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Dowell School

Posted on by davenanninga in Uncategorized
Dowell School Building 2010
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Courtesy of James Horaz
Sign Above Dowell School Entrance – 2010
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Photo Taken by James Horaz

The History of Dowell High School

Dowell (population 441) is located in far south-central Illinois in the northeast corner of Jackson County.  U.S.Route 51 takes you directly by the east side of town. The Illinois Central Railway runs through town as well.  Dowell is located about 15 miles due north of Carbondale.  According to the Wikipedia address of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowell,_Illinois , the famous “pool hustler”, Minnesota Fats (Ruben Wanderone Jr.) called the town of Dowell his home town.

The history of the town of Dowell has been difficult to research via the internet. We do know through the article regarding its’ school that Dowell was not an official Illinois town until 1917. The article below was provided to us by Mary Moon. Her mother, Linda Spain Moon, and her uncles, Robert Spain, Earl Spain, and Arvel Spain Jr., all attended Dowell Grade School in the 1950s and 1960s.

Dowell School History
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Submitted by Mary Moon

We do know that the towns of ELkville, VERgennes, And DOwell combined their efforts to create the ELVERADO School District in 1962.

Dowell School Quick Facts

Year opened:               1902

Year school bldg bulit:  1920

Year closed:                1962

Consolidated to:           Elverado School District (Elkville)
Dowell School Side View With Gymnasium – 2010
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Photo Taken by James Horaz

Athletics and Extra Curricular Activities

The Dowell Grade School boys likely competed in basketball and quite likely track and baseball. School team colors, school fight song, team records, and coach’s names are all items we are in need of.

It is likely that Dowell Grade School offered music, clubs, dances, and other such extra-curricular activities. We are interested in information on these activities as well.

Memories

     

*From Mary Moon:

“I recently found your webpage and I could easily spend hours looking at it.  I wanted to update you about the Dowell School.  My mom grew up in Dowell in the 50’s and 60’s.  She attended Elverado High School in Elkville, Class of ’67.  The building on your webpage (above) only served as a grade school.  It was not utilized as a high school, at least it wasn’t while my mom was growing up there.  The gray building on the left of the building was the gymnasium.”

  

If You Have ANY Information…

…on the former Dowell Grade School we hope you will take the time to share it with us. We would like to share the memories of this school before the information is possibly lost forever. We are especially interested in a photo of the original high school building. You can e-mail us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net or write to us via real mail at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva Ave.

Chicago, Il.   60631
   


Dover Academy

Posted on by davenanninga in Uncategorized
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The History of Dover Academy

Dover (population 172) is located in the central area of Bureau County in north-central Illinois.  U.S. Route 34 is the main roadway to and from Dover, connecting the town to nearby Princeton, just 5 miles to the southwest. According to the webaddress of http://www.genealogytrails.com/ill/bureau/Township/DoverTwp.html , Dover was “laid out” in 1837 and originally named Livingston. The name was later to changed to Dover.  The town was officially incorporated in 1873.

This same Geneology Trails web address (listed above) provides the following information on the Dover Academy:

Dover citizens gathered and made the decision to create an academy in their town. The townspeople agreed to construct a building to house the academy.  The cost of the building would be nearly $5,100 and would be named Dover Institute. The Dover Institute began in May of 1858. It was officially incorporated in 1859 and named the Dover Academy.  The school ran from 1858 through 1867 before ending its usage as a school. In 1876 a third story was added and the school re-opened. After two more years of operation the school eventually closed once more. The building would still see itself used for education purposes once again, as school opened yet again in 1881. The third and final version of the school closed 1887.

The building lied dormant until 1901, when it was purchased by the Deaconness Association of the Congregational Church. It’s fate is a sad one, as it was burned to the ground in 1919. A new public school was since built on these grounds.

If you have any further information on Dover Academy or the town of Dover itself, please contact us at eganann@sbcglobal.net. A photo of the building is especially being sought.

High school aged children of Dover today attend Princeton High School.

Dover Academy Quick Facts

Year opened:                  1858

Year first closed:             1867

Year re-opened:              1876

Year closed as a school: 1878

No Athletics Offered

Need Your Help

We are hopeful an area “buff” will fill in the open areas regarding the history and accomplishments of Dover Academy.  If you have any information you can offer please complete a Guest Commentary Form. We would really like to share a photo of the old school building to share on this page. You can e-mail us photos and information at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net or write to us at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva Ave.

Chicago,  Il.   60631
 

Dorchester High School

Posted on by davenanninga in Uncategorized
Dorchester Community Building – Former School ?
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http://www.gillespieil.com/gillespie/dorchester.html

The History of Dorchester High School

Dorchester (population 142) is located in the southwestern portion of Illinois in the south-central portion of Macoupin County.  The town is situated on County Highway 15 about one mile north of Illinois Route 138. Dorchester is located about halfway between the towns of Gillespie and Bunker Hill.

A nice website with some interesting information on the history of the town of Dorchester is found at the web address of http://www.genealogytrails.com/ill/macoupin/dorchester.html .  In summary, the article states the following:

A railroad was built in the area in 1855. A station was established where the town of Dorchester now sits in 1861.  Businesses began springing up near the depot and by 1866 the population began to grow.  In addition to the businesses two churches were established in the 1860s as well.  Coal mining was an important part of the early growth of Dorchester.

