Kinmundy Historical Society

 

 

 

          OAK PARK SCHOOL

              (Also known as "Frog Pond School")

        Omega Township, Marion County, Illinois

 

 

 

 

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        We are looking for photos of people and/or places from around Kinmundy & Alma.  Can you help?

Or maybe you have stories or memories from the "Good Old Days"?  What do YOU remember?

        The Kinmundy Historical Society would be honored to preserve your memories and stories.  We also have the

equipment to scan (or copy) your photos so that they may be enjoyed now as well as for generations yet to come!

        We would love to hear from you!  For more information, please contact: 

       

   Dolores (Ford) Mobley – Dolores@ford-mobley.com

                       208 Joan Dr.; Divernon, IL  62530; (217) 625-7527

            or

 

            Gladys (Corrie) See – gsee49@yahoo.com

                                         408 S. Washington St.; Kinmundy, IL 62854; (618) 547-7731

 

 

Teachers from OAK PARK SCHOOL – District  #82 (Omega twp.)

                        (also known as "Frog Pond School")

                             Located in Section 3 of Omega twp – east of Omega. 

  (North of the east entrance of Forbes State Park and west of the Brown Church sign.)

 

(1903-04)  Elijah Crundwell  ($30)

 

(ca 1907)   Helen Marlow

 

(1915-16)   Cecil Bousman

(1918-19)   Miss Eva Beard

 

(1920-21)   Ermine Mulvaney

(1921-22)

(1922-23)   Byron E. Millican

(1923-24)   Earl Vandeveer

(1924-25)

(1925-26)

(1926-27)   Byron Millican

(1927-28)

(1928-29)   Velma Marlow

(1929-30)

(1930-31)   Velma Marlow

(1931-32)   Byron E. Millican

(1932-33)   Mrs. Opal Luttrell

(1933-34)   Marjorie Keller  (later became Marjorie (Keller) Walkington)

(1934-35)   Marjorie Keller

(1935-36)   Byron Millican

(1936-37)   Byron Millican

(1937-38)   Miss Naomi St. Clair

(1938-39)   Mrs. Lena Hayes

(1939-40)   Mrs. Lena B. Hayes

(1940-41)   See Millican

(1941-42)   See Millican

(1942-43)   See Millican

(1943-44)   Otis E. Tate

(1944-45)   Otis E. Tate

(1945-46)   Otis E. Tate

(1946-47)   No school

(1947-48)   No school

 

(1948-49) Students attended Brown School at the Omega twp. Consolidated-3 district

 

Feb. 3, 1949: Several from this vicinity attended the sale of the Oak Grove School buildings Saturday.

March 3, 1949: Joe Littrell and wife are now living in the Oak Park schoolhouse, which they purchased and are planning to move to their property.

 

 According to Mont Ritter, the story goes that "when the school was built, the schools had to be at least 2 miles apart.  However, since there were only 1 or 2 families west of it, the school was built on land donated by Mont's grandfather, William Frederick Ritter.  The people west of it said they would not go there because it was just a Frog Pond where it was built.  Hence the name "Frog Pond School"."

  

(The above information was gathered from "The Kinmundy Express" articles, Marion County School Directories, and information from those who had attended school there.)

 

Oak Park School – District 82 – Omega twp.

 

Frog Pond school was in a low, swampy area.  There was a small enrollment, for five-month winter terms and 2-month spring ones.  In winter, children played on Ritter’s Pond.

 

Some teachers:

_____ See

_____ Spencer

Susie Hite

Ermine Dunn

Carrie Rush

Earl Vandeveer

Ben Millican

Byron Millican

Opal Luttrell

See Millican (3 years)

Lena Hays

 

Frank Simer, Floyd Alderson and Omer Wilcoxen were three older pupils who are still living.

 

Marlow children attended here.

 

On the last day of school there was usually a basket dinner.

 

After the school was no longer used for school, Joe and Opal Luttrell lived in the building.  They had no electricity.

 

It was nicknamed Frog Pond because the yard was so low and marshy.  I have heard that some objected to the site, saying it was nothing but a frog pond.

 

(One Room School Memorial – Archives - Salem, IL)

 

 

Year

Names of Trustees (Town 3, Range 4)

Names of Directors at Oak Park School (#82)

1915-1916

W.A. Kniseley, T.J. Middleton, W.E. Stevenson

B.E. Siple – Twp. Treas.

T.W. Alderson, H.E. Greene, Charles McGee

1918-1919

W.A. Knisely – President; W.E. Stevenson – Clerk;

T.J. Middleton; B.E. Siple – Treas.

Grant Rogers, Peter Wrang, T.W. Alderson

1920-1921

N.B. Potter – President; T.J. Middleton – Clerk;

W.A. Kniseley; B.E. Siple – Treas.

Grant Rogers, F.L. Curry, Fred Hanks

1922-1923

C.F. Hadden – President; S.J. Mulvaney – Clerk;

N.B. Potter;  B.E. Siple – Treas.

Ora Ritter, F.L. Curry, Fred Hanks

1923-1924

N.B. Potter – President; S.J. Mulvaney – Clerk;

C.W. Hadden; B.E. Siple – Treas.

