Official September Photo Contest

[GRN ENVY]

An item of historical significance from your area: Can be Landmark, Building, statue, etc. Tell us the story and why it is significant.

[Blue Demon]

Where do I send the picture?

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by Blue Demon

Where do I send the picture?

Are you ok to drive?

[wwomanC6]

Post it here in this thread.

[Blue Demon]

Here is a picture of our two (previous) C5's next to a Burlington Northern train car on display in a Saginaw, Texas city park. Trains have been a huge part of the development of Saginaw over its many years. The city was named after the city of Saginaw, Michigan which is where the train track construction crew was from.

[Blue Demon]

Originally Posted by aerovette

Are you ok to drive?

I have no idea what the hell you are talking about.

[carlton_fritz]

Not sure if I will get time off work when we have decent weather. Might miss this month.

[MikeB]

Pic from 9-26-2015.
For my area, an '85 with less than 100k miles, still driven on cruises a few times a year.
Historical. No. But it's still in reasonably good shape.
Significance: It's mine.

[carlton_fritz]

Best shot so far. Haven't gotten out yet this month due to work or weather not cooperating.

[TripleBlack]

Here is my September submission, but first the history of the location. The following is a quote from The Fort Worth Star Telegram, September 24, 2014.

In September 1937, a fire broke out at Charlie Johnson’s grain elevator near the corner of Main and Price (now known as Keller Parkway). It got out of control quickly, setting ablaze the adjacent Keller Baptist Church and melting the legs of the water tower. The tower collapsed, dumping water on the church and extinguishing the flames. At least, that’s the story according to local historian Joyce Roach, author of Wild Rose: A Folk History of a Cross Timbers Settlement, Keller, Texas.

Today’s water tower, built on the same site and replacing the one destroyed by fire, was the town’s primary water source for the better part of five decades.

In 1965, the Keller High Booster Club elected Don Blevins, part of the 1957 undefeated championship football team and a University of Texas alumnus, as its president. Thinking back to the Longhorns’ tradition of illuminating its trademark tower in orange lights, Blevins suggested blue lights on the water tower to generate team spirit.

“There wasn’t a tall building to illuminate, so we said, ‘How about the water tower?’ And we got the blue lights installed,” he says.

Blevins, who still keeps the time clock during football games at Keller ISD Stadium, was for many years in charge of turning on the blue lights after a football win. He would even dash out of away games a little early if victory was apparent so he could get the lights on before the team bus arrived back in Keller.

As the city grew, it began to contract with Fort Worth for its water. By the mid-1980s, the water tower was no longer functional.Eventually, the blue lights went dark — although that didn’t stop Keller fans from continuing to sing Blue Lights Will Shine Tonight when victory was well in hand.

After years of neglect, the water tower was rusty and its “Home of the Indians” had been worn away by weather and time. In 1998, the Keller City Council began studying whether the structure could be saved as part of a plan to revitalize Old Town, a strip of the city’s oldest buildings along Main Street. One report said it was a dilapidated safety hazard that needed to be torn down, but long-time residents expressed displeasure at the prospect. Grapevine offered to buy the water tower and resurrect it next to its train depot — blasphemy to those who treasured the tower’s history. More engineers weighed in; one said the structure was fairly sound, another recommended refurbishing it on the current site, while another said it could be moved.

Most residents favored leaving it right where it was. So, in 2001, the city spent $65,000 to refurbish the tower, getting it cleaned and repainted in its original silver, and emblazoned with the words “Keller Home of the Indians.” Crews reinforced the legs, installed a fence and landscaping and repaired the old blue lights.

Since then, those who drive by the tower during fall nights know whether the Indians were victorious that week — the blue lights shine brightly in the sky.

Read more here:

More recently, the area around the old water tower has been renovated and turned into a Veterans Memorial for those from the city of Keller who have served.

Thought difficult to see in the photo, the water tower says, "Keller - Home of the Indians", which is the mascot of the first High School here. Not much PC here.