Carnegie museum to host one-room school house reunion

The Carnegie Historical Museum announces the Inaugural One Room School Reunion. This event is the first-ever gathering of those Jefferson County residents who had the privilege of attending a one room school house for part of their formative education.

This event will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 24, 2023 at the Jefferson County Fair. The Elm Grove School No. 4 at the Fairgrounds will be the sight of the gathering.

Who is invited? Everybody who attended one of the 99 (count ‘em) one room schools in Jefferson County will be welcome, plus anyone who would like to hear stories and see mementos from our schools of yesteryear.

We have seen such a consolidation over the years of our school houses. The 99 schools were placed four miles apart on land acquired from farmers so that all students in the county would not have to travel more than two miles, by foot, by horse, by wagon to be able to attend school. In 1970, there were eight public elementary schools serving our district; Libertyville, Lincoln, Lockridge, Logan, Pence, Pleasant Plain, Roosevelt and Washington. Now we have just two public elementary schools, Pence and Washington, serving our school district.

We invite all interested attendees of the one room school houses to mark their calendar for Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 1 p.m. at the Elm Grove School No. 4 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds to relive their early education with their fellow students.

Further information may be obtained by contacting Lawrence Eyre Interim Director of the Carnegie Museum Board at 309-221-3379.

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