>Can anyone tell me if Parish Ridge School was in Johnson Co or Williamson Co? I have a pic of students roughly 1910-1912. Joyce Escue Culver< Hi Joyce, I just found this small write-up about Parish Ridge School in "Johnson County, Illinois History & Families, Volume 1" published in 1990 by the Johnson County Historical and Genealogical Society. This book does not have a photo of Parish Ridge School, so I think that the historical society in Johnson Co. would be thrilled to get a copy of the photo that you have. Page 68: (note: this is the entire write-up on the school) "Parish Ridge School, District #19, was located about three miles east of Goreville on the gravel road to the left 1/4 mile, just past the I-24 bridge on the present Deer Ridge Road. The land for the Parish Ridge School was purchased from JAMES M. and MATILDA HENDERSON PARISH in 1874. The area was settled by the families of JAMES M. PARISH and his brothers, JOHN B. and BENJAMIN F., sons of JAMES and ELIZABETH GOODWIN PARISH from whom Parish Ridge takes it's name. Parish Ridge School was a little one room school. The school was used until the 1940's at which time the small country schools of Goreville Township were consolidated into Goreville Grade School. Teachers there were IRA JACKSON and JOHN ALLEN VANCIL. Two of the students were BETTY LOU SHINN and JOE DEAN DUNN. In the early 1900's church services were held in the school house. The Parish Ridge area has been renamed Deer Ridge and Lakeside. Written by ANNA WHEATON" ................................................................................................... I excerpted these small bits today from "A History of Johnson County" by Mrs. P.T. Chapman, published 1925. This book has been republished by the Johnson Co. Historical Society. p. 92: "Realizing that the educational system then in operation was not doing for the people what it should, the legislature enacted into law in 1855, the foundation of the present state system. Townships were laid off into school districts, three and four to a township. An attempt was made to provide that no pupil be obliged to walk more than two miles to school and school boards were compelled to maintain school not less than six months in each year and to authorize a sufficient levy to support them." p. 94: The average wage paid teachers of the county for the year...1900, $226.00; in 1910, $271.00; in 1920, $495.00....In 1908 there were 7,588 children in the county, with 4,792 enrolled in the schools; the average monthly wage paid men for that year was $47.10, women $35.10." p. 97: "The school law of our state has been improved from time to time since 1855 by lengthening the term and in making attendance compulsory. The first law of this kind was passed in 1883, compelling parents or guardians to send children under 14 to school a certain number of days each year. In this same law such varied subjects as physical training and proper care of the teeth were made obligatory and as early as 1897 the effect of alcohol and narcotics became a required subject."