Shades Cahaba Oral History Project

In 1942, with the country fighting wars in Europe and the pacific, Homewood could no longer ignore the fact that Shades Cahaba was getting a little old in the tooth and it would have to be replaced in the next decade. Not to mention that it was very crowded. It was time for a new Shades Cahaba. This will be the last regularly scheduled episode in this series. My goal was to continue at least through the end of the school year but with coronavirus and with the social isolation, it is making it harder to interview people. This seems like a good place to stop. The school opened it’s doors 100 years ago this September so I plan to post stories on the blog leading up to that day. If an opportunity comes up for a good interview I will certainly do them and you will see them in your social media feeds. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to and supported this podcast. I have a more extensive thank you at the end of this episode. ShadesCahabaHistory.com Support the show

As soon as the school was built, teams were formed and Shades Cahaba entered competition with other Birmingham area high schools, which had already been competing for a number of years. This was no small feat. You only have to listen to the episode with Michael Gross about the beginnings of Homewood High School to understand that. That Homewood High School won a state football championship in its third year was remarkable. Shades Cahaba has had a distinguished record in athletics during its 29 years of existence. Football and Baseball teams existed the entire time. Basketball was started in the 1920s and seemed to have disappeared within a couple of years. Shades Cahaba also had the first lighted field in the state of Alabama. 48,000-watts of floodlights were dedicated on October 27, 1939, during a game with Jones Valley. Electronic speakers and a scoreboard soon followed. Football Coaches (and most were the baseball coaches) at Shades Cahaba Arthur Acton - 1921, 3-3 record W.A. Reeves - 1922, 0-4-1 record Sump Clarke - 1923, 6-2-1 record Aubrey Alfred Miller - 1924-26, 10-7-5 record (he left for Greenville) Sidney Malloy - 1927-1928, 1-15-1 record Robert R. (R.R.) Hardy - 1929-1933, 21-16-6 record (was called HammerHead Hardy in the yearbook) Piggy Mitchell 1934-1949, 100-47-6 record (1950 Shades Valley in 1950 and then Hewitt-Trussville 1951-1964). For game scores and records, visit the Alabama High School Football Historical Society website at http://www.ahsfhs.org/. All the Shades Cahaba Records are listed under Shades Valley. Look for the team then games by year. Make sure you follow the blog at https://shadescahabahistory.com/blog/ to see photos of teams and read other stories not covered on the pod. SPONSOR The Shades Cahaba Oral History Project is sponsored by ShawWright Art.com. When you go there, look for the link to Shades Cahaba and you will find shirts and accessories featuring the exclusive Shades Cahaba Centennial logo. This logo is based on an image on the cover of “The Owl” yearbook back in the 1920s. It has been updated to celebrate the 100 years of the school and it helps us to offset the cost of producing and publishing this podcast. Visit the store at https://www.shawnwrightart.com/product-category/shadescahaba/ Support the show

When I recorded this episode, it was the second day that Shades Cahaba and other schools around the state had been shut down due to the state of emergency declared by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. Coronavirus COVID-19 has been quickly spreading around the world and is now in our community. To help slow the spread of the coronavirus we have been asked to actively participate in social distancing. Staying at home, not visiting with other people or being in large crowds. The idea being that if we avoid public spaces and generally limit our movement, the virus will be slowed and our healthcare system will be able to better handle the situation. I was working on another episode when I remembered a conversation that Sheryl Summe and I had when I interviewed her in episode 12. This is not the first time that Homewood, and the rest of the nation, has participated in social distancing. During the hot summer months of the 1930s and 40s, infantile paralysis struck thousands of children each year nationwide. Three different highly contagious polioviruses began with cold or flu-like symptoms and could permanently paralyze or kill infected children. The disease hit its peak in the U.S. in 1952. It was at its worst in Jefferson county during the 1930s and hit epidemic proportions in 1936. As a parent, I can only imagine how terrified parents were that their children would be crippled by the disease or worse, die from it. Parents would do their own version of social distancing. Not letting their children play with others or the lucky ones would be left at rural camps such as Camp Winnataska for the summer. But children are ingenious and have their own priorities. Here is my conversation with Sheryl where we talk about it. Support the show

