Month: September 2023

Celebrating the End of the School Year – 1944

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graduation cap & books

Friday night, May 26, 1944, the rural schools of districts 204, 208, and 209 (Dayton) held joint graduation ceremonies.

200 at Graduation Program in Dayton Hear W. R. Foster

Eight pupils of the eighth grade received diplomas last night at a combined rural and village school commencement exercise attended by 200 at the Dayton school

Diplomas were presented by County Supt. of Schools W. R. Foster, who made the graduation address. Members of the class were Le Roy Reindel, John Edsan, Jimmie Lambert, Truman Eltrevoog, Naomi Winchester, Edward Patterson, Dorothy McLean and Francis Alvig.

Seventh grade promotion certificates were presented to Elaine Thomas, Ruth Schmidt, Marshall Claude, Dick Thomas and Dale Reindel.

The program was in charge of the teachers of the school combining for the commencement, and was opened by graduates and the audience singing “The Star Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America,” and giving the salute to the flag.

District 208 pupils under direction of Mrs. F. J. Giehler presented a sketch, “The Colonial Time.”

A playlet, “The Story of America,” was given by district 204 pupils directed by Mrs. Edith Miller.

The Dayton school primary department under direction of Miss Emma Fraine staged a skit, “All Out for Defense.” Pupils of Mrs. Naomi Trent’s room at the Dayton school staged a playlet, “Salute to the Flag.” The program closed by all pupils singing “The Victory Polka.”1

 

Two days later, everyone gathered at the school for the annual picnic.

the picnic table

This is a later picnic, but I’m sure the table was just as loaded in 1943.

100 Gather for Annual Picnic at Dayton School

One hundred attended the annual picnic of the Dayton school yesterday at the school grounds.

Dinner at noon was followed by races and other sports. Later ice cream and cake were served.

Winners in races were Carl Schmidt, preschool age; Shirley Patterson, 1st grade; Sylvia Ralrick, second grade; Rosemary Patterson, third; Bobbie Buckley, fourth; Ardelle Taylor, fifth and sixth; Elaine Thomas, seventh; Edward Patterson, eighth; Teddy Mathews, high school; Mrs. Homer Matthews and Mrs. Naomi Trent, married women’s.

Mr. and Mrs. Tony Summons, Mrs. Morris Ponton, Mrs. Mayme Ryan and Miss Elizabeth Ryan of Chicago, and Mrs. Fred Ritzius of Ottawa were out of town guests.2

  1. Ottawa Republican-Times, May 27, 1944, p. 8, col. 1
  2. Ibid, May 29, 1944, p. 8, col. 6

Schoolteachers Cora and Winnie Childs

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Cora and Winnie Childs

In 1882 a two-story frame house with a belfry was built at the top of the hill in Dayton. It served as the schoolhouse until it burned in 1890. The first teachers in that building were Cora and Winnie Childs, the daughters of Franklin P. Childs and Margaret Price.

They were born in Marshall county, Illinois; Cora in 1860 and Winnie in 1863. In 1864, their parents moved to Ottawa to take advantage of the better educational opportunities for their daughters. Cora graduated from Ottawa Township High School in 1879 and Winnie in 1881.

Cora completed the two year program at Wesleyan Female College in Cincinnati in one year, graduating in June 1880. She taught at several other La Salle County schools and after Winnie graduated in 1881 they came to Dayton together in 1882.

They taught there for two years, until their father moved the family to a farm near Morris, in Grundy county. Cora applied for and was granted a position teaching in the Morris junior high school.

The two years spent in Dayton made many opportunities to get to know the Dayton people, and Cora and Winnie kept up friendships with many of the Green family and others into later life. One of these friendships ended in the marriage of Cora Childs and Harry Green on February 22, 1888. They lived in Morris, where Harry had a bakery and restaurant. After that building burned, they returned to Ottawa where he went to work for the Standard Brick Company, where his brother-in-law, C. B. Hess, was a partner.

In 1892 they moved to Chicago where Harry established himself as an electrical engineer. Cora was very active in various patriotic organizations. She held a number of offices with the DAR, including many years as regent. She was the first regent of the Chicago chapter of the DAC, the Daughters of the American Colonists; was a member of the Daughters of 1812 and many other similar organizations. Cora died February 1, 1951 and is buried in Ottawa, Illinois.

