Lincoln Elementary to celebrate own history along with Abe's

Lincoln Elementary School students share a special tie with Honest Abe, even though most of them have only lived to see the country's two most recent presidents in office.

The original school building, which stood on the corner of National and Villa Streets in Elgin, was renamed after the 16th President at the turn of the 20th Century.

Lincoln School was used from 1883 until 1968, when it was consolidated with Franklin School, the two becoming Channing Memorial Elementary. A new Lincoln School opened in 2004, with attendance zones in both Elgin and Hoffman Estates.

Today, students will celebrate their school's historic roots in tandem with Lincoln's 200th birthday during a special assembly.

For the past year, Principal Mariann Alyea said, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade student council members have been working on a digital story that details what life was like at the school's beginnings, and how it changed over the years. That presentation will be broadcast during the assembly, held at noon for students in kindergarten through third grade and again at 1 p.m. for fourth- through sixth- graders.

Alyea said several alumni of the old Lincoln school have been invited to attend, along with Elizabeth Marston of the Elgin Historical Society.

Joe Cesara, of Byron, who attended the school from 1941 to 1950, provided students with dozens of old school pictures and memories.

A picture of the school's kindergarten band reveals students in caps and capes. Another displays members of the 1949-50 school basketball team, grinning ear to ear, wearing belted short shorts.

One of Cesara's most vivid memories are of having to drink a pint of whole milk every day in the three-story school's day room to help ward off malnutrition and rickets.

"Those who could pay did and those who could not still received the milk daily," he said. "For most of us kids, when we had to bring money to school, the mothers would wrap the coins in a handkerchief and tie a knot in the handkerchief and place it in the kid's pocket so the child would not lose the money."

Along with memories and facts about the old school, Alyea said, students will hear about the Lincoln penny, as well as values cherished by Lincoln.

"Beyond being a good leader, he was a good father, a loving husband and a dedicated humanitarian," she said.