Walking home from school for lunch was a thing
The idea of school children walking home for lunch is unheard of today but once upon a time, it was real. The only article I could find about it online was from The Philadelphia Tribune. I, however, recall at least one Virginia school where children walked home unsupervised during lunchtime in the 1960s.
I attended Lincoln Terrace Elementary School in Roanoke through the 5th grade even though I lived in Botetourt County with my grandparents. My mother lived in the Lincoln Terrace apartments until she remarried and I used her address. I was dropped off at school by an older cousin Mable Watson who was a teacher at Booker T Washington Junior High.
Not everyone ate lunch at schoolPhoto byAnton MuryginonUnsplash
School children walked home unsupervised
In the evenings I walked with other LT kids across the street monitored by the crossing guards. While they went home I went to the apartment of another much older relative we called Cousin Carrie to wait for Cousin Mable to pick me up. During lunch time 3 or 4 children would leave the building to walk home alone to eat. They crossed the street and went to their apartments and always returned on time.