Boy..things have changed..Stuart School was on the NE corner, in fact it took up the whole block between 6th & 7th and Vine Street & So Grand…Across the street on So Grand from 6th to 7th was ‘Bud & Helen Flower Shop’ – ‘Diana Sweet Candy Store’ – ‘Thifty Drug Store’ and the ‘A&P Grocery Store’
Hi Anyone remember the theater on South Grand Avenue in the 50s-60s? Any pictures. We lived just a few blocks away on 12th street and 12th and kansas….
Looks to me like the building in the background is actually what used to be the ‘newer’ part of the old Stuart School. It was where the ‘upper’ grades (4th on up) had their classrooms when I was in school there in the ’50′s. The original old building, where our K-3rd grade classes were held . . . gone. My mother and all her four siblings graduated from Stuart School, too. We’re talkin’ the 30′s now, when it had K thru 8th grade. The two buildings (old and newer part) did take up the whole block – Vine on the north, South Grand on the south and Sixth to Seventh.
Also on South side of South Grand Avenue at 7th street was the old Western Auto hardware store. I remember the new Western Flyer bicycles lined up out front!
The theater at 11th and South Grand was/is the old Southtown theater. It is still there and has been a stained glass studio for many years. The old marquee was recently refurbished and is glorious now in bright neon tubes of blue. red and white!
I went to Stuart School K-6. 6th grade was 60/61. Would love to see some pictures of the old school. Mrs. Hayes 6th grade, Ms Carroll for 5th & 4th grades. I seem to remember Ms Hateful (sp?) was going to be my 4th grade teacher, but it was changed. Ms. Byerly 3rd grade & Ms. Glick 2nd grade. I can see my 1st grade teacher’s face but can’t remember her name. I was always in Thrifty Drug & the A&P. There was a shoe store on 6th behind Thrifty, The Bootery?
Ah, that 4th grade teacher was Ms. HankinsShe drummed phonics into our heads for the entire year. A bit grumpy, we thought, but the phonics stuck! Also had Ms. Carroll for 5th and Ms. Hayes for 6th. Let me see – I went to Stuart School from 1950-57, Nancy. So you must have been behind me by 3 or 4 years. Had to go to Lawrence Jr. High for a year (7th grade) while they finished up Ben Franklin. (Lawrence was a grade school prior to that.)
Sue, good to hear from a fellow Stuart student. Mrs. Hayes was a very elegant lady (at least that’s my memory of her). I also remember the principal was a woman and can see her, but can’t recall her name. Wish I had pictures of all the school years, but I don’t think any yearly photos were taken at Stuart.
I remember being a patrol guard with a white canvas shoulder/belt contraption and being assigned to guard at 7th & South Grand.
I went to Stuart School from 1958 to 1961. The principal was Pauline Leesman. Miss Kellum was my 1st grade teacher and Mrs. Byerly was my teacher for second grade. Loved her. Remember those beautiful polished wood floors and the staircases. My mom was PTA president for one or two of those years and I have fond memories of the ice cream socials in the gym.
Yes, Pauline Leasman. A very tall lady and a terrific principal. She saved me from some questionable people who tried to pick me up from the playground one cold winter afternoon …I was in kindergarten or 1st and my grandfather forgot to pick me up after school, so I just sat there in the swings, waiting, after everyone else was long gone. An old beat up car pulled up and asked me if I wanted a ride home. Offered me some candy or gum to get in. I knew better and that’s when Ms. Leasman saw me thru the window and called me inside. I got to thinking about dates, though, and I actually went to Stuart from 1951-1958. Also had Miss Kellum, but think for 2nd or 3rd grade. Remember how the boys had recess on the west side of the school and the girls on the east side? And the sock hops after school for the older grades. And the penny candy sale in the main hall at lunchtime. Good memories.
Thank you, Linda and Sue, for the info on Ms. Leesman/Leasman. She was tall! I recall one year everyone was called in groups to her office. I remember a long hallway and a bust with the f-word carved in its base. She wanted everyone to see it & know how bad this deed was. And yes, the beatiful hardwood floors & stairs. I loved Mrs. Byerly, too. Miss Kellum must have been my 1st grade teacher. And yes, recess was split between the boys & girls. Remember double Dutch jump rope & jacks? And dodge ball in the gym. Thanks for filling in some blanks in my memory!
I will have to look in some of my parent’s old slides. I went to Stuart (and YES, I remember Mrs. Byerly) and we lived directly across the street from the school. We may have some shots of at least part of the school.
Hi, Kathy. I was gone from Stuart School after 6th grade ended in June, 1961, but I would love to see the photos. I have no photos from the years I was there, K thru 6. Springfield Rewind’s facebook page has photos submitted by readers (baseball teams and other types of pics). I bet a lot of folks would like to see your Stuart photos.
Sure do miss those gas prices…
Elaine | Apr 26, 2008 | Reply
Any photos of the old Stuart Elementary School?
I beleive it was off the N.E. corner of 6th
and S. Grand.
Scott | Jun 6, 2009 | Reply
Looks like this one might need an update.
Jim | Nov 12, 2009 | Reply
Boy..things have changed..Stuart School was on the NE corner, in fact it took up the whole block between 6th & 7th and Vine Street & So Grand…Across the street on So Grand from 6th to 7th was ‘Bud & Helen Flower Shop’ – ‘Diana Sweet Candy Store’ – ‘Thifty Drug Store’ and the ‘A&P Grocery Store’
Jim Barrett | Jan 21, 2010 | Reply
Hi Anyone remember the theater on South Grand Avenue in the 50s-60s? Any pictures. We lived just a few blocks away on 12th street and 12th and kansas….
