Est. March 31, 2000 28,567 Previous Hits September 16, 2002 Editor:Tommy Towery http://www.leealumni.com Class of 1964 Page Hits This Issue e-mail ttowery@memphis.edu Staff Writers : Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly , Joy Rubins Morris ,Terry "Moses" Preston Staff Photographers: Fred & Lynn Sanders Contributers: The Members of Lee High School Classes of 64-65-66 |
Est. March 31, 2000 28,567 Previous Hits September 16, 2002 Editor:Tommy Towery http://www.leealumni.com Class of 1964 Page Hits This Issue e-mail ttowery@memphis.edu Staff Writers : Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly , Joy Rubins Morris ,Terry "Moses" Preston Staff Photographers: Fred & Lynn Sanders Contributers: The Members of Lee High School Classes of 64-65-66 |
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Still Crazy After All These Years |
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The Madison County Fair 1960's Vintage By Terry 'Moses' Preston Class of '64 "Step right up folks, and see something that you've never seen before! In this very place, inside this very tent, with your very own eyes, you'll see strange sights! Sights from the exotic corners of the earth, sights witnessed by royalty the world over! We've brought them right here to you. Yes sir and yes ma'am, right here in, er, Huntspatch Alabama, your own town, sights normally reserved for ONLY kings and queens! What does it cost, you ask? Why twenty-five cents! That's all, just one quarter of a dollar! Don't miss this show of a lifetime. Step right up!" Where on earth would you expect to find such an extensive over utilization of hyperbole? (That's fancy college graduate talk, meaning 'pure bullshit'). Madison Avenue? The U.S. Congress? Saddam Hussein? No, this generous distribution of fertilizer, along with that deposited by four legged farm animals, could be found every September during the 1960's at the Madison County Fairgrounds on Church Street, in Huntsville. The fair! What an exciting, interesting place for a poor mill village kid to be. I can still feel the warm rush and the tingle that accompanied our entrance into the place! They always had a special afternoon "school day", when ticket prices were much cheaper, and almost everyone from school was there. And sometimes daddy would even take us back on Saturday night, when they had the high wire act (we called it the tight rope), so that we could enjoy all of the lights and the "pageantry". I guess that word really doesn't fit when describing that Podunk carnival, but back then it caused my ebony eyes to become as big as saucers! My earliest recollections were of things that excited my senses. The smell of cotton candy, popcorn and sawdust, the color and flavor of candy apples, the thrill of the rides, the sounds of carnival music mixed with the loud talking of the vendors, kids screaming in fun, the tinkling of nickels hitting the plates on the heads of large stuffed animals, and music coming from the carousel! I loved the Ferris wheel, the Tilt-A-Whirl, the bump cars, and the Scrambler. I was petrified of the Bullet! Many of the September days were hot, and some of the September nights seemed really cold. And of course, I remember being there with my little grade school girlfriends. Ah, the thrill of walking around and holding hands with the likes of Anna Cope, Frankie Kennedy, and Linda Schafer! But I also remember being busted by Sherry Adcock. She caught me looking at the "Adam & Eve" peep show. "You see something?" she smirked. The sad thing was that I really hadn't! It was a total rip-off! My country cousins had a little different view of the fair. Growing up in the mill village I knew precious little about farm life. Heck, I thought that a tomato plant was a factory over in West Huntsville! And a barn? That was a neat little building where you rolled in the hay with your favorite female country cousins, wasn't it? But they were a lot more knowledgeable about all of that Green Acres stuff, and to them the fair was a stage to proudly showplace their 4-H Club projects, such as their fat heifers and pigs, and their home-wrecker sized cucumbers. What I didn't know at the time was that these dumb bumpkins were pocketing cash prizes while their cool and brilliant city cousin wasn't! It seemed that the fair grew up with us. Each year it was a little larger, a little noisier, a little more crowded, and the rides a little better. I remember the first time that I rode on the triple-decker Ferris wheel. My thoughts were "Too high, too fast," and "Get me the hell off this thing!" So while some of my good friends (Walt Thomas, C.E. Wynn, Mike Smith, Mike Chisam, Milton Shelton, and others) were riding this and other scary rides (like the Bullet), I began to develop a real fondness and appreciation for the art and culture of the sideshows. Fortunately, I had company. David France, Jim McBride, and Gene Siders (remember him?), were also developing an appreciation for the fine arts. Fittingly, we were blessed with many mind-broadening experiences that helped to prepare us for the changing times ahead. We came to understand and appreciate people who were different, such as the bearded lady, the incredible tattooed lady, the world's smallest woman, Fanny Oakley, the sword swallower (the original deep throat?), the fortune-telling lady, and the Hoochie-Coochie girls. To this day David France is in love with Cher, totally because of her tattoos. Gene Siders married a lady with a really neat mustache. And where do you suppose that Jim McBride got the idea for using the term "Hoochie-Coochie" in his Country Music Song of the Year, "Chattahoochee?" It was the Madison County fair! Really! Ask him! But our most mind-broadening experience was probably the night that we saw the Morphodite (a woman having both male and female genitalia). Well, the guys TOLD me that she had male genitalia. I couldn't take my eyes off her female genitalia long enough to even notice the other! Of course this educational experience, in