We talk about Shades Cahaba a lot on this podcast for obvious reasons. With a school that taught grades 1-12 you get a little tunnel vision and start to think this is all there was in Homewood. Not true. There were other schools and we are going to talk about a few of those on this episode of the Shades Cahaba Oral History Project. A special thanks to author Sheryl Summe for doing all the hard work in her book “Homewood: Life of a City.” I really leaned on the information in the book for this episode and it wouldn’t have happened without it. I left out a ton of information. If you can get your hands on a copy of the book, take a deep dive and read it from front to back. I guarantee you that you will learn some things you didn’t know. SPONSOR The Shades Cahaba Oral History Project is sponsored by ShawnWrightArt.com. When you go there, look for the link to Shades Cahaba and you will find shirts and accessories featuring the exclusive Shades Cahaba Centennial logo. This logo is based on an image on the cover of “The Owl” yearbook back in the 1920s. It has been updated to celebrate the 100 years of the school and it helps us to offset the cost of producing and publishing this podcast. You can find a link to the store on the podcast home page at shadescahabahistory.com But what if you didn’t go to Shades Cahaba and don’t want a Shades Cahaba item. There is plenty of artwork and accessories to choose from. Just visit Shawnwrightart.com. SUBSCRIBE Subscribe to the show wherever you find your podcast. Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you subscribe to your favorite podcasts. You can also listen directly on our website at shadescahabahistory.com. If you like the show we would appreciate it if you would rate us at Apple Podcast and share the show with your friends. Support the show

This episode is about the Shades Cahaba building. How it grew over the years. What changed and why. This podcast is audio-only but there is a version with pictures and an overhead view of the building to better illustrate what I am talking about. You can watch it on my YouTube page. Support the show

This episode is about the Shades Cahaba Underpass. Some of you may call it the tunnel but from the time it was conceived in the early 1950s and for the next 40 or 50 years it was called the underpass. I had actually forgotten it was called the underpass until a school mate of mine reminded me of a social media post. No matter what you call it, it has been a favorite of Shades Cahaba students for close to 70 years. In this episode, we talk about the growth along Montgomery Highway which was the driver for creating a safe passage for students as they walked to Shades Cahaba School. We also share a few memories of the tunnel and art projects to help clean up the tunnel. If you haven't been to the underpass in years, there are two opportunities to relive the feeling. At the very end, I have an audio recording of me walking through the tunnel. If you would like a visual, check out this video I took in 2010. https://youtu.be/K7zvPUoUyl8 Support the show

This is the second episode of my conversation with former Homewood High School Principal and Superintendent Michael Gross. In the first episode we talked about the beginning of the school system, opening of the high school and the unique challenges he faced. We had a long conversation so I took out all the mentions of athletics and have produced an episode with those outtakes. We talked about the first coach and were Homewood played their first football games. Money was tight but there were people in the community that made things easier. From a benevolent sporting goods dealer to a super fan to a booster club and community that rallied around the school to start things off the right way. Finally we talk about how the championship football team had to win in court before they could ever win the championship at Legion Field. This would be a good time to remind you to keep an eye out for the book “Fighting Patriots. The first three years of Homewood High School Footbal” which will be published this spring. You can listen to my episode with Wade Kirkpatrick to learn more about the book at https://shadescahabahistory.com/podcast/wade-kirkpatrick-fighting-patriots-special-edition/ Support the show

We have talked a lot about the beginnings of Shades Cahaba High School and the beginnings of Shades Valley High School but now I want to talk more about the beginnings of other schools in Homewood and the beginning of the Homewood School System. The Board of Education was established on December 22, 1969, but they assumed authority on July 1, 1970, making 2020 the 50th anniversary of the Homewood School System. A lot went into establishing the school system including working out ownership of schools with the Jefferson County Board of Education, distributing students among the schools and having high school students attend Shades Valley High School and Homewood Junior High while a new high school was being built. The man who was at the center of this change and a major influence on the school system we have today is my guest, former Homewood High School Principal and Superintendent Michael Gross. I noticed a similarity between the beginnings of Shades Cahaba High School and Homewood High School. It’s the community gathering around and making the sacrifices needed to create the best school they could for their children in Homewood. Mr. Gross and I talked for a long time so I have broken his interview into two episodes. This first one, which is still long, focuses on creating the school system and building the high school. The second is a shorter one that talks about creating a successful athletic program. Support the show

