Huntsville School, but after consolidation, it became Westran (West Randolph County) that was built, and where I went to school from first grade through my freshman year; banner photo is Grandma and Grandpa's house.

I didn't go to kindergarten. Mom started me out in first grade, and back then kindergarten was more of a socialization with your classmates, a half-day of play, but come first grade I was jolly on the spot. This opened my world. I was no longer king of my block, but I was just one of many, and I had to create a whole new reality, a vision of who I was. In this school of elementary and high school students mixed I was the runt of the litter, and it was a good thing, because I had big brothers to protect me. Most of the other kids where bawling their eyes out, but not me. Little Grandma was the seventh grade teacher, so all the teachers knew of me, and knew my stock, because they'd taught my brothers before me. Remember though, I was built to play, and somehow I had to make play fit into the equation. I turned out to be a shy boy who didn't talk much, except on the playground, but don't worry I would find my clique. 

My class was first graders under teacher Mrs. Alexander. We had two divisions of 1st grade, and this was half of the grade. We were not yet integrated, so the black students pictured went to Lincoln school in town. By third grade we would be totally integrated. The adults made a big deal of it, but to us they were just more kids to play with.

Walking Among Giants

Mrs. Alexander was a wonderful person, and my first grade teacher. But I was too busy being lost in my own world to pay much attention to her goings on. I was there to make friends with the kids in this new institution, just as I had made friends of the children and adults of Grand Avenue. From the first day I sat, and watch as other little boys and girls cried for their mommies I was plotting as to how I could make these new people my subjects.

While I was busy trying to figure out how to accomplish my goals, a boy came running to my desk.

The boy said, "Hi, and my name is Jeff. What's your name?"

"My name is Olan Leroy Smith."

Before I could say another word, Jeff turned around, leaned backwards, and said, "You want to feel my new flat-top haircut?"

Off he went to the next desk, and he said exactly the same thing to them at every desk in our row. I could see that Jeff was not particularly smart, and someone who could get me in trouble not better.

"Jeff, sit down!" Mrs. Alexander shouted as she came back into the room, after visiting with some of the distraught parents who were still standing in the doorway of the room. Jeff sat down directly in front of me.

Mrs. Alexander went to the door, said her goodbyes to the parents, and then closed the door; she turned to face the class. Mrs. Alexander turned to introduce herself and said, "Good morning class. My name is Mrs. Alexander, and I am going to be your first grade teacher. Now, I am going to take the roll, and learn all of your names." She paused as she sat down at her desk to read the roll. She began to read off the names on the list one at a time. As she read off our names we would raise our hands, and asked us if that was the name we went by. When she got to me she said, "Olan Leroy Smith," she paused as I raised my hand. "Olan, is that the name your parents call you?"

I replied, "Yes, Mrs. Alexander."

"Oh yes, Olan, I know your Grandmother, Mrs. Wescott, and she teaches seventh grade downstairs. Welcome, Olan."

Mrs. Alexander went on down the row to the next person, and then the next until she had met everyone in the classroom. When she was finished, she stood up, and said, "Now class, I want you to meet someone new today." She walked over to the bookshelf, and pulled out a book. She continued to speak and she said, "Inside this book are the people I want you to meet. I am going to pass out one of these books to each of you, and you can use it all this school year."

Mrs. Alexander walked up and down each row as she handed us each a book. When she was finished she returned to her desk, and stood in front of it and said, "I want you to meet Dick and Jane, and their dog named Spot. Dick and Jane, and I are going to teach you to read this year, but first we will need to learn our ABC's"

So, the learning began that first year, and I am sure I learned something. This was unfamiliar territory for me, and it wasn't going to be as easy as making friends on Grand Avenue. The only edge I had was my Grandmother. These kids didn't know me from Adam.

Recess was my kind of fun, but it was too short, and it was highly supervised, plus ― we were imprisoned within a field by chain-link fencing. No doubt about it, this was not my realm. I couldn't do as I pleased, I couldn't rove where I wanted, and I couldn't climb any tree or knock on any door. Yep, this was a prison and I thought, these poor strangers.

When the day was through, they did the strangest thing. They let us go. It sure was a funny prison, I thought to myself. As I walked out the classroom door, my brother Curt met me. He inquired, "How did your first day of school go, Olan?"

City Hall: Mom forefront, the Mayor, and the City Clerk.

Me at Grandma's house on Oak Street, Huntsville, Missouri

"Okay, I guess." I was still befuddled about this school stuff, but if I had to do it, I just had to do it ― I guess. Curt walked me out the front door of the school building, and pass the throng of kids of all sizes walking from their respective buildings to the busses, or pass the busses to their homes in town. I didn't know anyone. Where were my friends? I thought to myself. I was totally alone in a mass of people. Except for Curt and Walt, I recognized no one at all.

Curt said, "I'm going to show you, where Mom wants you to go. ; each day after school. She wants you to walk uptown to City Hall where she works. Then we are going to walk to Grandma's house, and there you're going to wait until Mom gets off work, and she and Dad come and pick you up. So, you stay with me, and don't get lost. You understand, Olan?"

"Yes," I replied.

As we walked up the street, to City Hall, I was in awe of the high school kids who were walking with us up the street. They were giants! Many of them where larger than Walt! I thought to myself, "These kids are tall, and I wondered if I'll ever be that big?"

I didn't make any new friends that day, but I was introduced to a whole new world I did not know existed. Curt showed me the way to Little Grandma's house, I would walk that route every school day for the next six years, and it would offer me great adventures. These odysseys were going to be even greater than those of my precious Grand Avenue, and even greater than the Harris farm. This was going to add all of Huntsville to my world of adventure, plus, I still had my precious Grand Street when I returned home in the evening with my folks.