Tales from the Morgue

Hometown stars - Gilbert Roland

Gilbert Roland is the only local boy to make it big in Hollywood and continue coming back to El Paso. Roland – his real name is Luis Alonzo – was born in Juarez but his family skipped north of the border when Pancho Villa’s bullets began raining on that city. He worked as a delivery boy for the Times after the turn of the century and later recalled being threatened with jail for shouting headlines in a residential area before dawn one morning. Roland often returned to visit Alma Bartlett, his seventh-grade teacher at Vilas Elementary School, until her death, claiming she encouraged him to do something with his life. The impressionable 13-year-old took that encouragement and hopped a freight train for California and the silent movies. His first big break came in “Camille.” A string of swashbuckling, adventurous roles followed. Some of his most popular movies included “Bad and the Beautiful,” “Cheyenne Autumn,” “Last Train to Madrid” and “Around the World in 80 days.”

Roland often said he didn’t approve of modern movies with their violence and sex. His heart stayed with the glamorous cinema of Hollywood’s heyday, before television took the sheen off moving pictures. He was parade marshal of the Sun Bowl Parade in 1960 and guest speaker at a LULAC banquet honoring the Southwest’s Medal of Honor winners in 1976. In between, he made many personal trips back to see old friends and familiar scenery. As the early-day leading man grew older, he began to reflect more and more on his past.

Several years ago he told a Times reporter El Paso still felt like home. “You go everywhere, do everything, still there are some places you can’t forget. The people and the land. If you forget the beauty of your youth, you are no more than an animal.” Today Roland is semi-retired and lives in California.

Gilbert Roland photo gallery 

More Roland articles
Cancels Tour to Attend Teacher’s Funeral in EP
Gilbert Roland Given Hometown Welcome, Dinner
Love for teacher brought big star back to El Paso
El Paso film star Gilbert Roland dies of Cancer

New hometown stars list

Here is our new list of hometown stars:

Irene Ryan
Sharon Tate
Susan Blakely
Tom Moore
Tom Ogle
Gilbert Roland
Phil Ochs
Vikki Carr
Debbie Reynolds
Gene Roddenberry
F. Murray Abraham
Chase Masterson
Ronn Lucas
Jerry Bailey
Willie Shoemaker
Ed Hochuli
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sam Donaldson
Thomas Haden Church

Hometown stars - Susan Blakely

On the previous Hometown stars post Anne submitted this comment:

"Keep up the good work with the stories about famous El Pasoans! Make people realize we have a rich history that includes people born here who moved away (some alive, some not). People like Gene Roddenberry, Debbie Reynolds, F. Murray Abraham, Chase Masterson,Vikki Carr, Ronn Lucas, Jerry Bailey, Willie Shoemaker, to name a few."

The article that I am working off includes the names of Irene Ryan, Susan Blakely, Sharon Tate, Phil Ochs, Gilbert Roland, Vikki Carr and Debbie Reynolds. Let's try to come up with a more comprehensive list. Here are the names so far:

Irene Ryan
Sharon Tate
Susan Blakely
Phil Ochs
Gilbert Roland
Vikki Carr
Debbie Reynolds
Gene Roddenberry
F. Murray Abraham
Chase Masterson
Ronn Lucas
Jerry Bailey
Willie Shoemaker

Actress Susan Blakely also came to town courtesy of Fort Bliss

While her father was stationed in El Paso, she attended the University of Texas at El Paso in 1966-67 as an art major, stumbling into modeling as a sideline.

In 1967, the Mannequin Manor modeling school graduate was a runner-up in the Miss El Paso competition, third runner-up in a German beauty contest and chosen El Burro Girl of the Month to grace the UTEP humor magazine's cover.

Later that year she won the American Model of 1967 competition in New York City and promptly signed with Eileen Ford Modeling Agency.

She moved to New York and became a popular model before studying acting in the early 1970s. Soon her career was changing and she became a successful television and feature film actress.

Here is another article from September 5, 1974:

Susie Blakely Is Adding Acting To Successful Modeling Career

Hometown stars - Irene Ryan

I came across an article from 1981 titled "Hometown stars." The first person on the list was Irene Ryan.

April 26, 1981

Hometown stars

By Jeannie Kever

El Paso has been home to a number of folks who ended up in showbiz.

Most quickly moved on.

Take Irene Ryan, the pipe-smokin', rifle-totin' Granny Clampett on "The Beverly Hillbillies."

She was born in El Paso in 1903 in the family home, 412 E. Franklin, while her father was stationed at Fort Bliss. A few months later her family headed west to San Francisco.

