Westville High School - Janus Yearbook (Westville, IL)

Page 15 text:

The Hegeler Zinc Plant In 1906 the Hegeler Zinc plant w as built just north of our city. This location was selected because of the available coal deposits. It is cheaper to ship the ore into this location from Missouri than to ship the coal out there. It was not until 1908 that the factory started production. The picture atxn-e shows the rolling mills in operation. Around this smelting plant a young village has sprung up and Mr. Hegeler has been mighty good to our educational systems, having just re cently transferred some more land to the McMillan Grade School for school grounds.

Page 14 text:

 J Right in the edge of estville three hig mines were located. A short distance east of the high school stands the slack pile of old number four. The picture below shows this mine on lire in 1922. It was so badly destroyed by the fire at that time that it was never again o[»erated. Old Kelly No. 4

Page 16 text:

The Formation of Our High School During the nineteenth century the principal schools of our locality were the pioneer rural one room schools, so typical of early American education. Higher learning if any was to be had was obtained from the Seminaries located at Georgetown and at Danville. Then there came a gradual growth and a consolidation into the Westville city grade school system. As late as 1911 there was only one room of Central school that was devoted to higher learning. Then in 1917 came the big tight to establish a High School District and a Township High School. Many there were who argued that no schooling above the common grades was needed. Hut there were a few far-sighted leaders who saw the need for such a school and who fought day and night for the rights of the poorer class to obtain as good an education as the other communities offered. As a consequence the Westville Township High School was built and opened it doors for the first time in October. 1918. with an enrollment of ninety pupils, counting seventh and eighth grades. Since that time the school has enjoyed a continuous growth until today the enrollment has reached 350, with a broad curriculum offered.