Allen County Public Library CONTENTdm CollectionI loved driving down (or should I say - being driven UP) Spy Run Avenue. It was like a really cool race track - not many lights - and lots of things to see along the way.
One of those "things" was the Rudisill School. I'm guessing that it no longer exists since Fort Wayne got a little crazy with the wrecking balls in the late 80's and early/mid 90's (someone - fill me in).
Side note: Mr. Chris Crawford confirms - it met the fate of the wrecking ball.So I guess the big question is - what is in it's place???
If you click on this Topography Map, you'll be taken to my Flickr area where you can display it in its original size (1600 x 1200).
To this little kid, schools like Rudisill (architects - Marshall Mahurin and Guy Mahurin),
were grand and serious-looking. Almost like they were boasting from the side of the road (ain't I just an awesome-lookin' building?!).
Unfortunately, I never had the pleasure of attending one of these older schools. Mine were built in the "modern" age (i.e. 50's).
Anyone have the pleasure of attending Rudisill School?
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18 comments:
Yes the Rudisill School was torn down in the 1990's, when I was in college, but I forget the year. It is definately gone though.
How sad.
Maybe someone ought to tell the City of Fort Wayne that!
http://www.cityoffortwayne.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=105&Itemid=246
The firm worked throughout Indiana, with many examples of their work remaining in Fort Wayne, including Rudisill School (16080), the Louise Seidel House (17234), St. Patrick's Lyceum (37055), and the S.B. Bechtel House (49437).
I wasn't around when the school was here. But if I'm reading your map right, it is now a retirement home called the Life Care Center of Fort Wayne.
The retirement home is located just to the south of where the school was situated. The actual site of the school is currently vacant, just grass and weeds.
I think I may have been on of the last sets of kids to go to Rudisill School before it changed into some business home. Was googling the map to find the building only to find an empty space there. I don't think it's the retirement home place. Went to K through six grade. My K and 1st grade teacher was a Mrs. Janet McCleod--her husband taught art at Northside High School. A Miss Butler used to be (I think) my 2nd grade teacher. I remember her being tall and thin with some graying hair and glasses--she used to scare me a little (grins). Then I had Miss Ruth Butler--very sweet lady. Then a young Miss Galagher who became Mrs. Doorer(sp?). Then onto Miss Boteron who always used to bring her spaniel dogs in near the end of the year. I went to school there from 1959-60 to 1965-66 (if I counted right).
Some of the other students that were in my class (was in a "split" class for most of the years--meaning there were 2 grades being taught in one class) were Linda Verhagen, Debbie Smith, Cindy Kirkpatrick, Darlene Geisler, Jim Benton, Nancy Hileman, Joyce Tuttle, Lois Goldsmith, and Joyce Ray. There might have been another student that I can't think of. I used to take a city bus to the school every year. We would be dropped off across the street from the school and then walk across as Spy Run was a 1-way street. There was a small black top area behind the school along with a larger stone parking lot. This is where we had recess. The blacktop had places for different kinds of box ball and where kids jumped rope. I remember playing kickball and dodge ball out on the gravel area.
Each year I was there, they would have an awesome kids' carnival with different booths. Some of the booths/games were a type of shuffle board, turtle toss, fortune teller, Mr. Pickpockets (this was Mr. baxter who wore a pair of overalls with a bunch of pockets sewn all over--you would give him a ticket and then you would get to "pick a pocket"), and fishing (throwing your line over a screen and getting a really "cool" prize, and a cakewalk. There was usually a theme to the carnival. The one I remember the most was a Hawaiian theme where you could dress-up Hawaiian style. In the gym, there would be different booths to buy crafts, a raffle table, and the "hat boutique." My mom usually was in charge of making all the different types of hats one could purchase. Usually a popcorn machine was set up in one of the hallways, too. When you went downstairs to the kitchen and lunch room area, they would usually serve a chili supper with potato chips. I remember at one of these carnivals them announcing over the PA system that President Kennedy had been shot.
