USA > Illinois > Champaign County > Philo > Philo area centennial, 1875-1975 > Part 5
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Bell Prairie School - 1904
L to R - Teacher: Edna Collins, Grace Anders, Florence Anders, Emma Anders. Grace Hughlett, Augusta Mumm. Ada Mumm, Harvey Anders, Andrew Bleichner, Edith Mapes. 2nd Row - Nellie Anders, Ross Bleichner, Pearle Anders, Martha Mumm, Charles Comer, Paul Butler. Frank Anders, Joseph Bleichner. Sitting - Walter Anders, Robert Mapes, Samuel Anders, Gladys McClintock, Martha Anders, Earl Mumm. Franklin Burr.
Mr. Charles H. Watts was employed as high school teacher and principal of the new school at a salary of eighty dollars a month, Miss Gina Leming was grammar room teacher at fifty dol- lars a month, Miss Kate Wright taught inter- mediate grades at forty dollars a month, and Miss Susie Reddick was primary teacher at fifty
dollars a month. Newton Garritson, the janitor, received fourteen dollars a month. The five mem- bers of the graduating class of 1898 were Edna Collins, Grace Trost, William Snyder, Edith Brelsford and Pearl Dick.
A contract was awarded Hoover, Van Vleck and Hoover to construct the gymnasium which
Union School - 1920-1921
Bottom Row: L to R. Gladys Spencer. Grace Plotner, Helen Plotner. Chester Klockenbrink, Clifford Brand. Helen Odebrecht. Fern Klockenbrink. Irven Brand, Melba Odebrecht, unknown. Lola Spencer, Wilbert Plotner, Back Row: Matilda Plotner, Irene Taylor - teacher, Orson Spencer, Fred Brand.
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Philo Grade School - Early 1900's
was completed in 1927, at a cost of $27,000. Ed Hesselschwerdt was the plumbing contractor for the building.
1936-37 was the last year Philo functioned as a three year high school. The members of the last class to graduate from the three year high were: Edward Bowers, Joseph Brewer, Robert Loving- foss, Wanda Miller, Mildred Ruffner, James Smith and Velma Trowbridge.
When Philo became a four year accredited high school in 1937 an addition was built on the north side and some remodeling was done. Voca- tional agriculture, home economics and com- merce were added to the curriculum. Agriculture and home economics classes were held in the upper rooms of the gymnasium, now used as a music room and a library. The classes in Com- mercial subjects were taught in what is now room nine.
A small fire occurred in 1937, which caused a great deal of excitement, but there was no exten- sive damage done to the building.
Defeating Mahomet 32 to 22, Philo became the Champaign County basketball champions in 1938. The team members were: Wayne Ray. manager, Roy McCloskey, Raymond Wingfield, Bert Ward, Wesley Goodnight. Henry Wilson, James Wilson, Clarence Patton, Jo Smith, Charles Reese and Donald Melohn. Mr. Francis C. Hall was the coach and Mr. Gerald Y. Trimble was principal.
The Industrial Arts Class of 1937 constructed a shop where the portable classroom now stands which was used as their classroom until high school was moved from Philo. This building was purchased by Mr. Orville Miller and moved to its
present location at the corner of Madison and Lincoln Street.
In 1948-49 Community Unit Seven was formed consisting of Sidney, Philo, Tolono, Pesotum, Sadorus, Colfax and part of Crittenden town- ship. The Board of Education was composed of one member elected from each township: A.S. Hartman, Pesotum; Clifton Cekander, Sadorus; Verne Shepherd, Crittenden; Wm. Hadden, Col- fax; Melvin Henderson, Tolono; Richard Franks, Philo; and Lawrence Mumm, Sidney. Mr. J.C. Honn was employed as the first superintendent of the unit.
During 1948-49, the last year Philo High existed, Mr. J.L. Landes resigned as principal and was replaced by Mrs. Lelah Wimmer. The ten members of the last graduating class of Philo High School were: James Bray, William Ellars, Caroline Ellis, Earl Hammer, Donald Hinners, Richard Rice, Marlene Riggs, Vernon Shepherd, Rex Mahannah and Yvonne Johnson.
In the years 1949 thru 1958 the seventh, eighth and ninth grades attended school at East Unity Junior High in Sidney. The tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades went to Tolono. With the passage of the bond issue to build Unity High School and the addition to Philo Grade School, the seventh and eighth grades returned to Philo.
The new addition to the gymnasium, com- pleted in 1958, consisted of five classrooms and modern restrooms. At the same time the cafe- teria in the old building was completely re- modeled. Grades four thru eight were taught in the new addition and kindergarten thru three in the old building. All of the high school students went to Unity High School.
