Legend or myth: Brick recovered from smokestack

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 22, 2009

STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS— Hidden beneath 8 feet of bat guano, Tarleton State University Physical Facilities employees found a treasure of sorts last spring.

Its value is not measured in money. Its value lies in the story it tells or perhaps, the legend it supports.

While cleaning one of Tarleton’s oldest landmarks, the smokestack, a single paver brick was found.

Legend says that an invader from North Texas Agricultural College (NTAC) flew an airplane over the smoke stack and dropped a brick in the shaft.

“They had to clean the smokestack to do a structural inspection,” said Tom Robinson, electrical, mechanical and plumbing supervisor. “While cleaning it out, there was several kinds of debris in the bottom, and amongst that was the brick.”

The smokestack that towers over the east end of the Tarleton campus was built in 1921. It was once used in conjunction with the central heating plant added in 1920. The plant provided heat, light and power for most of the buildings on campus.

The incident is mentioned in the Purple Book, but its origin remains unknown. This legend is well known among students and alumni. However, no one seems to know when the incident occurred.

“I did hear the story years ago,” said J. Louis Evans, Tarleton alumnus and Stephenville native. “I have never seen anything written on it, but I think it was just passed down through the years by word of mouth.”

Tarleton alumna Donna Strohmeyer, director of Student Activities and the Barry B. Thompson Student Center, agreed saying in her years at Tarleton she has never seen the written story. She said the infamous brick is now on display on the main floor of the student center during Homecoming this week.

It’s not certain that the brick recovered from the shaft is the brick of the legend. Could it be the brick that actually left the hand of a NTAC pilot who hit his target, sending the brick skipping down the sides of the smokestack before coming to rest at the bottom?

No one may ever know the truth — and that in itself is legendary.

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