Tom Vosper, The Gilbert Street Sled Hill

Vintage 48″ Flex Flyer

Smack dab in the middle of my newspaper route was one of Wichita’s few good sled hills. On Gilbert Street between Hillside and Clifton streets lies The Gilbert Street Sled Hill. If the snow condition was just right, sledders could ride from Clifton to Hillside without stopping. That’s four city blocks, classmates! The fastest portion of the run was between Vassar passing Rutan on to Holyoke. Oh, how fun it is to ride. 

(Left: Tom Vosper)

The regular users of the sled hill could hardly wait for a good snow so we could gather at the hill for wintertime fun and frolic. I’d give Vesta Patterson a quick phone call to see if the people were sledding and if the barricades and smudge pots were set in place. Vesta lived just two doors south of the hill on Rutan, so all she had to do was look out her picture window to see if it was a go or no go. If it was a go I’d call my best two sledding buddies Larry Bryan and Mike Grier and we’d meet on the hill at Vassar Street. (Right: Vesta Patterson, 1942-2012.)

Yes, its true, the city or someone would set out barricades at Vassar, Rutan and Holyoke that prevented traffic from driving through the hill. Someone would place smudge pots under the barricades to light them up at night so drivers could see them. It was great not having to worry that much about getting hit by a car.

After school and on weekends. the hill would be busy with kids of all ages along with some parents. Sleds we used in those days were wooden with metal runners. We didn’t have plastic sleds, sack users or toboggans that are in use nowadays. My sled was a 48” Flex Flyer purchased at Western Auto with money from my paper route. It was a beauty and is vintage today. 

Most boys, their bodies filling with testosterone, had a need for  speed, which means they carried a bar of soap or paraffin wax in their pockets. Yes, rub some soap or wax on your metal runners, and that would definitely increase speed needed to play King of the Hill. Oh Boy!

(Left, Contender Larry Bryan, 1942-2021)

Mike Grier taking off with Larry Bryan right behind him, both with their runners covered with soap or wax. Larry catches Mike and reaches for his rear runner wanting to give it a quick jerk, causing Mike’s sled to spin out of control and crash. Mike tries to fend off Larry by kicking backwards at Larry and his sled, wanting to spin him out of control and cause him to wreck. Well, you get the picture, right? In our group Mike usually was the King. I’d call Mike a Rat Fink and take off running.

(Right: King of the Hill Mike Grier, 1942-1998)

When I got home, my mom would ask me,  “Where is the Camay soap?”

To me, The Gilbert Street Sled Hill was a wonderful place to have fun and to mingle with school chums like these: Chris Brasfield, Gary Byrd, Sharon Cone, Sharon Fiscus, Marilyn Fletcher, Mike Grier, Vesta Patterson, Phil Stevens, Don Trees, Sharon Adams, Larry Bryan, Art Casado, Freddie Freeman (Elder), Marcia Estes, Gerald Fry, Jane Glotfelty, Gerald Honemann, Janet Hotsapillar, Charles Kinder, Larry Milburn, Dick Richardson, Nancy Sinclair, Ronnie Troy, Dennis Whitcomb, John Wulfmeyer.   (Forgive me if I left you out)

 I wonder if anyone still uses Gilbert for sledding? I hope so!

Editor’s Note: Some people (like Diane Zinn) have kept their vintage sleds, which are available today for visiting grandkids or when the spirit moves a senior sledder. 

 

 

 

 

Tom Vosper’s other stories on this website include Living the American Dream in Little League, True Confession, Do You Believe in Bigfoot, Remembering the Young Larry Bryan and Friends.  Click on the underlined titles to read these stories.

See also Remembering Vesta Patterson Lee, 1942-2012.