Tarleton then and now
Photo Essay by Clifford Jones—
Staff Writer
Tarleton State University, or John Tarleton College as it was originally called, began in 1899 with only one building. Now the campus has outgrown its space multiple times. Its enrollment has gone from less than 200 to more than 11,000. The people in old Tarleton photographs could not have known the growth that their college could see in its 116 years of existence. In the photographs are faces forgotten by time, but their contributions have helped make Tarleton what it is today. Tarleton has seen progress and will see more progress in the next few years thanks to recent funding from the Texas A&M system. Progress is a good thing, but to truly appreciate what you have, you must first look at where you came from. Take a moment and think about those who built this university so that one-day people from around the world could come and learn at it.
Special thanks to Gary Spurr, Collection Archivist, for the photographs of Tarleton’s history and to Justin Pack for edits of current Tarleton photos.
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- The original Hunewell Bandstand was much smaller than its modern version. Its original location was also close to where the Tarleton Center is now located.
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- The original Hunewell Bandstand was much smaller than its modern version. Its original location was also close to where the Tarleton Center is now located.
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- Davis Hall is one of the oldest buildings on campus. Originally a residence hall, it became an office building. Through campus renovations and construction, the university plans to move all offices into other buildings. One thing is for sure; Davis Hall has seen better days.
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- Davis Hall is one of the oldest buildings on campus. Originally a residence hall, it became an office building. Through campus renovations and construction, the university plans to move all offices into other buildings. One thing is for sure; Davis Hall has seen better days.
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- The gates on North McIlhaney Street have been widened to accommodate for the increased traffic flow since the first photo was taken in the 1930s. The old auditorium, which used to stand in what is now Heritage Park, was torn down in the 1970s. The original brick roads were replaced with modern cement.
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- The gates on North McIlhaney Street have been widened to accommodate for the increased traffic flow since the first photo was taken in the 1930s. The old auditorium, which used to stand in what is now Heritage Park, was torn down in the 1970s. The original brick roads were also replaced with modern cement.
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- This photo was taken from the roof of the humanities building. It shows the second rec center and original dining hall. Since then, the dining hall was demolished and the rec center was converted to an office building. The insides still tell a tale of when it was just a gym.
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- This photo was taken from the roof of the humanities building. It shows the second rec center and original dining hall. Since then, the dining hall was demolished and the rec center was converted to an office building. The insides still tell a tale of when it was just a gym.
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- These are the gates on Washington. Since the original photo was taken in the 1920s, the gates were widened multiple times, the bandstand was moved and the new administration building was erected.
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- These are the gates on Washington. Since the original photo was taken in the 1920s, the gates were widened multiple times, the bandstand was moved and the new administration building was erected.
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- Few know the original location of the football field. When the Texans were “The Plowboys,” the football field was located where the fine arts building is now, inside the original 40 acres.
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- Few know the original location of the football field. When the Texans were “The Plowboys,” the football field was located where the fine arts building is now, inside the original 40 acres.
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- Gough Hall has stood the test of time. The cars in the original photo date the picture around the 1950s. Still a female-only residence hall, the only addition to Gough was the installation of air conditioning units, proving that not everything was better “back then.”
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- Gough Hall has stood the test of time. The cars in the original photo date the picture around the 1950s. Still a female-only residence hall, the only addition to Gough was the installation of air conditioning units, proving that not everything was better “back then.”
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- The canon in front of the E.J. Howell Education Building has seen action with ROTC. It has been thrown into a river, pulled back out and has recently been restored. Not much has changed since the original photo was taken. It is in the same location.
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- The canon in front of the E.J. Howell Education Building has seen action with ROTC. It has been thrown into a river, pulled back out and has recently been restored. Not much has changed since the original photo was taken. It is in the same location.
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- Memorial Stadium has not changed structurally since its construction. The home side still faces the setting sun to the dismay of fans and media alike. A taller back wall was erected, the press box was painted and the grass was replaced with turf. According to Tarleton’s 2020 plan, the field will see more renovations in the near future that include switching the home and away sides, installing brighter lights and putting down new turf.
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- (Photo by Clifford Jones)
