New Chicago Schoolhouse - Drummond

Built in 1874, the New Chicago Schoolhouse was moved to the west end of Drummond in 1988 and has been restored by volunteers of the Lower Valley Historical Society. It is adjacent to I-90 and can be easily seen from there. With its bell tower it can be mistaken for a church. Among the exhibits is the story of Emma Davis Wilson (1844-1917), a pioneer teacher who homesteaded with her husband and two sons near New Chicago in 1874. Another fascinating exhibit is the quilt depicting the history of the Drummond area. The museum offers a number of other exhibits giving the visitor a glimpse of the history of this area.

New Chicago was located along Flint Creek; at the junction of the Mullan Road and the road to Phillipsburg. It included two hotels, two stores, two saloons, a flour mill, a telegraph station, several stables, a stage station, and a Wells Fargo office. With the arrival of the railroad to Drummond (Edwardsville) in August of 1883, New Chicago slowly ceased to exist.