This episode is a Special Edition of the Shades Cahaba Oral History Project. We talk with Homewood High School Alumnus Wade Kirkpatrick. Wade played on the first Homewood Football team to win a state championship in 1974. He wrote a book about it called “Fighting Patriots, The First Three Years of Homewood High School Football" which should be out this spring. Proceeds of the book go to a great cause. I’ll let Wade fill us in the book as we discuss that special football team. Support the show

If you have been a listener to the podcast then you know this is the 100th Anniversary of Shades Cahaba as a school. The first day of school was September 19, 1920. There was a dedication held a few days before and It was on that day that the two large bronze plaques were unveiled by the auditorium. We talked about that on our Veteran’s Day episode. I had a great time interviewing people in 2019 and sharing their stories. Before I get into the new year, I wanted to look back at the 13 episodes we have produced so far. Episode 1 featured current Shades Cahaba Elementary Principal John Lowry. He gave us an update on what Shades Cahaba is today. The size, what they are doing and how they are impacting the students that are there now. We finished the episode with a history of how the school started. It didn’t just magically appear, it took a community to build it. Dr. Lowry has been big help to me and the podcast. I appreciate all the support he has given me so far. In Episode 2 we talk about the 1920s at Shades Cahaba. Big things happened during this decade including the first graduating class, adding the elementary school students to the school, and expansion of the original building. So much of the growth of the school came because of the help of the Shades Cahaba School Improvement Association, the precursor to today’s PTO. My guest was current PTO President Alexa McElroy. Alexa shared with us what the PTO has been doing for the school and she announced the 100th Birthday Celebration at the school that kicked off the year-long Centennial Celebration. Despite the rain, the party was a great success. You can see images of the historical banners used at the event on the blog page at shadescahabahistory.com Episode 3 introduced us to Don Harbor. I have known Don a long time and it was a pleasant surprise to find out he went to Shades Cahaba. Don was in Elementary school at the end of Shades Cahaba’s time as a high school and he shared his experiences with me. Don had written his memories of his time growing up in Homewood well before I had contacted him. I will be sharing his Shades Cahaba stories on the blog so make sure you lookout for those Bill Cleveland is an alumnus and the current Homewood Board of Education Superintendent. It was only a matter of time before he showed up on the pod. I interviewed him in Episode 4 and we talked about the Homewood school system today, what it is like coming back and leading a school system where they know all your history. We also take a look at what was going on at Shades Cahaba during the 1930s. In episode 5 I talk with former principal Sue Grogan about her time at Shades Cahaba and what the school was like in the 1940s. I met her when my oldest son first started kindergarten. She is known for many things but helping establish the Shades Cahaba Way is a legacy that will last. If you want to know anything about the history of Homewood, you have to talk to Herb Griffin. Herb is a lifelong resident of the town and his family was one of the original settlers in this area. In episode 6 we talked about his time at Shades Cahaba High School and being a member of the class of 1948. From the beginning of the podcast, I was looking for the story of the owl on the building. Someone told me that I needed to contact Laura Estes. It seems that she grew up next to the owl on Wellington Road and might know the story. Episode 7 was planned on being about the owl but I had a great time talking with her about her time as a kindergarten teacher at Shades Cahaba Elementary. Not only did Laura teach there but her mother, Kernie Ardillo was a P.E. teacher in the 50s and her father, Nick Ardillo, was a 15-year member and chairman of the Homewood Board of Education. Episode 8 was a spec Support the show