In 1971 a portable classroom was placed east of the new addition to house social studies classes. The kindergarten class was moved to the portable classroom in 1974-75.
In the summer of 1974 the office was moved from third floor to the first floor in a completely remodeled room formerly used as the custodian's
workroom and a new building was erected for the custodian's use.
As the 1974-75 school year comes to a close with an enrollment of 186 students, Miss Thelma Melohn is principal of Philo Grade School and Mr. William McNealy is superintendent of Unit Seven.
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PUBLIC SCHOOL
PHILO ILE
Today
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Philo School Addition
St. Thomas School
St. Thomas in Philo is one of the two Catholic parochial schools maintained in Champaign County outside of Champaign-Urbana.
St. Joseph's Academy was built in 1905. It was a three story stone building where grades one through twelve were taught. There was also a chapel and the living quarters of the teaching Dominican Sisters. Sister Agatha was the first principal and the first graduates of St. Joseph's were: Agnes Clennon and Agnes Wegeng in 1 906.
It opened as a boarding school around 1907. The girls roomed on third floor in the dormitory and ate with the sisters on the lower level. The boys roomed and boarded in a brick building constructed west of the school known as the "Frat House".
The "Frat House" was closed and the boys then roomed across the street on the second floor
of the rectory. A fire occurred in the rectory in 1937 and as a result the boarding school was dis- continued.
St. Joseph's high school closed in 1938.
The name was changed to St. Thomas Grade School and the Dominican Sisters continued to teach grades one through eight.
The decision was made in 1966 to construct a new school. The old building was demolished and on almost the same site as the original school a new one story brick building was con- structed. Wayne Bonnell was the contractor. The new building consists of four classrooms. a li- brary, office. gym, multipurpose room and a kitchen. Nearby a new convent was built at the same time.
St. Thomas now has shared time in seience and music with Philo Grade School. The 1974-75 enrollment is 108 and the school is staffed by two Dominican Sisters and two lay teachers. Sister Mary Esther is the principal.
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St. Joseph's Academy - 1918
St. Thomas School - Today
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Dominican Convent - Today
The History of the Philo Women's Club
The Philo Women's Club was organized in 1900 with twenty-four charter members. It seems fitting to begin this history with the first history as written by Mrs. Henry Love (Presbyterian minister's wife) in 1908. Following is the verba- tim account taken from this first history:
"Thinking that a brief history of the "Philo Improvement Society" would be of interest to its members Ye editor has endeavored to gather a few facts. At a meeting of the Champaign County Farmer's Institute, held at Philo on Jan. 22, 1900, Mrs. E.B. Hazen was elected president of the County Domestic Science Association. By a notice in the Philo Budget Mrs. Hazen invited the ladies of the vicinity to meet in her home on February 1, 1900, to organize a local "Domestic Society". It was well attended and organized with the following officers: president, Mrs. E.B. Hazen; vice-president, Mrs. Paris Robinson; Sec .- Treas., Mrs. Floy Hess. Mrs. Julia Mowry suggested the name "Philo Improvement So- ciety" and this name was adopted. There were twenty four charter members."
Mrs. Love goes on to record: "We can boast of being the pioneer Domestic Science Society in the county and at present time there are seven societies in the county. During the past seven years a total of seventy six names have graced our rolls; a membership of fifty three having been the highest at any one time. Each summer we hold a picnic, to which we take our families for we must have a day with our children, and each fall we have a banquet to which husbands and friends are invited. The first picnic was held at the home of Mrs. Isaac Raymond in 1900 and the first banquet with Mrs. Emma Penman. Suc- ceeding banquets were held at the Philo Opera House. No less than 100 persons attended these picnics and banquets. Truly, they were the "highlights" of the year!"
I shall divide the history of the Philo Women's Club into three sections - one for each twenty five years. So, for the first Twenty Five years:
As you note, the original Women's Club was really a domestic science club at the beginning. At one time there was an effort to combine with the Home Bureau and it wasn't until 1927 that the name was changed to The Philo Women's
Club from The Philo Improvement Society. All the first programs were on domestic science subjects some of which, now in 1975, seem a little hilarious and not pertaining to Women's Club work at all. There were many talks on foods, management of children, furnishing the boy's room, the girl's room, "a thoughtful paper on the cigarette", the need of individual drinking cups, demonstration of the carpet sweeper (proving that the cleaner can get dirt where there wasn't dirt before) and what must have been the most illuminating program of all in 1911, at the home of Mrs. M.L. Brewer, "when the lady of the house talked on the care of the basement and showed us her plan of doing the laundry - she having water, a gasoline stove, clothes lines and everything pertaining to the wash in the basement, which no doubt is quite a saving of labor and strength, but we without basements and water in the house do the best we can with- out these modern conveniences."
