Chester High School - Summit Yearbook (Chester, IL)

Page 9 text:

School SW5 “Democratic government can be predicated only on universal education.

Page 11 text:

THIRTY-FIVE OUR LINK TO YESTERDAY Built in 1858, referred to in the language of an earlier day as the Big Brick and also as The Pride of Southern Illinois , it stands today a minor unit of a much larger structure—its identity unknown to many even of those whose education was received here. In 1882 the Big Brick became but a two-story wing of a three-story school building which was again enlarged in 1904 by the addition of still another wing consisting of four commodious rooms. Changed is its threshold, transformed is its roof, modernized its heating system, gone the bell from its roof-ridge, yet for more than three-fourths of a century have its walls resounded with the laughter and optimism of children who have here received the lessons that have prepared them to meet the responsibilities of life. These children, photographed in 1876, constituted the intermediate department taught at that time by Miss Mollie Payne, who stands near the center of the picture. Of this group, many have passed into the Great Beyond. So far as we are able to ascertain, only five are now residents of this community: William Tackenberg, the second from the left in the picture: Mattie Nesbit, who stands directly in front of the teacher: Channing Smith, who stands third from the right end: Charles Schirmer, who stands seventh from the left end, and Theophilus Schirmer, who stands fourth from the right end of the line. Standing about third from the teacher's left is Susannah Tate, through whose kindness and generosity this photograph was obtained. Miss Tate, an alumna of the Class of 1885, now resides at Lakin, Kansas. To make the passing of time more real, a large elm tree has grown at the left of the picture until now it casts its protecting shade over that end of the building. Thus, time passes, but the Pride of Yesterday has not been destroyed. Instead, it has been incorporated as an integral part of a larger unit and so continues to render service long after many of its contemporaries are gone. Page 7