Theophilus photos & documents of Alpine, Texas

These pages were created to transfer photos from traditional scrapbooks to the internet in order to both preserve and make the pictures and history available to family and friends. It has become more extensive than I intended. However, I see it as a way to save the details before they slip away. Martin T ©2015 Theophilus

Photos • Movies • El Toro • Slideshow • Shoppers Guide • Marfa AAB • Believers

Class of 1964 in '84 • 60's in 2005 • 1964 in 2014 • 1959 in 2019

Alpine Photos

from the Theophilus collection

Until January 3, 1959, Alpine was known as "The biggest Town, in the biggest County, in the biggest State in the United States"

New additions • go to Part 1 • go to Part 2 • go to Part 3 • go to Part 4 • go to Part 5 • go to Part 6 • go to Part 7 • Digitized scrapbooks

Some photos on this page are from third party resouces

Alpine weather history • In 1946 the official records show Alpine received 26.5 inches of snow

My Dad was stationed at Marfa Army Air Base as a Link trainer during WW II. My parents lived behind the house I eventually grew up in. When the war ended they moved back to Cleveland, Ohio. They disliked the cold north weather and decided they wanted to return and live in Alpine. This snow had occurred as my Dad arrived back in Alpine. The Alpine train station had burned to the ground. Folks were stranded on a bus under the train overpass and ladders from a train had to be lowered to rescue them. Dr. Wheat was on a navy ship and had told his crew mates about the wonderful Alpine weather, when a news bulletin said Alpine was buried in snow. I loved it every time it snowed and my parents never regretted moving from Ohio back to Alpine. I was born in Marfa that year, as 2 Alpine doctors were having a dispute about the use of their Alpine clinic. Cheers! Martin

Martin's Dad Oliver Theophilus was stationed at the Marfa Army Air Field in 1943. Martin's Mom arrived February 14, 1943 and wrote the following summary about first impressions.

Go to more about Marfa Army Air Field - LINK • video

more about Marfa

click to view 4 pages

view higher resolution

Link to all Shoppers Guide Press issues 1946 to 1952

1939 Granada Theater Alpine, Texas (from Granada Theater web: "Construction started on the Granada Theatre in 1928 by the Johnson Company of Fort Stockton, Texas and was completed in 1929. The theater was utilized over the years for screening movies as well as being a place for community events such as the West Texas Jitterbug Championships in 1941 and The Stars Over Texas war bond drive in 1943. In June of that year over 2,500 gathered outside the Granada to catch a glimpse of Hollywood stars; Gene Autry, Chill Wills and Gayle Storm."

1944

1944 Twin Sisters, Alpine, Texas

1947 Peggy Anne with Mom & Pop Crerar

Peggy and Buddy's (Martin) grandparents moved from Cleveland, Ohio to be with family.

Theophilus/Crerar picnic with the Stephensons

picnic with the Stephensons Peg, Peggy Anne, Ollie, Margaret and George

Stephensons of Alpine Texas

Clyde Beaty Circus truck 1945 (Central School)

Clyde Beaty Circus - Alpine 1945

Peg & Peggy at the adobe Butterfield stagecoach ruins on the Alpine to Fort Davis highway in 1945

Peg diving and Peggy swimming at Mitre Peak 1945

Picnic at the Rock Pile 1945

Peggy & Dad (Ollie w/Sargent stripes) Mitre Peak

Peg, Peggy & Martin at Electra Wade's

Davidson's

Hwy 118 (Ft Davis Hwy) & Nations - 1 lane unpaved

Alpine, Texas Big Hill pre-paving 1947

Jimmy Choate Parker (2020)- This is an impromptu class photo of the 8th grade at Central Ward School in May of 1946. This photo was taken on the southwest side of the old Central Ward School. 1st through 5th grades were on the first floor and 6th through 8th grade (Jr. High) on the 2nd floor. I remember the names of just a few of my classmates and these are: (I don’t guarantee spellings)Jim Parker (me) on front row just left of center, kneeling (not in black pants); out front on right standing with leg crossed is Dale Davis , others in class Andy Joe Keane, C.Connel, Patsy Patterson, Davida Sublett, C. W. Cox, Sylvia Smith, Lee Cowell, C. Simpson, Bart Caldwell,_ Bradford....

