, Janice Naumann,
Sue Wolff, Catherine, Vera Juarez, and Stephanie.
Easter
1953
With the help of Stephanie, Madeline
and Patty, we’ve identified these people in the Easter 1953
photo above, starting on the back row: boy on far left Joe
Fletcher, 3rd over Sharon Paulson, Sandy Gail Hoes.
Middle row: boy 2nd from left Charles Moore, Bonnie
Johnston, 5th over Madeline, Stephanie, Jeff Kratt,
Gary Hardcastle, 2nd from right Catherine. We were
stumped by the front row. That might be Charlotte 5th
from right, then maybe Linda Paulson. The two younger Kratts,
Janon and Jay might be there as could Joe Fletcher’s brother and
sister.
Another
party with the neighbor kids, this one my 3rd in
August 1953. We think the people are, back row: Helen Rugeley, Grandma Ramsey,
Patty, Woodrow Hardcastle, Janis Waits, Catherine, Sharon
Paulson, Gladys Hardcastle, Billy Rugeley?, Bertha Smith.
Middle row: Barbara Rugely, Stephanie, in front of Sharon
possibly Terry Brune, Jeff Kratt, Gary Hardcastle, Jay
Kratt, ? Front row: Jerry? in striped shirt, Madeline
holding Patricia Smith, ?, Linda Paulson, Charlotte, girl
on far right Janon Kratt. Mother’s list included a Marilyn
and, I think, a Monty or Marty.
A spirited game of Ring around the
Rosey?
I celebrated my 4th birthday on
August 26, 1954. The people in the photo are: left to right back row is Woodrow
Hardcastle?, Stephanie, Catherine, Madeline, Jeff Kratt, ?, ?;
front row: Patricia Smith? Gary Hardcastle?, me, Jay Kratt?
Janon Kratt?, Phyllis Jacobson, ?.
Above left, the girls who gave Catherine
presents at her 9th b’day party in 1954 were Paula
Toungate, Molly Lacy, Kathy Caller, Terry Brune, Donna Hartung,
Jo Ann Sunday, Stephanie Clark, Sharon Paulson, Susan Ernest,
Patty Lenhart and Diana Hobbs. We
think the people are front row: me looking grumpy, Molly Lacey
looking dramatic, Jo Ann Sunday, Catherine, Sharon Paulson.
Middle row: Madeline, Stephanie, Susan Ernest, Terry Brune. Back
row: Patty. Above right, we celebrated Madeline’s 11th birthday
on July 11, 1955.
We celebrated my 5h birthday in
August 1955 with a party at Austin Kiddie Land Park. There was
cake and ice cream. The favors at the party were 5¢ books and
balloons. The people who attended
were me, Linda Paulson, Patricia Smith, Susan Pokorny, Janie
Harkness, Stevie Hoes, David Fritz, Vera Juarez, Alice Ann
McCrary, Linda Maher, Robert Caller, Janon Kratt, Madeline,
Catherine, Grandma Ramsey, Alice & Murray Ramsey, Stephanie
Clark and Patsy Lenhart. Above right, Patty playing with our
dogs Snooper and Studel in 1955.
Above
left,
Madeline & Snooper, Patty, Charlotte & Fluffy, Janon
Kratt, Catherine & Strudel in 1955 or 1956. Above right,
Charlotte’s 6th birthday in August
1956 with the neighborhood kids.
According to
Mother’s (hard to read) notes, the friends who gave me gifts
and so were probably at the party were: Suzeth Vann, Nancy
[West?], Jo Nell, Patricia Smith, Charles Garve(?), Betty
Bridges, Susan Pokorny, David Douglas, Janie Harkness, Vera
Juarez, Robert Caller, Joey Grammier (?) Dennis Smith, Steve
Hoes, Linda Paulson, Patsy Lenhart, Stephanie Clark and
family. We did simple things like play Pin the Tail on
the Donkey, nothing like the elaborate parties kids have
nowadays.
An Easter egg hunt at 5409 in 1957. I’m the
one 4th from the left checking out what’s in my basket. I think
Patricia Smith is behind me talking to the unidentified lady on
the left. Jeff Kratt is kneeling in the striped shirt. I think the back row l to r is Vera
Juarez, Nancy West, Janon Kratt, Stephanie Clark and Catherine.
Mrs. Kratt is front of Janon. Linda Paulson is in front of her.
Mrs. Bertha Smith is on the far right. The woman on the far left
may be Nelda Vann.
I celebrated my 7th birthday in August 1957 with a party at Play Land Park. We played on the rides and then dug into cake and ice cream.
Patricia
Smith
and
Stephanie
Clark
are
in
the
photo
on
the
left,
Jeff Kratt, Linda Paulson and me on the right.
Catherine celebrated her 12th
birthday in 1957. Starting second from the left is Dennis Smith,
Patricia Smith, me, Catherine and Madeline holding an
unidentified baby. The two unidentified children look like the
kids in the going-away party pictures below and may be the Vann
kids.
The adults at the Kratt’s going away party on
Monday, Dec 9, 1957. Above left, from l to r, unidentified man,
Nelda Vann?, Henrietta Clark and unidentified woman. The men on
the couch with the snazzy socks are Steve Clark, Jake Kratt and
Johnny Smith. Bertha Smith is in the background of the first
photo helping Dennis with his suspenders. According to notes in
Mother’s date book, the party was at 7:30 pm. She listed rsvps –
Bertha, Henrietta, Gladys, Joe Hoes, Nelda (2 adults + 2 kids),
Carls (2 + 3), Kratts (2 + 3), Harkness (sp?)
