The History of the Yates City High School “Eagles”
Yates City, (population 725), is located in eastern Knox County on Il. Rt. 8, one mile west of Il. Rt. 78. The Burlington Northern – Santa Fe Railroad runs through this town which, if you are unfamiliar with the area, is located about 25 miles southeast of Galesburg and 25 miles west of Peoria.
In 1859 District 9 was established by the trustees of Salem Township. The first school was in an old hall,one block south of town, and later, in a house which still stands in Yates City. By 1865 it was voted to levy a new tax to build a school house. The present site of the school was chosen, and a one-room frame building valued at $600 was built. The original portion of the current school building and gym was built in 1928. Additions were made to the building in 1938. A new gym and a new grade school were built in the town in late 1950s. (Thank you to Daniel Kelly for much of this information)
The residents of Yates City were proud of their school and, in spite of their small numbers, insured the school would serve its children for nearly 60 years. The school survived several consolidation efforts over the years with its neighbor located 2 miles to the east, Elmwood. However these efforts were never realized. Consolidation talks eventually turned to the Farmington school system located 6 miles south of Yates CIty. This effort for the high school students became a reality in 1987 when Yates City High School was deactivated.
The school building continued to serve the community offering education to the children in grades K – 8. This situation also came to end in 2004 when a new school building was built in Farmington and the school in Yates City was closed, sadly, but probably, forever. The building still stands in Yates City however its current use is not known.
Yates City High School Quick Facts
Year 1st school established: 1856
Year HS opened: unavailable
Year current school building built: 1928
Year High School deactivated: 1987
Year all school functions ceased: 2004
School nickname: the “Eagles”
School colors: Purple and White
School Fight Song: “We Will Sing for Dear Yates City”
Thank you toKay Maxey Clark for providing the
words to this song
We will sing for dear Yates City,
Raise our voices up on high.
We will shout Her praises ever,
Fling her banners to the sky,
Rah, Rah!!
True and loyal ever standing,
We will back Her to the end.
We will sing for dear Yates City,
To Her loyal tribute’s end.
Yeah Purple!
Yeah White!
Yeah Yates!
Fight! Fight! Fight!!!!
Yates City High School – January, 2006
Yates City HS Gymnasium
Athletics
Yates CIty High School competed in the Inter-County Athletic Conference (ICAC) from approximately 1952 until its closing in 1987. Original members of the conference included Brimfield, Williamsfield, LaFayette (who closed in 1970 and is on this site), and Glasford (Illini Bluffs). Yates City’s arch-rival Elmwood competed in the ICAC beginning in 1968. Toulon (a school also on this site) was an ICAC member from 1968 – 1976. Yates City HS offered boy’s basketball, girl’s basketball, girl’s volleyball, as well as track and cross-country for both boys and girls. It is possible Yates City at one time offered baseball and football however that information is not available at the writing of this page.
Boys Basketball
The earliest Yates City Basketball team has been dated back to 1914, defeating Kewanee in a game by the score of 33-25. The Yates City Eagles did win one District title during their existence. IHSA hardware is only one way to measure a school’s successes. It is believed YCHS had many great seasons competing in all sports. If you have further information regarding some of the more successful Yates City High School Eagle teams please complete a School Submission Form or a Guest Commentary Form.
Some new information that has come to us says that Yates City High School actually won the Knox County Tournament in the 1960s. Some of their great players of that era included Kenny Burgess and Everett Bantz. Members of one of Yates City HS’s early teams (1912-13) included Floyd Mathews, Kenton Ware, Grant Kerr, Fred Maxwell, Clifton Adams and Ray Bowman.
We did locate some scors involving the Yates City High School boys in the IHSA State Tourney early rounds. The scores were found on a website titled “Illinois Postseason Basketball Scores.” These scores are listed below.
1933-34 Elmwood District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st & 2nd Rd Scores Needed
Semi-final lost to Peoria Central 38-18
Peoria Central beat Farmington in title game
1934-35 Elmwood District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Peoria Central 78-11
Peoria Central beat Glasford in title game
1935-36 Princeville District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Brimfield 25-11
Semi-final lost to Toulon 42-25
Toulon beat Bradford in title game
1936-37 Elmwood Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
(District Tourney not played this year)
1st Rd lost to Peoria Manual 35-26
Manual beat Dunlap in title game
1937-38 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1938-39 Elmwood Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
(District Tourney Scores Not Available –
Top two from District advance to Regional)
1st Rd of Regional lost to Brimfield 44-27
Brimfield lost to Galesburg in semi-final
Galesburg beat Abingdon in title game
1939-40 through 1948-49 Postseason scores, records, and coaches’ names needed.
1949-50 Brimfield District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd score needed
Semi-final lost to Brimfield 87-29
Brimfield beat Prairie City in title game
1950-51 Canton Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
(Yates City did not compete in District)
1st Rd of Regional lost to Elmwood 47-33
Elmwood lost to Lewistown in semi-final
Lewistown lost to Canton in final.