Alpine High School bell in parade

!947 Alpine, Texas parade

Theophilus swing set 1948

Margaret & George Crerar & Aunt Ina at Clamity Creek south of Alpine

Float prepared for Alpine parade 1950

Alpine parade 1950

Peg Theophilus' art class (Bain Ward & ?)

Peggy riding in buggy at Cozy Courts

Cloudcroft, New Mexico Presbyterian Camp Peggy 1954

Alpine, Texas Presbyterian Sunday School class 1954

Buddy with firetruck in the Basin - Big Bend National Park

Theophilus' favorite cabin in the Big Bend National Park. It overlooked the "Window." Our family stayed there many times in the 1950's.

1955 Big Bend National Park Crerars and Theophilus'

Picnic with Newbills & Theophilus'

1954 Fort Davis Centennial Celebration (1854 - 1954)

The event, which was held on the weekend of October 9-10, tapped the historic resources of the Davis Mountains like no other celebration that old-timers could remember. - Fort Davis Administrative History

1954 Fort Davis Centennial Celebration (1854 - 1954)

Peg Theophilus' Marathon High School Industrial Arts scrapbook

Peg Theophilus Horse drawing example • Peg Theophilus

Peg's Marathon art students

1955 - 1958 Martin's Mom Peg Theophilus was teaching in Marathon

1956 Cathedral Mountain Lodge fire

Mid 1950's Alpine, Texas flash flood

Alpine flash flood Nations and Ft Davis Highway

Hunters home and Twin Sisters in background

Bill & Buddy Central School in background

1957 Birthday party Buddy, Joe & Bill

1957 Birthday party Donald, Ricky,??

Jackie Crawford, Buddy T (Martin), ?,Bennie Wright & Joe Burgess

Alpine flash flood with Baptist church in background

1957 Balmorphea Peg Theophilus

November 1957 float building? (Peggy Anne left, Anne Hegland, Foster Rich, Miriam, Camille?) Peg Theophilus was driving an Alpine float one year and was almost asphyxiated. She went off Holland Ave into a curb and luckily was pulled out safely.1950s Alpine, Texas parade (Peggy Anne in last photo)

Granada Theater pass

1957 AHS band Elvis

Roadside park near Sierra Blanca

Martin (Buddy) riding in Big Bend National Park 1958

Sandy & Peggy riding in BBNP 1958

1958 Big Bend National Park

Martin (Buddy) Bud (Ollie's brother) & Elsie

Alpine Texas Masons - Front row middle Sam Thomas, front right Jeff Graham, Jack Johnson middle second row, then Doug Dorris and George Crerar top right - not sure of others

1958 Alpine Junior High Band

Jan, Earlene, Peggy & ? - preparing for a play

1959 Alpine Junior High School Band

Photo of bus (left) may be during the AHS trip to Monterrey Mexico • AHS band Fall 1958 • unknown

Central School - Alpine Texas

A few class photos

May 14, 1959 Alpine Band Concert

Kids Day 1959 Central School

These photos are from Peg Theophilus' (Martin/Buddy's Mom) photo collection. Peg worked with students to create prom murals and displays.

Photos above are from both the 1959 7th/8th grade prom and the 1959 AHS prom - below are mostly from the 1960 AHS prom

Alpine High School Band preparing for 1960 UIL marching competition • (right) Alpine High School Band in parade - Leyland Schultz Director

Peg on Woodward Ranch 1961

Peggy Anne Alpine High School graduation 1961

Radio telescopes near McDonald Observatory and Fort Davis in 1962. Peg T, Martin & aunt Ina

Snow Marathon 1965 - Peg was teaching school in Marathon, TX

Margaret Crerar watching Alpine Community Band 1970's?

