Memories Of Aldine

[Guest Marty]

Regarging Aldine Football history my Uncle was Wendel Cornwell the end from that team. They lived on Hill Road too. His brother Sam Cornwell played quarterback for Aldine and they played together for one year before Wendel graduated. Sam Cornwell had some great games for Aldine as well. He punted, kicked extra points and returned punts and kick-offs. Wendel played fro the Marines and was actually offered a pro cntract by the Lions I beleive. He also had a scholarship offer to play at Texas A&M. Do you know anything about those years from 1942-1946

S H Cornwell

The M O Cambell athletics department has the history your looking for. Its across the street from Aldine Middle School on Aldine Westfield road just south of Belt Way 8.

Edited October 2, 2006 by Marty

[Firebird65]

Regarging Aldine Football history my Uncle was Wendel Cornwell the end from that team. They lived on Hill Road too. His brother Sam Cornwell played quarterback for Aldine and they played together for one year before Wendel graduated. Sam Cornwell had some great games for Aldine as well. He punted, kicked extra points and returned punts and kick-offs. Wendel played fro the Marines and was actually offered a pro cntract by the Lions I beleive. He also had a scholarship offer to play at Texas A&M. Do you know anything about those years from 1942-1946

S H Cornwell

The Cornwell brothers were definitely two of the greatest players to ever wear a Mustang uniform. To paraphrase Denzel Washington from "Training Day": They did some real damage.

Wendell had a 65-yard TD run in 1939 against Webster. He blocked a Pasadena punt and returned it 54 yards for a TD in Aldine's first postseason game in history - the 1940 District 29-1A Championship game. He scored the only points in Aldine's first big ever big upset - a 7-0 shocker of Class AA Houston Milby in 1941.

Sam scored 19 of Aldine's 21 points in a 21-19 win over Cedar Bayou in 1944. He had three TDs andan extra point. He returned a punt 90 yards for a TD and threw for two scores against over Tomball that same year.

Aldine was consecutive district champs from 1941 to 1944 (they weren't always the same district). They won a team-record 21 straight district games from 1940 to 1944 and, including ties, were unbeaten in 34 straight district games from 1939 to 1945.

If the 1980s and early 1990s were Aldine's Golden Age, then this period from 1940 to 1948 was their Silver Age.

By all means, if you have any stories or photos, please do share them.

I'm essentially finished with my football history. Now I just have to wait for them to complete this season. no reason to include it now that it's started.

An interesting tidbit: This weekend's 17-14 last-second win over MacArthur was the first Mustang game decided on the final play with no time left since 1982. That was the wacky 35-35 tie with MacArthur where we initially missed the extra point, giving the win to the Generals... until their fans rushed the field, prompting a penaly and giving Aldine new life, as no game can end on a defensive penalty. Steve Kennard made good on his second chance and with the tie, Aldine advanced to the playoffs, no doubt much to the chagrin of MacArthur.

[Guest Marty]

I graduated at MacArthur in 1994. Go Generals.

[Firebird65]

The M O Cambell athletics department has the history your looking for. Its across the street from Aldine Middle School on Aldine Westfield road just south of Belt Way 8.

I now live on the west side, so it's not at all easy to just drop on in during business hours. However, earlier this year I did write and call the athletic director a few times and got no reply. That was pretty disappointing.

If you drop by, please share whatever you find on the board. I've found 99.3% of the games (scores on 727 of 732) and quite a few of the major milestones. But there's lots other stuff I'd love to have that you can't get in a newspaper.

In answer to your earlier question, Aldine was called Prairie Switch in the 1870s until about 1888. Why exactly the name was changed remains a bit of a mystery. Local lore suggests the hokey conductor yelling "All dine!" story, but a poster named isuredid has suggested several more likely possibilities.

[Firebird65]

I graduated at MacArthur in 1994. Go Generals.