She returned as a young actress to work with the Ed Redmond stock company at the Crawford Theater. She was last in El Paso in 1949 - after a successful vaudeville and radio career, before breaking in to movies and television - to do a show with Bob Hope.

Ms. Ryan died in 1973 after a stroke.

I found this interview with Irene Ryan from November 24, 1963.

In the spotlight

By Marjorie Graham

Next Wednesday, plans for a holiday feast at the Jed Clampett mansion will go awry when Elly May makes a pet of the Thanksgiving turkey and Granny mistakes a pair of actors, posing as Indians for a society page picture, for blood-thirsty savages.

You're a hillbilly if you don't know I'm talking about television's "Beverly Hillbillies," top-rated show for over a year, including the summer reruns.

I was a hillbilly not to have realized until recently that Granny, with that deadpan expression and implausible voice that won an Emmy Award nomination last season, is native El Pasoan Irene Ryan.

"I think I was born at home," she said when she called last week. "My father was in the Army, stationed at Ft. Bliss, and not long after that we moved to San Francisco. But I came back, many years later, and played an ingenue in the Ed Redmond stock company at the Crawford Theater. Is it still there?"

It's still there, I told her, and El Paso has spread out.

"Oh, I could tell that last night," she said. "We flew over, going back to the West Coast from Nashville. The last time I was there with Bob Hope ... about 1949. We were doing 60 one-nighters."

The pixie-faced actress was born in El Paso on Oct. 17, enough years ago to have been a headliner in vaudeville. She's belted out songs and swapped wisecracks with Rudy Vallee, Bob Hope, Jack Carson, Danny Thomas and Tennessee Ernie Ford, to name a few.

In show business since she was 13, going from vaudeville to radio, motion pictures, nightclubs and television, in that order, she hit stardom as Granny Clampett, the pipe-smoking rustic in Beverly Hills. The show was the unquestioned hit of the 1962-63 television season. In three weeks on the air, it shot to the top of the audience rating, defeating even Bob Hope in the surveys. No show had been able to do that to a Hope special before.

It has now set a record as the top-rated show for the second consecutive year.

How does Granny account for it?

"It is really Americana," she said. "It is tradition, it is us. The show is very simple, very clean, and I think American audiences are getting pretty sick of the other. People love this hokey comedy."

Although the critics gave Beverly Hillbillies" a sour sendoff and had to swallow their acid adjectives a few weeks later, the public loves Irene Ryan and Buddy Ebsen, Donna Douglas and Max Baer. The show had four Emmy nominations and the judges gave it none.

But in public magazine polls, they won "hands down."

"Nothing will ever take the place of the live stage for an actor, but television's here to stay, and it's about the greatest entertainment medium we've ever known," Miss Ryan opined. "It's when we make these personal appearance tours, as we did last weekend in Tennessee, that we know the impact of this show."

'No, we've had no repercussions from the hill people," she answered. "You know, an awful lot of people talk just that way. Paul Henning, the show's creator, is from Tennessee, and he writes the vernacular into the script. It wasn't hard to pick up."

Are those big clodhoppers she uses for shoes hard to pick up?

"They're part of Granny," she laughed, "and they're comfortable."

And I correctly assumed that the "Beverly Hillbillies" has no elaborate wardrobe budget!

From vaudeville, Miss Ryan stepped into radio, appearing with Meredith Wilson on "Carefree Carnival," which had its debut in San Francisco in 1932. This led to "The Tim and Irene Ryan Show," which she and her husband established as one of the popular programs in the early days of radio

It was a springboard to motion pictures and character roles in "Bonzo Goes To College," "Blackbeard the Pirate," "Ricochet Romance," "Half Angel," "Meet Me After the Show," "Spring Reunion," "Dear Secretary," "Dairy of a Chambermaid," "An Old Fashioned girl," "There's a Girl in My Heart," "The Skipper Surprised His Wife" and others.

On television, she has starred on "Matinee Theatre" and been guest star on "The Dennis Day Show," "Comedy Hour," "All-Star Revue" and "Make Room For Daddy." She played a featured running role in the "Bringing Up Buddy" series, appeared with Ray Bolger in "Where's Raymond?" and starred in a straight dramatic role on "The Whistler."

Miss Ryan has traveled all over the world giving benefit performances, appearing at veteran's hospitals and costarring with Bob Hope in his tours of military installations during World War II and the 1948 Berlin Airlift.

