Two sad stories tell the tale of a historic building that formerly stood at 512 S Chadbourne Street in San Angelo, but whose demolition revealed a wonderful ghost sign that it has protected from the elements for decades.
From the San Angelo Standard-Times: (
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"Cause sought in boot shop fire
Posted: Dec. 30, 2008
By Jennifer Rios
Investigators roped off Robert Brest's store while they continued to investigate the fire that gutted the building at 512 S. Chadbourne St.
Owner Brest, his family and work associates were not allowed inside to see whether anything is salvageable at Brest Boots/R.E. Donaho Saddle Co. Instead, Brest paced around, wondering what to do about his customers.
"You build a lot of friendships and clients," he said. "It gets burnt, and it's lost."
Dangerous-buildings Inspector Joanna Jackson placed security tape across openings in the building to prevent disturbance of evidence and keep people out of the unsafe structure.
The building burned Sunday. Five engines responded to the alarm, and 28 firefighters fought the blaze for more than three hours.
Throughout the day Monday, about 30 people from businesses around town dropped by to hand Brest their business cards and offer their help and services, he said. Leather, construction and saddle workers offered everything from use of their equipment to finding temporary positions for Brest's employees.
"It's very, very kind - coming over here and asking if I needed any help," Brest said, making special note of fabled bootmaker M.L. Leddy for helping his employees find work. "They're good people."
An insurance company is scheduled to visit the building today to assess damage.
Brest is in the process of rerouting the company's phone number so customers can call about their orders.
Fire investigator Thomas Truett said he will begin an interior investigation as soon as the building has stabilized enough to venture inside.
The last hot spots in the fire were extinguished Monday, 24 hours after the blaze broke out. The fire brought down the roof and much of the second floor, leaving the brick shell and wreckage inside.
"A significant portion of the second floor did not collapse. I am very interested in getting up there to see what can be found," Truett said.
Brest said the city sent out representatives to offer help, too, because the building is a historic landmark. Donaho's saddle operation has been open since 1890, he said, and the boot shop, which has passed through three families, has been open since 1923.
The store gained acclaim for making boots for actors in movies such as "No Country for Old Men."
"We were growing," Brest said, "and it's terrible when you're growing and things like this happen."
This story, from 4 years later finishes the tale: (
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"Heavy storms answer prayers
Rainfall delivers hope to San Angelo
posted May 25, 2014
By Justin Zamudio
. . .
In a reprise of late September 2012, an astonishing rainfall over Memorial Day weekend filled Lake Nasworthy and quenched the parched ground around San Angelo within days of the city going to drought level 3, which would have imposed severe water conservation measures in recognition that only 12 months of water remained in surface water supplies.
It was the answer to many communal and individual prayers. At least two mass prayer events were held during May, and signs urging people to pray for rain have sprung up across the community.
Several storms moved through the area, starting with rain Friday night and continuing Saturday and Sunday.
. . .
The weekend weather had it all: thunder and lightning, rain, hail and high winds. In addition to drought relief, it revealed a bit of history.
Along with the roaring thunder, a bystander downtown Sunday night might have heard the racket of falling bricks as a 110-foot wall that formed part of a historic building blew over about midnight Sunday.
The front wall of the former Brest Boot Co. building couldn't withstand the wind.
It was one of several unruly storms that moved in succession through the area. Winds from a super-cell Saturday night were clocked at 65 mph, said Joel Dunn, meteorologist at the National Weather Service of San Angelo. From midnight Sunday and through the day, the weather service recorded 2.36 inches of rain, Dunn said.
For Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the city recorded 5.5 inches with more rain expected in the coming days, he said.
On Sunday morning bricks lay strewed across the 500 block South Chadbourne Street.
Authorities barricaded the street, but no one was clearing the debris.
Fort Concho National Historic Landmark site manager Bob Bluthardt weathered the Sunday drizzle as he snapped photos of what was revealed by the collapsed wall - including a vintage Nabisco billboard on the historical building's interior.
"That is like going through your grandma's attic and finding a piece of history. I'm taking a photo and sending it to my brother who's a historian ? he'll really appreciate it," Bluthardt said.
The peeled advertisement read "National Biscuit Company Uneeda Biscuit." Bluthardt explained National Biscuit Company was shortened to spell Nabisco, and he said he got a kick out of the "Uneeda Biscuit" slogan.
Bluthardt chuckled and went on his way. Moments later Paul Paschal made his way to the wreckage of bricks. He also had a camera, but for other reasons ? insurance.
Paschal, owner of William R. Paschal & Sons Fine Wood Working, was assessing the damage because his building next to the Brest Boot structure had been battered by falling bricks.
Earlier this month the former Brest Boot Co. building had one of its walls collapse because of a strong thunderstorm. The building was weakened structurally by a fire that gutted it in December 2008.
"Demolition was set for Monday, and it had to come down on Saturday," Paschal said.
Paschal was surprised his 105-year-old building wasn't more damaged by the collapse.
"It sustained through the fire, and hopefully it will do the same with these storms," he said.
Mike Kelly and Jennifer Rios contributed to this report."