Last week I took advantage of parts of the fencing around the burned out Horace Mann School at 39th & Euclid/Garfield having been removed, so I went trespassing for photos. It turned out I was the only one alive on-site at the time. It was closed many years ago, and caught fire several months ago. Good to have some shots of it because I’m sure it’ll be demo’d eventually.
Wow!!! These pictures are a spectacular illustration of an owner neglecting a property and bringing additional blight to a community of disinvestment. The property, by the way, is owned by the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council.
In the sixties, I attended Horace Mann K-7th grade. I’m glad photographed Horace Mann while visiting KC many years ago. This is indeed a catastrophy.
Linda – I did too, 1956 for Kindergarden, then moved to Leawood – we received the first polio vaccines, in the hallway – do you remember that?
How sad! I loved Horace Mann. My sisters and I walked to school in the fifties and enjoyed the complete gymnasium inside the school, the art and music classes, the auditorium, the huge playground. Little did we know that schools with all of the amenities would become rare in the Cities over the next few decades. Our house and neighborhood were torn down for the freeway, the school boarded up, but the memories of paper drives, Girl Scout Cookie sales, summer nights of fireflies and hide and seek live on. Our city block had 28 children and their families on it, living and growing up for a few magical years.
I. Also went there in 1957 and 1958 i lived at 3801euglid
It sounds like we went to Horace Man around the same time, I started in 1948 and went utill 1955 when the Baptist church bought the houses on our block out from under us. We moved to Utah. I have wonderful memories of growing up there, I think I miss the fireflies the most. But the paper drives and cookie sales and “mother may I” our house ended up being the access road to the freeway. We were on Michigan Ave. The skinny white house with the porch swing and a great alley in back to play in. Good and missed times.
Carol, we lived on Michigan too. 3818 was the house number. I went to Horace Mann from 1956-1960 and then we moved. I remember that alley. I’d forgotten about the paper drives. So many fireflies!!
Ever wonder what is in a photo? Cynthia’s comments brought back a flood of shared memories at Horace Mann, 1953 to 57. But the photo of the front of the School sent a chill through me. That is the last view I have of my school. I attended Horace Mann from kindergarten through 3rd grade. I recall the names of all my teachers, Ms Crenshaw; Kindergarden Ms Lawrence; first grade, Ms. Berry second grad and Ms Short 3 grade. Ms Lawrence was very large but very kind, Ms Crenshaw and Ms Short were white haired old maids that had obvious favorites, Ms Berry didn’t want the little black girl in front of me to touch her, I told her not to worry because it would not rub off. She slapped me. Most of her words taught me to read, to add and subtract but I don’t remember them. I thought then that it was not a good time to be different or to be a girl. Not a good time to have an odd last name, especially if you were an immigrant or Jewish. Boys got first choice, front of the line. A child from a broken home was sure to be a trouble maker but it was worse to be the Child who had polio. I heard them and saw them and now my mind recalls them. Maybe it is because I had such a thoughtful family and Ethel, a truly kind house keeper, that at 5 or 6 or 7 I recognized such for what it was. I recall my friend Trudy and how she taught me to ride her bike. Suddenly I was not allowed to cross the alley behind my Brooklyn home to play with Trudy. Ethel couldn’t tell me why, she just cried. Mama told me a class mate was stolen away as she walked home. KIDNAPPED..mama said. Left in the cold wet night.. Ethel said. Left tied to a fence with her shoe strings…….her name was Ann.
For me, your photo of the front entrance of Horace Mann is felt more than seen. It is the view forever etched because Ann was there just off to the left, weaving around neat piles of news print on the day of a paper drive. She had long banana curls held back by one very pink ribbon. She came back to school; after being KIDNAPPED.
We moved and I never went back to Horace Mann. Was Ann able to grow up? Did she have a happy life? I thought a lot about her because it was not a good time to be different.
In my years at Bancroft and Paseo High, I never saw her again.
i too attended Horace Mann from 1956-1962 (1st-6th grade). I remember the newspaper drives, the principal, Mrs Hollister. I also recall the little girl that was kidnapped, walking home from lunch. After that, children were no longer allowed to go home for lunch. Most of all I recall being bussed in 5th and 6th grade because of “overcrowding”. Little did we know at the time, boundaries were being revised to keep the black children in certain schools. Remember the tornado in 1957? I still remember the tornado drills and wondered if my parents would know what to do if we had a tornado since they didn’t go to school! Still have fond memories and thankful for being chosen to attend the safety camp at Rotary Camp. i was ready to come home after 2 days.
