Lowpoint High School “Vikings”

**LOWPOINT HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING 1905 – 1916 / TODAY A PRIVATE RESIDENCE / SEE PHOTOS TAKEN IN MARCH 2025 BELOW**

Low Point HS Building

courtesy of Kev Varney

Inscription above front door

The History of Lowpoint High School

The village of Lowpoint (population 125) is located just east of Il. Route 89 on Woodford County Road #1950. This places Low Point approximately 20 miles northeast of Peoria in northern Woodford County. The GM & O Railroad runs through the east side of the village.

According to the book “The History of Woodford County” (1910) by Roy L. Moore the village of Low Point was established originally approximately 1/2 mile southwest from its’ present location. It was moved to the present location in the early 1870s to bring it closer to a new railroad line that had been laid through the area. Lowpoint was named due to its location being near a “low point of timber land on the south fork Richland Creek.” The area Lowpoint is located in was first settled in the late 1840s. The town was originally named “Low Point” but this name was officially changed in 1895 to “Lowpoint” to avoid confusion with a nearby town named Long Point. However the town sign located on Route 89 still lists the town as “Low Point.”

According to the Lowpoint-Washburn High School website, the school districts of Lowpoint and Washburn consolidated in 1952. The educational system in Lowpoint was started in 1874 with the building of the Lowpoint Academy building, Other pictures on this page depict the 1916 building that replaced the 1874 edition, and was added onto in 1935.

The following history of the Lowpoint school system through 1928 was found on the website address: http://www.old-yearbooks.com/2y/il/lowpoint1928/index.htm. Read about the school history of Lowpoint according to the 1928 yearbook “The Quill” below. Remember, the “early 70’s” the article refers to is the early 1870’s! In summary, the first school in Lowpoint was established in 1848. In 1874 higher education was introduced with the construction of the Lowpoint Academy. This building was succesful for approximately 5 years when it tragically burned down. In 1905 a new brick school building was erected and included high school courses. This building still stands today just west of the newer school building which was constructed in 1916.

The 1916 building remains standing today, owned by someone who has put the school behind a fence topped with barbed wire. Several older vehicles are parked towards the rear of the building.

Lowpoint High School History

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From

Low Point High School

Low Point, Illinois

Dorothy Murphy provides this last bit of information regarding the usage of the Lowpoint High School building after the consolidation with Washburn in the summer of 1952:

“In 1952, the Lowpoint High School building was turned into the junior high building for 7th and 8th grades when Lowpoint and Washburn consolidated in that year. I attended 1st through 6th grade in the old Lowpoint Grade School, across the playground from the high school, and went to the old Lowpoint High School bldg for 7th and 8th grade. High school classes were all in Washburn from 1952 and on. Classes were eventually conducted in the Lowpoint High school bldg. for 5th and 6th grades through the spring of 1976. The building was closed at the end of that school year, all students went to Washburn school buildings, and the building was eventually sold to an artist. The building still stands. To clarify, 1952 was the last year for Lowpoint High School to be used as a school building. 1953 was the first year of Lowpoint-Washburn High School. However the building in Lowpoint continued to be used as a community school through May, 1976.”

1928 Lowpoint yearbook

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courtesy of old-yearbooks.com

Lowpoint High School Quick Facts

Year Lowpoint Academy opened: 1874

Year Lowpoint Academy burned: late 1870s

Year Lowpoint HS bldg opened: 1916

Year Lowpoint HS consolidated: 1952

Consolidated to: Lowpoint-Washburn School District

Lowpoint HS bldg. utilized: As grade school through May, 1976

Name of 1928 yearbook: “The Quill”

Name of 1952 yearbook: “Cargo”

LPHS School nickname: “Vikings”

LPHS School colors: unavailable

LPHS School Fight Song: unavailable

ATHLETICS

We could not locate any IHSA athletic records of Lowpoint on the IHSA web site. We are confident that Lowpoint High School offered basketball and track during its existence. Baseball was offered as well. If you can help us by providing information regarding Lowpoint High School and the town of Lowpoint please follow the directions below.

BOYS BASKETBALL

The article below comes from the 1952 Lowpoint HS yearbook. The beginning of the article states that Lowpoint was a member of the Penta Conference along with Rutland, LaRose, Long Point, and Hennepin. The school’s final year left the Lowpoint HS varsity with a 2 – 24 record. Good things were on the way however as the Freshman/Sophomore team won the conference title with a 7 – 1 record.

Low Point HS Basketball Schedule 1951-52

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Submitted by Dave Fenner

Check out this write up by the school’s 1928 yearbook, “The Quill” found on the website www.old-yearbooks.com. Note the way “Basket Ball” is spelled and note also that tennis and track were offered to the boys.

