Southwest High School – Time Passes

Many things have changed since we graduated from Southwest in 1975, but the building and surrounding area are still remarkably similar. A planetarium and additional classroom space were added to the south end of the building several years after we graduated, otherwise the building is basically the same. The trees on the front lawn add some beautiful fall color, and the
football field still looks like it might have appeared in the 1950s with a couple of notable exceptions.

The building has been vacant for several years now. St. Peter’s used it for one semester a few years ago while their school was being renovated. The band and orchestra room windows are boarded up due to vandalism. Although the building itself sits empty, the athletic field gets plenty of use. The field is very popular with local dog owners and is affectionately referred to by neighborhood residents as “the dog park”. It is not unusual to see anywhere from a handful to 20 dogs running around while their owners gather around to visit. Someone in the neighborhood was kind enough to donate a couple of park benches that are located near the east entrance to the
field. Large bowls filled with water for the dogs can also be seen next to the benches. The small parking area at the south end of the field and the alley on the west side of the building often have several cars. The large trees along Pennsylvania provide plenty of shade in the late afternoon and early evening, and a line of oak trees on the east side of the field occupy the area in between the track and the alley. On Wednesday nights members of the Kansas City Blues alumni team use the field for practice. In spring, the track is used by some of the local grade schools getting ready for their annual spring meet, and it is not unusual to see lacrosse or soccer being played by children of various ages. The track is also used by young children learning to ride their bikes, and the sand area that used to be the long jump pit is popular with toddlers.

Some of the biggest changes over the last 50 years have occurred in the football field area. The south goalpost has been gone for quite a while, as have the bleachers on the west side of the field. The north goalpost, a relic from pre-1970s football, remains. A couple of equipment storage sheds are no longer there. The White House stone monument at the northeast corner of
the field was refurbished by the class of 1967 a few years ago and has a new plaque on it that faces 65th Street. A relatively new fence, at least several years old, surrounds the field. The flagpole at the northwest corner of the field, which was inside the fence when we were there, now sits outside the fence, as does the monument. The football field has very little grass on it
and is generally covered in weeds and crabgrass. The old black cinder track that dates back to the early days of the school is bordered by concrete curbs and gutters that are worn and cracked. A significant change in the neighborhood was the replacement of the railroad tracks between
Wornall and Brookside with a gravel trail that is very popular with walkers, bicyclists, and runners. The trail extends along Brookside Boulevard from UMKC through Brookside and south along Wornall through Waldo all the way out to 85th Street.

The reunion committee invites you to stop by school sometime during the reunion weekend, relive some old memories, and take a few pictures to share with others.

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