Philo area centennial, 1875-1975, Part 4

Author: Lincicome, Dennis
Publication date: 1975?]
Publisher: [S.l. : s.n.
Number of Pages: 132


USA > Illinois > Champaign County > Philo > Philo area centennial, 1875-1975 > Part 4


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13


1 ODGE LIFE LOOKI.D 'SI RIOUS.' (First pouze Organiza- Pa apparent on these faces of meintest Mal. . at Under Woods en ol Amine Isken


Edward Dilley, Fred Selmeyer, Edward Lovinglow Harry Jenny, unidentified man Otta Grathe Seaand row It. Ifum Ordel. Charles Foglish W Diam Hi k. Lenge "wa Id Enne les Tibben los ngh .s. Do Er Mare, , Mar Maddes This and has ton Capone Hammad R. eu The sun Charles Pe r. M. d House Peer Ha , In Visto n Toni Miin, Pe


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.


. . .


Wn ner. J.m Wands Fred Proup are still hsing


4


yanks Ride Suficsin


Standing: L to R. Chester Guard, Carl Licht, Mable Thompson, Katie Godsell teacher, Louise Grishaw, Mary Grishaw, - Thompson, and - Grishaw. Seated: L to R. Fay Harnsbarger, - Grove, Ethel Craig, - Guard. - Lawhead, Carol Guard, and -Joe Guard.


Philo's Oldest Business Still in Operation


Philo Exchange Bank was founded by a Philo physician, Dr. Calvin Parker in 1883, and was managed by his nephew for the first three years.


In 1886, Dr. Parker sold his private bank to Elisha B. Hazen, who was owner and manager of the Philo grain elevator in that early day. Mr. Hazen was concerned about the large amounts of cash he needed to keep on hand to buy grain from farmers, and decided to buy the bank to facilitate his elevator business.


His nephew, Wirt Mandeville Hazen, joined him in the bank's operation sometime in the 1890's. Wirt's brother, Lyman E. Hazen, who first taught at a country school known as Camp- bell School about 31/2 miles southeast of Philo, and next went into the lumber business in Philo, then exchanged places with his brother, joining the bank about 1900.


Also, about 1900, the original frame building on North Harrison Street just behind the present building became inadequate, so the east half of the present bank building was built facing Washington Street which had been then evolved as the principal business street of the village.


Elisha B. Hazen eventually moved to Cham-


paign, but commuted to Philo about 3 days a week to supervise his bank. Usually he made the trip by Wabash Railroad train which provided excellent service in those days. The passenger train made 3 round trips daily, first going to Sidney, then through Urbana to Champaign, and the fare was 35 cents. On good days, Mr. Hazen would travel by horse and buggy, and drove a beautiful black horse named Nimbus.


Upon Mr. Elisha B. Hazen's death in 1914, his wife Helen inherited his interest in the bank, and his nephew Lyman E. Hazen succeeded him as the principal person in the bank.


An entry found in the records of February 2, 1917 reads: "Bank burglarized 2 A.M. Feb. 2. 1917. by torch burning." Fortunately for the bank the burglars cut into the wrong part of the safe and were unable to reach any money. At this point Mr. Lyman E. Hazen decided to improve bank security, and the bank's first vault complete with steel door and time locks was in- stalled at the approximate cost of $5,000.00.


Effective January 2, 1921, Philo Exchange Bank converted from a private bank to a state bank, upon authority to incorporate from the State of Illinois. Capital stock was issued for $40,000.00, represented by 400 shares. Original


stockholders were listed as Lyman E. Hazen, Helen Hazen, J. Howard Smith, Anna B. Hazen, Marshall Burr, and Eugene C. Burr. Original directors were Lyman E. Hazen, his wife Anna B. Hazen, and J. Howard Smith. First officers were Lyman E. Hazen, President; Anna B. Hazen, Vice President; J. Howard Smith. Cashier; and Kathryn Ida Trost, Ass't. Cashier.


The bank had assets of $337,013.57 on incor- poration day in 1921, but by March of 1933 following over 3 years of depression, this had de- clined some 33% to $213,790.92. On March 3, 1933, along with all other U.S. Banks, the bank was closed during President Roosevelt's "bank moratorium." Reopening day was March 20 and confidence apparently existed because deposits exceeded withdrawals by $4,700.00 to $1,700.00. Then on March 23, 1933, Philo Exchange Bank acquired the assets and liabilities of the Philo State Bank, thereby increasing assets to $254,644.07.