When the interview for the Granny role came  up, the casting director told her she was too young. So she went to see Paul Henning, and old friend, and repeated the too-young verdict.

"Look, Paul, do I have to go home and get my grey wig and shawl to convince you?" she argued. "If you get anybody older to play the role, she wont be able to stand the pace. I know what those 7-to-7 schedules are like."

He tested and that was it.

"We're working 12 to 14 hours a day, shooting three days out of the week," Miss Ryan said. "We start in July and end up about the first of May. There are 36 episodes per season."

Much credit for the show's success goes to director Richard Whorf, who has been with them since the outset, she added.

Granny didn't say it in our conversation, but she has remarked to others:

"Both Buddy and I have been close to the top many times, but we never quite made it. Now we're up there and I  can assure you it feels mighty good.

Gene Autry Visits EP To Inspect Site Of Airport Resort Hotel

February 22, 1973

Famed movie star Gene Autry, acclaimed by a generation of western movie fans, arrived in El Paso Wednesday to inspect the site of a proposed 250-room resort hotel at International Airport.

He was accompanied by Mrs. Autry, Clair Stout, his chief legal counsel, and Art Steel, vice president and general manager of Gene Autry Hotels.

On hand to greet the party on their arrival from Los Angeles, Calif., were Mayor Bert Williams, Airport Board Chairman William Squires Jr. and Airport Mgr. Walter Jones.

The proposed resort to be built by Autry will be located adjacent to a planned 27-hole municipal golf course immediately east of the airport terminal.

Autry, who has been a frequent visitor to El Paso in the past, expressed an interest in the layout of the course, that will include another nine-hole par three lighted course, with the 18th green adjacent to the resort complex.

His visit indicated final signing of a 30-year lease agreement may be imminent, contingent, Autry said, on a mutual agreement of plans for the resort hotel that will include a heated swimming pool, tennis courts, banquet facilities and other appurtenances of a first class establishment.

The lease has been under negotiation for the past several months, with City and airport officials traveling last month to Palm Springs, Calif., to iron out details.

Construction of the golf course, to be built with airport revenue at no cost to taxpayers, would start immediately after formal lease signing, officials indicated.

Autry, in good spirits despite an unseasonably chilly and cloudy day, said he had felt the tremors of an earthquake that shook the Los Angles area Wednesday morning but again fell asleep and later thought it was a dream until hearing radio reports.

“We sort of get used to them,” Autry, who lives in North Hollywood, said.

The Popular Grew With City Of El Paso

October 26, 1967

It isn’t every day that a young infant, celebrating its birthday, has such a heritage of Old Familiar Faces to join in the celebration. Popular-Northgate, youngest offspring of the future is not only the wish - but the predication of its Downtown parents and its older sister, Popular-Bassett, now all of five years old, and as gay and happy as most young children of its age. But in the Popular tradition, also accepting its responsibilities.

Joining in the anniversary festivities is the Popular’s 20-Year Club, recently honored through the press. It has members whose continuous service to the Popular and to the public ranging from 21 to 47 years each, represents in the aggregate, 1,915 years of service! … almost as many years as there are in our present reckoning of time.

An anniversary is a time to look forward, but also a time for retrospect. And looking at this “Family Album” of 65 familiar faces – the Popular points with justifiable pride to them and to scores of others who have measured working hours in Smiles, Service and a Job Well done … helping to make the Popular what it is today.

It’s a far cry from the young and expectant infant, the first Popular, which came into being in a bustling community only a few years after the railroad trains puffed their way into a frontier town, that contained Texas’ biggest hotel, the three-story Grand Central, and had a population of slightly over 16,000 people.

In 1902, Adolph Schwartz, renamed his “Fair” child – been popular for 65 years! These were the days when well-busted ladies stormed the Popular’s doors to see the latest in bicycle skirts and “waists” ear-deep in high boned collars. No “teasing of hair-dos – then - women bought “rats” for their pompadours, topped by Floradora hats that defied the laws of gravitation. It was the year the first radio message was sent across the Atlantic – the first motion picture theatre was built in Los Angeles, to show silent pictures. Hollywood wasn’t even a gleam in the eye.

HELPED HOUSEWIVES

Public transportation was on the old mule drawn street car – out San Antonio to Cotton, back on Magoffin – over to the then tiny Juarez. The driver was always willing to accommodate housewives along the line – he went right by the Popular anyway – and would just as soon as not, fetch a spool of 50-White thread, or take a message to her husband not to forget the roundsteak for dinner. The only traffic hazard was the bicycle. A few folks had electric lights – most had gas or kerosene.

