Growing up in BC

Flash Back - Growing up in Boulder City .. things we might remember 1. Snake dance through town after bond fire kicking off football season. 2. bike parade on the 4th 3. . parade downtown in Halloween costumes 4. . swimming lessons at the lake 5. . going barefoot all summer and extracting “stickers” from our feet 6. . going shirtless all summer and getting sun burned again 7. . playing baseball (before LL) teams selected by streets Thanks Mr. Whalen 8. . rice and gravy at Harry's for 25cents 9. . buying cinnamon from drug store for cinnamon sticks 10..chocolate/cherry shakes from Frostie 11..“Country Store” every fall at Grace Comm. Church 12..Boy Scout camp at Camp Bonanza in Mt. Charleston 13..Girl Scout meetings in the unique clubhouse – a WWII plane 14..Hikes to the river 15..exploring the drainage tunnels at the dam, at night 16..rolling down the hill at the big park 17..going to the movie for 2 used milk containers 18.. meeting your date in the lobby of the theater, so you didn't pay I guess 19..parties at Moby's Cove 20..assemblies with Liberace, his mother & brother. 21..Marge and Cower Champion dance lessons at assemblies 22..sports winning streaks 23..lining up for vaccinations at the school office 24..clearing the field of rocks at the grade/high school 25..soap box derby down the hill to McKeeversville 26. .playing marbles in the playground 27..sneaking into show 28..going to the movie about the Dam at Johnnie Manis' Visitor Center to get cooled off. 29..Going to the dump for bicycle and car parts 30..getting stuck in the sand on the power line roads 3 31..jumping the fence at the new pool and getting arrested 32..playing pool and dancing at Polka Dot Haven, playing pin pong in the back of the Tavern. 33..riding our bikes, or hitchhiking, down to the lake, hoping to get a ride home 34..sliding down the stairs at the post office 35..career day when you were the police chief or dam engineer 36..pictures on the fence and picnic in the park on the last day of school 37..summer bible school at Grace Community Church 38..driving endlessly around town at night 39..making a lamp in Mr. Gidden's shop class. 40..Pitching pennies in front of the drug store. 41..Jumping on pogo sticks up and down steps and up on landings. 42..Football games at the big park from early morning until late afternoon – 43..Practicing the trumpet with the windows open, until the neighbors yelled enough 44..Singing on the bus ride home from football and basketball away games. 45 .Following the water truck that watered trees. Standing under the flow of water. 46 .Flash floods, surfing and riding in tubs down the streets. 47.Building dams in the desert to make a swimming pool during the flooding 48.Getting in tires and rolling down California Street. 49.. Starting landslides down the canyons going to the river. 50.. Singing on the bus ride to the lake 51.. Watching the "Bomb" in bleachers at the school. 52.. Guarding the fire wood for the big rally bonfire. 53..Freshman Initiations, eating raw eggs, swats,polishing shoes,eating onions 54.. Golfing at the 3 hole dirt course, and finding balls that had exploded due to the sun. 55.. Collecting tomatoes below the sewer plant by "B" hill. 56.. Chasing donkeys below the sewer run off. 57.. Having China Berry Fights 58.. Playing Frisbee with old discarded records at the old radio station 59.. Eating a burger and ice cream at the Sweet Shop 60.. Getting a burger at Dossett's Hamburger Stand for 15 cents 61.. Setting pins at the bowling alley for 10 cents a line 62.. Making our own skate boards out of discarded roller skates and an orange crate 63.. Helping build the Polka Dot Haven 64.. Climbing the Greased Pole on the 4th of July to get the $5 on top. 65.. Running through the sprinklers at the big park 66.. Letting off firecrackers and cherry bombs. 67.. Marching with Whelan's Drum and Bugle Corp Band on California Street. 68..Collecting horny toads, turtles,snakes, lizards, Gila monsters 69.. Watching the Army Tanks drive by on New Mexico St on Camp Williston 70. Learning how to box at the jail 71.. Saturday Night Boxing Matches at Peterson Field 72.. Watching TWA planes land 73.. Seeing Movie Stars when them came to town, Frank Sinatra, 74.. Going to Floor Shows in Vegas that were free, but one bought a Shirley Temple 75.. Sleeping outside every night in the summer 76.. Dogs that chased us... Jupiter. Jinks, Taddy, and bit at our pant legs while riding bikes 77.. Walking to pick up a date 78.. Jumping on running boards of cars for a ride up the street. 79.. Rolling Toilet Paper down the face of the Dam 80..Putting our cars in neutral to see how far we could go to the Lake 81..Swimming at night at Lake Mead 82.. Playing mumble peg with knives 83.. Learning to water ski by friends parents who had a boat and would take us. 84.. Swimming under the large diving rafts in the Lake to see fish. 85.. Attempting to swim out to the far rafts the first time without drowning. 86.. Playing kick the can at night under the street lights. 87.. Sitting on fenders for a ride. 88.. The Boy Scout section at Manix Dept. store (? Jerry Merrill, Sutherland, Jim Widner, David Hoover) 89.. Letting out school early for the Helldorado parade. 90.. Marching in the Helldorado parade when it was way over 100 degrees.
Compiled By. Jim Widner '58 and Roy Atkin '56 a few years ago .. ran across it today 4/16/2020

