Schools

The earliest schools in Lake County were organized by families and often held in log buildings or homes on land that a landowner might offer for that purpose. They were supported by the families who had children attending. Later schools became supported by tax dollars. Records of what became of some of the earliest schools have not been kept.

One room schoolhouses began to appear, often of frame or brick construction. Many grades would attend school in the same building. As the population grew, these schools became too small. The old buildings were abandoned for newer and larger school buildings. Some districts consolidated with others. Most of the one room schools were sold at auction. Some were razed, others moved, and some that remained became houses or were utilized for other purposes. Few of the one room schools remain in Lake County today. For more information on Lake County's one room school houses, see What Ever Happened to the Old School House? A Record of Transactions 1900-1990; Office of the Regional Superintendent of Schools Lake County. This book is available in several area libraries, including the genealogy room at Fremont Public Library in Mundelein. In addition, the Lake County Museum has a good collection of older school books in their archives. These are not yearbooks, but old school ledgers, etc.

A number of private schools are associated with churches. For information on many of the Catholic elementary schools in the county see the Churches section.

The term "junior high" has gone out of vogue and has been replaced by the term "middle school." Often the middle schools have more grades in them than the junior high schools did.

Early high schools were few and far between. As the population grew, so did the number of high schools.

A number of colleges have existed in Lake County over the years. Also present in Lake County are some private and specialty schools, such as the St. Mary of the Lake Seminary.

I will start by listing some of the schools that have existed in Lake County, and add information about them as I get it. I will mention military training facilities but detailed information on those will appear in a future military page.

One Room Schools, Elementary Schools, and Middle Schools

Browe School was in Newport Township. It was on Browe Road west of Dilleys Road. It was sold in 2 parcels in 1962. One piece was land only and the other included the building, which was then used as a house.

Bush School was on Butterfield Road south of Rte 137 in Libertyville Township. It was first a frame school, but that was replaced by a brick building. It is no longer a school.

Cadwell School was the first school in the village of Deerfield. It was a log building located on the Cadwell farm on section 33. It was built about 1848. It was later replaced by a school with the same name in a different location. By 1870 this school was being called Deerfield.

Courtney School was at Roberts and Darrell Roads (Wauconda Township) at was a one room school house. There is now a church in that location.

Deering School was in Shields Township. This school was built by William Deering for the children at the orphanage in Lake Bluff.

Fremont Center School was in Fremont Township. It is no longer used as a school but can be seen at the corner of Fremont Center Road and Rte 60. The brick building is used as a residence now. The present day Fremont Elementary and Fremont Middle Schools are located further south on Fremont Center Road.

Glynch School was on Garland Road south of Gossell Road in Wauconda Township. The building is no longer there. Some of the teachers who taught at Glynch school were Bernice L. Smith, Mrs. W. S. Oberlin, Jennie Hilderbrand, Sarah A. Passfield, Ruby M. Peterson, Carrie Christensen, and Oral C. Oberlin. Some school board members included Wm. E. Davis, Richard Dowell, O. McEwan, John Gossell, Howard P. Davis, Frank Nordmeyer, George Ladd, and Joseph S. Cinsdorfer.

Gould School was on Gilmer Road south of Fairfield Road in Fremont Township. The building was sold in 1939 and is no longer there.

Hockaday School was in Newport Township. It was on Millburn Road east of Crawford Road. The building is now gone.

Ivanhoe School (Fremont Township) was north of Routes 60 and 176. It can still be seen in the small Ivanhoe downtown area, but it is no longer used as a school.

Lone Oak School was in Newport Township. The building was on 21st Street east of Kilbourn Road. The building went back to the heirs of the landowner who supplied the land for the school. It was later used as a house.

Maple Grove School was on Gilmer between Rte 176 and Rte 83. It is no longer used as a school.

Millburn School was in Newport Township. It was on Rte 45 south of Grass Lake Road. The building was torn down by the purchaser.

Murray School was in Fremont Township on Fairfield south of Rte 176, and pretty much just south of the present day Ivanhoe Road. The building was torn down and homes and private woods are now in that area.

North Prairie School was in Benton Township. The original building was on the northwest corner of Kenosha Road and Ninth Street. It started as a one room school and was later used for two rooms, with a curtain dividing the space. The building was sold in 1960 to Apostle Lutheran Church. The second building was on Kenosha road one half mile north of Ninth Street. That building was sold in 1983 to the Zion Church of God.

Oak Grove School was in Libertyville Township at O'Plaine Road and Rte 137. It had a fireplace, which was considered unusual for a school. The building is still there (2004) but was sold in 1975 and is used for other purposes.