Lyman E. Hazen died in 1952 following over 50 years service to the bank, and his nephew, Nathan L. Rice, succeeded as President. Mr. Rice continues to serve as President at this time. and completed 50 years of service in 1974.


In 1956, the 55 year old brick building was completely remodeled. Then in 1966 the former Mattix Garage Building next door west was pur- chased, razed, and a new addition built which more than doubled banking space, and together with the former building, provides the present modern banking quarters. In an average day the bank's staff now processes 1,402 checks and 146 deposits.


Present officers of the bank are: Nathan L. Rice, President; Robert B. Rice, Vice President; Juanita M. Brewer. Cashier; and Mary Grace Vermillion, Ass't. Cashier. Marilyn E. Warren, Anita R. Althaus, and Rita R. Godsell combine duties as Tellers and Bookkeepers. Directors are Alda C. Rice, Donald H. Rice, Katharine G. Rice, Nathan L. Rice, and Robert B. Rice.


Following are statements of the bank on various dates. January 2, 1901 is the oldest state- ment still retained in bank files. December 31, 1920 is the last day as private bank status, and March 3, 1933 is at the depth of the great depression. The dates of December 31, 1953 and December 31, 1974 were chosen both to fill in and to illustrate growth and inflation of the past 40 years.


Assets


Cash & Due from Banks


Jan 2 1901 17,048.26


Dec 31 1920 62,416.61 38.000.00


Mar 3 1933 36,394.51 53,500.00 115,600.97


Dec 31 1953 344,343.55 1.477,000.00 326,956.65


753,269.37 3.339,379.24


Loans and Discounts


83,342.05


229,897.35


61.51


56.83


Bank Building & Fixtures


1.200.00


699.61 6,000.00


7,500.00


1,002.00


2.940,536.96 1,445.49 2.00


110.431.95


337.013.57


213.056.99


2,149,359,03


7.034,633.06


Liabilities


Checking Accounts


90,394.15


189,149.75


104,835.26


2,008,820.60


3,722.664.26


Savings Accounts


3,653.75


6,700.68


1.006,884.58


CDs & Time Deposits


103,719.93


43.267.65


1,803,934.87


Capital


20,000.00


40,000.00


40,000.00


40,000.00


100.000.00


Surplus


4.100.00


40,000.00


200,000.00


Undivided Profits & Reserves


37.80


490.14


14.153.40


60.538.43


201,149.35


110,431.95


337,013.57


213.056.99


2.149.359.03


7.034.633.06


This Page sponsored by:


CITIZENS BANK OF TOLONO, Tolono, Illinois


REICHARD PLUMBING AND HEATING CO., Urbana, Illinois


Dec 31 1974


Bonds & Investments


Overdrafts


8.841.64


ORIGINAL TOWN OF PHILO


Threshing - 1898-1899


For the rural community the turn of the cen- tury found no immediate change of its life style. Oats and rye were raised in addition to wheat and corn. Some wheat was saved from the crop and carried to the miller for flour. Seed for the next year's corn crop was saved from the harvest and on occasion some ears of corn were ex- changed with another farmer in hopes of improv- ing the strain of seed corn.


Rural mail delivery began about 1903. Until then the mail was held at the post office until the patron "went to town". Any packages arrived at the railroad express office. Some of the early rural mail carriers were: James Bocock, Vernon Penny, Charles Stewart and Abbott Duell.


The Budget newspaper was being printed in Philo every Friday for approximately 400 patrons. It was a four-page 13x20 paper, sub- scriptions were $1.20 a year and Mont Robinson was editor and publisher.


The first telephone exchange in town was lo- cated in Father Barry's home about 1902. His housekeeper acted as operator for the service be- tween the rectory and the families of the Bongard parish. Soon after, Mr. J.B. Carson had a telephone exchange service, operated until it


was taken over by the Eastern Illinois Telephone Corporation.


The Commercial Bank was established in 1902, with Isaac Raymond as president.


