1955 BHS Bearcats TC Champs

An old clipping that I was able to restore - kinda. However, the story can be remembered by those of you that were there and "pulled it off". The banners and signs "BEAT BOONEVILLE" that were seen everywhere must have worked! The final score of a 31 point spread testifies to the tenacity and determination of the 'cats against the arch rival Blue Devils.

Will anyone admit to painting "Go To He## Booneville" on their school building right before this game???

Also recognizable in the photo (other than the three listed in the text) is John Lampkin (L), Billy Wayne Houston, Melvin Duke, and others including cheerleader Faye Coggins (R). I think I have those correct and apologize if not.
____________________________

From the Tupelo Journal, sent by Betty Smith Massengill.

Click to enlarge.

Remember James Franks?

I remember James Franks only from the time I was very young, and lost track of him over my adult years.

I rode with him in a wagon and a 4 mule team from Baldwyn to Geeville once. He had brought a load of cotton to one of the gins and I helped him suction it up into the conveyor.

His "museum" building was still standing the last time I went by on US 145; I wish I could have checked it out when it was full of his collections.

There is a misspelling in the text: The old auto was a Jordan Playboy.
__________________________________

From the Tupelo Journal newspaper, date unknown, but a guess is about 1974. Sent by Robert Palmer.

Click on pics to enlarge.

Doc, Babe, and Country

A photo we ran across of the three coaches that quite a few of us had the opportunity to play for. A lot can be said for these men, but there is not enough room to put all of their accomplishments and accolades here.

They will be remembered for a long time.
____________________________

From an old copy of the "Tupelo Daily Journal". Click to enlarge photo.

Baldwyn vs. Nettleton, 1955

A program from an important game in 1955. Shown is all I have of the program; the front and half the inside - at least the important part showing the Bearcat players and stats.

Scanned in the best and largest resolution for you to print and save if desired.

__________________

Submitted by John Melvin Duke. Click on images to enlarge.

Ladies of BCR Battle 1964

Top: Mrs. Haddon Palmer gets a shoe lace retied by Walter Anderson. Watching is James Preston McWhorter, Left, and James Franks, right.

Center: A drab cannon can be made to look better by adding a couple of pretty ladies. Standing is Virginia Rice Tapp and on the cannon is Johnny Corbett McGee.

Beards were very prevalent on men who celebrated the reenactments. The lower photo and accompanying text may or may not be true. How about it, Sue? Did you ever let BW grow one?
_________________________________

From the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, May 31, 1964. Submitted by Robert Palmer, Baldwyn.

What th' ###????

Have been wondering about these photos from the 1959 BHS annual. Notice these players are all Bearcats but wearing Pratt uniforms.

Does anyone know if this is a spoof or what?

I guess you know all those pictured. If not I'll add a comment with the names if one of you doesn't beat me to it.

Twentymile Bottom

This sign overlooks the area on the Natchez Trace Parkway (seen in the background) where the mighty Twentymile canal starts to divest itself of the huge amounts of water it drains from it's beginning at Lebanon Mountain.

We have long revered the canal for it's glorious swimming holes, most notably "Blue Mars" written about and remembered by many; the sun perch and bluegill that we caught and returned to the water to fight on a hook another day, and the many areas we would cool off in by wading on a hot Summer day.

The canal channel goes much further Southeast from here, but in doing so creates many smaller tributaries to shed the water.
_____________________

Photo by Carl Houston on 9-9-09.

Young Baldwyn Men from the 1950s

NEW pic... Harold sent this yearbook photo (above) to show the "other" Jerry Prather in the middle photo. Robert Johnson has the info on him in the comments section.



Young men from Baldwyn in about 1957-59 or so. Correct the year if you know.

The adult on the left is Dennis Meek. The one on the right we're not sure of.

Pictured is: (not in any order) Jackie Cole, Gary Norman, Ted Love, Mansel Pruitt, Tully Lindley, Tommy Palmer, Robert Johnson, Jim Greene, Bobby Burns, The McMillan brothers, Robin Arnold, Huse Woods, Lanny Outlaw, and a few others I have failed to remember. I see a Rowan and a Parker, but cannot recall first names of either.

Lower: Some Bearcat basketball players including Wyatt, Doug, Billy, Harold, David, Dewey, Don, Jerry, Harold Deen, and Joe.

_______________________________________________

Center and lower photos from Clarene Evans. Click to enlarge.

FFA Activities and Boy Scouts

Top: A photo of some Baldwyn Boy Scouts. This might be around 1959.

Adults are Charles Morris (R) and Thomas Lampkin (L). They were very committed scout leaders for a number of years. Scoutmaster (front right) is Bro. Byron Nowak.

Back row L-R: Butch McCarthy, Jerry Ozbirn, Tommy Gamble, Jerry Enis.

Front row L-R: Junior Christian, Larry Franklin, Gordon McCarley, Jimmy Joyner, Tony Hendrix, Kenneth Lauderdale, and Andy Enis.

Lower: Nobody we have talked to recalls what these models of farm structures were used for, or who may have built them. Any help on that will be appreciated.

Sitting is Herb Spivey (R) and Bobby Gene Gamble.

Standing L-R: Instructor C. Q. Hoover, James Robinson, Ted Roberts, and Bonnie Ray Whitehead. Taller boys are L-R: Billy Owen, Bill Hogue (?), Milford Gamble, Gibson Lee Billingsley, and Herman Blankfield.
______________________________

Photos and information submitted by an anonymous reader.

1959 BHS Football Homecoming

Players, cheerleaders and the homecoming queen and court from 1959.

L-R Martha Prather, Carolyn McCarley, Sandra Poole, Harold Deen Grissom, Peggy Jo Jones, Doug Pruitt, Queen Olivia Enis Pruitt, Deborah Morris, Joe Cunningham, Midge Stiles, and Judy Bryant.

____________________________

From the 1959 BHS yearbook. Click to enlarge.