North Clayton's Past & History

[Oscar Knight]

North Clayton High School : '62, '63, '64

1962 – North Clayton

North Clayton, with legendary coach Max Dowis at the lead, got the school’s first taste of success by taking Region 2-AA and South Georgia Championships on the way to a 12-1 record. The only loss was a 28-6 decision at #1-ranked Rossville in the state title game. North Clayton’s first six victories of the year, including a strange 2-0 win over Forest Park, were all against opponents that they had never beaten.

The Eagles defeated Headland 18-6 for the region and Wayne County 7-6 for the right to play Rossville. Both games were played at North Clayton. The Eagles were led by all-state back Frank Oliver, Millard Brannen, Doug Jenkins, Thurston Taylor, and Ronnie Huggins. A Taylor-to-Jenkins 55-yard pass play and Huggins’ extra point won the Wayne County game in dramatic style. The defense only allowed 43 points in the regular season.

1963 – North Clayton

North Clayton repeated as Region 2-AA and South Georgia champions before falling to Cedartown in the state final. Dowis’ team defeated College Park 13-7 for the region title and Cairo 21-7 for the South Georgia crown.

Senior quarterback Thurston Taylor and junior running backs Larry Short, Terry Short, Larry Nelson, and Millard Brannen were the offensive stars. Classmate Ronnie Huggins made first team all-state as a defensive lineman and was the AJC’s Greater Atlanta Lineman of the Year. Brannen gained over 1000 yards rushing. With a majority of the team underclassmen, North Clayton was the preseason favorite to take it all in 1964.

1964 – North Clayton

North Clayton captured the Sub-region 2-AA (South) title for a third straight year with an undefeated league record. The Eagles won an early season showdown with College Park 13-6 and coasted from there. The only setback of the regular season was a controversial 3-0 loss to Griffin in the season finale. Douglas County was the opponent in the Region 2-AA title game where the Eagles fell 19-7. North Clayton’s Millard Brannen was out with an injury. Douglas County went on to win the state title.

www.clayton.k12.ga.us/departments/athletics/championships.asp

[Oscar Knight]

....My family and I arrived Clayton County, the springtime of 1961, I was in the 4th grade. The High School was next to The Elementary School ( G.W. Northcutt ).

.....During this time, North Clayton had it's own community, laying on the southern end of College Park and barely laying in Clayton County. It wasn't unusual to have school mates living in Fulton County.

......I very seldom traveled south from this area in Clayton County, because, being in the City Limits of College Park, which was located in Fulton County, I would ride the Atlanta Transit Buses to Downtown. Our closest neighbor in Clayton County, was Forest Park. Our Neighborhood was located at the end of Sullivan Road, to Riverdale Road.

.....When first arriving here, I-85 and the 285 perimeter loop had not been constructed. The only large retail store was G.E.X. located in Mountain View.

....During this time; The North Clayton community consisted of The High School, The Elementary School, a Big Apple Grocery Store, Presley's Barber Shop, The Lollie's Shell Station, a Pharmacy, a Hardware Store, The A&W Root Beer Drive In, Hancock's Grocery, and a Doctor's Office ( Dr. Rist ).

.....We also had a Boy Scout Troop ( 474 ), located at Liberty Bapist Church.

[Oscar Knight]

...In 1962, I was in the 6th grade, and our class was placed in the High School because the Elementary ( G.W. Northcutt ) didn't have enough class rooms.

......This was very good for our class, because we became part of the spirit of the North Clayton High School. Our class was still administered by the Elementary School, but we ate lunch in the High School Cafeteria and attended the Pep Rallies.

[Oscar Knight]

...The Lost Civilization of The Old North Clayton Area :

...Very few photos,or artifacts, can be found as proof of their existence in College Park or Clayton County, Georgia. For over 10 ten long years, I have been searching far and wide for proof of The Old North Clayton Area, and each time, I come up with empty hands.

...We was already living on the Fulton County side of College Park, when this happened :

On May 3, 1961, a new $21 million terminal opened. It was the largest in the country and was able to accommodate over six million travelers a year. The new airport was stretched past its capacity the very first year when nine and half million people passed through. In March 1962 the longest runway (9/27, now 8R) was 7860 ft; runway 3 was 5505 ft and runway 15 was 7220 ft.

