Ellis Township High School

Ellis (population about 25) is located in west-central Illinois in the northwestern portion of Vermilion County. Ellis is approximately 15 miles northwest of Danville. County Road 3400N is the main (and only) roadway that will take you to and from Ellis. It connects the town to Illinois Route 49 just one mile to the west. The Union Pacific Railroad passes through Ellis as well.

A brief history of the small village of Ellis and Ellis Township in Vermilion County can be read at the following web address located by Roberta Van Briesen:

http://genealogytrails.com/ill/vermilion/townnames_extinctnames.html#EXTINCT

A summary of this article is as follows:

The village of Ellis was started in 1902 and is named after the owner of the land on which the village was platted, Albert Ellis. The town had a post office from 1908 – 1935.

Ellis Township High School District #224 was one of the first rural township high schools established in the state of Illinois. The high school was started in 1914. In the first school year a total of 10 students attended. In the second year classes were held in an abandoned store building in Ellis. This building was razed in 1938. School was held continuously from 1914 – 1918. During the school year in 1917, three members of the high school were called to serve in Word War I (Clark Morris, Guy Judy and Ephriam Driskell)

Attempts to secure funding for a new school building failed and excitement of having a high school in the area diminished. The only graduating class in the school’s brief history celebrated their honors in May of 1918. The graduating class consisted of five members, Lucile Duncan, Jack Morris, Rose Auth, Gertrude Weimken and Leone Goetchius.

Due to lack of enrollment and funding, the Ellis Township High School District was officially discontinued in February of 1920.

Ellis Township High School Quick Facts

Year opened:                  1914

Year closed:                   1918

Year district disbanded:   1920

Consolidated to:              Armstrong High School

Sports likely not offered at ETHS