The History of Elizabethtown High School
Elizabethtown (population 348) is located in far southeastern tip of Illinois. The town sits in the southwestern portion of Hardin County along the banks of the Ohio River. Illinois Route 146 is the only way to get to and from town. Elizabethtown is the county seat of Hardin County.
According to the web address of http://www.elizabethtownchamber.com/site-retired/elizabethtown_illinois.html Elizabethtown in Illinois is the smallest town of the six towns in the United States that bear this name. The town is said to be named after Elizabeth McFarlan who, along with her husband James, built the first home in the area in 1812. It also states that much information regarding the early history of Elizabethtown was lost in two seperate fires at the courthouse in 1898 and 1921.
It is likely the residents of Elizabethtown began an educational system for their children in the very early days of the town’s development. It is probable that high school courses for the kids of Elizabethtown were available by the late 1800s and certainly were available by the early 1900s. It is likely that Elizabethtown High School served the community and the area’s families for several decades. By looking at the Rosiclare High School history web address of http://www.rosiclare.com/rchs/rchs1.htm we know that Elizabethtown High School competed in boys basketball in 1927. We also know that Richard F. Taylor served as Elizabethtown HS principal beginning in 1878 (see bottom of page).
We are not certain when, but at some point Elizabethtown High School was closed. We believe this may have occurred in the 1940s. We do know that Elizabethtown students became part of the Hardin County consolidation of Rosiclare High School and Cave-in-Rock High School in 1977. The new school district is known as the Hardin County School District. The school buildings for Hardin County High School have an address of Elizabethtown.
The original Elizabethtown High School building is still standing and is pictured above.
Elizabethtown High School Quick Facts
Year opened: late 1800s (1873?) Year closed: 1940s(?) Consolidated to: Hardin County High School (Elizabethtown) E-town HS team nickname: unavailable Team uniform colors: unavailable School Fight Song: unavailable | |||||||||||||||
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