Edgar Allan Poe Elementary School, Houston, September 15, 1959
About three blocks south of the Southwest Freeway, east of South Shepherd, at Hazard Street and South Boulevard you will find Poe Elementary School. On September 15th, sixty years ago, a man set off a bomb in a briefcase on the school grounds killing himself, his son and four others while injuring another twenty.
Paul Harold Orgeron, age 49, a tile-setter and ex-convict, had recently moved from Altus, Oklahoma to southern Houston, Texas with his seven-year-old son, Dusty Paul. According to Orgeron’s ex-wife, Hazel, they divorced twice due to spousal abuse. Orgeron briefly rented at a nearby boarding house using the pseudonym Bob Silver. The landlord later said the father and son were quiet and had not caused any trouble.
and then,
Orgeron asked that the children gather around him, and as he waved the suitcase around, Johnston became alarmed upon seeing a doorbell button on the bottom of the suitcase and instructed the students to return to the building. She also instructed two students to fetch the school principal, R. E. Doty, and the school custodian, James Montgomery.
it could have been much worse,
Police responded to find a 6-inch-deep (150 mm) hole in the asphalt “black top” play area. Victims’ mangled bodies were burnt; some, including Doty, had their clothes ripped from them by the blast. One girl was blown over 100 feet away.
An Early Photo Taken the Morning of the Explosion
Houston Post Collection, Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library
I had just turned seven years old. Our parents had built a new home on Britt Moore Road and we moved in a month prior to this horrible event. I can still see my mother crying over this. It was devastating to adults and parents who assumed their children would never come to harm in an elementary school. I couldn’t comprehend at that age how a father would blow up his own son.
Gangland warlord captures Mexican State capital?
https://thefederalist.com/2019/10/21/a-drug-cartel-just-defeated-the-mexican-military-in-battle/
Florida – the Australia of America
A primer on the Ten Constitutional Amendments from my Senator:
https://mailchi.mp/loiskolkhorst/constitutional-amendment-election?e=a31fe1009a
#156 Texpat The jury is still out on the Gen 5 4-Runner’s longevity. My Gen 3 was still running solid with 204,000 miles when I sold it to Bonecrusher. My 2018 Gen 5 does drive much smoother than the old one is is darn near sedan quality. I’ve seen some impressive videos on YouTube of these late model 4-Runners and… Read more »
Trump supports more ethanol in our fuels?
Craft ice???
Toyota pickups and SUVs all over the Middle East and North Africa. They run forever, especially the old 4-Runners. They are absolute beasts. The newer 4-Runners are for sissies and drive like a car and I wouldn’t own one.
I bet it was.
Mom had an early Monte Carlo with the 350.
I loved driving that car.
I made the short flight between Hou and Brookshire a number of times in it.
My 91 was a five speed manual with a 350. It was pretty zippy.
Cool weather makin’ people frisky.
Hunnerdfifty, huh?
I’m going to have to agree with Hillary McCarthy Clinton.
They are all Russian assets on that side.
But even Russians can’t stomach her.
I had a 91 Chevy truck for a while, step side with a V6 and 4 on the floor – 4th was OD. That thing would scoot. I had a company truck so seldom used it so got rid of it.
They’re still online, just no dead tree edition.
The 91 Chevy I bought after the Scottsdale, it was stolen out of my driveway six months after I bought it, and was never recovered. I imagine it’s still on the road in Mexico.
The Houston Press is defunct? Hadn’t seen a copy in Mandola’s in a while, always thought their alt version of news amusing. And the personal adds. Heading south on 99, exit long before I 10, which 529 is of course. 99 south of I 10 is a slow crawl in the PM to the Westpark toll road. Opposite traffic in… Read more »
#141 Hamous, yup and they usually travel in caravans of three. Each driver is in a POS and pulling one or two more. And they often have a 4 wheeler in the truck bed. The craziest one that I saw was an old Ford, 9 yard dump truck with a Dodge Neon in the bed! I ran I-10 east and… Read more »
Can’t kill it, I’m not surprised, I did say “and the drive train was stout, with the 4.11 rear it would pull the boat just fine” The drive train was fine, but EVERYTIHNG else was cheap, junk. I had the 18R motor and it had plenty of power with the 4.11’s. Later on my Dad bought one with the 20… Read more »
It was 4WD but it made a bad noise when you used it.
So I didn’t. Mostly.
Stupidly, sold it to my boss. Who took the doors off
when reading water meters in the summer.
Which meant I had to ride in the rough SOB a bunch more.
