First, the front entrance, in color!
(Click on images to enlarge)
… You have no idea how much I want to walk through that open door.
And then we have Mr. Horner, the sixth-grade teacher, standing next to what I assume is his car, beside the school. (A local vintage-car enthusiast tells me it's a 1968 Chevrolet Impala.)
Our contributor has this to say about Mr. Horner: "He was a wonderful teacher! He had pictures of both Pinky and Blue Boy in the room, and I can't ever see those pictures without remembering him."
I did a little searching of on-line newspapers to try to find out Mr. Horner's first name, but without success. (I did find a story about an Ainsworth grain elevator burglary in the late 1960s, and the obituary of John Paine of Valparaiso — born to Albion and Ethel Paine of Ainsworth in 1915 — which was depressing.)
Anyway — Mr. Horner, whatever your first name was and wherever you are now, you are remembered.
[7/13/11 update] OK, we have a first name for Mr. Horner — Clinton (see Comments below).
7 comments:
Great post! I will try to find out Mr. Horner's name. Thanks--- Debbie Allendorf
I can't help but think of him as "Jack." :)
Haha! I think it was actually Clinton Horner, but I may be wrong. My sister kept in contact with him for many years, and he gave her a copy of his poetry. He used to live in Crown Point. Anyway, I will check with my sister on his name. Debbie Allendorf Maxwell
Also, my parents built a house in the Green acres subdivision in 1960, and knew a lot of people in the area. They moved from there, and returned in 1964 to a home on 73rd avenue, east of Colorado street about 1/2 mile, on the north side. My dad had a lot of dealings with the Tonegals, who owned a store where the Teachers store is right now. Also, my mom's mom --my grandmother--was the janitor at Ainsworth for a while, and lived next door to the school in the house to the right of it. Later she moved to a house down by the railroad tracks that used to be one of the Ainsworth stores that you have blogged about. West side of 51, south of the two story builing still standing there.
I don't suppose you have a photo of the Tonegals' store? That's one thing I have yet to find.
Let me check with my dad, but I doubt it. I can still remember going in there. The Tonegals were SO nice. Also, I went to John Wood when it first opened in 1962 and was there until Oct 1962.I was 7 and in the second grade. I was hoping my parents had some pics of it, but they don't. :((((( We also went to church in an old motel that used to be at "Deadman's Curve" way back when. There was a central building that must have been the office and maybe a restaurant, which is what we went to church in. And there were the little cabins--some of them---still standing. I have looked and asked for a pic of it, but so far nothing is forthcoming. It was the Presbyterian church, and in about 1965 they tore it down to build a ranch-style church building. The congregation moved out in 1972--19973 due to a splitting from the Presbytery) and it was just a home. Later it burned down, and there is now a private residence there. --Debbie Allendorf Maxwell
I've heard of that little motel by the curve, called the Cozy Camp (or maybe Kozy Kamp). It was the successor to Chester's Camp, which I've written about elsewhere in the blog, but I don't know whether it was actually the same buildings or just the same location. I didn't realize the church was actually in the motel building at first! Interesting. Thanks for the info.
You were right about Mr. Horner's first name -- I've just spoken with a neighbor (a former teacher herself) who remembers him and agrees that his first name was Clinton.
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