I have spoken with Dodi at the Chateau Ville in Gatesville and they are willing to provide accommodations for a fee, off course. Dodi was a matron at Riverside School, her husband worked at Hackberry School. She is also on the board of the local museum where there is exhibits of the old reform school. I suppose that's fitting since much of that area was built from slave labor provided by the reform school.
I know this may sound crazy and any one of us who spent any amount of time in that horrible place knows the last thing we would want to do is go back there. Some of the discussions on the class mates site has been said to be therapeutic. It may be just that therapeutic as well as a hell of a good party. A celebration of freedom.
On another note the State Boy reunion will help bring awareness to the atrocities that have been perpetrated on us and continue to be perpetrated on the unfortunate children who find themselves in tyc today. Those of us who have gone on to become productive citizens could really make a difference in what's going on with tyc today. It could help push legislation for better treatment programs in today's juvenile justice system. There is a history professor who is doing a book on the history of the Juvenile justice system in Texas as well as others who would be there to hear stories. A bunch of us former State Boys getting together in Gatesville Texas, the seed of the juvenile justice system in Texas, could bring such an awareness.
Please respond back to me oldschool@IronGuardiansNT.org and let me know how you can help with putting this thing together. At the very least let me know when a good week end would be for you to attend in the month of July or August of this year. Also keep a watch on the Gatesville State School for Boys blog.
Dude I'm there. Where do I sign up?
ReplyDeleteYEA MAN ,I TOOK WELDING ON THE HILLTOP BACK IN 1969, UNTILL THE FUCKING SPANISH BOYS SNITCHED ON ME FOR SOMETHING OR OTHER , I SAW SOME OF THEM MAKING A DAGGER TYPE PEACE OF METAL , THEY TOO WOULD TELL ON OTHERS OF THE OPPOSSITE RAZA- RACE , YEA THAT WAS ALSO WHEN CHICANO POWER STARTED IN TEXAS IN THE LATE SIXIES I REALLY WANTED TO LEARN WELDING AT THAT TIME, BUT BECAUSE OF SNITCHES I GOT SUCK WORKING ON THE YARD, YEA THAT WAS A CLASS FOR DUMBASSES, BUT I WASNT DUMB , JUST A VICTIM FOR RACIAL DIFFERENCES AT THE TIME , HEY I JUST WANTED TO GET ALONG WITH THE COLORED. AND IM WHITE , MICHAEL ANDREW SCHWINN A-36525 1966- 1970. THANK GOD FOR THE U.S. ARMY. AN D THERE I WENT IN 1970 AMEN
ReplyDeleteANY VEIWERS OUT THERE WERE AT THE LIVEOAK UNIT COMPANY B , HEY I WAS THERE DURING THE BATTLE OF KESAHN IN VEITNAM , AND THE LANDING OF THE MOON IN 1968 AND 69. AND WENT BOBBY KENEDY WAS SHOT .MARTIN LUTHER KING ,MAN DID THE COLORED HATE THE WHITES FOR WHAT I DONT KNOW, JUST BEIN WHITE I GUESS, MIKE SCHWINN A36525 1966 -70.
ReplyDeleteI was at Valley School from june or july 1970 to feb 1971. First week or two I was at Hackberry. I didn't know what to expect and i had never heard of this place. I was 12 yrs old at the time. I quickly found out i was in hell or near it. I got punched and kicked the next morning because i could not make my bed properly. I was transferred to valley and the beatings continued. I still remember the names of the assholes that did it, Mr Worthington, Mr Latham. I loved going to school. It gave me a break from the beatings and abuse. I never went back, although i still got into trouble. Was there a financial settlement with the lawsuit? Contact me at rgonz4228@aol.com
ReplyDeleteMR. WORHTINGTON WAS FUCKING BRUTALLY MENTALLY A MEAN FUCKIN BASTARD , BUT I HAVE A FEW GOOD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT HIM ,,, HE NEVER HIT ME . THAT I CAN REMEMBER .AND HE WAS WHO I MET WHEN GOIN TO LOCKUP . WORTHINGTON USED TO SIT ON THE TOP OF THE SADDLE OF THE HORSE SWEET SIXTEEN AND MARCH US OUT TO THE CALICI PIT TO BUST LIMESTONE ROCKS AT 90 DEGREE WEATHER THE HORSEBARN PEOPLE BRING US WATER IN A MILK CONTAINER , ONLY TWO CUPS EACH BOY EVERY TWO HOURS. THEY EVEN GAVE US SALT TABLETS TO OVER WORK US . 3 AND A HALF HOURS WORKIN AT THE CALICI PIT,MAN . AND MARCH BACK TO EAT(DINNER)LUNCH THEN ALL OVER AGAIN, TO THE ( CALICI PIT ) 3 MORE HOURS . THE NEXT DAY SAME SHIT. EXACTLY THE SAME .
ReplyDelete