The History of Ridge Farm High School Ridge Farm (population 912) is located in far eastern-central Illinois. Ridge Farm is situated along U.S. Route 150 about 18 miles south of Danville. The town is nestled in the southeast corner of Vermillion County about five miles west of the Indiana/Illinois border. Two railroad lines intersect on the northwest side of town, the Conrail and the Norfolk & Western. An 1854 map of Edgar County, Illinois, clearly shows the town of Ridge Farm, already established, to the north, in Vermillion County. The history of the town and its educational system is in need of research. Ridge Farm High School was established in 1890. It served the communtiy for for nearly 100 years. In the mid 1980s the towns of Georgetown and Ridge Farm began consolidation talks. Their efforts became a reality in the summer of 1986 with the creation of the Georgetown-Ridge Farm School District. The following memories and information was supplied by RFHS Class of 1957 alum Virginia Antrim Smitley: “I was born near Ridge Farm, raised in the community, and attended my 12 years of school in the community. The first eight years were in the grade school building. Students who graduated when on to high school in the building across town. I graduated from high school in 1957. The high school building was torn down several years ago to make room for the new elementary school which is part of the Georgetown-Ridge Farm school district. Each year the weekend before Memorial Day, the Ridge Farm Alumni Association holds a banquet for the alumni of this school system. The banquet is held in the old gym that was not torn down when the high school building was demolished. The Gym was added to the old high school in the mid-1950s. The children attending school in the new building still use the gym and the classrooms that were added to the old school. My children attended schoolin the Ridge Farm School system and were a part of the transition made to the consolidated school system. They missed the uniqueness of a small school and the friendships that are easily made with a smaller system. Byt, as we know, time changes everything. Ridge Farm School District was a good district to attend. The people there took pride in theier sports and musical programs. Not many schools offer what this school did being as small as it was.” The high school for the new district is located in Georgetown. The original high school building in Ridge Farm has been razed. The gymnasium is used by the students of the new grade school (K – 4) built on the old high school grounds. Ridge Farm High School Quick Facts Year opened: 1890 Year closed: 1986 Consolidated to: Georgetown-Ridge Farm High School School building today: Torn down…gym still standing School nickname: the “Bulldogs” School colors: Purple & Gold School Fight Song: “Cheer, Cheer for Old Ridge Farm High” sung to the Notre Dame University Fight Song Tune Click the play button below left and slide the play bar to the middle |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
