Oral History of Forgottonia: The Red Brick School in Smithfield, IL – Part 2, Cooper & Sam Interview Marcus Boyer
“When small towns lose, we lose a piece of ourselves.”
Marcus Boyer
ON THIS EPISODE
As part of our Oral History in Forgottonia series, Cuba High School juniors Cooper Leonard and Sam Thum explore the history and impact of the old Red Brick School in Smithfield, Illinois. Like many small towns, the school in Smithfield (known as the Red Brick School) closed decades previously and consolidated with Cuba which is located about 7 miles east of the town.
Part 2 of their project, they speak with local farmer & history enthusiast, Marcus Boyer, another longtime Smithfield resident and former student at the Red Brick School. Mr. Boyer was part of the last 8th grade class to graduate from the Red Brick School in 1969. He is actively involved in efforts to preserve the building and participates in numerous community-wide events in Smithfield that utilizes the historic school building. Most notably, visitors to the annual Spoon River Scenic Drive will likely know Marcus as each year he sets up shop at the Red Brick School displaying and sharing about local history in the region.
Marcus Boyer shows Cooper and Sam historic maps of Smithfield, Illinois
Essential & Supporting Questions
What was it like to be a student at the Red Brick School?
What does the Red Brick school and its closing mean to Marcus and the entire Smithfield community?
Why is the Red Brick School so important to Smithfield even though it’s been closed for decades?
What connections does rural Smithfield have with our more national historic narratives like Abe Lincoln, the village of New Salem, and the Black Hawk Indian War?
What are the challenges of sustaining the school building today? Why should young people who never went to the school be involved in preserving it?
How is the Red Brick School building currently being utilized and what challenges do younger generations face when it comes to preserving the building?
What current tensions exist in Smithfield regarding the economic future of our community and how can we best address this tension?
“I don’t know the answer, but we need to utilize the resources we have here… and we’re not selling our souls by doing that… I might not be here tomorrow. The future is with you guys.”
Marcus Boyer
From left to right – Sam Thum (CHS Junior), Cooper Leonard (CHS Junior), and Marcus Boyer
Map of the original Cass Township where Smithfield is presently located
From the earliest book about Fulton County
Smithfield was originally “Cameron’s Settlement” and “Totten’s Prairie.”
Cooper Leonard & Sam Thum BIO
Cooper Aaron Eugene Leonard is a junior at Cuba High School and the son of Randy & Meghan Leonard. Cooper is involved with history club, drama club, track and field, dance, and he works as a student technology specialist for CHS. He enjoys soccer, baked potatoes, sleeping, hanging out with friends, and following his curiosity. After high school, Cooper is thinking about going to Bradley University to get a degree in computer science or engineering.
Samantha Marie Thum is a junior at Cuba High School and the daughter of Garrett and Karen Thum of Smithfield, IL. Sam is involved with student Council, National Honor Society, FCCLA, Scholastic Bowl, Volleyball, Dance, Softball, Track, Art Club. She enjoys listening to the Beatles and keeping herself busy. After high school, Sam plans on going to college and getting a degree in Aerospace Engineering or Astrophysics.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Our ORAL HISTORY of FORGOTTONIA series is part of the NCHE Rural Experience in America grant in partnership with the Western IL Museum, and the Western IL University Archives. In 2021, the National Council for History Education (NCHE) recruited teachers nationwide to participate in free and open professional development that occurred asynchronously and synchronously online, focusing on rural history and historical inquiry using Library of Congress sources. Teachers traveled to Norman, Oklahoma to collaborate with a community partner selected from their hometown to create a public history project.
These community-based, service-learning public history projects enable students to investigate their local and regional histories deeply and to connect their own histories to the larger human experience. A key purpose of this project is to link rural communities and their histories to national narratives and primary source collections, and the targeted focus of this proposal provides an avenue for such purposeful connections.
Our project, The Oral History of Forgottonia, is one of several throughout the country featured by the NCHE. To learn about other projects featured by this grant, check out this list and visit the links at the bottom of this post.
The Forgottonia Project 
One Reply to “”