I used to love chatting with Virginia Jewell and Lucille Owens as they both had a wealth of county history. It was fascinating how much of the history of Hickman County they knew. I wish I could recall more of it or better had written notes. They were both wonderful ladies It would have been great if they had collaborated on a compilation of what they knew that is not recorded. Virginia was very knowledgeable of our area`s prehistory as well as historic. Lucille was a good county historian and was most knowledgeable on Oakton and Columbus Belmont Park history. Both wonderful personalities.
There is a continuous run of prehistoric occupations from above Spicer Bridge to west of Oakton where the Tony Ray place is. I have always heard that Oakton was established next to a historic Indian village that was populated at the time Oakton was settled. I have never seen verification of this though. That would have been what we know as the Tony Ray place. I don`t know of any place that has more evidence of long time prehistoric occupation than Hickman County as the water table was much higher than it is now and waterways were their highway`s.
School at Central High School was always interesting to say the least. I remember Ronnie Beck and I shared a locker all way through high school and we both just used whatever we wanted or needed without keeping up with it. One day Ronnie brought in a batch of his mom Lois Beck`s chocolate fudge candy and she knew how to make it. After lunch we went to our locker to get a piece of fudge for desert and it was gone. One of our friends knew our combination and ate it all in one setting. Ronnie waited a few days and brought in a new batch that he had slipped a whole stick of exlax laxative. The next day our friend would raise his hand at least two times each class and ask to go to the bathroom urgently. He hit the door running when approved. It was a wonder it did not hurt him. Now I would not use Toby`s name. Funny how from then on our candy and cigarettes never again disappeared from our locker.
I don’t remember the exact year but it must have been about 1948 that a freight train derailed north of Oakton I don`t think the engine derailed but several freight cars did. I think it was about where number one slough was located. One of the boxcars was loaded with candy and pure linseed oil in five gallon containers which all ruptured pouring linseed oil over a lot of the candy. Naturally we helped ourselves as no one there from GM&O RR objected and they were all over the place. We were able to eat maybe two out of five bars and the other three would be soaked through the paper wrapping ruining the candy.
Back to Clinton and school I cannot forget Mr. Jim Phillips (Hammer) to some but not me I hated that name. Every Wednesday he had Rotary Club at the same time as our PE class. On one occasion instead of playing ball we decided to all play tag. Toby Brady was “it” and was after Ronnie Beck to tag him. Ronnie climbed on top of the stage piano to get away and Toby was on the piano keys after him. That was when Mr. Phillips walked in. He had them go to the office with him and gave them the stare and let them go to class. I remember early in the morning right after he shaved he had a five o`clock beard and he would cross his arms and just look and you knew you better shape up.
The time Jack Jackson, Ronnie Beck, Toby Brady and I and I believe Skip Muscovalley, all jumped out of Mrs. Martha Woodrow`s windows so we would not have to wait our classes turn to go to lunch. We would go to Brummal`s or more likely Pop Johnson`s pool room to eat. We had done this several times and were good at it. Well we were until that day and when we hit the grass and turned to go to town he was standing there, waiting, with his five o`clock shadow. We were grounded at lunch for six weeks but then we got away with it for a week before he caught us again.
I would have never finished my senior year if not for him and Jimmy Aquisto, of Berlin and son, Clinton Coat Factory. I quit half way through the senior year and went to work at Berlin coat factory. I had missed six weeks of school and the two of them talked at Rotary and decided that they had to convince me to return and Mr. Phillips assured me and Mr. Aquisto that I could make up what I had missed over the last semester. I got to thank Mr. Phillips but I always regret that I did not get to thank Mr. Aquisto. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to tell Mr. Phillips when he was enrolled it the Athletic Hall of Fame, that I thought he should have been enrolled in a Academic Hall as well, for he was Principal Teacher, Coach, PE teacher and guidance councilor as well.
Mr. Phillips and I had a duck blind together after I was grown and he was still Mr. Phillips and sometimes Jim but I never called him “Hammer.” He along with Joe Weatherford and I fished a lot together when Joe and I were in high school and he was a master at being your friend out of school and your superior during school. Knowing how many mischievous ones of us were in one class I asked him one day right after he retired and we were hunting, if he ever had a worse bunch to herd. His reply was, “You all were no trouble for you were all mischievous. I have seen kids with problems and believe it or not you all were a lot of fun.”
The interesting thing is that with my daughters in school and me on the school board for a while, nothing has really changed. I had some really outstanding teachers and they are still there today. The names are different but the personalities and professional talent are the same. Naturally the teachers now have to deal with more government interference and have to teach as history what I learned as current events. I know that almost all are dedicated professionals with a couple of not so good ones but we had a couple of those too. Just a note I am sure lucky my English and grammar teachers are not around to grade me now.
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