Do you know exactly when MacArthur opened? The fielded their first varsity team in 1967, but I think the school opened in 1965. Do you know?

BTW, the first game in MacArthur history was on September 8, 1967 against Baytown Sterling, also playing the first game in its history. The Rangers won 20-12. MacArthur's first win was on October 27, 1967 - a 14-0 triumph over Westchester, yet another first year school.

Anyone wanting to do a history of MacArthur's football team would have a lot easier time than I've had with Aldine. After all, they could skip 31 years from 1936 to 1966. And reporting in the 1960s was much better than of the 1930s and 1940s. If the Post or Chronicle covered a game at all (and there were a lot fewer teams then), sometimes all you would get was a score and one or two lines. And the layout (if you could even call it a layout) of those old papers was awful at best, non-existant at worst.

Edited October 2, 2006 by Firebird65

[Guest Marty]

I now live on the west side, so it's not at all easy to just drop on in during business hours. However, earlier this year I did write and call the athletic director a few times and got no reply. That was pretty disappointing.

If you drop by, please share whatever you find on the board. I've found 99.3% of the games (scores on 727 of 732) and quite a few of the major milestones. But there's lots other stuff I'd love to have that you can't get in a newspaper.

In answer to your earlier question, Aldine was called Prairie Switch in the 1870s until about 1888. Why exactly the name was changed remains a bit of a mystery. Local lore suggests the hokey conductor yelling "All dine!" story, but a poster named isuredid has suggested several more likely possibilities.

They are widening Aldine Westfield road so sometimes its a little tricky driving on that road. When my uncle gets back from China next week i go check it out.

[Guest Marty]

Do you know exactly when MacArthur opened? The fielded their first varsity team in 1967, but I think the school opened in 1965. Do you know?

BTW, the first game in MacArthur history was on September 8, 1967 against Baytown Sterling, also playing the first game in its history. The Rangers won 20-12. MacArthur's first win was on October 27, 1967 - a 14-0 triumph over Westchester, yet another first year school.

Anyone wanting to do a history of MacArthur's football team would have a lot easier time than I've had with Aldine. After all, they could skip 31 years from 1936 to 1966. And reporting in the 1960s was much better than of the 1930s and 1940s. If the Post or Chronicle covered a game at all (and there were a lot fewer teams then), sometimes all you would get was a score and one or two lines. And the layout (if you could even call it a layout) of those old papers was awful at best, non-existant at worst.

That school opened in 1965-66 Go Generals

[FilioScotia]

Aldine was called Prairie Switch in the 1870s until about 1888. Why exactly the name was changed remains a bit of a mystery. Local lore suggests the hokey conductor yelling "All dine!" story, but a poster named isuredid has suggested several more likely possibilities.

It's just possible that "Aldine" may have been someone's first name. I've known several women named Aldine over the years, in fact I went to high school with one. It's not without precedent. We know that Alief was the first name of a prominent lady who lived in that area in the 1890s.

The Handbook of Texas says "In 1894 county surveyors named the community Dairy, but application for a post office in 1895 resulted in changing the name to Alief in honor of the first postmistress, Alief Ozella Magee." If you didn't know that, you'd go nuts trying to find a "local farm family" named "Alief".

(An aside: This is where the name "Dairy-Ashford" comes from. In keeping with Houston's ancient habit of naming rural roads for both the farming communities they connected, Dairy-Ashford ran from the Dairy area -- now known as Alief -- north to the Ashford community -- also known as Satsuma.)

While "Aldine" is not uncommon as a given name, it's extremely rare as a family name. If there was "a local farm family" named Aldine in north Harris County in the late 1800s, it's reasonable to think there would be at least a few people with that name still living in the Houston area today, but the current Houston Phone Book's residential pages -- the AT&T 2006 CD ROM -- has exactly ONE listing for someone with the last name of "Aldine".

That's almost non-existent for a metro area of nearly four million people. I'm voting for the given name explanation for Aldine.

