The Polaris is the high school annual from Freeport High School, Freeport, Illinois.

All text and photos Copyright 2002 - 2007 Robert L. Bike, except for direct quotes from the Polaris, uncopyrighted material in the public domain.

The Class of 1908

Frederick Byerly,

Clarence Young.

(Students are described as Miss or Mr. if I don't know their first names.)

World War I Veteran from the Class of 1908

Lieutenant Frederick Byerly, Aviation Instructor, Chanute Field, Rantoul, Illinois.

Another 1908 Graduate

Margaret "Maggie" Davenport graduated from Freeport High School in 1908 and earned her bachelor's degree at the University of Wisconsin. She was a school librarian for many years. Around 1930, she and Susan Rosenstiel (Class of 1900) bought a horticultural nursery they called Port Rose Garden. Rosenstiel later bought out Davenport's share. Davenport's obituary appeared in The Freeport Journal-Standard Nov. 15, 1977. Source: The Freeport Journal Standard August 20, 2005

Freeport High School in 1908.

Looking west on Stephenson Street in 1908. The building with the cupola just to the right of center is the old Garrity Drug Store. The fine brick building across the street behind it is the Brewster Hotel, where Abraham Lincoln stayed in 1858 during the Lincoln-Douglas debate.

The Stephenson County Court House in 1908.

Highland Amusement Park in 1908.

Crain's Grove, southeast of Freeport, in 1908.

The Carnegie Library, Freeport, Illinois, in 1908.

The entrance to Oakland Cemetery in 1908.

St. Francis Hospital in 1908.

Galena Street, now Main Street, in 1908.

Third Ward Park in 1908, showing some early Freeporters.

Bill of sale from Thompson & Huenkemeier, lumber, coal and wood.

This is St. John's Church in 1908. At the time of the photo, it was St. John's Evangelical Church. When I was baptized in this church, it was St. John's Evangelical and Reformed Church. This building burned in 1957 and a new building was built on S. Park Boulevard at the west edge of Freeport. It is now called St. John's United Church of Christ.

My father was an usher and later an elder in St. John's. Just before services began, he would ring the bells, and a few times I got to help him. There were rough, thick ropes that hung from the bells, and I would help Dad pull them down. The weight of the heavy bells would swing me up in the air as the bells swung back and forth. The bells were in the opening seen by the postmark. They were saved after the fire and are in the new bell tower, but are now rung electronically from inside the church.

Freeport High School

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