Home Court for the Governor
Smolan High School, SmolanM any people in Kansas have never heard of Smolan. However, those in Saline County in north central Kansas have heard of the great barbecue restaurant, the Hickory Tree. The entire state remembers the two-term governor, John Carlin. What they have in common is a jewel of an old school building that will literally transport you back in time. The 1926 Smolan school is a must- see experience just south of Salina.
JOHN CARLIN was an eighth grader in 1954, playing on a pretty good school team. Rivals included Falun, Kipp, Gypsum and Assaria. Playing in the small gym with suspended balconies on three sides and a rounded arch above the stage on the south, Carlin had played as early as the third grade, as they were short on boys in upper grades. The thirty-six-by-thirty-six floor sports a restraining line, shuffleboard markings and, in Carlin’s day, the old keyhole that is now a regular lane. Smolan’s high school closed before Carlin got there, so he attended Lindsborg. But as a kid he remembers basketball extravaganza nights, which started with grade school games and progressed to high school B team, A team, and then finally the town teams, which contained some “awfully good players.” On one such hot and sultry night, the door on the east end of the north wall was opened. A referee backpedaling on a fast break tripped and executed a back somersault out the open door. |
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The Smolan gym has been home to political memories. A long-time voting place for Smolan, it was also the site of a big rally two days before Carlin’s election as governor. For a time in the 1950s and 1960s there was community theater. The grade school finally closed. In recent years Lee Holzwirth ran a business out of it. He also did a little catering on the side. When he sold the business, friends suggested he open a restaurant. A couple of years ago he did just that, starting the Hickory Tree with an incomparable all-you-can-eat barbecue buffet. The real fascination is that the building has been preserved almost exactly as it was, with sports and school memorabilia everywhere. Autographs of former students line the stairwells. In the study hall, displays include Eisenhower and Carlin memorabilia.
John Carlin’s job in Washington, D.C. was head U.S. archivist. His job ranged from preserving the original Constitution and Declaration of Independence to releasing Kennedy archives to computerized modern records. He also oversaw records in thirty-three presidential libraries. On a given day, he may have dealt with Julie Nixon Eisenhower or the current hot topic of Jewish descendants trying to find gold confiscated by the Nazis. When asked about future political ambitions, Carlin says, “This is the best job I’ve ever had. It is so interesting. And really, good archives are fundamental to a free society.” Do you ever think, ‘Wow, I’ve sure come a long way from Smolan, Kansas?’ I asked. “Oh, yeah. I’ll never forget Smolan.
John Carlin’s job in Washington, D.C. was head U.S. archivist. His job ranged from preserving the original Constitution and Declaration of Independence to releasing Kennedy archives to computerized modern records. He also oversaw records in thirty-three presidential libraries. On a given day, he may have dealt with Julie Nixon Eisenhower or the current hot topic of Jewish descendants trying to find gold confiscated by the Nazis. When asked about future political ambitions, Carlin says, “This is the best job I’ve ever had. It is so interesting. And really, good archives are fundamental to a free society.” Do you ever think, ‘Wow, I’ve sure come a long way from Smolan, Kansas?’ I asked. “Oh, yeah. I’ll never forget Smolan.
