MHS Class of 63

YOU GREW UP IN MESA

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YOU GREW UP IN MESA AND YOU ARE
BARBARA FERGUSON
The Escobedo pool was the newest and nicest public pool in town.
Rendezvous Park's pool was drained and refilled about every second or third day as it didn't have a filtration system. On the non-drained day, the pool could stay open later and offer evening swimming.
Remember the two different sizes of city water tanks towering above Rendezvous?
Do your remember the skating rink at the corner of Rendezvous Park across from Irving School and the ballpark at another corner of the park where the Cubs did their spring training?
Do you remember the Chicago Cubs staying at the Maricopa Hotel and how sometimes the young players would, for whatever reason, walk past Mesa High's social studies building much to the thrill of some of the female students who could see them out the windows?
Remember the huge blue water tank just off Horne and Broadway near Mesa (or East) Junior High?
When we were in seventh grade, Mesa's second junior high was still under construction. "East Junior High" attended morning sessions (running from 6:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.) then "West Junior High" met in the same building (now Mesa Junior High) in the afternoon.
If you were an EJHS student, you could watch American Bandstand when you got home.
We students were bused. Unless you lived "way out in the country" and thus attended Lehi or Alma elementary schools kindergarten through sixth grade, first graders were bused to old Lincoln School (which later was Mesa High's English & journalism buildings), second graders to old Webster School (later Mesa High's social studies bldg). third and fourth graders to Irving School (with some classes in the old barracks bldg at the end of the playground) and fifth and sixth graders were bused to Franklin School across from the Marquee Restaurant and next to Southside District Hospital. Emerson Elementary was the district's first "in-town" K-6 school and while at Irving, if you were lucky, you sometimes could ride the bus to Emerson's cafeteria instead of having to brown-bag it at Irving.
Stores were closed on Sundays or had to pay a fine, which some felt was worth paying to remain open. The downtown drugstores took turns being the one designated to be open on Sunday for the filling of presciptions.
Remember when it was 4th Avenue, not Broadway, and 4th Street, not University?
When the class of 1963 were second graders Mesa observed its 75th anniversary with a pageant. Second graders were vegetables in the performance. Tall students were celery and carrots, shorter students were tomatoes and lettuce.
Remember when Valley National Bank at Main & MacDonald had the four-faced pedestal clock on the corner? Later that clock was at Pioneer Arizona off the Black Canyon Freeway.
Remember when VNB was razed and a TALL five-story building replaced it?
Remember when a tornado or at least a VERY strong wind destoryed much of what had been the WW II pilots ready-lounge at Falcon Field?
Remember when it was eight miles from Mesa to Tempe and eight miles from Tempe to Phoenix and sixteen miles from Apache Junction to Mesa and in between these cities there were onion and cotton fields, citrus orchards, desert and fruit stands?
Do you remember the date milkshakes at Hi Jolly on east Main?

                          YOU GREW UP IN MESA AND YOU ARE
                                               DARVIL WEST
                  You grew up in Mesa and remember water skiing
                  behind a pickup down the canals that didn't have
                  valves protruding up.
                  Remember the hot pumps.
                  You grew up in Mesa when Jack Adams' alligator
                  farm actually had gators.
                  You grew up in Mesa when MHS and the rest of
                  the town had the same gators. Wonder how that
                  happened?

YOU GREW UP IN MESA AND YOU ARE
LOIS SNYDER

You can say 115 degrees without fainting.
You can be in the snow, then drive for an hour and it will be over 100 degrees.
You notice your car overheating before you drive it.
You have to go to a fake beach for some fake waves.
You discover, in July, that it only takes two fingers to drive your car.
You can make sun tea instantly.
You run your air conditioner in the middle of winter so you can use your fireplace.
You can say Hohokam and people don't think you're laughing funny.
You no longer associate bridges (or rivers) with water.
You notice the best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
You see more irrigation water on the street than there is in the Salt River.
You know a swamp cooler is not a happy hour drink.
You realize that Valley Fever isn't a disco dance.
Hotter water comes from the cold water tap than the hot one.
You can pronounce the words: “Saguaro”, “Tempe”, “Gila Bend”, “San Xavier”, “Canyon de Chelly”, “Mogollon Rim”, “Cholla”, “Tlaquepaque”, and "Huachuaca" and do it without giggling.
It's noon in July, kids are on summer vacation, and not one person is moving on the streets.
You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
Sunscreen is sold year round, kept at the front of the checkout counter, a formula less than 30 spf is a joke, and you wear it just to go to Circle K.
Some fool can market mini-misters for joggers and some other fools will actually buy them.
Hot air balloons can't go up, because the air outside is hotter than the air inside.
No one would dream of putting vinyl upholstery in a car.
You've signed so many petitions to recall governors that you can't remember the name of the incumbent.
You can understand the reason for a town named “Why.”
You are willing to park 3 blocks away because you found shade.
You can attend any function wearing shorts and a tank top.
"Dress Code" is meaningless at high schools and universities. Picture lingerie ads.
You have over 100 recipes for Mexican food.
The 4 seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!! or, Summer and Not-Summer.
You know that "dry heat" is comparable to what hits you in the face when you open your oven door.

