The peaceful town of Roberts and its 387 residents are located on Il. Route 54 approximately 40 miles southwest of Kankakee. This places Roberts in northern Ford County. The Illinois Central Gulf Railroad runs through the center of the town.
Roberts maintained its own high school through the 1948-49 school year. It is not known when the school system in Roberts was started. However, after the 1949 school year ended, the people of Roberts voted to consolidate their school system with its Route 54 neighbor to the northeast, Thawville. The Roberts-Thawville School District (also on this site) was born in the 1949-50 school year and served the towns proudly through the 1973-74 school year.
At that time, the Roberts-Thawville High School was deactivated and at first became part of the Ford Central School District in nearby Piper City (also since deactivated). Since then the towns of Roberts and Thawville have parted ways. The children of Roberts now attend nearby Paxton-Buckley-Loda School District.
The high school building of Roberts no longer serves as a school. The actual school part of the building was torn down in the 1980s. The gymnasium was saved and restored by the townspeople. It now serves as a banquet hall for parties and dances. It is also used as an open gym on Sunday nights and a place for walking excercise during the week. The building was given a nice facelift with a new scoreboard, new roof, and air conditioning. Kudos to the Roberts citizens for taking care of a historical and useful building. The Paxton School in fact still uses the gym for freshman practices and some freshman basketball games.
Roberts High School Quick Facts
Year opened: unavailable
Year combined with Thawville: 1949
Year Roberts-Thawville HS closed: 1974
Roberts HS nickname: “the Bobcats”
Roberts HS colors: Green & White
Roberts HS Fight Song: unavailable
Roberts High School Gymnasium
Now a Community Center
Roberts HS Baseball Jersey
1946 District Champions Plaque
Athletics
Roberts High School definitely offered basketball during its time. The boys teams of 1931 and 1946 won IHSA District Championships. Unfortunately, we were unable to find accomplishments in any other sports that may have been offered by the school. We are assuming that track and baseball may have been offered to the boys and possibly cheerleading to the girls. If you have any further information regarding the athletic programs at Roberts High School, please follow the directions listed below.
Boys Basketball
Several scores involving Roberts High School were located on a website titled “Illinois Postseason Basketball Scores.” These scores as well as information on a few of the seasons are listed below.
1921-22 Ford County Tourney Champs Coach’s name & record needed
Watseka District Tournament
1st Rd lost to East Lynn 30-22
East Lynn lost to Watseka in title game
1922-23 through 1927-28 Postseason scores, records, and coaches’ names needed.
1928-29 24 – 5Postseason scores needed Coach Henry Dutler
1929-30 Postseason scores & record needed Coach Henry Dutler
1930-3134 – 2IHSA District ChampionsCoach Henry Dutler
Ford County Tourney Champs
24 – 0 in “non-tournament” games
District Scores Needed
Danville Sectional Tournament
1st Rd lost to Rantoul 35-11
Rantoul beat Armstrong in title game
Rantoul lost in Elite 8 Round
Roberts High School District Champions of 1931
Submitted by Marlene Conner Wirth & Richard Long
Members of Team Pictured in Photo Above:
Left to Right: Mr Carmichael, principal, John Roberts, George Conner,
Cecil (“Zig”) Trimble, Eddie Dietterle, Gottlieb Hubner, Mr Dutler, coach
The team won the IHSA District Championship in 1931
1931-32 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1932-33 Gibson City District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Rantoul 21-15
Rantoul beat Fisher in title game
Rantoul lost in Sectional
1933-34 Gibson City District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Melvin 27-26 (2 O/Ts)
2nd Rd lost to Rantoul 32-16
Rantoul beat Fisher in title game
Rantoul lost in Sectional
1934-35 Paxton District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Chatsworth 22-21
Chatsworth lost to Gibson City in 2nd Rd
1935-36 Gibson City District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Sibley 33-16
2nd Rd lost to Gibson City 32-28
Gibson City beat Cropsey in title game
1936-37 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1937-38 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1938-39 Gibson City Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Gibson City 27-22
Gibson City lost to Paxton in 2nd Rd
1939-40 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1940-41 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1941-42 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1942-43 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1943-44 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1944-45 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1945-46Roberts District Champions Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Saybrook 36-19
Semi-final Beat Sibley 24-22
Title Game Beat Melvin 30-24
Paxton Regional Tournament
1st Rd lost to Onarga Military 45-32
Onarga Military lost to Gibson City in semi-final
1946-47 Sibley District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Melvin 44-17
Melvin lost to Saybrook in semi-final
1947-48 Roberts District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Sibley 35-19
Semi-final lost to Buckley 34-29
Buckley lost to Saybrook in title game
**1948-49 Sibley District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Thawville 48-35
**Semi-final lost to Buckley 56-45
Buckley beat Melvin in title game
**Final season and final game for Roberts High School. Consolidated with Thawville in the summer of 1949 to form Roberts-Thawville High School.
Special Thank You
A very special thank you to Juanita Fritchley who took the time out of her day to allow us to photograph and literallylive a piece of Roberts’ storied history. Her “helping hands” (see the plaque photo above) was a real treasure. Thank you Juanita and great job to the Roberts townspeople in keeping your gymnasium in such excellent and useful condition!!
Seeking Your In-Put
If you have any further information you can offer regarding the town of Roberts and its high school please complete a School Submission or Guest Commentary Form. We are especially interested in photos of the championship teams. You can also e-mail us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net or write us at:
