Schools

At Peters, the first Peter's Station School was built about 1814 and later became known as the Smola School. When one photograph was taken, the building was being razed and its chimney had already been torn down, and Thomas Shashek's mother and father had both attended the school. William Smola erected a brick schoolhouse at Peters in 1913, and that building later served as a residence on Route 157 near Peters. Its cornerstone reads, "Erected 1913," and names Directors J.F. Dickman, L. Gerbig, and William Maack, followed by the first lady voters in District No. 82: Laura Cook, Anna Dickman, Rosie Yungert, Lizzie Schlueter, and Anna Straub. A 1906 Old Smola School Parade was photographed in Edwardsville, Illinois, across from Bohemian Hall, Sokel Lodge, with named children, teacher Florence Hobson, and the horses Poney and Bet. Records for Peter Station School show that as of January 1, 1892, the teacher was Mr. Miller with 76 pupils, that G.W. Mead taught there in 1892, and that Allen Oberlin was school master in 1894. Another school photograph identifies several pupils and family connections, with the information provided verbally by Thomas Shashek to the best of his recollection.

Glen Carbon, Illinois · United States