Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-09-27
old BUILDING
FAMOUS over
ENTIRESOUTH
BY II. G. JR.,

The transition from the old
Brownsville to the new Brownsville
may be said to have been completed
with the tearing down Of the old
federal building here and the be-
ginning Of construction on the new.
The old building was intimately
tied up with the Brownsville Of the
past forty years.
It's somber red brick walls stood
symbolical of the stable, conserva-
tive city on the banks Of the Rio
Grnnde.
the new building, rising four stor-
les above the street level. will typtfy
the progressive Brownsville Of to-
day and tomorrow.
The contrast is emphasized In
photographs Of the two buildings,
shown or this page, showing in front
of the old building two ox-teams
pulling wagons, and in front Of the
new building q modern automobile.
One shows the era OF the wagon,
OF mud streets. OF isolation-tne
frontier days.
The other shows the age Of the
automobile and the airplane, rapid
communication with all ether parts
of the Countrywide days OF develop
ment.
Similar Efforts
But In many ways the two federal
buildings and the BROWNSVILLE OF
1888 and Of 1928 are alike. This can
be seen In the way in which people
of Brownsville yorked together IN
1888 as they did in 1928 70 get these
buildings.
The work OF razing the old federal
building was started several days
ago by the A. j. Rife construction
company Of Dallas, contractors on
the Job of building the new building.
Razing Of the old federal structure
Is included as part Of the contract.
This work will require about 80
days, according TO r. 4. Ray, super
tntendent OF construction for the
contractor, which viii mean that the
old building will be gone by about
the middle of October.
The piling for the new building
will then be sunk. and construction
started. A little more than a year Is
expected to pass before this new
structure, costing close TO 100000,
is finished.
The story Of the old federal
building in Brownsville Is told by
local residents who were active in
getting IL. and by the Twin Cities
OF the Border. a Brownsville book
let published in 1893.
The Twin Cities declines to give
any one in particular credit for Sc
curing the building. Brownsville
people united in seeking 1t, just as
they did IN seeking the present
federal building.
Benjamin Kowalski vas postmas-
ter in 1888 swhenJthe agitation reach
ed the point OF accomplishment and
the correspondence concerning the
building was carried on between him
and Congressman w. II. Crane VI
the Cuero District. Postmaster
Kowalski was extremely active in
securing the appropriation, which
was originally $4,000.
Appropriation Made
This appropriation was made by
Congress on Oct. 2, 1883.
IT was later supplemented by an
additional $4,000, making the final
expenditure on the building 500 900.
Considerable trouble was exper-
fenced over the question OF q site for
the building. 1t appeared for q time
that the inability Of the federal
government to purchase a site at q
reasonable price would result in the
-m~s~& l~rft4w nIandnnnd
The Brownsville city council
settled this matter by holding a
meeting and asking the federal gov
eminent to start condemnation pro-
ceedings with Brownsville paying for
the site. This resulted in the pur-
chase OF the present site at a figure
Of $780,.
This much settled
But matters moved slowly In those
days, just a. now.
It was 1891 before construction was
actually started. The contracting
firm Of Force a. Snyder of Kansas
City was awarded the contract, and
George Snyder came to Brownsville
to remain during the periods OF
construction. a little over a year.
S. W.. Brooks OF Brownsville was
appointed superintendent OF con-
struction for the government.
Snyder became so pleased with
Brownsville that he later moved 70
this city, and lived here until his
death a few years back.
The red brick which has done
much to make the old court house
here famous over the south was
shipped here from Kansas City. 1t
was packed In straw in barrels, and
came down the Mississippi and
across the Gulf of Mexico in the
Morgan line boat Il. G. Harris"
This information comes from A.
Ashheim, who was assistant post
master at that time, later becom-
ing postmaster.
Brick StiIl Good
An interesting commentary on
freight rates then was revealed in
the fact that the charges for NOV
ing the brick from Port Isabel to
Brownsville by rail were larger than
for the transportation from Kan
sas City TO Morgan City to Port
Isabel by water.
1t Is these bricks which are being
taken out from the old building as
1t is RACED. and sold. They are all
in good shape, Supt. Ray said.
The Brownsville federal building
of that day was ompleted in the
fall Of 1892, and in Nov Der 1t was
occupied. There had been a change
in p~ostInasters. John w. Hoyt hav-
ing gone into office in the admin
~istration OF benjamin Harrison,
succeeding Ben min Kowalski.
The force at that time consisted
OF MI. Hoyt. Asst, Postmaster Ash
helm. and two clerks and disfrihr-