The Photo Albums: 1942-59

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The photographs and memorabilia are from my formative years as an Olean kid. I was born in Buffalo, New York one month after Pearl Harbor was attacked; my parents moved to Olean in 1945, bringing my younger sister, Marylee,and me to "a nice place to raise children". They began payments on a house at 709 Front Street; the price was $4,000.

The "Front Street Kids" included Danny Baker, Mary Ann and Paul Wenke, Billy Aloi, Judy Swetland, Marylee (my sister) and me. Nearby lived Jimmy Wanamaker, Carol Swanson, Ann Freaney, Gary Montgomery, Stephanie Reiger(Butchello) and Mary Carmela Frangella. The older kid across the street was Louie Nicols (later to become OHS Principal!).

As each year passed, our world-views expanded....all the way to War Vets' Park and the pool, traveling in a pack on bicycles!

School Five served all Boardmanville kids. I joined Miss Blossom's Kindergarten class when I was four. The next seven years were spent with the same kids as we moved through six grades under the tutelage of Ms. Faye-Sturdevant, Mrs. Kent, Miss Royer, Miss Jones, Miss Johnson and Mr. Logan, respectively. Mr. Greatwood, the Principal, was replaced by Mr. Hooky Frye. Years later, Dr. J. Blair Logan helped me land my first full-time teaching job at Warren Area High School (Pa.).

We were the first seventh-graders to attend the newly-established "junior high school", housed in the North End's old School Seven, joining kids from all of Olean's neighborhoods. It was 1953. My homeroom teachers were John Brennan and "Diamond Lil" Mahoney.

In 1955, we entered Olean High School along with age-mates from the parochial schools: St. Mary's and Transfiguration. All of Olean's teenagers attended the same high school; the Catholic high school had yet to be built. Reputations, however, preceded some of the parochial school kids, spread by Little League teammates and friends from the YMCA. Specifically, we knew the names of the prettiest girls and the toughest guys.

Four years later, 250 "Class of '59-ers" ended treks up Sullivan Street or over the glass plant/railroad footbridge by graduating. Many left for college, jobs or military service. Many more stayed in Olean to build their futures where they were. Yet, this group of graduates was known then...as it is now...as an unusually bright, talented and cohesive class.

Why was this class special? Was it the War World during which we were infants that implanted some seed of unity in us? Was it the "esprit du corps" that our dads, uncles and aunts brought back from their military service? Was it the isolation of a small city in a valley in a sparsely-populated region? Was it the neighborhood games we organized or board games played during winters that taught us to "give and take" in our pre-television childhoods? Was the limited access to cars by teenagers a factor? Or, perhaps, neighbors who kept an eye on everybody's kids, not just their own? Was it the centrality of the school in fulfilling our interests in sports, drama, music, journalism and much more? Was it a by-product of rock 'n roll's birth?

It was, probably, "all of the above" plus the mix of individuals who shared the experience, then and there. Lifelong friendships are commonplace rather than rare. Strong bonds endure in spite of distance, time and circumstances.

Although the photos may "take you back", let's look forward; our GOLDEN REUNION is over but the 75th is ahead!

Rick--------