Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-07-21
Especial to the Herald)

HARLINGEN, July 2O.-A new
building, n which is to assimilate
under one roof the progress and
variety of the Valley, the character
lsticS and souvenirs of most other
states of the nation, and those of
Mexico, and a building which is to
serve as a Valley Forum" is to be
constructed at the Valley Mid
Winter Fair grounds here.
Announcement Of the new build
ing was made here today by John
T. Floore, manager of the Valley
Fair, and j. A. Chunk, Harlingen
real estate man, n of the contin-
uous workers on the new building
This building is to include ideas
in design and construction never
before seen in this section, as it is
to be circular, much in the form OF
a tent, with a large open space in
the center, and with stalls or Sec
tions for the various home states
clubs which will use it.
The present structure was sug-
gested by Mrs. S. A. Clevenger OF
Sebastian. She submitted to the
Indiana society the idea of having
the various home state societies OF
the Valley join in erecting a COM
munity club building to be used by
all such societies. No location
agreeable to all could be secured,
so the idea was abandoned tenn
porarily.
At the last Valley Mid Winter
Fair the indiana society secured
a booth in which was kept a regis
ter in which people from that state
could register their names, Valley
address and their former Indiana
city. People from other states man
ifested interest IN the plan and re-
quested a similar plan for their
states at future fairs. Mr.. Floore
consented to have this done.
MI. Skunk, former president Of
the Indiana society, vas asked to
take charge Of the matter, provid-
ing a register for each state and
make the feature a real part Of the
fair.
The idea Of halls Of fame" for
the various states and nations was
suggested by Skunk, together with a
plan for financing the building. The
Fair association endorsed the propo-
sition to have a large and spacious
building erected for that purpose
and the city Of Harrington offered
the location for the building in
Fair park.
MI. Floore and Mr.. Skunk called
on M. E. Mitchell Of La Feria, a
builder of some thirty years x
p~erience, who had evolved the idea
of constructing a circular building,
and after arranging and working
out some minor details the general
plan was submitted to Stanley w.
Bliss, architect of Harrington, for
plans, specifications and working
drawings. These have been COM
pleted and approved.
Features Of the building are novel
and diverge Sc radically from the
established method Of construction
that Mr.. Mitchell has protected his
plans and ideas by application for
patent covering various phases OF
construction. Estimates r being
received. Work is to start August /.
This building is circular in form,
200 feet in diameter, with pillars
Of reinforced concrete set II feet
apart and Is feet high around the
outer circle as supports and ties
for the walls, which are IS feet to
the ewes and tile, finished inside and
out in stucco. From each pillar a
partition wall will extend 10 feet
toward the center of the building,
thus making a succession Of booths
about 10x12 around the o1.er cir
Gle. These booths have been as
to the various states for their
halls of fame. The floor will be
hard surface suitable for taking a
first class dancing floor finish.
There will be but one post or sup
port in the center Of the building
which will support the roof. The
roof will be of steel cables, wire
and ~unicecrete and all doors
and windows will be set and hung
in metal frames, making the build
ing fireproof.
The rooms or halls around the
outer wall, 48 in number, will be
assigned to the several states for
halls Of fame, each designated with
its name over the front, for exam
pie, The Texas Hall Of Fame" In
this hall will be kept a permanent
register for all that have come from
that state giving their present Val
ley address and their address in
The state from which they came,
and their present occupation. From
his register cards will be made for
filing in alphabetical order for
ready reference. On the walls will
be hung the autographed photo
graph Of its governor, United
senators, statesmen Of
present and past, authors
and writer's Of note, artists and all
other historical and noted charac-