One step forward, too many steps back in efforts to improve Scott City

By Paul Schock

It was last Tuesday night when I heard the horns from the fire trucks driving by and then the sound of a truck in my back yard. I went out and saw what was once the pride and joy of a community coming together going up in flames.

Scott City lost the Old Head School, and my emotions almost got the best of me as I thought right away of Carolyn Pendergrass, the president of the Scott City Historical Society.

She and the group put so much into the one-room schoolhouse that had a lot of history from the people of the area.

The Albrights had the schoolhouse on their farm property and gave it to the Scott City Historical Society several years ago, and I would say it was a community effort.

The city worked together with AmerenUE and Oraly Jackson to move the schoolhouse through the neighborhood. What was a short drive to the country took several hours to move the building to its spot across the railroad track near what was once the old Illmo train depot.

The historical society had many uphill battles, from raising money to getting help to work on the schoolhouse. Some members even put their own money into the dream. The historical society and I wanted a place that showed a part of the history of the community, where schools could learn about their past.

Watching the schoolhouse burn down, I called Carolyn to see if she knew about the fire. She was on her way down. All that I could say was, "It's gone, Carolyn. It's gone." Once Carolyn and her husband George arrived, she was so frustrated because the historical society had been about three-quarters of the way done with the building. The historical society was looking to have events there starting next month.

All Carolyn could say while looking at the structure was that she was done. With it all. Nothing left.

I understand her frustration. The historical society has had a run of bad luck, including losing most of the items for their museum in a fire set at the Main Street caboose. The interior was totaled. This was also a great location for people to come visit.

It's hard not to think that no matter how hard you work or try, at some point you feel you have to just give up. That something is telling you that it's not meant to be.

There have been many signs over the years of negative things happening in Scott City. But over the last year, I know things have been adding up, from storefronts being shot out with BB guns, graffiti of the anarchy symbol and the caboose being set on fire to the schoolhouse fire.

These might be small things to some people. But I know that Scott City is a community that has been trying for many years to clean itself up from all the hardships over the years. Many people have been looking to make it a community that you can be proud of.

I have worked with many of the community groups that look to help this community while trying to improve the future.

When we have these events in such a small town that push us back from what we as a community are trying to do, it's hard to recover and regroup. I know the weather we have had in recent months, the ice and the rain, has affected a lot of people's lives, and we are still finding ways to recover.

I know there are people who would say Scott City has nothing, that there is nothing here. But I would beg to differ. If you have visited or lived in Scott City, you know that it is a town that is proud and is working to become something better. We are proud of all the members of groups like the Scott City Historical Society for working to better our community and we cannot let this run of bad luck and the drive of other to destroy get in the way of the dream of our future.

With all the setbacks that the historical society has had, it needs our support. We cannot let this latest tragedy get the best of it. We as a community should show our gratefulness and support for such work that these individuals have done in restoring the schoolhouse. I remember how people acted when the schoolhouse project was first brought up. It was said that Scott City doesn't need something like that, that kids would just destroy it. It was wondered who would come to see it. Many of us can complain. But until we make an effort to change the current course with positive actions we cannot grow as a community. I know I have been told the old main street of Illmo will be just a ghost town. Even through all the ups and downs, I still believe in its charm with help from people like Carolyn Pendergrass, the historical society and the other community groups. They have kept the faith even when I felt the doubters might be right.

I believe that there are ways to give things back to the community and even to the youths. I believe we can stop the graffiti by setting up mural projects for young adults. I have done this in other cities, and I have seen it work. I believe that if we as a community offer our youths more programs and build the community's faith in itself, its history and its future, then the town can live up to its charm.

I hear stories of people who can't wait to get out of this town or who feel trapped. But I say you have to really look and see that it's not any better outside. It can only become what you make of it, and the old schoolhouse was a part of that dream -- and can still be a reason to learn and make our dream grow into a bigger dream.

I was talking to Carolyn Pendergrass as the schoolhouse flames were almost gone and the only thing left was the charred and blackened outline of a building. I found myself thinking this could not be the end.

The next day I called Tim Porch, Scott City's mayor, to find out what we can do as a community to not let this stop the goals and dreams of making something great of our city. We talked about raising money down the line for a museum of community history located where the schoolhouse was. We both understood that this would take a lot of time, but if the community is behind it, it can be done. In the meantime the new city hall might be a place where the historical society can have a display of some of the historical elements of our great community.

I am upset about the losses we have had in this community, but we have to look at how the schoolhouse helped the community come together and believe in itself. We cannot let anyone take that away from us.

The anger we might have because someone or something is destroying our past and our future cannot get the best of us. We have to work together to get the best of it. There is a pattern here. We must change as a community. Don't just look at the ashes that are left from the schoolhouse fire, but look forward to a positive future for Scott City.

Please get involved and help out our community.

Paul Schock has been active in community-betterment projects in Scott City for several years.