The Browne School: Part II

 Coming soon...

May 29, 1953 - School Graduation

The True Republican announced graduation for rural schools for May 29, 1953 on the front page of their May 12, 1953 issue.     The article mentions the Cortland grade school and 6 rural schools in the county will have their graduation ceremonies at the Haish school gym at 8:00pm.   

There is no mention of the Browne school but the Shabbona High School also held their graduation ceremony the same evening, according to the front page of the DeKalb County Express in their June 4, 1953 issue.     The Browne school was part of district #425, which included the Shabbona/Rollo/Lee schools.

The Browne School Teachers - 1945/53: Urban Conrad Monson

The final teacher at the Browne school was Urban Conrad Monson following Betty Marie Peterson who taught the previous school year, 1944 - 1945.    Urban Monson had the longest tenure of any teacher, at least from what I know since the fall of 1906.   He taught for 8 years: 

1945 - 1946, 1946 - 1947, 1947 - 1948, 1948 - 1949, 1949 - 1950, 1950 - 1951, 1951 - 1952, 1952 - 1953. 

Urban Conrad Monson was born February 12, 1883 in Greenville township, New Bedford, Bureau county, Illinois to Hester Ann (Medley) and Benjamin Monson.    He first shows up in the 1900 US Census living (lines 52 - 57) with his parents and brother Arthur.    Also living in the home was the Monson's grandson, George Andeway and a servant by the name of Frederick Dagau.

The earliest document I have found that indicates when Urban began his teaching career was on page 11 of the July 11, 1902 issue of the Bureau County Tribune.    An article appeared mentioning Urban and several other teachers would be attending school at Valparaiso, Indiana.

On August 13, 1905, Urban Conrad Monson married Esther Josephine Nellich at the First Lutheran Church in Princeton, Bureau county, Illinois.    Their entry in the church records is on the left side of the page, the 7th entry for 1905.

In 1910, Urban was still living in Greenville township, Bureau county, Illinois (lines 55 - 57) with his wife, Esther Josephine (Nellich) and their daughter Oreetha.    Urban is listed as being employed as country school teacher.

On July 9, 1917, Urban Conrad Monson was appointed the Postmaster for New Bedford, Bureau county, Illinois.    His appointment is listed in the lower right hand portion of the document below, designated with an arrow.

In 1917, Urban also registered for World War I.     He is listed as both a postmaster and a school teacher.

The 1920 US Census lists Urban living (lines 23 - 28) in Greenville township, Bureau county, Illinois with his wife Esther and their daughters, Oreetha, Mazie, Verla and Virginia.     Urban is listed as being employed as a public school teacher.

By the time of the 1930 US Census, Urban had moved to Malta, Malta township, DeKalb county, Illinois.  He was living (lines 37 - 42) with wife Esther and their daughters, Mazie, Verla, Virginia and Myrna.  Urban is listed as being employed as a principal of a public school.

The 1940 US Census lists Urban living in DeKalb, DeKalb township, DeKalb county, Illinois (lines 41 - 43) with wife Esther and daughter Myrna.    Urban is employed as a rural school teacher.

On April 27, 1942, Urban Conrad Monson registered for World War II.    He is listed as being employed with District 40 in Mayfield township, DeKalb county, Illinois.

Mayfield township is northeast of Milan township.

Urban Conrad Monson passed away January 26, 1955 in DeKalb, DeKalb county, Illinois.    Urban's memorial can be found here.

Urban and many other obituaries can be found at the Joiner Room in Sycamore, DeKalb county, Illinois.  The Joiner Room is an excellent source for family and local history research.  

April 2, 1953 - Milan Township School Boundary Change

On December 24, 1952 a petition was filed to detach a portion of Section 1 of the Milan township, DeKalb Illinois school district #425 and attach it to the Malta Community Consolidated School District.  A hearing by the Lee County School Board was scheduled for April 6, 1953 as reported by the DeKalb County Express in their April 2, 1953 issue on page 2.

The 100 acre section would be approximately the size of the Lyle Anderson property based upon this 1947 Milan township plat map.    The Browne school was in the southwest corner of Section 1 and would no longer be open as a rural schoolhouse after the 1952/1953 school term was finished in a couple of months.

December 4, 1952 - December School Calendar

The DeKalb County Express published the school calendar for the month of December on the front page of their December 4, 1952 issue.    The Browne school scheduled a Christmas program for December 23, 1952.

November 6, 1952 - Education Week Announced

The front page of the DeKalb County Express announced American Education Week in their November 6, 1952 issue.     Schools would be hosting an open house during the week of November 9 - 15, 1952.    The open house for the Browne school would take place on Thursday, November 13, 1952 between 1:00 - 3:45pm.

