TCHS Alumni News - What Lay Behind the Fence?

	ARCHIVE

What Lay Behind the Fence?

Mar 30, 2002 -- A few related questions have surfaced as we add members of the class of 1957.

What occupied the site of TCHS before the school?

What plant grew right through the asphalt and cement of the school for years after construction?

Do the offspring of the Class of '57 glow in the dark?

Send your answers and comments to the editor.

PS: This activity is best enjoyed while playing a theramin * in the background.

* Theramin: One of those high-pitched wailing instruments from bad 50s sci-fi movies.

Discuss this article in the forums!


Gail Gunderson Downs	Jun 04, 2004	Durango,CO	retired
I believe it was a Cal Tec experimental station. I remember a field of corn growning there. Since the class of 1956 did not attend High School on those premises, I don't know what grew through the asphalt?


Old Farmer	Jul 19, 2004	Puget Sound	old farmer, of course
Gail is right. Cal Tech had a farm on the site. They grew corn, and one of the experiments was to irradiate the seeds with soil from A/H bomb experiments in the Pacific. Cornstalks grew through the pavement at the school for many years. As to glowing alumni and their glowing offspring, all I can say is that we did lots of things that weren't very bright, so a little residual glow might be a good thing. :-)