Whittington School alums encouraged to attend Gun Creek Days

Acres of grass have been mowed, residents are reminiscing about their days at Whittington School and organizers are finalizing plans for Gun Creek Days.

Loma Baxter, secretary of the organizing committee, said this year’s Gun Creek Days would be special.

“My husband, Charles, and others are encouraging those who attended Whittington School to come back home to attend the annual event,” she said. “This could be the last time they get to see the school building.”

Bill Conner has witnessed the changes to the property and to Whittington.

“Robert Elmer Smith owned five acres where the school was built,” he said. “The school, ball fields and playground areas took up four acres. The other acre is still family-owned.

“This will be the 33rd year for Gun Creek Days,” Conner said. “We missed 2001 because we could not get insurance to host the event. Whittington has changed a lot in the past 34 years.”

Bob Johnston recalls his first year at Whittington School.

“The school was built in 1947 and I attended my first year in 1948,” he said. “It started as a four-room school with two grades per room. There were six or seven one-room schools in the area that consolidated to make this school. Students came from Whittington, Franklin, Wyatt, King College, Conner College, Palestine and a part of Hazel Dell to attend Whittington School.

“The first teachers were Ralph Upchurch, John Cross, Thelma Whittington and Rita Blessin,” Johnston said. “Rita taught one year and part of another before she fell inside the school and broke her leg. It didn’t heal correctly and Patty Hicks took her place. There were three students in the first graduating class of 1948-49. Ralph Smith of Whittington, Elaine Cook who is now deceased, and Harold Tennison who lives in Ewing.”

Johnston returned to Whittington School later as a teacher. “I taught eighth grade from 1959 to 60 and was principal from 1963 to 64,” he said.

Conner said the school gymnasium was built in 1957 or ’58.

“At one time about 100 kids attended the school every year,” he said. “That number dwindled to between 20 and 30 and the school closed in 1972 when it was consolidated with Ewing.”

Baxter said alumni would be recognized during Gun Creek Days.

“We will have a ledger available for former students to sign,” she said. “We will honor them every night and hope they return for a reunion.”

She said entertainment begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 30 with the garden tractor pull followed by music from Honky Tonk Heroes at 7 p.m.

“At 6:30 p.m. Friday, we will have the antique tractor pull, with music by Jordan Carter and his band at 7 p.m.,” Baxter said. “The super garden tractor pull by Tri-State begins at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

“Music by Gun Creek begins at 7 p.m. As always, we will have plenty of food and fun for the kids along with a drawing for a $500 savings bond at 11 p.m. on Saturday. Don’t forget your lawn chairs.”

Conner said he attended Whittington School from 1950 to 1958.

“We were the Whittington Tigers and our colors were green and yellow,” he said. “After the school closed, it was remodeled and turned into apartments.”

Johnston said Whittington is an unincorporated area of the county.

“At one time, there were stores, a blacksmith shop, a feed mill, a depot and a barber shop,” he said. “The Meadowlark was the first diesel train that rolled through here. It stopped in Benton.”

Conner said the area was to have been a bustling metropolis.

“At one time, Southern Illinois University was supposed to have been built in Ewing,” he said.

“Now, there are probably between 30 and 35 people who can say they live in Whittington. Whittington no longer has any city government but we do have a bank, a funeral home, a water office, a post office, restaurants and bars.”

Baxter said Whittington is famous for the white pie served in one of the local restaurants.
Conner said the landscape has changed within the past 34 years. “Interstate 57 and Rend Lake put a whammy on Whittington School,” he said.

“Kids used to attend this school that lived all the way from the county line to Bean Road to Lake Benton. The only teacher that is still alive is Eugene Upchurch.”