Ed Bruckert's School Buses

Pictured: Bruckerts on NW Corner of N. Washington and W. Fayette St. in 1950

From the Gazette-News March 20, 1952

    Each day, some 200 children living outside the City of Bunker Hill are brought to school in four buses.  The mileage they cover on their on their trips averages 230 miles daily.  In a few cases, students drive their own cars to school.

    Ed Bruckert's Garage furnished transportation for the school district, being under contract and receiving payment on the mileage basis.  Bruckert assumes full responsibility for the buses, which he owns, doing his own maintenance and providing drivers for each.  In addition to being a regular driver himself, Bruckert employs the following men, Chester Kehr, Charlie Forrler, and Chester Scroggins.  Alfred Snedeker is an alternate driver.

Pictured: Overturned Meissner schoolbus parked at the Bruckert Garage after the 1948 Tornado

    

    Prior to 1948, the school maintained their own transportation, owning their bus and employed drivers for the daily trips.  The system proved to be hard to manage properly and was costly in upkeep because of such.  The arrangement with Bruckert was instituted in the fall of 1948 and has been efficient and has provided better service.

Pictured: Ed Bruckert's Mobilegas / Mobiloil  Dealership Plaque

    In order to facilitate orderly conduct and loading of buses, at the end of the day, classes are dismissed after short intervals to avoid pushing and a big rush which would be likely if they were all turned loose at once.

...Read more about this and other Bunker Hill, IL historical stories at https://bunkerhillhistory.org/

--Cite this story: The Bunker Hill IL Historical Society. "A Look Back in Bunker Hill History." Bunker Hill Gazette-News, March 10, 2022. 

Redford, Carol, and Betty Triplett. "Bunker Hill History." In Reflections: A History of the Bunker Hill-Woodburn Area, p. 105. Bunker Hill: Bunker Hill Publications, 1993. Provided by the Bunker Hill Historical Society.