There were also several debates which could still be resolved in modern times:
1) Over-activity in club life is pernicious and scatters a woman's energy; 2) Debate on Women's Suffrage: "the condition of the country is simply disgraceful": 3) Resolved that higher education unfits a woman for homemaking; 4) Resolved that reading fiction is not profitable.
The Philo Women's Club was active also in World War I work: In addition to selling Red Cross Seals, donating $15.00 to the Red Cross, sending candy, cookies, small gifts and writing letters to the soldier boys, reading Hoover's food conservation articles and Wilson's acclamations, demonstrating "War Breads", buying a service flag to be hung in the post office (later given to the Am. Legion) the club made a Red Cross quilt on which blocks of names were sold for 25 cents each making $75.00 at the final auction, con- ducted a "Community Sing", and the planting of Memorial Trees in Hale Park with a name plate on each in an "impressive and appropriate serv- ice" when the Armistice was signed.
There was also much cooperation with the school and village boards: Fire escapes for the school were suggested; twenty members went to the school to present a big picture of Oliver Wendell Holmes (cost $2.00) noting the 100th year of his birth.
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In 1907 the village board was asked to erect an iron gate at the south entrance of the park bear- ing the name Hale Park in honor of the donor; tables and benches were bought for $2.50 and placed in the park and first used by the ladies in one of their big picnics. Years later, it was re- ported to the village board that some of these tables and benches were found reposing in some private yards; would they take action? And another interesting request of these first twenty- five years of the Women's Club was the request, in 1908, for street signs. This was refused and it was not until 1950 that the club members were granted their foresighted wish.
The Second Twenty-Five Years 1925-1950
In the second 25 years of the Philo Women's Club the members were still involved in the prob- lems of the changing status of women, in school problems and again in another war.
First, it had been voted to change the name of The Philo Women's Club as we were no longer interested only in domestic problems; no longer were "the refreshments" demonstrations put on by club members and the problems on home and family. Now, there were programs on: Why a Woman Should Vote - What Becomes of our Taxes - What a Woman Should Know About Law - Challenge of a Democracy by Mrs. Guy Tawney of Urbana - The Inheritance of the Modern Woman by Judge Springer, Urbana - The Lost Arts - Conservation, Recreation and Self-Entertainment by Mrs. C.C. Wiley, Urbana; and Movies - Women May Compel Clean Films; we read The Kellogg Pact and sent a copy to the school; we signed a petition for the U.S. to join The World Court; we signed a resolution in 1930 urging a law requiring a driver's license and we stressed that a library was as close as your mailbox.
In these years we were always being asked by the teachers and the school board to assist them in some way. In 1938 principal Gerald Trimble sent us a letter in regard to the C.W.E. Educa- tional Project. "Would the Women's Club accept the responsibility for organizing the classes in the special effort to give employment to unemployed teachers?" In 1945 there began rumors and private meetings that there was a "Need for more uniform schools and standards must rise if democracy is to succeed"; Jack Landis, H.S. principal, talked on "Reorganization of Schools" and Mr. Wiley, grade principal discussed "What is a Good Education?"
The Club decided to buy a new piano for the new gym, paying for it by putting on a "home- talent play" but after talking it over with the school directors learned that a stage curtain was much preferred; the play brought in $217.10. Another request to put on a "community social" with the schools to raise funds for equipment for the new "gym" sold 257 tickets at 25 cents each, totaling $66.15.
In March, 1927, we were asked by the school board directors to cooperate in "stirring up the community and the parents to take definite ac- tion to combat the spread of diphtheria among our school children". In 1930, it was suggested that we put on a community Christmas program at the gym which we did until 1935 when it was realized that we were interfering with the church's observance of this important event. We also did some landscaping around the gym. Another home-talent play with an all-male cast put on The Follies to finance this project.
Again, in the 1940's we were involved in another war; Pearl Harbor had been bombed! Many socks, sweaters, and beanies were knitted and many layettes were made by the ladies of the town under the direction of the Women's Club sponsored by the Red Cross. One meeting a year was donated to making bandages plus all the weekly sessions in basements and churches. As late as 1943 fifty five knitted articles were made with 1040 hours credit.
From 1928 to the late 1960's the annual mother and daughter's banquet took place with huge crowds attending every year.
In 1935 the Club sponsored a birthday banquet for 91-year-old Mattix Twins, Dave and Joe, the nation's oldest male twins. More than 300 came to honor "the boys."
