Beason (population approximately 250) is located in central Illinois about 10 miles east of Lincoln. The town was platted in 1872 in east-central Logan County. It is named after one of its earliest settlers and founders, Silas Beason, a lawyer who was instrumental in getting the Illinois Central Railroad to lay tracks through town. The town sits quietly on County Road 2150th Avenue just south of Illinois Route 10. According to MapQuest (www.mapquest.com), Beason is four blocks long and four blocks wide.
History of Beason High School
Provided by Vicky Hilton Cunningham
Beason HS – 1968
Courtesy of Vicky Hilton Cunningham
Gerry Halpin, who provided photos at the bottom of this page of the Beason school from May of 2014, tells us that the brick Beason High School building still standing today was constructed in 1921. We are told by a graduate of the last class of Beason High that the first year the high school was open there were 47 students in attendance. The year the school closed the enrollment stood proudly at 74 students (grades 9 – 12). The school spirit of Beason High School lives on. There is an annual reunion for BHS students to ensure the Yellowjacket pride is alive and well.
The photos on this page were taken in January of 2006 by some great fans of this site, Dan, Jim, and Jon Wheat. As you can see this lonely building is filled with memories. Here is to hoping it is put to good use before it falls into a state of disrepair.
Beason High School Quick Facts
Year opened: late 1890’s
Year closed: 1975
Annexed to: Lincoln High School
School Team nickname: the “Yellowjackets”
Team colors: Purple & Gold
School Fight Song: “Stand Up and Root, Root, Root for Victory.”
Thank you to PEGGY REINEKE KOCHERT – Class of 1966
Lyrics submitted by VICKY HILTON CUNNINGHAM
Stand up and root, root, root for Victory
Let¢s give three cheers for Beason High
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Come on and show your fighting energy
Let¢s raise our banner to the sky
Our team is out there fighting valiantly
Let¢s let them know we¢re with them too
For it’s a Rah! Rah! Rah!
For dear old Alma Mater
Beason High we’re all for you!
“This is another popular song we sang (Vicky Hilton Cunningham, Class of 1968)”:
When those Yellowjacket guys go down the line
You know we’re gonna win another time
We’re gonna yell and yell and yell and yell
For the Purple & the Gold, I say we’re gonna yell
We’re gonna fight, fight, fight for victory
We’re gonna put another down in history, history
While our guys go down the line every time
B.H.S.
FIGHT! FIGHT!
Beason HS Gymnasium Entrance
Submitted by the Wheat Family
Yellowjacket Mascot – Creator Ronnie Zurkammer
Submitted by Vicky Hilton Cunningham
Athletics
We know that Beason High School competed in boys basketball. We also know that baseball, cross country, and track were offered. The girls did not compete in interscholastic athletics. The school closed prior to this effort being realized.. Conference affiliation included the Lincolnland and Kickapoo conferences.
Boys Basketball
This is the only sport listed on the IHSA website (www.ihsa.org). Someone is quite a basketball fan at BHS because it is a very extensive listing indeed. For such a small town and presumably small school, Beason folks must have lived and breathed basketball.
State’s Leading Scorer 1961-62
Provided by Vicky Hilton Cunningham
One famous star of the 1960’s was a player named Bobby Guy, who led the state of Illinois in scoring his senior year. If you have any more information on Bobby or any other informaton on the Beason HS Yellowjacket basketball program, please pass it on to us so we may share it on this page. The best records and IHSA tournament trophies won by the Beason kids are listed below.
