Sugar Grove High School

Posted on by davenanninga in Uncategorized
Sugar Grove High School Building
A picture containing outdoor, building, house, apartment building Description automatically generated
Photo Taken by Cody Cutter – 2007

The History of Sugar Grove High School

Sugar Grove (population 3,909) is located in northeastern Illinois in south-central Kane County.  What once was a quiet country setting, far away from the hustle and bustle of the big city (Chicago), Sugar Grove is now a fast growing western suburb full of promise and history.  Illinois Routes 47 and 56 intersect with U.S. Highway 30 in the city of Sugar Grove.  The Burlington Northern Railroad runs through the south side of Sugar Grove.

The town was incorporated in 1957 with a population of 125.  As the town’s official website ( http://www.sugar-grove.il.us/history.htm ) reports, Sugar Grove’s history and that of its educational opportunities is long and storied. The aforementioned website page states that Sugar Grove:

“..had its beginning in the Spring of 1834 at what is now known as Bliss Woods Forest Preserve. Six men, coming from different areas of the east, met at Black Swamp, Ohio, and decided to journey west together. These men, James and Issac Isbell, their nephew Parmeno Isbell, James Carmen and Mr. Bishop, were the founding fathers of Sugar Grove. ”

Regarding its school history the website states:

“In 1836 Mr. H.B. Densmore helped build a log house near the corner of Denny and Bliss Roads to be used as a school. He taught there for a time. This one burned down, and another was constructed just east of there, and was known as the Valley View School or Denny School. This one room school was to become one with the longest history of any of the numerous schools in the Township. By 1878 there were seven schools in the Township.

A need for a school of higher education for the children of the area, became reality due to the vision and hard work of Thomas Judd and Professor Frank Hall. The Sugar Grove Normal and Industrial School opened for classes in the fall of 1875 with an enrollment of 100 students. This frame building burned to the ground in January of 1905 and was rebuilt of brick on the site. Students completing the course of study at this school were qualified to teach. With the consolidation of 1949, the school was incorporated into the newly formed Kaneland School District, where students today are enrolled at a central campus near Maple Park.”

There really is no need to improve on what has been written.  The children of Sugar Grove attend Kaneland High School near Maple Park to this day.
Sugar Grove High School Quick Facts

Year opened:                       1875

Year closed:                         1949

Consolidated to:                   Kaneland School District (Maple Park)

Sugar Grove HS nickname: unavailable

School colors:                      Red & White

School Fight Song:               unavailable

Athletics

According to a 1941 Sugar Grove High School yearbook reviewed by George Scheetz, Sugar Grove High School boys competed in baseball and basketball. The school participated in the Little 8 Conference along with Big Rock, Burlington, Elburn, Hampshire, Kaneville, Maple Park, and Plato Center.

Boys Basketball

  

The following scores involving Sugar Grove High School competing in the annual IHSA State Basketball Tournament were located on a website titled “Illinois Postseason High School Basketball Scores.”

1921-22                Aurora District Tourney                      Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Yorkville 27-16

Earlville beat Aurora West in title game

1931-32                Aurora District Tourney                      Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Plano 29-15

West Chicago beat Batavia in title game

1932-33                Aurora District Tourney                      Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Oswego 35-10

Aurora West beat Naperville in title game

1933-34                Aurora District Tourney                      Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Plano 32-23

Batavia beat Naperville in title game

1934-35                Aurora District Tourney                      Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Big Rock 35-31

Aurora West beat Geneva in title game

1935-36                Sugar Grove District Tourney             Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Oswego 29-25

Hinckley beat Oswego in title game

1936-37                Sugar Grove District Tourney             Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Hinckley 28-15

Geneva beat Hinckley in title game

1937-38   Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

1938-39   Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

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

1940-41                Yorkville District Tourney                    Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Plano 26-20

Plano beat Geneva in title game

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

1942-43                Yorkville District Tourney                    Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Plano 54-47

Yorkville beat Mooseheart in title game

1943-44   Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

1944-45                Waterman District Tourney                 Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Waterman 34-27

Waterman beat Burlington in title game

1945-46   Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

1946-47                Maple Park District Tourney               Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Big Rock 79-29

Maple Park beat Big Rock in title game

1947-48   Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

1948-49                Hinckley District Tourney                   Coach’s name & record needed

**1st Rd lost to Malta 71-51

Waterman beat Hinckley in title game

**Possibly last boys basketball game for Sugar Grove High School.

Facts & Information

*From George Scheetz:

“I discovered that a friend of mine owns a 1941 yearbook — The Ember — for Sugar Grove High School, which includes information I want to share with you, such as the yearbook title.

This yearbook listed the graduates for every year, starting in 1876, which confirms the starting date of the school system as listed on IHSGD. I could not find any mention of school colors or a mascot in the 1941 yearbook, which does not mean that Sugar Grove die not have them, of course. Sugar Grove had an athletics program, which included basketball and baseball.

In 1940-1941, Sugar Grove was a member of the Little “8” Conference (as it was called in the yearbook). The Little “8” Conference included Big Rock, Burlington, Elburn, Hampshire, Kaneville, Maple Park, Plato Center, and Sugar Grove. Sugar Grove was the conference champion in basketball in 1941, with a 12-2 record.”

Seeking Further Information

If you have any further information you would like to share regarding the Sugar Grove School system, especially the high school (and extra-specially a photo of the original school building) please contact us via e-mail at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net.  You can also write to us via real mail at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago, Il.   60631


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