Hi Mary,

Nice to hear from you.

I was at the Petroleum Building alot. I was either eating there or using my lunch money to buy Science Fiction books at the book store (Mr. Binns, again).

As I remember, being the nice guy I was, I would stand in line to order at the little cafe for lunch. There were kids that would rush to the cafe, from NJH and SJH and stand in line, but when their friends got there, they would let 5-10 friends cut in line. For some reason, when there were school games coming up, more people would show up and cause major problems for us "Good Kids". We all only had 35 minutes to eat and get back to school. Some times I would not get to eat, so I would just go buy a book and get back to school. Most of the fights were the rowdy people (you know who you are)...I just got too close one time watching, but never did that again. Never went to the doctor, never told my parents...guess I was lucky. I was not supposed to leave the South Junior High grounds and go crusing at lunch on my scooter. After awhile, the school made the scooters stay parked from morning until we left, after school.   

Scott: 

Now that you mention it - I think Roswell High may have originally been where SJH bcame - but I am not for sure...for some reason, that rings a bell - that either SJH or NJH was originally Roswell High school and then they built the New Roswell High School out on Hobbs Street because our population had grown so much -- because of Walker Air Force Base - and then we lost  Walker Air Force Base - and that was so sad - well people didn't like the Airmen - but I will never forget when the base closed and for at least a solid week if not more - main street was lined with moving vans - boy, did we ever pay for that - our economy went right down the drain!!!  I have also heard that we lost Walker because New Mexico didn't vote for Johnson for Prsident....Anyway, loosing Walker Air Force Base totally changed the cultural of Roswell - then  we solicited Snow Birds from the north - all retired folks - had nothing against them but they didn't help our economy and then the generation or two after us capitizated on the "Aliens" - and that is where Roswell is now.  But, I still love the place!!!!!!!!!!!

Mary

Scotty;

I was at the Petro Bldg a few times a week. My Dad knew Mr St.John quite well and had set up a .50 charge 3 times a week for me. I went a number of times, but ended up going to the 8 Ball to shoot pool with RJ most of the time..sometimes at lunch, sometimes right after school. Anyway..I missed thr rumble. I'm sure the battle would have swung unbelievably in SJH favor had I been there..haha. Man, am I funny. I got in 1 fight (on-campus) my entire jr. hi and high school career. "I cudda been a contendah"!

Mary; I'll have to check with my mom and dad, but I think both jr. hi's served as the high school at one time or another. I recall my uncle graduating from high school in or around 1954. We went and I think it was at the dark brick building that later became NJH. I'll confirm later after speaking with mom. 

The first house my parents lived in after getting married in 1945 was on north Washington. It was at the intersection of either 5th or 7th (I think). Anyway..it was washed off of it's foundation in one of those early 1950's floods. My grandparents had a dairy on S. Sunset between 2nd and McGaffey. In the early 50's (maybe sthe same flood) the water got so high there that the Nat'l Guard had to come pick me up as a tiny boy and drive me from there to my parents house on W. Hendricks. Water was a foot or 2 high. Level for miles. All the ditches my grandmother and I would walk to pick asparagus, and capture tadpoles in mason fruit jars, were all under a lot of water. I suppose the dam project has kept that from happening since.

Tom,

I remembered the Great flood of 1954. I lived at 1500 West Tilden. We had the furnaces in the floor at this house. I remember the furnaces went out, I could see the water rising up thru the floor and flooding our home. Outside, looked like a big lake for miles. There was so much debris that it washed our whole fence in the back yard down and moved the house off the foundation. I started shcool at Parkview and moved the next year to South Pennsylvania and started school at Valley View. 

We all used to meet at the Big Tree on Hendrix and play for hours. Back then, mom would kick me out of the house and said go play but be here, on time for dinner (dinner was lunch back then) and supper or you wouldn't get fed. You lived down the street, Frank Sandry down the street, Jan and Judy Adams lived across the street, Barbara Harris and Paula Holland and Pam Dildine, all lived around me. Lots of kids to play with and we did get into trouble, but fun stuff.

Do check with your folks on the schools - It has my curiosity up now.  I know Jerry graduated at Roswell High on Hobbs and I think that was in 1957 or so.  The floods were something else and that is why they eventually built the damn and it worked - unless it rained right on top of Roswell and we had some pretty bad flooding then but nothing like back in the 50's.  When I worked at the police dept in the lates 60's and early 70's we had some pretty major flooding and people's drainage ditches in front of some of the houses on the south side - and my Mom's was one of them - got stopped up with trash and stuff and was threatening flooding their homes - The police got the word out asking for help from anyone who had little motor boats to bring then out and help them clean out the drainage ditches so the water drain through to the river.  Mom lived on Forrest Dr and her house backed up to the river - But the water was deep enough on the streets and yards that those smaller motor boats worked.  I was working dispatch on most of those nights - some pretty tense moments - but I loved that job! 

Mary - SJH was the old RHS, NJH was always a JH.  I guess thats where they got the "Pups" from.  My mother-in-law graduated from RHS when it was at South.  In fact she had both Seager and Dennis for English at the old RHS.  I think that is the reason South had the big Gym.

Yes, I found out from a pretty reliable source a couple of days ago that SJH was definitely the original Roswell High School.  He also said that one of the Jr, High Schools either NJH or EJH was renamed "Pueblo" Jr. High - it rings a bell in my memory - does it wth you?  Don't know which one though. 

Mary

Mary; South became Yucca. North became Pueblo. East became Mesa and what would have been West, was Sierra. (my guess on Sierra).

Tommy - I think your correct about the names, by that time they were middle schools instead of Junior High.  My sister went to Sierra, which was out there in the tree street neighbor hood.

Ya'll are right - my memory just slips me sometimes.  (actually a lot!)  To me though SJH will always be SJH.

It's obvious who has the most time on his hands to just sit and reflect on days in good ole Roswell. I've posted almost twice as much as anyone. How embarassing is that? Well..I'll shut up a while and read. Chuck, Ronnie and Dixie always told me I talk too much.

Hey Guys, found this old 1913 post card on Ebay. Was this the South Junior High building?

This is the current school listing from the RISD site. Looks like the old RHS/YUCCA school is no longer used.

Roswell ISD Schools

Yes, looks like it to me!

That was interesting Tommy - thanks - there are several schools missing now.

Mary

Yes Tommy you have discovered SJH in its earlier life.

Yipper..that's Her in all Her glory. I think that's the "tower" that Linda made reference to earlier.

I think it is very interesting how similar the design is to the NMMI Sally port.

You know, you are right - I will be honest with you - I do not remember you but with all you have done for our website, I am really looking forward to meeting you at the reunion!

Mary