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Introduction!
Rockport/Echols, Kentucky!
a jrd stat.

Updated on 7/9/09. Updated on 10/19/14.

Rockport/Echols Web Site-Written on 7/9/09.

This Web Site is a Web Site for the Rockport and Echols Community. Hopefully, it will contain pictures and information that you will find interesting and informative. The Web Site will be under construction for months to come, so feel free to return often. For the time being, the site will be grouped into sections that contain a common interest. The plan now, and subject to change, is to have sections on all of the area Churches, Rockport/Echols Students, Soldiers, Bridges, Restaurants, Grocery Stores, The River and Creeks, and others. The site is a Rockport and Echols Site and is about the people and history of these two communities. From this point on, I will just use the word "Rockport", but my meaning is the Rockport Community.

The first section is about the area Churches. Rockport and Echols are Christian communities and "Church Life" is very important to the majority of the residents. All of the area churches are well maintained and visitors are always welcome to enter their doors.

The third section is about the Rockport area residents that have served their country as Soldiers, which will include all branches of the Armed Forces. Without them, we would not be living in freedom, as we know today. Thus, to me, this "Soldier Series" was selected at the top part of the list and just after Churches and Students. I hold in great esteem, all of those that have served their country, either voluntary or being drafted. From Mr. Boyd and Mr. Joe Maple, that served in World War I, until Jerry R. Durham Jr, Dennis Hoskins, and Zack Fuller, who served in Iraq, my hat and heart goes out to these fine men and women. May no soldier ever be forgotten and especially those from the Rockport Area. As you will see, there are countless soldiers that I have not included, and for this I apologize. I will add any and all soldiers, that have been left out, if I receive the material. I only need a picture of a soldier in uniform and a short write-up on the soldier. If you can help on this, your generosity and time and effort would be appreciated.

You are invited to view a series of other files pertaining to the Rockport School System and starting with the first year of school in 1935 until the last High School class graduated in 1956. The "School Series" is not complete at this writing. Hopefully, I will be able to obtain the needed pictures and information and can complete this important series. I have a few pages on the Green River, the Railroad Bridge, area Groceries and other points of interest. It is your site and you tell me what you want.

All of these files were assembled using a monitor that was set up for a screen size of 1024x768. If your monitor is set to another size, you may not be able to view all presented. Most monitors of a year or so back were factory set for a size of 800x600. To reset your screen size is a simple matter and if you need help, just drop me a note.

Just "What" now "How". I have been playing on this old computer keyboard for a few years and have found it to be a good means to communicate by using e-mail. It is just a good method of keeping track of friends and kin. Guess from e-mail, a new type "Send" arose and that became "Forwards". Someone receives a "Joke", or other packet in their mailbox and they enjoy what is received. They decide to share what they received and forward it to those in their "Mailbox". Thus, a new subject was conceived and "Forwards" became a new way of life. I wanted to make some of these "Forwards" and started learning the process of making graphic and musical "stationery", thus the word "Stat" evolved. Now I, and others, could place graphics and music in a letter and hopefully the person on the receiving end would receive a little more that a plain letter. By now, I had several names and addresses in my address book and would come up with something that would be a common interest for more than one person, thus the common "Forwards" to more than one person.

So where is all of this leading. Hilma Lou Stewart received a few of my stats, probably some about Cherry Hill Mines, Rockport Grocery Stores or some other item. She got to thinking that a series on the Rockport School would be interesting to any student that ever attended. She approached me and asked if I would make stats of the Rockport Students of the nineteen-fifties if she would provide the information and pictures. Sounded like an interesting idea to me and I jumped on the wagon. We came up with enough material to get started and Bobby and Betty Maddox, along with Harold Welborn joined our team. Please scroll down for further information on this subject.

Hope you enjoy your visit. Feel free to make any type of comment or suggestion. If you know of anyone that needs to be mentioned, please send me or Hilma information and/or a picture and we will go from there. Thanks for looking.

e-mail me at
durham29@twc.com
if desired.

On or about February 1935, Rockport's new school opened. For the previous two years, the WPA (Work Projects Administration), part of the US Government, had been building a new school in Rockport. It was to replace the school, on Bluff Street, that had burned in January of 1933. From 1933 until 1935 school was taught in various buildings in Rockport including church buildings. The new school was located on Highway 62.



The 1934 Graduating Class picked the Tiger as the school's mascot and Purple and Gold as school colors. This class included Bruce "Pete" Mason and Thelma Tooley.








Rockport High School.





A special thanks to Hilma Ashton Stewart. It was her original idea that started the project. She just stated-"Why can't we come up with something that will be of a lasting tribute for those that graduated from Rockport High School in the Fifties?" Just a small picture and a short write-up on each graduate, from the idea forming in Hilma's head, did not sound like much of a bother. Well, it was not a bother, but it surely turned in to a lot of work. Other graduates found out about the project and wanted to be included. Guess that it turned out to be for anyone that graduated from Rockport from the day it started to the last graduating class of 1956. Hilma has worked tirelessly for the past few months in the endeavor of procuring pictures and information from each graduate. I certainly appreciate all of her help. Hope you do.

Betty and Bobby Sublett were also very helpful, especially in the earlier days. They really got the project started by gathering the first batches of pictures and producing some of the write-ups. Their encouragement also helped. Bobby and Betty were my source of information as to what was needed and wanted. I would send them some of the first material and ask them if the material was what should be used. A special thanks to them.

Harold Welborn, like Bobby and Betty, contributed some of the earlier material and he looked over some of the first stats and offered advice on how to make them better and more in line with what he thought the readers would want. Harold's advice and information is appreciated from this end. Thanks Harold.

Shirley W. Smith may never know how helpful she was on the project. I used her book, "History of Rockport and Echols" as a reference. Rockport "Yearbooks" or Annuals were initially used for the seven classes of the fifties. The initial project was "Rockport Graduates Of The Fifties" and names of graduates came from these "Yearbooks." Thereafter, if I needed to know when a certain person graduated, a correct spelling or other information, it only took a few seconds to flip to page 189 in Shirley's book and look it up. Other information from her book was also used. Thanks Shirley.

A special thanks to all of those that sent in pictures and write-ups. I appreciate all of the help. Now, hope all can enjoy.





See you.......
jrd