Continued from Page 11 Burleson Street at the site of the old Southern Pacific Rail Road Right of Way to unveil and dedicate this historic marker. There the aluminum plaque reposed on its simple pedestal, burnished by the salty wind, rain and sun, blessed by the gulls and grackles, and visited by the occasional hearty traveler who, curious about this lone monument on the wind-swept dune, trekked two blocks inland from the beach to brave the North Beach traffic and find enlightenment. Until 2011 – the year the City of Corpus Christi began the revitalization of the neglected North Beach area and invested in a project to establish an identifiable entry to the tourist destination. Bonds had been passed to finance the transformation of the under-developed rincón, rows of palms were planted, and Wright Architects was engaged to design a gateway arch as a welcoming portal for the popular attractions in the area. Brian D. Bresler PE was president of the Corpus Christi Branch at that time, and upon seeing Wright’s plans for the first time in early March, he saw a slight problem: the north pylon of the archway was smack dab on top of the founding marker that had been so proudly unveiled in 1983! The marker and its cement pedestal would be removed to make way for the new structure. Being sensitive to the importance of this marker, the architect offered to mount a new one on the
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Llewellyn Powell, left, and Richard Powell, right, sons of founding member W.J. Powell of Dallas, pose with John A. Focht of Austin, center, at dedication ceremony in 1983. Photo credit Member Vernon A. Wuensche
north support pylon if the Section was interested in participating in this enhancement of the archway project.
Bresler contacted the Section, and in June the Executive Committee, looking towards the Centennial Celebration just two years away, recognized the opportunity for a prominent public exhibit, but they wanted a new plaque with revised wording that better reflected the contributions of civil engineering to the citizens of Texas. This would also be an opportunity to correct the citation for Julian C. Feild Jr. from Denison. Time was of the essence, so over the course of many emails, as Secretary to the Section and in consultation with Bresler and others, I quickly drafted the new wording. I also obtained a quote to produce a 36” x 48” bronze plaque as well as a separate round medallion to commemorate the centennial, which would be placed later in the centennial year, and obtained approval from the Section leadership for the production of the new E N C E . pieces. The construction of Austin the gateway arch, however, Brownsville Dallas was delayed and when conEl Paso Houston struction resumed again, Plano San Antonio the cost of bronze had gone up enough that the amount
Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 83, No. 5 - Centennial Edition