.....We just moved about two miles down the road, into Clayton County.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartsfield%E2%80%93Jackson_Atlanta_International_Airport

...This became the final blow for The North Clayton area :

In 1967, the city of Atlanta and the airlines began to work on a master plan for future development of Atlanta Municipal Airport.[citation needed] Construction began on the present midfield terminal in January 1977 under the administration of Mayor Maynard Jackson. It was the largest construction project in the South, costing $500 million. The new complex was designed by Stevens & Wilkinson, Smith Hinchman & Grylls, and Minority Airport Architects & Planners.[15] Named for former Atlanta mayor William Berry Hartsfield, who did much to promote air travel, William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport opened on September 21, 1980, on-time and under budget. It was designed to accommodate up to 55 million passengers per year and covered 2.5 million square feet (230,000 m²). In December 1984 a 9,000-foot (2,700 m) fourth parallel runway was completed, and another runway was extended to 11,889 feet (3,624 m) the following year.

The Fifth Runway

...The Fifth Runway took away all signs of anything remaining of The North Clayton area, including Sullivan Road :

In May 2001, construction of a 9,000-foot (2,700 m) fifth runway (10–28) began. It was completed at a cost of $1.28 billion and opened on May 27, 2006,[18] and was the first runway added since 1984. It bridges Interstate 285

[Oscar Knight]

......The Old North Clayton Area stretched from Sullivan Road & Riverdale Road in College Park, to The Railroad Tracks to Downtown College Park.

The only evidence remaining of The Old North Clayton Communities are Old High School Yearbooks, Our Memories,and these sacred protected cemeteries :

stumptown.typepad.com/stumptown_ga/2010/06/holdouts.html

[Oscar Knight]

..A Map of The Old North Clayton High School Area : After the Airport began swallowing it up. Red : The School...Purple : The Big Apple Grocery Store...Blue : The Airport Runways

At the Purple mark, this Fork was called The Triangle, The Shell Service Station was sitting in the fork, then The Triangle Grocery & Presley's Barber was sitting behind the Shell. Behind The Triangle Grocery & Presley's, was The A&W Root Beer Drive-In Restaurant.

....I would like to Thank Wayne Pearce, for his valuable contributions with providing images in putting this together











..This is not our Shell Service Station, but it look just our Shell

[Oscar Knight]

The Original North Clayton High School

southfultoncountynor.freeforums.net/thread/5/original-north-clayton-high-school

[Oscar Knight]

[Oscar Knight]

......This image is not the same BIG APPLE store, that was sitting across the road from The Triangle, but it is close.

[Oscar Knight]

....The Old North Clayton High School was a community of people, business owners, churches, and self contained hidden area in Clayton County, that bordered with Fulton County and College Park. ...Monday thru Friday; The Atlanta Transit "City Slicker" Buses would go down Riverdale Road to The Old North Clayton High School. The last bus would run at 4:00 pm, I would run home from school, catch the Bus at the front of The Big Apple Store at Student Fares of 10 cents, get a transfer ticket, and ride all the way to Downtown Atlanta.....Getting back was the hard part.

...Memories, History, & Photos : Atlanta Transit Company

southfultoncountynor.freeforums.net/thread/4/memories-history-atlanta-transit-company

[Oscar Knight]

More, on this area

The Original North Clayton High School

southfultoncountynor.freeforums.net/thread/5/original-north-clayton-high-school

[Oscar Knight]

These are Closed Groups : I will approve your membership

Oscar DoubleAction Knight

You kno u from SOUTHSIDE ATL "ClayCo".....

www.facebook.com/groups/212120105507339/


Memories of South Fulton County & North Clayton County,Ga.

www.facebook.com/groups/605453199523397/

Become a member of our other facebook groups :

Alumni of North Clayton High School

..These Groups are opened to all "Former Students" of North Clayton High School. in College Park, GA.

www.facebook.com/groups/66761245494/

NCHS 50's & 60'S

www.facebook.com/groups/189503547786191/


G.W. NORTHCUTT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

www.facebook.com/groups/160786740627563/