Minnie Rogers, E.E. Goodwin, Ora Ritter

1926-1927

C.W. Hadden – President; Chas. See – Clerk;

L.V. Middleton; B.E. Siple – Treas.

H.E. Greene, E.C. Goodwin, Chas. McGee

1928-1929

Chas. See – President; L.V. Middleton; W.E. Stevenson;

B.E. Siple – Treasurer

Amos Wilcoxen, Andrew Mulvaney, Chas. Monical

1930-1931

W.E. Stevenson – President; John Baker, Ray Schooley;

B.E. Siple - Treasurer

Chas. Monical, Ora Ritter, E.C. Goodwin

1931-1932

W.E. Stevenson, John Baker, Ray Schooley,

B.E. Siple - Treasurer

E.C. Goodwin, Leslie Wilkinson, Chas. Monical

1932-1933

W.E. Stevenson, Wm. Hadden, Ray Schooley;

B.E. Siple - Treasurer

E.E. Goodwin, Ora Ritter, Leslie Wilkinson

1933-1934

H.M. Long, L.A. Beard, W.E. Stevenson;

B.E. Siple – Treas.

E.C. Goodwin, Ora Ritter, Leslie Wilkinson

1934-1935

H.M. Long, Leslie A. Beard, W.E. Stevenson;

B.E. Siple – Treas.

C.E. Goodwin, Ora Ritter, Leslie Wilkinson

1935-1936

H.M. Long – President; Leslie A. Beard, W.E. Stevenson;

B.E. Siple – Twp. Treas.

Leslie Wilkinson – President; E.C. Goodwin – Clerk;

Chas. McGee

1936-1937

H.M. Long – President; W.E. Stevenson, Leslie A. Beard;

Originally H.E. Siple but changed to Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treasurer

Leslie Wilkinson – President; Ora Ritter – Clerk;

Chas. McGee

1937-1938

H.M. Long – President; W.E. Stevenson; Leslie A. Beard;

Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.

Chas. McGee – President; Steward Monical – Clerk;

Ora Ritter

1938-1939

H.M. Long – President; Leslie A. Beard; S.E. Stevenson;

Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.

Chas. Monical – President; Steward Monical – Clerk;

Ora Ritter

1939-1940

H.M. Long – President; Leslie A. Beard; W.E. Stevenson;

Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.

Chas. McGee – President; Steward Monical – Clerk;

Chas. Monical

1940-1941

H.M. Long – President; Leslie A. Beard; W.E. Stevenson;

Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.

Charles Monical – President; Ora Ritter – Clerk;

Charles McGee

1941-1942

H.M. Long – President; Leslie A. Beard; Mancil Cantrell;

Loren V. Middleton – Treas.

Chas. McGee – President; Ora Ritter – Clerk;

Dean Baker

1942-1943

H.M. Long – President; Leslie A. Beard; Mancil Cantrell;

Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.

Dean Baker – President; E.C. Goodwin – Clerk;

Ora Ritter

1943-1944

H.M. Long – President; Leslie A. Beard; Mancil Cantrell;

Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.

Dean Baker – President; E.C. Goodwin – Clerk;

Andrew Mulvany

1944-1945

Leslie A. Beard – President; Mancil E. Cantrell;

Cloyd Bradley; Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.

Chas. Wilcoxen – President; Steward Monical – Clerk;

Roger Mulvany

1945-1946

Mancil E. Cantrell – President; Leslie A. Beard;

Elmer J. Weyhrich; Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.

Claude Jamison – President; Stewart Monical – Clerk;

Ora Ritter

1946-1947

Mancil E. Cantrell – President; Leslie A. Beard;

Elmer J. Weyhrich; Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.

Claud Jamison – President; Steward Monical – Clerk;

Ora Ritter

1947-1948

Elmer J. Weyhrich – President; Leslie A. Beard;

Wayne Whitney

Ora Ritter – President; Chas. Wilcoxen – Clerk;

Claude Jamison

 

(The above information was gathered from the Marion County School Directories.)

 

 

      

Oak Park School (also known as Frog Pond School); Omega twp; Marion Co., IL – about 1907

Back row: Laura Van Cleve, Libby Marlow, Helen Marlow – teacher, Bird Long, Minnie (Craig) Smith, Bertha Copple, Mary Copple,

     Fay Van Cleve, Omer Wilcox, Hattie Green, L. Kitchen, Loren Alderson, Ora Ritter, Fred Collier, Charles Collier, Hallett Craig,

     Louie Green, I. Kitchen, Willard Huddlestun, C. Kitchen, Rose Huddlestun

Front row: Coleman Green, Hazel Copple, Ethel Wilcox, Rola Marlow, ______ Huddlestun, Lloyd Alderson

     

 

Oak Park School (also known as Frog Pond School); Omega twp; Marion Co., IL – 1913

 

 

Oak Park School (also known as Frog Pond School); Omega twp; Marion Co., IL

Mont and Laurel Ritter

 

                          

 

Oak Park School (also known as Frog Pond School); Omega twp; Marion Co., IL

 

 

Oak Park School (also known as Frog Pond School); Omega twp; Marion Co., IL

 

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