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Ball Township Schools
CROW'S MILL SCHOOL
District # - 123
Legal Description - Section 2, T14N R5W
Location - East side of old Cotton Hill Road about one-fourth mile north of the Sugar Creek bridge.
In 1874 the land was owned by Benjamin Williams. In 1894, Alex Duncan owned the land. In 1914, it was in the same location as above adjacent to S.A. Leadabrands' land.
The school was named for nearby Crow's mill on Sugar Creek. The schoolhouse was remodeled in 1917 when Ralph T. Clark was the teacher. It was made into a two-room brick veneer building. The area was called Cotton Hill with a post office and is now all under Lake Springfield. When the lake was built, the school operated until the spring of 1933. The district was divided and the building was moved to Toronto Road in Woodside Township. It was named North Crow's Mill School and became a two-room school for the area north of the lake. It is still standing in Woodside Township, Section 35, T15N R5W, on Toronto Road about one mile east of I55. It is used as a tavern, but the name "Crow's Mill School" is still over the door.
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| DRENNAN SCHOOL |
District # - 126
Legal Description - Section 29, T14N R 5W
Location-- Northwest part of Section 29, one-fourth mile east and one-fourth mile south of the former Sunny Slope School, now a house, at the junction of H.W. 11S and H.W. 2W southeast of Chatham. The old road ran north and south in front of the building which sat -on the west side of the road.
In 1874 the school was on land owned by W.A. Lockridge. In 1894 the site was owned by Rachel L. McCabe and in 1914 it was owned by Emma A. Allen.
The school building burned about 1919. While a new building was being built at the present crossroads mentioned above, a makeshift building was erected for the school. Mr. LaRue Redeford, a first grade student at the time,, tells that it leaked on both pupils and books and was called the "Sheep Shed.” Sangamon School Interests, Jan., 1908 carried the following item: A box supper was held at the Drennan School on Nov. 23, 1907. A large crowd was present and an excellent time was enjoyed by all. The proceeds of $33-35 were used for Reading Circle books and encyclopedias.
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| DRURY JONES SCHOOL |
District # -124
Legal Description - Section 23, T14N R5W
Location - H.W. 10.5S, three-fourths mile east of H.W. 1E which runs south from Ball Elementary School. The school stood on the north side of the road and was named for Drury Jones, who furnished the land site.
In 1874 the land was owned by Drury Jones. In 1894 the owner was the same as above. In 1914 the land was owned by F. M. Jones.
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| GLENARM SCHOOL |
District # -125
Legal Description - Section 33, T14N R5W
Location -West of Glenarm, west of the railroad on the South side of the road,, H.W. 12S.
The school was built in 1926-27 and first used during the school year of 1927-28. O'Neal School had burned in 1926 and the district was divided with Glenarm School on the South half and Sugar Creek School serving the north half. The Glenarm School building is now a residence and is owned and occupied by Mrs. Henry Trutter. The Trutter Family farmed nearby for many years. Mrs. Trutter operated a private kindergarten in the building for several years before converting it into a house.
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| NEW COLLEGE SCHOOL |
District # -127
Legal Description - Section 9, T14N R5W.
Location - One and one-half miles east of Chatham on H.W. 8.5S to H.W. 1W just before the curve south at the lake. The building was on H.W 1W around the corner from the junction and on the west side of the road.
In 1874 the site was owned by James Bridges. In 1894 and 1914, Samuel Drennan owned the land. It was later Howard Lantermans' land.
The building had a basement. New electric lights, a 'new furnace, indoor restrooms, and a water fountain were added in the 1930's. The building was vacant after closing until it burned several years later from a near- by trash fire. A new house occupies the school site today.
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| O'NEAL SCHOOL |
District # -125
Legal Description - Section 28, T14N R5W
Location - East of the present covered bridge across Sugar Creek. Covered Bridge Road is H.W. 11S. The school was one-fourth mile south of the junction of H.W. 11S with H.W. 0.5-W. It sat on the east side of the road.
In 1874 the land was owned by L. O'Neal. In 1894 and 1914, Minerva E. Stickels was the owner. The land is now owned by Calvin Atchison.
The school building stood on the east side of the road across from MacMurray Chapel, a Methodist church. The school burned in the summer of 1926 and the district was divided and two new schools were built. They were Glenarm and Sugar Creek. Some O'Neal School families were Matthew, Pulliam, Jordan, Durbill, Zuksworth, Ryan, and Easley.
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| SOUTH CROW'S MILL SCHOOL |
District # - 123
Section 11, T14N R5W
Location - On the Chatham-New City Road, H.W. 9S, just west of the junction of H.W. 1E from the north. The school sat on the north side of the road facing west toward the driveway. Ball High School sat to the west on the adjoining ground.
In 1933 the land was owned by Frank Stout.
A new brick building was erected in 1933 for the south half of the former Crow's Mill district. It had a library room, indoor restrooms, water piped into the basement, and a modern coal furnace.
The building, together with the Sugar Creek building, which was moved to the east side of the grounds in 1947, were used as a two room, two teacher unit. It operated as a part of Unit District 5 until Ball High School was converted into Ball Elementary School in 1957-58. The two old buildings were demolished in 1988.
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| SUGAR CREEK SCHOOL |
District # - 207
Legal Description - Section 21, T14N R5W
Location - H.W. O.5W, one-fourth mile north of H.W. 10.5S on the east side of the road.
The building was east of Sugar Creek and north of the covered bridge. The building was erected in 1927 on the Charles Matthew farm just north of their residence. Across the road to the west stood the Ball Township hall. While the school was being constructed, Virginia Pulliam taught in a small house east of Arthur Pulliam's home.It was on his farm on H.W. 10.5S. Sugar Creek district was the north half of the original O'Neal School district. A house stands on the school site today. The original well is still in use. The building was moved to the South Crow's Mill yard in 1947 and functioned as a second room until 1958. The building was demolished in 1988.
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| SUNNY SLOPE SCHOOL |
District # -126
Legal Description - Section 30, T14N R5W
Location - Southwest corner of crossroads H.W.11S and H.W.2W. It is southeast of Chatham.
The building was built on Jacobs land in 1919-20 to replace Drennan School which had burned. It has been remodeled into a house and is still standing on the original site.
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©Debbie Quinn
