Newspaper Clippings for
April, 1923
12 April 1923
Oakland School
(By Helen Martin)
The Oakland School, which is located on the first four corners,
about one mile east of Loon Lake, was built in 1921. This
Embossed Shaltex brick building consists of a one large room and
basement.
The size of the building is 52 feet long and 25 feet wide. It is
situated on a lot containing one acre, faces the south and is
surrounded by a grove of white spruce trees, that affords a
protection in cold weather.
In the front of the building are two glass doors leading into a
hall. From the hall are two stairways, one going to the basement
and one to the main floor where two spacious cloakrooms are
found.
The class room is large and well lighted with windows all on the
east side. The front and west sides have slate blackboards. There
is a cabinet, Victrola, a large desk and chair, map cases and
charts in the front of the room. The room seats forty pupils.
There are framed pictures on the walls and a cabinet containing
specimens of trees grown in the district. In the back of the room
is a bookcase built in the wall. Two doors lead from the back to
two halls from which there are two entrances; one leading to two
kaustic toilets, and the other to the rear where there are two
small porches with stairways leading to the playgrounds.
The basement consists of three rooms. The furnace room, store
room, and large room. The large room is used as a playroom, lunch
room and a work room. In this room is a long table with benches
around it at which the children eat their lunch and work at their
raffia baskets. In one corner oilstove and cooking utensils. This
room is well heated and lighted.
In the furnace room is a large Rudy furnace which has given
entire satisfaction. It was installed by Victor Lohman of the
Standard Sheet and Metal company of Waukegan. There are also two
septic tanks and space for coal, wood and kindling.
There is a chain leading from the draft of the furnace to an
electric battery which is connected with the classroom by wires
fastened to a thermometer and a clock, which works automatically.
When the room reaches 70 degrees, the battery releases and shuts
off the draft. Then if rooms become cold, the drafts are
opened.
From the outside is a large steel lined air shute, which takes
cold air to the furnace where it is heated and then taken up
through another shute to the class room, where it enters through
an opening about two inches above the floor on the west side. A
few feet away from this is another opening which leads to a flue
which takes away the impure air.
There is a foot warmer in the back of the room, and a large
opening on the west side where the heat from the furnace
enters.
There is a garage for a car and a deep well which provides good
drinking water.
The people of the district are very proud of their school. They
hope in a few years to have a playground equipment, water
installed and an electric light system.
Our school is listed as a superior school and dedication
exercises will be the next big event of the district.
23 April 1923
George Kerr, who has been ill for several months, passed away
Friday evening at the home of his brother, James Kerr, where he
has lived this winter. His entire life has been spent in this
vicinity except a few years away at school, as he was a deaf
mute. His wife and one son passed on several years ago. Two sons,
George of Neenah, Wis., and Irving of Lake Villa, one daughter,
Edna, of St. Paul, Minn., survive. The funeral was held from the
Kerr home Monday afternoon, with burial in Millburn.