The Shades Cahaba Owl has had a very interesting life. It first appeared when Shades Cahaba High School was built in 1920. It stood watch over the front entrance as “a symbol of learning to all who enter here.” It stayed there until the end of high school in 1949 and then it disappeared. No one seemed to know where it was. It wasn’t until almost 30 years later that the owl appeared again to take its place on top of the roof to look over all the elementary students who entered its doors. Why did the owl leave? Where did the owl go? How did it get back to Shades Cahaba Elementary School. All these questions and more are answered in this edition of the Shades Cahaba Oral History Podcast. Special thanks to the following people who helped me piece together this episode. Sheryl Summe, Laura Estes, Herb Griffin, Bill Cleveland and Dale Turnbough. And thanks to friends from Facebook who gave me stories and information in my search for the story of the owl. SPONSOR This podcast is sponsored by ShawnWrightArt.com which has a collection of Shades Cahaba Centennial shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and accessories. They feature the centennial owl logo or the interlocking SC athletic logo. Get yours at https://www.shawnwrightart.com/product-category/shadescahaba SUBSCRIBE Subscribe to the show at Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you subscribe to your favorite podcasts. You can also listen directly on our website at shadescahabahistory.com. If you prefer YouTube, the show has been uploaded to a Shades Cahaba Oral History Project playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYJ3JNJIzmnnIxnAaSRAofgma_9mS0oVn. If you like the show we would appreciate it if you would rate us at Apple Podcast and share the show with your friends. Support the show

When I decided to start an oral history of Shades Cahaba I knew it would be difficult. Luckily I was able to find people that I could interview and I have others who have become valuable resources for me. What really turned things around for me and helped me launch a podcast was coming across the book, “Homewood: A Life of a City.” When it comes to the history of Homewood, everything is spelled out for me in this book. I am able to use the book to ask questions of the people I am interviewing and to put together timelines and ideas for special episodes. Since the book has become such a valuable asset for me, I decided I wanted to find the author, Sheryl Spradling Summe, have her on the podcast and thank her in person. With assistance from mutual friends, I was able to track her down and I asked her to be on my podcast. We talk about Shades Cahaba but we also talk about how the book came together, Edgewood lake, a still behind the high school, fear of polio, how WWII affected the community, Rosedale and if being an outsider helped or hurt when writing the ultimate insider book. Sit back and I hope you enjoy the episode as much as I did recording it. If you happen to have the book on your shelf, crack it open and follow along. WHERE TO FIND THE BOOK As Sheryl mentioned in the podcast, the book is sold out. It was printed almost 20 years ago and if you are lucky you might find a copy in a Homewood Garage sale. You can find used copies on Amazon.com but they are wanting $99 each. $196 for a signed copy! You should be able to find a copy at the Homewood Library but a quick online search says there are copies at the Adamsville Library, Botanical Gardens, Central Library Archives, Linn Henley Library and Fultondale Library. SPONSOR The Shades Cahaba Oral History Project is sponsored by Shawn Wright Art.com featuring Shades Cahaba Oral History Project shirts, hoodies and accessories. There are products featuring our exclusive Shades Cahaba Centennial logo based on an owl yearbook image from the 1920s and 30s. There are also sweatshirts and hoodies which features and interlocking SC that was found on the basketball team jerseys from the 1920s. Products purchased in the store helps us to offset the cost of producing and publishing this podcast. You can find a link to the store on the podcast home page at shadescahabahistory.com SUBSCRIBE Subscribe to the show at Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you subscribe to your favorite podcasts. You can also listen directly on our website at shadescahabahistory.com. If you like the show we would appreciate it if you would rate us at Apple Podcast and share the show with your friends. Support the show

I spoke with former Shades Cahaba Principal Sue Grogan in episode 5 of the podcast. She shared with me a Thanksgiving story that I saved to share with you during this Thanksgiving season. Support the show