But time marched on – and in 1905 Frank Bell drove the first horseless carriage on El Paso streets … a Stanley Steamer. By 1907 there was talk of extending Mesa Avenue right on to the hill – up on the rock shoulder of Mountain Franklin. And Pete Kern, just back from Alaska, was dreaming of building El Paso’s finest residential area up on the hill … and he did!

As El Paso expanded, the Popular moved from Overland Street “out into the country” into the ground floor of the Masonic Building at the corner of Mesa and San Antonio … not exactly on the corner … out in front was a big tree, and in its shade a Plumbing Shop? Women were buying high-button shoes with the new Cuban heels – Muna Loa erupted in the Hawaiian Islands – Carrie Nation was conduction her first hatchet raid on a saloon in Kansas … and a record-setting trip around-the-world was made in just 40 days and 19 hours! The Popular was bringing merchandise from all over the nation to meet increasing demands and was already a recognized Fashion center. The old Edison Cylinder talking machine gave way to the Phonograph and the Victrola, and a dog, listening to “His Master’s Voice,” took its place among the unforgettable symbols of America.

The Popular flourished as the city grew, and soon a streetcar line was running up Cotton Avenue, and by 1912 one of the attractions for visitors was a ride on the Highland Park street-car. Construction on a new hotel, to be called the Paso del Norte, was underway at a cost of $900,000! New Mexico and Arizona became the 47th and 48th states, and two more stars were added to Old Glory. United States troops were on the Mexican border … the South Pole was discovered and the Popular was selling the New “Coat Suits” with skirts that swept the floor, fur boas hugged tight around the neck … feathered hats rivaled those on the Cigar Store Indian.

By 1916 Piedras Street was opened all the way up the hill (far short of is present terminus) – which meant more homes Northward and Eastward … and more business for everybody.

BUILDING PURCHASED

The year 1916 was a year of momentous decision for the Popular! The sum of $230,000 must have seemed like a lot of money to the men who had started the little store on Overland only 14 yeas earlier. But that was the price the Poplar paid for the Masonic Building – and soon a new building rose on the site. Six stories high at first, with others yet to come. The Popular continued to look forward, added to its laurels as its buildings expanded upward and outward. Upward to a seventh floor – outward to the Annex on Texas Street, and by late 1927 had secured property for the new building on San Antonio – the same year Charles Lindbergh flew solo to Paris – skirts rose above the knees (they were not then called “minis”) – and boyish bobs became the vogue.

During the next decade and more, rumblings of trouble were herd around the world – but the Popular was still serving the ever-increasing population and El Pasoans, like people everywhere in America, were singing “The Beer Barrel Polka” – and “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” on its first time around.

Dec. 7, 1941 …. “A day that will go down in infamy”! The Japanese struck Pearl harbor … followed by the most horrible war the world had ever known! But at last it was 1964 – two World wars had happened some place in between, but they had been only a temporary dam to the flood of community progress and the progress of The Popular, who now expanded still further to meet the post-war needs of their countless patrons and friends. A connecting five-story building was completed on San Antonio – an eighth floor added to the original building … occupying more than half a city block and covering more than 200,000 square feet.

In 1960, the Popular’s big Downtown building, long an El Paso landmark, caught the modern trend of “youthifying” and beautification. It under went a complete face-lifting. In January 1961 the familiar-to-old-times “Annex” Building on Texas Street, gave way to a beautiful companion building. A magnificent new warehouse, with 68,000 square feet of space, was completed on the East side of the city, on Durango street, to expedite the handling of merchandise between it and the Downtown store .. later to serve Bassett and Northgate, as well. A Popular “shuttle” motor-bus transports buyers back and forth, saving at least 60 per cent in time gained by its modern methods.

The Popular, then 59 – not too proud to be parents at their age, had another “blessed event” – the beautiful new sibling, the Suburban Popular Store in Bassett Addition.

THIRD STORE ADDED

On Aug. 1, 1966, the Popular had its second child, Popular – Northgate, just as beautiful and blonde as its older sister, each with its own distinctive personality. Completed in less than one year … making its bow to an area reflecting El Paso’s vibrant, vital growth … a store embodying all the quality, value, selection and service that have become traditional with the Popular.

A complete suburban department store, with fashions and furnishings to meet the needs of all the northeast and outlying areas. Conveniently arranged for merchandise display, and to make shopping a joy … a warm and friendly place to shop – or just to browse. Its most distinctive architectural features are the pre-cast 54 12-ton exposed aggregate panels and concrete vault canopies, the classic dignity of the repeating arches. The masonry is Coronado White Stone, quarried from Mt. Franklin.

