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Oxnard Union High School
The name was changed to Oxnard High School in 1958
What happened to our "Hallowed Halls"?
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I have driven by the school many times in the last almost 50 years and never realized the
memories that are there until recently. It is because of these memories that I started
this project since I fear the old school will be torn down. However, it seems that the school is currently being used for some things. There are multiple signs on the fenced perimeter stating "Golfing Prohibited in the" park. There are lines chalked on Houser field like they are using it - the lines show in some of the pictures below. One Saturday when I was there I saw a soccer game in progress. I have since seen an article in the paper (July 2006) where some group wants to save the school for a soccer field. Another time they were mowing Houser field and what's left of the grass between the classrooms. The Police Activities League is using multiple buildings. The Parks and Recreation department also uses some buildings and seem to be the people who maintain the grounds.
In almost every picture, you will see
brown squares
painted
on the buildings where graffiti (too bad) has been blotted out.
Please note that I am not a historian, and I don't pretend to have
all the facts correct. |
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This page contains some pictures of the way it was
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The front of the schoolBack to Top |
| This is the front of the school as viewed from the South side on Fifth street. |
| West end with Bannister Gym in the distance | looking towards the East |
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| East end looking towards the West |
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The Old Brick BuildingBack to Top |
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This is a view of the school from the 1954 annual showing the old brick
building on the South East corner of the school - at Fifth and H streets.
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The old brick building was located on this corner. It was demolished in 1957-58 after an earthquake damaged it. This picture was taken from the corner of Fifth and H street which is the South East corner of the school.
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| More views of this corner |
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looking North up H street from Fifth street
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looking West up Fifth street from H street
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looking North where the front entrance to the brick building was
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For a reference point, there is a yellow tree chipper in each of the above four pictures.
The CafeteriaBack to Top |
In discussing this with my wife, we think the cafeteria we knew was a part
of the old brick building and that this building was
built after the
demise of the old brick building. I can't remember this being the
cafeteria in 1957. Does anyone know for sure?
the front entrance facing West
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the North side and front entrance
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the back side facing H street
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the South side facing Fifth street
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The Center CourtBack to TopI don't remember this being there in 1957. It must have a name other than Center Court, but that is what I am calling it.
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looking South East with the Cafeteria on the left
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Remember the Snack Bar?Back to Top |
| F r o m t h e 1 9 5 8 a n n u a l |
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As near as I can tell, the snack bar was where the dumpster is in the 2006 picture (above). The picture from the 1958 annual shows a pipe of some kind at both ends of the snack bar. The 2006 picture shows a pipe at the right side of the picture, above the dumpster, and some black marks on the wall in the center of the picture (click to enlarge). The little picture on the left shows the same black marks and a hole in the wall where a pipe once was. There are six windows between the two pipes in both pictures. |
The snack bar was where the dumpster is in the center of this picture - way in the distance. The Auto Shop is on the left and Houser Field on the right. Behind the camera is H street and Bannister Gym is in the far distance. We are looking West. |
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Included is my 1958 Senior Class model I don't think the basketball backboard was there since this is where the school bus loading and unloading was. |
Bus loading and unloading areaBack to Top |
| This once was a circular drive - now half of it is a parking lot |
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from the 1959 annual
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Bannister GymBack to Top |
| F r o m t h e 1 9 5 8 a n n u a l |
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Someone please return the missing "G" 
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| South entrance | Two for the game please |
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The North Side of the Gym
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Inside the Gym
The floor we tried to protect with the "sock hops" is still in good shape
I spent many Friday nights on these bleachers playing in the band.
looking West from H street with Bannister Gym in the distance
looking East towards H street
From the 1959 annual.
I believe these beams were the
support for the "hut" in the 1959 picture - this must have been for the score keeper???
East entrance from H street on the North East side of Houser field
This is where I parked my 1951 Ford convertible.
see it
I wonder if I had a class in room 18?
I don't remember any air conditioners when I was there.
This is an open area across from some lockers.
We probably had some important information posted here.
from the 1959 annual
The building where the cars are parked is the office for the Police Activities League
I looked all over the school to find where this picture was taken,
Judy McDonald, OHS class of 1965, has identified this photo.