addition to making us instant heroes with the guys at Lee High School, also helped to prepare me in later years to sing the hit single "Lola" with understanding. (This song about a transvestite was recorded by a group that, for some unknown reason was called the Kinks). One thing that never changed over the years was the abundance of games, all designed to take your money. You could throw baseballs at cats or softballs at heavy "milk" bottles; there was ring toss, coin toss, basketball hoops, and ringing the bell by swinging a sledgehammer. And the hawkers were tremendous salesmen! I mean, how could you pass up his challenge to your manhood? Of course you could knock down three cats, impress your girlfriend and win her a teddy bear. Couldn't you? Many of our classmates will no doubt submit dozens of their memories of the Fair, and I can't wait to read them. I guess the thing that impressed me the most was the manner in which the Fair concentrated so much fun, amusement, and entertainment into one place in the middle of a somewhat laid back community year after year. And how that it was THE thing to do for so much of our youth. But it probably was so great only in our minds, and you just had to be there to appreciate it. Years later I offered to take my daughters to either the Madison County Fair or to Six Flags. They chose Six Flags. __________________________________________________ A Fair View, From The Fairer Sex Joy Rubins Morris Athens, AL Class 1964 The first time I attended the Madison County Fair was in 1958. We had just moved to Huntsville that spring from California. My dad worked for Rocketdyne in Pacoima, and he was transferred to Huntsville as were many other families during that time. I remember we left school early (I think there was a special day whereby school children could get in at a reduced price) and I was so excited to see the rides, hear the music, and smell the variety of foods being prepared. I rode my first Ferris wheel at that fair. I was okay as long as it didn't stop. But when it was our turn to stop on top, I was scared to death. I was afraid of heights and it never occurred to me that at some point we would have to stop on top. I don't remember breathing and dared anyone to even move. But once I got over those initial shaky moments I did go on to ride it again later that evening. I remember the barkers who called from their shows with promises of seeing the unusual and the cost was minimum compared to the wonder that awaited you when you accepted their invitation. I remember the lights and the music from the side shows where the women would dance on stage to entice the customers (men) to see them perform on the inside. Although the music was catchy, I could not figure out why it was such a big deal. I also could not figure out just what they did behind those curtains that they were not doing on stage. Oh youth! I remember dust covering my shoes, making several trips around the fair and seeing classmates holding hands and carrying the prizes their boyfriends had won for them. I remember standing in line to ride, cotton candy, cupie dolls, and not wanting to go home. I remember how good the food tasted (hot dogs, etc.) and the excitement of trying new rides: (the Scrambler, the Himalayan). Judy, my sister who had no fear, rode any and everything: the Octopus, the Bullet. and heaven knows what else. You can tell I was a "ground" person and Judy was a "sky" person. I remember as we were leaving looking back to see the lights, hearing the music and continuing to look back until the fair was out of sight. I remember going to school the next day and comparing stories on who we saw, what we rode, etc. And I remember being envious of those who got to go back and do it all over again. I think the best part though was that initial rush of excitement when you got there and could not decide what you wanted to do first. That feeling of anticipation and wide-eyed wonder of seeing something for the first time, capturing it in a memory and enjoying the pleasure it brings back through the years is irreplaceable. Hold on your memories, cherish them, and most importantly share them. __________________________________________ |
In my memories, September was always the month of the Fair. This week we take our first look at that subject through the eyes of Terry "Moses" Preston and Joy Rubins Morris, and then next week we will view two more perspectives by different members of The Traveller Staff. It's too grand of a subject to cover in just one issue. Of course we encourage you to send along your own memories of the excitement of the Fair. Next comes a little bragging. With this issue, we mark a full year (52 weeks) of weekly Traveller issues. Last year's 9/11 tragedy broke a 15 week string that had started on June 10, 2001, but now we have not missed putting out a weekly issue for an entire year. Thanks to all of you who helped make this possible. We're starting to get a nice collection of future stories we know you will find informative if not interesting. Please send more. On a different note and as a teaser, watch closely for the next few weeks for a major announcement from The Traveller staff. We know you won't want to miss out on it. I still have not located all the Souvenir Shop stuff after my recent move. I have promised Barbara Seeley a video tape she paid for at the 2000 reunion but did not receive and John Drummond a program from the same. I will do my best to try to find them. Also, I need Linda Johnson to e-mail me with her new e-mail address. I am also trying to finish up the CD-ROM photo album from the 2K2 Reunion, and hope to offer it in the Souvenir Shop in the near future, while you are still interested in it or can still remember the people. _________________________________________ |
