St. James High School

St. James (population estimated at 150) is located in south-central Illinois about 55 miles east-northeast of East St. Louis (or about 8 miles south of St. Elmo).  The town sits quietly in the southeast portion of Fayette County.  County Highway 5 will bring you to town from the east.  County Highway 7 passes by the west side of town and connects to Interstate Highway 70 just three miles to the north.  The Union Pacific Railroad passes by the west side of town, too. According to www.mapquest.com St. James is four blocks from east to west and two blocks from north to south.

The history of the tiny village of St. James is in need of research.  We do not believe it is an incorporated town in Illinois.  We do know that the village supported a high school at one time. It is likely that the school was a grade school of grades 1 – 8 with two or three years of high school offered after that.  We believe that St. James High School would have closed in the late 1940s like the hundreds of other two and three-year high schools of the day.

The fate of the St. James School building is being sought.  It would appear that St. James’ high school-aged children attend school in either St. Elmo or Farina (South Central).

St. James High School Quick Facts

Year opened:                             late 1800s / early 1900s

Year closed:                              late 1940s?

Consolidated to:                         St. Elmo or Farina South Central

St. James HS team nickname:    unavailable

St. James HS team colors:         unavailable

School Fight Song:                    unavailable