[Firebird65]

It's just possible that "Aldine" may have been someone's first name. I've known several women named Aldine over the years, in fact I went to high school with one. It's not without precedent. We know that Alief was the first name of a prominent lady who lived in that area in the 1890s.

The Handbook of Texas says "In 1894 county surveyors named the community Dairy, but application for a post office in 1895 resulted in changing the name to Alief in honor of the first postmistress, Alief Ozella Magee." If you didn't know that, you'd go nuts trying to find a "local farm family" named "Alief".

(An aside: This is where the name "Dairy-Ashford" comes from. In keeping with Houston's ancient habit of naming rural roads for both the farming communities they connected, Dairy-Ashford ran from the Dairy area -- now known as Alief -- north to the Ashford community -- also known as Satsuma.)

While "Aldine" is not uncommon as a given name, it's extremely rare as a family name. If there was "a local farm family" named Aldine in north Harris County in the late 1800s, it's reasonable to think there would be at least a few people with that name still living in the Houston area today, but the current Houston Phone Book's residential pages -- the AT&T 2006 CD ROM -- has exactly ONE listing for someone with the last name of "Aldine".

That's almost non-existent for a metro area of nearly four million people. I'm voting for the given name explanation for Aldine.

Yes, it well could have been a first name rather than a last name. Just by accident I came across some photos on the web of gravestones where the person's first name was Aldine. Or it also could have been someone with the first name of Aldus.

Given the pronunciation of Aldine as "AHL-deen" rather than "AHL-dyne" I still think the name idea is more possible than the hokey legend. I'd be more inclined to go towards the popular lore if the pronunciation were the other way.

I think it's either a probably name (probably a first name) or it was named after another town someone lived in before.

[Firebird65]

Wow! Where in the world did you find that? Haven't had time to read it all, but I will.

I like how it gives the location of Frank Lorino's store. That mist have been a popular community gathering place back in the day as I've seen it listed even in Chronicle and Post news stories as a polling place for Aldine elections. I had thought it was also known as the Fairview Food Market/Lucky Seven store at Gulf Bank and Airline, but as that book says it is close to the Brubaker school, that rules that out.

I've been meaning to ask if you've found out anything about the Brubaker school. I believe the focus of my report on the Aldine High/Northline Terrace area should actually be on the Brubaker community near Aldine Mail Route/Hambrick and Airline rather than the Aldine one. Brubaker's the closer and thus would have had more impact on the residents of the future Northline Terrace area.

If you come across anything on the Brubaker or the Brubaker school, I'd love to see it. All I've seen is a map in the Texas Room that gives its approximate location.

Also, having read a little more, it says one of the polling places for this election is to be the Marrs High School building in the town of Aldine. As this election is in 1935, then how was Marrs High School built in 1936??? Was it actually built before and I've just been wrong or was there another Marrs High School that took the place of the one mentioned?

I could have sworn on a stack of Bibles that I read on Aldine's own web site that Marrs High was built in 1936. If they don't know when their own place was built, what does that mean?!? LOL!

Thanks!

Edited October 3, 2006 by Firebird65

[Firebird65]

An appropriately named book!

Edited October 3, 2006 by Firebird65

[FilioScotia]

Wow! Where in the world did you find that? Haven't had time to read it all, but I will.

I like how it gives the location of Frank Lorino's store. That mist have been a popular community gathering place back in the day as I've seen it listed even in Chronicle and Post news stories as a polling place for Aldine elections. I had thought it was also known as the Fairview Food Market/Lucky Seven store at Gulf Bank and Airline, but as that book says it is close to the Brubaker school, that rules that out.

I've been meaning to ask if you've found out anything about the Brubaker school. I believe the focus of my report on the Aldine High/Northline Terrace area should actually be on the Brubaker community near Aldine Mail Route/Hambrick and Airline rather than the Aldine one. Brubaker's the closer and thus would have had more impact on the residents of the future Northline Terrace area.

