WPA GYM
HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL
Kathy
Chritensen's research in 2002
[My
comments are in red.--Elreeta Weathers]
May 15 2002,
Hello Mrs. Weathers,
I am currently looking up
any information on the old rock WPA gymnasium up at school. I am serving
on a committee to try to fix some of the problems with the gym and have
gotten interested in the history of the gym and the WPA process. I
have been to the genealogy society and researched microfilm of old
newspapers and been lucky enough to find quite a bit of info. However,
there has been some information that has been puzzling. Johnnye Gautier
suggested I contact you to see if you have any information on the
gym and possibly pictures of some of the early teams (gym too).
Some of what I've found:
Dr.
A. G. Livingston was chairman of the Civil
Works Administration in Hamilton County.
| 1935 Set of plans drawn and application
for funding to WPA
|
| Not quite sure when WPA approved the
grant (1935 - 38??)
|
| August 1938 school passed bond election
for $16,000 (only 8 votes against)
|
| Oct 1939 work started on gym (Note: Set
of plans drawn in '35 were not used ? -the gym on the ground is
different than the original plans? Possibly because classrooms were
added..?)
|
| First game played Dec. 13, 1940 against
Blue Ridge. I've got the team members. Oh, the girls lost but the boys
won..... |
Any info you might have on the gym I would
certainly appreciate. Thanks for your time.
1940 - 1941 Hamilton boys were
victorious in their season opener against Blue Ridge 22 - 19.
This game officially opened the new
Hamilton High School Gymnasium on Friday night, December 13, 1940.
The Hamilton Teams included:
BOYS STARTERS
Forward |
Alvin
Arnett |
Forward |
Hercel Easterling |
Center |
Billy George Wood (High
Point for Hamilton in the game with 8 points) |
Guard |
Burnell Williams |
Guard |
Bud Stamp |
Substituted into game:
| Ardis Jones
| Lonnie Yates
| Jesse Carl Brown
| Calvin Dunlop
| Thomas League
| Clarence Young
| R. C. Eppler
| Kenneth Preston |
| | | | | | |
1940 - 1941 Hamilton girls basketball
season opener was lost to Blue Ridge 25 - 29.
Hamilton Girls: Coached by
Coach John Sullivan, who
was also high school principal.
GIRLS STARTERS
Forward |
Irene Kelm - -
Team Captain |
Forward |
Lorene Kelm |
Forward |
Hope Parrish -
(High point for Hamilton in game with 12 points) |
Guard |
Patsy Nell Grisham |
Guard |
Juaneth Hiller |
Guard |
Christine Havens |
Substituted into the game for Hamilton:
| Dorothy Hufstutler
| Katherine Redden
| Oda Fern Stanford
| Joyce Little
| Clara Mae Wright
| Mary Nell Redden
| Vivian Embrey
| Betty Jim Parks
| Leona Yates |
| | | | | | | |
The girls from
Blue Ridge listed in that first game according to the Hamilton County
News dated 12/20/40 were:
Forward |
Frances Williams (high point for game with
17) Married Billy George Woods |
Forward |
Mary Lyndell Gardner
|
Forward |
Joy Gardner
Alta Joy Gardner married (1) Alton E.
Raibourn in 1945. After Alton's death Joy married Oliver
Carl Neie in 1950. |
Guard |
Wanda Moore
|
Guard |
Charline
Harkins
|
Guard |
Pauline Harkins
|
Coach for Blue Ridge was a
Coach William Jennings Harris. Paper said Blue Ridge made no substitutions so no other
members of team were listed.
The Blue Ridge boys
involved were
|
James
Gardner James Kenneth Gardner
|
|
Bernard Neal Bernard
Daniel Neal, son of Marion William Neal & Pearl Virginia
Chumney, died March 14, 1945, in Germany in the World War II
European Theater, US Army |
|
Ed Schneider
|
|
Louis Koether
Louis C. Koether married Charlotte L. Daniel on December 14, 1946
|
|
Edgar French Edgar
Campbell French, son of William Morris French & Nettie
Cathlene Smith died December 22, 1988 |
SHARED BY
Kathy Christensen
From Bill and Claudine
Barkley
June 9, 2002
I only remember that the old gym was built with
WPA funds and labor. We had our Senior Prom in it in 1941--May, I
guess. James Garner was Kenneth Gardner, who moved
it to Hamilton High School his Senior year. He graduated with
Claudine in 1942. That was about the time they did not offer the
Senior year in Blue Ridge. DO YOU HAVE
INFORMATION YOU ARE WILLING TO SHARE ABOUT THE WPA GYM? We
welcome pictures and all information. Elreeta
Weathers |
|