1951-52 Elmwood District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to 51-35
Elmwood beat Williamsfield in title game
1952-53 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed
1953-54 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed
1954-55 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed
1955-56 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed
1956-57IHSA District Champions Coach’s name & record needed
District Scores Needed
Canton Regional Tournament
1st Rd lost to Lewistown 64-48
Lewistown lost to Farmington in title game
1957-58 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed
1958-59 Wiliamsfield District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd score needed
Semi-final lost to Brimfield 58-53
Brimfield lost to Lafayette in title game
1959-60 Wiliamsfield District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd score needed
Semi-final lost to Brimfield 59-55
Brimfield beat Williamsfield in title game
1960-61 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1961-62 Wiliamsfield District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd score needed
Semi-final lost to Williamsfield 57-30
Williamsfield beat Spoon River Valley for title
1962-63 Brimfield District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd score needed
Semi-final lost to Soon River Valley 64-48
Valley lost to Brimfield 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 Brimfield District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Brimfield 62-56
Semi-final lost to Valley or Williamsfield
Valley beat Williamsfield for title
1968-69 Yates City District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd score needed
Semi-final lost to Williamsfield 71-63
Williamsfield lost to Brimfield in title game
1969-70 Williamsfield District Runner-Up! Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd score needed
Semi-final Beat Williamsfield 41-40
Title game lost to Valley 80-61
1970-71 Brimfield District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd score needed
Semi-final lost to Valley 63-59
Valley beat Williamsfield in title game
1971-72 Farmington Class ‘A’ Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Brimfield 70-69
Brimfield lost to Farmington in semi-final
Farmington beat Elmwood in title game
1972-73 through 1986-87 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
*High School closed in the summer of 1987.
Girls Volleyball
The Lady Eagles enjoyed limited success in volleyball according to the IHSA web site (www.ihsa.org). Coach Sue Phillips guided the team from 1976 – 1980 (5 – 32) and Coach Rhonda Rock lead the team from 1980 – 1987 (20 – 77). The great thing about the seasonal records was that the only year listed in which the team had a winning record was the 1986-87 season, their last, when they recorded a 7 – 6 finish. This shows the school spirit of Yates City High School was going strong, especially at the end.
Boys Football
We have been assured there was football at one time at Yates City High School. At least in the 1940s for sure. When football began and when it ended are in need of research. Also the recoreds of some of the more successful teams are being sought.
Theatre
The Illinois Theatre Festival is the largest, non-competetive high school theatre festival in the world. It was organized in 1976 by teachers from the Chicago suburbs. This festival is still going strong as they perform at the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana) and Illinois State University every other January. Yates City High School participated in this festival in 1977.
Yates City HS Inscription
Yates City High School Pride Lives On!
According to alumnus Claudia Staggs Emden (Class of 1969) the Yates City Eagle pride is going strong even today. In Claudia’s words:
“Annual alumni banquets have been held for years and continue to be held
for the ever diminishing number of YCHS graduates. The last banquet
held at the school was held in 2004, my 35th class reunion. In 2005, the
banquet was held at the Yates City Community Center on Main Street. The
banquet is always held on Memorial Day weekend.”
C’mon Eagle fans, help us fill in the gaps. Fight Song words and fight song tune, as well as names of the coaches and great teams are still in demand.
Memories
From Joyce Turlip:
“I am a proud alumna of YCHS, I graduated in 1950. We had a great boys basketball team but I never recall a football team. I loved our old school and really hated to see them close it. Thanks for the memories and the pictures of the school are great. We didn’t have a yearbook when I attended YCHS but as I understand it they did have in the following years.”
From Joan Blaser:
“YC High School was a great school. The teachers were terrific – I went from a class of 25 to the University of Illinois and did well there with classes of more than 100. That speaks well of the school. It was a small school – you knew everyone in the entire High School. We did have a good basketball team – I think almost every year. Everyone who wanted to play got to play. We had a good band, terrific chorus, class plays, Speech, band and music contest, and more. I was active in everything they offered. We had 4 years of English, Home Ec, and Ag. I liked Math and had 4 years of that also: Algebra, Geometry, Solid Geometry, and another math class. I was not good in sports so did little of that. Our classes made money so we could take senior trips. Ours was to Washington DC – we went by school bus and had many good adventures on the trip: Mammoth Cave, sites in Washington, Jefferson’s home, Washington’s home, Gettysburg (I think – or else Darrel and I did that one). It was a good time for our class to learn cooperation and how to get along together for a longer period of time. When there are class reunions in the spring, our class has a good attendance every five years when that class is being honored – the next one will be 60 years – doesn’t that sound old? Well we are, I was 74 this year. I can remember taking my mother to her 50th class reunion and my 25th class reunion. I thought the other man (that was there from her class) looked so very old – I thought my mother never looked old. Now I am there and I don’t feel that old (most of the time, lol). I love to reminisce about those days.”
Seeking More Information
We are seeking more information from a Yates City enthusiast. If you can provide us with ANY information regarding Yates City and its High School “Eagles” please complete one of the forms listed above. We are especially interested in a photo of the school building or of the more successful teams. You can e-mail us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. You may also write us at:
