When I was at my dad's, for my cousin's wedding, I went back to my home town, Midland, PA. I LOVE Midland! It is very small town. How small you ask? I grew up saying, Midland, PA is one square mile... I just looked it up and it says it is 2.2 square miles, of which, 2 miles are land and .2 water. There are 3,127 people. It had one school that went from Head Start (Created in 1965, Head Start is the most successful, longest-running, national school readiness program in the United States. It provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families.)
to 8th grade, after 8th grade you went to East Liverpool, OH for high school. I have so many great memories from this town and would love to take everyone to visit! There may not be anything in the town but I have tons of great memories! I would move back in a heartbeat if the economy there was better and it didn't snow! I do think it's a great place to raise a family.
I don't know when this photo was taken but it shows you the size of the steel mill compared to the town. I guess that's where they get the two square miles... if you want a better view of the town you can google map it. Yes, the town is surrounded by nothing!
This is from the teacher's parking lot looking at the back of the school. You can see the steel mill in the background.
We once had a petting zoo come and the animals were in the garage.
This is how close I lived to the school... they painted the wall red!
This is the same place, just a better view. Notice the power plant in the background.
Have you ever heard of a school that doesn't have a playground? Now you have! K-4th grades had recess here... All of those rooms have doors going outside.
These were the 4th grade rooms. We played a type of football using the wall. Notice the missing letters?
This is the playground for 5-8th grades. There was, for about a year, wooden monkey bars with gravel underneath. We played gladiators, two people hung and tried to knock one another down... that's probably why they got rid of it! On the steep hill, we played king of the hill. The "kings" stood at the top while the other kids tried to make it to the fence without getting pushed down. I have gravel in my knee for playing tag football on the asphalt... key word TAG! You could say I was a tom boy....
This was between my house and the neighbors. There use to be a fence separating the two. Between the white house and brick house, you can see the left corner of Jeana's house. How convenient to have your best friend one street down?! I would just cut through the yards and hop down her back wall.
What happens when you live in a valley? You have a hill as a back yard. I'm standing where my baba lived (grandmother) and my house was two down. We would ride our sleds off the walls. You went off the higher wall if you weren't a chicken!
This is 8th street. I'm not sure if they do it anymore, but they use to block it off so we could go sled riding down it! Oh, but the cross roads were not blocked off! They had to watch for children...
Again, if you weren't a chicken, you started up the hill, making sure you didn't run into the pole!
This is the park. The high school use to be at the bottom but they tore that down a few years ago and it's an arts center now.
On the right of the park is the library.
I am a water baby! This is the pool that was my babysitter in the summer. The kiddie pool and locker room is on the right. The big pool went from 3 ft to 12 ft. There use to be diving boards. It did not have the playground. We use to tear up the bottom of our feet by walking, NOT RUNNING, around the pool all summer!
This is the "football field." It's at the VERY end of the town. There used to be a metal slide that burned, teeter totters that we could've killed ourselves on and spring animals that you always thought were going to break.
This is the baseball field that was added when I was probably in 5th grade.
I took this while driving into town. This is Industry and Shippingport in the background.
This is Industry Park. I played softball from k-7th grade here! Tons of memories!
In 1992 (I was in 2nd grade) I went to see A League of Their Own in the movie theater with Jeana and her sisters. To this day, it is one of my favorite movies! This song is so fitting...
This used to be my playground
(Used to be)
This used to be my
Childhood dream
This used to be
The place I ran to
Whenever I was in need
Of a friend
Why did it have to end
And why do
They always say
Don't look back
Keep your head held high
Don't ask them why
Because life is short
And before you know
You're feeling old
And your heart is breaking
Don't hold on to the past
Well that's too much to ask
(Long and movie versions only:)
CHORUS:
Live and learn
Well the years they flew
And we never knew
We were foolish then
We would never tire
And that little fire
Is still alive in me
It will never go away
Can't say goodbye
To yesterday
(Can't say goodbye)
Repeat chorus
No regrets
But I wish that you
Were here with me
Well then there's hope yet
I can see your face
In our secret place
You're not just a memory
Say goodbye to yesterday
(The dream)
Those are words
I'll never say
(I'll never say)
This used to be my playground
(Used to be)
This used to be our pride and joy
This used to be the place we ran to
That no one in the world
Could dare destroy
This used to be our playground
(Used to be)
This used to be our great escape
This used to be the place we ran to
This used to be our secret hiding place
This used to be our playground
(Used to be)
This used to be our childhood dream
This used to be the place we ran to
The best things in life are always free
Wishing you were here with me
