Moved to Bear Township after school closed in 1950s – Photo by Roberta Van Briesen
The History of the Country School System
Small one room country schools once were located throughout each county in Illinois. This school building on the left once served the children of Basco (Hancock County). Farm children in the early 1900s often walked or rode a horse for miles one way just to get to school. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION regarding a Country School still standing near you or if you have a photo you would like to share you can e-mail it to us at eganann@sbcglobal.net . You can write us at:
Today, West Chicago is one of many suburbs of Chicago that is growing to a westwardly rate. However, there lies a patch of countryside between West Chicago and St. Charles, the town to the west. The main road linking the two is Roosevelt Road (Illinois Rt. 38) and as you drive to and from either town on the four-lane road, you’ll pass a small grove of trees alongside a small, red building.
The building, built in 1835 (that’s 170 years ago!) is the old McAuley School that housed the educational needs of the children of a then-dominant countryside for over 150 years. McAuley School was THE last one-room schoolhouse used in Illinois. From 1835 to 1991 McAuley School gave children a well-rounded education, operating as School District No. 27. It’s been quite impressive for the school to last as long as it has, surviving the unit district boom in the late 1940’s … and then some. In 1989, District 27 merged into West Chicago’s elementary school District 33 and when it closed in 1991, there were still six children attending the school and they all had either graduated or moved from the area.
Today, there are talks of the district selling the building that a preservation society wants to keep and restore. You don’t find too many one-room school houses in Illinois any more still in their original state, let alone one in the suburbs of Chicago. More information is welcome, and especially memories of the building so that we can post on this site.
From a Student of Excelsior Country School
The following information was shared with us by Virginia D. “King” Rottman who attended Excelsior Country School located at the Junction of Basco Road and Il. Rt. 96, in Hancock County. Ms. Rottman attended Excelsior from 1941 – 48 when the school was closed due to consolidation. She wrote of how there was a huge boiler in the corner of this one room school and how every kid huddled around it upon arriving at school after completing their long (in her case 2 miles) walk during the cold winter months. Her teacher would rub her fingers in ice water if they were too cold from the long walk ( a common belief of the time). The kids would play “andy-over” throwing a ball over the top of the school building from one side to the other. In the winter they were allowed to spend lunch hour or after school skating on the pond across the road. If a good ball game was in progress the teacher would extend recess to let them finish. She especially enjoyed being a teacher’s helper by tutoring the younger students in reading. They put on plays in the school for the parents. Her father, William N. King, was on the school board. Excelsior school building still stands, vacant after being used for years as a private residence. It was truly a wonderful time for Ms. Rottman to attend school.
From Mary (Howard) Ellis:
“I attended 3 different country grade schools in Illinois……Fairland (which was South of Homer about 4 miles), then our home burned and we moved close to a school called Number Ten, which was about 1 1/2 miles south of Homer. From there to near Catlin and at the moment I have forgotten the name of the school (a senior moment).
I doubt I have any pictures of those buildings. No doubt we didn’t own a camera at that time, or just didn’t happen to take pictures of the schools. I do have some old pictures of my Dad butchering, houses we lived in and a few pics of we gals with our parents…..Sure wish I had pics of all the old buildings.
It’s amazing, but we did get a good education in those one room schools where one teacher taught all 8 grades, stoked the furnace, watched us at recess…..we had outside toilets….I don’t remember who cleaned them. On a dark day, a few kerosene lamps hooked on the wall, were turned on.
School children nowadays have so many learning devices, pretty rooms, hot lunches, indoor toilets and if the power goes off, many schools have generators. Only about 25 kids per class and some teachers have an assistant.
Bowen Country School
Bureau County
Fairfield Center Country School
Bureau County
Lone Tree Country School
Bureau County Illinois
Johnson Country School
Bureau County
Thomas Country School
Bureau County
Yorktown Country school
Bureau County
Burden Country School
Bureau County
Church Country School – Bureau Cty.
