Milton (population 274) is located in lower-western Illinois about 30 miles southwest of Jacksonville and eight miles southeast of Pittsfield. The town was platted in the eastern portion of Pike County about three miles west of the Illinois River. Illinois Route 100 is the main roadway that cuts through the middle of Milton from north to south. Branches of the Little Blue Creek flow through the north and south sides of town.
Milton High School Student Body – 1934
Submitted by Richard Long
The history of the town and its school system are in need of research. We are fairly certain the townspeople of Milton began a school system for their children shortly after the town’s inception. We are also fairly certain that the high school for the town’s children was active by the late 1800s.
Milton High School served the town for at least five decades. in the early 1950s it was decided to consolidate Milton High School with nearby Pearl High School. The result was the creation of the East Pike School District. East Pike HS subsequently closed in 1979. MIlton students now attend school in Pittsfield.
The Milton High School buildings have both been razed. The newer building was razed in 2007. There is a “bandstand” still standing however, a reminder of the town’s wonderful past.
Thank you to ONA DAY JOHNSTON for the quick facts information.
Athletics
We are certain that Mlton High School offered boys basketball. We are fairly certain that baseball and track were also offered to the boys of the school. We are need of this information as well as the school’s fight song, team records, and coaches names for Milton High School sports.
Boys Basketball
The Milton High School Mustangs’ boys basketball program was a true force to be reckoned with in the late 1930s and early 1940s. There has GOT to be a great coach story or a great story of some sort to explain the incredible run that MHS enjoyed.
During a ten year period from 1937-38 through 1946-47 the Milton High boys won a total of six District Championships, two Regional Championships, and a Sectional Championship. This Sectional Championship led to Milton’s lone appearance in the IHSA Sweet 16 nder the direction of Coach Matt Moore. This was a very rare feat for a District Champion!! Great Job Milton High School!
The information we have available from the IHSA website (www.ihsa.org) is listed below. As mentioned above, team records and coach’s names of this and other great Milton High School teams are being sought.
1916-17 Pike County “Basket Ball” Champions Coach Floyd French
Milton HS Mustangs – County Champions 1917
Submitted by Dale Summers
1937-38 28 – 4 IHSA Sweet 16 Qualifier Coach Matt Moore
IHSA District Champions
1st Rd Beat New Canton 64-28
Semi-Final Beat Pearl 52-27
Title Game Beat Nebo 37-32
Pittsfield Regional Runner-Up
1st Rd Beat Barry 49-35
Semi-Final Beat Pleasant Hill 46-31
Title Game lost to Pittsfield 38-28
Top 2 Teams from Regional advanced to Sectional
Pittsfield Sectional Champions
1st Rd Beat Jacksonville 28-21
Semi-final Beat Beardstown 30-24
Title Game Beat Pittsfield 30-28
IHSA State Tournament Sweet 16 Finalist
1st Rd to Harrisburg 36 – 25
Harrisburg lost to Dundee in Elite 8 Round
Dundee beat Braidwood Reed-Custer in State Title Game
Milton HS Sweet 16 Basketball Team of 1937-38
Submitted by Judy Hurdle
Milton HS Yearbook Write-Up 1938 Basketball Team
Submitted by Judy Hurdle
1938-39 IHSA District Champions Coach’s name & record needed
District Scores Needed
Pittsfield Regional Champions
1st Rd Beat Pleasant Hill 33-23
Semi-final Beat Griggsville 32-25
Title Game Beat Nebo 25-12
Quincy Sectional Tournament
1st Rd lost to Bluffs 40-24
Roodhouse beat Quincy in title game
Roodhouse lost to Ziegler in Sweet 16
Ziegler lost to Rockford in Elite 8
Rockford won IHSA State Title
Milton High School “Mustangs” 1938-39
Submitted by Stephanie Tidwell
1939-40 Pittsfield Regional Champs Coach’s name & record needed
Milton District Tournament
Title Game lost to Pearl 36-32
Top 2 Teams From District Advanced to Regional
Pittsfield Regional Champions
1st Rd Beat Perry 54-28
Semi-final Beat Winchester 45-25
Title Game Beat Pittsfield 30-29
Quincy Sectional Tournament
1st Rd Beat Jacksonville I.S.D.