The kids– above left, clockwise from left, ?,
Madeline, Jeff Kratt, Stephanie Clark, Catherine, me, Janon
Kratt, Jay Kratt, Patricia Smith. The photo above right is
another version of the first one, but with more people visible.
The boy in suspenders is probably Dennis Smith. The two
unidentified kids may be the Vanns.
The development date on the photo is
Mar 1958, but the snow probably arrived earlier than that. All
bundled up against the cold are, l to r, Patty, Catherine,
Madeline, Sharon Paulson, me and Linda Paulson.
Above right, l to r, Mother, Patty, Madeline, Sharon and
Mrs. Paulson, front row – me and Linda Paulson.
Another
snow
photo. Above center, Patty and Charlotte in Jul 1959. Above right, Charlotte, Cindy Wright
and possibly Mike Layman in 1960.
5407 Aurora, lot 22; 1948; Originally
owned and built by the Waldens , then bought by Bertha &
John Smith, Douglas, Patricia, Dennis
Douglas
Smith
in 1950; Bertha Smith in 1953; Johnnie Smith in 1957; Patricia,
unidentified child and Dennis Smith in 1957.
Stephanie remembered, “Seems like I remember the
Smiths moving into Walden's house in 1949--we were walking out
in the big snow storm when my Dad met Mr. Smith for the first
time. I remember being scared
because he was a stranger. But,
those are just guesses--kinda blurry pictures!!” Catherine
said, “In 2005 she went by Aurora and took some pictures. The shutters [at 5409] are red now.
I had some time, so I took a chance and knocked on Mrs.
Smith's door. She was there! Had I waited another minute, she
said she would have been in the shower! We
had a lovely visit. She hasn't
changed in 25 years! She's 88. One sister died at 92 and the other
is in an nursing home at 94!”
Sadly, Douglas Smith died in January 2009. He’d
been ill with diabetes and high blood pressure. Sandy was
sorry to hear the news. She said, “I had such a crush on him. We would ride bicycles and hang at
McCallum, when it was being built. That
would have made me about 12 or 13. I
don't know how much older Douglas was.” (He was born Glenn
Douglas Smith on November 2, 1939.) In his obituary he was
described as “a hard working man of many trades. He retired
from the US Department of Agriculture Veterinary Services in
1995 and continued ranching for many years. Doug enjoyed
hunting, fishing, ranching and his grandchildren. He enjoyed
life to the fullest.”
5405 Aurora, lot 23; 1947; Henrietta
& Steve Clark, Stephanie
Stephanie
in 1948, 1953 and 1957; Henrietta and Steve Clark in 1957
Stephanie’s birthday was on Oct 29. This
is what she had to say on her back to back birthday with
Catherine on Oct 30, 1951: “It was kinda fun Catherine and I
having our birthdays so close together. Looking
back, it was sort of like dueling birthday parties! Mine always came first and my mother
would decorate the entire house in black and orange crepe paper. There were black cats and
pumpkins and fake spider webs, and many years they were costume
parties--all except one was a Halloween theme. And, the
neighborhood kids did attend both parties, but they were usually
pretty big parties and Catherine and I had different "outside"
friends and relatives, so you would see different people at the
parties.”
Stephanie continued her reminiscence about
birthday celebrations: “We would play games at the birthday
parties, like pin the tail on the donkey, and at my parties, a
sheet was hung up and we played "fish" where we had a fishing
pole with a clothespin on it and my Dad would be behind the
sheet putting toys/candy on the line. Catherine's parties were
somewhat more elaborate--several times we went to the
Kiddie-Land-Park, which was a real treat, and got to ride on the
merry-go-round, and my favorite, the miniature roller coaster,
the Li'l Dipper. One time, we
toured the Ramsey Nursery and were allowed to pick out a plant
to take home. And then--as if we
hadn't stuffed on ice cream and cake and candy already--here
came Halloween and we ate candy until we were about sick!!”
Madeline said about Mrs. Clark, “As an adult
coming back I always felt like we were more like friends. We
would stand and talk at the curb for long periods of time...as I
was strolling a kid or just walking. I always thought she was so
dainty, sweet...and smart!” Henrietta died in 2004.
5403 Aurora, lot 24; 1949; Guy &
Charline Moore, Charles; then Emma Juarez, Vera and Mrs.
Gonzales; then Mr. & Mrs. Barker, Billy, Sherry; then Mr.
? & Mrs. Lucille Williamson, Mary, Myrna
Above, Charles Moore and
Catherine in Oct 1950. Center, Guy Moore dressed up as Santa
for Christmas 1951. Right, Vera Juarez in 1957
Stephanie said, “it was great to find out, after
all these years, that Guy Moore was the guy who played Santa
Claus one year (and scared me about half to death!)--the
Moores lived at 5403 on the other side of us between
Hardcastles. They actually built
their house on the wrong lot--Hardcastles were supposed to
have been next door. They had a
little boy Charles, who always had a runny nose--funny what
you remember about people!! Guess
they moved away pretty fast.” Charline Moore wrote Mercy a
letter in 1961 asking for Joyce Kratt’s current address. She
sent it to Mrs. Ed Carl at 5410 Aurora and remembered fondly
their time on the street. The Moores were living in El Paso,
had a house in Odessa they were trying to sell but couldn’t
find a buyer and were on their way to New York.
From Stephanie, “Around the time I was in first
grade, the Juarez family bought the house and lived there for
several years. That was Emma and child Vera along with
Mrs. Gonzales, the grandmother. Then the Barkers, Billy
and Sherry were the kids. Then the Williamsons, Lucille
and kids Mary and Myrna.” Patty said, “Only Hispanic I
remember was Vera Juarez who lived next door to Stephanie.”