In 1940 the Philo Women's Club celebrated their 40th anniversary with 115 guests present. Three of our charter members, Mrs. Henry Love, Taylorville, Mrs. Charles Watts, Urbana, and Mrs. Catherine Brewer, Ridgefarm, and Grace Raymond, the daughter-in-law of Mrs. Isaac Raymond, charter member, came to reminisce about their part in the organization of The Home Improvement Society in 1940.
1950-1975
During its last twenty-five years The Philo Women's Club was as active as during the pre- ceding fifty years. By this time our club was the third oldest in the county. We were still involved in the annual Christmas party for the children at the gym (at least 100 of the small fry came to see films and to receive their candy and apple); a
small group went to the Danville Veteran's Home periodically to give a little entertainment and to take paperbacks, playing cards, shorts, ties, and sport jackets; we sent a delegate to the organizational meetings of the Champaign County Historical Society in 1958; in December 1955 we served lunch at the Reynar farm sale, nearly freezing in the extremely cold, bitter weather but making the magnificent sum of $79.19 for all our hard work. On March 3, 1960, we celebrated our 60th anniversary with a well- planned, appropriate program but a raging bliz- zard prevented all but the few in the immediate neighborhood from attending.
However, our most important activities during this last 25 years were the establishment of a fine Philo Township Library; the organization of the Philo Junior Women's Club, the appointment of a committee from our Women's Club to serve on a Park Commission to beautify our two parks; and participation in a big project assisting principal Wiley in reorganizing the grade school library after our junior high came back from Sidney with all the Philo Junior High library books that had traveled along with them.
Now, in June 1975, The Philo Women's Club reaches the end of its seventy-five years. With appropriate program, costuming of members as in days of old, table decorations and favors, the occasion was celebrated with a big party at the Urbana Country Club. With many nostalgic memories of such happy days of the past we now look forward to the future and whatever it will bring knowing that more changes will take place in the next ten years than have occurred in all these past 75 years. The changing status of women in our complicated society will determine whether Women's Clubs will live in the future. We have hopes of more pleasant associations and of being of use in our community in the times to come.
Home Economics Extension Service
Extension work in Champaign County was or- ganized for a Home Improvement Association in September 1917, by Florence E. McConnell. By January 31, 1918, five hundred women signed cards pledging support to the new organization, that would bring higher development to the home and community.
Thus Champaign County Home Bureau was incorporated as Champaign County Home Im- provement Association, May 15, 1918. The first outstanding organizer was Mrs. H.M. Dunlap, county chairman for eight years. The first Home Adviser was Mary E. Bronson.
There were no units, at first, merely a county group divided according to townships. Philo was organized as a unit in 1918.
During 1917-1922 the purpose of the organiza- tion was to conserve food due to World War 1. From 1922 to 1930 women became interested in improvement of their homes and the health of their family. In 1924, a rural electrification pro- ject was started in one community. Running water, in every home, became the slogan.
In 1932, during the depression period, lessons were given on low cost foods for an adequate diet. Women learned to make over old clothes. From 1933-1939 we found women becoming more county conscious and surveys were made to find the needs of the county and planned educa- tion extension courses.
The World War II period from 1940-1943, Victory Gardens were planted and were patriotic.
The 25th Anniversary of the organization was honored by a Pageant and the 50th Anniversary was held in 1968.
The Spanish influenza epidemic took its toll. It struck savagely and showed no preference for the young or the old in 1918 and 1919. It was re- ported that more service men of World War I died of the flu than of war casualties. Mr. John Smith, a service man in France, died of the flu and a huge funeral service was held in Philo for him.
November 11, 1918 marked the end of World War I. While there was much celebrating in the streets of Champaign the feelings of the people of Philo were mostly relief and gratitude. They were eagerly waiting for all the boys to get home and take off their uniforms. It was on November 29, 1919, on Thanksgiving Day, that the town held its homecoming for the World War I veter- ans. The News-Gazette reported that, promptly at 5 P.M. Thanksgiving Day, returned soldiers and sailors marched from the Hesselschwerdt Store to Ennis Hall for Philo's homecoming for World War I veterans. Mr. Farmer, sole survivor of the Civil War, led the march. Township Red Cross workers, who stood behind the soldiers in battle, were lined up in a double file between their especially prepared table. There were 60 guests. The pathetic side of it was manifest in a small table reserved for gold star mothers: Mrs. Robert Penman, Mrs. Hibben Lovingfoss and Mrs. Wm. Smith. A turkey dinner was served by Red Cross workers. After a few remarks from the veterans the group adjourned to the town hall for the evening's program. Reverend Leach was the toastmaster.
