"Puttin' Pickton Back Together"

by: Bobby McDonald

It was only a couple of months ago that we caught-up with Mrs. Kay Minter's Junior English Class at Como-Pickton High School as they cleaned bricks in downtown Pickton for a project that would help restore some of the  history of the old buildings that once were the center of activity in the eastern part of Hopkins County. Mrs. Minter and her class had gone to the site of the old downtown Pickton area and begun a campaign of cleaning bricks, as a class project, to erect signs in their communities. Well, the students were "good on their word!"  They've cleaned the bricks and were caught in action this week, as they began the construction project of the first sign in downtown Pickton.

These students in Mrs. Kay Minter's English III Class were cleaning bricks back in March, in
downtown Pickton, to erect a sign denoting their community history

 

The Como-Pickton High School Welding Class had aided the students in constructing  a metal sign that reads "Welcom to Pickton," and the students had applied a coat of paint to the sign. Then, on Friday morning, the students, with the aid of local Pickton bricklayer, Ernest Pruiett, were busy laying the bricks that they had cleaned, for a foundation for the sign in their home community.

Mr. Ernest Pruiett, in white hat, lended his expertise in showing the
students how to lay bricks for the foundation of the Pickton sign.

 

"We are planning a similar sign for the Como community, as well," related Kay Minter. "It has been a great project for my class and it has been loads of fun seeing the students learn all about their community, while working on the project!"

Figuring angles, mixing mortar, and laying bricks, were all a part of the
lessons that Mrs. Minter's students learned, while constructing the sign base.

Como-Pickton junior, Reese Caddell, was just one of the students in the class and related how he had learned so much about the area where he has lived all his life. "There is history behind almost every tree," expressed Caddell. "From the lignite coal mines in the Como area to the great fruit and berry orchards that once were the norm in the Pickton area, this area is full of history!"

One row after another.......that's what students learned as they began the base of the sign in Pickton
as a part of their class project.

"It makes it even more interesting to learn that your own family was a part of many of the history making events," inserted Gayle Spearman, another member of the class. "My family has lived in the Pickton area for several generations and were active in the life here for each generation."

When asked if they'd found any really outlaws, the students related that they'd "run across a few, but weren't going to tell about too many of them!"

And, these students decided that a day of sign building was the perfect way to spend a day at the end
of school, as they anticipate their summer vacation!

"It has proved to be a great community service project and an excellent learning process for all my students," expressed Minter. "Now, we'll have to think of something else to do for next year!"

 

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