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Teacher remembers Hill Street School

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Wow….Yes….I taught there! That is my school. In fact I taught in the room on the second floor for three years, the top level, the 12th through the 16th windows on the second floor shown in the photo - just before the tree.

The room on the end with windows on a curve was called the “ship room.” I had study hall in that room the last hour of the day. I would keep the drapes open and from the teacher’s desk I could gaze and look out at the Pinal Mountains. It was great because this time of year they would be covered in snow. You made my day. How did you ever run across this? So fun.

The school was built right after or during the First World War. As you came in there was a plaster bas relief of Miss Liberty leading WWI troops to victory and a biplane in the sky. Cool. I saw another copy of that in some museum since. I assume it is still there.

All the classrooms had at least two real black slate boards, 4’ x 6’ by 2 inches thick. Also, the dividers in the bathroom stalls were two-inch thick panels of white marble. All floors were oak. So it was an interesting place to start my teaching career. I had a great four years there. My last year was in the new school; nice, but small rooms compared to the old school. 

We still used the gym at the old school even after the new school was built. The graduation dances were all held in the gym, decorated with crepe paper and streamers to transform it into a wonderous ballroom for that night. Unfortunately the school did not have a library, only a “book closet.”

The asphalt playground was still used for lunch recess. I stood lunch recess duty every day of my four years there. I would lead the lunch kids to the high school two blocks away, seat the kids and get a free lunch of good old-fashioned home-cooked food - great stuff. Their cinnamon rolls were fabulous. I could even order extra cinnamon rolls on Friday to have over the weekend. What a deal and a treat for 10 cents each. It was a good gig for a bachelor living alone in the late 60s in Globe, Arizona. Hill Street School, Globe and the people of Globe still have a special place in my heart.

Sincerely,

Tom Kreuser, Junior High Teacher Globe, Arizona 1967-71