Excelsior School -- Cheney’s Grove Township, 1938

Excelsior School, located two miles east of Saybrook, was one of more than 250 one-room schools in McLean County. Most, including Excelsior, were closed in the late 1940s during the first great wave of school consolidation.
In early February 1938, Excelsior students constructed a scale model house. This photo shows twins Joe and Jack Powell working on the kitchen floor while Gayle Bane (middle) looks on.