Walnut, Illinois 1872-1972 Centennial Book: Part 4
Grade School before 1900
In 1845 the first log school was built on the south bank of Walnut Creek--the settlement known as Walnut Grove. This area is now known as Hen Peck. This school building was replaced in 1859 by a more modern frame structure (where cement house now stands). This building served for social and polĖtical meetings as well as for school. Miss Sophia La Port was the first teacher at $1.25 per week. The school was built by Richard Brewer, Thomas Landers, and Thomas Fisher. There were no buildings on the north side of the creek at the time, the present Main Street was just a cow path. This school served until 1869 when a two room frame building was erected on the site of the present grade school. Soon two more rooms were added-the first grade school in Walnut. This building was also used as a place of worship. The faculty at lhis time as G. P. Peddicord, Principal; Miss Alla Swayne, grammar department; Miss Chloe Mitchell, primary; and Mrs. Grace Peddicrod, intermediate. There were 122 students enrolled.
(quote from Frank Golden's letter in 1889) "And then there was the old school house, a four room, stove heated building--air conditioned the year round. Flat seated, straight backed, double desks. One form of punishment was to make a girl sit with a boy or vice-versa. Don Marquis was scholar at the time. The faculty consisted of John Stevens, janitor and bell ringer; Hortense Pomeroy, primary; Miss McIntyre, intermediate; Ella Lemon, grammar, and Prof. Larch, principal. A later group was Maude Marquis, Lizzie Pratt and Frank George."
In 1894 a new six room building was constructed to accommodate the increasing enrollment. The school year was divided into three terms instead of the two semesters of today. Of the 215 students in 1895, 33 of these were high school students. About 1900 the school was organized into a four year high school. In 1914 the building was remodeled and enlarged; better facilities were installed.
(quote from 1904 Leader) "In the new six room grade school all outside appearance has been sacrificed to inside comfort. Walnut may now boast the most pleasant and commodious school building in the state. Snead's most modern system of heating and ventilating has been adopted and has proved the very climax of success."
Early Class of Miss Nellie Ross
School which burned in 1932
The six room grade school burned in 1932 and was replaced with a fireproof four room plus assembly hall at an expense of $30,000 which in 1937 proved to be inadequate. Citizens at this time voted an additional $8,000 for two more rooms.
In the summer of 1947 two wooden (rural) school buildings were attached to the building. Even with this addition, the school building was inadequate. Voters had to decide whether to remodel or build a new school again went to the polIs. The new addition at a cost of $450,000 was completed by September 1954. This new addition provided the school with a cafeteria, new office space, 10 classrooms and a gymnasium with a seating capacity of a thousand people.
Present Walnut Community Consolidated Grade School
By 1967 the school enrolIment had outgrown its facilities and again the voters had to pass on an $180,000 bond issue to finance the addition of six elementary classrooms. These 11 rooms were completed by January 1968.
1972 finds the Walnut Community Consolidated Grade School a busy place with many activities. There are two rooms for every grade, two sessions of kindergarten, three special education classes, services of speech therapist, remedial reading teacher, art instructor, and a vocal instructor, services of the Bureau County School's psychologist, a part-time school nurse, Headstart program in the summer for the pre-school child and a summer school remedial program. There is a physical education program for both boys and girls. An athletic program with competitive games with other schools is organized for boys and a track program is provided for girls. A school lunch program is provided for students. The school owns eight buses for transportation to and from school for students from the surrounding area.
Cafeteria Scene - Lunch Hour at Grade School
There are 500 students enrolIed at the present time with 25 teachers; the principal, Curtis WestfalI; a secretary; a bookkeeper; two janitors; a bus maintenance man; eight bus drivers and four cooks employed to keep the school in operation. The year 1971-1972 has brought the addition of a teachers' aide and three tutors to give remedial help for students at different levels of learning. Many changes have been made from the one room school to the present grade school but the philosophy of our school remains the same.
Instruction ends in the school room but education ends only with life. A child is given to the universe to be educated - T. W. Robertson
A good education consists in giving to the body and to the soul all the beauty and all the perfection of which they are capable. - Plato
Mrs. Lowell Sprinkle