Moville Memories

School

I grew up in Moville. Kindergarten in the fall of 1955 and graduated with the Class of 1968 from Woodbury Central. My classmates and I were on the crest of the Boomers. The school facilities constantly expanded while we grew-up. Prior to 1955 the Moville School had Grades K to 12 in a single, cube shaped, two story building, “The Old Building”. The Class of ‘68 started in the Old Building then occupied the new Kindergarten room in January. A short list of events: Elementary wing south side first occupied January 1956, (included the Multipurpose Room and hallway lying north of the “Old Gym” which connect the “Old Building with the New Building.) The northside of the Elementary Wing grades 4 and 5 was first occupied fall, 1960. Jr. High Moved to Climbing Hill fall 1962 first year of Consolidated Woodbury Central School. Class size was 30 to 35 students per room. (We survived.)

Growing up the streets were only cleared of snow when necessary. Hence there was a snow pack on the streets hard enough to ice skate upon. Ice skating was a normal winter activity. The west end of Memorial Park was flooded (where the pool is now) or City Park on Main was flooded, you could skate around the swings (mental polls, or the Merry-Go-Round) There were no structures or tennis courts. (Tennis courts were built in 1967.) Sledding was a favorite winter activity. “The Big Hill” was notorious as THE place to sled.

In the Summer there was Midway Park better known as “The Sand Pit“. Midway Park was a cooperative effort of the Cities of Moville, Kingsley and Pierson, none of which had pools. There was a North Pit (swimming) and South Pit (boating and fishing)
The North Pit was manicured each year with new sand brought in to form a beach and the first 15 yards of swimming area which was roped to create a wading area, (first rope) up to maybe 3 feet in depth and a swimming area (second rope) up to maybe 5 feet. Beyond the second rope was a raft at maybe 25 to 30 yards from shore and finally a limit to the swimming area with strung and anchored logs at say 50 yards. There was a dock with a diving board and a bath house. A full time life guard staff during the summer hours The Pit was open. The death nell for Midway Park was the opening of Haskell Pool in 1989.

The Woodbury County Library has been a community feature since 1948. To my recollection it has been housed in four locations. First, behind First Trust Savings Bank (now the Moville Historical Museum) The structure was removed with the expansion of FTSB about 2002. The second location, approximately 1955 to 1972, in what is now Outlaw Bar-B-Que. The Library next moved to Main Street then to the Moville Community Center when it was constructed in 2006.