When some of our older citizens were asked to recall the first automobile they saw and what makes they were we received quite a list of names. The earliest cars in Philo were: "Win- ston", owned by Mr. Weaver; "Buick" owned by Dr. Scheurich; and "Thomas Flyer" owned by Frank Cain. Mr. Martin Clennon remembers how he admired the new car owned by Jerry Hor- gan, store keeper in Philo. Jerry demonstrated the car to Mr. Clennon, allowing him to drive it around in a pasture. He took him to Champaign where Mr. Clennon bought a "Haynes" and drove it home. Most early cars were not driven in the winter because of the muddy roads and anti- freeze had not been put into use. They "jacked" the cars up in the winter and left them in the garage. The operator's manual wasn't quite spe- cific enough for some of the cars and it took in- genuity for the owners to realize that horses could pull it to get it started or sometimes pull it through a section of bad roads.


7


An Early Farm Scene


John Lafenhgen's Car - 1913 Rambler


The year 1904 saw the celebration of the World's Fair in St. Louis. The Budget carried the following ad:


Take the Wabash to St. Louis the only line to The World's Fair


The first plank sidewalks in the village were laid in 1906. A new newspaper the "Philo Grit" was founded.


At a village board meeting in 1908, the village appropriated $950. for the year's current ex- penses.


The "Philo Budget" changed its name to "Pilot" in 1909 with a new editor and publisher, Mr. H.F. Gutneck.


Sunday School Class in front of First Presbyterian Church.


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Interior of Horgan and Cain Grocery Store - 1907


Independence Day in 1909 was celebrated at Linn Grove. Music was furnished by the Sidney band. Tim Sullivan lined up the "Longview In- vincibles" to play a baseball game against the "Philo Never Sweats". Some of the other amuse- ments arranged and the prizes given were:


Fatman's race. box of cigars; Young men's 50 yd. dash. box of cigars: Young ladies race. box of stationery: Sack race-young boys. $1.00; Fat woman's race. parosol: Girls under 12 race. $1.00.


Five dollars was offered by John Daly for the best decorated car.


Mike Lowry offered $2.00 cash for the largest family present.


On Wednesday night August 17, 1909, there was a fire on the north side of Main Street in Philo. Here is a summary of the story of the tragic event and damages as reported in the newspaper. Fire was seen in the Rickey Office about eleven o'clock.


John Grothe and others ran about town giving the alarm. Soon all church bells were ringing and the town was thoroughly aroused. When flames reached the telephone exchange, connections with the outside world were broken for Agent Dixon was at Sidney and no telegraph service could be had. W.H. and Ed Rickey were at a banquet in Sidney and the building had not been occupied since 1 p.m. Wednesday (same day).


L.W. Michener was struck on the head by a bucket falling from the Peed Buiding and re- ceived a bad cut. Mamy others recemed In ures


The businesses that burned were Rickey For- niture Store. Melohn Poultry House. Grothe Shoe Store. Wimmer Grocery Store. Telephone Building. Reed Meat Market. Stearns Ice House and Warehouse. Michael Long, Restaurant. ,4


The Gratis


There -


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P


Lent to Righ: Lark Robesum time!


The Commercial Bank became a private bank in 1910, with C.A. Daly as president.


Sometime around 1910 two trains were stalled during a severe snow storm and blizzard. One was a short distance west of town "in the cut"


and the other was about one half mile east of town. Lowry's restaurant provided coffee and sandwiches for the passengers and the food was taken out to the trains by volunteers for the two days the trains were stalled.


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West of Penmans - About 1910


This train was stuck in a snow drift for a length of time. Georgia Scheurich remembers her dad taking a bas- ket of food from home for the passengers, etc. Most of the townspeople did the same.


M


To VILLAGE OF PHILO, Dr.


( Food save f+Ting 1-1900 Protect & Bull Version : Frete


Bricks - $8.50 per thousand in 1906


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Home Improvement Society - 1907


Early 1900's


This Page sponsored by: THE COUNTRY COMPANIES, Bloomington, Illinois WOODWORTH & SONS, INC., Tolono, Illinois


A Steam Engine and Steel Separator for $880 6 H. P. Engine 18 Brake H. P ... $500.


Late 1890's or early 1900's


Circa 1900


According to the "Philo Pilot" July 14, 1911. "The Village council turned down the ap- plication of Harve Baker of Tolono for a license to conduct a poolroom.


A committee of three aldermen was appointed to investigate the proposition of purchasing 10 gasoline street lights".


The town had not yet purchased the street lights in August when the "Pilot" reminded them that Sidney had had lights for over one year.


Horgan and Cain Grocery Store delivery truck with Frank Cain in front - 1907.


