Memories ~ the 60's ~

Roxann (Johnson) Spencer, Class of '72 (April, 2001)

My favorite restaurant was Isaly's Icecream Store (home of the Klondike Bar) on Hamilton Road, I remember it in the shopping center Hamilton/Main, but I could be mistaken. We used to stop there after school or after shopping, it was a great place to meet with friends and discuss boys.

Also there was a women's botique in the shopping center where I would go with friends and daydream about buying some of the kool clothes, pea jackets, coats that were midi length, some of the English style clothes that Twiggy was wearing at the time. What memories. I later bought some of those kool clothes after I started working.

David Rumbaugh, Class of '61 (February, 2001)

Warren Wesler was the first band director. The last members of his original band graduated with my class. They had been together for six years, starting in middle school. The band had what seemed to be a firm contract to sell Krispy Kreme donuts door to door for fund raising, and music (the band, at least) was of equal importance with football.Half time was the most intense competition of any game at WYHS.

Whitehall hosted the district band competition, and in 1960, hosted the State. It was a lot of fun to get there at 7am to be ready and on stage by 8am. Then we stayed there and worked the rest of the day as runners, guides, stage crew, and anything else that needed to be done. We had a boys cooking class that catered lunch for the judges.

Sue (Slay) Buchert, Class of '67 (January, 2001)

Most of the grads from the 60's would remember a place called "Chances R" on East Main Street. It was a place much like the Pour House that we never (ahem) went into, since it was a bar and, after all, we were under age.

Another high school memory, even though it doesn't have anything to do with Whitehall itself was The Valley Dale Ballroom on Sunbury Road. They had a huge dance every Sunday and featured high school bands from central Ohio and at times had big band names there. It was a really big deal in my class of "67".

And who remembers sledding at North American aviation Park? That was always a good time.

Bob Reed, Class of '71 (July, 2000)

We kept ourselves very well entertained as kids, organized sports were not necessary!

I lived on Elbern where we all had half acre lots, and no fences. We were always playing baseball or basketball......the older kids teaching the younger ones. David Bailey (Class of 69?) was about six foot four as a teenager, and had a huge basketball court in his back yard. I think he taught every boy on Elbern how to play basketball.

When Nancy Keller (class of '70) entered her dog in the pet show at Robinwood and Broad, the grocery store was called Avey's, and Edwards Drugs was there. Remember those great "crushes" you could get at their soda fountain for 10 cents? Or, on the way home from East Broad Elementary, you could buy a milk and a couple of Krispy Kremes for 15 cents!

One of my fondest memories is of the summer holidays in our back yard. Soft drinks were a rare treat, but every Memorial Day, 4th, and Labor Day, my dad would break out the aluminum Coleman ice chest, plunk it under the big maple tree in our back yard, and fill it with Vernors Ginger Ale or the different sodas you could buy at Whistle Pop Stop beside Angie's Pizza. Dad would buy ice for the cooler from a big, self service ice machine located behind the original location of Zettler's Hardware, near Creath's Lumber, at Town and Country Shopping Center. All of us neighborhood kids would play hard all day, and drink ourselves silly from that old cooler. What a treat!

Before Orton Davis Park became the center of 4th of July activities, who remembers walking with their family to the big field at the corner of Robinwood and Broad Street ( there used to be a movie theater there, and is where Krogers now sits), sitting on blankets, and watching 4th of July fireworks? I believe earlier in the day, the Whitehall Fire Department would also put up two poles with a wire stretched between, with a metal bucket hung from it, and battle in teams with fire hoses to move the bucket to the opponent's end of the field. I can remember vividly sitting as a family on a blanket watching the fireworks, but I don't recall our wonderful evening ever ruined by bad weather.

Ralph Herbert, Class of '73 (August, 2000)

These are some of my fondest memories of the 70's, excluding just spending time with my high school friends

Drink and Drown on High Street at Papa Joes or Travel Agency with buckets of beer and Ouzo

Jammin at The Castle-especially to bands called Divine Comedy or McGuffey Lane

Ohio State Football

Disco-Charlie Bear, Dixie Electric Company

Friday Nights after football at Burger King

Doug Cross's Yellow 340 CUDA

My 62 Ford Falcon

 

Bob Reed, Class of '71 (July 8, 2000)

You might be a "baby boomer" from Whitehall if:

• You remember when the Kahiki Restaurant was "the place" to eat in Columbus.
  
  

• You purchased the little rolls of licorice, with a candy in the middle, that looked like "45" records, at the Swim Land snack shack.
  
  

• You ever bought a bottle of "Evening in Paris" Cologne as your Mom's Christmas present at the "Boston Store."
  
  

• You ever bought a "submarine sandwich" from the little shack in the front of the S.S. Kresge 5&10 Cent Store.
  
