Alma School - Alma Mater Yearbook (Alma, IL)

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Wanted: Patsy: Wanted: To Rent: Exchange Exchange: Exchange Wilma: Elnora: Sue: The Flag Our flag, it's red and white and blue. It stands for victory, for me and you, And when you see. it fly aft night, It looks like a far away kite. Ralph Sullens The Sun The sun is very, very red, I used to watch it go to bed. The sun is beautiful to see, As it goes down behind a tree. Russell Bouseman WANTS By a small family, a small boy who never plays marbles, to run small errands for small compensation. Going west, would like to escort an old gentleman with a cork leg, or a child with the rickets. Reservations must be made and fair paid in advance. A silencer for my wife, who talks twenty-two hours out of the day. Highest price paid for satisfactory instrurnent. Contact-Mr. jackson, Wanted, a tenant with six children, all modern conveniences Mike wants a saxaphone for a hoe, must be sharp. Vernon wants a popular novel for a large blank book in good condition, johnny wants a first class fountain pen for a wig, Buy my new wonder preparation, which relieves any woman of an undesirable skin in five minutes. Secret of equal beauty for every woman. Beauty is only skin deep. Bring back your gray hair, whether blondined or colored: Send for trial bottle, five cents, Gray Hair Restorer, By Wilma Wagoner

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VILLAGE OF ALMA The village of Alma is on the northwest corner of the township on the Chicago branch of the Illinois Central Railroad. It was fir st laid out by john S. Martin 1854, It was named Rantoul, after an officer of the railroad, but another town had been given that name, and it was chang- ed to Alma. Doctor Hutton built the first store house in 1853, and was the first postmaster. Smith and Hawkins conducted the first black smith shop and john Ross the first grist and saw mill. jefferson Hawkins was the first Mechodist Preacherg john Ross, the first Christian preacher. The Methodist Church was built in 1871, The first school house was burned and the second one was built in 1866 and 1867. It was a two room building, but is not now used. Some of the members of the Christian Church, conceived the thought of a Christian College at Alma. The Rosses and others gave land and money and a good two story school house, or college, was built and a. college opened, but after a few years struggle the property was sold to the district for public school purpose s , Mr, Abbott was one of the first school teachers and was an outstanding educator and leader of the community of that time. Alma has grown from a hamlet to a village, and was incorporated in 1896, It has many business houses and has the trade of this, and Tonti 8 f' broke out and Foster township. On the 28th of December. lm. a ire in a large barn and destroyed the entire business part of Alma. Several stores, warehouses, shops, and restaurants were burned and as all were of frame, the loss was total, but with true American grit, the ashes were hardly cold before the debris was being cleared away and preparation for brick buildings were uncler way, In july of 1908 the large fruit cannery was burned. One of the first pioneers of the community, Wm. Ross, introduced the netted Gem melon, a small, oval, heavily netted, green fleshed fruitg ' 1855. The melons Mr Ross brought the melon seeds back from Texas in were grovum commercially for several years by local farmers and shipp- ed to the Chicago market-in barrels, At one time the shipments reached 10 to 15 carloads a day. ln the same year that Mr. Ross introduced the melon he also started the k ifer ear tree which he imported from Texas. Other trees were graft- C P ed from the original tree, the beginning of many large pear orchards ir' the surrounding community. The original tree is still standing. 't sh' 'n oints of the county. Alma has become one of the chief frui - ippi g p