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Inside Main St. Store


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Philo Jail


Harrison Street in 1910


Corn Shelling


BANK


The town football team played in Penman's pasture and the town baseball team also used the pasture from 1912 to about 1917.


For the cultural improvement of the village the Chautauqua arrived in town for a week and the meetings were held on the school grounds in 1915.


The Prairie Farmer Reliable Directory of 1917 listed only one farmer who owned a tractor. His


name was Chas. L. Plotner and the tractor was a "Moline Universal".


A demonstration of a tractor pulling a plow was attended by many farmers and their families with honest doubts on their minds that one tractor and plow could replace six horses to plow. They were astonished to see it accomplish such an unheard of task.


EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY


THE STREET IN THIS PICTURE WAS VIRTUALLY DESERTED IN THE SUMMER OF 1917 WHEN A PHOTOGRAPHER TOOK THIS VIEW IN HIS LENS AND TITLED IT "MAIN ST, PHILO, ILL., ONE OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY'S WIDE AWAKE TOWNS " ONLY VEHICLE ON THE STREET WAS MOTORCYCLE PARKED IN FRONT OF DRUGSTORE AT LEFT AS DOG TROTS ACROSS THE STREET AT A LEISURELY PACE IN PERFECT SAFETY. A DOG HAS TO KEEP ON HIS TOES ANY PLACE TO DAY THOUGH - ASK ANY DO !!


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(FLOM A PHOTO)


PHILO, ILL. - 1917


J. ZUMWALT


Picture of Yesteryear's Sketches from "The Courier". Identification of businesses from left to right in picture dated 1917.


(1) FF Gilgee Restaurant & Confectionery shop. Modern Woodman of America Lodge up- stairs site also occupied at one time by Young Ed Rickey who had a funeral parlor. (West end of building) and Ray Tarrent who had a restaurant. (2) J.P. Soward "Jim". Drug store (part of 2 story building). (3) Ed Bahr-Pool Hall (1st building with an awning, later run by John Melohn). (4) Otto Grothe-Boots & shoes cobbler (2nd store with awning). (5) G.M. Brelsford Barber Shop. (6) Sherman Woodcock Barber Shop. (7) J.W. "Spike" Wimmer Grocery (3rd store with awning). (8) G.R. Fagaly Butcher Shop. (9) Lowry Bros. Grocery (also had confectionery store & restaurant at same time). (10) Philo Garage- Brewer and Van Vleck-site of livery stable until 1913. (11) Empty lot at one time between garage and bank at the end of the block. Horse shoe


pitching was a pasttime of the guys on this lot. (12) Philo Exchange Bank. KC Hall above bank- square dances were held regularly-also a dentist office upstairs Boudeau. (13) Red Corner Bldg. site of Red Cross meetings, etc. during WWI. Eli Trost and Elijah Doss had a hardware store in Red Corner Bldg. at one time; also called Red Front Bldg. (14) Windmill for town pump. Horse tank and hitching rack were located across the street. (Water tower & Fire Department area). (15) Grocery store east of old bank building (not visible in picture) was operated by J. Horgan and Frank H. Cain. Later it was operated by Frank Cain; Cain Bros .; Vincent Cain; then Ray Tarrant, who sold it to James P. Madigan. This store was where the laundromat is now located. (16) Philo Commercial Bank (Conical tower Bldg.) also known at one time as Philo State Bank. Ed O'Neill and Chas. Daly-Pres. & Vice Pres. J.B. Carson operated the switchboard for the Philo Telephone Co. upstairs at the bank


before taken over by General Telephone Exchange. (17) Ed Hesselschwerdt-Hardware & Plumbing (site of present tavern); Wm. Malone- Harness shop. This shop was torn down about the time Hesselschwerdt built his building. (18) "Newt" Wimmer-Grocery; this store had electric lights from a "Delco" plant before most of the homes in Philo had electricity. The opera house was located above the store and later the 10OF Lodge used the hall upstairs. Fred Hess ran the store before Newt Wimmer. (19) Isaac "Birdman" Hess-Dry Goods Store. (20) Located somewhere in the group of wooden front buildings were the following: H.W. "Biddie" Trost-Restaurant-later sold to Fred Selmeyer; W.H. Rickey-Furniture Store; Post Office; Mr. Towner had a buggy shop next door to the blacksmith shop run by Ma Foltz-Foltz later sold his corner blacksmith shop to Ott Winfield; M.O. "Mag" Malone-Millinery shop located around the corner and south of blacksmith shop.


