After college Florence Luella Downing, mother of Alice Horner, taught at this little country school for one year (1924 - 1925). Alice looked in her 1908 Carroll County Plat Book which only shows little symbols for schools and doesn't name them. However, there is a school marked in Salem Township, which is north of Chadwick that is where she thinks Mission Ridge school was. Alice noticed that some of the names of the farmers in the immediate vacinity are the same names as the children who attended the school. This schoolhouse was at the edge of Section 25, where it meets Section 36, at the south east edge of Salem Township, near where it meets Rock Creek Township to the east and Fair Haven Township to the south. Leroy Getz who still lives in the area, and a relative of Alice, gave us the following information. " I sort of remember a school on Route 40 at the east end of Timber Lake Road. An old plat book that I have, which no longer has a date, shows a school in the N.W. corner in Section 26, Salem Twp. This plat book was published sometime after 1924 and probably before 1930. In the Carroll Co. "Goodly Heritage" book on page #227-228 is a list of old schools. Dist.# 55 Mission Ridge is listed on 3003 S. Route 88 which is now Route 40. That is close to where I remember but the building was gone when the book was published so I don't think the 3003 address is exactly right anymore. I can't find my map of roads out of Mt Carroll and this 1951 Plat Map won't help because Timberlake didn't go in until at least 1958. The 1951 plat map shows Rte 88 to be at least a couple of farmer's fields away from the part of section 26 where I think the school was."

The students at Mission Ridge School in 1924-1925 were: Lillian Miller, Emma Jane Watkins,
Vernon Bashaw, Helen Miller, Johnnie Doty, Glen Miller, Frank Curley, Hazel Schreiner,
Bessie Schriener, Kathryn Stakemiller, Louis Spealman, Marion Miller, Lillian Daggert, Cyrstal Stein,
Laura Stein, Wilbur Doty, Merle Miller, Evelyn Miller, Robert Stakemiller, Emma Curley, Ruth Mathias

A basket, pie, cake, and candy social was held at Mission Ridge school Wednesday evening, November 26 (1924). At an early hour the schoolhouse was filled to capacity.

The program opened with a recitation by Helen Miller. Instrumental music was rendered by Loyal Harr and Vernon Weidman. The play "Hiawatha" was then presented by the school. The story of the poem was dramatized. The opening scene portrayed Hiawatha’s childhood while the play closed with the coming of the White Man and Hiawatha’s departure for the Land of the Hereafter. Hiawatha’s Melody of Love as a solo was rendered by Mrs. Harvey Mathias.

The cast of characters were as follows:
Hiawatha (in youth): Vernon Bashaw
Mudjekeewis: Ruth Mathias
Wenonah: Lillian Dagger
Nakomis: Emma Curley
Red Deer: Frances Curley
Hiawatha (grown): Robert Stakemiller
Arrow Maker: Bessie Schriener
Minnehaha: Lois Spealman
Mondamin: Ruth Mathias
Iagoo: Evelyn Miller
Pau Pukeewis: Glen Miller
Chibiabos: Hazel Schreiner
Famine: Kathryn Stakemiller
Fever: Hazel Schreiner
Priest: Ruth Mathias
Puritan lady: Marion Miller
Puritan Children: Lillian Miller, Helen Miller

The sale was well taken care of with Roy Fritz as auctioneer and Harvey Mathias as clerk. Nearly one hundred persons were served ice cream and cake. The gross receipts of the social amounted to $45.41.

Memories of Marvin W. Daehler
I attended that school for my first six years beginning in the Fall of 1948 and ending in 1954. In fact, I believe that the school closed in 1954 after finishing my sixth grade there and students then enrolled in the Chadwick Public School. Indeed, it may have been the last one-room school house in Carroll County but that would need some further checking.

Leroy Getz does describe the correct location. It was positioned in the NW corner of Section 26 on property owned in the 1950s by Dwight Spealman. I remember it as being just to the south of the t-intersection between what was then IL Route 88 (now IL State Route 40) and Timber Lake Road. In other words, Timber Lake Road came from the west and ended on the other side of Route 88 just to the north of the school. (Had Timber Lake Road continued eastward, it would have passed just to the north of the school). Students who attended the school typically came from farms located right on Route 88 (beginning with its entrance into Salem Twnship from Fairhaven Township between Section 34 and 35) and attendees came from several farms on that route after it curved northwesterly in the middle of Section 22. Students in the district also came from a few farms along what was then (and may still be called) the Old Telegraph Road (i.e. the road that continues southeasterly when Route 88 turns south and after its intersection with Pioneer Road.) The school was torn down shortly after it closed and the property was converted back into farmland by Mr. Spealman.

Mrs. Legel was the teacher at the time of its closing. She may have been there for well over 20 years. My own genealogical efforts are the Conrad Keil - Elizabeth Hartman family.

Marvin has photo and is going to get them together to send to us. When he does - I'll place them here and let everyone know.