We have a 4-Runner, which is essentially a Tacoma suv. We looked for a late model used one, but they hold their value so well that for an extra couple thousand you could get a new one.
To get a decent break on the cost you had to look at five years plus.
In episodes 2 & 3, they put it on top of a 20-story building that was then imploded. It was still driveable. The frame had split, but the bodywork held it together.
The only replacement part they used was a piece of plexiglass for the windshield. All other repairs were done using basic hand tools.
Every time I drive to/from Lafayette I see dozens of Toyota trucks with a second pickup bed strapped on the back and pulling another beat to hell rust bucket heading west on 10, presumably heading to Mexico.
It had those silly double wall panels around the inside of the bed.
They worked very well at collecting dirt, mud, and hay behind them.
Modern Tacomas are built solid while keeping the indestructible qualities. I love mine.
We had a mid 80s Toyota pickup at work. It was definitely a tin can, and scary as hell to drive on a wet road.
Had a used 82 Toy truck for a while in the late 80’s.
NAPA alternator replaced about once a year. Only had to pay for the first one. Otherwise indestructible.
Guarantee you that truck is still running and eating alternators.
Probably in Nicaragua.
Top Gear tried to kill a Toyota hilux part 1/3, in which our protagonists:
Drive it into a tree
Try to submerge it in salt water (it broke loose and wound up half-buried in sand)
Dropped a small camper trailer on it
Hit it with a wrecking ball
Set it on fire
I’m sick of hearing about Syria.
123 dave
Those old Toyota’s were not strong on amenities, but you couldn’t kill one.
Top Gear tried once. It was practically destroyed but they could still start it and drive it.
Sarge paid twenny bux for one of those outside the back gate at Ft Sill.
A rare Colorado River Blue Gar hanging off the back.
Can you even buy a truck with roll up windows anymore? That was the last one I had.
Found a pic of the old Scottsdale.
April 1st, 198?
Bend, TX
We were on the Colorado river until the front blew through. 75 one day. Woke up and it was 19 with snow and a brutal wind. Bend was the halfway point of the trip but we had to take out.
I wish I’da kept that Scottsdale. Yup, I had a 454 hanging on an engine stand that I was going to drop into my Scottsdale, but I was married with kids and just didn’t get around to it. Being a 84 with no computer, it would have been a piece of cake. I also had a Turbo 400, But I’d… Read more »
They got all kinda kits to update to an LS now. That would be sweet.
I wish I’da kept that Scottsdale.
All those damned wing windows were good for was thumping ashes out.
My 84 GMC was stolen twice! Out of my damn driveway, two months apart! The first time, a couple of black dudes stole a small car, came and got my truck and proceeded to steal wheel and tires in the pouring rain at 2 O’clock in the morning. After getting 14 wheels and working on the last two, the Constables… Read more »
We are enjoying an absolutely a gorgeous Fall day at last. Just 24 hours ago we were still in the swamp. Thank you, Canada, for sharing the wealth of marvelous weather.
Windows open in the garden room.
FWIW; The Toyota was the first year for the SR-5, 5 speed and the drive train was stout, with the 4.11 rear it would pull the boat just fine but the ride SUXED and the body/interior was CRAP, seats falling apart after three years, paint faded and the body was made out of beer cans. If you leaned against the… Read more »
Chevy/GMC trucks still had vent windows until 87. My Scottsdale had those pried open several times. Once, after I had just picked up all my clothes from the vietnamese laundry and stopped off for lunch, someone broke in and stole pretty much my entire wardrobe.
Oh and in those days, I really wanted the Chattanooga Choo Choo El Camino, with the Monte Carlo front clip.
#102, Shannon 😀 305 with about 150 HP? Yup, and manual tranny! Roll up winders and no AC!!! This was after the 75 Toyota, POS and before my beloved 84 GMC Scottsdale, longbed with the power winders and vinyl floor mats. I only put 198K on that thing and when I sold it, you could still hang meat in it,… Read more »
No honor among roughnecks?
I guess it’s macabre Monday.
Halloween in Houston
My wife is native Houstonian, born 1959. She never heard of the elementary school bomb either.
I did actually grow up in Leave It To Beaverville.
Henley/Corll was truly shocking to the psyche.
I was twenty and dumb with a bunch of oilfield boom money. I barely could take off enough time to go and order it. Give me everything you got on it Mr Salesman.
112
I lived in the Heights in the early 80s and that was still fresh in the minds of all my neighbors.
Safe travels Texpat and enjoy your internet hiatus!