Trip Down Memory Lane in River Oaks

Jo Ann Dennis - River Oaks News

April 2, 2001

At a recent River Oaks Area Historical Society meeting, former resident Jack Cone took us on what he called a “trip down memory lane in River Oaks”. Jack now lives in Richiand Hills, but he truly had some great memories of growing up in what was often called “Castleberry” before River Oaks became incorporated. Jack lived with a true pioneer family of River Oaks, the Willett Family. He was the youngest brother of Helen Cone Willett and he lived with Helen and her husband, Hugh, in the Baylor /Meandering Road area of River Oaks. He grew up with her children, who were like brothers and sisters to him, and he gave a great tribute to Helen and the rest of the “clan”, most of whom were present to hear Jack speak. He also introduced his two daughters, Charla Cone Smith and Brenda Cone Bates who are teachers in the Birdville ISD and said they had their mother’s beauty. Jack referred often to the love of his life, Betty Price Cone, who passed away from a cardiac arrest in January of this year. Betty grew up in River Oaks and he said she was the prettiest girl in the city.

Jack’s first anecdote, in fact, was about a bad impression he made on Betty when they were about 10 or 11 years of age. The Willett’s yard backed up to the Price’s yard. Jack said that in the late 1930’s, there were still several homes which did not have indoor plumbing so families had to use the “outdoor facilities”. Jack and his friend, Walter Schramm, (the Schramms were neighbors also), were spading up Helen’s garden on the rear of the lot when Betty went outside to use the facilities. Jack suggested to Walter that they throw dirt clods at the little building, which they did, keeping Betty a prisoner in there for about 20 minutes. When they finally quit, she came out with “fire blazing” from her eyes and her hands on her hips and gave them some choice words about the incident.

She must have forgiven him because three or four years later, they were dating and went steady for four years until they married in August of 1947. Jack said their marriage lasted for over 53 years because of their strong faith, their love and their wonderful children and grandchildren. He said Betty was a beautiful person and a real lady. They lived on Baylor street untill Jack graduated from TCU. During this time, Jack worked for Hugh Willett’s grocery and Betty worked for the H.L. Lewis Family grocery which serviced another part of River Oaks.

Jack also had fond memories of being a part of the Volunteer Fire Department from 1947 to 1950. He served as secretary of the department with other original residents, John Hubbard, Dick Pipkin (now deceased) and Raymond Stapp, who is an active member of the Society and was present that evening. Jack recounted one very memorable fire when the old Worth Food Market and the Renfro Drug Store burned. They were at the big intersection of Black Oak Lane, Roberts Cut-Off and River Oaks Boulevard. He also remembered what good times they had going to pumper races and competing against other fire departments. He remembered the big flood of 1949 when they rescued residents from rooftops in the Brookside area. (I remember as a child living on the North Side, standing in a friend’s backyard on Grand Avenue the morning after the flood, looking over Rockwood Park and the lush garden areas along the Trinity River which were covered with water as far as the eye could see.)

Jack remembered Boy Scout days in the small frame building which was the Methodist Church. It was then located next to Castleberry Elementary instead of its present location which is further east on Ohio Garden Road. Scout Masters were long remembered residents Fred Germany and Tommy Hearne. He mentioned fellow scouts such as Charles and Dick Pipkin, Walter Schramrn, Lawrence Cunningham, David Short, Jimmy Germany, Henry Oates, Ted Bums, Bobby Moore, Herbert Reeves, Travis Langley and Johnny Strange. Jack told about a camping trip they had where one of the fathers, Dan Pipkin went along. Jack said Dan was very bald and always slept in a toboggan cap to keep his head warm, so the kids played a trick on him and hid his sleeping cap. He was pretty sure that Dan’s sons, Charles and Dick. got paddled when they got home. Jack said Dan Pipkin was balder than Johnny Carpenter is now. Johnny was in attendance, laughing at all the memories and good times. The Carpenter Family lived close to the Willetts also and Johnny was a friend from that era.

Most long-time River Oaks residents will recall the two big farms in the area, the Schieme Family Farm and the Piper Family Farm spreading out along both sides of Black Oak Lane. At that time, there was no River Oaks Boulevard, (there was a cow path where the Boulevard is now) and people entered the River Oaks area by coming down Ohio Garden Road from Jacksboro Highway, coming down Long Street or entering from the west from the Inspiration Point area. During those days, the Schiemes had part of their farm area in berries and Jack and his friends would pick berries for 25 cents a gallon, which they thought was very good money in spite of all the stickers on the vines. He shared a time when he learned a good lesson about stealing, when he and some friends were breaking open some watermelons and eating the hearts of them on another farm in the area. The farmer heard them and came out hollering so the boys hit the ground landing in bull nettle weeds and itched and scratched for days. That cured them from stealing. He also said he and Walter Schramm had their first real selling experience in front of the Schramm’s house. selling peaches, pears and apricots on the “halves” from the Schramm’s orchard. They set up a stand at the edge of Meandering Road and sold to people going to Burger’s Lake and Tarrant Field (Carswell, or as we now know it-Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base).

Jack remembered the free picture shows in McGee Park or sometimes on the hillside of Skyline Drive where people would bring quilts and families would sit together. Of course, he and his friends were sitting with their girlfriends holding hands. This was following the depression when free entertainment was a welcome cvent. Remembering those years, he mentioned how the Willetts would extend credit to those who needed it and most families would come in the store (opened in 1935) to pay their bill on payday. (The Willetts also later opened a gasoline station, barber shop and a beauty shop.) He also remembered the “boy and girl” parties they had at different homes, many weekends where they played “Spin the Bottle”, “Post Office” and “Wink-em”. He told of present resident Al Littlefield pulling them on a wood ladder behind his car on snow days, and sliding down “Tater Hill” on home-made sleds or inner tubes, and also of swimming in the river, sliding down the clay bank and splashing in the water or sometimes swinging on a grapevine while playing Tarzan. He said they had on their suits...birthday suits, that is. They also fished, catching large perch, rock bass and catfish and talked of cleaning them and taking them home where his sister, Helen Willett would cook them. Helen was nodding in remem­brance of those good times. With a laugh, he told about •parking” at Inspiration Point (from the murmur of “Oh Yeah” in the audience, I think quite a few remembered this spot) and also the wiener roasts and church parties held there before the pavilion burned.

Jack mentioned growing up with a lot of the men who are now called the “Castleberry Mafia” which meets once a month to keep long-time friendships going. Vernon Hooper, one of the originators of this group, is always present for our meetings and he was sitting there smiling throughout Jack’s talk.

Jack closed by paying another special tribute to his older sister, Helen Willett and her children, and to the River Oaks residents who have always been an extended family to him. After the meeting, there was still much talk and lingering as we all remembered families, friends and good times from earlier years. It was a wonderful walk down “memory lane”, thanks to Jack Cone.