Rosecrans School was in Newport Township. It was located at Edwards Road and Hwy 41. The building later became a house after it was sold in 1960.

Roseville School was at Case and Darrell Roads in Wauconda Township. This one room schoolhouse was sold in 1949 and is no longer there.

Russell School was in Newport Township on the northeast corner of Delaney Road and Ninth Street. It was sold in 1963 and later used as a house.

Slocum Lake School was a one room schoolhouse in Wauconda Township at Darrell Road and Route 176. The building was removed from the site.

Swan School was in Fremont Township at Rte 83 and Peterson Road. It was a brick building and after it was no longer used as a school was used as a residence for many years. It was torn down in the late 1990s. The name plaque was retained by a local historical group.

Townline School was in Newport Township. It was on the northeast corner of Yorkhouse and Delaney Roads. It was sold in 1964.

Tripton School was on Milwaukee Ave (Rte 21) north of Rte 60 in Libertyville Township on part of the Cuneo property. The building has been torn down.

Vasey School was in Wauconda Township at Fish Lake Road south of Route 60. The buiding is no longer there.

Volo School (Wauconda Township). There was a one room school building on Route 120 west of Route 12. The building was later used for a business.

Wadsworth School was in Newport Township. The school was on Wadsworth Road, west of Delaney Road. It was turned over to the Village of Wadsworth around 1983 and was used as Wadsworth Village Hall.

West Newport School was in Newport Township on Crawford Road north of Hwy 173. The land went back to the heirs of the original land owner and the building was then used as a house.

Wilmot School was at Wilmot and Deerfield Roads in Deerfield.

Wright School was east of Rte 45 on Casey Road in Libertyville Township. The building is now located at the Prairie Crossing subdivision.

Zion School District no. 6 was in the city of Zion. It was at 31st Street and Ezra Avenue. The building was sold in 1937. Another scholl with this district number was at 30th and Elizabeth. It was sold in 1946.

High Schools

Often the public library that serves the local high school district will collect yearbooks from that school. Ask at the local library reference desk if they have a yearbook or "annual" collection.

The genealogy collection of the Lake County Illinois Genealogical Society is housed at the Fremont Public Library in Mundelein. They have an assortment of high school and college yearbooks.

Antioch High School

Carmel High School is a Catholic high school located in Mundelein. It is attended by children from all over the county. It is now a co-ed school, but was not always.

Deerfield High School

Deerfield-Shields High School (defunct)

Grant High School

Grayslake High School

Highland Park High School

Holy Child High School was a Catholic school for girls. It was located in Waukegan on Sheridan Road. It is no longer in existence.

Lakes High School

Lake Forest High School

Lake Zurich High School

Libertyville High School

Mundelein High School

North Chicago High School

Round Lake High School

Adlai Stevenson High School

Vernon Hills High School is one of the newest in the county.

Warren Township High School. Warren now has two campuses, one on O'Plaine Road and one on Almond Road.

Wauconda High School

Waukegan Township High School. This later split into two campuses, East and West Campuses. Later, West campus was enlarged and all students sent there. A growth in population made it necessary to utlize the East building for classes again.

Zion-Benton High School

Colleges

Barat College

The College of Lake County

Columbia College

Lake County College of Commerce had an office on Genessee Street in Waukegan in 1935. The school had courses in secretarial, accounting, stenography, and also boasted a comptometer course.

Lake Forest College

Shimer College

Other schools

St. Mary of the Lake Seminary

Great Lakes Naval Training Center

Waukegan Academy and Lake County Teacher's Institute. A 13 January 1935 Chicago Tribune article tells of a rare pamphlet on the "Waukegan Academy and Lake County Teacher's Institute" dated 1849. H. L. Hatch was president, I. L. Clarke, treasurer, and David Cory, M. D. was secretary. Henry L. Hatch and Isaac L. Clarke were principals. Miss Calista E. Branchard, preceptress; Miss Frances A. Shekell and Miss Alathea Crocker, music teachers; Miss Sylvia L. Clarke, teacher in the juvenile department. 147 young men and 159 young women were students in 1849. Most students were Waukegan residents, but there were also students from Libertyville, Wheeling, Lake Zurich, Fort Hill, Halfday in Illinois, and Michigan, Ontario, and New York. The school building was 2-1⁄2 stories high with a basement suitable for boarding. Bed, board, and washing was $1.75 per week. The school held four 11-week terms. Tuition was charged per subject taken. English was $3, Latin and Greek, $5, vocal music, $1, and piano was $8.