The Elpyco Street Gang

I grew up on a street full of brand new smallish ranch houses. The tiny oak trees in each front yard were planted in the late 1940 or early 1950s when the houses were built. Our street was named Elpyco for the three partners who developed the neighborhood: Mr. Elder, Mr. Pyles, and Mr. Comer. Combine the first two letters and you get: Elpyco.

Because most of the households were first time homeowners, the street was full of young families with children. Elpyco seemed to have a jillon kids.

All the kids on our block went to Henry J. Allen Elementary School and we all walked the one block to get there. Crossing guards took us safely across the street. After school our Mothers took us to various scout meeting, dance class or we watched TV. There were only a few channels at that time but we thrilled to Roy Rogers, Your Hit Parade and Winky Dink.

When school let out for summer vacation, girls jumped rope, rode bicycles, played hopscotch and jacks. Boys played ball, Red Rover and we all got wet in the sprinkler or little rubber pools that one of the dads blew up with a tire pump. At night grown ups would gather in yard chairs in front yards while kids spread out blankets to gaze at the stars and tell ghost stories.

Most of the little girls on our block, including yours truly, took tap, ballet, jazz, and acrobatics from The Claudia Mundy School of Dance. We would put on shows in the front yard on long, hot summer evenings. The shows were free of charge because the audience was made up of parents and siblings. Still, we thought we were pretty good and we have the home movies to prove it! We had wonderful costumes; my two favorites were a top hat and tails complete with a cane, and a brightly colored rumba outfit with ruffles down the long train.

There is only one mom left from the old neighborhood, she, like all the rest of the neighbors moved away years ago. Jane is now 80 years old but you would never know it. She looks much, much younger and acts young too. My brother, sister and I see her or one or more of her children when we come to town and we were delighted when she said she would host a little "Elpyco reunion." There were eight of us "Kids," tons of good food, and lots of old pictures to prove we were really "that young" once.

My family brought a CD full of our old home movies. They were from old 8 mm reels and were out of order, grainy at times and, since our dad wasn't best camera man, they were also jerky. The quality of the CD didn't really matter, though, as we watched ourselves as small children playing, laughing or crying, funny and energetic. We lived in a more innocent time. We were typical kids doing typical things and we looked very happy back then. As adults, we had a great time recalling fun times we had so long ago. For a few hours we were a little closer to these carefree days of Mother-May-I and piling in the car (all of us) to go for an ice cream cone. We knew nothing of computers, i-phones or video games. Weren't we lucky!!!!

Older people or newly weds just starting out live in the little ranch houses now. None of the first homeowners live there anymore. No kids ride bikes down the sidewalks or walk to Henry J. Allen Elementary School. Parents drive them a block or two now. The neighborhood has lost the luster of the years past and looks a little lonely.

And, those tiny newly planted trees from 1950? They have grown into giant oaks and their branches touch in the center of the street. That makes me smile.

Some of the Elpyco children. I am the tall skinny one in the back. My little sister is hugging our little brother.

Some of the "Elpyco Gang" from the tallest to shortest.