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Butch Remembers Old High School Gyms
Those of you who attended one of the old high schools here in the county before consolidation will likely remember many details of those buildings … the rooms, hallways, cafeteria, offices, etc. And the same holds true for the gyms where you played or cheered on your teams. I attended Darlington school all 12 years, and also taught and coached there for another 10 years. I remember every detail. I played basketball against the other county teams from 7th grade on at home and away. I can recall certain details about their gyms today, even though I may have played in those gyms only two or three times in the 1960s. Forgive me if some things are incorrect, but my basketball playing days were over 60 years ago!
Darlington gym … I practiced and played in the old gym, which had been built in 1927, up until 3rd grade. The gym was enlarged in 1957 when two more classrooms, a cafeteria and shop room were added to the school. Eight rows of bleachers were added on both sides, and these were enough to accommodate the crowds until the great winning teams of the late 1960s came along. The lighting was excellent, although I can recall many errant basketballs hitting those ceiling lights during practice. Four additional goals were placed on the sides for players to use during practices.
New Market … The “new” gym was built in 1957 when the new school building was constructed. It was quite modern with excellent lighting and plenty of seating, and the gym was quite similar to my hometown gym, which helped my shooting.
Waynetown … Their old gym had been around since 1913, so the players and fans were quite happy to have a modern gym built in 1954. It was also very similar to my hometown gym. (If you look at the front of the Waynetown school building, it is also almost identical to the front of the Darlington school building, which was also built in 1913.) I had good luck scoring in that gym, except for the time I was a junior and a Waynetown player gave me an elbow uppercut which loosened my teeth and almost caused me to bite the end of my tongue off!
Ladoga … The first Ladoga gym was built in 1926, and then a new one built in 1940. It was a little different than the other gyms with regards to seating. Spectators sat up higher on both sides, with no seats at floor level, and there were also seats on the ends.
Waveland … The Waveland gym was built in 1937. There were only 5 or 6 rows of bleachers as I recall. It reminded me of Darlington’s gym in that on one end was a stage, with scarlet-colored curtains and the letter “W” adorning the top center. My school also had a stage at one end with scarlet curtains and the letter “D” at the top. I always was able to score in the Waveland gym because of that!
Alamo … For such a small town, Alamo had a great gym, which was built in 1941. I thought it resembled an armory. I played there just one time, but I recall there was a “dead spot” on the floor in which the basketball did not bounce as high!
Coal Creek Central … When Wingate and New Richmond consolidated in 1953, a new school was built halfway between the towns. The new school resembled a Quonset hut or barracks, which seemed odd at the time. A new gym was constructed about a year later. I played in that gym, and I thought the lighting was too dark even though it had windows. When I was a senior, a college scout traveled from North Carolina to watch me. I had the lowest number of points that season during that game!
Linden … I believe the Linden gym was built in the late 1920s. It was not regulation size. The Bulldogs played their high school games away, but the junior high and elementary played there. I played there one time in junior high. Since the floor was not the correct length, there were two center lines, which was confusing for me, and there were no out-of-bounds on the ends. To throw the ball in play, you had to put one foot against the wall. And you had better slow down before making a lay-up or you would run head first into the wall. A large stage was also on one side, and Linden students sat on the stage and yelled.
New Ross … The community built their gym in 1933, and it honestly looked like a large old barn. I recall two stoves, one at each end, that they used to heat the place. I played there in junior high. As a team captain before the game began, the referees told us that we could shoot over the wooden beams above the court! The New Ross high school boys played all of their games away.
Bowers … Bowers never had much of a gym. It was located in the basement of the school building, with a ceiling approximately 15 feet high. The wooden floor got flooded one year, and it was removed, leaving only concrete. Bowers played away games, and they also used the Darlington National Guard armory for games and practice at times. By the time I could play, Bowers school was closed for good.
Crawfordsville … The Crawfordsville gym was built in 1941, and was a magnificent building with plenty of seating on all sides. All of the County tourney and Sectional tourney games were played there. During the times I played there in the tournaments, I usually had good luck shooting, but the fact that I could see spectators behind the clear backboards did bother me at times! It was a great thrill to play before a large crowd in that gym, but when I was inducted into the county basketball Hall of Fame, I was shocked. It just seemed so small from what I remembered as a player.
The gyms of North Montgomery, Southmont and Crawfordsville today are gigantic compared to the old gyms. However, the crowds are often smaller today than they were back then, except during tourney time.
John “Butch” Dale is a retired teacher and County Sheriff. He has also been the librarian at Darlington the past 37 years, and is a well-known artist and author of local history.