The political cartoon on the front page is interesting as it reflects the animus regarding political parties never changes, even 68 years later.     There is a bit of irony to the cartoon placed next to the topic of Education Week and the supposed value we place upon education.   In 2020, more than half the American population do not know the meanings of the various political ideologies.    They fear what they do not know or understand and vote accordingly much to their own detriment.     This is just another indicator that the educational system in America has been on a downward spiral for decades.

August 28, 1952 - School Opens

The front page of the DeKalb County Express announced the opening of school for district #425 on September 2, 1952.     The opening included the 'rural attendance centers' (rural one room schoolhouses) Milan Center, Powers and the Browne school.   

The Browne school is being taught by Urban Conrad Monson for the 1952/1953 school year.    The book "Rural Schools Journeys: A Legacy of Learning, Histories of the One-room Schools in Dekalb County, Illinois" indicated the last year of Mr. Monson's teaching assignment at the Browne school was the 1951/1952 school term.    Based upon the DeKalb County Express publication, Mr. Monson taught one more school year.

December 7, 1951 - Enrollment Statistics and Teacher Data

Ten years after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, The Sycamore Tribune published the attendance numbers for DeKalb county, Illinois schools on the front page of their December 7, 1951 issue.

The article mentions the rural school teachers are all female for the 1951 school year, however there is no specific mention of Urban Conrad Monson who has been teaching at the Browne school since the fall of 1945.    Either this is an error or Urban did take a year off from the Browne school.

September 28, 1950 - Milan Township Financial Statement

The Milan township, DeKalb county, Illinois financial statement was published on September 28, 1950 in the DeKalb County Express on page 4 for the financial year July 1, 1949 - June 30, 1950.

The previous years' statement for the Browne school can be found here.

August 31, 1950 - School is Open

The front page of the August 31, 1950 issue of the DeKalb County Express announced the opening of school will be on September 5, 1950.    The schools included were the Shabbona, Rollo and Lee schools as well as three rural schools all in Milan township, DeKalb county, Illinois.    The three remaining schools in Milan township are Milan Center, Powers and the Browne school.

Urban Conrad Monson is listed as the teacher for the Browne school this school year.

September 15, 1949 - Milan Township Financial Statement

In the September 15, 1949 issue of the DeKalb County Express, the Milan township financial statement was published for the year July 1, 1948 - June 30, 1949.   The Browne school financials were included and can be compared to the previous year.

September 15, 1949 - School Enrollment

The front page of the September 15, 1949 issue of the DeKalb County Express published the enrollment numbers for the Shabbona area school district.    The Browne school was one of six rural schools listed. The attendance for the Fall 1949 school year was 12 students.

 

September 8, 1949 - School Teachers Announced

The front page of the September 8, 1949 issue of the DeKalb County Express listed the names of the teachers for the 1949/1950 school year.

Urban Conrad Monson is listed as the teacher for the school term at the Browne school.  The Milan township, DeKalb county, Illinois rural schools would eventually be folded into the Shabbona/Lee school district; students that would have attended the Browne school would have most likely attended Shabbona grade and high school after the Browne school eventually closed.

Textbooks costs for the year are listed for grades kindergarten through high school; $2 up to $6.50.   Is that per book? 

July 29, 1949 - Rural Schools and Teachers

The front page of the July 29, 1949 issue of The Sycamore Tribune informed the public of the upcoming school year and those rural schools that would be open for the upcoming school year.

 

The Browne school continued to operate through the 1949/1950 school year.   A Milan township, DeKalb county school that also held classes was the Stone school, district #79.    "Rural Schools Journeys: A Legacy of Learning, Histories of the One-room Schools in Dekalb County, Illinois" listed the rural schools and closure dates.   The Stone school was listed as having closed in 1949.    It appears it would have closed sometime after the 1950 spring school session if no changes were made based upon the above-referenced article.

November 18, 1948 - Milan Township Financial Statement

The Milan township financial statement for the July 1, 1947 - June 30, 1948 period was published on the front page of the DeKalb County Express in their November 18, 1948 issue.    The last statement I found was for the July 1, 1945 - June 30, 1946 period.

July 27, 1948 - Institute for Teachers & School Calendar

The front page of the July 27, 1948 issue of The True Republican published the school calendar for the 1948 - 1949 school session and notification of an institute being held at the court house for rural and village school teachers.    Another article appeared on the same page regarding the dwindling number of one room schoolhouses.

The school calendar doesn't appear much different than present school schedules.

 

March 26, 1948 - School Consolidation Opposition

Since the Illinois state legislature proposed school consolidation in 1901, there has not been any noticeable opposition.   Until 1948, as reported on the front page of the March 26, 1948 issue of The Sycamore Tribune.