Manlius Country School
Bureau County
Coleta Country School
Whiteside County
Reeves Country School
Whiteside County
Garden Plain Country School
Whiteside County
Cottonwood Country School
Whiteside County
White Country School
Stephenson County
Sugar Grove Country School
Lee County
Emerson Country School
Whiteside County
Penrose Country School
Whiteside County
Jackson Street School
East of Prophetstown, IL
“Stone School”
Whiteside County
Woodside Country School
Whiteside County
Science Ridge Country School
Whiteside County
Phelps Country School
Warren County
Muddy Corners Country School
Warren County
Kapp Country School
Whiteside County
Gerlaw Country School
Warren County
Enterprise Country School
Warren County
Frymire Country School
Warren County
Sandytown Country School
Whiteside County
Portland Country School
Whiteside County
Coldbrook Country School
Warren Country
Portland Country School
Whiteside County
Sandytown Country School
Whiteside County
White Country School
Stephenson County
Westfield Corners Country School
Ogle County
East Hume Country School
Whiteside County
Bell Country School
Stephenson County
Berlin Country School
Stephenson County
Cranes Grove Country School
Stephenson County
Henry Country School
Ogle County
Fosmire School Inscription
Now a Private Residence
Fosmire Country School – South of Oneida,Illinois
Photo by Richard Soseman
Brady Country School
Chenoa School District
Brady Country School
Converted to a Residence
The above two photos depict the Brady School No. 256 in McLean County. The photo to the left shows the school building as it is being moved from its original location to 725 Sheridan Street in Chenoa. The building was originally built in 1864 and moved in 1873 to the southeast corner of “Section 6” in McLean County where it was utilized as a school building until 1949. The school is named after James Brady, a major catalyst in starting the school in the 1800s. It often was home to large enrollments in spite of being somewhat small in size. It is a brilliant example of a small school building erected in the early days of education in Illinois. Upon finding its new location in Chenoa (to where it was moved for $100 in 1952) the new owners, Hugo and Evelyn Reis, used great ingenuity in obtaining lumber from a demolished church (Ocoya Baptist) in Chenoa and adding two bedrooms and a garage to the property where they lived until their retirement in 1983.
Yates Township Country School
McLean County
Baumans Country School
McLean County
The photo to the above left is of the Yates Township School building whose District was established around 1876. The township was named after then govenor Yates. The land was flat and very fertile. A lack of lumber in the area originally slowed the building processes but this problem was soon remedied. The Rooks Creek and its branches provided the water and drainage outlets. The original Yates school building, pictured to the left, still stands today.
The photo above to the right is of the Bauman School, District 247. It was originally called Hicks School as the land donated for it was donated by Joel Hicks. The Bauman brothers later purchased the land and the school name was changed to Bauman School.It is currently used as a residential home.
This article was written by Edith Buchanan Bingamin with an attached article by Sarah Elsie Husband. The unique part of the article is the map (shown above) and the very detailed description of the school’s set up and daily routine. This is a must read for history and country school fans. What a great and simpler time. Imagine the incredible attention a student was given….this is how “no Child Left Behind” should be run! Excellent article and major thank you to Robert Young for adding another gem to this site!
To view a copy of Robert Young’s actual second grade report card from the Lambert Country School seen on the map above please visit:
Ben Funk Grade School, located near Shirley in central Illinois south of Bloomington, began in 1912 as Frank Funk donated land for a rural school to honor his father Benjamin. The Funk family was well-known for their agriculture prowess in developing a corn hybrid, and were involved in their community, so opening up a school was a way to give back to the country folk that lived in the area.
The school opened up as a 1-8 facility, and offered high school courses in 1914 (see the Ben Funk page for that information). The building was designed by architect A.A. Pilsbury with an unusual one and a half story building that was opened shortly thereafter with two classrooms, work room space and an assembly hall for the price of $5,000.00. The school lifted its roof in 1920 and added on more classrooms and the principal’s office for $40,000. Subsequent additions were added to the building in 1954 and 1960 with the second floor being removed at the time of the latter addition.
The school was closed following the 1990-91 school year and is now used a private residence. Some memorabilia from the school can be found in the Funk Prairie Home near Shirley, which also hosts a sizable gem & mineral collection from LaFayette Funk (another relative). Students now attend classes at Heyworth Grade School, seven miles south of Ben Funk GS.
