Our correspondent, “Jim, the Barber” is one of nearly a dozen BIS boys who have corresponded with us and he has written us nearly a dozen times himself. Jim’s writing skills are evidence he has not let much moss grow under his feet since he was “on the Hill” In the first paragraph below, Jim gives an earlier correspondent, JEFF (in BIS BOYS TALK, Session 1) an answer to a descriptive term about a release slip. After that initial response to Jeff, the correspondent in Session 1 of BOYS TALK, Jim, the Barber flat out gives one of the most positive views we have received from former residents of the FSB (or BIS, depending on what chronological era they represented). The name of the institution was Boys Industrial School from 1884 to 1964, after which time it was called Fairfield School for Boys. Before these dates, when the institution was known as the Ohio Reform Farm School which began in 1856. Obviously none of our respondents or communicators could have been inmates in that first historical window but the most recent names or acronymns, BIS or FSB, identify which historical window they represent. Whichever name these men knew the institution as places them in a general time period. Generally speaking many employees still call it the BIS and incidentally the road is still called, “BIS Road” even after the institution changed its name. We are grateful former inmates take time to write or e-mail us. KEEP IT UP FELLOWS! We appreciate Jim a lot!
“Jeff, The word you were searching for was “Homeline”. That was our release slip. That was worth, I cannot put a price on it, could you?.Your memories of some of the cottage parents reminded me of some of the cottage parents I had.”
NOW, JIM, THE BARBER tells more about the months he was at FSB in 1968 and 1969. Here is what Jim had to say:
I visited “the hill“ twice, First relatively short six months was spent at the towering “GOTHIC” looking Bushnell. There, I have to say, we were treated with dignity and in some cases kindness; nostalgia and time have not distorted my memory. I can remember specific occurrences where kindness and compassion were used. Of course I know I was just one of many, but when I was called aside and asked if something in particular was bothering me, that input was passed on to the previous shift and a change was made because the Cottage Parent sensed there was a legitimate issue to address. Also I remember it was very hard to talk about things with “The Man” (the term the boys used to refer to any officer) but it got easier as time went by and I am so grateful to those Cottage Parents in Bushnell.
The Bushnell as it was in 1971
Neither boy is Jim but Mr. Tharp is the instructor on the right supervising
a procedure being done on the other instructor of the Barber Shop.
Now on the flip side, my second visit lasted 13 months because it took that long for Barber training. I think I was in the Harris for 9 months and the remainder of my stay was in the Dixon Honor Dorm. Which by the way was made possible by Mr. Tharp, my barber instructor and mentor. Because as much trouble I got into someone had to pull some strings or something — I remember when I was told I was moving over to the Dixon Honor Dorm I thought it was a joke, but it was not. What a hoot compared to the Harris Cottage.
The Dixon Honor Dorm (former superintendent’s mansion)
The Harris, for the most part, was as good as it could be, after all we were not there for being late to school. But there was one “cottage parent” who should have been turned in to child services, I still remember his name and what he looked like. He was afraid of the tough guys in the cottage, you could watch him kiss up to them and treat the rest of the boys with pure nastiness. He had shifty eyes.
The Dixon (Honor Dorm) was. as far as I know, the only cottage supervised by a female. She was as fair and likable person I ever met. She was one top notch person. I would be interested in seeing how far her career went . (Compiler comment: This lady’s name was Dee Parrish and she was one of many long term employees. She and her husband Glenn at one time lived in one of the institution apartments with their two teenage boys. Other cottages were managed by women and or their husbands. It was Dee Parrish who encouraged us to write this history. She and her husband are deceased.)
AN INTERESTING INCIDENT about trust Jim wrote about — “… before I forget again, ask Mr. Tharp if he has a scar on his lower lip? He allowed me to shave him “once”. I did fine having to hone and strop my razor after every stroke! It was like cutting California Redwoods with a pocket knife. But anyway I did really good until the very last stroke which is not too hard, but I think I became over confident and I laid his lower lip open like I was filleting a fish. Maybe that is why he grows the beard?’ (Compiler comment: We talked with Mike Tharp and he said he always said he would never ask anyone else to do what he was not willing to do himself. He trusted his boys and they respected and trusted him! The “beard” Mike grows every winter is his official dress to be one of Santa’s helpers, and yes Mike remembers that time Jim shaved him – and he can laugh about it, he said “we all can make mistakes.”)
JIM WRITES ABOUT A VISIT to “the Hill” this past Summer of 2011.
“Well Bill it was nice chatting with you, I was in Lancaster two months ago. Went home to visit my folks in Youngstown. Driving back to Missouri I drove up to the Hill, first time since I passed through the WHITE GATES in1968. WOW– what a trip that was, but it was fun! I wanted to stay longer looking on the other side of the fence that I wanted to stay on, but it wasn’t long before I was “sternly advanced on” and informed this was private property, and did I know I was trespassing? And do you know as soon as I told him my name and that I spent time there in my youth I could “literally” see his demeanor shift. I think I stayed with him about an hour or so. Could not go on the other side but he allowed me to look at what is left of the Hill on this side of the fence. The Dixon is there to see, but in pretty bad shape. I was able to look in the window that was next to my bunk, It was the window I used to look out at night wondering what was going to happen to me when I went home. Now here I am, 40+ years later—what a trip!
“Thank you Bill, for opening those gates for me so I could turn around and close them behind me properly.
Regards — Jim, the barber”
#### JIM, the Barber is one of nearly a dozen former boys who have contacted us since we began this project. Several have already been featured, and Jim was briefly featured in a smaller mention in one of the BOYS TALK sessions. Yes, Jim, and all others who wrote, WHAT A TRIP!