Early 1960's plane crash in dust storm between Alpine and the "Y"

For a short period, TransTexas Airline flew into the Marfa Army Air Field • go to More about MAAF

AHS Band returning from contest and at Sul Ross Band Day

AHS Band "Misfits" • AHS Band "Comedy Combo"

Big Bend Players Dinny and the Witches August 1963 • AHS Band Banquet and Dance• AHS Maskers "Locked Door play





Big Bend Players - "The Orphans Ordeal" or the" Road to Ruin" 1963 Alpine, Texas

Alpine High School Queen Coronation 1963

1964 7th and 8th grade dance invitation





1961 AHS Starlighters • AHS Twirlers - Bonnie, Palmer, Carol & Donna • Alpine High School • Alpine, Texas







Barbara Jean hair • Aurora and Frank announcement

1963 Rhythmaires

1964 Annual photos from Martin's archive



1963 Lee & Juda wedding - Mr. & Mrs. Fred Moore with Mr. & Mrs. Frank McCollum. Fred Moore allowed Martin to ride with him in the Alpine Police car which resulted in the strong interest Martin had for law enforcement.

Lee & Juda married

Lee & Juda married

AHS classroom

Jeff, Palmer, Martin, Donna, Julie, Carol & Candy

Palmer Coats, Carol (second from left) 1964 - Twirlers for Alpine High School with Rochelle Sohl, Debbie Boyson, __ & Donna Mueller

Alpine High School Band bus returning from contest

AHS Band at Sul Ross Band Day

Sul Ross Band Day

Alpine High School band in parade in 1964

Bill, Martin & Rick crewing in AHS Maskers drama club

Alpine High School gym with Coach & Brodie

Alpine High School lunch hour crowd 1964

Alpine High School gym Home Economic building 1964

Alpine High School gym 2007 fire - MB Lockhart photo



Added 12/20/15

AHS Class of 1964 Senior Trip to Mexico









Gus Lines - popular '60s hangout • The Dingo • Adams "M" System • Alpine Bowling Alley • Green Cafe • A&W Root Beer • Alpine City Drug

When the Believers (poster page 1, page 2) played at the AHS Junior Senior prom in 1964, Martin asked for a copy of the tape recording made on their Roberts recorder (seen above). The Believers were a group of Sul Ross State College (now University) students. After the prom the band members headed for their homes for the Summer of '64. Go to Believers page

The Lead Singer, Grainger Hunt (seen in the middle of the photo above and right) stayed in Alpine with his family. Knowing Martin had a copy of the tape, he called and asked to hear it. Just the month before, for high school graduation, Martin's parents bought him the Webcor (below) which enabled "sound with/on sound." Grainger asked if Martin would help him develop and record some new songs. The rest of the Summer was spent in numerous ("fun & learning") sessions and the "draft" recording of new material for the Believers, including the development of their new song "Motor Mouth." The Believers then went to San Angelo and recorded"Motor Mouth" at Ron Newdoll's Accurate Sound Company. The studio had a #1 hit with "Last Kiss" by the Cavaliers.

Martin recorded a few more things for the Believers. The relationship with Ron Newdoll and Martin's pursuit of a recording career were the result of this first work with Grainger & Peyton helping in their music development.

Ron Newdoll (left) of Accurate Sound Company - 1964



On May 13, 1969 Martin recorded the last Alpine, Texas recording which was for one of the believers. John Schweers asked Martin to record a Nashville demo for him. Martin used his Sony TC-630 reel tape recorder.

"During his 35 year career, Schweers has had over 200 cuts, written 16 top-10 songs, had 13 No. 1 records, and received over 20 awards from ASCAP and BMI, including the Triple Play Award for having three number one records in one year." 2008 - Guest Speaker Night at the Nashville workshop with guest John Schweers

Fort Davis dedication April 4, 1966

Alpine High School Cheer Leaders at the 2005 "60's Reunion

Sul Ross State (College) University photos

SR Mountain from "A" mountain during freshman painting

Looking from the Sul Ross Band Hall toward Twin Sisters

In September 1964, Martin received a Music scholarship to Sul Ross State College in Alpine. In addition to continuing to record area original bands, he provided the recording services for the Sul Ross Music Department. With Carol and Music major Louis "Corky" Thornton, Martin recorded all the recitals, choir and band concerts during the four years he worked on his Bach of Music degree.