If you come across anything on the Brubaker or the Brubaker school, I'd love to see it. All I've seen is a map in the Texas Room that gives its approximate location.

Also, having read a little more, it says one of the polling places for this election is to be the Marrs High School building in the town of Aldine. As this election is in 1935, then how was Marrs High School built in 1936??? Was it actually built before and I've just been wrong or was there another Marrs High School that took the place of the one mentioned?

I could have sworn on a stack of Bibles that I read on Aldine's own web site that Marrs High was built in 1936. If they don't know when their own place was built, what does that mean?!? LOL!

Thanks!

You're welcome. Believe it or not, I found the answer to your question about Marrs HS right here on the HAIF. In a discussion on north side history a couple of months ago, the one in which someone posted an incredible aerial photo of the far north side taken in the mid 50s, I learned that Marrs HS was built in 1935 at Aldine Bender and Aldine Westfield. It burned down in 1954, and a new high school, named Aldine High, was built where it still stands today at Airline and West Road.

Back where old Marrs HS used to be, the district built a new school, Aldine Junior High. It's also the present day location of the Aldine ISD Admin Bldg, the MO Campbell Center, and Thorne Stadium.

Here's a link back to that HAIF page with that incredible photo. http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...?showtopic=7234

Edited October 3, 2006 by FilioScotia

[Firebird65]

You're welcome. Believe it or not, I found the answer to your question about Marrs HS right here on the HAIF. In a discussion on north side history a couple of months ago, the one in which someone posted an incredible aerial photo of the far north side taken in the mid 50s, I learned that Marrs HS was built in 1935 at the intersection of Aldine Bender and Aldine Westfield. It burned down in the early 50s, and a new high school, named Aldine High, was built where it still stands today at Airline and West Road. Back at the location of old Marrs HS, the district built a new school, Aldine Junior High.

Thanks, Filio, but that was me who had posted that on the other thread (which was the Amusement Park thread - go figure). That lead to the creation of this thread. But I had stated that Aldine (Marrs) High was built in 1936, which is what I got from the Aldine school district.

Either they were wrong or...

The Marrs High School that opened in 1936 replaced an earlier version.

As that book above clearly stated, one of the polling places for the May 1935 election was Marrs High School. So something is definitely amiss... or at least we are missing a piece of information.

According to Aldine ISD, the school district came into being in 1935, which that book above bears out. Common School District 29, the county-run predecessor of AISD, was formed in 1932. So it is possible they had a school building of some sort, named it Marrs High, then transferred the name to a new school built by AISD.

[FilioScotia]

Thanks, Filio, but that was me who had posted that on the other thread (which was the Amusement Park thread - go figure). That lead to the creation of this thread. But I had stated that Aldine (Marrs) High was built in 1936, which is what I got from the Aldine school district.

Either they were wrong or...

The Marrs High School that opened in 1936 replaced an earlier version.

As that book above clearly stated, one of the polling places for the May 1935 election was Marrs High School. So something is definitely amiss... or at least we are missing a piece of information.

According to Aldine ISD, the school district came into being in 1935, which that book above bears out. Common School District 29, the county-run predecessor of AISD, was formed in 1932. So it is possible they had a school building of some sort, named it Marrs High, then transferred the name to a new school built by AISD.

It's possible that Marrs HS was owned and managed by the Harris County School District, which was responsible for building schools in areas not served by an existing ISD. It's now called the Harris County Department of Education, and I'm not entirely sure just what its responsibilities are now.

Edited October 3, 2006 by FilioScotia

[Firebird65]

It's possible that Marrs HS was owned and managed by the Harris County School District, which was responsible for building schools in areas not served by an existing ISD. There was such a thing back then, but I'm not sure it still exists anymore.

