Memories of Art Hill
One of the great joys we had as kids was riding down Art Hill after a snow storm. None of the kids on our block had sleds, so we found cardboard boxes and went
down the hill on the pieces we had cut from the boxes.

One day my friend Don Brady and I were about to freeze as we made our way home. He told me that his mother had said if he ever got out in really cold weather he should dig a hole in the snow and bury himself. I was skeptical, but I was really cold. So we dug a hole and crawled in. That was one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made. From our houses to Art Hill was three or four miles. I feared we might not make it home.

Another great joy was to slide down Norfolk Avenue after the temperature dropped below freezing. There were very few cars in the early 30s, so we would pour water on the snow or ice and let it freeze, then we'd slide down it.

- Rev. Paul E. Powell, retired, Kingshighway Baptist Church

School Days
When I was a girl, you could walk to school, which you don't see a lot these days. I attended Buder Elementary School. My grandmother would walk me to school. It was pretty good walk. She'd walk me there and walk home again; then a few hours later, she'd walk back and get me.

In grade school, I remember having religious instruction. This was a public grade school, but kids would leave and go to another school for religion. Your parents had to give permission for you to go, but who would have wanted to be left behind? There was no Baptist school, so I went to the local Presbyterian one.

The 8th grade picnic. That was the big deal for us. The whole class rode the streetcar to the Forest Park Highlands amusement park.

When it was time for high school, I wanted to go to Roosevelt. I'm almost embarrassed to say why. It was because they had a swimming pool. Several friends and I asked for a transfer and they allowed us to go. I originally took the streetcar, but eventually I had to take two buses to get there.

Everyone took the bus or walked wherever they needed to go. My family did have a '36 Plymouth, but it only came out on Sunday.

— Sondra Novell-Lay