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Thebes (population 478) is located in far southwestern Illinois in the west-central portion of Alexander County. Illinois Route 3, also known as Riverview Drive, is the main roadway that takes you to and from Thebes. Bean Bridge Road also takes you into Thebes. The St. Louis / Southwestern Railroad travels through the south and eastern edges of town. The Canadian National Railroad passes by the western edge of town.The Mississippi River flows by and forms the western edge of Thebes.
Thebes was originally established in the mid-1830s. The town at one time was known as Sparhawk’s Landing named after brothers with the last name of Sparhawk. The name was eventually changed to Thebes after a city of the same name which was the ancient capital of Upper Egypt. Thebes was the county seat of Alexander County from 1845 – 1860. The town is located about 30 miles north of Cairo.
Thebes almost immediately had schools which housed K-8 grades. One of the first school buildings in Thebes burned in 1912, approximately the same year the high school was established. The first graduating class of Thebes High School was the class of 1915.
Thebes High School served the town and surrounding farm families for over five decades. In 1951, lightning damaged the Thebes High School and classes were held as various locations in the town. The repairs were completed around 1954-55. Thebes High School continued in operation until the end of the 1967-68 school year. In the summer of 1968, Thebes High School closed and was annexed by the nearby Tamms Egyptian school system.
The Thebes High School building was probably used as a grade school for several years after the high school was closed. The grade school was eventually closed as well. The Thebes High School building was demolished in 2005.
Several items for this article were located at the web address of http://genealogytrails.com/ill/alexander/thebessc.htm .
Thebes High School “Quick Facts”:
Year High School built: 1912-14
Year of first graduating class: 1915
Year High School building renovated: 1954-55
Year closed: 1968
School Colors: Scarlet & Grey
School Nickname: the “Tigers”
School Song: “We’re Loyal To You, T.H.S.”
Submitted by Doris A. Isom
University of Illinois Fight Song Tune
We’re loyal to you T.H.S.
We’re scarlet and grey, T.H.S.
We’ll back you to stand
‘Gainst the best in the land
For we know you have sand, T.H.S.
Rah! Rah!
So crack out the ball, T.H.S.
We’re backing you all, T.H.S.
Our team is our fame protector:
On! Boys for we expect a
Victory from you T.H.S.!
Athletics
Boys Basketball
Basketball was the top sport in Thebes, as with area schools Cairo, Mounds, Mound City and archrival Tamms. Thebes enjoyed many years of success with two District Championships won, both of which are listed below. Several IHSA tournament scors involving Thebes HS were located on a website titled “Illinois Postseason Basketball Scores.” These are listed below as well.
1915 – 1927 Postseason scores, records, and coaches’ names needed.
1927-28 IHSA District Champions Coach’s name & record needed
District Scores Needed
IHSA Sectional Qualifier
Sectional Scores Needed
1928-29 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1929-30 IHSA District Champions Coach’s name & record needed
District Scores Needed
Herrin Sectional Tournament
1st Rd lost to Buncombe 48-17
Buncombe lost to Mt. Vernon in semi-final
Mt. Vernon lost to Carbondale in title game
1930-31 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1931-32 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1932-33 Anna District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.
1st Rd lost to Mound City 26-23
Cairo beat Ullin in title game
1933-34 Cairo District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Anna 27-26
Anna lost in semi-final
1934-35 Anna District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Tamms 32-31
Tamms lost to Mound City in semi-final
Mound City beat Cobden in title game
1935-36 Cairo Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Anna-Jonesboro 59-31
A-J beat Mound City in title game
1936-37 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1937-38 Thebes District Runner-Up Coach’s name & record needed
Title Game lost to Wolf Lake 58-37
1938-39 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1939-40 9-11 Cairo Regional Tournament Coach Gentry Lowe
1st Rd lost to Cairo 55-24
Cairo beat Wolf Lake in title game
1940-41 Cairo Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Cairo 51-23
Cairo lost to Wolf Lake in title game.