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1917
Back Row: L to R. Cora Doss - Teacher; unknown, Paul Burr, unknown, Esther Ray, unknown, unknown, Mildred Dickison, Francis Walters. 2nd Row: Harold Clark, Grace Edwards, Robert Servis, unknown, Mar- jorie Carson, Dale Dilley, Harold Plotner. Ist Row: Clarence Mast, Joe Hesselswerdt, Nellie Groves, Kenneth Mast, Sommers, Lou Myler, Georgia Brelsford.
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Binder
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Resting on Main Street
Main Street, Philo, Ill., One of Champaign County's Wide Awake Towns
1917
Threshing
Philo Township World War I Honor Roll
Fred C. Amsden, Frank B. Anders, Sam Anders, Herbert Barnhart, Andy Boars, Ira B. Bergfield, Luther S. Bicker, Walter Bocock, John T. Brazelton, Vincent C. Cain, Eugene J. Churchill, Jesse H. Cochran, George Cooley, Wil- liam Cunnegan-gold star, John J. Daly, Alfred J. Decker, Herman N. Decker, Bert Dickason, Perry Dickason, Charles F. Dilley, George Dilley, Paul Doss, Everitte Edwards, Roy V. Edwards, Eugene Fisher, Ray Fisher, Lawrence P Flynn, Everett L. Goodwin, John Grabbe, John W. Grein, Paul O. Grothe, Charles Harper, Fred L. Hinners, Vernon House, John Johnson, Olet Johnson, Fred Lovingfoss, Kenneth B. Loving- foss, Howard Lovingfoss, Phillip Lovingfoss, Walter A. Lowry, John Luhring, Arthur May, Charles May, Harry H. May, Thomas P. Mc- Cormick, Clarence McCoy, Stanley McGuire, Henry Mckeon, Rodger Mckeon, Jr., Thomas Mckeon, Paul F. Meharry, Henry J. Melohn, Raymond O. Merritt, Charles E. Miller, Grover C. Miller, Robert Miller, John Mitchell, Henry J. Moran, Daley Morgan, Charles J. Mullins, Char- ence W. Ordel, Gus Penman-Gold Star, Guy E. Penny, Vernon Penny, Ezra E. Percival, Harry B. Percival, Fred V. Percival, Charles L. Plotner, Ralph J. Reed, Nathan L. Rice, Walter R. Roberts, Charles F. Ryan, William Ryan, Vernon
T. Shepherd, Elias W. Silvers, Wallace Silver, Harry F. Simmers, John C. Smith-Gold Star, Lowell W. Smith, Daniel Spannagel, Louis G. Spannagel, Albert L. Starkey, Fred W. Stearns, William E. Steele, Charles Stewart, William Shubbs, Glen S. Stunkard, Tony Swich, Ray- mond Tarrant, Benjamine Thompson, Herbert J. Trost, Howard Trost, Glen M. Vinson, Guy M. Walker, Earl J. Walter, Phillip Westendorf, Homer Wilcox, Roy Williams, Arthur Wilson, Omer Wimmer.
History of the American Legion, Philo, Illinois
An American Legion Post No. 394 was origi- nally chartered in Philo following World War I, and was known as the Vernon R. Penny Post. This charter now hangs in the Legion Hall and was signed by the Department of Illinois on June 15, 1923. However, this became inactive in the following years and many of the Philo veterans joined the Sidney American Legion Post which continues active at this time.
After the end of World War II, the veterans of that war, along with some of the World War I veterans, established the present American Legion Post. The Post was an outgrowth of a discussion at a meeting of the Philo Booster Club, a civic organization, in 1948. The Booster Club was planning some type of function similar
to an "old settler's picnic" which had been held off and on in prior years. Finally it was decided to have a "Fourth of July Celebration" in Hale Park. Then came the question of how to obtain sufficient manpower. The suggestion was made that other organizations such as the Volunteer Firemen might help and if we only had a veterans organization in Philo, there would be another source of help. That discussion resulted in a committee being appointed to investigate the formation of an American Legion Post since more veterans could meet the eligibility require- ments than a Veterans of Foreign Wars Post.
The committee of Howard W. Trost, Donald F. Melohn and Francis H. Cain, Jr., was ap- pointed to investigate formation of an American Legion Post. The County Commander, Mr. Rus- sell Willard, was contacted, since many members of Sidney Post were from Philo and indicated they would join a Philo Post if established. Mr. Willard was directed by the Department Com- mander to determine if Philo would be a "grievance" Post. He found, however, that Sid- ney members were not against it, but in fact wholeheartedly supported a Philo Post. There- upon, it was necessary to obtain a minimum of fifteen members and file an application for a charter.
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