Teachers:
1915 to 1916 Elizabeth Miller - primary grades Elsie Murphy Lange - principal and upper grades
1916 to 1917 Elizabeth Miller - primary grades No record of the other teacher
1917 to 1918 Elizabeth Miller - primary grades Ruby Compton - principal (She was Miss Miller's niece.)
1918 to 1919 Elizabeth Miller Criswell - primary grades Ruby Compton - principal
1919 to 1920 Jennie Sommercorn - primary grades
Lillian Wilson - principal (later married Albert Seyfert in 1921)
1920 to 1921 Jennie Sommercorn - primary grades
Lillian Wilson - principal
1921 to 1922 No record of primary teacher Edith V. Wilson - principal
1922 to 1923 No record of either teacher
In the records we have, the teachers have started referring to this as York School or the York District. After researching, we found that in the late 1800"s some land developers bought large parcels of land and then went to the Midwest and either sold or convinced settlers to come here to purchase farms. A. M. York was one of these developers, and this area was known as the York District. People began referring to the school as being in York's District. We are speculating that this is how the school and then the road got its name.
We are also speculating that the boundaries of the York School District were Cotton Road or. the south, St. Clair Road on the east, Township Road on the north and the river on the west.
This was during the time of World War I, and everyone was very patriotic, flying flags, etc. There were many families of German extraction, but their patriotism was never questioned, and their loyalties were to America. Since the young men were going in the service, the girls had to do a lot more work in the fields.
In 1918, the school was closed for two months, as were many other schools and churches, because of the flu epidemic.
Also in 1918, the Teacherage was built by John E. Compton. It had three rooms: a bedroom, livingroom and a kitchen. Miss Miller and Miss Compton were the first to use it. When Elizabeth Miller married Farnham Criswell, the students gave her and Miss Compton each a set of silver flatware -- Miss Miller because she was getting married and Miss Compton because they liked her and didn't want her to feel left out.
One event that occurred in 1923 really upset the students and community. Roland Olson, son of John E. and Dora Olson, was killed in a hunting accident. He was a very popular boy.
Students from that time remember the Christmas programs -- their mothers making the costumes, spelling and arithmetic contest, dancing in the winter time during noon hour, and the program and picnic the last day of school. One girl loved to cook, so Miss Sommercorn would let her cook for her the the Teacherage. She remembers making a pie, the crust just flour and water, and how proud she was of it. Miss Sommercorn never said how it tasted.