AUSTIN | Misc. Discussions - No Politics

[Armybrat]

Back in the '50s-'70s my dad collected a lot of Mexican silver coins (Pillar Dollars) when he was working in Monterrey. On occasion he would pick up something unusual if it looked like a bargain.
In a little shop not far off Plaza Zaragoza he spotted this Wells Fargo commemorative medal in a tray of miscellaneous coins - all priced at around 15 Pesos ($1.20 US) each. He haggled the shopkeeper down to about $1 US.

Wells Fargo had enough of these struck in 1902 to hand out to each employee - commemorating the company's 50th anniversary:

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by Armybrat

Back in the '50s-'70s my dad collected a lot of Mexican silver coins (Pillar Dollars) when he was working in Monterrey. On occasion he would pick up something unusual if it looked like a bargain.
In a little shop not far off Plaza Zaragoza he spotted this Wells Fargo commemorative medal in a tray of miscellaneous coins - all priced at around 15 Pesos ($1.20 US) each. He haggled the shopkeeper down to about $1 US.

Wells Fargo had enough of these struck in 1902 to hand out to each employee - commemorating the company's 50th anniversary:

The one on the left, pretty rare and can fetch over $1000, the one on the right...not so rare, $20, but you probably know that. I have a 1922 Liberty in my collection, would love to have a WF Medal. I would also love to have a 1921 Walking Liberty half dollar. I'm not greedy, not worth all that much but would be nice to add. Its seems that most of what I have isn't rare and not worth that much. Case in point, when I acquired a 1896 Indian Head Cent, (I found it), I thought it would be worth something, found out its worth about 2 bucks. Still nice to have, it looks pretty cool. Nice piece Armybrat.

[Armybrat]

Originally Posted by the Genral

The one on the left, pretty rare and can fetch over $1000, the one on the right...not so rare, $20, but you probably know that. I have a 1922 Liberty in my collection, would love to have a WF Medal. I would also love to have a 1921 Walking Liberty half dollar. I'm not greedy, not worth all that much but would be nice to add. Its seems that most of what I have isn't rare and not worth that much. Case in point, when I acquired a 1896 Indian Head Cent, (I found it), I thought it would be worth something, found out its worth about 2 bucks. Still nice to have, it looks pretty cool. Nice piece Armybrat.

That Liberty buck was just included in the pic for size comparison. When we went to a tourist trap saloon in Virginia City 15 years ago, my wife put a quarter in an antique slot machine, cranked the one armed bandit, and the silver dollar popped out. It's her souvenir. lol

Those WF medals originally came in a little presentationbox, which I don't have. I've seen the medals go for $200 up to $600 on eBay, so it's value is kinda relative. One of my sons (a banker) will get it pretty soon.

[masonh2479]

5-1 Astros, 2017 World Series Champions. Awesome!

[KevinFromTexas]

My mom's been watching Christmas movies lately, and I usually wait until right up to Christmas to do so. There was one on tv she was watching that she was telling me I had to come see. I missed about half of it, but it was worth watching. It's called Angels Sing. It was set in Austin and filmed here. It starts off with Harry Connick Jr. flying an RC plane at Auditorium Shores. It also has a bunch of local musicians in it - Kris Kristofferson, Lyle Lovett, Dale Watson, Ray Benson, Marcia Ball, Charlie Sexton and Willie Nelson. It's supposed to take place on "Live Oak Lane" somewhere in an older neighborhood in Austin.

[lzppjb]

Is that the one where Harry buys Willie's old mansion and then decorates it with the help of neighbors?

Saw it last year. Pretty cool being set in Austin.

[KevinFromTexas]

Yep. I don't usually go for new Christmas movies (and new music). I prefer the oldies, but this was good, and not just because it was set in Austin, though, it certainly didn't hurt.

[wwmiv]

An article about my grandfather, Wendell Wise Mayes, Jr.:

Vet, 93, says Navy years on WWII carrier forged him into an adult

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/loca...X7BiqD51CHelJ/

Mayes, who now lives at the Brookdale Westlake Hills senior living community in Austin, spent his postwar years becoming a longtime radio broadcasting and cable television executive before earning multiple college degrees after retirement, including a Ph.D. as recently as four years ago. He also organizes a luncheon to honor other veterans at Brookdale Westlake Hills.

“We call Dr. Mayes ‘Amazing Mayes,’” said Laura Clark, the resident program coordinator at Brookdale Westlake Hills. “He’s the kind of the guy that just jumps in with both feet, and he’s just really done a whole lot.”