5401 Aurora, lot 25; 1948; James ‘Jim’
& Gladys Hardcastles, Woodrow, Gary
Left,
Woodrow
Hardcastle. Right, Gladys Hardcastle and the blond boy in front
is Gary Hardcastle in 1953.
Madeline remembered, “Mr. Hardcastle was a real
kidder. If I was down there with
our dog, he would pull out his pocket knife and say, “Come
here and let me cut that dog’s tail off.”
Even as a kid I knew he was joking. Sandy said, “- I
remember the Hardcastles well. I
don't remember Mrs. Hardcastle as well as I remember Mr.
Hardcastle. They were strange. I
know that Woodrow was the meanest kid there ever was, and his
parents just ignored it. After I
had polio, I was in their yard, and he took an innertube and
threw it over my head and ended up around my ankles, causing
me to fall. The big fear when I
started walking again, was that I would fall and break my leg. My parents were furious about the
incident. Another interesting
fact, they raised pigeons in their back yard.” Patty
remembered the pigeons and also that Mr. Hardcastle was mean.
Stephanie said, “Gary said one day she [Mrs.
Hardcastel] just left--didn't say
goodbye or anything--just packed all her stuff and moved in
with her sister in Georgetown. Mother
used to see Jim at the senior dances.”
Stephanie gave an update on the family – “Gary's
family--he has four beautiful adult children. His son
just graduated from A & M. His oldest daughter,
Ginger lived in the house on Aurora for a little while before
he sold it. I went to Jim Hardcastle's funeral--Gary has 4 or
5 kids--I think 4 girls and got a boy finally.
Woodrow's son was there and I thought he was Woodrow. No one would talk about Woodrow and
don't know where he was--but did not attend his Dad's funeral.” According to Ancestry.com
James Woodrow Hardcastle, son of Jimmie Hardcastle and Gladys
Johnson Hardcastle was born 25 Oct 1943 and married Lynn
Alexander on 9 Nov 1966.
5317 Aurora; lot 26; 1938; Mr &
Mrs. Clement C. Kruhl; Jordans, then Alvin Crowe
Sandy remembered “the Kruhls were lovely people. He was very quiet, unassuming and
just a nice man. To me, he gave
carpet grass it's meaning. He
would get out every night, squat down to hand water his lawn
(not yard--lawn). He drove
an old maroon ford to work every day. He
would first take Anita to work. They
also had a Mercury, that was kept in the garage through the
week. They only took it out on
Sundays for church or for special occasions.
Every two years, they traded in the Mercury for a new
one, regardless of the miles, etc. Who
else had two cars? Not too many! Ironically, they were driving the
Mercury when they were killled. They
were driving behind a pick-up hauling branches.
The branches started falling off the truck and they
drove over them. They got tangled
in the drive shaft, flipped the car and they both were killed. Ironically, my husband knew the
young man who was driving the pickup (small world). I worked with Mr. Kruhl's brother,
Oscar, at St. Edward's University. He
was not Ronnie and Elaine's father. That
was another brother. He and Mr.
Kruhl (Clement) were married to sisters.
The people that lived in that little house in back,
were the Jordan's.”
Stephanie remembered the Kruhls too. She said,
“Kruhls (they were killed in a car accident on Burnet Rd. at
the curve where the new Frisco cafe is, coming home from St.
Louis Church in the 60's.) They had no children, but I knew
their niece and nephew. It is their house in your early
picture with the pillars in front. House was later
occupied by Alvin Crowe, Austin musician who is still
recording and playing. Back then, several houses had smaller
houses on the same lot in the rear--Kruhl's house and Hoes'
house were that way. The house next door to us on the
south (5403) was built in the back, behind those huge jasmine
shrubs, that are still there, and was then moved forward up
even with our house. Hacked my mother off no end because
it blocked the breeze (we had no a/c back then) and the light,
and a nice view of the U.T. tower we had from the side porch
and kitchen window (that gave her a view of the wall from the
kitchen window!) As for the spelling of Kruhl. growing
up, we always called it Krohl and my mother called it
Crowley. I knew Ronnie and Elaine Kruhl from St. Louis
Church--they went to St. Edwards and St. Mary's schools-- and
when the Kruhls were killed, that's when I found out what
their real name was because that was Ronnie and Elaine's aunt
and uncle. Never had known up until that time.”
Another
story
from Stephanie, “Don't you all big kids remember getting into
Mr. Kruhl's garage, finding a carton of cigarettes and smoking
them all up? Everybody got in
trouble! And Gary ate the
cigarettes instead of smoking them and was horribly sick--but
then everyone got horribly sick!! Woodrow
got whipped with a belt and the whole world was up in arms
because it could have set the whole neighborhood on fire. I
remember our parents talking about it forever--the news event
of the summer. And criticizing the Kruhls for leaving those
things out where the kids could find them. And wondering where
the matches came from. I'm sure the Kruhls never intended for
us kids to go rummaging through their garage. But, you
know--we played everywhere--there was no knocking and
asking--we just played all over the place. My folks used to
leave their house unlocked and I remember Charles Moore came
in and took my doll buggy home with him.
My Dad was real upset, but mother thought it was no big
deal--the kid just wanted to play with the toy and we just
happened to be out of town. There was some discussion about
whether we might ought to lock the house when we go out of
town!!!”
5315 Aurora, lot 27; 1952; Mr
& Mrs. Frank Hoes, Sandy Gail, Steve
Mercy’s Christmas card booklet listed Mr. &
Mrs. Frank Hoes & ‘Sarah’ at 5315 Aurora. Cards were sent
from 1947-1950.