Some more memories from Roy today : So many more items could be added.. Perhaps you might post a request for others to add to the list. Damboree Queens, Sweet shop with booths, cross hill, radio station, State champs in football, volunteer fire dept, Sprouse Ritz burning down, running through the Boulder Dam Hotel during snake dances, 5th and 6th grades at the old American Legion Hall, Boot Leg Canyon, mine shafts, Desert Museum in old army barracks, dog and cat cemetary (where the swimming pool is now) dog catcher Percy, Camp Williston/Siebert, plane crashes, El Dorado parades, hitch hiking to Vegas, drag races, no speed limits, Federal Police, free beer when the sun didn't shine, and many more could be added.

Here is a pic of Tom Donnnelly. the father of 2 BCHS grads, Vince 56 and Marylyn '58, when he owned the Tavern in early 50s

Survey Results

1) Do you have any memorable stuff to add to the list?

1) Square dancing in the sixth grade 2) Family potluck dinners in the basement of the Community Church 3) Bus rides out to Lake Mead for swimming lessons--swimsuited kids singing "Hundred Bottles of Beer on the Wall"
- Karen Rosenbaum (McClinton) (1958)

Baseball game and then fireworks at the field on 4th of July and then a double feature scary movie up at the theater. Knowing who gave nickel candy bars on Halloween. Mother Goose Shop full of beautiful dolls and clothes. Don's Hamburgers. Country Store at Grace Community Church where you could buy all sorts of handmade items and homemade treats. Dime a Dip Dinners at the LDS Church.
- Patricia Richter (Martin) (1966)

1. Piano lessons with Mrs. Bees 2. Building forts in the sagebrush out in the desert. 3. Walking barefoot in the gutters in the summer because the sidewalk was too hot and having to make mad dashes to cross the hot streets. 4. The Christmas Mr. Earl at the movie theater promised a boy in the audience a bicycle if he could memorize and recite "The Night Before Christmas." Don't know the boy's name but he was the envy of us all when he won!"
- LeaRae Spendlove (Atwood) (1962)

Four or more or less girls would go into Chinese Restaurant and order one dinner and share it. If we all had money we would buy our own dinners. Slumber parties and more slumber parties. Skating and biking through the streets of BC. Skating with skates that were always coming off your shoe. Playing "Chalk the corners" through the streets of BC. Baseball games in the summer. 4th of July activities the games in the park, concert, beauty pageant and baseball game at night and fireworks at night. Sunrise services on Easter Sunday at Cross Hill. So beautiful with the sun slowly coming up in the east. How exciting to be able to go to a brand new high school. Pep Club and performing at the basketball games. The beautiful Proms.
- Charlene Richards (Byers) (1956)

The Emporium, where you could buy anything. Home delivery of groceries from Central Market and the butcher shop there, where they sculpted pigs out of the hamburger meat. The sweet little bakery on Wyoming where you could buy a loaf of bread for 10 cents. Field trips to the dam for a tour.
- Penny Lappin (Lester) (1964)

Getting dill pickles from Mr Caldwell at Central Market, playing one game of Monopoly during summer break with Carolyn Lyon, taking swimming lessons from Mrs Berry at the lake, whitewashing the "B" on the hill every year.
- Paula Hurt (McFarland) (1961)