  

• You remember when "North American Rockwell" was called "North American Aviation Incorporated".
  
  

• You practiced nuclear bomb attack drills in the halls of East Broad Street Elementary.
  
  

• You fed all the kids in the neighborhood at the BBF for your birthday, for less than ten dollars!
  
  

• You went with your dad to get license plates at the back of the Zettler Hardware Store.
  
  

• Your family ate in your car at "The Ranch" Drive-In.
  
  

• You ever shared an order of fried mushrooms with a friend at Stewarts.
  
  

• You remember Legg's small engine repair on Maplewood Ave.
  
  

• You ever ordered a hot fudge sundae at Gray's Drug's soda fountain.
  
  

• Your mom made your Easter basket with candy from Eagles Candies on Broad Street.
  
  

• You enjoyed the wonderful home made licorice ice cream from "Friends" Ice Cream by Swim Land.
  
  

• You remember the grease stained bags your Angie's Pizza came in (who knows Angiletti originally worked on the "flight line" of North American Aviation Inc?)
  
  

• The whole neighborhood spent the week in your parent's living room staring at the tv set when JFK and Bobby were shot.
  
  

• You had a grape or orange crush at the Edward's Drugs soda fountain.
  
  

• You remember when they put the "short cut" path at the back of East Broad Elementary...... it came out by the post office.
  
  

• You won a game of golf at Putt-Putt on Hamilton because you got a hole in one when the colored light matched the color of your ball.
  
  

• You shopped with your family at "Whitehall Discount City" (where Kmart is now).
  
  

• Your birthday presents came from Kiddie Korner.
  
  

• Your dad bought your tvs used from "East Broad Street Appliances" (Hey, Nancy Keller, your house was right around the corner!)
  
  

• You delivered the "Citizen Journal".
  
  

• You got a new Easter outfit at "Robert Hall".
  
  

• You attended the Easter Egg Hunt in the field across from the Whitehall Post Office.
  
  

• You remember the men working in the car wash behind the Krispy Kreme

Remember when the Pool Flooded?

This front page article from the November 1, 1967 issue of the "Ramble" was submitted by Sharon (Salyer) Kay, Class of '69. Thanks Sharon! If anyone knows the name of the article's author, please let us know. Here's the text of the article:

"The Whitehall Yearling High School gymnasium was the scene of a destructive but mostly disgusting event on September 23, 1967. It all started like this:

Four years ago in 1963, it was decided that a 50 x 90 foot swimming pool would be installed under the gym's floor. The floor would be rolled back when the swimming pool was in use. Many man hours went into the planning and excavating of this mammoth project. However, there were many setbacks. The first problem was the failure of the school board to appropriate enough money. The project had to be abandoned for four months until the needed money was made available. Next the workers went on strike for some secret reason that as of yet has not been disclosed. The last straw, however, was the threats of Mr. Georgeff and Mr. Bline to quit teaching unless the gym floor could be finished in two months for their gym classes. You see, the girls and boys were having physical education together on the stage in the auditorium; consequently much screaming and screeching could be heard throughout the building.

After all these things happened, it didn't seem as though the pool would ever be completed and become a reality, but the big day did arrive. The pool was finished only three months past the deadline and was a wonderful success. The size of the pool plus the superb diving facilities contributed to the large number of swimming and diving meets held in our gymnasium during the first two months. Our gym became the most talked about place in central Ohio.

Then on the evening of September 23, 1967, the tragedy befell us. The water filtering system went haywire, and the water pipes pumped water in to the pool constantly for 36 hours. Maintenance crews were summoned immediately, but to no avail. It just did not seem as though anything could stop the flow of water. Needless to say, a vast flood resulted, which spread from the gym to the auditorium and down the main hall to the print shop. Mr. McMillin was beside himself with grief. Finally a temporary dam was erected which succeeded in halting the flow of destruction.

Many crises have resulted from this catastrophe. Mrs. Compton is terribly upset and with good reason. The auditorium is not presently able to be used for the noon movie. All the seats are water-logged, but it is expected that they will be replaced within the next six months. This is where Mrs. Compton's problem arises. The student council had already rented films for the next six months at a total cost of $500. I guess the council will just have to chalk this one up for experience.

Mr. Wilson is our biggest problem however. He is constantly complaining about the hardship on his basketball team. He protests that frog feet and snorkels are not included in the standard uniform of his basketball players.

The swimming pool incident has one good consequence. Unbelievable as it may seem, the school received so much publicity as a result of this accident that to the joy and surprise of Mr. Peel, the bond issue finally passed.

Click Here for more 1960's era memories =->

Have a memory you'd like to share? Something that might strike a chord with your friends and classmates? Please send an e-mail to update@wyhs.org If at all possible, please identify the graduating class of any classmates you mention. Also please pick the decade the memory belongs to.