Sandy
Gail
Hoes in 1950 with unidentified girl and in 1951. Patricia Smith
and Stevie Hoes in 1955. Right,
Stevie Hoes in between two unidentified kids in 1956.
Sandy said, “We moved into a little house at 5313 Aurora. My parents, Frank and Jo (Josephine)
Hoes and myself. Mother and Dad
purchased that house right after Daddy came home from the
Navy,1945 for $5,000, just before my 5th birthday. It did have cement floors (not dirt,
but close). There was something
wrong with the shower (not finished, or something) We all took baths in a #2 tub, in
the living room. I remember my
5th birthday party. All the
neighborhood kids were there. Madeline,
Catherine,Patti and Stephanie were all there.
It will take a while, but let me know if you want
pictures. Leonard Piland
cried to go home, because we did not live in a pretty house.
My brother Steve, was born in June, 1951.
He died February, 1991, of a self inflicted gunshot. He would have been 40 yrs. old that
coming June. After Steve was
born, Dad built the "big house" in front.
I stood and held the water hose, as he mixed the cement
for the piers, in a wheelbarrow. I
lived there until shortly after Mother and Daddy's divorce in
1959, finalized about 3 wks. before I graduated high school. About 1 1/2 yrs after I married, we
(Roger Bowles, our 1st daughter, Melanie and I) moved back
into the "little house" in back. We
lived there until 3 days before my 2nd daughter, Carla was
born. Our 3rd daughter, Robin was
born 2 yrs. later.”
Madeline
remembered
“Sandy
Gail Hoes lived two houses down from Hardcastles in a very
tiny house set way back. I remember playing make up with Sandy
and listening to 78 rpm records! Father was a carpenter I
think. He built a large house out on the front of the lot. I
remember being down there one day and he made himself a
mustard and bacon sandwich! I had
never heard of such a thing, so I guess it stayed in my mind!
Sandy was riding her bike down Aurora one day and just fell
off. That was the beginning of her polio. I remember her
mostly in a wheel chair after that. There was a little brother
[Stevie] who was quite a bit younger. I first learned about
make-up from Sandy. I made a list
of stuff…eyelash curler, mascara, etc and went to the “Dime”
store… We rode the bus (by ourselves) to the movies in
downtown Austin! Patty Lenhart and I would walk down to Grover
and catch the city bus…and go to the movies for $.10 and then to Woolsworth and sit at the counter
and order a coke float. Sandy came by the house when Daddy
died."
Stephanie said, “I remember in that new house
they built on that lot someone had written in the concrete on
the bottom step, "It's later than you think."
It always scared me. I
also had heard that their old house started out with a dirt
floor. Several of the houses had
dirt floors back then and they blamed polio on that as one of
the causes.”
5313 Aurora, lot 28; 1946; Milton &
Naomi Jacobson, Phyllis Ann, Danny
According to Stephanie, the family that lived at
5313 was the Jacobsons. The child's name was Phyllis
Ann. The woman was sister to Mrs. Elliott of 5316
Aurora, and also Mrs. Carlson on McCandless.
Sandy told this story about the Jacobson's,
Milton, Naomi, Phyllis and Danny. “They
had a pet rabbit, named Peter (what else).
One day, Phyllis and Danny, went running into the
house, after checking on Peter. They
were yelling, there were little pink piggies in Peter's cage. A shipment of rabbits, had escaped
from Derden's Pet Shop (originally a grocery store Stop and
Shop, owned and operated by Mr. Pinkston on the Old Dallas
Hwy). Derden had said he would
give 25c per rabbit turned in. There
were more rabbits turned in than escaped.
Therefore, it was believed this is how Peter became
Pricilla.”
In Mercy’s Christmas card booklet, she noted
she’d sent a card to Phyllis Jacobson at 5313 Aurora in 1950.
5311 Aurora, lot 29; vacant lot until
house built 1961; Cyril H. Daily, ? and Gazelle Sump
Stephanie said, “I remember this being a vacant
lot to play in. We weren't supposed to play there
because there was a well on it. The tax records show 5311
deed from 1960--which would have been about right for that
house being built. Cyril H. Daily was the original
owner of the house--don't know who had the lot
before--probably the Jacobsen wife's family. Phyllis
went on to marry McPhail of McPhail's Florest over on Airport
Blvd. and may still be running the florest shop. ”
According to Sandy, “5311 was a vacant lot for
years. Don't remember about the
well. I'm pretty sure the house built on that lot, was the
last house built on Aurora. The
name was Sump. Her first name was
Gazelle, I don't remember his. They
divorced and moved. She is a
member of our church. I see her
often. They never had children,
and she does not drive. I think
she told me she used to drive, but it has been so many years
ago, she has forgotten how. She
takes the bus everywhere. She
would frequently ride the bus to The Night Hawk for breakfast,
and ride it back home.”
5309 Aurora, lot 30; 1950; Jesse &
Ruth Yates, Ronnie
Stephanie said, “Hmmm--mother knew these
people. Recently the house was used in the Movie, Band
Slam.... part of which was also filmed at McCallum.”
Sandy said, “5309 belonged to the Jesse and (?)
Yates and their son Ronnie. Mother
and Daddy were friends with them. They
moved and divorced and that's all I know.”
5307 Aurora, lot 31; 1947;
5303 Aurora, part of lots 32 &
33; ; Mr & Mrs. Lightsey, Donald, Jo Baker;
Henry and Lupe Moreno, Gloria, Lucy
Patty said “5303 Lightsey house.
Children I know of...Donald and Jo Baker Lightsey (both
in my MHS class). The Lightsey's lived in the second to last
house to North Loop on the east side. Was a stone house.”
