I recently attended my 50th high school reunion. I graduated from Williamson High School way back in 1974, and like so many other schools, it no longer exists.

In fact, my former grade schools at Nolan and Chattroy Junior High, where I went for my freshman year, are also gone. All of those schools left me with many lasting memories and lifelong friendships.

While we were taking photos at the reunion, someone suggested taking pictures of those who attended the different feeder schools that fed into Williamson High School. We had representatives from all of those schools that no longer exist due to consolidation. Besides Nolan Grade School, there were Chattaroy, West Williamson (West End), Main Building (Town), East End (East Williamson), Liberty and Cinderella Grade schools.

Sadly, we have lost 37 classmates from that graduating class.

But it was great to see some friends and acquaintances that I had not seen since the last reunion or even 50 years ago when we walked across that stage at the Williamson Fieldhouse to receive our diplomas.

It got me thinking about all of the schools in the region that did not survive.

I mentioned the schools that fed into my old high school. Let’s take a trip down memory lane.

There was Kermit High, and, of course, at that time the high schools included the junior high grades (7-9). But there was a Kermit Grade School and Marrowbone Grade that fed into the high school. Just a few miles away from Kermit in Wayne County, you had Crum High School.

Other high schools in Mingo County that are things of the past are Lenore, Burch, Chattaroy, Liberty, Matewan, and Gilbert. Other grade schools in Mingo County that are long gone that fed into these schools included Delbarton, Chafin, Ragland, Varney, Sprigg, Beech Creek, Ben Creek, Myrtle, Lenore, Naugatuck, Gilbert, Matewan, Red Jacket, Vulcan and I’m sure I am forgetting a couple.

In Martin County, you had schools like Tomahawk Elementary and Grassy Elementary School that were closed. There was also Pigeon Roost, Turkey, and Venters Branch. Of course, there was Inez High and Warfield High School, both of which had excellent basketball programs back in the day.

In neighboring Pike County, just on this side of the county, there were South Williamson, Varney, Turkey Creek, Hardy, Runyon and Blackberry Grade schools.

I know if you go way back in time there were a lot of smaller one-room schools like White Post on Big Creek and Road Branch and Borderland back in Mingo County.

I’m telling my age here, but I know when I first started covering sports, there were 18 high schools that we had to write about and take photos of for the yearly football edition. It sure kept you busy during basketball season to get all of the scores and stats.

It is sad to me and many others. I know the area has lost population and consolidation was mandated by the state in many cases due to financial reasons and dropping enrollments. But it is still bittersweet that many of our childhood and teenage memories are gone because these brick-and-mortar buildings and schools no longer exist.

It is not only the physical structures that are gone but the camaraderie that each community had for their schools. These schools in those small hamlets were a major part of that town’s identity. You had pride playing for the Nolan Hornets, the Town Trojans, the Chattaroy Yellowjackets, the Kermit Blue Devils, the Warfield Red Devils and all of those grade schools, junior and senior high schools.

Whether we wore red and white, maroon and white, blue and white, or whatever your school colors were – you did it proudly.

With the loss of these institutions, we lost a big part of the individuality and personalities of those small communities.

I also think students learn better in a smaller classroom. We never had more than 20 kids in a class in grade school, but the teacher could give individual attention if they needed to. Even though we had a small enrollment, there are many successful people who attended Nolan Grade, and I’m sure many of you feel the same about your old schools.

We all loved our little schools and those small towns and communities we were raised in. We knew everyone and they all knew you. We had a special bond with our classmates that lasts for years.

I saw that at my recent reunion.

In past years, we had a Nolan Grade School reunion and it drew hundreds of people from all around the area and even from other states. They wanted to come back and visit their old stomping grounds, even if things had changed so much.

The memories and friendships last a lifetime. I am not sure that kids today get the same fond feelings or simple life experiences that we had.

Those kinds of feelings and relationships are now a thing of the past. We will likely never see them again. But at least we do have those special memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.

Until next time.

(Kyle Lovern is a longtime journalist in the Tug Valley. He is now a retired freelance writer and columnist for the Mountain Citizen.)