Honor roll of the pupils of districts 2 and 10, Dayton township, for the term commencing May 3d, 1880, and ending July 1^st, 1880. The pupils were graded on a scale of 10 in their studies and deportment, a deduction being made for each case of tardiness and absence. There were 13 pupils enrolled. The following named pupils attained an average grade of 8: Mabel Trumbo, Bertha D. Angevine, Clara S. Angevine, Lester Brown and Mamie Debolt.
E. M. Angevine, Teacher¹

Mabel Trumbo, born 1866, was the daughter of Moab Perry and Rebecca (Kagy) (Walters) Trumbo.

The Angevine sisters, Clara, born 1864, and Bertha, born 1867, were the daughters of Charles Edward and Cornelia (Davenport) Angevine. The teacher was their sister, Eva.

Lester Brown, born 1871, was the son of William M. and Kate (Hess) Brown.

Mamie DeBolt, born 1868, was the daughter of George W. and Mary (Sutton) DeBolt

1. The Ottawa Free Trader, July 24, 1880, p. 1, col. 4

I found this picture online (don’t remember where . . . maybe Facebook?) and I don’t think I’ve ever posted it. Can anyone identify the girls on the ends?

Update: Thanks to Leah Gonigam Baskin who identified Pamela Spence, on the left end, and Darlene Clark, on the right end. Click on her comment below for updates on the later lives of some of these classmates.

In June 1957 the graduation ceremonies at the Dayton school included a number of songs and plays.
Grades 6, 7, and 8 presented the operetta “All About Spring”.
The 5th grade girls gave a reading, “O Wide Wide World”.
Grade 3 sang the English hiking song, “Heave Ho”.
Grades 1 and 2 sang “The Robin in My Cherry Tree”.
The boys of grades 3, 4, and 5 sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”.

But surely the highlight of the festivities must have been grades 1 and 2’s presentation of “The Little Red Hen”. Here’s the cast:

Narrators: Danny Kossow and Susan Krug
The Little Red Hen: Nancy Sensiba
The Miller: Stephen Robertson
The Cat: Georgia Clark
The Pig: Robert Wilson
The Frog: Tim Gage
and last, but not least, the Little Chickens: Gerald Abell, Patsy Arwood, Shirley Arwood, Darlene Clark, Ronald Grieves, David Harmon, Janel Hiland, Judith Mathews, Susan Mathews, and Pamela Spence.

If only cell phone cameras had existed then!!

Opened in 1891, this school replaced the one which burned in 1890

From the Ottawa Republican-Times, June 14, 1937, p6

Graduates of the Dayton school from towns and cities in various parts of Illinois gathered Saturday night in the Dayton Community House for a reunion, planned by the Dayton School Alumni association.

There was a banquet and dancing. Mrs. George Pool, who later was elected president of the association, presided as toastmistress.

Mrs. Fred Sapp of Ottawa told of the coronation in England, which she viewed.

Short talks were given by Ralph Green, who offered a toast to members of the 1937 graduating class of the school; Miss Blanche Reynolds and Miss Emma Fraine. Miss Maud Green told of the history of the Dayton school and how it was established over 100 years ago.

Miss Beulah Canfield, who arranged this year’s reunion, presided at a business session at which Mr. Pool was elected president; Rush Green, vice president; Miss Loretta Gleason, secretary and Herbert Mac Grogan, treasurer. Retiring officers are Miss Canfield, president; Ralph Green, vice president; Miss Helen Hallowell, secretary and Herbert Mac Grogan, treasurer. A social time and dancing followed.

Blush pink and gold were used in the appointments of the banquet. There were yellow tapers and pink peonies and roses in crystal services on the tables. At the place of each guest were miniature girl graduates in pink and tiny tulip nut cups.

The basement of the house, where there was dancing, was decorated with honeysuckle.

Miss Canfield was in general change of the reunion. Mrs. Gilbert Masters and Miss Hallowell arranged the program and Miss Jennie Fraine had charge of the table decorations.

The 1954 Christmas program at the Dayton school had a star-studded cast and a very appreciative audience. All in all, the evening was a resounding success!

They all went to the Dayton school in the 1947-1952 time frame. How many can you identify?

There is a prize for the winner, so get your guesses in now. Leave your answers and your name and email address in the comments so I can contact the winner.

UPDATE: Jim Mathias is the winner.

The 1952 eighth grade class of the Dayton school

 From left to right: Candace Clifford, Carl Schmidt, Mary Ganz, John Harmon, Nancy Ohme, Larry McGrogan, Mary Polen.

The graduation ceremonies were held in the auditorium of the Ottawa High School, along with the other rural schools of the county.