Ceilings are acoustical tile – the interior a symphony of colors, with inviting broad expanses of aisles, for unhurried shopping. Air-conditioning is zoned by using 22 separate units, which total 120 tons of air-conditioning … all units monitored from a master panel. Lighting, carefully engineered, uses true color north white florescent and incandescent lights in combination for a true color perception of merchandise. The store is equipped with speakers throughout, bring softly played music continuously. The “Fashion Aisle”, running North to South, has a special sound feature of being able to announce fashion shows .. and call systems are connected throughout the store for announcements and paging.

SONS CARRYING ON

None of the original founders of the store are living today, but Herbert M. Schwartz and Albert J. Schwartz, sons of the long-time president, Maurice Schwartz, are president and vice president respectively.

Frederick S. Strelitz is manager of the Northgate Store, a young man who grew up in Popular tradition. He has worked for Popular ever since his college days; received his training in various capacities at the Downtown and Bassett stores, so that his experience equips him to handle the operation of a fine suburban store of this magnitude.

From merry Widow Hats to Mini-Skirts – from celluloid collars to teeny-boppers … the past six decades in El Paso have brought starling changes in every phase of community life.

And, as El Paso has grown from a small town of horse-and-buggy transportation and mule-cars, to a modern metropolis, hub of the Southwest – where the Atomic Age was born – the Popular, now a family of three, serving a trade area spanning some 600 miles in each direction, has expanded to meet increasing needs.

And now the proud parent of Two children, Popular-Bassett and the beautiful new Popular-Northgate … One Year Old, going on Two!

Popular photo gallery.

Oscar winning performance

Ten years ago today Oscar De La Hoya met Patrick Charpentier at the Sun Bowl for a scheduled 12-round welterweight title bout.

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June 14, 1998

By Robert Seltzer
El Paso Times

In an atmosphere more suited to a rock concert than a boxing match, Oscar De La Hoya flashed the only thing that is more disarming than his smile - his handspeed.

De La Hoya scored a technical knockout over Patrick Charpentier in the third round of a scheduled 12-round welterweight title bout on Saturday night at the Sun Bowl, dropping the challenger three times in the final round.

Charpentier hit the canvas almost as many times as he hit the champion; he landed only 5 of 111 punches, most of the blows so wild that they seemed to have been launched from the mountains surrounding the stadium.

De La Hoya landed an incredible 80 of 150 punches, almost all of them the kind of shots that make you see strobe lights, turning your world into an ugly combination of pain and brutality.

The crowd, which was announced at 45,368, erupted into wild applause, screaming, "Oscar, Oscar, Oscar."

"Thank you very much for all your support," De La Hoya said, grabbing the ring microphone and addressing the crowd. "I fought great. I thank the city of El Paso for giving me the opportunity to fight before you beautiful fans."

Then he paused.

"And I promise you one more thing," he said. "I will be back."

The fans screamed and shrieked, turning the stadium into a giant echo chamber, the noise bouncing off the concrete canyons of the concourses.

"Viva Mexico!," De La Hoya yelled.

Referee Laurence Cole stopped the bout at 1 minute, 56 seconds of the third round, with the challenger stretched out on the canvas, deposited there by a beautifully timed chopping right to the jaw.

"He was dazed, and he was definitely hurt," Cole said.

Perhaps like the fighter himself, the referee knew the end was coming soon after the second knockdown in the third round.

"After the second round, I stayed close to Charpentier," Cole said.

Perhaps, but not as close as De La Hoya did.

The champion is the greatest finisher in the sport, and once he realized his opponent was in trouble, he pursued him with the single-minded intensity of a contract killer.

De La Hoya kept punching until the challenger could no longer get up.

"I'm OK," Charpentier said.

Then he delivered the grandest understatement of the evening.

"It was the headshots," he said.

De La Hoya, who holds the World Boxing Council version of the welterweight title, raised his record to 28-0 with 23 knockouts, while Charpentier fell to 27-5-1 with 23 knockouts.

It was a fight that required a ballistics expert, not a referee.

"There was no three-knockdown rule," Cole said. "I stopped the fight."

But it was a good thing for the challenger that there was a referee.

De La Hoya, shunning the traditional boxing robe, stepped into the ring in a mariachi outfit, its silver spangles glittering under the television lights.

He waved to the crowd, which erupted into thunderous applause. Then, with the aid of his entourage, he shed his outfit, emerging with a simpler ensemble - white trunks and red gloves.

