St. Clair County Schools

St. Clair County Courier
27 September 1990

It used to be called Oak Ridge School, now Tillery school is just a memory

Oak Ridge school, later known unofficially as Tillery school, located on old 13 highway just north of Collins, was on about an acre of land taken out of the Jennings tract now occupied by Janice Braden and Bobbie and Evelyn Braden.

Families then had four and five children at the same time. Thirty-four youngsters are present in the above photo. Eleven are still living.

It is not known how they got seated in that tiny little one-room building.

The building itself had six windows and was heated by a wood-burning stove. Drinking water was carried from nearby residences and drunk from a common dipper.

Children never washed their hands from the time they arrived until they got home.

Caption:
(Front Row – sitting) Left to Right: William (Bill) Boswell, Edmond A. Boswell and Buford Brinegar.

Front Row – standing, left to right: Ethel Spencer, Evelyn Spencer, Lola Boswell, Artie Lee Tillery, in dark dress; Gertrude Boswell (Winders), Ethel Peterman and Pearl Boswell (Apple) holding slate, Merle (Tiny) Boswell, Mabel Mott.

In center between front and back rows, left to right: Zella Peterman is behind Artie Lee Tillery, behind Gertrude Boswell is May Boswell (Shockley), partially obscured is Iva Tillery, behind and between girls holding slate is Georgia Peterman, Fay Boswell (with arms over head), Opal Boswell (Bowman), Ray Boswell, Tommy Spencer, Watts Brinegar, Sidney D. Boswell, behind Fay Boswell (with arms over head) is Jennie Mott (Davis), behind Opal Boswell (Bowman) is Alma Brinegar (Shockley).

Back row – left to right: Rose Corbett (Miller) with bow in hair, Ida Mott (Baker) (in dark dress), Oral Boswell (Meredith) head tied in ribbon, partially obscured is Anna Mott, who later taught at Oak Ridge, Francis (Frankie) Robinson (Reeves), Willie Tillery, Harry Tillery, Les Brinegar, Jim Tillery (with hand on Watts Brinegar’s head), behind Sidney D. Boswell (far right) is Claude Peterman in cap looking at birds. The teacher was Robert (Brookie) Boswell. The year must have been 1915. The teacher was drafted for the war. Effie Peterman finished the term as teacher.