Yes, that is quite possible. Marrs High was named for Starlin Marion Newberry Marrs, who was state superintendent of public instruction from 1923 to 1932. I've been trying to figure out why in the world would Aldine name a school after him as he apparently had no ties to the area that I can find. However, as Common School District 29 was formed in 1932, maybe the county built a school in the Aldine area and as Marrs had just died, named it after him. Or they renamed an old school when the CSD was formed. Then a newer, probably bigger school took its place in 1936.

There was at least one school building in the Aldine area when the CSD was formed. The district mentions a two-room school house being built in 1910 and expanded to four rooms in 1912. Perhaps this was expanded other times in the next 20 years?

[Firebird65]

Thanks!

Would it be safe to say, then, based on that plat, that the Brubaker community/neighborhood/subdivision/whatever was founded around the year 1910?

You've found so much great stuff I really ought to give you a credit somewhere in my report. Would that be OK? Guess I ought to get your name. Send me an IM and I'll be more than happy to give credit where credit is due when I finish my report.

I don't know what to think about the topo maps and the schools. That book clearly stated Marrs was around in 1935 and I did double check on the AISD web site and it does say there Marrs was built in 1936. Either someone was wrong (unlikely) or there were two schools. I mean, the kids in the area had to go to school somewhere before CSD 29 or AISD were around, right?

I don't know what to think about the topo maps and the schools. That book clearly stated Marrs was around in 1935 and I did double check on the AISD web site and it does say there Marrs was built in 1936. Either someone was wrong (unlikely) or there were two schools. I mean, the kids in the area had to go to school somewhere before CSD 29 or AISD were around, right? Even that book mentioned a Brubaker school, or actually, a former Brubaker school.

Edited October 4, 2006 by Firebird65

[Firebird65]

This is from the Harris County Block Books...looks like W. Lorino was the bottom and West Road was the top of the Brubaker survey. I see one parcel marked Aldine ISD. Maybe this was where Brubaker High was located?

Possible, but unlikely. For one, that's the location of the former Inez Carroll Elementary. Second, according to the wording in that book you posted earlier, the Brubaker school was already closed by the time Aldine ISD came into being in 1935. Note how the book said the "former" Brubaker school.

Also, I'm not sure if the Brubaker school was a high school. It's only been described as a school. Perhaps it was only a one-room schoolhouse. Probably that's all it was. I suppose it's possible Inez Carroll was built on the site of the former Brubaker school, but Carroll was built sometime in the 1950s or early 1960s, long after the Brubaker school. Still, never say never. I never thought there was a Marrs High in 1935, but you've shown evidence there was.

Edited October 5, 2006 by Firebird65

[Firebird65]

Actually, thinking about it some more it said that both the Lorino Store and the Brubaker school were on E. Montgomery (Airline) and that lot is not.

I didn't catch the part about the school being on E Montgomery. I would guess the Lorino store was at the corner of Lorino street and Airline. I'd sure love to see a picture of the area then.

[Firebird65]

I noticed that the block books have an entry for Lorino Place and it brings up the same maps as Brubaker. Maybe you could track down some of the Lorino family. When I was growning up in the East End of Houston there was a grocery store called Lorino's. I wonder if that was the same family. Later on in the 80s there was a club there called Local Charm, but the Lorino's sign was still on the building.

I've noticed those block books often overlap with others, like they are cross referenced.

The block map you provided earlier from the archives was much more helpful than the ones on the Tax Office's site. For one, they are much older and provide a date to age the community. Second, as evidenced in the later plats, that area has been subdivided several more times over the years. Most of that Brubaker area on the east side of Airline became Northfield Place in the mid 1940s. On the west side it became Donnybrook and Blue Bell Place at about the same time. On HCAD's site I could only find a few lots that were under the legal description of Brubaker. The rest reflect the later neighborhoods.

