Le Roy High School Class of 1914



There is a little magic in holding a vintage real photo postcard. On the front, a group of teenagers stares back across more than a century. On the back, a handwritten roster of names scribbled in blue ink.

​Recently, this treasure came to light: a beautiful class portrait from central Illinois, bearing a small, felt pennant that proudly reads: L.H.S. '14.

​Thanks to a bit of historical detective work, we’ve officially identified the mystery school. This isn't just any class, this is the Le Roy High School Class of 1914, photographed right in McLean County, Illinois.

​The postcard bears a familiar stamp on the left margin: “Genuine Photo by C. U. Williams, Bloomington, Ill.”

Charles U. Williams was a legendary name in photography. Operating out of nearby Bloomington, Williams was a prolific commercial photographer who traveled the region, capturing the small-town life, Main Streets, and school groups of the early 1900s. A visit from Williams' studio was a major town event, prompting these students to put on their absolute best attire, sharp wool jackets for the boys and oversized, elaborate hair bows for the girls.

​What makes this specific postcard incredibly rare is the meticulously written roster on the reverse side. Instead of an anonymous group of faces, we have the exact names of the young men and women who walked the halls of Le Roy High School just before the outbreak of World War I.

​The roster divides the class into two distinct columns:

​The Girls & The Back Row

  • ​Grace Stands (Stautz)
  • ​Mary Waggoner
  • ​Lucille Bentham
  • ​Bessie Gurtner
  • ​Jeannette Miller
  • ​Vera Johnson Boys

​The Front Row & Seated Classmates

  • ​Kenneth Sparks
  • ​Alva Parks
  • ​Flave Morrow
  • ​Gordon Watson
  • ​Estel Wright

​A quick glance into McLean County history reveals just how deeply these names are woven into the fabric of the region. Surnames like Gurtner, Waggoner, and Morrow belonged to the prominent farming families and early pioneers of the township. These teenagers grew up on the surrounding homesteads, walking or riding into the town of Le Roy each day for their education.

​Holding a photo like this reminds us that history isn't just a collection of dates and battlefields—it's found in the proud posture of a young man holding his school pennant, and the smiles of classmates who had their entire lives ahead of them in the summer of 1914.


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