Martin recital 1965

Sul Ross music arranging course

1965 snow Alpine, Texas

Snow Marathon 1965 - Peg was teaching school in Marathon, TX

Carol and Martin delivering magazines for Martin's Dad 1963 - 1966. They also picked up the Odessa American papers in Monahans and drove them to Ft. Stockton, Ft. Davis, Marfa, Marathon and Alpine.

Martin with Carol in Alpine studio 1966 - Corky designed the Sul Ross uniforms so that they would be both concert and marching band uniforms.

Martin with Carol in Alpine Highland Sound Company studio 1966 (built into Martin's parent' house

Martin's Mom and Dad helped him create a recording studio in their home by cutting a sound proof window between Martin's room and his sister Peggy's old bedroom.

Carol in recording studio that was built into Martin's parents' home

Carol and Martin at Balmorphea State Park

Carol at Balmorphea State Park

Carol & Martin Dispatching for Brewster County

Carol & Martin married August 29,1967

1968 Sul Ross

The Believers

1967 Lady Bird Johnson visit to the Big Bend, flying into the old Marfa Army Air Base- The Believers played for Lady Bird's party

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK ROAD GUIDE (incomplete) click for full pdf

Sul Ross Music Dept "Night In New York" March 11, 1960 • Sul Ross Depts Music Drama & Speech 1966 "My Fair Lady"

Sul Ross State College 1964

During holidays, Martin & Carol took care of Sully the Wolf mascot for Sul Ross University in 1966. We took her out on 2 leads and walked around (or more accurately dragged around) campus. She loved to collect beer cans and bring them back to her cage. She got to go to Sul Ross games. It was hard for us to see her in a cage and unfortunately she was eventually poisoned. Watch movie of Sul Ross University mascot "Sully" in 1966.

Jan Briggs wedding (photos say Aug 67, however my folks didn't always develop their pics right away)

Pics from others

AHS class of 1962 Reunion 2005

Class of 1965 back in 5th grade • 1950s Halloween Ball Alpine, Texas • David Forchhimer & Treva Smith?

Alpine Community Band 1970's?

Comments from Facebook 080613

Earlene Anderau Pike I'm thinking the only time I remember elementary folks in formal wear was the Halloween coronations every year. Wonder what year?
17 hours ago · Like

Ken Moyer Well the BIG KIDS are 58, and 59, but the little ones are mostly siblings of the older ones, like the little girl third from the left, and the Micro Couple in the MIDDLE... This was at the ALPINE COUNTRY CLUB, (Original one before it burned) about 1949? Not sure who the little girl is with Johnny Carpenter in the middle.
17 hours ago · Like

Ken Moyer Maybe Brenda Logan? that would be logical since Mickey and Harriet are right behind them. This photo BTW, is courtesy of Ann Clanton Sawyer.

1966 AHS pep rally - from Kathryn Agans

Alpine, Texas kindergarden Third Grade Class - one of two third grade classes

More pics from other sources some from Traces of Texas

photo above - Richard Whiteside

From Mary Bell Lockhart '67 - April 17, 2003

I struck a gold mine of stories about Central School this evening, chatting
with Lee and Joanna Cowell. Here's s few from Lee.

Most of us recall that the boys and girls restrooms in the building were in
the basement. In addition, the boys restroom opened up out into the west
schoolyard while the girls restroom did not open up to the east schoolyard.
(There you have it; the beginnings of gross discrimination, in my humble
opinion. ;>) The boys had a door so that they could go straight out from
the restroom to the playground to play football.

Here’s how it came about. The original building built in 1910 had two out
buildings to the north. One was a bus barn and the other was the boys/girls
restrooms. During cold weather, folks had to go quite a distance to the
restrooms, outside 30-40 ft to the other building.