Lowpoint Basketball Team – 1927-28

BOYS BASKETBALL COMPETING IN THE IHSA STATE TOURNAMENT

The Vikings competed in the IHSA State Tournament. Scores located on the website titled “Illinois Post Season High School Basketball Scores” have been recorded below.

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

1st Rd lost to Morton 45-16

Peoria Manual beat East Peoria in title game.

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

1st Rd lost to Roanoke 34-16

East Peoria beat Peoria Manual in title game.

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

1st Rd Beat Deer Creek 18-9

2nd Rd lost to East Peoria 36-12

East Peoria beat Washburn in title game.

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

1st Rd lost to Morton 23-22

Peoria Manual beat East Peoria in title game.

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

1st Rd lost to Morton 34-8

East Peoria beat Morton in title game.

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

1st Rd lost to Washburn 47-23

Washington beat Washburn in title game.

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

1st Rd lost to Mackinaw 29-16

Roanoke beat Deer Creek in title game.

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

1st Rd Beat Armington 34-18

Semi-Final lost to Washington 20-15

Roanoke beat Washington in title game.

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

1st Rd Beat Congerville 39-23

Semi-Final lost to Washington 31-10

Roanoke beat Washington in title game.

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

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

1st Rd lost to Dunlap 24-22

Dunlap beat Roanoke in title game.

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

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

1st Rd Beat Flanagan 68-16

Semi-Final lost to Roanoke 41-34

Roanoke beat Dunlap in title game.

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1943-44 Benson District Runner-Up Coach’s name & record needed.

Early Round Scores Needed.

Title Game lost to Washington 36-26

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

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

1st Rd lost to Benson 51-43

Dunlap beat Washburn in title game.

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

1st Rd lost to Roanoke 45-33

Metamora beat Washburn in title game.

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

1st Rd lost to Washburn 45-35

Dunlap beat Washburn in title game.

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1948-49 Metamora District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd lost to Dunlap 56-31

Dunlap beat Metamora in title game.

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1949-50 Benson District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd lost to Roanoke 61-38

Benson beat Washburn in title game.

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1950-51 Metamora District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd lost to Metamora 69-30

Metamora beat Benson in title game.

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1951-52 Benson District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.

**1st Rd lost to Roanoke 59-17

Gridley beat Benson in title game.

**Final varsity basketball game for Lowpoint HS Vikings varsity basketball program. Became part of the Low Point-Washburn school district in the summer of 1952.

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BOYS BASEBALL

The Low Point HS boys competed in baseball in the Fall. The varsity played six games in the Fall of 1951 while the Freshman/Sophomore team played in four games. The varsity’s final team finished the season with a record of 3 – 3 while the F/S ended their season at 2 – 2.

Low Point HS Baseball – 1951 (Fall)

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Submitted by Dave Fenner

FACTS AND INFORMATION

From Dave Fenner:

“I am from Minnesota and was traveling in southern Illinois last week doing some antique shopping with my wife when I found several Lowpoint H.S. yearbooks for sale by a dealer in an antique shop in Raymond, Illinois. Initially I did not purchase them, but being curious about where Lowpoint is in Illinois, I did a little Internet surfing from our hotel that night and discovered your wonderful website. One of my hobbies is researching old and current high schools in Minnesota, so your site naturally peaked my interest.

For your awareness there are several other old yearbooks for sale at the same antique shop including a 1954 Washburn H.S. book after Lowpoint consolidated with Washburn. These are at the Lighthouse Antique Mall in Raymond.

Upon discovering that you are looking for more information about many Illinois schools, Lowpoint included, I went back to the shop and now have two Lowpoint yearbooks in my possession – the final two years of the school’s existence in 1951 and 1952. I wanted to share some information with you for your website. Here goes:

The yearbook name in 1951 and 1952 was “Cargo”. This must have changed sometime since 1928 when it was named”The Quill”.

Lowpoint nickname: Vikings (curiously, this was found only in the 1951 yearbook and not mentioned at all in the 1952 yearbook).

Lowpoint indeed had baseball and basketball teams. I’m attaching two pages in the 1952 yearbook, one for each sport, showing the scores and some statistics. The basketball page includes information about the athletic conference members.

What was amazing to me is that in 1952 Lowpoint graduated only 4 seniors! As much as I hate to see small schools consolidate, I suppose this small class size was much of the reason. In 1951, Lowpoint had graduated 11 seniors. Unfortunately I could not scan any pictures of the students or of the school itself since they are “glossy” prints bound in the yearbook.

Thanks for a great website. I sure wish we had a similar one here in Minnesota.”

Seeking Your Assistance

If you have any information regarding Lowpoint village and its high school please complete a School Submission Form or a Guest Commentary Form. You can e-mail items to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net . You may also write us at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago, Il. 60631

Side and rear view of 1935 addition