If the champion made a fashion statement, he would soon make another kind of statement, this one with his fists.

He started slowly, darting inside, then retreating outside, before landing the first meaningful combination of the opening round - a right to the chest, followed by a left hook to the ribs, both of which sounded like drum shots.

The challenger failed to land a single punch in the first round.

Charpentier fought more aggressively in the second round, but his wild punches missed badly, fanning the cool night air.

He took jab after jab, his head snapping backward like that of a crash test dummy.

The challenger seemed desperately overmatched.

The champion, unleashing the greatest arsenal in all of boxing, landed a left hook to the jaw early in the third round, dropping Charpentier onto the seat of his multi-colored trunks.

The challenger beat the count, only to collapse again, this time from a right uppercut to the chin.

He arose again - and he hit the the floor again, crumpling to the canvas from a short, chopping right to the jaw.

"I hurt him with some good uppercuts," De La Hoya said.

De La Hoya hurt him with everything, throwing the kind of combinations that only the greats are able to execute - hooks off uppercuts, uppercuts off hooks.

He kept his opponent off balance because the combinations themselves seemed off balance - unorthodox flurries that he pulled off with grace and precision.

The champion was awesome.

"I was just trying to take my time," De La Hoya said.

Tell that to Charpentier.

San Jacinto clock back in place

October 28, 1973

By Conrey Bryson

In 1929, a Howard street-clock, manufactured by E. Howard Co. of Boston, was installed in El Paso’s San Jacinto Plaza. Chris P. Fox, now a vice president of the State National Bank, remembers the occasion well. He was then proprietor of the Chris P. Fox Transfer Co.

“That lovable old chiseler, Hugo Myer, then City park superintendent, talked me into moving the clock for nothing,” he recalled.

Martin S. Rojas, veteran El Paso watch and clock repairman now operating the Pacific Jewelry Shop in the Banner building, recalls installing the clock in the southwest corner of the Plaza, after it was moved from its original location in front of the old Herald Building, and that the clock had formerly belonged to Alberts and Fleischer, Jewelers, who had moved to a new location in the old “Little Caples Building,” San Antonio and Mesa. A metal presentation on the clock shows that Ablerts presented it to the people of El Paso in 1929.

After some 44 years in San Jacinto Plaza, the clock was sadly in need of repairs and refinishing. Last spring, Edgar D. Bush, 2416 Savannah, a retired White Sands Missile Range scientist, undertook the task of restoring the old time piece, also learning something of its history. He was successful on both counts, and the clock has resumed its place at the southwest corner of the Plaza.

HISTORICAL IMPRINT

When Bush began dismantling the clock for necessary repairs, he noted an imprint in the top structure that the lock was made for A.D. Foster Co. How did Alberts secure it, and when? A story in The Times concerning Bush’s project brought an unexpected dividend of information.

A reader, Bernie Saar, called Bush to say that Alberts is still living and makes his home in Ventura, Calif. Bush wrote Alberts, found they had mutual acquaintances in the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, and that Alberts would assemble all possible information on the clock’s history.

When Julius Alberts arrived in El Paso from Hartford, Conn. In 1911. A.D. Foster had just established a jewelry store in the old Herald building on Pioneer Plaza, about the present site of the Plaza Theatre. The clock was probably placed in front of the Foster jewelry store at that time.

Alberts worked for Silverberg Brothers and the W.T. Hixson Co. for about five years each, and then, in 1921, he and J.L. Fleischer bought out the stock of the Foster company, including the clock.

It stood at the Herald Building corner until 1929, when Alberts bought out Fleischer and moved to the Mesa and San Antonio store where another clock was already installed.

Thus, for more than 60 years, at three locations, the Howard street-clock has told the time for people of El Paso. After its thorough repair job under the direction of Bush, it may serve well into another century.

Collecting information about old clocks, repairing them and treasuring them is an enthusiastic avocation among the 35,000 members of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors. Bush is an active member and has called upon fellow members for information about Howard clocks.

Edward Howard, of Boston, was one of America’s great clockmakers. The authority book “A Treasury of American Clocks” by Palmer Brooks, contains several pages of pictures and information about his clocks. Born in Roxbury, Mass., he was apprenticed at age 16 to Aaron Willard Jr., member of a clock and watch making family, and of a tradition that made Roxbury a center of American clock and watch making.