Winnie never married and spent most of her life on the farm near Morris or in the Chicago area. She worked at various times as a stenographer, a reporter and a music teacher. She became an invalid following a fall in1940 and in 1950 was in a private nursing home in Morris. In 1958 she was in Chicago with her niece, Mabel Greene Myers, where she died February 11, 1958.

Comings and Goings – 1928 Dayton Briefs

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Dayton Briefs

Edward Raspillar of Plano, Ill., spent from Saturday until Sunday at the Fraine home.

L. A. Green and sisters, Miss Maude and Mrs. A. P. Masters of Colorado Springs, Colo. and Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Green motored to Mendota Sunday to spend the day at the N. Van Etten home.

John Gracia made a business trip to Aurora Tuesday.

Mrs. Rush Green, Mrs. Gladys Lattimore, Mrs. Addie Thompson, Misses Emma and Jennie Fraine spent Sunday evening at the home of Mrs. E. J. Dallam’s in Ottawa.

Miss Cora Tanner of Aurora spent Sunday with her mother, Mrs. A. L. Tanner.

Mrs. Keenan and Miss Edith Reynolds went to Aurora Tuesday to spend the day.

Mrs. John Reynolds was confined at her home last week. Her daughter, Mrs. A. L. Prager of Marseilles took care of her.

Mrs. Paul Schmitt has returned to her home here, after being ill with the flu at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. S. Canfield in Rutland.

Mr. and Mrs. Allen Fleming and son, Marshall of Aurora spent the weekend with the former’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Fleming.

Mrs. Addie Thompson attended the wedding of Emmett Burke and Agnes Telpher at St. Columba’s church last Monday.

Mrs. Wm. Ryan and two daughters spent Saturday in Ottawa.

John Garcia, who has been laid up the past three months with a smashed hand, is now employed with the C. B. & Q. railway in Ottawa.

Harry Loomis made a business trip to Champaign, Ill. Saturday.

Mrs. Harold Schilling of Ottawa spent Wednesday in Dayton.

Mr. and Mrs. C. Draper and family spent Sunday at their new home in Wallace.

Mr. and Mrs. M. Keenan motored to Spring Valley Thursday evening to call on Mrs. Sam Nash.

Louise, Mildred and Clarence Thorsen went to Streator Friday to spend a few days with their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Tobias Thorsen.

Mr. and Mrs. Danny Rieuf and Mrs. Bill Roth and son of Ottawa called at the M. Keenan home Friday evening.

Mr. and Mrs. John Reynolds and daughters, Miss Edith and Mrs. Trayer spent Sunday at the Vincent Smith home, near Ottawa.

A few from here attended the opening dance at Illini Beach Sunday evening.

L. A. Green, Miss Maude Green and Mrs. A. P. Masters called Thursday evening at the Ralph Green home in Ottawa.

Mrs. Edward Miller of west of Dayton spent Wednesday evening at the Fraine home.

Mrs. Mae Fleming and daughter, Shirley Jean of Rutland spent Sunday with Mrs. W. B. Fleming.

Miss Edith Reynolds spent Sunday evening in Ottawa with relatives, returning home Monday.

Mr. and Mrs. Mike Tracy of Streator were callers in Dayton Sunday of last week.

Mr. and Mrs. M. Keenan spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. Danny Rieuf of Ottawa.

Elmer Thorsen of Streator called Sunday evening at the Lormis home.1

  1. The (Ottawa, IL) Republican-Times, May 8, 1928, p. 3, cols. 2-3

Charles Miller – Postmaster, Farmer, and Tailor in Dayton

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Charles G. Miller, one of the pioneer settlers of La Salle county, and for some years engaged in the mercantile business in Ottawa, died at the residence of his son in Chicago on the 3d inst., in the 72d year of his age. He was a native of Lancaster, Pa., and had come to this county in about 1837, opening a tailoring establishment in the village of Dayton, then buying and working a farm in Dayton township for several years, and then opening a dry goods store in Ottawa.

In 1862 he closed out his business here and returned to Pennsylvania, going into business in Pittsburg, but gave that up in about 1872, and since then had lived in Chicago. He was a man of more than average education, fond of books, a wide reader, and a ready and fluent speaker. Though active in his earlier days as a democratic politician, generous and big hearted, he never sought office and, except the postmastership at Dayton, we believe never held any. Two brothers, John and Uriah Miller, who survive him, are well known prominent citizens of this county; and a third brother, Reuben, who accompanied the Mormon exodus to Utah, we believe is still living there.1

  1. The Ottawa Free Trader, September 17, 1881, p. 1, col. 2.