Semi-final lost to Beardstown 37-29
Beardstown Beat Camp Point in title game
Beardstown lost to Salem in Sweet 16
1940-41 Nebo District Champions Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Nebo 31-17
Semi-final Beat New Canton 51-19
Title Game Beat Hull 38-19
Pittsfield Regional Tournament
1st Rd lost to Griggsville 29-28
Pittsfield beat Winchester in title game
1941-42 Nebo District Champions Coach’s name & record needed
Early Rd Scores Needed
Title Game Beat Nebo 49-23
Pittsfield Regional Tournament
1st Rd lost to Perry 36-34
Winchester beat Pittsfield in title game
1942-43 Milton District Runner-Up Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Kinderhook 60-23
Semi-final Beat Pearl 44-22
Title Game lost to Nebo 31-27
1943-44 Milton District Runner-Up Coach’s name & record needed
Early Rd Scores Needed
Title Game lost to Nebo 31-27
1944-45 Milton District Champions Coach’s name & record needed
Semi-final Beat New Canton 32-28
Title Game Beat Nebo 21-20 (O/T)
Pittsfield Regional Tournament
Regional Scores Needed
1945-46 Milton District Runner-Up Coach’s name & record needed
Early Rd Scores Needed
Title Game lost to Kinderhook 30-27
1946-47 Milton District Champions Coach’s name & record needed
Semi-final Beat Perry 42-27
Title Game Beat Pearl 45-34
Pittsfield Regional Tournament
1st Rd lost to Winchester 47-31
Pittsfield beat Winchester in title game
1947-48 Pittsfield Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Alsey 44-42
Pittsfield beat Winchester in title game
1948-49 Pittsfield Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Pittsfield 40-24
Pittsfield beat Winchester in title game
1949-50 Pittsfield Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Pearl 48-34
Semi-final lost to Winchester 42-41
Winchester beat Pittsfield in title game
1950-51 Barry Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
Milton Scores Needed
Griggsville beat Pittsfield in title game
1951-52 Pittsfield Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Pittsfield 60-50
Perry beat Pleasant Hill in title game
1952-53 Pittsfield Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Winchester 66-46
Pittsfield beat Perry in title game
1953-54 Pittsfield Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Perry 69-33
Griggsville beat Pittsfield in title game
1954-55 Pleasant Hill Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed
**Final boys basketball game for Milton High School. Consolidated with Pearl in the summer of 1955 to form Milton East Pike High School.
Girls Basketball
Like several schools of the early 1900s, girls basketball was offered at Milton High. It was in the late 1920s that girls “basket ball” was discontinued as it was thought to be unlady-like. It was eventually returned in 1974. The photo below is of the girls basketball team of 1916-17, crowned champions of Pike County!
1916-17 Pike County “Basket Ball” Champions Coach Joe Zumwalt
Milton HS Girls Basket Ball Champs of 1917
Submitted by Dale Summers
BASEBALL
We know that Milton High School offered baseball as well. In fact, in 1937-38 the male athletes not only traveled to the Sweet 16 in basketball, but were very good on the baseball field as well! The team won the Pike County Baseball Conference Championship with a 7 – 1 record.
1937-38 7 – 1 Pike County Baseball Conference Champions Coach Matt Moore
Milton High School Baseball Team of 1937-38
Submitted by Judy Hurdle
Names for Photo Above
Milton HS 1937-38 Yearbook Write-up for Baseball
Submitted by Judy Hurdle
Searching For More Information
If you have ANY information to add to the Milton High School lore please send it to us. There is a lot of unanswered questions regarding the history of the school and the many great teams which are not mentioned on the IHSA web site. We are also searching for a photo of the Milton High School building. You can e-mail items to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. You can also write to us at:
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, Il. 60631
Milton High School Senior Class of 1934
Submitted by Richard Long
MILTON HIGH SCHOOL – GRADUATING CLASS OF 1934
(Left to Right)
Front Row: Hugh Graham, Everet Landess, Charles Meek, Eugene Stephenson, Roger Reed, Virgil Couch, Melvin Dennison.
