Those Were the Good OL' DAYS
Brenda Kellow
July 31 2011
Since several readers have asked about people and places in our old town of Plano, today’s article is about some of the things they have emailed me. Other times, I get complements such as those sent to me by local Plano residents Joe Proctor and Sue Mann. Joe likes the links and information each week and Sue liked the article in last week’s column about the Republics of West Florida and California. I love my readers and I appreciate hearing from you.
REQUEST ABOUT THE MOORE HOTEL IN PLANO: One of my readers is searching for information on the old Moore Hotel. It was located in the ‘jockey yard’ and faced the train track on the west. I am assuming the hotel owner was a relative of Ms. Moore who ran Moore Variety Store located next to the old costume shop at 15th and K. A childhood memory of mine is that Ms. Moore was somehow related to Mr. Weatherford who ran Weatherford Jewelry Store. [We bought our wedding rings there.]
When I graduated from high school many of the downtown stores rented rooms on the second floor, but I only remember the Co-Op Grocery Store run by Mr. Albert Taylor, and the Masonic Lodge/Eastern Star building in the jockey yard. The saloon(s) located there in the early 1900s were gone well before my time. If you know anything to help my reader with his research would you please email me and I’ll put you in contact with Charles.
THE JOCKEY YARD: What? You don’t know where the jockey yard was located in Plano? It was the area and buildings east of and facing the tracks between 15th Street and 14th Street. All of us ‘old timers’ my age and older remember the area well. The trains carried farm implements that were off loaded there. I past it every day on my way to and from school.
THE JOURNEY TO SCHOOL: On our way to school, we crossed the tracks, passed the Interurban Station and cut through the park in dry weather to go to our school, now known as the Cox building. In rainy weather when the ground around the little stream was muddy, we walked on the sidewalk to the Christian Church before turning north passed the orange trumpet vine growing up the church utility pole and on to the schoolyard. The walk to and from home was always intriguing because the Texas weather could be exciting with our blue northers, sudden downpours or being shot by a kid with a new BB gun. Yep. I was shot in the leg riding home from school on my bicycle. He was a good shot for a kid. Good thing he aimed for my leg. I hope he was aiming for my leg!
THE SECOND PLANO SCHOOL BUILDING: There was only one school building in town [an earlier one had burned and this one replaced it] and we referred to it as ‘school.’ During my twelve years in school, it housed the first grade through the 12th. Elementary school classes were on the second floor. The first and second grades were on the south end—with individual cloakrooms—and the older grades continued to the north end. The bookroom was in the middle on the west side across the hall from the superintendent’s and principal’s offices of Mr. Sigler and Mr. Williams respectively.
The upstairs third floor was for grades nine through 12. It had a large study hall with a big picture of John J. (Black Jack) Pershing, General of the Armies on the wall. The library was also there on the east side across from the study hall.
On the basement floor was Mr. Cox’s office, the longtime school janitor, the restrooms and three classrooms. The boys’ restroom was on the south end next to the music room and the Future Farmers of America classroom, and the girls’ restroom, the typing class and teacher’s lounge were on the north end.
Mrs. Hickey’s Future Homemakers of America classroom was part of the gym where they held sports events and commencement. This separate building was outside just south of the main building. The lunchroom was a detached building on the north side. The hot fifty-cent meals were delicious with an occasional boysenberry cobbler that always called my name. Or, if you had rather have ice cream, a dime would buy a Dixie Cup with a picture of a cowboy actor or movie actress.
I liked growing up and going to school in Plano. I have fond memories of my teachers and classmates. Those days were good, but I like the present with all the friends and new family I've found through genealogy.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].
REQUEST ABOUT THE MOORE HOTEL IN PLANO: One of my readers is searching for information on the old Moore Hotel. It was located in the ‘jockey yard’ and faced the train track on the west. I am assuming the hotel owner was a relative of Ms. Moore who ran Moore Variety Store located next to the old costume shop at 15th and K. A childhood memory of mine is that Ms. Moore was somehow related to Mr. Weatherford who ran Weatherford Jewelry Store. [We bought our wedding rings there.]
When I graduated from high school many of the downtown stores rented rooms on the second floor, but I only remember the Co-Op Grocery Store run by Mr. Albert Taylor, and the Masonic Lodge/Eastern Star building in the jockey yard. The saloon(s) located there in the early 1900s were gone well before my time. If you know anything to help my reader with his research would you please email me and I’ll put you in contact with Charles.
THE JOCKEY YARD: What? You don’t know where the jockey yard was located in Plano? It was the area and buildings east of and facing the tracks between 15th Street and 14th Street. All of us ‘old timers’ my age and older remember the area well. The trains carried farm implements that were off loaded there. I past it every day on my way to and from school.
THE JOURNEY TO SCHOOL: On our way to school, we crossed the tracks, passed the Interurban Station and cut through the park in dry weather to go to our school, now known as the Cox building. In rainy weather when the ground around the little stream was muddy, we walked on the sidewalk to the Christian Church before turning north passed the orange trumpet vine growing up the church utility pole and on to the schoolyard. The walk to and from home was always intriguing because the Texas weather could be exciting with our blue northers, sudden downpours or being shot by a kid with a new BB gun. Yep. I was shot in the leg riding home from school on my bicycle. He was a good shot for a kid. Good thing he aimed for my leg. I hope he was aiming for my leg!
THE SECOND PLANO SCHOOL BUILDING: There was only one school building in town [an earlier one had burned and this one replaced it] and we referred to it as ‘school.’ During my twelve years in school, it housed the first grade through the 12th. Elementary school classes were on the second floor. The first and second grades were on the south end—with individual cloakrooms—and the older grades continued to the north end. The bookroom was in the middle on the west side across the hall from the superintendent’s and principal’s offices of Mr. Sigler and Mr. Williams respectively.
The upstairs third floor was for grades nine through 12. It had a large study hall with a big picture of John J. (Black Jack) Pershing, General of the Armies on the wall. The library was also there on the east side across from the study hall.
On the basement floor was Mr. Cox’s office, the longtime school janitor, the restrooms and three classrooms. The boys’ restroom was on the south end next to the music room and the Future Farmers of America classroom, and the girls’ restroom, the typing class and teacher’s lounge were on the north end.
Mrs. Hickey’s Future Homemakers of America classroom was part of the gym where they held sports events and commencement. This separate building was outside just south of the main building. The lunchroom was a detached building on the north side. The hot fifty-cent meals were delicious with an occasional boysenberry cobbler that always called my name. Or, if you had rather have ice cream, a dime would buy a Dixie Cup with a picture of a cowboy actor or movie actress.
I liked growing up and going to school in Plano. I have fond memories of my teachers and classmates. Those days were good, but I like the present with all the friends and new family I've found through genealogy.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].