Other businesses located in Philo in 1917 ac- cording to Prairie Farmer Reliable Directory of 1917 includes:


Brazelton-Melohn Well Drilling; Dr. C. F. Davis, Dentist; Griffith Dickason, Blacksmith, located 1/2 block north of RR track; south of Dickason at one time was a livery stable; H.W. Fiscus, Painter, decorator; Hazen & Franks Lumber and building material, just north of Ex-


change Bank; Dr. R.L. Jessee, Physician; J.F. Lannon, Contractor and Prop. of Elm Tree Hotel, located one block east of old bank bldg .; Lowry & McCormick, Real Estate; H.H. Mast Cement & Brick; Herman Mount Produce (unable to locate store but he lived where "Chet" Klockenbrink lives); O'Neill & Plotner, Grain & Implements (elevator operator); Robert Penman. Real Estate; Dr. Chas. F. Ryan, Physician; J.E. Simmers, Dray & Transfer; W.B. Smith, Painter; A.R. Thickson, Painter & Decorator; J.C. Trost & Co. Grain & Implement (south of elevator); "Jim" Wand used old wooden school building for livery stable barn.


After Philo recovered from the fire on the north side of Main Street, fire struck on the south side in 1917. Four frame buildings, the post office, meat market, confectionery and ano- ther small shop were razed.


The first electricity in Philo was run by a gaso- line generator. It was operated this way for ten years.


Between 1914 and 1918 bond rallies were held and Red Cross classes met in the "Red Front" building. Miss Sue Ennis, a tireless worker was in charge and Philo was justly proud of its Red Cross record.


WHAT HAVE WE HERE ?


COUNTRY FOLKS IN TOWN FOR A LOCAL ELECTION IN THIS 1912 SCENE TIE THEIR RIGS AT A HITCH RACK THAT WAS LOCATED NEAR THE BIG A DEPOT. BUGGY IN FOREGROUND WAS EQUIPPED WITH A "STORM FRONT" AND DRIVER AND PASSENGER LOOKED OUT THROUGH SMALL WINDOWS DRIVING LINES WERE THROUGH A SLIT CUT IN THE FRONT. SIDE VIEW WAS NIL AND AT CROSS. ROADS AND INTERSECTIONS IT WAS EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!


WHAT? NO WINDSHIELD WIPERS!


- J ZUMWALT


The Class of Nineteen hundred and eleben Philo High School


amounces its Commencement Exercises Friday Focuing, Hay twelfth at right o'clock Opera House


Class #Hotto "Out of the harbor, out on the deep "


Class Colors Mauve and Gold.


Class Flower Jonquil.


Class Boll


TALLAIIINA SMRTI IDA AGNES DASS GIORGIA DELL FOLIE MARY INABIL MILLER PHILIP HENRY LOVINGLOSS WILLIAM FREDRICK MAY JASON EUGENI CHURCHILI


P. E. Starkey, Principal.


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Disking


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1911 - Hitching rack across from Horgan and Cain Grocery. Left to Right: Dr. Chas. Ryan, unknown, Frank H. Cain.


This Page sponsored by:


SUNNYCREST IGA, Philo Road, Urbana


RALPH WILSON, EDWARD ANDERSON, GEORGE ANDERSON


THE CRADLE, Philo Road, Urbana


BREWER CHEVROLET CO .. Homer, Illinois


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THE PHILO GARAGE CO. PHILO, ILLINOIS


OVERLAND AUTOMOBILES


AUTO LIVERY, ACCESSORIES, REPAIRING STORAGE, GASOLINE AND OILS U. S. L. Service Station Electrical Work and Battery Recharging Tubes and Casing Vulcanizing


CLARK'S CANNING FACTORY


Clark's canning factory, owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Clark, came into existence in 1916. It was located in the now empty lots south of Hazen Park on Adams Street. With equipment which consisted of one wash boiler, a soldering iron and a gasoline torch to seal the cans, they were able to peel, pack and can 300 quarts of tomatoes a day.


The plant was later enlarged to a four-room building with a scalding room, peeling room, cooking room and ware room, where the filled cans were labeled and stored.


Mr. Clark raised his own tomatoes from seed drilled with a corn planter. One year from 35 acres, 135,000 cans were produced.


