Historic Shoemaker School

Historic Shoemaker School. . Shoemaker School became a part of the Columbia School District in 1950. Since the school's directors had already contracted Marian Maag to teach for the 1950-51 term prior to this consolidation, the old school was kept open for one final year. In 1992, the school building was moved to its present site in order to avoid demolition due to the widening of Illinois 3. Acquired by the city of Columbia in 2009. the school has now been transformed into the Monroe County Welcome Center and associated facilities., [Additional sign:] , In 1851, a log school building was built by Hammond Schoemaker on his farm south of Columbia for his children and the families of his neighbors. Schoemaker was the only doctors along the Cahokia- Kaskaskia Trail, the major pioneer thoroughfare across Illinois territory. A new brick school building was built on the farm in 1867 By Fred Koch Construction for $800. In 1891, in accordance with a new school law, the one room school organized as Schoemaker District #4.