1921-22 2nd Place – Logan County Tourney Coach C.E. Townsend
Beason High School Basketball Team 1922-23
Submitted by Vicky Hilton Cunningham
1922-23 Postseason scores & record needed Coach G. Ernest Smith
1923-24 17- 5 Logan County Tourney Champs Coach Wayne Dickey
Postseason scores needed
1924-25 20- 4 Great Record Coach Wayne Dickey
Postseason scores needed
1925-26 18- 7 IHSA District Champions Coach Wayne Dickey
District Scores Needed
Peoria Sectional Tournament
1st Rd lost to Normal University HS 25-24
Normal U-High lost to Canton in semi-final
Canton finished 2nd in tournament
1926-27 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Wayne Dickey
1927-28 Logan Co. Tourney Runner-ups Coach Wayne Dickey
Postseason scores & record needed
1928-29 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Glenn McConkey
1929-30 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Aaron Hoffman
1930-31 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Aaron Hoffman
1932-33 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Victor Manley
1933-34 19- 5 Lincoln District Tournament Semi-finals Coach Victor Manley
1st Rd Beat Williamsville 37-18
2nd Rd Beat Elkhart 37-29
Semi-final lost to Lincoln 23-20
Lincoln lost title game to Mt. Pulaski
1934-35 Lincoln District Tournament Coach Victor Manley
1st Rd lost to Lincoln 46-16
Lincoln lost to Hartsburg in semi-final
Hartsburg lost to Mt. Pulaski in title game
1935-36 New Holland District Tournament Coach Victor Manley
1st Rd Beat Elkhart 19-12
Later round scores needed
1936-37 Lincoln District Tournament Coach Charles W. Green
1st Rd lost to Lincoln 31-21
Lincoln lost to Mt. Pulaski in title game
1937-38 13- 8 New Holland District Runner-UpCoach Ennis Sullivan
Title game lost to Hartsburg 38-29
1938-39 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Dallas Myers
1939-40 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Dallas Myers
1940-41 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Dallas Myers
1941-42 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Dallas Myers
1942-43 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Dallas Myers
1943-44 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Dallas Myers
1944-45 8- 8 Beason Hosted District Tourney Coach Dallas Myers
Beason Scores Needed
Washburn beat Dunlap in title game
1945-46 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Dallas Myers
1946-47 7- 7 Postseason scores & record needed Coach C. Allen Fort
1947-48 9- 7 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Wallace C. Yenerich
1948-49 19- 7 Waynesville District Runner-UpCoach Michael Anich
Early Round Scores Needed
Title Game lost to Maroa 42-40 (O/T)
1949-50 Waynesville District Tournament Coach Michael Anich
1st Rd Beat Waynesville 59-48
Semi-final lost to Wapella 66-53
Wapella lost to Maroa in title game
1950-51 Waynesville District Runner-Up Coach Michael Anich
Record Needed
District Scores
1st Rd Beat Downs 67-17
Semi-final Beat Wapella 53-47
Title Game lost to Argenta 73-53
1951-52 20-10 McLean District Champions Coach Loren Dittus
1st Rd Beat Argenta 61-42
Semi-final Beat Downs 63-46
Title Game Beat McLean 46-41
Clinton Regional Tourney
1st Rd lost to Clinton 42-35
Clinton lost to Bloomington in title game
1952-53 21- 7 IHSA District Champions Coach Joe Adams
District Scores Needed
Clinton Regional Tourney
1st Rd lost to Clinton 56-44
Clinton lost to Bloomington in title game
1953-54 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Winfield Bates
1954-55 18-9 IHSA District Runner-Up Coach Loren Dittus
1st Rd Beat Waynesville 58-34
Semi-final Beat New Holland 77-60
Title Game lost to Hartsburg-Emden 59-55
Beason HS Basketball Schedule 1954-55
Submitted by Richard Savage (left click on photo for larger view)
Beason HS Basketball Team 1954-55
Submitted by Richard Savage (left click on photo for larger view)
1955-56 15-10 Postseason scores needed Coach Arthur D. Ambler
1956-57 Postseason scores & record needed Coach James H. McCarthy
1957-58 Wapella District Runner-UpCoach Richard Cross
Early Round Scores & Record Needed
Title Game lost to Heyworth 74-58
1958-59 16-11 Heyworth District Champions Coach Richard Cross
Semi-Final Beat Wapella 79-48
Title Game Beat Heyworth 76-70 (O/T)
Clinton Regional Tourney
1st Rd lost to Bloomington 67-57
Bloomington lost to Clinton in semi-final
Clinton lost to Maroa in title game
1959-60 19- 8 Farmer City District Champions Coach James H. McCarthy
Semi-Final Beat Downs 95-80
Title Game Beat Farmer City 85-84
IHSA Regional Qualifier
Regional Scores Needed
1960-61 23- 5 IHSA District Champions Coach James H. McCarthy
District Scores Needed
Clinton Regional Tourney
1st Rd Beat Bloomington Trinity 83-68
Semi-Final lost to Clinton 96-80
Clinton beat Argenta in title game
1961-62 23- 6 Wapella District Champions Coach Don Cender
Semi-Final Beat Farmer City 81-75
Title Game Beat Wapella 101-73
Bloomington Regional Runner-Up
1st Rd Beat Heyworth 71-65
Semi-Final Beat Bloomington Trinity 68-62
Title Game lost to Bloomington 98-68
1962-63 15-13 Wapella District Champions Coach Don Cender
Semi-Final Beat Wapella 82-58
Title Game Beat Downs 48-43
