Maroa-Forsyth School Archives
Early Forsyth School
The following is copied verbatim from Forsyth and Its People 1
"The first school building in Forsyth was the present school building, which was erected in 1864. The district was much larger than at present and included several sections of land outside of Forsyth.
The first teacher was Rufus Crossman, who taught the winter term of 1864-5, and was followed by Miss Ellen McCann, who taught the spring term. The names of many prominant citizens appear in the list of pupils who attended that first school. There were the Durfees, Walkers, Stewarts, Songers, Risers, Ghers, McKinleys, Lehmans and Rays.
The branches taught were Arithmetic, Reading, Writing, Grammar, History, Geography and Spelling. The teacher's salary depended largely on the number of children attending the school and was therefore a variable quantity. The highest salary which Mr. Crossman received any month of this first term was $40 and the lowest $20.
The following teachers were at different times in charge of the school: Mr. Sherrick, Mr. Phillips, Mr. Maxwell, Mr. Cole, J. S. C. Cussins, Sarah Baxter, James C. McMillan, Esther McKinley, Clara Plank, William Givler, Charles C. Bear, Lillian McDermott, Miss Jessie Spencer, Miss Cornell, A. H. Humphrey, Mr. Lehman, J. E. Nicholls, E. T. Coleman, H. C. Wheeler, L. Bible, Inez Dingman, D. Parkhurst, S. A. D. Gray, William Benton, Mabel Thrift, Frank Kammerer, Stella Kell, Eve Dills, Martha Carney, Ruth Shewmaker, William J. Kelley, Daniel File and Anna C. Browning.
Miss Laura Plank and Miss Mary Parkhurst conducted a private school during one summer."
Notes
1 Forsyth and its People. Review Press, Decatur, Illinois, 1910, p. 29.
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1960 Yearbook