School Daze
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| The following song is performed by Ken Kellow. You Can't Keep Darby Down 1 About sixteen and eighty two, Quakers walked this ground. It didn't take them very long, To decide to found a town. A place called Derby they were from, It’s far across the sea. Where religious persecution, Was common every day. Chorus You can't keep Darby down no, You can't keep Darby down. No matter what the future brings, You can't keep Darby down. As time goes by, the people change, Its always been that way. But no matter what; remember that, You can't keep Darby down. 2 Good land and water did abound, And trails to get around. Deep roots would thus be planted, At the beginnings of the town. Their new place was called Darby, They were happy to be free. From religious persecution, It surely was to be. 3 They carved their farms and factories, From the wilderness surround. Remembering from where they came, They welcomed all to town. Through wars and downturns plenty, Darby paid its dues. The up's and downs were many, But failure was refused, Repeat Chorus 4 The wealthy came and stayed awhile, Their footprints still abound. But Darby could not leave with them, It had to hang around. The country kept expanding, People looking for a start. Many called our Darby home, They stayed and did their part. 5 A cycle of expansion, Followed world war two. The greatest generation, They knew just what to do. They built new schools and ball fields, And Darby Swim Club too. It seemed that there was nothing, Our parents could not do. Repeat Chorus 6 The church and schools of Darby, Were central to our life. Despite the numbers in the class, We all could read and write. The trains that passed by sixth and main, The tunnel just before. The store on wheels, the bread man too, The Little League and more. 7 As the years slipped by we realized, That time is oh so short. The Darby of our youth is gone, We miss it very much. But we were not the first to come, Nor will we be the last. For Darby always finds a way, To burst forth from the past. Repeat Chorus © 2009 Ken Kellow Non-commercial use permitted |
Walnut Street School Remembrances
o It had great wood floors, we'd run down the
main halls, and then slide on our knees down the
hall.
o Coat rooms just inside the class room doors.
o Bathrooms, at the bottom of the end stairwells.
Toilets that flushed when the seats popped up
(not pooped up!). I guess so little kids couldn't
'forget' to flush.
o The breeze way between the grade school and
the jr high/high school.
o A smallish cube (same stone block as the
school) on the outside of the building, in the
playground, about eight feet (nine, ten?) high, that
kids used to try to climb up onto.
o The wall around the patio where the HS
auditorium outside entrance was - I used to walk
around on the top of that wall... pretty scary when
you're little.
o The water fountain outside... and being told not
their teeth knocked out.
o The trees in the paved playground area in front
of the elementary school.
o The painted baseball diamond in that
playground (were two kids would race around in
opposite directions, trying to get back to home
plate first).
o The care takers house on the same block (I
remember going out to draw the house, during an
art class once).
o Saying the Pledge of Allegiance facing the flag
in the classroom, above the clock.
o Growing terrariums in fish bowls on the
window sills.
o Being in a 'musical' halloween production (in
the upper auditorium) pretending to play a violin,
while dressed as a devil.
o Eating lunch in that same auditorium, with my
metal lunch box on my lap.
o And standing in line, in alphabetical order
(don't remember what the reason was?).
Al, Darby Boomer
o It had great wood floors, we'd run down the
main halls, and then slide on our knees down the
hall.
o Coat rooms just inside the class room doors.
o Bathrooms, at the bottom of the end stairwells.
Toilets that flushed when the seats popped up
(not pooped up!). I guess so little kids couldn't
'forget' to flush.
o The breeze way between the grade school and
the jr high/high school.
o A smallish cube (same stone block as the
school) on the outside of the building, in the
playground, about eight feet (nine, ten?) high, that
kids used to try to climb up onto.
o The wall around the patio where the HS
auditorium outside entrance was - I used to walk
around on the top of that wall... pretty scary when
you're little.
o The water fountain outside... and being told not
their teeth knocked out.
o The trees in the paved playground area in front
of the elementary school.
o The painted baseball diamond in that
playground (were two kids would race around in
opposite directions, trying to get back to home
plate first).
o The care takers house on the same block (I
remember going out to draw the house, during an
art class once).
o Saying the Pledge of Allegiance facing the flag
in the classroom, above the clock.
o Growing terrariums in fish bowls on the
window sills.
o Being in a 'musical' halloween production (in
the upper auditorium) pretending to play a violin,
while dressed as a devil.
o Eating lunch in that same auditorium, with my
metal lunch box on my lap.
o And standing in line, in alphabetical order
(don't remember what the reason was?).
Al, Darby Boomer
Memories of BVM Carnival
The carnival was a BVM tradition, I
remember my Grandfather would
always make the cotton candy. He
would wear this big goofy hat and he
always had a smile.
Mari, Darby Boomer
The carnival was a BVM tradition, I
remember my Grandfather would
always make the cotton candy. He
would wear this big goofy hat and he
always had a smile.
Mari, Darby Boomer
Every year, we would get a small box of hard candy at to
watch the same two films The Night Before Christmas and the
Nativity story, all starring puppets.
Joe, Darby Boomer