Madeline had remembered them this way: "There
was a Spanish girl who lived down our street, same side in the
white stone house second to end of the street. We went to tap
& ballet class together."
From Sandy, “The 2nd or 3rd house from North
Loop (white cutstone), was built and lived in, by Henry and
Lucy Moreno. To my knowledge they
were the only Hispanic family on our street, or in the
neighborhood. They had 2
daughters, Gloria and Lupe. They
were both younger than me. They
went to St. Austin's. Mr. Moreno owned Sims Seafood Market,
somewhere on the East side. Mrs.
Moreno introduced me to Tacos. I
never could remember the name of them.
I used to play at their house all the time. They had never met my parents. When I had polio, Mr. Moreno called
my Dad and offered to help pay for any expenses we might have. My parents were so in awe of such a
gesture from complete strangers. Fortunately,
the March of Dimes covered everything. I
was fast friends with the family. It
wasn't until they moved, Mother told me the two girls were
adopted. I remember how I cried,
not understanding how wonderful that was.
Back then, this was one of those deep dark
secrets. They moved way South,
off Manchaca Rd. where they had a small "ranch".
I went to visit once. We
managed to get a bit on Gloria's horse, but no saddle. Gloria sat in the front, Lupe in the
middle and I was on the rear. As
we "rode" through the peach orchard, I caught a branch, and
started sliding off the horse, while holding on to Lupe,
refusing to let go. Lupe was
holding on to Gloria, and she was holding onto the rope. When I fell (it was a long ways
down), I pulled Lupe on top of me, she in turn pulled Gloria
on top of her. If we hadn't been
so young and dumb, there is no doubt the ignorance of the
situation would have killed me. Later,
after Mr. Moreno sold/closed the seafood market, he cashiered
at El Toro on Guadalupe for years. When
he died, Mrs. Moreno took over. If
you ever ate at El Toro, I would bet one of them took your
money.”
Mercy’s Christmas card booklet noted she’d sent
a card to Gloria and Lucy Moreno at 5303 Aurora in 1950.
5301 Aurora, part of lots 33 & 34;
1948;
5300 Aurora, lot 1; 1947;
Stephanie said, “At 5300, that Kenneth E.
Lightle III on the tax roles sure looks suspiciously like it
could be Lightsey--and be one of the descendants of them
perhaps.”
5302 Aurora, lots 2&3; 1938; Mr.
& Mrs. Gault, Jody, Clay, Billy Eugene
Stephanie said, “Billie Gene--he was the younger
Gault boy. His older brother died
in 1952 of Polio--and I can't remember his name--not sure
about the parents first names--maybe they will come back to
me. I remember his father was an
electrician who somehow got electrocuted and it turned his
hair white overnight...they said. My
parents were terrified of Polio and wouldn't let me go beyond
the Hardcastle's for many years after the epidemic. I was thinking there were three
children on our street who had Polio, Sandy, the Gault boy,
and who else?”
From Sandy, “There were Mr. & Mrs. Gault,
Jody, Clay and Billy Gene. Jody
had Cerebral Palsy, and later had polio during the epidemic,
somewhere around the same time as I did.
Jody had Bulber (effects the lungs and was in an iron
lung. The middle brother, Clay
also had polio. The same kind as
mine, paraletic. He recovered,
and became a physical therapist. I
don't know what happened to Billy Gene. We
were the same graduating class. He
was teased and bullied all through school.
Looking back, I am sure he was gay.
The last time I saw him, he looked really bad. He was very thin, his teeth were
rotted, etc. This was when aids
was first in the news. I've always wondered if that was his
problem.”
Patty said, “Billy Eugene Gault passed away
March 30, 2011. Stephanie and I ran across him once at
the cemetery at his parent's graves. Chatted with
him a little. He was also very kind to my mother coming
up to check on her daily after daddy died. He also fed
the cats when mother went into the nursing home.”
In an earlier e-mail Patty said, “Stephanie and
I went to the cemetery so she could show me the lovely
headstone she got for her parents. Of
pink granite with bluebonnets engraved. I was very impressed. We were looking at others and
driving around talking about the old neighborhood when we
looked up and saw Billy Gene Gault at his parent's gravesite. We stopped and got out and talked to
him. We all were so surprised to
see each other. He sold the
Aurora house and lives in Kyle. Looks
his age and more though. He is
65. I find it very interesting
that a lot of people from our old Aurora neighborhood are all
at the same cemetery. Nothing
like keeping the neighborhood intact!!
According to the Social Security Death Index,
Billy was born on April 13, 1939 and passed away on Wednesday,
March 30, 2011. An online obituary said he was 71 and a
salesman. Online search engines said relatives of Billy Eugene
Gault are Joe H. Gault, Clay R. Gault and Bily or Billie S
Gault.
5306 Aurora, lot 4; 1939;
5308 Aurora, lot 5; 1947;
Stephanie said, “ Lightseys lived somewhere down
here, but not sure which house--this one or across the
street.”
5310 Aurora, lot 6; 1946; Mr. &
Mrs. Piland , Leonard, Carroll; then Mr. & Mrs.
Turner, Tandy
Sandy said “I remember my 5th birthday party. All the neighborhood kids were
there. Madeline, Catherine, Patti
and Stephanie were all there. Leonard Piland cried to go home,
because we did not live in a pretty house.”