ANNOUNCE DATES FOR GRADUATIONS OF COUNTRY SCHOOLS
Rural Schools of the Entire County are to Unite for Exercises
Each Grade to be Represented in Programs

Dates for holding graduation exercises thruout the county has been set by County Superintendent of Schools W. R. Foster. It has been arranged this year to have several of the schools unite in holding their commencements. Each grade of each school is to furnish at least one number for the programs which will precede the presentation of diplomas.

Arrangements have also been made for charging 15 cents admission for the exercises this year instead of the ten cent charge of previous years. Five cents of this money will be turned into a fund to purchase stereographs for the rooms and the remaining ten cent fee for a book fund.

The complete list of dates for the holding of exercises and the committee of teachers in charge of each community unit follow:
. . .
Dayton, June 10. – Jennie Fraine, Margaret Durkee, Bessie Eaton¹

Final exams for the seventh and eighth grades of the rural schools were held on May 7th and 8th. About 800 students participated. The first commencement was held at Harding on May 18th, and graduation exercises were held almost  every night until June 15th, including those in Dayton on June 10.

1. The Ottawa Free Trader, May 6, 1920, p. 4, cols 2-3

Dayton School Has Reunion at Community House

Graduates of the Dayton school from towns and cities in various parts of Illinois gathered Saturday night in the Dayton Community House for a reunion, planned by the Dayton School Alumni association.

There was a banquet and dancing. Mrs. George Pool, who later was elected president of the association, presided as toastmistress.

Mrs. Fred Sapp of Ottawa told of the coronation in England, which she viewed.

Short talks were given by Ralph Green, who offered a toast to members of the 1937 graduating class of the school; Miss Blanche Reynolds and Miss Emma Fraine. Miss Maud Green told of the history of the Dayton school and how it was established over 100 years ago.

Miss Beulah Canfield, who arranged this year’s reunion, presided at a business session at which Mr. Pool was elected president; Rush Green, vice president; Miss Loretta Gleason, secretary and Herbert Mac Grogan, treasurer. Retiring officers are Miss Canfield, president; Ralph Green, vice president; Miss Helen Hallowell, secretary and Herbert Mac Grogan, treasurer. A social time and dancing followed.

Blush pink and gold were used in the appointments of the banquet. There were yellow tapers and pink peonies and roses in crystal services on the tables. At the place of each guest were miniature girl graduates in pink and tiny tulip nut cups.

The basement of the house, where there was dancing, was decorated with honeysuckle.

Miss Canfield was in general change of the reunion. Mrs. Gilbert Masters and Miss Hallowell arranged the program and Miss Jennie Fraine had charge of the table decorations.¹

1. Daily Republican-Times, June 14, 1937, p6

Graduation Day at the Dayton School, May 1955

The Maypole was a big deal in Dayton School celebrations (see here for a Christmas version). The girl in pink in the front is Sally Clifford. If anyone knows any of the others, please leave a comment identifying them. There were four graduates that year, and only two of them are identified, so please – let’s rescue them all from oblivion.

Graduating class 1954-55

The two in the center are Richard Charlier and Sheila Gash. Who are the other two? Leave your answers in the comments.

If you don’t know any of them, ask your parents or grandparents!

Dayton School Has Reunion at Community House

Graduates of the Dayton school from towns and cities in various parts of Illinois gathered Saturday night in the Dayton Community House for a reunion, planned by the Dayton School Alumni association.

There was a banquet and dancing. Mrs. George Pool, who later was elected president of the association, presided as toastmistress.

Mrs. Fred Sapp of Ottawa told of the coronation in England, which she viewed.

Emma Fraine

Short talks were given by Ralph Green, who offered a toast to members of the 1937 graduating class of the school; Miss Blanche Reynolds and Miss Emma Fraine. Miss Maud Green told of the history of the Dayton school and how it was established over 100 years ago.

Maud Green

Miss Beulah Canfield, who arranged this year’s reunion, presided at a business session at which Mr. Pool was elected president; Rush Green, vice president; Miss Loretta Gleason, secretary and Herbert Mac Grogan, treasurer. Retiring officers are Miss Canfield, president; Ralph Green, vice president; Miss Helen Hallowell, secretary and Herbert Mac Grogan, treasurer. A social time and dancing followed.

Ralph Green

Blush pink and gold were used in the appointments of the banquet. There were yellow tapers and pink peonies and roses in crystal services on the tables. At the place of each guest were miniature girl graduates in pink and tiny tulip nut cups.

The basement of the house, where there was dancing, was decorated with honeysuckle.

