PARK RIDGE—This week in 1940, “The Hoot” headed to Washington, D.C. The trip was for students on the staff of the school’s yearbook (long known as “The Hoot,” reflecting the school’s owl mascot).
With luggage packed and hotel reservations arranged, the kids took off on March 7, 1940 by railroad, bound for D.C.
In our nation’s capital, the teens boarded a sightseeing bus. The first stop was the Capitol building, where they saw the Senate and House chambers, and Statuary Hall. The day ended with a tour of the Library of Congress, followed by a return to the hotel for the weary travelers.Day two brought a tour of the Federal Bureau of Investigation building, a visit to the Lincoln Memorial and a climb up nearly 900 steps to the top of the Washington Monument (amid health concerns, since the 1970s that ascent has been made exclusively by elevator).
On the third and final day of the trip, the teens had a chance to visit Mount Vernon, the historic home of George Washington, and Arlington Cemetery, where they stood in reverence at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. At the time, the Pascack Valley had only two high schools: Park Ridge and Westwood. Kids from all over the valley attended one or the other, depending on proximity.