Lee started at Central in 1938. Sometime about 1940, he says probably in
the summer, a basement was dug out under the main building and the restrooms
were added. This provided indoor restrooms for everyone. There was a
closet in the boy’s restroom for equipment.

Here's another Central School story from Lee. The Janitor in about 1933,
when Lee’s older brother Pete was a student, was a guy named Don Aurelio
Olazaba. He is pictured in the Avalanche book of historical Alpine photos.
The kids mangled his name and called him Aurelius. Mr. Olazaba through, had
names for the kids, too, and he called Pete Cowell "Peter Rabbit".

In those days, there was actually a bell in the bell tower which was used to
ring various events of the school day. Mr. Olazaba had to go up to the
tower to ring the bell. Olazaba could look around the whole school yard, so
he'd scan the entire grounds before he rang the tardy bell. Well, Pete was
always late to school. If he saw Pete coming, he’d yell out "Run, Peter
Rabbit, Run! I’ll hold the bell." And he would delay ringing the bell so
Pete could make it "on time."

Here's another: In 1949, when the schools were moving in buildings from the
Marfa air base, the main Central School wooden staircase was condemned as a
fire hazard. V. J. Smith was the school architect. Lee’s dad, Charlie
Cowell, was working for the schools, moving in and rebuilding these
buildings. They were thinking of putting in a metal staircase, but Charlie
Cowell said that in a fire those would become hot and stressed with heat and
would be unsafe too. He convinced them to put in a concrete stairway in the
middle of the building.

And a final note: The street in front of Central to the south was widened,
curbed and guttered by the City when my dad was either Mayor or Councilman
and Lee Cowell was City Secretary. They purposely made it wider because
that's where so many parents came to pick up their kids.

So, here's a few for the archives.
Mary Bell Lockhart '67

More Links

These were found and saved from a server that was available a few years ago. Sorry, however we have no more info on these events.

Class of 1973

Class of 1983

Class of 1993

Class of 1957

Class of 1959

Classes of 1970-79 - "That 70's Reunion"

Class of 1977

Band Reunion - "The Mr. Shipp Years" - 1977-84

Class of 1982

Class of 1984

Class of 1992

Centennial School

Alpine OBITUARIES (from old files)

From: Phil Seymour <psphilseymour@gmail.com>
Subject: Alpine High, 1962
Date: June 2, 2009 5:47:45 PM CDT

I was looking through images of Cathedral Mountain to use on a little story in my blog, and I noticed there were some from someone named Martin Theophilus, from Alpine. I remember drawing my cartoons on mimeograph wax paper so that Mr. Theophilus could print them.

What is funny, is I was into music, I was friends with Dave, I played in the high school, and Sul Ross bands, I had my own band, and I kind of remember, "The Believers".

I too, went on to a career in recording, radio, TV and performing. Small world.

Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:43:23 -0500
From: registrar@midland.edu
Subject: Re: Alpine Radio KVLF
To: "Theophilus, Martin" <martinppi@austin.rr.com>

How neat. When I saw the name Martin Theophilus pop up in the email, I said to myself, I knew someone in Alpine across from Central School. Good to hear from you. Enjoyed talking with Ray. We did an interview about the good old days of radio....and I did not see the Avalanche, but David Watson, one of Stacy's sons has a jewelry store here in Midland and gave me a copy of the Big Bend Sentinel which had a nice feature on KVLF. I have been with Midland College for the last six years and was at OC five years before that.....and then in East Texas for the 20 years before that after leaving Alpine. Our daughter Penny and her husband live in Monahans and our granddaughter is attending Midland College. Radio was fun and I stayed with it at East Texas State in the public broadcasting side before moving into school relations/admissions, etc......Good hearing from you. Phil Wayne Ebensberger

>>> Martin Theophilus <martinppi@austin.rr.com> 3/14/2007 10:08 AM >>>

Dear Mr. Ebensberger,
I came across your name as the Midland College Registrar after seeing Ray Hendryx's article about the history ofmKVLF in a recent Avalanche issue. I was called "Buddy" Theophilus and hung around the station when you and Bob Beal (sp) would put up with me. That exposure to media has taken me on an entertainment journey for which I am very thankful. Hope you're the DJ I'm recalling.

