Larry Smith Postcards from the past: Columbia High School on ColumbiaMagazine.com

2007-12-09 - Grissom Street & Wood Avenue, Columbia, KY - Photo From the collection of Larry Smith.

SOUTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY HISTORIAN LARRY SMITH,, who daylights as the news anchor at The WAVE 92.7 FM radio, is sharing a real treasure this morning, with a photo of a postcard featuring the wonderful old Columbia High School. The postcard is entitled, "Columbia Gymnasium," Adair County, and if you look closely at the steps on the left, you may see the phantom ghosts of some of the all time Adair County great athletes, topped by Clyde Bryant, considered by many to have been the greatest athlete ever to pass through these walls, and many other stellar Columbia High School Redhounds standouts. On the facing side were classrooms. Starting with the lower right hand 4 windows in the brick portion were, in 1946, Mrs. Marshall's first grade. Working clockwise, the other lower 4 windows were Miss Allene Keen's second grade; over that, Mary Wood Coffey's' fourth grade; and to the right of it, Catherine Myers third grade. At the far right are windows of the auditorium, in which, most notably, Jeanette Lawhorn sang "How much is that doggy in the window," and the wildly applauded rooster calls were rendered, unsolicited, by 88 Yates. The gymnasium was also the scene of Fall Carnivals, where Yvonne Lawhorn sang "Indian Love Song," causing hundreds of boys to fall in love with her, never to forgive Charles Marshall for working Marshall voodoo on her and marrying her away. In the gym, too, were seen the first jump shots, the one hand foul, and the three guard fast break executed by Dubin Collins, Bobby Kelsey, and Norman Coomer. (Yes, he was just as fast then as one can imagine.) The old gym was also the launching site for the great 1953-54 and 1954-55 Adair County Indians, all of dribbled there, including Ralph Shearer, Haskin Rowe, Terry Randall, Louis Pendleton, Billy Conover, Rayburn Daugherty, Don Miller, Jim Richards, Ralph McQueary, and Lynn McLean and some others, equally important, who don't come to mind at 7:53CT this A.M.

(Dec. 9, 2007, 1:06pmCT): Birthplace of modern agriculture in Adair County
K. Scott, mayor of Bliss, remembers a very important detail about the picture of the Columbia High School gymnasium sent posted by Larry Smith. It is the place of birth of modern farming, as we know it: "When you look at the building, you see the porch that covers the basement entrance," Mr. Scott wrote. "if you took the basement door to the left, it would lead you to place of birth of modern agriculture in Adair County. That is where James Woody held court, with the likes of Billy Whitney and Albert Louis Woodrum as high school students, and later with the returning veterans from WWII who attended Ag classes there."

Comments, clarifications, corrections, are, as always, welcome. No story, clicking Read More accesses Today, Sun. Dec. 9, 2007 feature. If you appreciate the card, give Larry Smith a call at (270) 384-7979 on mornings during the week.