Lily Lake High School

Lily Lake School Building 2014
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“District 74” Building Constructed in 1918
Lily Lake School Building – 2014
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Built in 1918, Today A Grade School for Burlington Central School District

The History of Lily Lake High School

Lily Lake (population 922) is located in northeastern Illinois about 15 miles east of Dekalb.  The town sits in the central portion of Kane County on Illinois Route 47 just north of Illinois Route 64. Lily Lake also borders the town of St. Charles, about 3 miles to the southeast.

According to the Wikipedia web address of

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_Lake,_Illinois, the town of Lily Lake was established around a lake of the same name.  The town was plotted along the Great Western Railroad for dairy farmers allowing them to ship their goods to the city of Chicago. The lake on which Lily Lake sat was drained in the 1930s to allow roadways to and from town to be built. Lily Lake was originally inhabited in as early as 1851 and was first known as Campton. The name was changed to Lily Lake in 1887.

The only information we currently have regarding Lily Lake High School is found on the Burlington Central High School website address of http://www.burlington.k12.il.us/ll/LL%20Info/History%20of%20LL.htm . This page has a nice history of the educational opportunities afforded the kids in Lily Lake. A summary of that article is as follows:

Schooling in the area was organized as early as 1841.  It was in 1918 that the Lily Lake school district was formed. The Lily Lake school offered education for kids in grades 1 – 8.  It also offered two years of high school education.  Upon graduating from the two-year high school kids would often attend a nearby 4-year high school such as St. Charles, Elburn, or Plato.

The Lily Lake school was the focus of the community.  Annual “fairs” and other gatherings often brought residents of the area together.  The article states that athletic contests were also held at the school.  It was in the year 1950 that Lily Lake High School was officially closed. This was due to the abolishment of all 2 and 3-year high schools in Illinois.  The district joined the newly formed Central School District located in Burlington.

Lily Lake was featured in an Illinois schools journal in 1920. The following facts were made available for the publication:

No. of districts consolidated:          3

Square miles:                               12

Assessed valuation:                      $220,000

Cost of house:                              $25,000

Annual tax levy:                            $6,600

Tax rate:                                      3.0

Annual tax levy before:                  $2,000

Teachers now:                              3

Teachers before:                           3

Enrollment now:                           70

Enrollment before:                        65

Enrollment in grades:                    62

Enrollment in high school:         8

Years of high school course:         2

Months in year:                           9

The Lily Lake School continues to serve the community as an elementary school (grades K – 5) for the Central School District.

Lily Lake High School Quick Facts

Year opened/2-yr HS: 1918

Year closed:               1950

Consolidated to:          Burlington Central School District

Team nickname:          the “Lions”?

Team colors:               unavailable

School Fight Song:      Lily Lake School

by Esther Johnson (Class of 1930)

Submitted by Nancy Johnson

Lily Lake School we do love you so,

And shall wherever we go.

Always remember the days we spent,

At school, at work, and at play.

Life brings a time when we go out,

But in us there is no doubt,

But that we always will cherish you,

Dear red school of mine!

 Athletics & Extra Curricular Activities

The Lily Lake High School Lions likely played high school basketball in Illinois High School history.  We believe it is possible that the boys competed in baseball and possibly track as well.  School team colors, team records, and coach’s names are also items we would like to add to this page.

We know that the Lily Lake High School experience did not rest soley in the gym or on the field.  We believe that many other “extra-curricular” activities were offered as part of the educational plan too.  FFA, FHA, GAA, band, chorus, and many other events probably helped to make the Lily Lake school a special one.

Do You Have Information to Share About Lily Lake High?

Several questions posted above remain unanswered.  If you have ANY information you wish to share regarding Lily Lake High School please contact us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net.  You can also write to us at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago, Il.   60631

Lily Lake School Complex 2014
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LILY LAKE HIGH SCHOOL ROLL CALL OF 1927

Freshmen:

Orrin Johnson, Carl Johnson, Claire Erickson, Esther Johnson

Sophomores:

Teresa Armand, Gerhart Anderson

Junior:

Lola Read

      


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