Cheers! Martin (Buddy)

Delivered-To: phantomp-chris@phantomprod.com
Date: Wed, 07 Mar 2007 15:16:21 -0600
From: Martin Theophilus <martinppi@austin.rr.com>
Subject: Re: [Alpine] Elementary School (Central) Gym

We lived across the street. I was pre-school and standing on the South side of my grandparents home on Nations. I could not figure out what was happening. It was so lucky no one was killed.

Chris & I are on our way to Alpine this weekend for a quick visit with Karen in Ft. Davis. Look forward to being there!
Martin

Delivered-To: phantomp-martin@phantomprod.com
Date: Wed, 07 Mar 2007 16:28:11 -0600
From: "Dennis L. Williams" <dwilliams31@hot.rr.com>

Sure. It was about 1950, 1951. The boiler on the northeast side of the little gymnasium exploded.

Luckily for all, it made funny noises just before the explosion, so Mrs. Page was able to get all the children out before it exploded. Also lucky was the fact that no children were on the north side on the playground.

I saw the aftermath from Mrs. Brown's fourth grade east-facing downstairs window of the old Central School. Quite a sight: a huge hole in that corner, steam and water everywhere, shreds of lumber surrounding the opening, and bricks strewn all over the north playground. A real mess, though damage was largely just to blowing out the northeast corner.

The good news was that we got out of school for the rest of the day. Yea!

At least that's my memory of it, which is probably fuzzed by age.

Dennis Williams, '60
=====================

<mailto:alpinecag@juno.com>alpinecag@juno.com wrote:

There's another story about the elementary gym about when the boiler blew up. My brother, Mike, was there at the time, but I don't remember the story. Anybody out there who does????

Carol Ann

From: "gayle rich" <gaylerich1@cox.net>
To: "Martin \(Buddy\)Theophilus" <martint@mail.utexas.edu>
Subject: Marfa Lights
Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 11:30:01 -0800

Hi Buddy:

Ken Moyer sent me some of your recent comments about the Marfa Lights, and first of all I want to compliment your photo "album" -- all of these shots are absolutely beautiful -- very well done indeed! Sure made me want to spend more time in Texas!

Secondly, I am interested in your acquaintance with Jim Bunnell. During the past few years I have visited the Mitchell Flat area near Marfa several times, and have spent quite a lot of time thinking about the Lights and studying a wide range of literature about such phenomena, including Jim's book and website. In my opinion, he has collected, by-far, the most systematic, thorough, and useful data on the Marfa Lights to date. I would like to talk with Jim about all of this sometime, and would appreciate your "connecting" the two of us by mentioning my name to him. Then I'm sure I'll get a much better reception when I contact him than if it were a "cold call". I'll call you in a few days to discuss this idea, and give you a very brief synopsis of what I've been doing since AHS days.

I'd heard about you from time to time over the years from Peggy and John, and it was good to see you in Alpine last summer. I never knew before then that your mother had a passion for the Lights. I wish I could have heard some of her stories about them. By the way, I tend to sympathize with your feeling that we may not want to solve the mystery. On the other hand, I believe that if someone is one day fortunate enough to be able to explain some of this, the phenomena may turn out to be even more interesting than is the mystery.

Best regards and Merry Christmas to you and your family,

Foster

More Resources:

Ron Hunters Alpine Memorial Information Ron Hunter's update 11/2022 Part 2

Addresses as of 2005

New additions • go to Part 1 • go to Part 2 • go to Part 3 • go to Part 4 • go to Part 5 • go to Part 6 • go to Part 7

Above are a package of 10 small photos that were sold as a pack when Martin's parents distributed post cards in the area.

More Alpine, Texas area scenes from Theophilus archives • Old Fort Davis

We highly recommend Carl William's book "More than a Badge."

Memoirs and historical records from Brewster County, Texas, a large, remote, picturesque, rough country near Big Bend National Park

order here

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