In this episode we learn about the origins of Veterans Day, and its connection to Birmingham. When Shades Cahaba High School was built, honoring veterans was a high priority. Shades Cahaba was dedicated on Labor Day, Monday, September 6, 1920. That afternoon, after the formal addresses and a picnic dinner on the grounds, Mrs. Floribel Brown Ohme, unveiled the “bronze tablets to the soldier boys of Shades-Cahaba.” These are two large bronze plaques that were mounted on both sides of the auditorium doors, visible as soon as you walked into the new High School. To this day, those bronze plaques are there to remind everyone of the sacrifices made for our freedom. Even with their size, It’s easy to walk past them as they blend into the surrounding decor. On this Veterans Day, I want to remind you what is on those plaques. Visit https://shadescahabahistory.com/honoring-our-veterans-at-shades-cahaba-and-beyond to see the list of names on the plaques. SPONSOR The Shades Cahaba Oral History Project is supported by ShawnWrightArt.com. You can buy Shades Cahaba Centennial Logo shirts and accessories, proceeds of which go to support this project. Visit shadescahabahistory.com/store. REVIEW THE SHOW If you loved listening to this podcast, please leave us a review at Apple Podcasts. Support the show

Herman Maxwell has a special place in the history of Shades Cahaba. He was one of the first children to integrate Shades Cahaba Elementary School during the 1967-1968 school year. This didn't just happen overnight and Herman tells the story about how his parents prepared him for that day. Herman moved on to junior high and then high school where he played on the first state championship football team at Homewood High School in 1974. He went from a championship team to a not so successful University of Louisville team soon after. Listen to his story as Herman tells us what it was like to be at Shades Cahaba at this pivotal time and how it prepared him for the rest of his education and beyond. SPONSOR The Shades Cahaba Oral History Project is supported by ShawnWrightArt.com. You can buy Shades Cahaba Centennial Logo shirts and accessories, proceeds of which go to support this project. Visit shadescahabahistory.com/store. REVIEW THE SHOW If you loved listening to this podcast, please leave us a review at Apple Podcasts. Support the show

Today's edition of the podcast is dedicated to the school lunchroom and to everyone who has worked there. I have known my guest, Ken Kirk, for many years. We attended the same church, junior high and high school and both were members of Troop 97 in Homewood. We have both lived in Homewood our entire lives. Ken attended Edgewood Elementary but he has a family connection to Shades Cahaba High School. His great-grandmother, Ida Hamlin Tyler was the second manager of the Shades Cahaba Lunchroom. We talk about the lunchroom at Shades Cahaba and we share some of our favorite school lunchroom meals. Below are recipes that we talk about in the show. RECIPES HOMEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL CHILI - 1981 80 lbs. Ground Beef 6 - #10 Cans Diced Tomatoes 2 - #10 Cans Sauce (or paste) 18 - #10 Cans Pinto Beans 5 lbs. Chili Powder 5 lbs. Onions - Cook meat until done - Add all ingredients in a large pot - Simmer 2 hours - Serve (#10 cans are those really big cans that restaurants use.) ******* SHADES CAHABA PEANUT BUTTER BALLS 2 cups Sugar 2 cups Corn Syrup 4 Cups - Peanut Butter 12 Cups - Cereal (corn flakes or rice krispies) - Bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil. Mix peanut butter into the mix until is smooth. Pour over cereal and spread into a pan. The ones I remember at Shades Cahaba had been rolled into a ball and they served them on the pale mint green plate. They seemed to be the size of a baseball to my elementary school eyes. ******* BEST DARN BROWNIES - Lunchroom Ladies 50-year-old recipe. I have only had these brownies in a school cafeteria. I searched the internet and found the recipe at https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/best-darn-brownies-lunchroom-ladies-50-year.html. Let me know how they turn out. ******* The Shades Cahaba Oral History Project is supported by ShawnWrightArt.com. You can buy Shades Cahaba Centennial Logo shirts and accessories, proceeds of which go to support this project. Visit shadescahabahistory.com/store. Support the show