You remember crusing Main Street from the Marque to Bob's Big Boy. Only orange groves east of our house at Broadway and Stapley.

YOU GREW UP IN MESA AND YOU ARE
BILL ROGERS

You know you grew up in Mesa when you would run home barefooted in July, from the Rendezvous Park swimming pool all the way to Broadway and Horne. Mesa streets were wide and the asphalt was scorching. Thank goodness for grass.

You grew up in Mesa if you floated on innertubes down the ditch on South Horne St and swam by the headgate at Horne and Southern.

YOU GREW UP IN MESA AND YOU ARE
SHERRI BOLES
You grew up in Mesa when there were not houses most any where. I lived in Desert Sage in East mesa and I remember orchards all the way between Mesa and Desert sage The fregrance when they were in bloom just hung in the air. It was wonderful.

      YOU GREW UP IN MESA AND YOU ARE
                    KAY DUNFORD
The Indians coming in from the reservation in their buckboard wagons to shop on Saturday. They would park their wagons in a vacant lot on Robson & Pepper. The women would shop and wait for the men to get back from the bars to go back home at the end of the day. My mother trying to prove a point of me being naughty giving me away to the Indians and me going gladly with them to their home. She had to chase them to get me back. Ha, ha.  I was off on an adventure at about 3-4 years old and I don't think that she thought I would be so willing to go.
Bashas building a modern grocery store on that lot many years later
My grandmother's house on Robson & 1st Street and the bird aviary that she had. Her roses and wonderful gardens. Special house with great memories. It is now the Mesa Youth Museum.
Playing with neighbors across the street from my grandmother's in the great house that is now Coffee Talk.
Playing with neighborhood kids in the green space between houses on Robson St.
Seeing it rain on one side of the street and not the other. Very weird.
Seeing the "Lost Dutchman" Jacob Waltz coming through town on the way to the assessors office in Phoenix with his trusty mule. Oh, wait, that was my Grandmother. Sorry, I got carried away.
Going to all the schools: Lincoln (K-1st), Webster (2nd), Irving (3rd & 4th), Franklin (5th & 6th), West Jr. High (now Carson for 7th thru 9th) and of course being the last class to graduate from Mesa High School before Westwood was built. Getting my picture taken with Ricky Nelson at the County Fair at the armory on Center & Main St.
The elegant hotel on Main St. & Center, was it the Maricopa Inn?
Eating Chinese food at the Rice Bowl on Main & McDonald.
Eating at the original Mattas across the street from where it is (or was) now on Main St.
Waiting in line coming back from the lake to get into the old (Main & Country Club) or new (Country Club & 1st St) El Charro. I think you still wait in line sometime.
Eating BLT's with my Dad at the Bluebird Cafe on Main & McDonald.
The bakery and pool hall above it on Main & McDonald.
The beautiful houses on Robson where the police station is now.
Going to a movie at the Nile Theater next to Wright's Market on Main St. Later going to movies at the Mesa Theater on McDonald & 1st Ave. Seeing great movies, watching special shows like a hypnotist between shows, getting kicked out for talking, twenty-five cent tickets to get in.
Stores staying open "late" (until 9:00) on Thursday night.
Shopping and visiting with people on the street.
Everybody's, Mesa, and Bunde's Drug Stores.
The Green Frog and Waldorf Bars.
The best Chocolate Shakes at the Snak Shak on Country Club & Main.
If you lived beyond 4th St (University), 4th Ave (Broadway), Alma School or Mesa Drive, you lived way out in the country. My grandmothers "ranch" at 8th Ave & Country Club.
Gilbert Road ending at Main St where the Cooley Ranch was.
The Pioneer & Sands Drive In's.
McDonald's 15 cent hamburgers at Main & Extension or was it University & Extension.
Dances at the Rendevous Skating Rink, Mezona, Tennis courts at Mesa High School.
Was it Rawhide Days, something like that at the Mezona.
Hearing Miriam Johnson (Jessi Colter) sing at dances at the VFW on Mesa Drive.
J.C Penneys on Main Street and the pneumatic tube system of payment. Swimming, picnics, arts & crafts, baseball, skating at Rendevous Park. What a great all round park it was. The above ground concrete pool was great. Being on the Swim Team and seeing Keith Russell and Patsy Willard diving.
Eating wonderful Mexican food at the taco stands across from East Jr. High and Mesa High.
Half day session in 7th grade waiting for West Jr High to be built. The first day at West Jr High (now Carson).
Walking 5 miles to school in the snow and rain (okay it was more like a mile with no snow) to West Jr. High.
Cruising Main St between the Marquee and Bob's Big Boy and stopping along the way to talk with people.
I remember JD's with Waylon Jennings as the house band.
I remember the "Library" and Minder Binders.