Apple River High School

Apple River High School Building 1907
A group of people outside a building

Description automatically generated with medium confidence
Found at http://genealogytrails.com/ill/jodaviess/schoolapplehs.html (Roberta VanBreisen)

The History of Apple River High School

Apple River (population 379) is located in the northeast corner of Jo Davies County in the far northwestern portion of Illinois.  Apple River sits just a quarter mile south of the Wisconsin border.  Stage Coach Trail is the main roadway leading you to and from Apple River.  The Chicago, Central, & Pacific Railroad travels through town and was instrumental in its early growth.  As a point of reference Apple River sits about 20 miles northeast of Galena.

According to the web address of (click here)  the following is a brief history of Apple River and its former high school:

Apple River was first settled in the early 1830s.  By the 1840s enough families had moved into the area that a school was established.  It was in 1854 when the railroad line, now known as the Chicago, Central, & Pacific, was laid through the area.  The town was so named after a river of the same name which traveled through the area and was the villages’ water supply in the early days.

As railroad workers moved the tracks westward, the town of Apple River began to flourish.  In 1868 Apple River was incorporated as a village after a very close vote by the men of the town.

Apple River residents built a school for their children in 1857.  The town’s population was growing quickly and it became a necessity that a new school be built to accomodate the influx of new students.  In 1873 a new school building was built to house a high school in town.

A web site showing the graduating class of Apple River High School in 1938 was supplied to us by our good fan, Roberta VanBriesen. You can take a look at it by clicking on the following web address:

http://www.genealogytrails.com/ill/jodaviess/schoolapplehs.html

We are continuing to look for information on Apple River High School.  We only know that at some point, the school district consolidated with its neighbor to the east, Warren.  Warren High School continues to prosper today.

Apple River maintained a grade school as part of the Warren School District. However this era is coming to an end as well.  According to the web address of

http://www.journalstandard.com/news/education/x231950046/District-to-close-Apple-River-school the Apple River Grade School will close at the end of this school year (2009-10).

Apple River High School Quick Facts

Year opened:                                1873

Year closed:                                  late 1940s?

Consolidated to:                            Warren School District

Apple River HS team nickname:      ?

Apple River HS team colors:           ?

School Fight Song:                        ?

ATHLETICS

The Apple River High School athletic program likely included the sports of basketball, baseball, and track.  It is possible that at one time or another football or other sports were offered as well.  We are searching for team records, coaches names, and individual accomplishments.  Also welcome are the “quick facts” items we are missing above, including team nickname, uniform colors, and school fight song.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

We suspect that Apple River High School offered several extra-curricular activities on top of sports.  School dances, clubs, band, and chorus were possibly offered to the APHS students as well.

TO FORWARD FURTHER INFORMATION ON APPLE RIVER HIGH SCHOOL:

Contact us via e-mail at:     ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net (photos are welcome)

Write to us via USPS at:    IHSGD Website

                                       6439 N. Neva St.

                                       Chicago, Il.     60631

Current Apple River Grade School
A building with trees in the front

Description automatically generated with low confidence
Found at the webaddress of http://www.205warren.net/arms.htm
  

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