Donut runs for math class, riding horses and the smell of rain on the desert, hitching them up at the Frosty. Going to Vegas for dinner on Prom nights, dances at the elementary school,gathering at the park to meet friends and listen to music. Curfew! The Artic Circle and fries with “special sauce”, soda fountains at the drug stores, walking to school with neighborhood friends
- Jeannie Batchelor (Miller) (1965)

waking up at 5am and going with my dad to the top of B hill to watch the atomic bomb tests 100 miles north of Las Vegas
- Vincent Donnelly (1956)

Setting off homemade rockets in the desert and sometimes in the backyard. Partying in the railroad tunnels overlooking Lake Mead. Watching out for sidewinders in the HS corridors at night. Running home for lunch. Running home after basketball practice to pick up mitt and hat for baseball. Going to Railroad Pass to watch hydrogen bomb blast at 5 in the morning. Riding bikes to Lake Mead beach and begging for a ride home. Allways working on cars to keep them running. Finding used tires and mufflers at the dump.
- Norman Miller (1960)

Hiking to Purple Mine which was near McKeeversville and using flame torches to walk to the back of the mine. There was also an open shaft which we threw rocks into to hear the splash occasionally. Also hiked to the Lost Turquoise mine which was located out past the dump and also past the Dry Falls that we also hiked to often. Also adding to the post by Jane Ann Tanksley Ostergard - I can remember when in high school that we would have a whole high school gathering down in the football field and we would watch the mushroom clouds that formed after a detonation of an atom bomb in the Nevada Test Site north of Las Vegas
- Michael Merrill (1955)

Government housing, Christmas tree forts, doing donuts in the car on dry lake, water balloon fights, tennis baseball on the tennis courts, shooting rats at the city dump
- Frank Scussel (1956)

When the army left in the 1940's buildings in the area of Avenue G and 7th street were available for Boulder City people to use. Girl Scout meetings were held in the former office building. Plays and dances were in the old auditorium that had a stage. On Saturday nights a blue grass band that included our mom and dad, Billie and Russ Bates played for square dances.
- Cornelia Bates (Madsen) (1957)

I was in the Class of 1958 and ours was the last freshman initiation - I remember the senior who I was a slave to all that day. I spent the night with her and she took me to see Gone with the Wind that night. She was great. The next day was fun, but I heard there were a couple of incidents that ruined it for everyone else from then on.
- Shirley Olson (Bradley) (1958)

Ditto to the purple mine. Went in there a couple of time as youngster. About 5 years ago I talked my wife and son into going over there and walking in a few yards with a flashlight. When the resident rattlesnake warned us off we got the ---- out of there. Never did see it.
- Donald Schuyler (1954)

I'd like to add to the first 4 entries. Also my favorite things. My Dad and I drove to the hill past Railroad Pass and watched the A-Bomb burst. Something etched in my mind. Also, the last freshman initiation for the Class of '57. I was there. Several students injured that day. That's why it ended. One last thing - I always felt safe and happy. I mentioned in my biography how I wishes my 3 sons could have grown up in those days in Boulder City. Loved it. Jane Ann Tanksley Ostergard
- Jane Ann Ostergard (Tanksley) (1957)

Quarter mile drag races on the Boulder Highway between RR Pass casino and BC. Climbing up onto the new Water Tank to paint the year of our H.S. graduation. Going up B Hill to re-lime the B each new year in competitive groups. -Brian Sutherland (1959)
- Dick Trelease (1959)

Spudnut shop with donuts made of potato dough. Painting class numbers on the tall water tank behind Belknap's house. 1/4 mile segment marked out on the road to BC from RR Pass for local drag racing. Renewing the white on "B" hill with ?lime? Gasoline at 25 cents or less if there was a"gas war"
- Brian Sutherland (1959)

Dances every Friday and Saturday night. Live music for only $1.00, then off to Harry's for Rice and Gravy.
- Ricky Shea (1967)

My favorite part in the country store at the Grace Comm. church was their spook house. Also summers playing in the desert and hiking to the lake. Most times we found a ride back to B.C. but one time we three girls had to hike it back home.
- Mary Quinn (Peterson) (1965)

Total Responses: 19