Betty King - on changing the name of Orange County Training School (clip)

RG: When did they change the name Orange County Training School to Northside and Lincoln.

BK: When they built Lincoln. No. They changed Orange County Training School, I think, I'm not really sure, I think about 1949, 48-49, somewhere along there. And that was because the parents - we had some parents that really were political. The name Training School sounded like it was some kind of training, not a school

RG: Reform school maybe?

BK: Yeah, something like that. And so, when the kids go out to - 1 didn't play sports, I was in the band, but I never played basketball, something like that, but the kids would go out, people would tease us about the name of the school. And so the parents got together, they wanted that Training taken out of that Training School. And so that's when they changed it, somewhere about 48-49, somewhere along there they changed it to Lincoln High School.

RG: And Northside? Or the whole school was Lincoln?

BK: The whole school was Lincoln. See because as I said the plan was from 1 to 12 grade. Now when it became Northside was when Lincoln was built. And the first graduating class at Lincoln was 52.

RG: So the school opened in the fall of 51, and they graduate in the spring of 52.

BK: 52, yeah. And that's when Northside became an elementary school. That became an elementary school. Lincoln was from 7th , or 6th . And that's when Northside got its name.

RG: And when did you start at the new Lincoln High School, what grade were you in then? 7th?

BK: I was in the second class.

RG: So were you there when it opened in 51?

BK: Yeah.

RG: You were in 10th , or 9th grade then?

BK: No, I was in 11th grade when it opened.

RG: Oh that's right, What was Lincoln High School like? Was Mr. MacDougal principal when it opened?

BK: Yes.What was it like? I would say, it was not that much different, I mean, the same people were there that you knew before. I met new people and stuff, so it was somewhat similar. Same thing. Not as many people but you know, you knew everybody, you knew all the teachers. We never had - things that always bothered me, we never had lockers. It was dangerous for the people who had to come around the curve. It's not as steep now, but if you know the curve that you come around on Merrit Mill Road, if you come around there, I think somebody got killed, maybe he didn't, and they kept try in to, I remember in PTA they always tried to get the state or the town or somebody to put sidewalks up so kids could have somewhere to walk instead of walkin' in the street.

RG: So you had to walk in the street to school?

BK: Sure did. Unless you went through the woods like we did. We knew short-cuts. But you had to walk in the street. And that was the one thing that really really really bothered me. I was working in a summer program and when they decided - I don't know if you remember it - when they decided to make the school I went to, that was Lincoln, to make it an all six grade school - no thin' but sixth graders were there, from all over, went to that school -

RG: 65-66. When they merged the two schools.

BK: Yeah. Somewhere along there. I don't think it lasted but a year or two at the most that it was an all sixth grade school. But if you had - 1 had gone to school there - out of school, teaching at Lincoln. I had been teaching. And there was never any improvement. Same stuff. The year that they decided to make it an all sixth grade, you should have seen the pavement goin' down. You should have seen the lockers goin' out in the hall. Heretofore they couldn't do it. But when all the kids came down there for sixth grade -

RG: White and black.

BK: White and black. The lockers went up, the pavement went out. So I mean, you know, that was - of course I let the school board know my feelings - but that's what happened. And I mean I felt very strong about that.