Edgewood High School “Pirates”

Edgewood School Building & Student Body 19-teens
A group of people outside a house

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Submitted by Dennis Downey as located in “Centennial History of Edgewood”
Edgewood Grade School Building 2015
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Now Edgewood Library – School Closed in 2013
Edgewood Grocery Store 2015
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The History of Edgewood High School

Edgewood (population 527) is located in southeastern Illinois in the southwestern portion of Effingham County. Interstate Highway 57 passes by the northwest corner of town. Illinois Route 37 and County Highways 27 and 29 also take you to and from Edgewood. The Illinois Central Railroad line passes through town as well. The town is located about 17 miles southwest of the city of Effingham.

The web address of http://www.frontiernet.net/~kevinperkins/Townships.htm

provided the following information about Edgewood.

Edgewood was laid out by the Illinois Central Railroad as a prospect town in 1857. Its post office began operation in 1858. The village was incorporated in 1869. Edgewood was a quiet town that had a few stores, blacksmith shop and some light industry in the early 1920’s.  

A book titled “Towns of Effingham County, Illinois” published by Effingham County Bicentennial Commision in 1975 can be read at the following web address:

http://archive.org/stream/townsofeffingham00effi#page/16/mode/2up/search/edgewood

The book states the following in summary in a short article about Edgewood:

Edgewood at that time (1975) had three railroads that traveled through town. Edgewood was platted in 1857 by the Illinois Central Railroad line. It was incorporated as a village in 1869. At one time there were two banks in town, something unusual for a town of its size.

The early days of Edgewood found a lot of timber trade as there were many trees in the area. Edgewood was considered a fine small community in the mid-1970s, never growing much larger or smaller than a population of around 550.

We were made aware that Edgewood at one time supported a high school while conducting research on the website titled “Illinois Post Season Basketball Scores”. The website is located at https://sites.google.com/site/xtmi2000/ . We found District Tournament scores involving Edgewood High School beginning in 1935. These results will be listed below in the athletics section.

The following historical information was sent to us by Dennis Downey as found in a book titled “The Centennial History of Edgewood” whose main author was Charlotte Spurlin.

“In 1914, after the 8th grade commencement, students from rural schools and Edgewood joined to form a new ninth grade. Ray Bryant, who taught in the rural Clay County schools, was hired as the teacher. Due to lower enrollment of the 7th and 8th grades, there was sufficient room for the new grade. In 1915, a tenth grade was added with new teacher, Miss Edith Schell. A partition divided the classes in the upper grade part of the school. Thus, the two teachers could teach 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grade, In 1916, the board decided that an 11th grade would need to be added and thus created a three year high school. A new brick building would be erected starting in May,1916.

The building pictured at the very top of this page was moved offsite; part to become a granary and the other as a building next to a store. The new brick school was not ready in the fall, so students went to the Masonic Hall and Christian Church. In 1917, four students remained in the class. Bessie Barbee became the first graduate alphabetically to graduate from Edgewood High School. Edgewood High School was closed in 1948 and the students sent to nearby Effingham for their high school education.”.

We know that the kids of Edgewood today attend school as part of the Effingham School District. Edgewood hosted a grade school (K-4) as part of the Effingham School District until it was closed in 2013. The former Edgewood Grade School building is now utilized as the Edgewood Public Library.  If you have any additional information about Edgewood and its former high school please contact us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net .

      

Edgewood High School Quick Facts

Year opened:               1914

Year closed:                 1948

Consolidated to:         Effingham High School

Team nickname:          “Pirates”

Team uniform colors:   unavailable

School Fight Song:       unavailable

ATHLETICS

As stated in the history section, we are certain that the Edgewood High School boys competed in basketball. It is likely that baseball and track were offered as well. We are in need of the school team nickname, uniform colors, fight song, coaches names, and season records. Photos and other information are welcome.

BOYS BASKETBALL

The Edgewood High School boys competed in the IHSA State Tournament. The following scores from these tournament games were located on the web site found at the following address:   http://sites.google.com/site/xtmi2000/

1933 District Tourney at Effingham

1st Rd lost to Iola 32-16

Iola lost to Effingham in 2nd Rd

1934 District Tourney at Effingham

1st Rd lost to Beecher City 28-11

Beecher City lost to Farina in 2nd

1935 District Tourney at Effingham  – https://sites.google.com/site/xtmi2000/il1935dist-1

1st Round:  Watson 22, Edgewood 21

Watson lost in 2nd Round

1936 District Tourney at Effingham –  https://sites.google.com/site/xtmi2000/il1936dist

1st Round:  Dietrich 53, Edgewood 17

Dietrich lost in semi-final Round

1937 through 1940 – District Tourney, Season Records, and Coaches’ names needed.

1941 District Tourney at Patoka

1st Rd lost to Dix 23-21

Dix lost to Patoka in Semi-final

1942 – District scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

1943 District Tourney at Watson

1st Rd Beat Mason 56-5

2nd Rd lost to Dietrich 45-30

Watson beat Strasburg in title game

1944 District Tourney at Edgewood

Early Rd Scores Needed

Toledo beat Cowden in title game

1945 District Tourney at Dietrich – https://sites.google.com/site/xtmi2000/il1945dist

1st Round:  Watson 31, Edgewood 28

Watson lost in semi-final Round

1946 – District scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

1947 District Tourney at Dietrich – https://sites.google.com/site/xtmi2000/il1947dist

1st Round:  Edgewood 42, Sigel 33

2nd Round:  Effingham St. Anthony 38, Edgewood 25

Cowden beat Strasburg in Title Game

1948 District Tourney at Dietrich

1st Round:  Edgewood 64, Bible Grove 42

**2nd Round:  Stewardson 52, Edgewood 30

Strasburg beat Cowden in Title Game

**Last game for Edgewood High School, the school consolidated into the Effingham School District in the summer of 1948.

   

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Other activities of interest may have included dances, plays, band, chorus, and various clubs.  If you have any information please contact us via the means listed below.

SEEKING INFORMATION

If you have any information regarding the former Edgewood High School

please write to us via e-mail at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net.  You can also write to us via real mail at:

IHSGD Website

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago, Il.  60631

 


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