Miss Canfield was in general change of the reunion. Mrs. Gilbert Masters and Miss Hallowell arranged the program and Miss Jennie Fraine had charge of the table decorations.¹

1. Ottawa Daily Republican-Times, June 14, 1937, p6

Another school picnic – around 1950

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, 1^st 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.¹

1. The [Ottawa, IL] Republican-Times, May 29, 1944, p. 8, col. 6

This appeared in the Voice of the People column in the Chicago Tribune, May 17, 1965.

The following appeared in the January 24,1955 issue of the Dayton News Reel, a publication of the Dayton school. Editor, Richard Jackson; Assistant Editor, Richard Charlier; Circulation, Allan Holm. Reporters for Class and Social Activities for this six-week period were —
Grade 8 – Sheila Gash
Grade 7 – Larry Polen
Grade 6 – Bob Mossbarger
Visual Aids – Charles Ohme
Social – Patsy Hughes
Art and Music – Shirley Harmon
Sports and Safety – Terry Hiland
General News – Patsy Hughes

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

Dick went skating during the holidays and spent Christmas at home where his parents entertained Mr. and Mrs. M. Hall of Ottawa.

Allan spent Christmas at home. All the Holm relatives were there. He received a microscope and chemistry set and enjoyed trying many experiments as well as skating. Staff Sgt. Morris Fosse was a visitor at the Holm home during the holidays and Allan anticipates a vacation at Fort Knox, Ky. this summer, where Sgt. Fosse is located.

Sheila spent Christmas Day at the home of her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Caffee in Marseilles. Sledding was her chief fun during the vacation.

Richard spent his Christmas at home. During the vacation he went hunting – (no luck.)

Carol vacationed at home.

Connie spent her Christmas Day at the home of her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. J. Krug near Harding.

Larry stayed home for Christmas but spent a good part of his vacation enjoying ice skating and hockey.

Vernon Dale was home for Christmas. Guests at his and Deryle’s home were grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Lum McKinney. Vernon Dale enjoyed sliding.

Shirley spent Christmas at home. During the holidays guests at the Harmon home included, Mrs. Lillie Burchal of Kentucky, Mr. and Mrs. Andy Dankowich of Streator, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Thomas of Peoria, Mrs. Naomi Swiggen and family of Morris. Shirley spent a great deal of time sliding.

Eddie stayed home for Christmas and helped entertain Mr. and Mrs. W. Tisler, and Mr. and Mrs. Ward Stebbins. He went hunting during the vacation and tried out his new 20 Gauge shotgun. Result – three rabbits.

Sandra went roller skating then sliding at night during her vacation. Guests at her home during teh holidays were Mr. and Mrs. George Stewart.

Patsy spent Christmas at home but went roller skating and night sliding during the vacation.

Charles spent Christmas at home. He enjoyed a visit with his father, Tech. Sgt. Heber Whyte and tried out his new rifle by going hunting. He bagged [unfortunately the last line is unreadable, but he was undoubtedly successful.]

John went sledding and made a model car which he had received as a gift.

Bob stayed home for Christmas. He has a new flash camera nd printing press. One day when he was sledding, Leslie jumped on the sled causing him to lose control of the sled. Result – Bobe went into the ditch at the side of the road which was filled with water, found it much too cool for swimming.

Sally stayed home for Christmas and enjoyed visiting with Mr. and Mrs. William Eichenberger of LaGrange and Mrs. Ruth Green. Sally received a wrist watch for Christmas. (No excuse now for being late.) She also tried out ice skates.

Terry received a parakeet and is trying to teach it to talk. He and Vernon Dale went sledding.

Deryl received a light and a basket for his bike. He spent four days in Naplate with his sister and husband, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Olson.

Leslie went ice skating, fell in once. Participated in a snow-ball fight and in sledding. Mr. and Mrs. Les Carrier, LaVonne Carrier and Mr. and Mrs. Russell Carrier were guests at the Walleck’s.

Thinking of December in the Dayton school always brings to mind making things – Christmas decorations, gifts for our parents, painting pictures on the windows. One year we made plaster Santas and painted them with great care. Another year, it was angels with wings which were covered with gold glitter. All this work was done in Ma Mathews’ room in the basement and half the fun was in doing something in a different place, one we never saw at any other time. We also made gifts for our parents. I have no recollection of what I made for my mother, but the hat stand I made for my father served loyally for many years, holding up his best hat, even when he stopped wearing hats.

I wasn’t involved much with painting the windows, as there were many who were much more talented in that line than I was. However, I was sometimes entrusted with filling in a large area of solid color. The finished windows glowed like stained glass and were greatly admired. Even 70 years later, every Christmas season when I unpack the decorations I am reminded of my days in the Dayton school.