At the peak of the canning season thirty people were employed.


-News-Gazette Jan. 25, 1942


RURAL SCHOOLS


The rural schools played an important role in the educational system of the Philo Community. Yankee Ridge, the first school in Philo Township was built in 1857, one half mile north of the still- standing but empty Yankee Ridge building. With Miss Emeline Keeble, who later married Mr. Callor, as teacher the first school opened


February 7, 1857, with twenty pupils enrolled, aged six to nineteen. Two of the first directors were Lucius Eaton and Mr. Chapin.


In Crittenden Township as soon as a sufficient number of children justified their doing so, a teacher was engaged and a subscription school opened in a cabin in Bouse Grove. Abadiah Johnson, who was the first teacher, taught the first term in 1852-53. After a school house was erected in 1857 on Section 14, Martha Chapin was employed to teach. Martin Clennon, Philo's oldest male citizen, remembers his first teacher was Mr. John Burns.


It is recalled a school known as Swamp Col- lege was located one mile east of Philo (at the corner west of Calvary Cemetery). The school having been closed before the turn of the cen- tury, Mr. Clarence Rice purchased the building, which was moved to his farm and used as a gran- ary.


Black Slough, a school one mile west of Philo, (corner west of Leo Cain's home) not remen- bered by many Philo residents, was moved to Philo and remodeled into a dwelling now occu- pied by Mr. and Mrs. Harold Ruffner.


Since rural schools were built every two miles no child had more than two miles to walk to school. The Philo Townships schools were: Locke, Union, Brick, Riley, Yankee Ridge, Pell and Maple Grove. The Crittenden Township schools were: Pleasant View, Center, College


FFFE


Union School District 106


Corner, Jesse, Williams, Belle Prairie, Noble. Spencer, Smith and St. Mary's Parochial School.


The rural schools were also important in the social life of the community. One form of local entertainment and means of raising money was the box social. The ladies and young girls spent many hours at home elaborately decorating boxes with colored crepe paper and preparing their special delicacies to fill the boxes. After some entertainment, the boxes were sold at auc- tion to the highest bidder without mentioning the name of the owner. The purchaser had the privi- lege of eating the contents with the young lady, often his best girl. This generated quite a bit of rivalry between the bidders who either knew or thought they knew the owner of the box being sold. On these occasions a box often brought as much as twenty-five dollars.


Christmas programs were presented for the parents and neighbors. The teacher and pupils spent many hours in preparation and excitement was high on the day of the program.


In case of a snow storm the teacher had no worries about having a place to stay overnight for the homes were always open and "the welcome mat was out".


In cold weather one of the older boys usually took over the task of getting the building warm in the morning, for the fire was "banked" at night.


In most rural schools the "hot lunch" was a glass jar of something brought in the lunch pail and placed in a pan of hot water on the back of the stove.


An examination day was at the end of the month when examination questions were sent to the teacher from the county superintendent's of- fice. Near the close of the school year seventh and eighth grade students went into town to


Yankee Ridge School as it looks today. The last of our one room school houses.


Since the school term was only eight months long, the last day of school was the latter part of April. Even if they had no children in school all the families in the district came with well-filled baskets. After a bountiful dinner, games and much visiting and joking were enjoyed.


Due to small student enrollment some of the rural schools had closed prior to the organization of Community Unit Seven. When Unit Seven was organized in 1949 all remaining area rural schools were closed except Maple Grove, which remained an attendance center of Unit Seven for one year. At this time a bus system was estab- lished to accommodate all of the children of the community.


Philo School


The first school in the town of Philo was a two story frame structure, which stood where the pre- sent school stands. Moved to a site on the north side of Washington Street, the school building was then converted into a livery stable. Later it was used as a barn until it burned in 1966. The first recorded graduating class from this school consisted of four members: Belle Van Vleck, Eli- zabeth Davis, David Godfrey, and Frank Van Vleck.


At an election held in May 1898, the proposi- tion to build the present two story brick school received 92 votes "For" and 4 "Against". The proposition to locate the school house upon the site occupied by the old building received 88 votes "For" and 9 votes "Against". The propo- sition to issue bonds to the amount of four thou- sand dollars received 93 votes "For" and 3 "Against". The directors of the Board of Educa- tion at this time were: F.C. Hess, Dr. R.L. Jessee and E.B. Hazen.




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