• Originally published July 23, 2011 at 10:42 p.m., updated July 23, 2011 at 10:42 p.m.

By by Gary Dunnam

During the winter of 1933-34, two local landmarks disappeared from view. Both the Krehmeier ditch and Phillips ditch were "tiled" and covered over.

The Krehmeier ditch is clearly visible on the 1873 Bird's Eye View of Victoria. It begins just north of the intersection of Wheeler and Juan Linn streets, running south, more or less down the center of Wheeler Street to Church Street, where a bridge spanned the street.

The old Gottlob Philip Hiller house is seen at 501 E. Church St. The ditch turned right and ambled alongside Church Street to De Leon Street, where it angled farther south and continued on to William Street.

Here we find yet another bridge over our ditch - this one in front of Mrs. Hensoldt's house. Taking a more southwesterly turn, it crossed Liberty Street and headed for Convent Street. In 1949 the old St. Mary's Hall would be built over the top of the tiled ditch. It stretched from Main Street to Liberty Street.

I wonder if the collapse of the Krehmeier ditch decades later led to the structural problems with the east end of the hall. Once it crosses Convent, it becomes highly visible, running under the garage behind 501 S. Liberty St. and behind the late Fred Huvar's house, 503 S. Liberty St. The ditch is moving diagonally through this block.

Some years ago, Gloria Candelaria related an old legend to me that there was a tunnel under the old Gramann House, 506 S. Main St., which led to the Guadalupe River.

Little did I know at the time that this was indeed the Krehmeier ditch.

Angling toward Bridge Street, the ditch passed along Murray Street, beside the Hermann Krehmeier house, 601 S. Bridge St. The Krehmeier family had to back their car across yet another bridge to get onto the street.

The 1873 map shows the ditch turning south to Water Street and then right to the point where it emptied into the Guadalupe River.

Newspaper accounts report that it followed Murray Street west to the river - I am guessing it was cheaper to cut a shorter ditch to the river than to follow the old ditch.

At any rate, this endeavor cost $33,300. The city paid one third, and the federal government (CWA) provided the labor and half the materials, thank you very much. The large tiles were made on site.

The late Hillary Matthews told me that the superintendent for this "tiling" project drove a Crosley automobile through the 66-inch diameter pipe when it was finished. Henry Wolff Jr. wrote an article about this ditch, which appeared in the Advocate on May 12, 1995.

The Phillips Ditch - lately the focus of much controversy - was a man-made, hand-dug affair.

Sid Weisiger wrote extensively of this rather grand bit of plumbing in his "Vignettes of Old Victoria."

"On April 1, 1876 the Common Council of the city of Victoria awarded a contract to William Grant to cut a ditch from the middle of Bustamante (Bridge St.) down the middle of North St. to the city limits on West St., a distance of 950 yards." This excavation was to be one-foot deep and 12-feet wide. It did not meander as did the Krehmeier. It was straight as an arrow.

Maj. Alexander Hamilton Phillips took exception of the endeavor and its result and filed suit on the city. He deemed it "a public nuisance."

Eventually, Jan. 22, 1880, a jury in district court decided in Phillips' favor. As a result, the city was ordered to construct bridges at each of the cross streets, or else cover up the ditch. Weisiger relates: "To make Major Phillips' victory sweeter, the jury awarded him damages in the amount of 1 cent, and the city was to pay the court cost."

It is easy to predict what rain water does to unpaved ditches; it erodes them with a vengeance. By the winter of 1933-34, there was quite a canyon down the center of North Street, and the decision was made also to "tile it over." This was done by burying a 36-inch pipe in the ditch and paving it over. The ditch comes naturally out of the ground as it enters the Dan Braman property at North and West Streets. It goes under West Street, emptying into the West Outfall, which soon becomes part of the Guadalupe River.

The Krehmeier has receded into history - not so the Phillips.

Sid Weisiger's Vignettes of Old Victoria, edited into book form by Dr. Robert W. Shook, is available at the public library and is for sale at the VPI Office, the College Bookstore, and the Museum of The Coastal Bend.

Vanished from Victoria is written by Gary Dunnam and contributed by Victoria Preservation Inc.

• Print
• •
• Share
  • Share this item

    Send this to a friend

    Share on FaceBook

  • Grab the link

    Copy and paste the link:

  • Blog about it

    Blog about this page.

  • Close
• •
• 1 Comment
• •
• Favorite
• •
• Report error
  • Thank you for your submission.
    Error report or correction

    Contact name (optional) Contact phone/e-mail (optional)  

    
  • Close
• •