Howard founded the Howard Clock and Watch Co. in Boston in 1861 and continued turning out fine time pieces, from the smallest watches to the largest street and steeple clock. His clocks were largely of his own design and set patterns of excellence that were followed by others. Howard spurned the trend toward mass production of clocks and proffered that every clock bearing his name should be considered the work of a master craftsman.

He retired in 1881 but the company continued in business through the early years of the century. Since an imprint on the Plaza clock shows it was manufactured for A.D. Foster Co., Bush believes it was manufactured about 1910.

MAY HELPERS

As reconstructed by Bush, with the assistance of a large number of other El Pasoans, it will look and perform like new. In its history, the clock has had 10 coats of paint. W. O. Carter, of the present Carter
Enterprises in El Paso, supplied the last coat of bronze paint many years ago; but before City Street Department workers sandblasted the paint away, Bush was able to identify all the other coats: gold, red, copper-bronze, black, silver, brown, green, gold and original dark green. The case has now been repainted in its original color.

Bush has donated approximately 120 hours of his own time to restoring the clock, and many El Paso firms and individual contributed material and labor. Baker Glass Co. supplied the dial bezel glasses, Pittsburgh Paint and Glass Industries the dial glasses, Carte Enterprises frosted both the dials, Tic-Toc Clock Shop furnished the cleaning solvent, Hanley paint Manufacturing Co. furnished the exact shade of paint.

Bush’s son E.D. Bush Jr., a scientist at Los Alamos, N.M. did the baring work. Bill and Nancy Meredith cleaned the movement plates. E. Eugene Elliott furnished the cable that suspends the 125 pound lead weight which provides the clock’s power. John A. Gnauck furnished the radio equipment by which Bush synchronized the clock with time signals broadcast every second by the United States Bureau of Standards. The clock will be accurate within a range of two seconds per day, or a maximum variation of one minute per month.

As erected in the Plaza, the clock had electrical wiring for night lighting, but it had long been disconnected. As refurbished, the dials will not only be lighted, but will be connected to the Park lighting system that automatically turns on the lights after sundown.

In all the process of refurbishing the clock, Bush had the full co-operation of the City parks and Recreation Department, and paid special tribute to the work of Henry Fryer, parks foreman, and workmen Juan Sarmiento, Robert Sarate, Jose Vasquez, Mario Guerrero and Rudy Commenero.

The Plaza clock is probably one of only two mechanically operated street clocks in El Paso. The other is a Seth Thomas Clock owned by Rogers and Belding, realtors. It was a Westminster Chime that chimes the hours and the quarter and half hours. It was erected in front of the old Rogers and Belding office on San Antonio Street, just east of Stanton.

Taking advantage of the chimes, the sound of “bell” in Belding, and the coincidence of a telephone number that signified ringing out for liberty the firm advertised, “Ring 1776.” The clock has since been moved to the firm’s later locations, Yandell and Oregon and the present site, 2525 Gateway West.

Another Seth Thomas street clock was owned for many years by the United Loan and Jewelry Company, (now Harry’s place) 1-3 E. San Antonio. Approximately 25 years ago, a runaway car knocked its superstructure into the street and completely wrecked the clock. Now an electric clock has been erected on the old Seth Thomas base.

A final note about El Paso clocks: The Times of April 8, 1924, reported that a clockmaker, negotiating on repairs to the County Court House Clock system, had also proposed erecting a clock on Scenic Point on the face of Mountain Franklin. The proposed giant clock would have 50 foot dials and be illuminated at night.

Some Say Howard Hughes Stopped Over In El Paso

August 30, 1972

By BRUCE BISSONETTE

Howard Hughes, the eccentric multimillionaire, may have stopped over briefly in El Paso Tuesday, enroute from Vancouver, B.C., to Managua, Nicaragua. Although only one El Pasoan supposedly saw Hughes, many others insisted the legendary figure was aboard the twin-jet executive airliner, registered to Hilton Hotels, that landed at International Airport shortly before noon.

The lone El Pasoan, who reportedly had a first-hand glimpse of the rarely seen Hughes, preferred to remain anonymous and refused to acknowledge whether he did in fact or did not see the 66-year-old recluse. As a U.S. Customs Inspector he claimed he is required by law not to reveal the identity of persons he deals with. In the manner typical of many government employes he passed such responsibility on to a higher authority, where again it was neither denied or confirmed that Hughes was aboard the aircraft.

But it was learned, from several airport sources, that the Customs Inspector had a “run-in” with crewmembers of the plane, a Grumman Gulfstream II, who reportedly refused to allow the Inspector access to a closed compartment on the plane.

