Long ago on independence square (subway, build, clothing)

[MRG Dallas]

Nowlin, of course! How could I forget especially my baseball buddies who lived by Rockwood were to start jr. high at the time of opening. The Examiner paragraph says it was "ready for classes Sept. 5, is expected to relieve crowding conditions at Pitcher-Fairview Junior High and west Rock Creek school. George B. Richey, the school’s first principal, said “We will be sort of a junior high for Van Horn.” The new building will allow Pitcher-Fairview to become an elementary school serving grades five through seven."


Polk's isn't 100% accurate on addresses, as it lists both North and South RC @ 2425 S. Hardy. And also lists South on another entry @ 2437-45 S. Hardy. East is @ 11801 E. 32nd. Nor did I see a "West" RC listing. Pitcher is @ 9701 E. 35th. Those photos were great, look at all the elementary school openings for we Baby Boomers!

Wachter is as WCHS @ Peck but address officially on Salisbury Rd.

DeKalb is "Holke Rd" but no street number. Holke looks to be a due eastward "extension" of 23rd St (just east of 291) for a mile or so. 23rd actually veers to the NE at that point and Holke picks up where 23rd would've gone on a straight line to the east.

[SilverDoc]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

Nowlin, of course! How could I forget especially my baseball buddies who lived by Rockwood were to start jr. high at the time of opening. The Examiner paragraph says it was "ready for classes Sept. 5, is expected to relieve crowding conditions at Pitcher-Fairview Junior High and west Rock Creek school. George B. Richey, the school’s first principal, said “We will be sort of a junior high for Van Horn.” The new building will allow Pitcher-Fairview to become an elementary school serving grades five through seven."


Polk's isn't 100% accurate on addresses, as it lists both North and South RC @ 2425 S. Hardy. And also lists South on another entry @ 2437-45 S. Hardy. East is @ 11801 E. 32nd. Nor did I see a "West" RC listing. Pitcher is @ 9701 E. 35th. Those photos were great, look at all the elementary school openings for we Baby Boomers!

Wachter is as WCHS @ Peck but address officially on Salisbury Rd.

DeKalb is "Holke Rd" but no street number. Holke looks to be a due eastward "extension" of 23rd St (just east of 291) for a mile or so. 23rd actually veers to the NE at that point and Holke picks up where 23rd would've gone on a straight line to the east.

DeKalb was at the N.E. corner of E. Holke Rd and Speck Rd. Speck Rd. runs from E. Holke, crosses 78 hiway, (23rd St.) and dead ends just north of George Owens Nature Park.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

Get well soon Sally, we miss you!


The reason the remnants look like a Sonic layout is that Sonic Drive-In is listed at this address in the 1988 Polk's directory. My Beloved thinks the Candy Stripe may have sat closer to the road and been torn down when the road was widened.

That makes some sense about it being closer to the highway now that I think about it. I did not think the "store" was that far back and it seemed the Candy Stripe had only angled parking in one row and it seemed there was a long fence on the west side. One of my '59 classmates worked there but I only went there one or two times. The name Candy Stripe Snak Shoppe sort of conjures a smaller place also.

[WCHS'59]

It seems to me that the "Rock Creek School District" was an independent district until sometime in the early fifties. They seemed to be having a hard time with finances and they asked the Independence School District to take them over. Independence declined saying they could not handle the burden. The Kansas City School District then stepped in and annexed Rock Creek.

It is rather ironic that sixty years later the Independence School District fought to the Missouri Supreme Court to take these schools over.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by SilverDoc

DeKalb was at the N.E. corner of E. Holke Rd and Speck Rd. Speck Rd. runs from E. Holke, crosses 78 hiway, (23rd St.) and dead ends just north of George Owens Nature Park.

It looks like that corner is now vacate but a footprint of a building can be seen on Google Maps. We had friends who lived further out on Holke Road in the fifties, but I sure did not remember it being on that road.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

It seems to me that the "Rock Creek School District" was an independent district until sometime in the early fifties. They seemed to be having a hard time with finances and they asked the Independence School District to take them over. Independence declined saying they could not handle the burden. The Kansas City School District then stepped in and annexed Rock Creek.

It is rather ironic that sixty years later the Independence School District fought to the Missouri Supreme Court to take these schools over.

Make the Kansas City takeover of the Rock Creek School District in the late 50s. A copy of School and Community in 1957 shows Rock Creek School District still in existence with Tom Korte as the Superintendent of Schools.

A copy of School Executive in 1940 mentions the Rock Creek School District with an Independence address.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Make the Kansas City takeover of the Rock Creek School District in the late 50s. A copy of School and Community in 1957 shows Rock Creek School District still in existence with Tom Korte as the Superintendent of Schools.

A copy of School Executive in 1940 mentions the Rock Creek School District with an Independence address.

This is really tragic concerning Tom Korte (Carbon monoxide poisoning at a cabin at the Lake of the Ozarks. His wife survived)


"The accidental death of Tom D. Korte, principal of Northeast Junior High school and his fine son, Tom Lee Korte, was a crushing personal tragedy in a fine family. For the Kansas City school district, the loss of Mr. Korte is a distressing blow. He was considered one of the most promising men in the system.

"Mr. Korte had made an outstanding record as superintendent of the Rock Creek school district whose patrons in 1956 voted for annexation by the Kansas City district. The Rock Creek schools had the peculiar problems of a district with rapidly increasing enrollments and limited resources. Absorption by the Kansas City district meant, at least temporarily, a personal sacrifice in position to Mr. Korte, but he recognized that the move was in the best interests of Rock Creek and supported it. At Rock Creek he was the kind of superintendent who sent a weekly bulletin home with every child, reporting on the detailed operation of the district.

"Last year Mr. Korte did valuable work as a special assistant to the superintendent. This year he was showing leadership that was bringing important improvements at Northeast Junior high. Friendliness, promise for the future and a natural talent for dealing with people were characteristics of Tom D. Korte."

Source: November 19, 1959 New Haven Leader

[MRG Dallas]

Rock Creek school district must have encompassed that area N. and S. along 23rd street west towards KC that is mostly residential, before reaching the then-industrialized parts of eastern KC With few businesses and industries in that area, it is not surprisingly it would have financial issues with the Boomers starting school and only residential property taxes to support them.

[Curmudgeon]

Sally36, I hope you're feeling better by now and will soon be back on-line. As I indicated about a year and a half ago, I value nostalgia and the associated memories of what I believe to have been not just simpler but also better times. Your thread has invoked many memories for me even though they're spread over living in at least four other states. It's also reminded me of what's been lost - Montgomery Ward, Western Auto, Woolworth, lunch counters, soda fountains in drug stores, personal service, and much, much more that resulted in face-to-face interaction, a sense of belonging and security and a truly caring society. Thank you again for starting this.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Sally36, I hope you're feeling better by now and will soon be back on-line. Thank you again for starting this.

Amen.