Rex Booth

Seventy-Five Years ago this Week

Clarence Hinkle, president of the Roswell School Board, said he is confident Roswell will receive federal aid in constructing a "million-dollar" high school!! However, he said it may take six months to receive the funds. Roswell was eligible to receive $700,000 in federal funds due to the location of a military base near the city.

75 years ago, many of us would have just finished the "1st grade" and were enjoying the start of summer vacation in 1951.

The new high school was completed in 1954 with students graduating in June of 1955.  The old high school became South Junior High.  

"Go Coyotes"...  little did we know our school mascot might be a relative of "Charlie Coyote" in the "Roadrunner"....  

Rex Booth

"Summer Time and the Living is Easy...

Fish are Jumpin' and the Cotton is High..."

Rex Booth

On this day, June 16, 1884, the Switchback Railway

opened on Coney Island,

the "First Roller-Coaster ride" in America!!

Imagine the "thrill" of going 6 miles per hour... for 5 cents!!

Dewey Johnson

In a recent column, Milan Siminich of The Santa Fe New Mexican listed three historical happenings that totally took New Mexicans by surprise. The first one was the Lions Hondo Little League All-Stars of Roswell winning the Little League World Series in 1956. No other team from New Mexico has even made it to the series. Only 15 states have won the championship game one or more times.

This is a book for Roswell. Kids you knew growing up are listed on the rosters of the three Roswell Little Leagues - Lions Hondo, Optimist, WAFB - for regular season play from 1953-1957. These teams had names such as Malco, Stray Bolts, LULAC, Shortchangers (not kidding), Lee Mack, Elks Club, Tucker Brothers, Conoco, NM Transportation, First National Bank, Diary Queen, Walker AFB Saints, Little Wheels, etc.

In the Class of '62 or '61 (although a couple or more moved from Roswell before high school) were the following 12-year-old 1956 All-Stars: Tommy Jordan, Ferrell Dunham, Guy Bevell, Harold Hobson, Bill Turley, Blaine Stribling, David Smith, Albert Palomino, Teddy Garrett, Jimmy Valdez, and David Sherrod. Eleven-year-olds on the team were Dick Storey, Randy Willis, and Mike Sandry.

A 70th anniversary celebration of the team's victory is planned in Roswell for August 20&21.  The book is available at the Historical Society for SE New Mexico or on Amazon. This is an exciting story, one to make Roswell proud, and one that has never been told before in such detail.

Rex Booth

Dewey,

Thanks for the "heads-up" on your new book "That'll be the Day" (A Story of the 10th Little League World Series). 

It's really great to "re-live the past accomplishments" of those fine 11 & 12 year olds who made history in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1956. The Lions Hondo Champions cetainly put Roswell, New Mexico on the map!

I was not a member of the winning baseball team that went to the LLWS, but I sure was one of the 5000 fans who welcomed our Champions home when their train pulled in to the railroad station on east 5th!! 

I might add, the "search feature" at Amazon is not up to par. I typed in: "That'll be the Day". Nothing came up. Typed: "That'll be the Day" by Dewey Johnson... Nothing. Finally typed: "That'll be the Day"(A Story of the 10th Little League World Series). BINGO!! Just a  suggestion... you may wish contact Amazon regarding their 'search' situation. 

Thanks again, for sharing your new book with our Class of 1962. I'm sure many of us look forward to reading it!  I liked your nod given in the book's title to Buddy Holley's #1 song!

Amazon link: "That'll be the Day" by Dewey Johnson

https://www.amazon.com/Thatll-Be-Day-Little-League/dp/B0H2HTMK4K/ref=sr_1_1?

Sherry Hester (Trasp)

Thanks Dewey and Rex,
I'm glad to hear about the
"That'll Be the Day" book!!
Sounds Great!! "I remember When!"
Looking forward to getting it.
 

Dewey Johnson

Rex, 

      thanks for the mention of my book, both you and Sherry.  There is a picture in the book of the 5,000 people welcoming the team home. It is from the RDR. Hopefully you can pick yourself out of the crowd.

     I'm also  sorry to hear about Ardist Allen's death. He and his brothers, Henry and Roy, are all mentioned in the book's coverage of the beginning of Little League in Roswell. Below are the Optimist League's team members in 1954. Note that both Ardist and Henry played for Conoco. 

