Happy Hollow School

Kinmundy Historical Society

HAPPY HOLLOW SCHOOL

Alma Township, Marion County, Illinois

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We are looking for photos of people and/or places from around Kinmundy & Alma. Can you help?

Or maybe you have stories or memories from the "Good Old Days"? What do YOU remember?

The Kinmundy Historical Society would be honored to preserve your memories and stories. We also have the

equipment to scan (or copy) your photos so that they may be enjoyed now as well as for generations yet to come!

We would love to hear from you! For more information, please contact:

Dolores (Ford) Mobley – Dolores@ford-mobley.com

208 Joan Dr.; Divernon, IL 62530; (217) 625-7527

Gladys (Corrie) See – gsee49@yahoo.com

408 S. Washington St.; Kinmundy, IL 62854; (618) 547-7731

Teachers from HAPPY HOLLOW SCHOOL - District #75 (Alma twp.)

(1914-15) John Kagy

Jan. 31, 1918: Happy Hollow District: School was closed at Happy Hollow on account of measles

but will open again on Monday morning.

(1930-31) Miss Dorothy Beryl Statton

(1931-32) Miss Dorothy Beryl Statton

(1943-44) Mrs. Bessie Hiestand

(1944-45)

(1945-46) Mrs. Lyman Malone

(1946-47) Mrs. Lyman Malone

(1947-48) Mrs. Lyman Malone

(1948-49) Mrs. Maxine Barksdale

(1949-50) Mrs. Joe Luttrell

(The above information was gathered from "The Kinmundy Express" articles and school photos.)

Happy Hollow School; 1989-1890

Happy Hollow School; Alma twp., Marion Co., IL; 1889-1890

Back row: Harry Wilson, Sam Case, Charley Crist, Elmer Cheeley, John D. Wilson, Frank Wilson, Pink Wilson, Marie Case, Jim Case

Middle row: Claude Rainey, Hayes Crist, Frank Coffin, Will Coffin, Bill Crist, Essa Case, Emma Cheeley

Front row: Maggie McNealy (teacher), Harry Coffin, Laurence Crist, George Crist, Ed Rainey, Lulu Coffin, Ella Perry, Anna Case

"On the crest of a hill, nestled among the trees, stands Happy Hollow School, a monument to hundreds of children who received their basic education there for around half a century.

On the south side of Brubaker Road, a bit west of Duke’s Store, Happy Hollow has occupied this scenic spot since 1898, soon after the Brubaker community sprang up. Before that, Happy Hollow was a log cabin in the woods, built in 1891. The location was changed to put the school in the center of the new community, and for nearly 50 years, eight grades were taught there by such well known teachers as Mrs. Bess Hiestand of Salem, and Mrs. Beryl Smith of Alma. When Harry Rainey taught there for his two years, the student body averaged around 45, which was the general average, he believes. Often, students much older than 8^th graders, boys about 17-18 and 19, came back to school during the winter when the farm work had slacked off, to fill in the gaps in their schooling.

But Happy Hollow is no more. It’s doors were closed in 1950. The building has since been sold to a local farmer who stores machinery there.

Back when Harry Rainey was in school, and even when his wife was a student, less than 50 years ago, most Brubaker children could not get a high school even six miles away simply because of the mud roads. In order to attend high school, they had to board in town. Mrs. Rainey did this with her grandmother in Vernon to go to high school.

This problem is hard for city people to understand, because 100 years ago, St. Louis had a high school which was within a few blocks of everyone in town. Also, more than 80 years ago, students in St. Louis were attending Washington University, which was then downtown, and walking to school.

But life was not so simple out here in Brubaker and many other communities like it, a fact which a city-bred person does not appreciate."