Wow….this is a terrific site for memories….
Bonnie Pritchard | Aug 2, 2010 | Reply
Looks to me like the building in the background is actually what used to be the ‘newer’ part of the old Stuart School. It was where the ‘upper’ grades (4th on up) had their classrooms when I was in school there in the ’50′s. The original old building, where our K-3rd grade classes were held . . . gone. My mother and all her four siblings graduated from Stuart School, too. We’re talkin’ the 30′s now, when it had K thru 8th grade. The two buildings (old and newer part) did take up the whole block – Vine on the north, South Grand on the south and Sixth to Seventh.
Sue Harkins Elmore | Sep 8, 2010 | Reply
Also on South side of South Grand Avenue at 7th street was the old Western Auto hardware store. I remember the new Western Flyer bicycles lined up out front!
The theater at 11th and South Grand was/is the old Southtown theater. It is still there and has been a stained glass studio for many years. The old marquee was recently refurbished and is glorious now in bright neon tubes of blue. red and white!
Tom Gillespie | Sep 11, 2010 | Reply
I went to Stuart School K-6. 6th grade was 60/61. Would love to see some pictures of the old school. Mrs. Hayes 6th grade, Ms Carroll for 5th & 4th grades. I seem to remember Ms Hateful (sp?) was going to be my 4th grade teacher, but it was changed. Ms. Byerly 3rd grade & Ms. Glick 2nd grade. I can see my 1st grade teacher’s face but can’t remember her name. I was always in Thrifty Drug & the A&P. There was a shoe store on 6th behind Thrifty, The Bootery?
Nancy | Sep 11, 2010 | Reply
Ah, that 4th grade teacher was Ms. HankinsShe drummed phonics into our heads for the entire year. A bit grumpy, we thought, but the phonics stuck! Also had Ms. Carroll for 5th and Ms. Hayes for 6th. Let me see – I went to Stuart School from 1950-57, Nancy. So you must have been behind me by 3 or 4 years. Had to go to Lawrence Jr. High for a year (7th grade) while they finished up Ben Franklin. (Lawrence was a grade school prior to that.)
Sue Harkins Elmore | Sep 16, 2010 | Reply
Sue, good to hear from a fellow Stuart student. Mrs. Hayes was a very elegant lady (at least that’s my memory of her). I also remember the principal was a woman and can see her, but can’t recall her name. Wish I had pictures of all the school years, but I don’t think any yearly photos were taken at Stuart.
I remember being a patrol guard with a white canvas shoulder/belt contraption and being assigned to guard at 7th & South Grand.
Nancy | Sep 18, 2010 | Reply
I went to Stuart School from 1958 to 1961. The principal was Pauline Leesman. Miss Kellum was my 1st grade teacher and Mrs. Byerly was my teacher for second grade. Loved her. Remember those beautiful polished wood floors and the staircases. My mom was PTA president for one or two of those years and I have fond memories of the ice cream socials in the gym.
Linda H | Sep 19, 2010 | Reply
Yes, Pauline Leasman. A very tall lady and a terrific principal. She saved me from some questionable people who tried to pick me up from the playground one cold winter afternoon …I was in kindergarten or 1st and my grandfather forgot to pick me up after school, so I just sat there in the swings, waiting, after everyone else was long gone. An old beat up car pulled up and asked me if I wanted a ride home. Offered me some candy or gum to get in. I knew better and that’s when Ms. Leasman saw me thru the window and called me inside. I got to thinking about dates, though, and I actually went to Stuart from 1951-1958. Also had Miss Kellum, but think for 2nd or 3rd grade. Remember how the boys had recess on the west side of the school and the girls on the east side? And the sock hops after school for the older grades. And the penny candy sale in the main hall at lunchtime. Good memories.
Sue Harkins Elmore | Sep 19, 2010 | Reply
Thank you, Linda and Sue, for the info on Ms. Leesman/Leasman. She was tall! I recall one year everyone was called in groups to her office. I remember a long hallway and a bust with the f-word carved in its base. She wanted everyone to see it & know how bad this deed was. And yes, the beatiful hardwood floors & stairs. I loved Mrs. Byerly, too. Miss Kellum must have been my 1st grade teacher. And yes, recess was split between the boys & girls. Remember double Dutch jump rope & jacks? And dodge ball in the gym. Thanks for filling in some blanks in my memory!
Nancy | Sep 19, 2010 | Reply
My Mom worked at Cam2, in the summer I would go to work with her and my dad would pick me up after he got off work at Fiatallis.
Bill Jackson | Jul 26, 2011 | Reply
I will have to look in some of my parent’s old slides. I went to Stuart (and YES, I remember Mrs. Byerly) and we lived directly across the street from the school. We may have some shots of at least part of the school.
Kathy | Oct 3, 2011 | Reply
I have 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade class photos from from Stuart School circa 1964-1966. Anyone interested in seeing them?
Kathy | Oct 30, 2011 | Reply
Hi, Kathy. I was gone from Stuart School after 6th grade ended in June, 1961, but I would love to see the photos. I have no photos from the years I was there, K thru 6. Springfield Rewind’s facebook page has photos submitted by readers (baseball teams and other types of pics). I bet a lot of folks would like to see your Stuart photos.
nancy | Oct 31, 2011 | Reply