Mayes was born in San Antonio in 1924, the son of a radio station owner and grandson of William Harding Mayes, a former Texas lieutenant governor and newspaper publisher who founded the University of Texas School of Journalism in 1914.

Wendell Mayes attended Schreiner Institute (now Schreiner University) in Kerrville for a semester. He transferred to the University of Texas for a year before joining the Navy in 1942 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

After boot camp and special training as a radar operator assisting fighter pilots on night flights, Mayes finally went to sea aboard the Yorktown in October 1944. In an autobiography, Mayes wrote that he’d gotten five battle stars for his uniform ribbons but the only “enemy” he saw while on the Yorktown was when sailors rescued a “half-drowned Japanese teenage fisherman” whose boat was sunk by shellfire.

Mayes spent four months on the Yorktown before his air group was transferred to the carrier Lexington, now a museum in Corpus Christi. Mayes said he remembers sailors coming back to the fleet and telling him about the Battle of Okinawa and kamikaze suicide planes attacking the Yorktown and other ships. The sailors told Mayes about 18 other radar techs he trained with who were on the ship who were injured or killed, leaving Mayes and one other technician as the only two left uninjured.

“I can’t tell you how it made me feel,” Mayes said. “I felt lucky.”

Mayes continues to stay involved with other veterans and personally invites them to a monthly luncheon at Brookdale Westlake Hills, where he interviews the veterans and has them share their story, which he has combined into a published book, “Brookdale Westlake Hills Veterans: A Book of Honor.”

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

An article about my grandfather, Wendell Wise Mayes, Jr.:

Vet, 93, says Navy years on WWII carrier forged him into an adult

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/loca...X7BiqD51CHelJ/

That is awesome. Getting a degree at 89 is beyond impressive.

[The ATX]

The set of Fear the Walking Dead has taken over Dell Diamond:

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/loca...oy0WJo48wWCiI/

[The ATX]

Fear the Walking Dead will also be filming in South Austin according this permit.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/perm...rtyrsn=2023382

From the permit:

...our show takes place in a post-apacolyptic backdrop, we hope to intermittently hold traffic on S. Pleasant Valley Road between Springville Lane and William Cannon for very short periods on the shoot day only with the help of APD officers

[IluvATX]

How do I cross post? And is it allowed if I'm quoting someone or using their pictures, etc. as reference?

[The ATX]

This is being discussed in the S.A. urban core thread, but there was an FAA filing for 900' Ferris Wheel/Observation Wheel for San Antonio. This would be by far the tallest Ferris Wheel in the world.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by The ATX

This is being discussed in the S.A. urban core thread, but there was an FAA filing for 900' Ferris Wheel/Observation Wheel for San Antonio. This would be by far the tallest Ferris Wheel in the world.

Pretty cool! Here's the link to that page of the thread:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...29468&page=257

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by The ATX

This is being discussed in the S.A. urban core thread, but there was an FAA filing for 900' Ferris Wheel/Observation Wheel for San Antonio. This would be by far the tallest Ferris Wheel in the world.

Why?

[Jdawgboy]

Yet something else I've wanted Austin to have but won't. Ohwell.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Yet something else I've wanted Austin to have but won't. Ohwell.

I'd rather have an observation tower.

[Sigaven]

Originally Posted by The ATX

This is being discussed in the S.A. urban core thread, but there was an FAA filing for 900' Ferris Wheel/Observation Wheel for San Antonio. This would be by far the tallest Ferris Wheel in the world.

And also would dwarf the entire skyline. I think it's kind of a strange place to propose an observation wheel of any kind, much less the tallest ever built. It's well outside the downtown area and nothing much really happening in that area, unless there's something brewing up in that part of town we don't know about. (no pun intended - as it is near the lone star brewery site lol)

[the Genral]

I'm with Kevin, observation / restaurant tower would be cool. And again, I ask why? as in why would anyone need a 900ft Ferris Wheel and at that price. I don't find them that attractive in a city scape, but they do add a festive touch amongst other rides.
On another off topic note, saw the character 'Morgan' from 'Walking Dead' on talking dead last night with the Texas Capitol Building in the background being interviewed about his crossover to 'Fear The Walking Dead'. We knew FTWD was going to be filmed in Austin / Round Rock, now everyone knows. Pretty cool, I may start watching it.

[the Genral]

Why aren't the two identical buildings flanking city hall next to each other?