![]() Liberty School, 1923/4 |
![]() Liberty School, 1934/5 |
![]() Liberty School, 1938 eighth grade graduates |
![]() Liberty School, 1923/4 |
In an earlier "History of Lake Co." book by Bowers, Taylor, Woods of 1929, it stated: "Liberty School (all brick, 2 classrooms, full basement, modern) built in 1920 by F.E. Muzzal & Sons for $16,000.00." Jay M. Pearce was Trustee at that time.
Co. & Twp. records have been destroyed, when the Co. Court House was moved to the new Gov. Center north of Crown Point. So a complete list of teachers & trustees is no longer available; what information is listed on the two schools has been derived from individuals who had attend these schools.
Liberty teachers in 1921-22 were Paul Sheehan for upper grades & Mary Fisher in the lower grades. 1923-24 was Smith V. Glass, with Grace Hathaway as Music Supervisor. W.A. Bryant was Twp. Trustee and A.E. Condon was CO. Sup't. Students then in the upper grades were: 5th grade: Roy Solomon, Edna Solomon, Clark Appleton, Laura Herron, Irene Jurs, Violet Hessling, Magdalena Kretz. 6th grade: Marion Iliff, Joe Hessling, Alice Reed, Ophelia Winkler, Lorena Hillyer. 7th grade: Wesley Jurs, Gladys Sutton, Cecil Sutton, Elmer Solomon. 8th grade: Ruby Herron, Ruth Meadows, Opal Meadows, Fred Solomon, Harvey Hillyer, Daniel Solomon. Edwin Hough and Zora Busselberg; also Martha DeKock taught in 1925-26. Hubert Long became principal, Lena Bryant, Mildred Sparling & Lois Berdine taught in 1926-27. Ann DeKock & Mildred Sparling taught in 1927-28. Then a period without available information.- - - During the winter, when mud roads became almost impassible, Wm. Amey drove a horse-drawn wagon to get the children to school, probably around 1934-35-36. Doris Morrow & Frances Fry also were teachers at Liberty in the late '30's & Laureva Sloan was a teacher there in 1937-38. John Amey was a bus driver in 1937-38. (Later these two were married). Spring of 1938 was the last time Liberty was used as a school. Those students were bused to Center School after that and a yr. or so later, the old Liberty School Bldg. was demolished.
Liberty School was built in 1920 with a water pump in the front yard and outhouses in the back yard for boys and girls. The school had two rooms with 4 grades in each room. "Old Man Winkler" was the driver of the first bus used by Verle. It was horse driven and even after a motor one was obtained, the horse bus was used in muddy or inclement weather. Then Mr. Karlson had a car used as a bus for a long time until finally John Amey and then Fred Dilley were our bus drivers. Liberty School closed in 1939 after Jean graduated from eighth grade with seven in her class and Laureva Sloan (later Amey) as the teacher. There were usually 4 to 6 in a class as there were many changes each year in tenant farmer families. Verle lived with Grandma Little in 1938 to help out there and take 7 and 8th grade in West Creek schools.
A handwritten note attatched to this account stated "There's a little story about Laureva Sloan (Amey). John Amey drove a school bus and we teased John and Laureva because they were interested in each other -- and they did get married. Laureva taught school for many years and passed away in 2007.
A list of Jean Little's classmates and teachers through the years follows:
Second Grade (1931/2)
Third Grade (1932/3)
Fourth Grade (1933/4)
Fifth Grade (1934/5)
Sixth Grade (1935/6)
Seventh Grade (1936/7)
Eighth Grade (1937/8)
Go to Liberty School, "Pioneer History Index," for further information.
See also 1924 Liberty School Souvenir Booklet
Return to Lowell History.
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