| Cable Public School | |||||||||
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| Submitted by Gerry Halpin | |||||||||
| Cable Public School Building |
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| Courtesy of Gerry Halpin |
The History of Cable Public School
Cable (population approximately 25) is located in upper-western Illinois in the northeast corner of Mercer County. The small hamlet sits about 15 miles south (and a little east) of Rock Island. Cable is situated in a true country setting with County Highway 21 and County Road 3000E the roadways that lead you to and from town. The main major route near Cable is U.S. Route 67 located 3 miles to the west. This small village is about three blocks wide and two blocks long.
Cable was an incredible mining town in the late 1800s. At one time the town’s population in the 1890s reached 2,000 residents. However, when the mining began to cease functioning the town’s population dwindled quickly. By 1920 the population had fell to 100 residents. The town was named after the Cable family, early founders of the railroad that came into the area. One sad note is that in approximately 1892 a diphtheria epidemic struck the town and took many lives, several of them children. The cemetery at Cable has several grave markers from this period in town.
The school system at Cable grew quickly in the early days. In the early 1900s as many as 500 students attended the school which sat overlooking the community on Tony Hill. The school is said to have offered a 9th grade, or freshman year of high school courses. We know that Cable School served grades 1 – 8 through 1953 when it closed. Students who reside in Cable today attend high school in nearby Sherrard.
Research conducted by Bill Bertrand of the Mercer County Historical Society provided the following information:
“The school at Cable taught grades 1 through 8. I found one source, an article written by a local citizen that said “a child could take two years of high school”, but an official record by a county superintendent indicated the grades 1 through 8. It is likely that the “two years of high school” were grades 7 and 8. Using the terminology of earlier times, “grammar school” covered grades 1-6 and anything beyond that was considered “high school”. Publicly funded schools in the 1800s at first covered only “grammar schools” and it was several decades before communities debated the wisdom or necessity of publicly funding “high schools”.
Cable’s school was a five room building only open 6 months per year due to financial constraints, and was built to hold 80 students, although one teacher recalled a year with 93. It was closed in the 1950s and boarded up. I do not know if it is still standing — 20 years ago it was thought to be a safety concern.”
To read an excellent history of the town of Cable and the Cable School system please review the articles posted at the bottom of this page. 
| Cable School Quick Facts
Year opened: late 1800s Year closed: 1950s Students now attend: Sherrard School District Athletics: likely never offered Famous Students! From Shane Kazubowski: “While I was at Sherrard rumor had it that Don Nelson (of the NBA) grew up in Cable until 6th grade where he then moved to Rock Island. I am not certain if this is true or not, but some of the veteran teachers of Sherrard communicated this information.” From Eric Larson: “Attached (viewed below) is a picture of the Cable School where William “Baby Doll” Jacobson of the St Louis Browns and Detroit Tigers attended. I think he might be the boy at the right hand of the teacher in the rear.” From Wikipedia: “William Chester Jacobson was born in 1890 in Cable, Illinois,[1] an unincorporated community that is now part of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area. His father, Gustaf Jacobson, was a Swedish immigrant who worked as a farmer. His mother, Albatina, was the daughter of Swedish immigrants. Jacobson was the second oldest of five children. He played 11 seasons of Major League Baseball, principally with the St. Louis Browns, between 1915 and 1927. He also played for the Detroit Tigers (1915), Boston Red Sox (1926–1927), Cleveland Indians (1927), and Philadelphia Athletics (1927). Jacobson was one of the best hitters in the American League during his prime years. He batted above .300 for seven consecutive seasons, including a .355 season in 1920 and a .352 season in 1921. He also hit for power and finished second behind Babe Ruth with 122 RBI in 1922. He compiled a .311 lifetime batting average and twice finished among the top ten in voting for the American League Most Valuable Player Award.” Sincere Thanks Our sincere gratitude goes out to Gerry Halpin and Jamie Driskill for their efforts in assisting with the research on Cable School. Seeking More Information It is probable that sports were never offered at Cable School. We are curious what other extra-curricular activities may have made the Cable School experience a fun and pleasant one. If you have ANY information regarding Cable School and the town of Cable, please contact us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net . |
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