Beneath our feet is a marvelous piece of hometown history—that humble, well-trodden concrete sidewalk. Kids play on it and ride their bikes. Adults walk and jog on it for exercise. Fido tugs at his leash. But how often do we pause and appreciate our sidewalks? Sure, once in a while we sneak a peek when we hear the echo of that old saying: “Step on a crack, break your mother’s back!”
Now, if you’ve got a few moments and want to see how hard-working laborers put their “stamp” on our city decades ago, stroll on over to the Beaumont Unified School District’s headquarters (formerly Beaumont City Hall.) If you look at the sidewalks in front of 500 Grace Ave., you’ll see smooth concrete poured and floated during 1929—the same year the stock market crashed and America plunged into the Great Depression.
Today, more than 80 years later, you’ll see nary a crack or bulge in that concrete. The sidewalks have remained unscathed through decades of weather and spidery tree roots and generations of people scuffing their feet. Today, we admire such craftsmanship. And if we ever forget, those long ago artisans left us a little reminder etched deeply and proudly into the cement: “Osborn Company 1929 Contractor.”
By the way, do you know something about Osborn Company and the men who created those sidewalks? If you do, please contact the Beaumont Blogger and we’ll do a little more research.
No comments:
Post a Comment