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Texas City Disaster

Photograph of the twisted wreckage of a 1940s automobile sitting beside a building.
Date: 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[1940 Buick Convertible]

Photograph of a 1940 red Buick convertible that belonged to Joseph Kilgore. The car is heading down a small dirt road in League City.
Date: 1941
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Holiday Greeting Card from the Kilgores]

Greeting card featuring a photo of Edna Kilgore holding in her arms her toddler-aged son Theodore, aka Teddy. Typeset below the picture is the text "Holiday Greetings." Below that is handwriting that reads, "Edna Ted and Ullmann."
Date: [1940..1945]
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[League City High School Class of 1947]

Photograph of a group of students from the League City High School class of 1947; however, this photo was taken when the students were juniors. They are arranged in two rows on the steps just outside an unidentified building.
Date: 1946
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

Pediatric Postgraduate Course University of Texas School of Medicine, Galveston, Texas, May 14-19, 1945

Photograph of a group of people in the Pediatric Postgraduate Course at the UT School of Medicine. Most are either wearing formal attire or white medical jackets; Edith Bonnet is standing in the center of the second row and wearing a hat. The text at the bottom of the photo reads: "Auspices, University of Texas Child Health Program and the Division of Maternal and Child Health of the Texas State Board of Health."
Date: [1945-05-14..1945-05-19]
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

Pediatric Post-Graduate Course University of Texas School of Medicine, Galveston, Texas Nov. 12-17, 1945

Photograph of a group of people in the Pediatric Postgraduate Course at the UT School of Medicine standing on the steps of "Old Red." Most are either wearing formal attire or white medical jackets; Edith Bonnet is standing in the third row, second from the left and wearing a light shirt and dark hat. The text at the bottom of the photo reads: "Auspices, University of Texas Child Health Program and the Division of Maternal and Child Health of the Texas State Board of Health."
Date: [1945-11-12..1945-11-17]
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

Pediatric Postgraduate Course University of Texas School of Medicine, Galveston, Texas, Oct. 28 to Nov. 2, 1946

Photograph of a group of people in the Pediatric Postgraduate Course at the UT School of Medicine on the steps of "Old Red." All are either wearing formal attire; the text at the bottom of the photo reads: "Auspices, University of Texas Child Health Program and the Division of Maternal and Child Health of the Texas State Board of Health."
Date: [1946-10-28..1946-11-02]
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Airplanes at a small airport]

At the far left, one small biplane sits on a runway. Two men are near that plane. Off the runway, in the grass, is a small airplane with a prop engine on the right wing. It's call number is NC65212. There are barrels and what appears to be an engine part near the plane. Further in the distance is another small plane parked in the grass.
Date: 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[The Longhorn II aground after the 1947 Texas City Disaster]

The cargo ship, Longhorn II, sits on dry land after the 1947 Texas City Disaster. Debris is visible in the foreground, and large, twisted pieces of metal can be seen on the far left.
Date: April 16, 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[A drugstore after the 1947 Texas City Disaster]

Huge clouds of dark smoke are visible behind and to the left of a commercial building with two store fronts visible. A sign in front of the store on the left reads, in part, "Public Drugs". Windows on the drugstore are boarded closed. In front of the store is a scales. The other store on the right is also boarded up. These buildings were located on the south side of the 300 block of Texas Avenue.
Date: April 16, 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[The Wilson B. Keene after the 1947 Texas City Disaster]

The ruined hull of the Wilson B. Keene lists heavily toward shore after the explosions. The two-story warehouse on its right is heavily damaged. Down the shore line, piles of debris can be seen, as well as another heavily damaged building on the shoreline. On the reverse of the photograph is written: "The Wilson B Keen (sic) half submerged at the main slip".
Date: April 16, 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[A druggist on duty after the 1947 Texas City Disaster]

A woman slacks and a sweater and holding a pair of white gloves stands in front of a store with the front windows boarded up and one door open. Handmade signs at the door read "Druggist on duty" and "Fountain closed". On the right side, in what would have been the display shelf in the front window of the store, sits a keg with the numeral "48" on it and five glass drink or milk bottles. On the sidewalk below the window are two large round metal cans with handles, perhaps milk cans, one with the initials "STDP" on the side. There is a hose running from the window to behind one of the cans. Another object, perhaps a rectangular can, is partially visible behind the round can on the right. The woman has cuts and abrasions on her face.
Date: April 16, 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Searching through debris near the railroad tracks after the 1947 Texas City Disaster]

A crane stands at the far edge of a cleared section of dirt in the foreground. On the right is a line of boxcars receding away from the viewer with their left sides crushed inward. A large line of debris lies on the left of the train between it and the cleared area. On the far left of the cleared area is very large mound of debris mostly behind a low wall. Four men are on top of the debris, much of it concrete chunks and rebar, searching through it. The wall is either the remnant of a building or has been erected as a retaining wall. All around the crane and in the distance are piles of twisted metal, railroad tracks, wooden railroad ties and other debris. Wording on the crane: "The M. W. Kellogg Co.' and "Northwest". The number "#38" is in the lower right hand corner of the photograph.
Date: April 16, 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[People and hearses line up outside the temporary morgue after the 1947 Texas City Disaster]

