June 14, 1996



To the Forest-Area Historical Society,

When I started to school our First Grade class met in a brick building located east of the old High School. It was built in 1870 and used by the Methodist Protestant Church until a new building was erected by them in 1912 at Patterson and Dixon streets - now the Masonic Temple.¹ The old church building was remodeled for school purposes providing space for two classes. We were assigned to the south room. Our "Rest Rooms" were the outdoor type located near the school building. Drinking water was available from a well located near the high school. We had to pump the water and provide our own drinking cups. Most of us used "folding cups". Our playground was covered with gravel which kept us out of the mud but required replacement of shoes quite often.

Cup (folded)

A new wood building was erected between the two brick buildings. (1920?) This building provided for two class rooms in the north end and a gymnasium in the south end. The building was ready for occupancy at the end of the first half of the 1920-21 school term. After the Christmas Holidays, we were assigned to the northeast room under the supervision of Mrs. Maude Spellman. We always addressed her respectfully as "Mrs. Spellman." Our class then became the first to use the new First Grade facility. The Class of 1934 was assigned to the northwest room where we spent our second year taught by Edna Borset. There were 41 pupils in our first grade class. In our second year there were 40 pupils.

Cup (unfolded)

Both of these two classrooms had a large coal furnace for heat which had to be stoked by the janitor, Pat Garver. It must have been very frustrating to the teachers to have the janitor walk in at any time of the day to shake down the ashes, pour in the coal room "buckets" and check the temperature of the rooms. These two rooms also served as dressing rooms for basketball games. Entrance to the rooms from the gym was through the cloakroom. Showers and toilets were located in the high school basement. The gymnasium was heated by two large coal furnaces located in the northwest and northeast corners. A large platform was lowered onto wooden supports and made into a stage complete with curtains and lights. The two classrooms then became dressing rooms for the actors.

Gynasium (front)

Gynasium (side)

The gymnasium had bleachers on the east and west sides of the floor. For assemblies, chairs were arranged on the playing floor. There were two main entrances to the gym from the outside where admission tickets were sold. Exits were provided by wide doors on the south and through the two classrooms on the north. A scoreboard was hung on the north wall (bottom of the stage floor). metal plates with numerals painted in black displayed the running scores. The plates were hung from hooks through small holes in the top of each plate.

D. Ray Baum

In order to inform the coach, D. Ray Baum, how much time was left in the playing periods, a lighted display was installed below the score keep' box located over the west entrance. The lights indicating time left in minutes, was operated form the officials’ box. I designed and built the display. Ralph Spencer furnished the switch arrangement.

Most of the first row bleacher seats could be raised and athletic equipment stored within. Another wood structure adjacent to the gymnasium on the east was used to teach agricultural subjects. Farther south on school property was the "Farm House" used for agriculture classes, band instruction and the storage of football equipment on the second floor.



Rodney H. Burk

June 17, 1996



To the Forest-Area Historical Society,

Leo High, a science teacher at Forest High, organized a Science Club in 1928 for the purpose of giving science-oriented students some extra opportunities to use the science lab for experiments and for further study of the sciences. Charter members were Horace Nye, Thurman Wright, Robert Silverthorne, Ralph Spencer, Lowell McKinley and myself. We had access to the school’s laboratory for individual study and to develop science projects. We also assisted Mr. High with laboratory experiments for the scheduled classes. Horace Nye, whose father operated one of the two meat markets in Forest, was the president of the club. He was a top student specializing in chemistry at Ohio Northern University. He spent extra time experimenting. He often assisted Mr. High in science classes. Many of his experiments were conducted in a laboratory once used by a Forest physician. It was located on the second floor of the former Harris Furniture Store which later became the Lutz Variety Store. One of Horace’s experiments was the formulating of a hair tonic - basically made form mineral oil, with the addition of perfume and coloring which were oil soluble.

Shields Drug Store

- ingredients obtained at the Shields Drug Store.

  The Science Club was organized by Mr. High who chose as charter members (in addition to the two of us): Thurman Wright, Robert Silverthorne, Ralph Spencer, and Lowell McKinley. Others added to the membership later were Carl White, Bud Lodge, Floyd West, and Joe Dickelman.

In the 1931 "Treasure Chest" a photograph (I have the original photo) showed these officers: Rodney Burk, president; Joe Dickelman, vice president, Thurman Wright, secretary; and Floyd West, publicity chairman. Other members: Naomi Wright, Stella Buess, Betty Turner, Velmalee Buess, Helen Zimmerman, Cleone Tourry, Orel Quail, Leota Burk, Everett Ash, Laverne Buess, and D.G. Edgar, science teacher.



Rodney H. Burk - ('33) 6/17/1996

April 29, 1999



To the Forest-Area Historical Society,

"Get down!" Horace cried. I did, and so did Horace Nye who had invited me to assist him in a chemistry experiment. We were in a small narrow room adjacent to the Science Department made available to members of the newly-formed Forest High School Science Club. Horace and I were charter members of the Club. He was the first president; I served at a later date. We were using the lab facilities made available to us to conduct an experiment in producing synthetic perfume - one of Horace’s projects for the year.

The experiment consisted of heating a quantity of chemicals in a glass flask and collecting the condensed vapors by means of a glass still. My job was to regulate the amount of heat under the flask to control the output of vapor within the limits of our condenser, made of glass tubing. Horace was in charge. When the vapors became too much for the condenser’s capacity, Horace would tell me to reduce the heat under the flask

Horace’s Experiment

Due to the reaction of the chemicals, it soon became evident to Horace that things were getting out of control. We could not control the production of vapor even with the heat turned off. Horace knew what was coming - an explosion! And explode, it did! Fortunately we got to the floor before the explosion, an explosion which sent broken glass flying around the lab and sprayed hot chemicals over everything in the lab - even on walls and the ceiling. And wherever that hot chemical landed, it soon turned into a solid rock-like mass. It required a lot of scraping the next day to clear the area of those "rocks". During the experiment, we collected a small sample of the product which Horace called "perfume". The vapor which escaped from the condenser filled the room was a pungent odor that was sickening to say the least. When we left the lab later that night, Horace insisted that I take with me a small vial of his "perfume". I too it home, stashed it away and hoped I would eventually overcome the odor! Months later I found that sample - and it really was perfume! Horace was an "A" student in Chemistry both at Forest High School and



Rodney H. Burk
6-17-1996