In Mercy’s Christmas card list she noted “The
Carroll Pilands” as living at 5310 Aurora. She sent them cards
from 1946-1950. And Leonard Piland was sent Valentines by ‘The
Girls’ [Madeline and Catherine]
Patty said, “No one mentioned Tandy Turner. He lived next door to the Wests. Back when few or none of us had TVs
( I remember Stephanie's family being one of the first and
mine one of the last....of course) David and I used to go
visit the Turners and watch I Love Lucy on their TV. Nice
folks.”
5312 Aurora, lot 7; 1946; Charles &
Lillian West, Dan, Robert, Nancy
Left,
Bob
West? In 1950. Right, Nancy West in 1957
Stephanie said, “Mr. West passed away last year
in March and the house was for sale for nearly a year--don't
know if it sold or if they took it off the market. Nancy came up to me at the bowling
alley one time and I didn't recognize her.”
Madeline said, “They were always so cheerful. Mr. West owned some kind of auto
repair business I think.”
I remember that Lillian used to dress up as a
witch at Halloween and scare the kids who came to the door.
5314 Aurora, lot 8; 1939; Pylans?
5316 Aurora, lot 9; 1949; Mr. &
Mrs. Elliott
Stephanie said, “Elliotts, she just recently
passed away--she was in her 90's. Mrs. Elliott owned that
house until she died. She may have spent the last few
years in a nursing home, though. They had no kids, so
don't know who got the house.”
5400 Aurora, lot 10; 1947; Mr &
Mrs. Lance Walker Jr , Johnnie; then Joe & Billie
Fletcher, Little Joe, Jerry, Carolyn; then Calvin Johle
Johnnie & Mrs. Lance Walker attended
Catherine's 1st birthday party in 1946. They may be in the
photo above left. Center, a photo
from a Christmas card from The Joe Fletchers in the late1940s.
Right, the photo from their Christmas card in 1953 or 1954.
Mercy’s Christmas card booklet indicated a card
had been sent to Mr. & Mrs. Lance Walker, Jr at 5400
Aurora in 1946.
Stephanie
said,
“Fletchers,
Joe, Billie, Little Joe, Jerry, Carolyn. At some point in time
Calvin Johle moved from 5406 into that house. I remember Joe
Fletcher being Santa, I think in 1949. Joe's little brother's name
was Jerry and he also had a little sister named Carrie Jo. The Daddy worked with my Dad at DPS
and died suddenly one day of a heart attack.
He is buried in the State Cemetary--I came across his
grave doing a Texas History Assigment for college. After the
elder Joe passed away, Billie moved away and don't know what
ever happened to them. Never saw
them in school or anything.”
Madeline said, “I remember climbing the tree in
front of the Fletcher’s house. I
guess Joe Fletcher was my first boyfriend.
He kissed me on the cheek at his 5th birthday party. We were sitting on the sofa! Woo Hoo.”
5402 Aurora, lot 11; 1946; Mildred
Pealing, Jackie; then Mr & Mrs. Love, Paula
Jackie Pealing attended
Catherine’s first birthday party in 1946 so may be a child in
the photo above.
In Mercy’s Christmas card list, she noted
Mildred Pealing as living at 5402 Aurora but then moving to
3404 Robinson. They were sent cards from 1946-1950.
5404 Aurora, lot 12; 1949; Originally
owned and built by the Waldens; then occupied by Jake &
Joyce Kratt, Jeff, Janon and Jay; then Clifton & Louise
Wright, Cindy, Brenda, Christopher; then Mr & Mrs. Gustavo
Garcia.
Jake Kratt was a captain in the Air Force and
flew his own private plane.
Left,
Roy
and James Walden with Madeline in 1948. Janon and Joyce Kratt in
1957. The Kratts lined up by their plane in 1958 or 1959 from
left, Dennis Smith?, Jay Kratt, Charlotte Carl, Janon Kratt,
Gary Hardcastle?, and Jeff Kratt. Joyce and Jake Kratt in their
plane.
Reminiscing about Roy and James Walden,
Stephanie said, “ Their parents
built the Smith's house and the Kratt's house--they would
build a house, live in it, build another, move into it, sell
the one where they were and so forth--built a lot of
houses--easily recognizable--used a lot of the white cut
Austin Stone. I recently saw a picture of James in the Real
Estate Homes book--he is now a realtor!”
She went on to
say about the Kratts, “I remember writing to Jeff for a long
time...until they moved to Turkey and the U2 pilot got shot
down over Russia--then all communication stopped. I think he and his mother came back
to the neighborhood to visit while I was living in Midland in
the mid-80's--there was picture among mother's things."
Jake and Joyce Kratt came to visit on
Aurora in Jan 1984. They were living in Spokane, WA and came
to TX about once a year for Jake to take review classes. They
tried to visit Austin when they were in the state. Left,
Mercy, Jake, Joyce, Steve Clark. Right, Joyce, Mercy & Ed Carl and Henrietta Clark.
5406 Aurora, lot 13; 1952, Martin
& Nelda Vann, two children; then Calvin Johle; then Mrs.
A. M. Brown, Kim
The
woman
may be Nelda Vann in 1957. Above center and right, a going-away
party for the Kratts in Dec 1957. The back row is Jeff Kratt,
Stephanie Clark, Catherine Carl, Janon
Kratt and Charlotte Carl. The front row is Jay Kratt, Madeline
holding an unidentified child, Patricia Smith, unidentified and
Dennis Smith. The two unidentified children may be the Vann’s.
They were at the party.
5408 Aurora, lot 14; long a vacant lot,
two condos built in 2008
5410 Aurora; lot 15; 1941; Jack &
Marian Lenhart, David, Patty, rented then bought in 1943
Jack was a Mechanical
Engineering Professor at the University of Texas and
Marian was an Executive Secretary at UT. Jack died in
1987 and Marian in 1990.
