In 1934 the United States published a topographical map using aerial photographs from the U.S. Army Air Corps. The map of Milan township, DeKalb county, Illinois also includes the northern, southern and eastern townships that border Milan township. You can also view a few townships in Lee and Ogle counties to the west.
The interesting thing about this particular map is the inclusion of the rural schools as well as those of adjoining jurisdictions. All 9 Milan township schools are listed, including the Browne school in Section 1 of Milan township. There is a rural school named the Berg school, located in Section 20 six miles southwest of the Browne school which was also known as the Tysdal school according to "Rural Schools Journeys: A Legacy of Learning, Histories of the One-room Schools in Dekalb County, Illinois".
Osman Tysdal was the owner of the property surrounding the rural schoolhouse located in Section 20 of Milan township. At the time of this map, the property was in the possession of Thomas Clarence Risetter. I would guess the name used by the locals was changed after Osman Tysdal sold his property to Thomas Risetter, but rather than use the name Risetter the name Berg was chosen. The property owner across the street was Oscar Theodore Deidric Berg who had 14 children.
Perhaps the school was named for the Berg family as they may have been the source for most of the attendees. The Risetter name may not have been adopted for the school as Thomas Risetter only had two children that would have attended the school and the Berg family had been living across the road since the school was erected.
The map's inclusion of outlying areas and one rural school in particular caught my eye: the Vallem school located in Alto township, Lee county, Illinois. This school has been known previously as the Finnestad school and the Carlson school district #135. This is the first time I have encountered the name Vallem associated with the school.
The Finnestad family began their immigration from Norway in 1871. Lars (Lewis) Pederson Vallem married Rachel (Olsdatter) Finnestad and acquired the property surrounding the rural schoolhouse in Section 12 of Alto township, Lee county, Illinois. I have included some details on a plat map for Alto township from 1900 that show the proximity of the Finnestad family to the schoolhouse.
Based upon the limited research I have done, it appears following the death of Lewis Vallem the property was sold to Jesse Johnson. Jesse Johnson eventually sold the property to Frank Carlson. Lewis Vallem had already passed away and the property transferred twice at the time this map was created. I wonder what the government's source material was in producing the details of this map.
Fortunately, a book has been published with photographs and a short history of the rural schoolhouses of Lee county, Illinois. The book, Pictorial History of Lee County Schools was written by Dana Fellows, included a photo of the Finnestad/Carlson/Vallem school. You can obtain a copy of the book Pictorial History of Lee County Schools by Dana Fellows by clicking here.
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