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       The 1954 teams in the Optimist League were Bill Deane’s, Clardy’s Dairy, Elks, and Conoco. The Roswell Daily Record published the following Optimist rosters.

Optimist League, 1954

Bill Deane’s, Mgr. Taylor Golden. Jerry Hickman, Harl Rogers, Nolan Lane, Travis Dunlap, Thomas Deane, Arvil Johnson, Ronnie Higgenbotham, Frank Glover, Marian Williamson, Larry West, Manuel Chavez, Roger Ruby.

Clardy’s, Mgr. Bill Whitson. Jerry Lee Derby, Brad Watkins, Dick Mooney, Dean Ingram, James Foster, Chip Dilly, Martin Boswell, John Fowler, Butch Thompson, Richard Gruette, Jerry Letcher, Lesley Dudley, Joe Duran, John Francis, Howard Allen, Rocky Rockold.

Elks, Mgr. Bill Witt. Bernie Buckner, John Bigg, J.T. Lemon, Arthur O’Neal, Danny Causey, Ted Williams, Buss Rowell, William Witt Jr., Charles Wilson, Joe Chumley, Billy Irwin, Len Ackland, Jan Blackburn, Verlon Miller, Jerry Floyd, James Raby, James Knight.

Conoco, Mgr. Bill Adams. Larry Jeter, Jimmy Thomas, Tommy Taylor, David Stanley, Ardist Allen, Henry Allen, Wesley Hobbs, Bernard Crawford, Tommy Qualls, Jimmy Qualls, Bobby Nellis, Jimmy Webb, Bobby Merritt, Tommy Merritt, Richard Skinner, Bill Leisk.

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Sherry Hester (Trasp)

Fred, Sorry, I do not have Istagram so I couldn't 
open the post about the stairs!
 

Fred Miller

Sherry, just as well.  The video is not working anymore.

John Landess

Well, I know I am 'jumping the gun' but I just wanted to say:

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

"Thanks for thinking us..."  ~ The Shadow

Rex Booth

Dewey,

I recognize the majority of those named who played on the 1954 Noon Optimist teams! Brings back a lot of good times with those good ole young boys!  

Did Larry Adams play on a team for the Lions Hondo or Noon Optimist in 1956?

I have already ordered your book "That'll be the Day". Would it be possible for you to post the Lions Hondo Teams and players as well? This might be perk for others to order your book also. 

In addition, Wal-Mart also carries the book "That'll be the Day"

https://www.walmart.com/ip/That-ll-Be-The-Day-A-Story-of-the-10th-Little-League-World-Series-Paperback-9798197936370/20267664217

Rex Booth

 Have a Good Fathers's Day... you know who you be.

Rex Booth

Remember the "cowboy" actor William Boyd...?

This steel lunch box was made by Aladdin Industries in 1950.  A product line that would last for decades. "Hopalong Cassidy" was a TV and radio series in 1950. The frenzy for Hopalong Cassidy merchandise led to more than 100 companies manufacturing more than $70 million dollars worth of Hopalong Cassidy products, earning the star William Boyd more than $800,000 in 1950 alone.

Dewey Johnson

Rex, in regards to your question about Larry Adams, he played for the Optimist All-Stars in 1956.

In regards to your suggestion about rosters, with which I agree and wish I had more of, no Little League rosters for the regular 1956 season were available from the Roswell Daily Record on the newspaper archive I used. This for Optimist, Lions Hondo, and Walker AFB. I searched and searched thinking that if I could come up with the right search word(s) that I'd have them. Since then I have learned from friends who do a lot of genealogical searches that even though a website might have most of a newspapers editions, they don't necessarily have all of them. I put in a couple of "test cases" that verified this in regards to the research done for That'll Be The Day.

But as I say in the book, if a kid played Little League in 1955, the chances are good that he played on the same team in 1956 unless he aged out. I did find 1955 regular league rosters for Lions Hondo, but not Optimist. They are listed below.

In the spring of 1955, the Roswell Daily Record published the following rosters of the Lions Hondo League. Players with underlined names were a year later members of the 1956 Roswell Lions Hondo All-Star team.