I checked the census for 1930 and I don't think the Lorino family from East End was related to Frank Lorino and his wife Frances. Both Frank and Francis show their parents to be born in Sicily. Frances was born in New York and Frank in Sicily. They had a daughter named Nellie who was 6 in 1930 and the address shows as 480 East Montgomery Road. It is possible the daughter is still alive, but she would be quite old now.

480 East Montgomery? Sure it's not 9480 East Montgomery? Although 9480 comes out at Hill Road and Airline, a little south of Lorino Street. 9840 Airline comes out perfectly at Lorino Street and Airline.

[Firebird65]

HCAD says that 9912 Airline is a residential structure built in 1930. It's now occupied by yet another of what appears to be quite a few used car lots or automotive repair businesses along that stretch. However, based on the location, it's possible this address could have been Lorino's home and/or the Lorino store location. It is on Airline near Lorino Street.

I want to go to the Texas Room and look up Lorino's store in the old phone books. I had hoped to do that tomorrow, but apparently there's some sort of festival downtown and I really hate fighting traffic. So much for that idea.

But I'll mark this addy as something to look for later when I finally do make it there.

Edited October 6, 2006 by Firebird65

[Firebird65]

What is it?

[Guest Marty]

What is it?

That is Aldine School.

[Firebird65]

That is Aldine School.

Thanks. I just saw that in his other post on the "Schools That No Longer Exist" thread. I gotta tell you, he's something. I sure look forward to seeing what he'll turn up next.

Edited October 8, 2006 by Firebird65

[Firebird65]

That's almost identical to the one I saw in the Texas Room and posted a smaller cropped version on the board. 'Bout the only difference was the colors. I also saw a similar one to this there that had the old schools - Aldine, Westfield, Higgs and Brubaker. Yours is missing Brubaker.

From memory, I'd say the handwriting on the maps I saw and this one you've posted is the same, so perhaps those that I saw were later versions? You say this one shows 1914 schools... maybe that means Brubaker was left out here because it wasn't yet around?

[Firebird65]

So apparently the Brubaker school was only around from sometime between 1915 and 1934, as the 1913 book doesn't list it, the 1914 map doesn't list it and the 1935 book calls it the "former" Brubaker school.

I keep thinking that map I saw that was similar to yours said either 1919 or 1929.

[Firebird65]

So where the heck was Hartwell High School? Obviously Hartwell was not the Aldine school photo you posted earlier. That must have been the primary school, along with Westfield and Higgs (and later Brubaker).

Was perhaps Hartwell also later the Marrs High mentioned in the 1935 School District book?

Is this a 1913 book you're looking at?

[isuredid]

This is an interesting map from 1911 because you can see the places many of the road names derived from, Stuebner, Airline, Aldine, N. Houston,Mt. Houston, Louetta, Cross Timbers, Bender, Westfield, Spring, etc..

Edited October 17, 2006 by isuredid

[Firebird65]

Notice how Airline is up near Klein along Cypress Creek?

It's also the first time I've ever seen Bender on a map. I knew its approximate location from research, but I'd never seen it on a map before.

Hey, and Mt. Houston is on the map too!

[Firebird65]

Finally found some information on the Gulf Coast Airport that sat on the current site of Aldine High. According to old phone books at the Texas Room, the airport was at 11165 Airline Drive (Aldine High is at 11101 Airline). Apparently it opened in 1947 (meaning at least it was in the 1947 phone book, but not in the 1946).

Edited November 22, 2006 by Firebird65

[Firebird65]

At long last I've finished my history of the Aldine Mustangs football team. If you would like a pdf, PM me or send your request to aldinefootball@sbcglobal.net.

I have two versions available. The comprehensive version contains the scores and standings from 1936 to 2006, as well as a timeline of the history of the current Aldine High School/Airline Drive area. It's a large file (6.5 MB), so if you're on dialup and want this, you might want to consider using a file-sharing service such as yousendit.com.

There's also a 1 MB football-only version.

Either of these are free for the asking and I'm only too happy to share the fruits of my research with anyone interested.