To see the same side of the Gym as it was in 2006,
click here
this view is from Google maps
5th street
I also found the Alma Mater at the bottom of the page
here
- It hasn't changed
left side facing west
center facing west
I talked (8/7/2006) to a person from the Police Activities League who told me the gym is still being used
as a youth recreation gym with the Police Activities League. They have basketball games
on a regular basis and were having a tournament this week.
He said they have kids there all the time.
right side facing west
remember the folding bleachers?
The Swimming Pool
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the pool was closed off so I took these two pictures through a crack
in the door (visible in the above picture).
I put these two pictures together using
Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006.
Full pool
North Bleachers
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see me in the band on these bleachers
YELLOWJACKETS
no longer grace the North Bleachers
from the 1958 annual
it sometimes looks like this before it gets painted out
South Bleachers
The South Bleachers are rotting away.
There is a chain link fence on both entrances to dissuade us from going up on them.
Houser Field
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It looks like a goal post on the left side of this picture.
The goal posts, the "hut" and time clock in the background are no longer there.
entrance to the games
another entrance to Houser Field
I am including this picture because it holds a special funny memory for me.
When I was in about the fifth grade, at Brittell School on G street by the old
Saint John's Hospital (which is currently undergoing Renovation),
my class went to Houser Field for some reason (long forgotten why). As we were
walking through this entrance, we saw coins scattered all over the ground.
Someone obviously had gone through there and lost their money. Anyway, all
us kids went scrambling for the coins, but the teacher would not let us keep them.
Because of this, I could hardly wait to get to high school so that I could collect
all the money that I would find on the ground. I am curious if there is anyone out there
who was in that class and remembers this.
The Old Parking Lot
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This building is where the parking lot was on the South West corner of the school.
It is South of Bannister Gym and is now an active Nursery School.
Our Classrooms
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Some of the "Hallways"
looking East with Fifth street on the right
looking West with Fifth street on the left
West side - looking North
towards the South entrance of Bannister Gym. The chain link fence on the
left separates this hallway from the building (which is now a nursery school)
that was built in the old parking lot. This building shows in the picture at the right.
The following two pictures are of the same hallway.
Center - looking North
East side - looking North
Most of the windows are boarded up due to the glass being broken by vandals
a burned classroom
inside the burned classroom
Some areas are fenced off for security I guess.
I remember it was once maintained with some nice plants.
Going to class
judging by the shadows, maybe it is lunch
Is that girl in the brown dress between the two parked cars on a cell phone?
Nooooooo, it couldn't be.
The same spot in 2006 - it looks like a ghost town now
check out these two pictures moving from 1959 to 2006
The Walkway cometh down
actually, it seems to have been burned in a fire
(maybe the fire in the pictures above)
Our Lockers
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I can't remember where my locker was.
Glenna is looking for her locker.
From the 1959 annual
but I could not find a set of lockers with windows over them.
Does anyone know where this might be? Or maybe it does not exist anymore.
It is on the South side of the Gym - the Fifth street side.
For sure, the lockers are no longer there even though the Gym is still standing.
Thanks, Judy.
The Band and Orchestra room
Back to Top
I cannot remember where the band and orchestra room was. The building on
the right is the back (east) side of the cafeteria. It must have been in
the old brick building, most likely where this building on the left is now.
I just remember going out the back side of the building to practice marching.
Does anyone know for sure?
The Shops
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Auto Shop
Metal Shop
room M1
inside - room M1
Wood Shop
room W1 - I must have had a class in this room
A view from space
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K street
2nd street
H street
Time takes its toll
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Would you drink here?
It had to happen
Another fire
The following are some pictures of this burned classroom. I could not get
good pictures since it has already been boarded up, but these show some
of the damage. It is located on fifth street, the last classroom before
K street - see the
satellite map
for its location. There is a picture of this building before the fire
here
and in the
front of the school
section at top of this page.
South side
South side - 5th street is on the right
South side
North side
North side
Do You remember our Alma Mater?
Back to Top
from the 1959 annual
return to the High School page
Back to Top