Today’s episode features former Shades Cahaba teacher Laure Estes. She started her career as a first-grade teacher but quickly switched to kindergarten, where she spent the rest of her career. If you went to Shades Cahaba when she taught there, you would know her as Laura Matthews. I initially reached out to her about a connection I heard that she had to the owl that is on the top of the school. She may or may not have had the owl as a neighbor. You will have to tune into that episode when it airs. Laura’s mother, Kernie Ardillo, was a P.E. teacher at Shades Cahaba in the 1950s, and her father, Nick Ardillo, was a 15-year member and chairman of the Homewood Board of Education. He served on the board during the time that Shades Cahaba was expanded and the entrance moved to what was the back of the school. We had a great conversation about her time at the school and growing up in Homewood. I thought she should get her own episode of the Shades Cahaba Oral History Podcast. SPONSOR The Shades Cahaba Oral History Project is supported by ShawnWrightArt.com. You can buy Shades Cahaba Centennial Logo shirts and accessories, proceeds of which go to support this project. Visit shadescahabahistory.com/store. REVIEW THE SHOW If you loved listening to this podcast, please leave us a review at Apple Podcasts. Support the show

I have probably known Herb Griffin for most of my life. We attend the same church and I am around the same age as his children. If you have spent any time in Homewood you probably heard about his accident with a streetcar when he was in 8th grade. He was featured in the Birmingham News and the story even made the national news. When it comes to Homewood history, there are not many better sources. His family settled this area and Herb still lives close to the original homestead in Edgewood. Herb is also a 1948 graduate of Shades Cahaba High School. You can read about one of their class reunions in 2018. The story is written by Jake Collins, a Homewood graduate and co-author with Martha Wurtele of the book Homewood. They dedicated it to Herb Griffin "who works tirelessly to preserve the history of Homewood." You can pick up the book on Amazon.com and at local bookstores. We sat down to talk about his time at Shades Cahaba High School as well as other stories about Homewood that I hope to release as special editions of this podcast in the future. SPONSOR The Shades Cahaba Oral History Project is supported by ShawnWrightArt.com. You can buy Shades Cahaba Centennial Logo shirts and accessories, proceeds of which go to support this project. Visit shadescahabahistory.com/store. REVIEW THE SHOW If you loved listening to this podcast, please leave us a review at Apple Podcasts. Support the show

Sue Grogan was principal at Shades Cahaba from 2000 until her retirement in 2013. She is the first person I met when my oldest son started Shades Cahaba in 2008 and she made a big impression on me and my family. Sue is probably best known for helping establish the "Shades Cahaba Way" which children hear about every day at Shades Cahaba. We talk about her time at Shades Cahaba and the legacy that was left by alumni such as Helen Cockrell who was in the 1923 graduating class of Shades Cahaba. We also get to talk about the school in the 1940s, the last decade as a high school. SPONSOR The Shades Cahaba Oral History Project is supported by ShawnWrightArt.com. You can buy Shades Cahaba Centennial Logo shirts and accessories, proceeds of which go to support this project. Visit shadescahabahistory.com/store. REVIEW THE SHOW If you loved listening to this podcast, please leave us a review at Apple Podcasts. SUBSCRIBE TO THE POD Support the show

Dr. Bill Cleveland is the Superintendent of the Homewood City School system and he has been in this role since 2008. But more importantly, Bill is a homegrown student and was a Shades Cahaba student before moving on to the middle school and high school where he graduated in the class of 1985. It’s always humbling to realize that the superintendent of your children’s school graduated with your little brothe We talk about the Homewood school system today, what it is like coming back and leading a school system where they know all your history and what it was like when Bill attended Shades Cahaba. We also take a look at what was going on at Shades Cahaba during the 1930s. SUBSCRIBE You can subscribe to the Shades Cahaba Oral History Project at Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart Radio or wherever you subscribe to your favorite podcasts. And you can also listen directly on our website at shadescahabahistory.com. SPONSOR The Shades Cahaba Oral History Project is supported by ShawnWrightArt.com. You can buy Shades Cahaba Centennial Logo shirts and accessories there, proceeds of which go to support this project. Visit shadescahabahistory.com/store REVIEW THE SHOW If you loved listening to this podcast, please leave us a review at Apple Podcasts. And tell your friends about the show SUBSCRIBE TO THE POD Support the show