10 replies to this topic

[shelley.debnam]

Edit: Sorry for not placing this topic in the Historic Photographs subforum of local history. I have requested that it be moved.


I'm not sure when the school building was demolished but my father attended the school in the early to mid 1950's.

We came across two of his class pictures from John Peter Smith Elementary School and I wanted to share:

 

Update 2018-01-08:  When I posted these photos in 2009 I posted them from a domain that I canceled several years ago. This evening I came across my post and saw the bad links so I located the photographs and created a flickr account.  These photos are meant to be shared!.  

 

 

 

 

[cajunmike]

Great old school photo. I remember been on the Safety Patrol, thought it was a big deal to get to wear a badge when your a ten year old. Notice the patches on the blue jeans. In those days Mom's just ironed on a patch to cover up the holes, now days they pay for jeans with holes in them.

[Eric_T]

I'm not sure when the school building was demolished but my father attended the school in the early to mid 1950's.

We came across two of his class pictures from John Peter Smith Elementary School and I wanted to share:

There is a photo of John Peter Smith Elementary in the Jack White collection over at the Architecture in Fort Worth site. The photo was taken shortly before JPS was demolished in 1970.

I like your photos by the way. I have several similar pics from about the same time period although only one was taken outside the school building.

[FortWorthLowrider]

Great old school photo. I remember been on the Safety Patrol, thought it was a big deal to get to wear a badge when your a ten year old. Notice the patches on the blue jeans. In those days Mom's just ironed on a patch to cover up the holes, now days they pay for jeans with holes in them.

lol So true.

[matuttle1944]

I was shocked to see your old photo's . I am in those photo's .I grew up in the Ripley Arnold project and went to Peter Smith From 1st to 6th. Would love to connect with some old friends from there.

[shelley.debnam]

I was shocked to see your old photo's . I am in those photo's .I grew up in the Ripley Arnold project and went to Peter Smith From 1st to 6th. Would love to connect with some old friends from there.

I believe that my dad lived on 2nd street across from the school back then.  In the first photo he is wearing a patrol belt and is standing directly in front of the teacher.  His name is Charlie and he lives in Riverside.  Also I know that on the first now, 5th photo, is Robert Castillo.  He lives next door to my dad in Riverside.  Pretty sure that Robert's sister Rachel is also in the photos but I'm not sure exactly which one is her. 

 

Which child are you in the photos? 

[matuttle1944]

i'm the girl on the second row 3rd from the left my name is wilma cook. When I was looking at the picture some how I knew the guy you said was your father was named Charlie .I remember a few others but not a whole lot. I'm also in the other picture 2nd row in the middle with the bandana around my neck. I  also remember Robert Costillo ,they might remember my brother Robert Cook , he was a grade under us.

[shelley.debnam]

i'm the girl on the second row 3rd from the left my name is wilma cook. When I was looking at the picture some how I knew the guy you said was your father was named Charlie .I remember a few others but not a whole lot. I'm also in the other picture 2nd row in the middle with the bandana around my neck. I  also remember Robert Costillo ,they might remember my brother Robert Cook , he was a grade under us.

 

I am so happy that you came across these photos!  I just spoke to my dad and he said he remembers you as well.  If you would like his email address let me know and I will send it to you.  

 

Funny story.....so my dad and Robert were in elementary school together.  Many years later (around 1973) we moved from North Retta to Wesley Street.  As we were moving in, the next door neighbor approaches my dad and says, "I know you...aren't you Charlie?".  It was Robert Castillo.  We had unknowingly moved next door to someone that he had gone to elementary school with.  They are still neighbors today.  

[matuttle1944]

you can give your father my email its wilma.tuttle@att.net would love to know who else he remembers.

[Pilot Gary]

 JPS 6h Grade Class 1954-55.jpg   176.65KB   6 downloads  Click to access attachment.

 

I just about keeled over when, quite by accident, I stumbled across this forum on my iPad. The class picture posted by Shelly Debnam hit me like a punch. Looking at me from across the decades was the imposing visage of Mr. Donald Harter, our principal. That was the first thing that caught my eye. It was like he was still watching me and brought back memories of how the disapproving glare from him could make an errant schoolboy like me behave himself. The class picture was just like my 6th grade class photo which I am posting.  Mine is the class of 1954-55 with Mrs. Dobson as our teacher

 

In the picture, I'm standing next to Mr. Harter. To my left was John La Hood. On the second row, third from the left is Ann, to her left is a girl whose name I recall as Sandra and next to her was Tyrone, Ann's brother. I don’t remember their last names. On the front row, second from the right is Junior Brown. Fred or "Junior" as he was called was a good student and most memorable about him was his impeccable penmanship and how carefully he crafted his writing. I cannot recall the names of the other classmates but bet if I were given a list of names I could match most them up with faces.

 

The class pictures posted by Ms. Debnam have Dickie Kirks in them. He lived next door to me and was a year behind me at JPS.  The outside picture in the school yard would have been taken, I judge, during the 1955-56 school year when I went across town to Ernest J. Parker Junior High School. He is sitting on the far left front row in the outside picture and is in the second row on the stairway picture.

 

It’s too bad that JPS had to go by the way of the wrecking ball and could not have found new life as something else. The Gothic Revival style architecture was worth preserving and would have added a sense of history and character to the area. I returned to Ft. Worth several years ago for a memory drive around the area and was disappointed to see a parking lot where that wonderful school building once stood.

[John T Roberts]

Welcome to the forum, Pilot Gary.  Many of our historic buildings have been replaced by parking lots.  However, I think we have preserved more than some cities, so we are somewhat lucky.