Midway High School

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Midway, KY

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[ extracted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway,_Kentucky ]
Midway is a city in Woodford County, Kentucky. It is located midway between Frankfort and Lexington, along the single-track railroad between them. The town is home to a major thoroughbred race horse breeding operation, Three Chimneys Farm, widely known as one of the world’s preeminent horse farms. The area around Midway was inhabited by Indian Mound Builders. Two large Indian mounds have been identified on nearby farms, as well as several smaller mounds. What is now the town of Midway, was once a farm belonging to John Francisco. It was sold to the Lexington and Ohio Railroad Company on 31 January 1835 for $6,491.25. It became Kentucky’s first railroad town. Midway was purposely located an equal distance between the cities of Lexington and Frankfort along the railroad. The town is also equidistant between Versailles and Georgetown. The major streets of Midway were named in honor of the railroad’s first officials.

Midway, KY Flickr photos

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[ from http://www.kyhometown.com/midway/ ]
Midway is also home to Midway College, an independent liberal arts institution for women (the only one in Kentucky). There are 176 buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places which are located in Midway. The Midway Fall Festival is held every year in September, providing a number of entertaining events for those in attendance.

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Midway High School

Opened: 1903 or 1910 or 1926?
      (We’ve found references to all 3 dates.)
Closed: 1964
Mascot: Blue Jays
Colors: Blue & White

For many years, Midway High School was one of three high schools in Woodford County, the others being Simmons High School and Versailles High School. In the 1950′s, Simmons was closed, sending its students to Versailles and Midway. In 1964, Woodford County High School was opened, consolidating all of the county’s students into one high school.

Midway High School is now the home of Midway School Apartments and has received many awards, including the Blue Grass Trust Award for Historic Preservation. The cafeteria houses Baskets from the Bluegrass, offering a wide selection of gifts and antiques with a distinctly Bluegrass flavor.

Midway schools from an 1892 photo album:
- Midway School (white)
- Midway School (black)
- North Midway School

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1937 KY State Basketball Champs
Coach: Bobby Burns
Defeated Inez, 30-22.
[from alumni Peggy S.]
“Coach Burns coined the Full Court Press for a play the team perfected that was quickly adopted by Adolph Rupp at University of Kentucky.”

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YouTube video:
Video starts with discussion of the 1937 State Basketball Championship, won by Midway High School. (Miss Margaret Ware Parrish was THE cheerleader.) Representative Chandler then pays tribute to Miss Parrish and presents the 2009 Midway Living History Award on behalf of Midway Renaissance, Inc.
(Recorded November 14, 2009)

More videos of the evening honoring Miss Parrish.

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U.S. Congressional Record, Jan. 11, 2007

TRIBUTE TO THE MIDWAY HIGH SCHOOL’S 1937 BASKETBALL TEAM ON THE 70^TH ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

HON. BEN CHANDLER OF KENTUCKY IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Mr. CHANDLER: Madam Speaker, today I would like to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Midway High School’s 1937 Kentucky state basketball championship. Under the guidance and leadership of Coach G.L. “Bobby ” Burns, the Midway Blue Jays reinvented the game of basketball for years to come. The Blue Jays rejuvenated Kentucky basketball and made it a truly exciting spectator sport with their up tempo “run and gun ” style of play.

Coach Burns and his squad of: Jack Penn, Ernest Jefferson, Armon Portwood, Carl Thomas, Raymond and Harold Sanderson, James Murphy, Sherman and Quentin Columbia, and Karl Jefferson used their natural abilities and athleticism to play against their taller competition. They averaged only 5’8″, the smallest team to ever win the state tournament. Yet they persevered, as Coach Burns believed that natural instincts and physical stamina, combined with fundamental basketball, were keys to success. Coach Burns was right.

To celebrate this historic occasion, on January 12, 2007, the Woodford County Yellow Jackets will honor the “Boys of ’37″ by dressing in the blue and white uniforms of Midway High School during their regular season game against Madison Central High. Additionally, during the halftime ceremony, a giant banner will be raised and installed in the Woodford County Gym to honor the Midway Blue Jays’ tournament win. In March, the members of the ’37 squad will be honored in a ceremony at the halftime of the 2007 state championship game.

Madam Speaker, it is with great honor to have this momentous occasion celebrated in my home district. The “Boys of ’37″ truly represent Kentucky’s passion and dedication to the game of basketball. This group of individuals will always be remembered as Kentucky’s finest and we will continue to celebrate their accomplishments for years to come.

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Facebook Links:
I went to Midway Elementary in Midway, Kentucky
Midway, KY
Midway, Kentucky
Midway College
Midway College Alumni Association
Darlin’ Jean’s Apple Cobbler Cafe (Gratz St.)

