FORMER GHS BAND MEMBER DONATING TO CURRENT BAND FOR TRIP-When Evelyn (King) Briggs heard about the honor of the Gridley High School Band being asked to perform at the Pearl Harbor 70th Anniversary in December she decided to help as an alumni of the school.
The year was 1939 and the California World's Fair was held in San Francisco. As a senior at Gridley Union High School and a member of the school's band, Evelyn (King) Griggs was one of nearly 100 who traveled to San Francisco to represent the town and the school for a School Music Festival. The school sent the band and the chorus to perform for three days April 27-29, and the students traveled by school bus.
Gridley High sent their chorus, orchestra and band. Some of the different schools that sent their chorus groups included Oakland, San Mateo, Napa, San Francisco and Berkeley. Leslie Sweeney was the Gridley High Band Director.
The band put on a concert in advance of the trip to help defray the costs, followed by an elaborate floor show, according to The Gridley Herald's April 14, 1939 edition.
According to the program that Griggs has kept all these years, a baritone solo by GHS student Dick Allgire was to "On the Road to Mandalay."
Besides the program, Griggs has a California World's Fair thermometer, a fold out color map, called a cartograph of Treasure Island. While at Treasure Island, the students were able to see famed actors/swimmers Johnny Weissmuller and Esther Williams perform.
"Bing Crosby was also there, but the lines were so long to see him, we couldn't wait that long," she said.
Staying in dorms, the group was able to gather souvenirs and do some sight-seeing in between performances. A coupon book was purchased by the student's for $5.95 that included sight seeing trips around the big city most had never been to.
The Tuesday, May 2, 1939 Gridley Herald reports, “A splendid showing was made by the Gridley High School musical department in competition with Northern California high schools at Treasure Island April 27, 28 and 29. According to word received yesterday, the band was given a rating of “excellent.” A rating of “good” was given the orchestra and three GHS students were rated “superior” in the voice department – Lucille Fowler, Bruce Wade and Dick Allgire.
Evelyn King went to Yuba College after graduation when it was located on Highway 70 near the current Marysville High School. She married and had two daughters. She now has five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Upon hearing of the current Gridley High Band's wish to represent California at the Pearl Harbor 70th Anniversary commemoration Briggs knew she wanted to help out with a donation.
She is the younger sister of Gridley's Earl King and grew up west of town, getting her education through the seventh grade at the one room school house on Pennington Road. Her other brothers were Walter, Elmer and Jack who are now deceased. She and her siblings walked to school each day where Mrs. Hamer was her teacher. She had to go to town to go to the eighth grade which she was not happy about. She was present when flush toilets and running water were added.
Among her keepsakes is a menu from the Gridley Cafe on Hazel Street when Rib Eye Steak Dinners included a potato, bread and butter and coffee were just 50 cents.
She remembers going to the Butte Theatre with her friends every Saturday for just 28 cents.
Her doctor was Dr. Beck who had an office upstairs of the current home of the Gridley Museum where several doctors had their offices.
Although she moved from Gridley to Yuba City in 1941, and she has never forgotten where it all began and is honored to be able to help the current band members on their quest to be the only high school in California to go to Pearl Harbor to participate in the 70th Anniversary commemoration.
Copyright 2011 Gridley Herald. Some rights reserved
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