Lions Hondo League, 1955

Stray Bolts – Wilmot Hardware Co., mgrs. Leon Faddis & Ron Ferrari. Jerry Byram Doug Shepherd, Tommy Jordan, Harold Andrews, Joe Garcia, Ronnie Fowler, David Lee Smith, Larry Welsh, Henry Wagoner, Jerry Locke, Roy McDaniel, Billy Atchley.

LULAC – League of United Latin American Citizens, mgr. Fred Pollock. Don Groseclose, Jeffrey Newsom, Marty Otero, Mark Wishard, Wayne Rose, Byron Eberhart, Paul Heiser, Kenneth Means, James Jennings, Manuel Smith, Steven Lavender.

MLB Realtors – Multiple Listing Bureau, mgrs. Buck Board & Johnnie Reynolds. Dannie Adams, Ray Conova, Dick Williams, Galloway Milladge, Ficunda Carillo, Jimmie Milstead, Ramon Torrez, Harold Hobson, Joe de La Cruz, Billy Ray Turley, Terry Adams, Dan Board, Jim Melson, Dannie Walker, Billie Stribling.

Malco – Malco Refineries, mgrs. George Flores, W.D. Dub Storey, George Constantine. Marlin Wells, Melvin Scott, Lynne Browne, Ronnie Parnell, Ronnie Van Winkle, Blaine Stribling, Donald Penny, Ferrell Dunham, David Sherrod, Don Wolf, Billy McCombs, Dick Storey, Phillip McLeod.

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On the other side of the 1956 season, for which I have no rosters, 1957 listed the following for both the Lions Hondo and the Optimists. (Newspapers tend to do this the season after one's town has won the Little League Word Championship.) Underlined players were All-Stars in 1956 or adults accompanying the team to Williamsport.

Lions Hondo Little League 1957

Dairy Queen.  Mgr. Dub Storey, Coach George Shabay. P.D. Shabay, Glyn Carter, Dick Storey, Kenneth Houston, Terry Wade, Mike Shabay, Ronnie Phillips, Billy Scott, Billy McCombs, Louis Bagwell, Bing Binns, Craig Lyons, Phillip Wason, Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Penny, Web Loudat.

NM Transportation.   Coach Bob Borum, Mgr. Tom Pittman. Randy Willis, David Smart, Billy Mullins, Bill Lacey, Martin Michell, Pat Boren, Rusty Tate, Carl Gough, Jimmy Cox, Emmanuel Gonzales, Stanley Vanderveer, Charlie Marrego, Alex Garcy, Gery Price, Pete Garton.

Malco.   Mgr. Roy Laub, Coach Bert Shephard. Calvin Turley, Doug Shephard, Jimmy Williams, Tracy Laub, Harvey Atkins, Jackie Atkins, Danny Peters, Larry Hobson, Pete Vigil, Ricky Laub, James Wilkerson, Toby Atchley, Gerald Gaige, Terry Miller.

Cathy Jacobs.   Mgr. Lloyd Colbert, Asst. Mgr. Clint Parsons. Rudy Otero, Mike Newsom, Lee Gutierrez, Herman Newsom, David Parsons, Glenn Johnson, Kent Stauffer, Gilbert Colbert, Stanley Lloyd, Terry Adams, John Rowe, Randy Richardson, Keith Rowe, Dewey Johnson.

First National Bank.  Mgr. Pete Ellis, Coach Bob Horrocks. Floyd Nahar, Billy Ward, Bill Stribling, Dick St. John, Bill Smith, Jimmie Melson, Bill Turner, Tommy Williams, Bill Tarro, Tommy Rodgers, Eddie Johnson, Paul Carruthers, Allan Trefrey.

Stray Bolts’ picture was not found. From other sources, it is known that the manager was Pat Mabe. Players included Joe Duffy, Vic Roberts, Frank Sandry, Mike Sandry, Jim Woods, Mike Mabe, Herb Finney.

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Optimist Little League 1957

Shortchangers.   Mgr. Bill Whitson. Eddy Ely, Gerard Clark, Joe Crawford, Perry Martin, Bobby Armstrong, Don Alsup, Billy Adamson, Delbert Moore, Tom Spells, Jim Wright, Dale Frost, Kent Perry, Dwain Frost.

