of 1961
Franklin
High School, Franklin, Indiana
A Letter from Ted Anderson
The New Franklin High School
Kay and I had the
twin boys this
Sunday last and ended up taking them
for a ride (at a year and a half, they like rides!). We live in
Greenwood these past three years, and drove down to Franklin. We were
winding around the county roads (much like we used to “back in the
day”, except I wasn’t riding with any of you guys, and there wasn’t any
beer in the back seat anywhere, plus it was day-light), but back to the
point – we drove by the “new” Franklin High School. It was a bit of a
surprise to remember that it will be opening its doors for the first
time in a little over a month. I hadn’t really “looked” at it before,
but we did this time – and my Gosh! It’s gigantic!! I took a couple of
pictures with the thought that they will be something to
look at in 40+ years, pictures of the “virgin” new high school.It got me thinking about THE Franklin High School (none of that “Community” crap!), and wondering when IT was brand-spanking new. Anybody know? My parents went there (Mom graduated in ’33. Did Fuzzy & Company play ball there on Hurricane Street? Where was the high school before? It would be nice for one of us to look that up and pass it on to the rest of us.
In any case, we were trying to think if we knew anyone who would be attending FCHS this fall, and sadly, we couldn’t think of a soul. I’m sure that many of you know of some – grandchildren and neighbor’s kids (we probably DO, but just can’t think of them). But the whole concept created a ripple in my brain (no wisecracks required, thankyouverymuch) as I realized that starting in September, we will be hop-scotching over a whole HIGH SCHOOL of events, schedules, graduations and memories. Yeah, I’ve become accustomed to talking about “years” ago, but now I have to think of “high schools” ago. That gives the thing a little different perspective.
Oh well, the “old”
FCHS will always be the “new” high school to me –
and I suspect to all of you guys too, no matter what the rest of the
county wants to call it. I wonder what they’re doing to the old FCHS –
it looks like they’re tearing the whole thing down, but surely not. I
guess I ought to take the Daily Journal and keep up with those things.
Maybe if they re-named it “The Franklin Evening Star” I might start
reading it again – Ha!I looked at the brand-new football field, with the artificial turf, all tucked in there right next to the high school, and it reminded me of OUR football field, way off and over on South Home, and how we used to walk over there for practice (I only played my freshman and sophomore years, so we didn’t have cars yet). My grandmother lived there on the corner of Home and South Street, and I remember being a little shaver, third or fourth grade, and seeing the lights and hearing the noise on Friday nights. Jack and I would sit on that hill and watch the bright lights and the players from across the street and listen to the band and the cheers from the crowd and I’d think that there couldn’t be much better in the world than to be able to be a part of that crowd, playing or watching. I couldn’t WAIT for those days to come!
Well, it’s no surprise to all of you that those days did, indeed come. And go! And now we have a “new-new” football field. I wish them the very best! I hope they can create memories on their new fields, their new gym, their new HIGH SCHOOL that equal or surpass our own ------------ but speaking for myself, I thhink I’ll hold tight to my old FHS. She was nowhere near as pretty, but she held my hopes and dreams just fine.
Your memory-heavy classmate,
Ted Anderson