Located in a bend of the Red River in northeast Montague County, Illinois Bend received its official title in 1877 and had become a thriving cotton-farming community by the 1890s. Before 1845, many churches and schools met in private homes, but that year the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas set aside provisions to help local lodges erect educational buildings. In January 1893, a Masonic building for fraternal, educational, and spiritual purposes was erected there. During the week, its lower level served as a one-room school and on Sundays as a church. The school district was originally called Valley Branch School District No. 14 because of its location near the branch feeding into the Red River, but over time it became known as Illinois Bend School District No. 14. Students of all ages were taught in the same room, and W.O. Edwards was the first teacher. The school had no electricity or plumbing until 1945, so outhouses stood behind the building. The lower portion of the building also served as the community's social center, hosting reunions, wedding receptions, and other group activities. With the onset of World War II, the school closed in 1944. Church services in the lower level had already ceased in the 1920s after local churches were established. By 1968, the building was no longer used regularly, although an Illinois Bend Community Homecoming was held each fall and continues today. The Illinois Bend Community Club refurbished the building in 1987, and it remains a remnant of the community partnerships formed with the help of the Masonic Lodge.