From Our Mailbox Subject: Annette McC. Gallagher's new email Date: Sun, 08 Sep 2002 19:53:34 +0000 From: tipigal@att.net I think the attempt I made this AM failed to make it out, so I'm trying again. I have an iMac!!!!! New email addy is: tipigal@att.net Now I can get the web site just fine. I haven't had time to archive-dive yet, but will soon. I'd like to thank Joy Ruben to take the time and effort to copy and mail me the past 20 or so editions. She's a doll, and I love her for it. I still have a lot to learn about this computer, so if I do something dumb, just consider the source. Looking forward to seeing you all at breakfast at Mullin's soon. I've worked the Friday night before the last Saturday AM for the last several months. I hope it doesn't always happen that way. I wanna keep in touch. I had a great time at the mini-reunion. Is there anything to the rumor or maybe having one during the holidays? That would be fun. Count me in. Annette McCraney Gallagher Class of '64 _____________________________________ Subject: Parents Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 07:04:26 -0500 From: "Pat Stolz" <pstolz@knology.net> Tommy, Thanks as always for the great job you and your staff do putting out our newsletter. I wanted to tell you how sorry I am to hear of what you are going through with your Mom. My father, who is 83 now, has recently been put on dialysis and not doing well at all with everything. It is so hard on all of us whose parents are getting older to deal with this, they have been our caretakers for so long. It is very difficult to turn things around and be their caregivers. I will keep you and your family in my prayers. Thanks again for including all of us in your busy life. Pat Torzillo Stolz Class of '66 __________________________________ Subject: Mustang Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2002 22:35:39 -0500 From: "Jim Bannister" <jbann@hotmail.com> Tommy, Your reference to Mustangs really hit home....I have a 1984 Mustang coupe (20th anniversary year) that I am restoring...It was my son's first car and he about wore it out, in fact it sat for almost two years not running .....When my daughter approached driving age, she wanted the Mustang....I spent several weekends getting it back into safe working condition and had a quick paint job on it (Jaguar Racing Green...her choice) ....Then I started teaching her to drive...Beth is just barely five feet tall, so with two pillows to sit on and the seat all the way forward, she could just touch the pedals and still had to peer through the steering wheel ....it didn't take long for us both to realize that the Mustang was not for her....I bought her a little Toyota Tercel and Dad ended up with the Mustang....I will make this into "The Car I Never Had".....Right!!! It now has a new engine, transmission, suspension, bearings & brakes, and exhaust system. Still needs paint, interior & detail work and a Big Stereo System....At the rate the project is going I won't get to impress any girls....I'll be too old to drive. Jim Bannister Class of '66 (Editor's Note: Jim, I had the same problem with trying to teach my daughter, Tiffany, how to drive my Ford Tempo at the time. Seems Fords are not made for short people!) ______________________________________ Subject: My South Date: 1 Sep 2002 08:44:33 -0600 From: "Blaise, Donald" <DBlaise@ciber.com> I really enjoyed the article submitted by Cheryl Massey entitled, "My South". It painted a very clear picture of why I'm going back. I live in the Colorado mountains, one of the most beautiful places in this country but I am still reminded daily of how much I miss "My South". Thank you Cheryl Massey! I agree..Southern women are the nicest and most beautiful on this planet, and I have been all over this planet! Don Blaise 303-267-3883 303-808-2801 cell 303-220-7100 fax dblaise@ciber.com ___________________________________ Subject: My South Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 08:38:49 -0400 From: "Smoak, Julius B." <Julius.Smoak@sba.gov> Thank you, Cheryl Massey, for the "right-on" description of My South. If you will allow me, I would like to add just four things. My South knows that to be a red neck is honorable. My South is the seat of Mardi Gras, celebrated not only throughout the South but also in Washington, DC. My South has people who help one another in times of trouble. My South has people who have enough respect to pull over to the side of the road while a funeral procession passes. My hat is off to the LHS Generals. From what I have seen over this web site on which Tommy and others work so hard bringing us a quality product, it is apparent to me that we have been significant contributors to our society and our nation, each in his own way. I dare say that most of us did not have an inkling of the impact that we would have. Give yourselves a round of applause and a pat on the back. I am proud to be one of such an outstanding group of men and women. Chip Smoak |
Can You Correctly Name This Huntsville Landmark? _____________________________________ |
Who, What, When, and Where? ______________________________________ |
The Location of The Fair... According to Moses The Madison County Fair, a predecessor to the Jaycees fair, started in the 1950s near University Drive and Church Street, north of Traylor Island (the site of the new city jail). There was a gate on Wheeler Avenue (the southern boundary of the Fairground), and on Church Street (the eastern boundary). The western boundary was the businesses on the east side of the Parkway. In the old days I think that the northern boundary may have been Cook Avenue, but I'm not totally sure that it stretched that far north. I remember that it was behind the Mugs Up root beer stand where David France, Lehman Williams, Lewis Brewer, and I worked in 1962. If I'm not mistaken, University Drive now runs right through a portion of it. The Jaycees took it over in 1962 and later moved it to the area near the old Madison County Coliseum and Madison Square Mall. The fair then moved to John Hunt Park, site of the old Huntsville Airport, in the mid-'80s. ________________________________________ |
" Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sail. Explore. Dream. Discover. " -Mark Twain- |
