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Sandy's Story 6/17/2007
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The Smells of the Highlands
The first time I went to a school picnic at The Highlands was
1945 when I
was in kindergarten at Hempstead School. Wearing our art class
paper caps
and waving fragile banners we walked to the busses which would
take us to
the Highlands. Our parents would meet us there.
Remembering the smell of the always damp pea gravel pathways
triggers the
memory of the feeling I had the first time I went on The Comet
with my mom.
She loved roller coasters. I didn't and still don't--I even
dream about
them.
My Mother and my Aunt Dorothy had enjoyed such school picnics at
The
Highlands as girls. It opened in 1896, I think. For them the
Flying Turns
was still The Bobsled or vice-versa. The wooden framed Comet,
was yet to
have another name, before it was razed. As the bobsled
conveyance inched
slowly up through a corrugated tin tunnel, there was the smell
of hot wood
at the top from the friction when the cars hit the apex and
spiraled down.
The ride was never long enough but I loved it and I loved that
strange smell.
Our family always made what we called "grounded up junk" which
was a bologna
version of ham salad. Our Wonder Bread sandwiches wrapped in
waxed paper
were eaten on dark green picnic tables in the coolness under the
dance
floor. We seldom make "ground up junk" now
but it still smells
like school
picnic to me.
But who could eat? Not while there were little strips of free
tickets to be
used--Comet, Flying Turns, Carousel Tilt-Awhirl. We traded--one
Comet
bought two carousel rides. We each got two ticket packets
and a
ticket for
a free Coke.
People were still putting "their dime on the line" to help find
a cure for
Polio, still a threat to kids. It didn't matter because the
swimming pool
wasn't open when we had our May school picnics. When I was older
we took the
streetcar and bus to go swimming.
The milky water solution we had to step in before entering the
pool and the
odor of excess chlorine, brings memories of a turquoise "satin"
swimming
suit with little golden droplets of water on it. I bought it at
Sallie Ann
Outlet Store on Easton Avenue for $3 and watched in fascination
as the
charming golden droplets floated away on the water.
Six Flags and other theme parks would put the dear old Highlands
to shame.
But how wonderful it all seemed to us then, the little electric
boats
shooting sparks from the wire mesh above, the Airplane Ride, the
Tilt-A-Whirl, the bumper cars, the little arcade where old, old,
flimp cards
played out a scene by Laurel and Hardy. Countless thousands of
St.
Louisians loved The Highlands. Her flag made of running lights
mounted on a
tower 145 feet in the air, fell a long time ago, . . .
. . . but there are certain days in May
when there is a smell in the air that plainly says to me-
it's a School Picnic Day.
Sandy Gibbons Class of 1957
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From Jim Bowles 4/10/2007
The street car story brought back memories. I was telling
someone about our
big deal at he end of the school year. Remember when the whole
school used
to parade down Morton Ave to Page and board the street car for a
trip to
Forest Park Highlands. That was a big deal. When we were young
we would
trade our Comet tickets for Merry go round tickets and reverse
the procedure
as we got older. Our School here for a class trip went to Paris.
Read all the stories. Good work. Keep me advised of additions.
http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~haefner/
Jim Class of 1949
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Bill Voos 1/19/2007
I'll leave you with something I know you will remember; ---
planning for school picnics at the Highlands for weeks ahead.
The planning was a much fun as the picnic! And the anticipation
that soared when the street cars carrying the students rounded
the corner from Kingshighway, started down Oakland on the
homestretch and everyone started singing "Hail, hail, the gangs
all here!"
until we pulled up to the entryway.
It's enjoyable to share memories with you,
Bill Class of 1949
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Judy Blake 6/2007
I would like to know if anyone has memories of the Highlands and if they
could share those with us some time? I remember being in sixth
grade (1961-62). Those were the best years of my life when we
lived in Wellston from kindergarten till moving in 1962 to St.
Charles. I lost all of my friends from Wellston and would really
like to hear from any one who can remember those years, and me,
Judy Blake. Class of 1966
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On " YouTube"
1962 silent home movie of the Cookie and the
Captain (KMOV TV) at The Forest Park Highlands.
You can barely make out sign of The Little Toot and the 1962
Version of the Airplane Swing.
Click here |
This
is no ordinary jukebox. it'll play all of your favorite songs from 1950
to 192. Each year has a scroll or drop down box which shows all the
great songs for that year. Most years have over 40 songs. Once you click
on a song it will play through automatically then go to the next song
until all the songs have played.
in
the 1950's and
1960's.