I also went to Horace Mann in 51or 52 & had Ms Lawrence. We had moved to KC from the farm right after the 1951 great flood of KC. 1st -6th grade. I was 1st girl to play in the All Star baseball game (pitcher) in 3rd grade. I was a tomboy & there was a shortage of boys. We lived at 4108 Garflied. I had older brother (Bert) & older sister( Bonnie) also attended there. We moved to 50th & Paseo in “57”. Went to Frances Willard & then to Paseo High.
I also remember the Tornado that hit Ruskin Heights. I don’t remember about the girl that was kidnapped. I walked home for lunch for several years. I used to play on the monkey bars on the playground. I am now 72. I remember a girl, Judy that had several brothers & Heather from Equador or Trinidad. Her father was a missionary. I remember our phone # was Admiral with 4 digits. We didn’t get a tv until 54 or 55. My brother & I would go to our neighbor’s house “Armond Elms” to watch his tv. Wow, long time ago.
Just found this website. I also went to Horace Mann School from K – 5th grade (1952 – 1957). Lived at 3720 Garfield, which no longer exists. I remember some of these teachers that Lee mentioned. I also remember the girl being kidnapped even though I didn’t know her. I am now 66 and all of that seems so long ago but can still remember somethings like they were yesterday. Hate seeing what happened to the school but on the other hand appreciate that someone took the time to record the pictures.
i sure hated to see that beatiful school building get torn down. i went there and have found memories ofit .one thing i do not remember is that i hit my head on one of the doors and they tied my hair instead of stitches. i remember going to the basement to clen erasers. and in the morning climbing up the main stairs to help mr. cobb ring the school bell with he kept the rope tied to the railing. and the summer schol activites, like dodge ball in the gym. it sure was a grand old school. wished it was still there. makes me very sad,that it is gone. i think those grand old buildings need to be saved for future generations to see and use. does anyone know
where i can get the floor plans for that old school. i am going to try to find someone to build one.
I just found this website too, and very glad someone. Loved Horace Mann too, my sisters and i lived at the garfield side on 38th street. Love playing on the morning playground. The bell would ring and we all had to line up walking up these long stairs pass the office. And the kindergarten class. With the double doors. Lining up for lunch and milk money was 2 cent. But last sitting on the wall out front very happy times for me.
What year my year us 1968
Loved Horace Mann. Attended 1948-1957. On to Westport HS. Would love to hear from fellow HM classmates! Have pre-demo photos and a brick or two.
Jack: Any chance you lived at 35xx Park Ave. in KC? If so, we lived one house away from one another. I went to Horace Mann the late 50’s. …. ~ Thom Reece
I remember Mrs. Old had her for 6th grade. Was a great teacher. I went there 1951 to 1957. Lived on 39th and Garfield.
Hi Jack. This is Judy Tabor from Horace Mann. Had you in all my grade classes. From 3rd to 6th. Then went on to Paseo. Had a very bad crush on you for years. LOL Do you remember Jerry Burger? I believe you where good friend with him.
Anyone remember the teacher, Ms. Kenman {6th grade} ? Or, Mrs. Alice Old {7th grade} ?
I attended Horace Mann from Kindergarten (1952) through 6th grade. My kindergarten teacher was Mrs. Green, then Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Ferguson, my favorite teacher and my second grade, Mrs. Nichols where I learned to play the flute-a-phone rather than how to divide sentences. Mrs. Laughlin and from there my memory fails me. My best friend was Harriet Balondski and I lived at 3909 Olive. Moved to Independence, MO in 7th grade. Once in a while I drive past Horace Mann…and although it looks pretty sad, I had no idea there was a fire. Although destroyed by fire, nothing can destroy our good memories of this wonderful school!
