Cushing, Oklahoma – Part Three
2012.12.22
During my childhood in Cushing, one of my favorite places was the library, built in 1939. Mom would take me any time I wanted to go, and when I was a little older I rode my bike there by myself.
We often went to Memorial Park. Not as large as I remembered, but there is a duck pond with an island (connected by footbridge), disc golf, picnic benches and pavilions, etc. The old pool was replaced with an “Aquatic Center” in 1999, apparently nothing remains of the original structure. As I (vaguely) recall, the changing rooms and other spaces were below ground, and in a sort of lobby / check-in counter space there was a window into the pool; I thought that was neat.
The Cushing Fire Department began with volunteers in 1909. The present building was constructed in 1948, with an expansion in the 1970’s after the new City Hall was built nearby.
We lived about half a block away from the fire station. Of course I wanted to be a fireman when I grew up (changed my mind later), and Emergency! was my favorite TV show. The firemen were friendly and let me come inside and hang out sometimes. I could identify all the trucks by the sound of their sirens as they went by our house. When the tornado sirens wailed, we went to the fallout shelter in the fire station basement, along with most of the neighborhood.
The church is across the street from the fire station. There was a lot more landscaping back then; it looks pretty bleak now on a winter day. The lower roof was flat with a parapet and often leaked, so sometime after we left they added a low-pitch metal roof.
Our house was probably built in the 1920’s or 30’s, but the wood came from one of the early churches that had been torn down. Alas, our house itself was demolished many years ago; now just a parking lot and memories.
Cushing II