Lafayette School

This article was written by Frank Borror of the East Peoria Historical Society in 2015. Used with permission.

Lafayette Grade School, Washington Township School District #8 dates to Aug. 14, 1856, when the school trustees purchased one quarter acre of ground from Peter Fleming for $3. This school became T azewell County District #53 in 1901. It was located at the south-east corner of Shuck Road across from what is now Pine Lakes Golf Course. An additional one quarter acre of land was added on July 6, 1916, for a cost of $75 and the third school building was constructed at that time. Leroy Sauder relates that his mother Minnie Bessler attended Lafayette Grade School beginning in 1903 and created a real challenge for her teacher - Minnie spoke only German.

Don Seaton graduated from Lafayette in 1950 and recalled it as a one-teacher school with 28 to 32 students during the four years he attended. Don said they had no playground equipment and the only sport was softball. Each student had a hook mounted on the wall where they hung their metal drinking cup for use outside at the well. Lafayette school closed in 1960 and the portion of its district lying in Washington Township was annexed to District #50 and the portion in Morton Township to Morton District #709. The property was sold on May 31, 1961, and the building has since been razed.