I lived at 3705 Euclid (phone Wabash 10903) and attended Horace Mann from Kindergarten through 3rd grade (1956-1960). Mom and dad rented a few rooms on the second floor. I have fond memories of the neighborhood and Horace Mann. I remember mom and dad buying my nap rug at Katz Drug Store for me to use for naps in Kindergarten. I recall a a cloak room where we hung up our clothes and stored our galoshes. The class room had radiators. I remember Ms Berrian and Ms Jarvis as teachers. I made a solar system out of play dough in Ms Jarvis class and she submitted it to the Science Fair held downtown somewhere! I remember seeing it among lots of other displays from kids. There was a three tiered pull-up bar on the big playground that used to ride my bike through until I hit it and broke my headlight! I recall mom working the polls at Horace Mann during Eisenhowers presidency. I went to Cub Scout meetings at a home across the street from Horace Mann. I walked to school every day. One morning it had snowed and there was nobody playing on the playground, so I went home! Mom told me to go back to school because everyone was inside (yes, I did graduate from Mizzou!). I played with a guy named Jerry, whom I have recently contacted via Facebook! I also remember Marla, my first girlfriend! We moved to Raytown in 1960 and I graduated from Raytown High in 1969. Our old house is gone. Horace Mann is a vacant lot. The neighborhood across the street is a big ditch holding Highway 71. Nevertheless, this blog has broght back some fond memories of a simpler childhood. Thanks to all. Cheers, Mike Quearry, Houston, Texas
I went there 1953 to 1958 we live at 4138 michigan Walked to school like the rest our home is no longer there great remembering those times from the other posts I graduated from Raytown South in 1966
I attended Horace Mann ‘55tp 59 we lived with my grandparents due to my mother’s illness .at 4045 Woodland . It is no longer standing My father attended 25 to 31 . We had the same first grade teacher who was near retirement and wore long black dresses to her ankles . I had Miss Green for kindergarten and I remember Miss Hollister the principal .. I walked to school and I temper when the little girl was kidnapped and have thought of her often . I never felt safe after that and I guess my family didn’t either because Granddad often walked with me to school and if he didn’t grandmother would watch from the window .I remember the jungle hymn on the playground and the school being torn up and renovated inside with us in it ., the huge gym ( I never could climb the ropes . I remember I got in trouble for refusing to eat my meatloaf at lunch in the school cafeteria !)Sometimes I walked home another route and bought penny candy at the corner store. I remember my friend Omahar , he was my dance partner in third grade .There were raised eyebrows as I was white and he black but we were children and couldn’t have cared less . We moved to Northeast KC in 59 and I attended Gladstone .which was also torn down and replaced .
I went to Horace Mann 1945-52 and it was a wonderful time. Great teachers who by the rules could not marry so we were their “kids”. The memories of playing on the playground and in the second grade we had May-poles and did a dance around the pole. My principal Paul Marshall went on to be my principal at Central where I graduated in 57. I lived at 36th Garfield. Life was so simple and summers full of fun getting to stay up late and play kick the can under the street lights. A building holds memories and so does our mind. As a great grandmother I only pray those who come after me will enjoy their youth and end up with memories of fun and happiness.
I went to Horace Mann for kindergarten at age four, with Mrs. Hinshaw….not a good memory. Went to a different school but returned in 5th grade where I had the wonderful Goldie Gray, followed by a combined 5th and 6th grade, also with Miss Gray, and Mrs. Old in 7th grade, then on to Westport for 8th. I wrote a play that we put on in the auditorium in 6th grade for the whole school at Christmas. Do you remember all school choir periodically with an enthusiastic director? We sang the Lord’s Prayer one year and the teacher said it may be the last time she would get to teach it because of new rules. I learned to put a new socket on electrical cords in Industrial Arts…a handy skill! Charles, a black boy, joined our fifth grade class and he was so funny; we all really liked him. Mrs. Hollister “talked” to a few of us girls who wore slacks one day (not just under our skirts but really wore them as it was cold). She told us we needed to dress like ladies. The paper drives. The smell of crayons and pencils being sharpened takes me back, but these photos are golden! There is a photo of Horace Mann during the Pendergast years in all it’s glory, if you google. Kick ball and the 50 yard dash and the jungle jim! Fairyland Park for the end of year outing? Nice drive down memory lane. Classes with over 30 kids really learning! I lived at 35th and Woodland, Armour 0922, later became Wabash 3-0922! Walked home for lunch sometimes. Never heard about the little girl being kidnapped. I was there in 1950, 55-58.
I lived at 3818 Michigan and walked the short block to school even though I was only in there during K-2 grades. Attended ‘57-60 and then we moved away to Ruskin Heights. Graduated from Ruskin High in 1970. I can remember the paper drives, the playground, the cloak room behind the classroom. I had Mrs. Lawrence in first grade. I cried a lot in first grade and I really don’t know why. I remember she would slap kids on the hands with her ruler. We also had third graders in our class. It was a good time to grow up.