Keyesport High School

Keyesport School Building
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Keyesport School Building 2000s – Built in 1935
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Front Entrance of Building

The History of Keyesport High School

Keyesport (population 481) is located in south-central Illinois in the southeast corner of Bond County. The town actually sits right on the Bond County/Clinton County border, with half of Keyesport located in each county.  The Carlyle Lake is a large body of water that Keyesport is located on and sits on the town’s east site.  The Burlington Northern Railroad passes by the northeast side of town. County Highway 10 leads you to Keyesport from the north while County Highway 1 / 2 leads you to Keyesport from the west.

According to www.rootsweb.com/~ilclint2/commer/keyes.htm the town of Keyesport was platted in 1846, and incorporated as a village in 1897.  Its first settler was Thomas I. Keyes.  Due to its location on the Cahokia Lake and Kakaskia River, early on Keyesport was a place where rafts were made to ship items such as hogs to the Mississippi River and on down to New Orleans.  A railroad was built through town in 1883 which assisted in making Keyesport a fast growing town.

The first school was built in Keyesport in 1859. We know that at some point the Keyesport school began offering high school courses.  Our guess would be that this occurred in the late 1800s. though it may not have occurred until the early 1920s.  Keyesport may also have never been more than a three-year high school, however this, too, is in need of research.

We know that Keyesport was going strong in the 1931 according to a yearbook of Greenville High School which lists the scores of the District Basketball Tournament that includes Keyesport High School. Our best guess at this time is that Keyesport High School probably closed in the late 1940s.  We do know that the Keyesport children of high school age attend Carlyle High School today.  Keyesport continued to support a grade school until it, too, was closed in the 1980s.

The photos below are of the Keyesport School building taken in the 2000s. The front of the building states the school was known as District 115.

Keyesport School Building Entrance Inscription
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Keyesport School Building Rear
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The fate of the Keyesport High School building is needed.

Keyesport High School Quick Facts

Year opened:                           late 1800s / early 1900s

Year closed:                              late 1940s?

Consolidated to:                       Carlyle High School

Keyesport HS team nickname:  the “Lakers”?

Keyesport HS team colors:       unavailable

School Fight Song:                   unavailable

Keyesport School Scoreboard
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Athletics

We know for sure that the Keyesport High School boys competed in basketball.  We believe that baseball and track may have also been offered. The Keyesport Grade School closed in the 1980s.  Their sports teams were known as the “Lakers”. Could Keyesport High School been the Lakers as well?  KHS team colors, fight song, coach’s names, and records are needed to share on this site.

Boys Basketball

The Keyesport boys of the 1930s played basketball in a small school conference known as the Kaskaskia Conference. Other schools who were members included Beckemeyer. Breese, Hoyleton, Okawville, Shobonoier, and Vernon. The team also competed in the annual IHSA State Tournament. The following results of IHSA Tournament games involving Keyesport were found on a website titled “Illinois Postseason High School Basketball Scores.”

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1930-31                    Carlyle District Tournament                   Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd lost to Beckemeyer 22-13.

Centralia beat Bekcemeyer in title game. 

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1931-32                    Carlyle District Tournament                   Coach’s name & record needed. 

1st Rd Beat Irvington 19-9

2nd Rd lost to Pocahontas 34-10.

Centralia beat Trenton in title game. 

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1932-33                    Sandoval District Tournament                Coach’s name & record needed. 

1st Rd Beat Beckemeyer 19-9

2nd Rd lost to Nashville 65-9

Centralia beat Sandoval in title game. 

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1933-34                   Carlyle District Tournament                    Coach’s name & record needed. 

1st Rd lost to Dix 19-5

Centralia beat Ashley in title game. 

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1934-35                   Vandalia District Tournament                  Coach’s name & record needed. 

1st Rd lost to Vernon 36-11

Fillmore beat Vandalia in title game. 

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1935-36                   Odin District Tournament                        Coach’s name & record needed. 

1st Rd lost to Trenton 52-23

Trenton beat Odin in title game.

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1936-37                  Salem District Tournament                       Coach’s name & record needed. 

1st Rd Beat Iuka 33-23.

Semi-Final lost to Vernon 34-21

Bonnie beat Vernon in title game. 

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1937-38                  Pocahontas District Tournament              Coach’s name & record needed. 

1st Rd lost to Pocahontas 64-15

Panama beat Pocahontas in title game. 

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1938-39                  Carlyle District Tournament                      Coach’s name & record needed. 

1st Rd Beat Okawville 21-17

Semi-Final lost to Trenton 35-24.

Mulberry Grove beat Trenton in title game. 

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1939-40      Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

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1940-41                  Patoka District Tournament                      Coach’s name & record needed. 

1st Rd Beat Hoyleton 38-36.

Semi-Final lost to Odin 33-24

Patoka beat Odin in title game.

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1941-42        Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

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1942-43                   Beckemeyer District Tournament            Coach’s name & record needed. 

1st Rd lost to Breese 44-30.

Patoka beat Trenton in title game. 

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1943-44         Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed. 

1944-45         Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

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1945-46                    Beckemeyer District Tournament          Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd. lost to Beckemeyer 69-38.

Carlyle beat Beckemeyer in title game. 

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1946-47                     Odin District Tournament                    Coach’s name & record needed. 

1st Rd lost to New Baden 71-41

Odin beat Beckemeyer in title game. 

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1947-48                     Breese District Tournament                 Coach’s name & record needed.

**1st Rd lost to Odin 73-33  

Breese beat Odin in title game. 

**Final varsity boys basketball game listed for Keyesport High School on the Illinois Postseason High School Basketball Scores website. 

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Extra-Curricular Activities

As we like to say on all of our pages, athletics was probably just one part of the great experience of attending Keyesport High School. Were there other activities such as a band, chorus, clubs, and dances offered at Keyesport High?  Please let us know so we can share your information on this page.

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We Are Seeking Your In-Put

Please contact us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net if you can offer any further insight or information on the history and accomplishments attained at Keyesport High School. Items can be mailed to us at:

IIlinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago,  Il.  60631

 
 
 
 


January 13, 1939

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