County Historical Society Searching for Students who Attended One-room Schoolhouses
The LaSalle County Historical Society is searching for former students, teachers, administrators, maintenance workers, and anyone else who had connections to the county’s one-room schoolhouses.
At one time LaSalle County had more than 300 one-room schoolhouses to educate its children, but today very few remain. One of these, the Aitken School, is located near the museum in Utica, on the banks of the I&M Canal. It is open to the public.
The historical society is preparing a book to preserve the memory of those schools. It will describe every aspect of the one-room schoolhouse experience.
(INSERT NAME), project coordinator, said that because many of the schools operated until World War II, it is not unusual to meet people who attended those schools or taught in them.
“We have a wealth of information about the schools, from how they were warmed in winter, to payroll records of the teachers, to district budget documents.
“But,” she continued, “there are some blank places, such as (INSERT HERE) that remain mysteries. We’d like to fill in the blanks to make this book the most complete work of its kind.”
Museum curator Jennifer Guest said any artifacts or photos involving the schoolhouses would not have to be donated to the museum.
“We are especially interested in locating photos and other memorabilia to illustrate the book. We can copy or photograph them and return the originals to their owners,” she said.
The Society also welcomes stories of students’ experiences in the schools.
“What games did you play? What were the tests like? Who were your teachers? Who were your classmates? How were the schools decorated? Write the memories of your school days for possible inclusion in our book,” (INSERT NAME) said.
(LAST NAME) is encouraging everyone with any connection to the one-room schools to contact her at the LaSalle County Historical Society, P.O. Box 278, Utica, IL 61373, or call her at (815) 667-4861, or send an e-mail to www.lasallecountymuseum.org.
