No Wonder the Basketball is Flat

Episode #6 of Grandpa Billy Bob's Mooresville History Super Fun Quiz explores where Mooresville High School basketball games were played before the old gymnasium was built (next to the old high school building) in 1920.

Click Video (Above) to Play

The gymnasium was dedicated on December 30, 1920.  It was the first high school gym in Morgan County and was considered state-of-the-art a century ago.  It stood just north of the old Mooresville High School building (completed in 1909), and was across from the original Academy School built by the Mooresville Society of Friends in 1860, which was the first high school in central Indiana.  Both the Academy building and the gymnasium still stand today on the campus of Newby Memorial Elementary School on North Monroe Street (old State Road 267) in Mooresville.  Learn more about the century-old gymnasium from this superb handout by Susan Haynes, communications director for the Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation.

Mooresville High School (1909 Building) with

1920 Gymnasium (circa 1921 photo)

(Click Images to Enlarge)

1920 photo shows the Academy Building (left)

and Mooresville High School (right)

before the gymnasium was constructed

 

Many Mooresville High School basketball teams played home games downtown (you'll have to watch the video above to learn where), including those pictured below (photos courtesy of various Mooresville High School yearbooks and Mooresville Public Library's Indiana Room photo collection).

MHS 1909 Boys' Basketball Team

 

 MHS 1917 Boys' Basketball Team

 MHS 1917 Girls' Basketball Team

 

  MHS 1918 Boys' Basketball Team

You'll notice the basketball is flat when you watch the video.  No wonder--all the hot air is in the host, Grandpa Billy Bob.  (Just kidding.)
  

A Slice of Local School History

Last night (Tuesday, July 9, 2013) at its monthly school board meeting, the Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation (MCSC) opened the 1959 time capsule recovered from a cornerstone during renovations at Mooresville High School (MHS).  Courtesy of Susan Haynes, MCSC chief communications officer, we have some wonderful photos borrowed from the MHS Facebook page.  (Thanks to Ms. Haynes for the photo captions in quotation marks.)  Click the images to enlarge.

"We appreciate Mr. Jim Patrick carefully slicing through the copper while keeping the contents safe from harm." (Susan Haynes)

"We Opened It! The 1959 Time Capsule contained several editions of the Mooresville Times, a few articles from the Indianapolis Times, a building dedication brochure, a 1959 yearbook, the feasibility study for consolidating Mooresville-Brown Township, Madison Township, and Harrison Township Schools, a photo of the MHS gym being framed, and a typed copy of the original Mooresville High School Articles of Incorporation from the 1800s."  (Susan Haynes)

Members of the public and MHS alumni examine the time capsule's contents

"We were delighted to have Mr. J. Russell Lambert, a member of the 1959 Building Committee, in attendance. He didn't know what had been placed in the time capsule but found a newspaper article with his photo among the items."  (Susan Haynes)

"This article describes the building committee members signing 770 bonds of $1,000 each to finance the building of the new high school."  (Susan Haynes)

"The framework at the top of this photo is the wooden beams which made the MHS gym. The beams are still visible in the 1959 gym today."  (Susan Haynes)

"This article from the Indianapolis Times describes the school with headlines such as 'Shop Has Precision Equipment,' 'Modern Million Dollar School Is Pride of Citizens,' 'New School Has Large Library,' 'Counselor Puts pupils on Right Track,' 'Mooresville School Has Full-Time Nurse,' and 'Complete Curriculum in Commercial Subjects Is Offered.'" (Susan Haynes)

This important slice of local school history will be digitally preserved for future generations to enjoy.  Although there are no plans presently to install a new time capsule during the current MHS renovations, we think it would be a wonderful idea.  Folks in the 22nd century would surely like to see what was happening at our high school in 2013.