The Lenhart’s home at 5410
Aurora.
Left,
Marian,
David
and Patty Lenhart at Madeline’s 1st birthday party in July 1945.
The other woman is Alice Ramsey. Patty and David at Madeline’s
2nd birthday in 1946. Patty in 1947. David and Patty in 1948.
Patty said, “My parents first rented having
moved in in 1941 and then they bought the house keeping most
of the furnishing that came with the house. And that was
never replaced with nicer furniture. I don't know when
the house was built. I'll have to dig and see what I can
find. I think they also paid around $4,000.” In 2005 she
said, “Our house has been sold twice. First
was a single girl, but she got married and moved on. Now are the two ladies I've met them all. Mother
got to meet and see the house when the single girl lived there. Really
fixed up the inside very nice. Single
girl loved the old kitchen stove
so much she took it when she moved!”
Patty reminisced, “Climbing trees was a big
summer pasttime. Carl's had the
bestest. Playing jacks. Playing cars.......big deal. Under the bushes.
I still have one of my cars. Waiting
for the ice cream man...only a nickel. Coloring
rocks at Easter time and hiding them like eggs.
Making mudpies in the bushes by the Carl's driveway. And rain puddles!
Building dams on side of road after a rain. Being stuck on the wrong side of the
street (barefoot, of course) when street was oiled! Billy Bob telling us eating carpet
grass was good. Playing with
fireworks on the sidewalks. I
remember the firework snakes.”
Patty
continued her reminiscence, “Many ventures downtown on an unairconditioned
city bus to shop and go to the movies. And
ride the bus...barefoot....to Ramsey Park to swim. "Helping" build McCallum HS. That was the super super place to
play.....rollerskating and riding bikes. Playing tennis. Just sitting and talking. I remember the deep holes full of
water during construction. And
David jumping off the roof once. We
put our names in concrete at the end of the sidewalk by
Houston St. and the side of the parking lot there. Think is still there!”
“We wore dresses and were always barefoot. I have a photo of my second grade
class with me in the front row...barefoot.”
“Do remember the DDT spraying trucks. Don't remember the polio naps. I remember the quarantine signs
nailed on the door when David had whooping cough and scarlet
fever (fortunately I didn't get them). And
remember dr. making house calls. We kept our house locked. But had a key hidden outdoors just
in case. David and I secretly
kept the bedroom window screen on the porch unlocked all the
time and used that method to get into the house.
Parents never knew. Would
had killed us if they did.”
The Lenhart family in 1954, Marian, Patty, David, Jack and Skippy.
“I had a big white Spitz named Skippy and a
black longhaired cat named Midnight. Other
cats later on, but Skippy was the one and only dog.”
“Daddy had coal black hair and was slender. Mother was a strawberry blonde and
petite.”
As kids and grown-ups.
Patty’s photos at 5409.
Patty got a BS in Elem. Ed.
She taught second grade in Port Lavaca her first year
and then went to Taylor and taught third grade until she
retired in 1996. 30 years in all. David
received his PhD and ended up teaching Forestry at SFASU in
Nacogdoches and retired a few years ago.
They still live there. He
has a lovely home and yard full of azaleas, ferns, tall trees
and rocks.
Left, Madeline and Catherine
with David Lenhart in the plaid jacket in 1948. The other boy
isn’t identified. Right, David Lenhart in 2009.
In 2005, David Lenhart said, “The pictures did
bring back memories ... good memories ... memories of when we
ruled the neighborhood ... bare foot and all ... tanned from
top to bottom with a white stripe in the middle.” He was the
paperboy on Aurora from 1950 to 1958 and put Christmas cards
in the Christmas day morning papers.
Left, Patty and her daughter
Chrissy visiting Catherine, Holly and Rusty in 1982 or 83. Patty says the girl in the middle is
Kim Brown who lived at 5406. Center and left, Patty and Chriss
and Chriss’s husband, Chris.
5412 Aurora, lot 16&17; 1938; Ray
and Pearl Aiken, Harry, John and Elizabeth
On Feb 22, 2016 I got an email from John Akin.
He has given me permission to share what he said to me: "My
parents were the original owners of the house at the southwest
corner of Aurora and Houston Street, which I'm thinking from
your materials would have been 5412 Aurora. They probably
moved in there in about 1939, just after they had it built,
and they were residing there when my second eldest brother
(Harry) was born in 1940, as well as I in 1943, and Elizabeth
in 1945. We moved to a small farm of ten acres on Burnet
Road in 1945 (which backed up to the later locations of new
streets Piedmont and Madison in Crestview). The farm was a
paradise for active kids, and we lived there till 1961, my
senior year in high school, the farm by that time having
become completely surrounded by development. The move from
Aurora meant that I would attend the new Brentwood elementary
school after just half of the first grade year at Rosedale,
leaving half of the other kids in my class there, only to
re-join many of them later at Lamar in seventh grade in
1956... And the move also meant that my sister and I would
leave McCallum in 1961 when Lanier was opened (because the
kids who lived north of Cullen Avenue were required to attend
the new high school).
As these coincidences go, my dad, by profession an elementary
school principal, had been reared on a dairy farm and always
had a milk cow or two, and back when we were living on Aurora
Dr. Kuehne allowed Dad to pasture his cow there on the huge
field that Dr. Kuehne would later sell or give for the new
McCallum site, and Mother and Dad remained good friends with
the Kuehnes, even after we moved from the area... And in 1994,
after my marriage of thirty years to one of Madeleine's fellow
Blue Brigaders ended, I took up company with a talented Austin
High grad named Nancy whose mother was a Kuehne, a niece of
Dr. Kuehne (and Nancy herself a great-niece of Dr. Kuehne...),
so we read with great interest the piece in Sunday's Austin
Statesman by Michael Barnes about Dr. Kuehne's photographic
work, etc., which of course mentioned your site about the
Aurora neighborhood..., so I found your site..., and the
circle continues here...