1941-42 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1942-43 Anna Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Anna-Jonesboro 82-34
A-J beat Cairo in title game
1943-44 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1944-45 Mound City District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Cairo St. Joseph 44-35
Cairo St. Joseph beat Mound City in title game
1945-46 Ullin District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Ullin 48-41
Cairo St. Joseph beat Ullin in title game.
1946-47 Dongola District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Belknap 63-39
Semi-final lost to Dongola 50-32
Dongola lost to McClure in title game
1947-48 Thebes District Runner-Up Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat McClure 56-21
Semi-final Beat Cairo St. Joseph’s 49-47
Title Game lost to Dongola 37-36
1948-49 Anna Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Tamms 42-32
Semi-final lost to Anna-Jonesboro 57-41
A-J beat Mounds in title game
1949-50 Cairo Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Cairo 68-41
Cairo lost to Anna-Jonesboro in title game
1950-51 12-8 Anna Regional Tournament Coach Charles Goforth
1st Rd lost to Cairo 81-43
Cairo beat Mound City in title game
1951-52 Cairo Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Cairo 81-41
Cairo lost to Anna-Jonesboro in title game
1952-53 Anna Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Cairo 72-50
Cairo lost to Anna-Jonesboro in semi-final
A-J beat Cobden in title game
Thebes and Mound City made Illinois High School Basketball history in a February 24, 1953 game. It was the first time that two teams combined to score 200 points in a game, despite the fact that Thebes came up in the losing end in overtime, 109-99.
1953-54 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
One of the best players to grace the hardwood for Thebes was Dick Waddell. His 50 points scored in a December 3, 1954 game against Ullin H.S. is the school record.
1954-55 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1955-56 Anna District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Mound City 91-70
Mound City beat Mounds in title game
1956-57 Wolf Lake District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Mound City 67-31
Mound City Lovejoy beat Mound City in title game.
1957-58 Anna District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Mound City 79-45
Mound City Lovejoy beat Dongola in title game.
THS’s basketball team also had a big rivalry with Tamms before 1968, including the years when Charles “Chico” Vaughn was king of the court for Tamms (and the state of Illinois) from 1956 through 1958.
1958-59 Anna District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Mounds 58-46
Semi-final lost to Mound City 68-40
Mound City beat Mound City Lovejoy in title game
1959-60 Mound City District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Goreville 63-62
Semi-final lost to Mound City Lovejoy 102-53
Lovejoy lost to Mound City in title game
1960-61 Grand Chain District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Mound City 96-28
Mound City beat Mounds in title game.
1961-62 Cobden District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Ullin 78-73
Ullin lost to Mounds Douglass in semi-final
Douglass lost to Cobden in title game
1962-63 Cobden District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Mounds Douglass 68-51
Douglass lost to Cobden in semi-final
Cobden beat Goreville in title game
1963-64 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1964-65 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1965-66 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1966-67 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1967-68 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1967-68 was the final season for Thebes High School, they consolidated with Egyptian High School in Tamms in the summer of 1968.
Baseball
The Thebes Baseball program had some great teams in it’s hey-day and they won one District Championship, which is listed below. Season record and coach’s name of this and other teams at Thebes High School are needed.
1946-47 IHSA District Champions Coach’s name & record needed
District Scores Needed
Extra-Curricular Activities
Other activities such as school plays, FFA, FHA, GAA, band, and chorus may also have been a very important part of the Thebes High School student experience. Please contact us if you have information on these activities as well.
Memories
**From Frederick Smith (Class of 1966):
“I attended the Thebes High School from 1963 until Dec 1966. The FFA (Future Farmers of America and the FHA (Future Homemakers of America) were a very important part of the school curriculum. Baseball was another major event for after school activities. The school was first integrated in the 1966-67 school year by five students that were bused to the school. Normally it took about 1 hour or longer to get to school using the school bus from our home in Olive Branch. The school had grades K to 12 in it until 1968. My graduating high school class was only 17 students which was the largest class in several years.”
Seeking More Information
More information is being sought about Thebes High School; use the Guest Commentary Form to sumbit. Corrections are welcome as well. If you have more Information about THS, including photos of the school, nickname, other athletes and other great teams and high school memories you would like to share please e-mail us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net or you may also write us at:
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, IL 60631 |