Lee Mack.   Mgrs. Jewel Bradley and Larry Faust. Frank Bradley, Jim Mayberry, David Stanley, Roy Allen, Larry Adams, Bryan Bost, Mike Link, Jim Fisher, Lee Jones, Bob Fowler, J.D. Merritt, Cecil Fisher, Bob Adams.

Elks.  Mgr. Bill Witt, Coach Bill Moore. Ronald Ford, Clyde Forbes, Jerry Cooper, Mike Ward, Jim Moore, Larry Riley, Mickey Johnson, Jim Raby, Bill Smith, John Lee, Lenny Moore, Benny Barrick, Harvey Atkinson.

Bill Deane. Mgr. Frank Sandifer, Coach Ed Kaufman. Don White, Don Ervin, Clyde Blackwell, B. Blackwell, Randy Hankins, Dennis Reddock, Richard Parker, David Walters, Tommy Allen, Jimmy Harms, Gilbert Duran, John Lackey, Claude Duran, Benny Laurence, Bernard Link, Bobby White.

Rex Booth

Dewey,

The additional roster information you provided is much appreciated. 

According to my conversations with Bill Turley regarding the 1956 All Star team, Bill said he felt the 1957 Allstar Team was much better than his team in 1956.

According to the 1957 roster Bill's brother Calvin Turley played for Malco. Unfortunately for the 1957 all-star team, at the end of the season, several of the best pitchers had thrown their arms out and only the 3rd string pitcher was available for the national playoff run that year.  Calvin might be a good source for more details during 1956-1957. Calvin lives in Roswell and happens to play golf with Jim Valdez of the '56 champs.

Thanks again for your efforts putting this together!

Ann Topley (Acosta)

What happen to the plaque on a large rock behing the high school commemorating the 1956 win?

Rex Booth

Ann,

That is a 64 dollar question... who took the plaque?  

Here's a 1956 story about another "loss":...

Tommy Jordon lost his 1956 Little League Champion Jacket. Then after it being 'lost' for 55 years, the jacket was "presented" to Jordon during his 50th Class of 1961 reunion ... As one story goes, the jacket was found in his friend's mom's closet while the closet was being cleaned out some "five and one-half decades" later.

In 1982, twenty-six years after winning the 1956 LLWs, the city of Roswell dedicated a new baseball park as the "Randy Willis Park".  Randy played on the the '56 Champ team, coached several baseball teams, and supported baseball in Roswell.  A plaque honoring Randy and the Park were also stolen from this new park. 

Anybody have any information to add re: those two 'lost' plaques...?

"Humph!,  t'ain't a soul in this house that likes baseball or mysteries..?? " 

~ The Shadow

Rex Booth

"220-pound" fish caught in Hudson River!!

Yep, a whopping 6 feet long!!  The Atlantic Sturgeon was caught and released!

Sherry Hester (Trasp)

Wow!! Rex, 
They threw it back!?! Theres some good meat on 
that HUGE Fish!! 
Is that your son in the hat! He looks like You!!
Well a Youger You!!
 

Rex Booth

Sherry,

Yup, uh huh...

According to sources, this was a scientific team with a special license to catch various endangered species, then do a quick tag, and release.  I agree that "monster" could have made one heck-of-a fish-fry!!  Like someone's "son" holding the fish, I do wear a "bucket" hat when I go rainbow trout fishing at Grindstone Lake in Ruidoso. 

Rex Booth

According to the Farmer's Almanac the "Strawberry Moon" is set to rise a few days before and after June 29th.  It is called the Strawberry Moon because strawberries, blue berries, and other berries are becoming ripe or have ripened.  For fruits only... check out the produce section and report back!

Rex Booth

"Tasty Waldorf Salad"... Yummy!!

When was Waldorf Salad created?

Who created Waldorf Salad?  Where?

Sherry Hester (Trasp)

One of my Favorites~~~ There are may different ones
Choose one!! The Waldorf Salad was invented in
1893 at the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
in New York City!

Rex Booth

Ok Sherry, 

You are doing good. You've got "when and where" answered, but

the "Who" invented it is still unanswered... hmm more googlin'...?

I like the salad with walnuts or pecans... not the teeny-weeny grapenuts that health guru Eulle Gibbons promoted on Johnny Carson Show...

Fred Miller

Ran across this today.  Could not resist sharing it.  I am approaching that stage of life.