Intersection of present Routes 24 and 51 – taken July 4, 1915.
The schoolhouse was moved to the rear of the Raymond building in 1913 and a new brick school erected on the site. After the El Paso Community Unit District was formed in 1948, the new brick school continued for only about a year and was then sold for a residence.
After the fire of 1920 which destroyed Mrs. Haggard's general store, the only one in the village, a group of Panola residents and farmers organized and built the Panola store. This firm has been operated since January, 1944 by Mr. and Mrs. Lather George. Mrs. George also served as postmistress until the office was discontinued February 1, 1954.
The present village council is composed of Cecil Johnson, president; Mack Sands, clerk; Mr. and Mrs. Henry Stimpert, Mr. and Mrs. Bart Letsinger, Howard Duncan and Mrs. Dora Longman, trustees.
SECOR was named for Charles A. Secor, one of the builders of the Peoria & Oquawka railroad, who managed to name a town site as did his partners William Cruger and Samuel Gilman, whereas George C. Bestor failed. Isaac Underhill owned the land on which the town is located, and he had it surveyed by D. H. Davison, county surveyor. The first three homes were erected by E. T. Van Alstine, Jacob Lahr and Peter Cannon in turn; Van Alstine, managed the early store which Underhill had erected, while Lahr moved in from Gabetown where he had his blacksmith shop before reopening it in Secor.
In 1862 Underhill built a fine, three-story brick hotel that rivaled the Campbell House at El Paso, also begun that year. However, the
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