Pearl Harris

As I was watching the news of the weather being the cause of closure of some schools in our area, I noticed Junction City Schools was one of them. I began to recall some  of the memories during my twelve years at that school. Of course, I do remember the first day – I was scared to death. We had moved from the country – about 4 miles from Junction City – so that I could start to school. My big brother walked me the 2 blocks but had to leave me in my class. It was after Christmas and I don’t remember all my teachers, but I do remember some of them. A Miss McMichael was one of the first. She was young and pretty and wore silk hose. I don’t guess I had ever seen anyone with silk hose on. She taught us art. I recall we had to draw cattails. I thought they were so pretty, and I got a good grade and a special recognition for the one I drew and colored. Then there was Miss Turner who was 4th or 5th grade teacher. She had a high temple – she threw her shoe across the room at some boys who were acting up. Then in the 6th grade there was Mrs. Tullis. She had us memorize a lot of scripture – one was 13th Chapter of 1 Corinthians – which I still recall most of it. She was also my Sunday School teacher. Then there was Mack Hopper, my first male teacher. He fell in the pit-toilet at home and had to borrow shoes to wear to school the next day. One of my favorites was Mrs. Dowdy. She taught English and Latin. She was a great teacher – everyone loved her. Mr. Elton Upshaw taught Math and Algebra. We gave him a lot of trouble. He is the one that I put a thumb tack in his chair. Elizabeth Carrol Colvin was young and had red hair. She was just out of college and not much other than we were. She was in charge of study hall and would stand in a chair to see if we were studying. One day she was late and I proceeded to get in the chair and take charge. She put me back in my place. We all liked her. When they began teaching typing, bookkeeping, and shorthand that really suited me. From Fred Farrar was our teacher. He was really a good one. There was another boy and I who typed at the same speed – 100 words per minute. I did a lot of extra typing for our superintendent Mr. Hanchey. I remember we had a really good basketball teams. I can’t recall all of the players, but some of the girls were Edna and Alice Wingfield, and Florence Reagan. The boys team were Clarence and Lawrence Durham, twins, Townley Chicbalm, Archie Telford and a Reagan boy (brother to Florence Reagan). Larkin Greer was Coach. The highlight of the year was the Duel State Basketball Tournament. They let a few of us go to El Dorado to get advertisement during the tournament. We would make posters and put up on the gym walls during the tournament. I remember one of the ones I made was of the black cat café in El Dorado. Some of us were allowed to go up to El Dorado to get permission to advertise. One day about 5 of us go in Nelson Elkins Model A Ford and we finished early and decided to go out to Sloan’s Park and get home about time school was out. Well, we got stuck in a sand bed and were after school getting home. As well as I remember it was my friend Carrie Louise Wylie, William Jones, H. J. Williams, Robert McCelland and Nelson and I. But we all told the same tale. We were not bad – we were just teenagers. I still have a soft spot in my heart for Junction City High School. You’ve graduated some pretty good people – so keep it up. It was fun recalling some of my favorite memories in my live at Junction City High School.

If any of you gals, or guys in the class of 1936 read this (and are still alive) I would love to hear from you.