Vehicles of all kinds, including hearses, are parked in parking spots, on the grass and on the roadways. The photographer is looking across a vacant lot toward a side street that intersects with a street lined with businesses. People are standing in groups waiting. Signs on identifiable businesses read "Michaels", and "Desoto Plymouth." A billboard near one of the buildings reads "On this site will be The White House."
Date: April 16, 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[People waiting for information after the 1947 Texas City Disaster]

A line of people stands awaiting along a waist-high wire fence. Two gentlemen, one in uniform, stand at the gate talking. Across the street are businesses. Signs on the businesses read "Hetherington Jeweler", "Insurance", and "Farmer Appliances", and "C & D Prescription Pharmacy."
Date: April 16, 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[People and hearses wait outside the temporary morgue after the 1947 Texas City Disaster]

Vehicles are parked along the roads and sidewalks and on the grass. People stand outside the temporary morgue at McGar Motor Service in groups or individually waiting and talking. In the foreground a black hearse with the sign "Rosenberg Funeral Home" waits. Signs on identifiable buildings read "Desoto Plymouth" and "Michaels" and "I.O.O.F. 656." Part of an advertisement reading "White House" can be seen.
Date: April 16, 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[A view of the port from a residential area after the 1947 Texas City Disaster]

This photograph was taken from above street level from the post office located at the NW corner of 6th Street and 3rd Avenue, looking toward the port. At a four-way intersection with a stoplight, two policemen direct traffic. Some refinery facilities and the grain elevator are visible in the distance and clouds of dark smoke flow from left to right. Approximately 20 cars are visible, driving along the streets or parked along the roadsides. Two women walk down a street. Three men stand at a corner facing toward the port. An official stands with one policeman watching traffic go by. Diagonally across the interstection are several empty lots, but a number of houses, one large industrial building and a store are visible in the distance. The store, located on the corner of the next street, has signage on it that reads "Cookies. Grocery & Market, CocaCola". Two portable signs are on short poles at entrance of street headed to port area on the left. The legible sign on the right reads "One way, do not enter."
Date: April 16, 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Military personnel looking at damaged machinery after the 1947 Texas City Disaster]

Military personnel look at the ruins of machinery and vehicles near the railroad tracks. One man looks directly at the camera while two others look away. In the foreground, the chassis and part of a tank remain of a four-wheeled vehicle. Behind it to the left, the remains of a large tracked vehicle, perhaps a crane, stand amid metal debris. Cables and metal struts extend upward above this ruined vehicle. A large, ruined engine sits on top of the debris. In the background, on raised railroad tracks, two lines of freight cars stand. Damage is visible to the tops and sides of the front row of cars.
Date: 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[The Longhorn II aground after the 1947 Texas City Disaster]

The Longhorn II rests aground near the Seatrain loading crane after the 1947 Texas City Disaster. A large chunk of damaged ship's hull sits at the far left, between two parked automobiles and the Longhorn II. In the distance on the left can be seen some refinery tower structures. Debris is scattered in the foreground, including an tire, metal pieces and wooden beams.
Date: April 16, 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[The damaged Texas Hotel after the 1947 Texas City Disaster]

A two-story building with the words "Texas Hotel" on the front shows damage after the 1947 Texas City Disaster. Windows and doors have been blown out, and pieces of window frames and screens are leaning against the front of the building. A car is parked near the side entrance to the hotel.
Date: April 16, 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[General Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright IV and staff officers]

Two unidentified Army staff officers stand in the street near an officer and a motorcycle bearing the license plate ZN TEX-47 2306. Behind the two officers, General Jonathan Wainwright stands on the sidewalk outside the brick building, smoking a pipe. He is surrounded by other Army personnel and one civilian. On the back of the photograph is written "General Wainwright - U.S. Army - helped with rescue efforts April 1947."
Date: April 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[The Longhorn II aground after the 1947 Texas City Disaster]

The Longhorn II rests aground after the 1947 Texas City Disaster. A large portion of twisted ship's hull is near its front end. A covered truck, probably an Army vehicle, sits near the back end. Several men walk near the boat between a parked automobile and road-clearing equipment. In the background, on the far right are two damaged multi-story buildings. The damaged building on the left has only the metal structure of the upper floor visible. The white building on the far right has lost all windows. A flag flies at half mast from a pole near the white building. Clouds of gray smoke rise from behind the buildings.
Date: April 16, 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[An American Red Cross truck provides refreshments for rescue workers after the 1947 Texas City Disaster]

Five rescue workers stand in front of a Red Cross canteen truck. Two women are handing out coffee and food to the workers. On the side of the vehicle is lettered "American Red Cross Galveston County Chapter." At the far right in the background is the grain elevator with visible damage to the top part of the structure. Clouds of smoke fill the sky.
Date: April 16, 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Longhorn II washed ashore during the 1947 Texas City Disaster]

One end of the cargo ship Longhorn II, washed ashore onto dry ground from the explosion of the Grandcamp at the North Slip, is seen up close. The end of the boat overhangs a curved section of railroad track. Visible under the overhanging end is a sign which reads "No parking along fence" with more, larger debris piled to the right. Some damage to the lower hull on the right side is visible. Two men stand underneath the end of the boat looking at the ship. A man in uniform, either from a law enforcement or military agency, stands to the left of the tracks looking away.
Date: April 16, 1947
Creator: unknown
System: The Portal to Texas History