The Inspectors admitted that actions by the crewmembers aroused his suspicions. “As a law enforcement officer,” he said. “I do become suspicious when people behave in an unusual manner.” He did not elaborate on how “unusual” their manners were, but he said he “stepped around” people who attempted to block his way inside the plane.

There were nine persons aboard the plane including the crew of three, the Inspector said, adding that he was satisfied as to the number of persons aboard, their citizenship, and the contents of cargo and baggage.

During its 45-minute stopover, the plane was refueled by Southwest Air Rangers, with a total of 2,000 gallons of jet fuel pumped into the Gulfstream's tanks. No Southwest Air Rangers personnel were permitted aboard the plane, not even for terminal servicing (cleaning, restocking etc.), as is the customary practice in customer servicing.

The fact that Hughes may have been aboard the plane came to light when a conversation between the pilot and Customs Inspector was overheard. The pilot, apparently in an attempt to end the inspector’s suspicions, indicated the importance of a particular passenger and just who he was.

Although executive jet aircraft operate in and out of El Paso many times daily and are often involved with customs inspections, Tuesday’s incident was strange in many ways, say airport personnel. One long-time employe said, “It must have been him … that was as strange a deal as I’ve seen and everybody knows he’s strange.”

At 12:19 p.m., the sleek jet lifted off El Paso International Airport.

The Longest Day

In 1994 The El Paso Times asked World War II veterans to share their D-Day experiences. They shard some of their accounts on Omaha and Utah beaches in Normandy, as well as other places around the world at the time. Here are their stories.

Small battles, unnamed heroes

Guillermo Garcia

I was s squad sergeant with the anti-tank platoon of Headquarter Company, 2nd Battalion, 116th Infantry, 29th Infantry Division. Our mission was to land and fight the Germans. Nobody knew what was going to happen thereafter.

We spent four days on the landing craft before departing to Omaha Beach. All that time I studied the maps to see the possibilities of where we were going to land, either terrains, building, churches or any other place.

On June 6, 1944 we were on our way. The weather was bad. My squad of 12 men were on an amphibious vehicle called “Duck.” It was suppose to travel on water and land, but a lot of water was coming into the vehicle, and I immediately ordered my men to abandon it. I watched everybody jump, and when I was going to jump it sank and took me with it.

Somehow the undercurrent turned it over, and I was turned loose. When I got my head out of the water, all I could do was grab one of the bed rolls floating around. A boat picking up survivors pulled me up.

I was shaking all over. They put me back in a landing craft. They deserve a lot of credit because they must have saved many lives. I guess I was the last one that was saved.

Before they put us through the hot showers, they gave us a jigger of brandy or whiskey. I asked for a double, and I felt like a new man. We were put back in a landing craft and went to the beach again.

They had run out of infantry uniforms, so they gave me a complete blue outfit with a black helmet. I looked more like a German than an American soldier. I was afraid to be shot by my own soldiers.

We landed – but without any firearms. The Germans tried to hit the landing craft but missed. The impact of shells knocked a few of us down, though. The water was up to our necks. The beach was a long way away. I made it, lay down to catch my breath for about three minutes and ran up to where there was a 3-foot rock wall.

Dead soldiers were lined up all along the wall, and since I did not have a firearm I started turning the dead soldiers over. I tried to find a good rifle I could use. All of them were filled with sand. I finally found one rifle that could be opened by kicking it. I cleaned it the best I could and got it working.

I jumped over the rock wall and found some of the soldiers. They immediately recognized me. I told them, “Come on. Let’s get off the beach because the Germans are going to start shelling this place again.” Some of the men followed me all the way up to the bank. We looked down and saw the shells falling down on the men that stayed there.

The next day, I helped capture some of the first POWs.

A week later, I was called back to the Omaha Beach and was given the Bronze Star, I still do not know who recommended me for it.

Later, the 29th Division was given the presidential citation for participation all the way from Omaha Beach to St. Lo.

But the war was won by many small battles by many unmentioned heroes. Thank God some of us came back.

Guillermo Garcia, 77, is retired from 30 years with the Fort Bliss Fire Department. The El Paso native also was a professional boxer, played semi-professional baseball and once led a 11-piece orchestra.

Joe R. Vargas - Normandy to St. Lo

Rad Dedmon - A disturbing sight

Alfonso Mojica - Waiting in North Africa

Joseph W. McKinley - Combat medic recalls

Ray M. Laird - Wartime duty spent hopscotching in the tropics

Raul Natividad - D-Day news at sea

Patrick Sheilds - British vet wounded

James N. Foreman - Close call on the beach