Lots of good times at Sidney Lanier Elementary

My elementary school, Sidney Lanier, turns 100 this year, and a birthday celebration and open house was held Saturday, Feb. 7.

I wasn’t able to make the trek to Tulsa town to tour the school or attend the reunion event.

Still, I have lots of fond memories of attending Lanier. One is playing baseball for the Lions in second grade where I just stood in the outfield as I was afraid of getting hit by the ball.

I enjoyed participating my sixth grade year in the Christmas play as a snowman.

I made lots of friends who I have stayed in connect with through Facebook and social media.

I played cornet in the band, even though I only knew three songs, and ran foot races and played T-ball on the blacktop playground along with many other fun activities.

Yes, the school playground was all blacktop.

In fact, the school featured two blacktop playgrounds, one on each side of the building.

I don’t know what bright mind thought it was a good idea to have a blacktop playground.

Anyway, I posted this on Facebook about the playground, and I had two classmates share stories of breaking bones while at play. I’m sure there were more through the years.

Another classmate said much of the blacktop has been removed and replaced with grass. That is good news.

Probably one of my most memorable events was when I had a painting I did in art class on display in the school hallway. I was quite proud of that accomplishment.

And I can’t forget about a few fist fights and being sent to the principal’s office for correction through the years.

And at the end of my sixth grade year in 1972, I had the opportunity to spend the afternoon with my classmates at the now former Bells Amusement Park at the Tulsa Fairgrounds, just a few blocks away. The park featured Zingo, a wooden roller coaster that was my first to ride. A trip to Bells was sort of rite of passage for sixth graders at the school.

According to historical information on the school, construction of the building started in 1925. The school is considered one of the oldest operating school buildings in the Tulsa School District.

The TSD oversees 45 elementary schools, 10 middle schools and nine high schools in the city. That does not include the Catholic and independent school districts scattered around Tulsa.

Looking at photos, I can see that the building has gone under numerous renovations. When I attended, it featured a large gymnasium with a stage, a library that doubled as the cafeteria, an art room, science room and band room. And the speech room featured a second and smaller wooden stage.

At the time of its construction, only farm fields surrounded the school.

A unique feature of the school is an 8.5-foot scale replica of the Statue of Liberty on a rock base.

The statue is located on the northwest corner of the school at 17th and Harvard, a mile or so south of Route 66.

It was dedicated May 7, 1950 as part of the Boy Scouts of America “Strengthen the Arm of Liberty” project during the organization’s 40th anniversary.

A plaque at the bottom of the base states the following:

With the faith and courage with their forefathers who made possible the freedom of these United States

The Boy Scouts of America

Dedicate this replica of the Statue of Liberty as a pledge of everlasting fidelity and loyalty

40th anniversary crusade to strength the Arm of Liberty

1950

According to a Tulsa World article, the local Boy Scouts and other organizations raised $612 needed for the project, including the stone base. The statue itself was made of stamped copper and weighed about 290 pounds without the rock base.

Between 1949 — 1952, approximately 200 replicas of the statue were made by Friedley-Voshardt Co. of Chicago and purchased by Boy Scout troops across the country at a cost of $350 and donated in 39 states in the U.S. and several territories.

At present, many of these statues have been lost or destroyed, but preservationists have been able to account for about 100 of them, and BSA Troop 101 of Cheyenne, Wyoming has collected photographs of more than 100 of them.

In 1995, Bama Pie, a Route 66 and Tulsa institution famous for its pecan pies, restored the statue at the school with a $5,000 grant.

Growing up, I didn’t think much about a statue of liberty at my school or the history behind it all. The memories are still there.

If you are ever in Tulsa, exit 244 on the Crosstown Expressway at Harvard and make the two or so mile trek south to see the Statue of Liberty. And less than a mile east is the Driller Man, a 76-foot tall statue of an oilman standing next to an oil derrick in honor of Tulsa’s deep history of the oil boom. It was originally built for the International Petroleum Expositions held in Tulsa back in the day.

The statue stands in front of the former IPE building and has two levels covering 10.3 acres. The Chili Bowl is held annually in the former IPE building.

And while in Tulsa, enjoy some good southern food such as real chili with no beans and tomatoes and fried okra. And top it off a cold glass of Cain’s brand ice tea. It’s worth its weight in gold.

Have a great week, and always remember that “Good Things are Happening” every day.