Clinton Regional Tourney
1st Rd lost to Clinton 75-57
Clinton lost to Bloomington in semi-final
Bloomington lost to Trinity in title game
1963-64 13-13 Postseason scores needed Coach Dean Padgett
1964-65 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Dean Padgett
1965-66 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Dean Padgett
1966-67 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Mike Akin
1967-68 16-11 Hartsburg District Runner-UpCoach Mike Akin
1st Rd Beat McLean 71-44
Semi-Final Beat Hartsburg 72-63
Title Game lost to Armington 89-62
1968-69 Hartsburg-Emden District Tournament Coach Mike Akin
Record Needed
District Scores
1st Rd Beat New Holland 51-50
Semi-Final lost to Hartsburg-Emden 87-67
Hart-Em beat Elkhart in title game
1969-70 Beason District Tournament Coach Mike Akin
Record Needed
District Scores
1st Rd lost to Hartsburg-Emden 58-48
Hart-Em lost to Williamsville in semi-final
Williamsville lost to Elkhart in title game
1970-71 Hartsburg-Emden District Tournament Coach Tom Chitwood
Record Needed
District Scores
1st Rd lost to Hartsburg-Emden 50-46
Hart-Em lost to Atlanta in title game
1971-72 Leroy Class 1A Regional Tournament Coach Tom Chitwood
Record Needed
District Scores
1st Rd Beat Clinton 81-75
Semi-Final lost to Farmer City 78-59
Farmer City beat Heyworth in title game
1972-73 Postseason scores & record needed Coach John Welch
1973-74 Postseason scores & record needed Coach John Welch
1974-75 21- 6Tremont Class 1A Regional Runner-UpCoach John Welch
1st Rd Beat Deer Creek-Mackinaw 82-78
Semi-Final Beat Eureka 62-58
**Title Game lost to Bloomington Central Catholic 75-52
**Final basketball game for the Beason High School “Yellowjackets”.
*Dean Bentley tells us the 1974-75 season started off on a difficult note when the team was called for five technical fouls in the season opener against Witt High School. The technical fouls were called for having the incorrect uniform numbers entered in the scorebook. Beason would go on to win that game 70-50. The season record of 21-6 shows the Beason High School boys basketball program was still going strong when the school closed!
**Beason High School “Yellowjackets” won a total of EIGHT District Championships, including FIVE in a row (1959-63). Great Job Yellowjackets!!
**Dave Kane, writer for the State Journal-Register, provides us this bit of information regarding a Beason basketball great:
“When Beason HS closed in the mid-1970s, most of its students were indeed sent to nearby Lincoln. But a few of them went to Mount Pulaski. One of them was Jeff Clements, who attended Beason HS as a freshman. As a Mount Pulaski sophomore, Clements helped lead the Hilltoppers to the Class ‘A’ State Basketball Championship in 1976.
Jeff Clements hit what proved to be the game-winning basket with less than a minute left in the 1976 state title game against Oneida ROVA (it didn’t have the “W” then), a 59-58 Mt. Pulaski victory.”
Beason Yellowjacket’s Baseball Diamond
Baseball Field
The baseball field in the photo to your right was beside the school. It is quite probable that baseball and possibly softball were offered at Beason High school at one time as well. Please write to us if you have any of this information available.
Beason HS Baseball 1922-23
Courtesy of Vicky Hilton Cunningham
1954-55 6-2 (Fall) IHSA District Tourney Participants Coach Loren Dittus
6-6 (Spring) Lost in District Tourney to Clinton 11-2
Beason HS Baseball Team Schedule 1954-55
Submitted by Richard Savage (left click on photo for larger view)
Beason HS Baseball Team 1954-55
Submitted by Richard Savage (left click on photo for larger view)
The Beason boys played Fall baseball in the 1974-75 school year, the school’s final year. The team would end the season at 5-5. Jim Brown pitched a 1 hitter in one game and catcher Jeff Clements had a batting average of .533!
Boys Track & Field
The IHSA website does not list any Beason athletes as earning a top-8 finish in any event in track & field. However athletes from the school did make it through sectional meets to compete in the state finals. In the school’s final year (1974-75) two Beason thinclads, Brad Reinhart (Shot) & Jeff Clements (Discus), competed in the state meet finals.
Extra-Curricular Activities
The girls of Beason High School were members of the Future Homemakers of America. Chorus and Band were likely also offered.
From Vicky Hilton Cunningham:
“Band and chorus were offered at Beason High School. The Band Boosters worked hard and there were many fund raisers for annual trips to Chicago to see Broadway musicals. From 1964 -1968, we saw Celeste Holm starring in “Mame”, Carol Channing in “Hello Dolly”, Paul Lipson in “Fiddler on the Roof” and Judy Bruce in “Oliver”. Also in “Oliver” playing one of the orphans was none other than David Jones, who later became Davey Jones of the Monkees!”
Need Your Assistance
The Beason High School Yellowjackets’ legacy should not be forgotten. More great teams and other noteable accomplishments at BHS should be remembered and shared with others. You can e-mail these items to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net or you can write to us at:
