Piece of history gone with demolition of WJH tennis court
By BENJAMIN C. SHARP bensharp@journal-spectator.com

Staff Photo by Benjamin Sharp Tennis aficionado Travis Smith Jr. stands in front of a pile of twisted fencing and a large dirt patch that for decades was the Wharton Junior High tennis courts.

For nearly 80 years, Travis Smith Jr. has played tennis in Wharton. And for most of that time, he's done so on courts located where Wharton Junior High School now sits.

At first, in the late 1920s and early 1930s, those courts were little more than flat parcels of dirt. Smith recalls as a 9-yearold youngster brushing off the court, watering it down and then rolling it flat before playing a few sets with his friends.

Oftentimes, the young boys would just barely finish preparing the surface when a group of teenagers would suddenly appear and order them to leave.

"These were the only courts in town back then," Smith said.

Smith's father, an avid tennis player from Waco, organized the first county-wide tournaments at those courts.

The Wharton County Tennis Association was soon born, and began holding the tournament every year. It's still played today.

Around 1935, the courts were redone in concrete. Smith said that was a luxury for a town like Wharton.

"It was rare to have a concrete court in a town this size back then," he said.

Over the years, those courts have continued to be a favorite among Smith and other area tennis aficionados. On the property of Wharton Junior High School, they have been the site for school competition, the county tournament and the enjoyment of the general public.

"They were put down good because they lasted forever," Smith said of the courts.

At least until this week, that is.

The courts were demolished over the past few days as part of a Wharton Independent School District improvement project.

A dirt patch, a mound of twisted chain-link fencing and concrete posts are all that remains.

Smith visited the site on Friday morning and couldn't help but feel somber.

"It was hard watching them come out," he said. "There were a lot of memorable matches."

The courts had to be demolished to make way for a new school cafeteria.

That's one phase of Wharton ISD's campus improvement project. The largest component is the construction of a new $13 million elementary school, which is now being built on FM 1301 at the east edge of town.

But the new school will accommodate only second through fifth grades. The sixth grade will be relocated to Wharton Junior High. That's required the building of the new cafeteria.

The old cafeteria, meanwhile, will be transformed into a science lab.

Tearing out the tennis courts was a necessity, Wharton ISD Superintendent Don Hillis said.

And replacing them is not part of the plan.

"We are limited on space there," Hillis said, adding the junior high "only plays tennis six weeks out of the whole year."

Instead, additional courts will likely be built at Wharton High School.

Hillis said funds have been set aside to construct probably three courts adjacent to the Wharton Municipal Swimming Pool.

"Budget allowing, we can add some more," he said.

Smith is pleased to hear new courts may be added.

Other than a small set of courts behind the high school and the tennis center at Wharton County Junior College, there is nowhere else to play.

A lack of courts not only affects tournaments, it can discourage novices from picking up a healthy, life-long sport, Smith said.

"It's something that happens. You've got to have progress. But I was concerned with what they're going to do to replace them," he said.

With his own life and the life of his father so tied to the old courts, it was difficult for Smith to see them go.

He has an album stuffed with pictures taken of games and seminars at the courts. He and his father - who passed away in 1983 - appear in many of the photos.

Smith now has a chunk of the demolished court as part of his memorabilia.

"I came over and got a slab. A lot of people did," he said.