Alma School History
and
Alma P.T.A. History
(Compiled by James D. Hester)
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Alma School History
In 1853 the Illinois Central Railroad was laid, and in 1854 the town of Rantoul, later named Grand Mound City, and finally called Alma, was laid out by John Martin. The Martin, French and tilden Additoin consisted of six blocks. Children from this settlement attended the little one-room school located east of town in the Pleasant Hill neighborhood and taught by John Abbot (whose family lived where the John Broom family now live.) In 1869-70 William "Uncle Billy" Ross taught the school. In 1898 the school was moved to the location of the "Pullen home" (at the Southeast corner of Broadway & Seventh Streets - which are now vacant lots.) This building later burned and was replaced by a 2-room building (with a hallway between the rooms). (The lumber from this building was later used for the building of the "Pullen house" by John McNeal.) The two-room building was taught by various teachers who included: J.E. Whitechurch and Scott Kniseley (who later became County Superintendent of Schools.)
When the Christian sponsored College (which was built in 1897 a few rods north of the "then" present building) was discountinued for lack of funds and low enrollment. The building was turned over to alma to be used as a grade school. The "Checkerboard" (so-called from the design of the eaves under the roof) across from the college was the home of the college president Henry Boles, and the Rosa Winks home, then the home of Whittier "Whitty" ross, housed out-of-town college students. The old college building, a large, square, dormer-windowed building consisting of four large rooms below two rooms and a chapel above, burned in 1912. the school term was finished in the Baptist Church, Mazanek Hall and the "Checkerboard".
School began the following October in the new building, the one now in use. It had two rooms upstairs, but only one large room downstairs, (the partition being put in later), and a partial basement. One room was used as a playroom until December 8, 1919 when a two-year high school was established (later accredited in 1922) with T.B. McCartan as principal and teacher. Pearl McCartan and Gordon Winks were the grade teachers.
At the end of the term in May, 1941, the High School was taken into the Kinmundy Community High School District as voted on in March 8, 1941. The following fall, the rooms were moved up one room and a lunch room was added and sponsored by the Alma Parent Teacher's Association (which had been organized october 15, 1934.) In 1948 or 1949 (?), the rest of the basement was excavated and completed. A water system and indoor toilets were added. In September 1952, the kitchen was moved to this basement room to make room for another teacher. This made a total of four teachers, each teaching two grades. On May 9, 1953 a vote was taken to form a Unit District which would include Alma, Kinmundy, Meacham, Omega, Foster, and part of Tonti townships. The measure passed and the school was taken into the Kinmundy Community High School district.
Thirteen candidates filed for election to the KCHS board. The candidates were, P.H. Robnett, J.B. Maxey, and Max A. Metcalf from Kinmundy township; Mont Ritter and See Millican from Omega township; Herman G. Soldner, Otis E. Tate and Clark Hampsten of Meacham township; John S. Ford and William Hester, Alma township; and Mark Arnold, Foster township.
This board had jurisdiction over 500-600 grade and high school students. It replaced 10 grade school boards and one high school board.
Alma School Principals
Earl Jackson was the principal from 1923 until 1925.
Guy Featherly from 1928 until 1931.
Scott Kniseley from 1931 to 1932.
Earl Purdue from 1932 to 1934.
Rollin Williams from Sept. 1934 until Dec. 13, 1935. (Merle Baker completed the term from then until 1936.)
J.D. Vandeveer from 1936 to 1938.
Mr. Baker from 1938 until 1941 when the High School was ended.
(Source: Handwritten notes of Lulu Foster Owen (tucked into a 1942 school album which sold at auction at her death by her family.)
Alma P.T.A. History
1939-1940
At the beginning of the year 1939-40, Mrs. J.C. Wilson was the President of the P.T.A., but, due to illness, was forced to resign. She was replaced by Mrs. Merle Baker, with Mrs. Earl Jackson as Vice-President eventually finishing up the year as presiding president. Mrs. Jesse Donoho was the Treasurer. A nice sum was made that year throught the sale of magazine subscriptions. There were 31 members.
1940-1941
For the school year of 1940-41, our PTA officers were Mrs. Warden Bishop, President; Mrs. Ella Mae Hester, Vice-President; Mrs. Opal Coyne, Secretary; Mrs. Grace Jackson, Treasurer. There was an enrollment of 31 members and a total of $49.50 in the treasury to begin the year. That year a speaker was hired to come help in organizing the Allied Youth Movement among our young people.
In April of that year a dozen steel folding chairs were purchased, and $5.00 was contributed to the Child Welfare Fund. The treasury had $20.67 in it at the school year end.
1941-1942
Mrs. Ella Mae Hester was President for the year 1941-42. Grace Jackson, Treasurer; Kathryn Williams, Secretary-Treasurer. Forty-one members were enrolled.
A pie supper was held in October and the receipts were $23.27. A penny supper was held in November netting $25.17. It was in this month that our lunch room was started with the PTA as a sponsor, and with the money on hand, public and personal donationsthe PTA purchased the dishes, pans, silverware, and tank for kerosene necesssary to launch this enterprise. There were $11.95 worth of groceries purchased to start the process.
The school board purchased the first stoves and lumber and other materials needed to convert what was then the primary room into a kitchen. The work of building the tables, seat and storage space was done by Mr. Hamilton Stipp. The lunch room was sponsored by the PTA for the first 3 years and then the school baord took it over with the PTA still helping when it became necessary.
The association sponsored a paper drive in the war effort that year and the school children collected and sold $15.89 which was placed in the treasury to help with the expenses of the kitchen.
1942-1943
Mrs. Hester was re-elected as president for the year 1942-42. that year the PTA paid $20 into the community garden at Odin and received several cans of food. An additional 268 cans were purchased by donations and dimes contributed by the school children.
There were 40 members in the PTA that year.
In February of that year a penny supper was held which addd $31.68 to the treasury. Playground equipment was purchased.
1943-1944
The first PTA meeting for the school year of 1943-44 was held at the school building in October with a potluck supper. Mrs. Gertrude Gammon was President; Mrs. Burt Humes, Vice-President; Mrs. Edith Williams, Secretary; and Mrs. Grace Jackson, Treasurer. There was an enrollment of 44 members.
A $5 T.B. Health bond was purchased and the PTA sponsored a TB test and immunization program. The work was done by the county nurse and a doctor from Salem.
The PTA president, Mrs. Gammon attended the National PTA Convention in Chicago that year.
1944-1945
PTA officers for the year 1944-45 were Mrs. Genelle Aldridge, President; Mrs. Lela Williams, Vice President; Ella Mae Hester, Treasurer; Mrs. Melba Dietrich, Secretary. This was our highest year in membership with an enrollment of 68. Additional dishes for the kitchen were purchased and a $5.00 T.B. Health Bond. Groups of the mothers met at the school in the fall of 1944 and canned 136 quarts of tomatoes and 140 cans fo pears for the use of the lunch room. Fruit and glass cans were donated by the patrons and tomatoes were picked by the school children.
1945-1946
The same officers were re-elected for 1945-1946.
1946-1947
Twenty-five PTA members and patrons of the Alma School gathered at the school building Monday Evening (September 1947) and peeled and canned 137 quarts of peaches to be used in the school lunch program. The peaches were donated by J.B. Owen of the Eisner orchard.
On November 7, 1947, the Harvest Moom Festival was held.
Shrubbery was set around the building in 1947, a duplicator purchased, and a movie projector purchased.