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If you attended Midway High School or have memories of Midway High School, please share with our readers by leaving a comment below.

South Middle School (former Henderson City High School)

Henderson High School

800 S. Alves St.
Henderson, KY

mascot: Flash
colors: Royal Blue & White

Classes began at Henderson Academy in 1814 and continued until 1839 when the old building was crumbling and there were no funds to repair it. In 1869, legislation was passed incorporating the Henderson High School. All assets belonging to Henderson Seminary were ordered to be turned over to the Trustees of Henderson Public Schools.

A new building at Green & Center Streets was completed in 1870 and school began there in Sept. of 1870. It was a 3-story, brick building with basement. It had 14 classrooms and one assembly room. It was equipped with the latest furniture and slate blackboards. There were 13 graded school teachers and two high school teachers. The top floor was the high school and the other two floors were the graded school.

In 1888, a new building was opened just for the high school grades. Located at the corner of Washington & Adams Streets, the building housed Henderson High School until 1910. In 1910, Henderson High School ceased to exist and the students were moved to the newer Barret Manual Training High School across the street. In 1955, a new high school was opened on South Alves St. to replace BMTHS and was named Henderson City High School.

Henderson County High School opened in 1954 and moved to its current location in 1969. In 1965, Douglas High School was merged into Henderson City High School. In 1970, Holy Name High School closed and the students transferred to either the City or County high schools. In 1976, Henderson City High School was consolidated into Henderson County High School, making Henderson County one of the largest high schools in the country.

Links

– Henderson City High School on Facebook

– Barret and Henderson City High School Alumni Association

– Barret and Henderson City High School Athletics, 1955-1963

Athletics

Football
1955 State Champs (undefeated)
1959 State Champs (undefeated)
The 1917 football team still holds one state record: the most touchdowns ever given up in a single game (20 vs. Owensboro). Henderson was tough on extra-point attempts, though. Owensboro only scored four points on PATs. Go Flash!

Basketball – Girls
1926 State Runner-Up

Basketball – Boys
1956 State Runner-Up

Baseball
1956 undefeated regular season
1959 undefeated regular season

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We need your help
Please share your memories of Henderson City High School with our visitors and your fellow alumni. Please leave a comment with any historical facts, anecdotes, memories, etc. Thanks!
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Be the coolest person at your next reunion with apparel from the Henderson Flash Alumni Store.

(click for Google Street View)

Durrett High School building today

Sallie Phillips Durrett High School

4409 Preston Highway
Louisville, KY 40213

colors: Royal Blue & gold
mascot: Demons

Durrett Junior High School opened in 1954, built on land owned by the Durrett and Phillips families. In 1957, the building was expanded to house Durrett High School. Rather than transferring students into the new high school, the Durrett Junior High Freshman led the way through and became the first graduating class in 1960. In 1968, the old Durrett family home that still stood on the property was demolished. Durrett High School closed after the final graduation ceremonies in 1981. From 1981 until 1991, the building was used by Jefferson County Public Schools’ Library Media Services and was home to the Durrett Education Center. In the Fall of 1991, after a $7 million makeover, it became the home of Louisville Male High School.

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There are two Durrett High School groups on Facebook.
- Durrett Facebook group
- Durrett Facebook group

———- Athletic Highlights ———-

Cross Country

– Steve Boyd, was the Individual Class AAA State Champion in 1967.

Football

– 1959 – Lost in the State Finals (duPont Manual 41, Durrett 14)

Baseball

– 1970 – Catcher, Terry Mappin, was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the first round
– 1971 – 1st Baseman, Lynn Minner, was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the second round
– 1979 – Durrett lost in the State Semi-finals (Shelby County 5, Durrett 3)

———- Durrett Folks in Music & the Arts ———-

– Shirley Caddell & The Aristocrats recorded two songs in 1963: “The Big Bounce” and “Don’t Hurt A Good Thing“.

– Leon Middleton has played sax with everybody from Louisville’s own Monarchs to the Beach Boys.

– George Poole started out with the Aztecs, a group of Durrett singers. He is now part of The Doo-Wop All-Stars.

– Paul Penny (Paul Stodghill) sang and played with the Carnations and TrenDells, recorded five solo albums and still performs locally. Contact him through paulpennyband.com.

– Marsha (Williams) Norman, is a playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. In 1983, she received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, ‘night, Mother. You can review her work at Amazon.com.

- Former Durrett art teacher, Ginger Adams, is teaching art classes at The Riverbend Academy in Henderson.

– Kenneth M. LaMaster (Class of ’79) has authored two books: U. S. Penitentiary Leavenworth (Images of America) and Fort Leavenworth (Images of America).

If you have additional info or memories about Durrett High School, please leave a comment below.