Also, I remember our school getting the first public lunch school program. Our kitchen wasn't big enough for them to cook in, so the food was made elsewhere and then sent in at lunch time. A Mrs. Schory was in charge, and myself and a couple of other girls would help serve the food to the students. A weekly lunch ticket cost a total of $2.00 or 40cents a day. Also, once a year, we would get to go to the basement where there would be a couple of big tables set up where we could select a plant to keep for our very own! (Mine was always a snake plant--guess I just had a thing for them or maybe that was the only thing I could grow!) Then, also, we would have a plant show later where ribbons would be given out. Early on in school I remember again, being taken downstairs to have our eyes checked. Don't know if any of you remember the big chart with the letter "E" pointing in different directions. We would have to stand a certain distance away and then with our hands, point the direction the "E" was going.
For gym class, the girls had these blue "bloomer" outfits that we would step into, pull up to our middle thighs, tuck our dresses/skirts into, put our arms through short sleeves and then snap them up the front. Yes, we were so great looking in gym class!! We tumbled on mats, climbed the poles, ran and skipped around the gym, and did various folk dancing including square dancing. Also, they had REAL chalk boards--mostly black and we learned how to write by going to the blackboards and drawing big circles over and over. Then as we got older, we learned how to use fountain pens to write (am I getting you into the dark ages yet?!). In either 3rd or 4th grade we learned how to play "flutophones." Then were given an opportunity to learn to play an instrument--I chose the clarient. A Mrs. Miser was our music teacher. There was no actual art room, so a teacher would come in once a week (I think) and teach us some kind of art project. The thing I remember most was this huge jar of paste. We would tear scraps of paper into small squares and would dip into the paste with a tongue depressor and put a "slab" of it on our little squares. Fingers were used to apply to our projects and, yes, even some of the kids ate it! There are many more things I remember about Rudisill such as coming in the big doors and climbing the stairs to the main floor. The floors were marble finished. Straight ahead was the gym and a classroom was off to the left and one or two class rooms to the right. Upstairs in the middle above the gym was the principal's office. If you went downstairs from the main floor (there were stairs on both ends of the building) you would find the small kitchen and lunch room area. and an open area under the gym where we would go in case of a tornedo. Well, I guess that pretty well sums up my memories of this once grand ol' school. Thanks for letting me rattle on. Am so disappointed to see that it was torn down. So many great memories.....
I was a student at Rudisill from 1953 until 1958. I clearly remember my kindergarten teacher was Mrs. Cook, third grade was Mrs. Harlor, fourth was Miss Bottern, fifth was Miss Warner. I remember the school fair mentioned previously as well as the haunted house at Halloween. Fifthe-Sixth grade chorus was a BIG deal. Laurie Popp, Janet Sanders, Leslie Ray, Daryl Pitts were neighbors and classmates. Fond memories.
Linda Shambaugh Hines
My name was then Marlenea Bowling and I attended Rudisill School from 1953-1959. What a wonderful place to grow up. We had parades that went from one end of the district and continued through out. When the parade passed your house you joined in. There were fairs and school activities that were so wonderful. I wish kids now could experience that joy.
Inside the school there were banisters for sliding on and the teachers were so untuned with their kids. I have so many wonderful memories of my childhood that stem from that school.
In one of the previous posts, someone mentioned Mr Baxter. He was my favorite teacher. Among others that I can remember we're Ms Reed, Ms Mitchell, Ms Malcolm. Those were the ones that left the biggest imprint on me. Those were happy days!
I went to rudisill school from 1953 to 1957 I do remember mrs cook there a teacher I can't remember how to spell his name it wassomething like verts just gussing would like to hear from marlenea wooten or linda hines Robert burda
I went to Rudisill 3rd /6th grade 5th teacher was Mrs Hardwood 6th was Mr Virts the boys did wrong they got the paddle Bob Miller got about 13 whacks and I Daniel Ludwig got 12 whacks tried for the most did not make it believe 4th grade carvanival Bob and I dressed like wounded soldiers won frist place and had picture in the paper still have that copy hard to see really faded.
Daniel Ludwig
hi daniel i do remember the wounded soldiers i think i was in the 4th grade at the time the carvanival also had a spook house i remember mr virts giving swats. robert burda
Hi, my name is Bill Spurling, I went to Rudasill school only for the first grade. It was 1948. We lived on Spyrun down near the river in an old house that has been torn down and now that land is occupied by the fort. The school seemed like a big place when you’re only five years old. I still have good memories of my first grade.
hi bill, thanks for the responding i went to rudasill 1952- 1956 1st thru 4th grade i lived at 1206 spyrun right across from the fort
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