I knew a number of the other persons and families you
chronicle through those years especially at Lamar and
McCallum."
Joe H. & Maude Knesek, Billy Bob
Billy
Bob
Knesek in 1947 and 1948. A picture of me that shows the Knesek’s
home at 5412 Aurora in 1954.
Back
in the mid 1990s I went to the Radio Shack on Burnet Rd. As I
was buying whatever I was buying the clerk said something
about life on Aurora Drive. I was startled and then noticed
his name tape. It was a Knesek! I was so surprised. We made
small talk and I left. I never really knew Billy Bob since I
was so much younger, but I'd heard terrible stories about what
a bully he was, almost suffocating Madeline in a snow drift.
Stephanie
said,
“I remember the big kids trapped me on the roof of his garage
one time and he caught me when I jumped down... or I might
still be up there! Billy
Bob got interested in the radio thing and spent some time with
my Dad, who gave him a bunch of radio stuff.”
There were interesting people who lived near
Aurora, One of these families was J.M and Marie or Mary
Kuehne. John Matthias Kuehne was a Professor of
Physics at UT.
Left, Prof. & Mrs. J. M.
Kuehne celebrating their 50th anniversary in their Christmas
card. Since they married in September 1900, this card is
probably from 1950. He died in February 1960. Right, a photo
of the Kuehne's house taken by Patricia in 2016.
Mercy’s Christmas card booklet noted cards sent
to Prof. & Mrs. J. M. Kuehne at 5500 Georgetown Road from
1946-1960.
Stephanie remembered, “The Kuehnes lived in a
huge house on Houston St. across the McCallum--they owned all
that property all the way to Lamar. The house was like a castle with secret
stairways and a cellar and tunnels--and the grounds were
awesome. We used to hunt for white
and pink bluebonnets over there. And,
I learned to play Cribbage. Little
by little the Kuehnes sold off the land and an orthodontist from
New York bought the house and what was left.
He put a dentist office over there across from the
school. My mother worked with his
wife at the school adm. bldg.”
More info from Stephanie, “The Kuehnes that I
remember lived on the Northeast corner of Houston and Sunshine
in a large German Style house of over 4500 sq. ft.
I do remember them calling him Dr. Kuehne.
The house was huge and had a tiered upstairs with a large
railing where you could see into the downstairs area. There were secret passages, stairways
and escape routes. There were 3
separate basements. It was unusual
at that time for a house to have a basement and I found all that
fascinating. They owned the whole
block all the way to Lamar--maybe it was called Georgetown Rd.
at one time, but 5500 would be about right.
I remember it being called Dallas Hwy. We used to look for pink bluebonnets on the
grounds--and found them. There were
hundreds of places to play on that estate.
A dentist from New York bought the property and lives in
the house and built his dentist office across from McCallum on
the back edge of the property."
Patty
said,
“I agree with Stephanie about the Kuehnes living in that huge
house off Houston. When I saw the
photo, it rang a bell. I recognized
the man. Vague memories of the
house except it was real big and had a big yard with lots of
trees. I remember going there and seeing chickens and other farm
animals. Very nice couple as I
recall.”
Madeline
remembered,
“I think he was a bee keeper. Once we had a hive of bees descend
on a tree in our back yard. We
asked Mr. Kuehne to come over and capture them.
He was in full bee keeper regalia. Quite
the event. Mostly I remember that
they were kind of “mysterious and reclusive.”
Stephanie found information on John Matthias Kuehne. These links give more information -
http://web.me.com/patandmel/UTexas_Physics_History/John_Matthias_Kuehne.html and http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utcah/00618/cah-00618.html.
A very interesting article on Dr. John Kuehne by Michael Barnes
ran in the Feb 17, 2016 Austin American-Statesman. With Mr.
Barnes' permission, I'm sharing the link -
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/lifestyles/to-john-kuehne-austin-was-a-wonderland-of-color/nqQXc/.
Living on Aurora Drive in the 1940s and 1950s was a special experience. We had a childhood kids nowadays don’t have. In 2006, Patty shared a funny essay with me. I don’t know who wrote it, but I thought it would be an appropriate way to end this reminiscence.
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE 1940's
& 50's
First, we survived being born to mothers who
smoked and/or drank while they carried us.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing,
tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were
covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles,
doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no
helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat
belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day
was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from
a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from
one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and
drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight
because......
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all
day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. And we were
O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out
of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we
forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times,
we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's,
X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no
video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no
personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat
rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found
them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and
teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and
the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays,
made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we
were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and
knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made
the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with
disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke
the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
This generation has produced some of the best
risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
We had freedom, failure, success and
responsibility, and we learned
HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! And YOU are one of
them! CONGRATULATIONS!
If you lived on Aurora Drive in Austin, Texas in
the 1940s or 1950s and would like to add to this review,
please contact Charlotte Carl-Mitchell, ccm@tic.com.
copyright
Charlotte Carl-Mitchell
Did you attend Rosedale School? There are class
photos at http://www.charlottes-web.com/Rosedale_class_photos.htm
and photos from Rosedale events at http://www.charlottes-web.com/Rosedale_
Events.htm. If you were in Mrs. Geeslin’s
6th grade in 1962, check out the class prophecy at
http://www.charlottes-web.com/1962_Class_Prophecy.htm.