Morsetown School

Metamora Township

Metamora, Illinois, Friday, September 13, 1957

Open House Sunday, Sept. 15th at Morsetown School in Observance of District's 100th Anniversary

Morsetown School, District 42, located in Section 4, Metamora township, 3 1/2 miles northeast of Metamora, pictured above and still in use is the only remaining one-room school in Woodford county.  The school also has the distinction of being the first free school in Woodford county and one of the first free schools in the state of Illinois.

Next Sunday, Sept. 15 from 1 P.M. till 8 p. M. "Open House" will be held at the school marking its one hundredth year.  There will be an informal program and an exhibit of interesting articles connected with the school's existence, also a history prepared by H. L. Dyer, former superintendent of schools in Woodford county and printed in a booklet will be available to visitors.

The Centennial Committee, a group of the patrons and directors of the school are in charge of the "Open House."  They cordially invite all to visit the school on this occasion.

Mrs. Ralph (Bernice Hahn) Schertz is the teacher of the school.

The above brick building, the successor of the first frame building in the district, where school was started in 1836, was erected during the years 1854 to 1858.

Donated by Rod Ranney

Attached is an old pix that I have had hanging on my computer room wall for quite a while. Thought you might enjoy seeing it, and maybe knowing somebody, or their parents, children, or grandparents. The teachers got paid by the # of children. I believe it was Alice Minger who said she wouldn't teach if they couldn't find one more child. I was the only one left in the area. I was 4 in May and my brother was 6. She said she would take me if I could keep up with my brother. The humor of it all (as they say), either I was pretty smart or my brother wasn't all that smart, because I always got grades higher than he did. Went all through school with him and I graduated a few days after my 16th b/d May 5, 1942. Regards, Rod
 

Morsetown Students

1932-1933

Front L-R: Miss Stella Yoder, Doris Dyar Thomason, Grace Robinson, Dean Robinson, Verna Sluga Fuchs and Rodney Ranney;

Back: John Voelker Jr., Roger Bachman, Burton Ranney, Milton Schrock and Don Sluga.

Donated by Rod Ranney

1857   Morsetown   1957

For it's 100th Anniversary, the administration, faculty and students of Morsetown School put on a celebration, and published a history of the school in book form.  Click here, or on the book's cover to read the school history by H. L. Dyer, the school history by the Mother's Club, a list of School Personnel (Teachers and Directors) from 1862 to 1957, and a poem about the school  by Lucille Phillips.

Donated by Rod Ranney

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