The first school in Dorchester was established in 1869. It appears that but for a few years Dorchester children were limited to a the maximum of an 8th grade education.  However, for at least a few years, the school system offered courses that went beyond the eighth grade.  During the years of 1910 through 1912 it is probable that one to two years of high school courses were offered.

Dorchester continued to have a school in their town until 1959.  The children of Dorchester today attend all of their schooling in nearby Gillespie. For another internet look at Dorchester check out http://www.gillespieil.com/gillespie/dorchester.html .

Dorchester High School Quick Facts

Year opened:        1910?

Year closed:         1912?

Consolidated to:   Gillespie High School

Unknown if athletics offered

Athletics and Extra Curriculars

It is possible that Dorchester High School competed in sports.  Band and chorus may have also been part of the curriculum.  Team nickname, colors, fight song, records, and coach’s names are all items being sought.

Need Your Help

There are a lot of holes to fill regarding the history of the Dorchester High School athletic program and school accomplishments in general.  If you have any information you can share, ESPECIALLY a photo of the old school building and great teams, you can forward them to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net.  You can also write to us at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva Ave.

Chicago, Il.  60631
     

Donnellson High School

Posted on by davenanninga in Uncategorized
Donnellson High School Gymnasium – 2010
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Submitted by Dennis Downey

The History of Donnellson High School

Donnellson (population 243) is located in southeast-central Illinois in the far south-central portion of Montogmery County. A small portion of Donnellson actually sits in Bond County.  Illinois Route 127 is the main roadway to and from Donnellson.  The Norfolk Southern Railroad passes through the north side of Donnellson and likely played a major role in the town’s early development. Donnellson sits approximately 40 miles northeast of East St. Louis and 50 miles south (and a little east) of Springfield.

The following history of the town of Donnellson was provided by Gerry Halpin:

“Donnellson was originally known as Bear Creek.  A post office was established there around 1830.  The name was changed to Donnellson in 1861, but the town was not incorporated until 1897.  The town received its name from a man named Thomas Carson Donnell, a veteran of the Black Hawk War. Although Donnellson was not a coal-mining town, the large mine at Panama (3 miles away) provided a large number of jobs for the area between 1905 and 1930.”

A school house was probably established in the mid-1800s. As with other schools for towns the size of Donnellson, it is probable that high school curriculum was started in the early 1900s. We know that Donnellson High School indeed existed. Evidence of this was found in Greenville High School yearbooks (1922, 1923, 1933) reviewed by Mark Jurenga. The yearbooks reported the scores of the District Basketball Tournament in the area and Donnellson is mentioned in each individual book.

Donnellson High School probably closed in 1945.  It was consolidated to Hillsboro High School to become a part of the Hillsboro Community School District.

Donnellson School Complex – 2010
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Courtesy of Dennis Downey

The Donnellson High School building appears to have been razed. The gymnaisum is still standing and is likely part of a small elementary school pictured above..

Donnellson High School Quick Facts

Year opened:                              early 1900s?

Year closed :                              1945?

Consolidated to:                          Hillsboro School District

Donnellson HS team nickname:  unavailable

Donnellson HS team colros:        Green & White

School Fight Song:                      unavailable

Inscription on the Donnellson HS Gymnasium
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Submitted by Dennis Downey

Athletics

We know that Donnellson High School competed in boys basketball and track, probably baseball as well.  The boys were not able to win a District tournament or any IHSA hardware.  We believe the boys competed in baseball and track as well.  The team nickname, team uniform colors, school fight song, coach’s names, and team records of Donnellson High School are all items we are interested in.

Boys Basketball

The boys of Donnellson High School competed in basketball for certain. We found several scores involving Donnellson HS in the IHSA State Tournament on a website titled “Illinois Postseason Basketball Scores.” These scores are printed below We are searching for season records and coach’s names of these and other DHS teams.

1921-22                Hillsboro District Tournament             Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd Beat Irving 18-14

                             2nd Rd lost to Witt 35-18

Witt lost to Greenville in title game

1922-23 through 1932-33  Postseason scores, records, and coaches’ names needed.

1933-34                Vandalia District Tournament             Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Sorento 49-4

Sorento lost in 2nd Rd

1934-35                Hillsboro District Tournament             Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Panama 21-6

Panama lost in 2nd Rd.

1935-36                Morrisonville District Tournament       Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Raymond 35-8

Raymond lost in semi-final

1936-37 through 1943-44  Postseason scores, records, and coaches’ names needed.

1944-45                Sorento District Tournament              Coach’s name & record needed

*1st Rd lost to Fillmore 82-9

Fillmore lost in semi-final round

*Possibly final game for Donnellson High School basketball program.

**According to the IHSA website (www.ihsa.org) on January 18, 1945, the Donnellson basketball team ran into the great Irving Eagles team.  Irving ’s Dale White scored 64 points that night, as Donnellson was defeated by a score of 122 to 13. This 109 point difference ranks as the 17th all-time largest margin of victory for a single game.

We know there has to be some good highlights of the Donnellson HS boys basketball program.  If you have knowledge of these, please share them with us.

Football

We know that the boys competed on the grid iron in the early 1900s.  They competed with a much larger school in Hillsboro High twice in 1905, losing both games in a tight contest by scores of 12 – 5 and 17 – 0.

Thank you to our good friend Mark Jurenga for this bit of information.

Extra-Curricular Activities

School plays, dances, clubs, bon fires, and many other activities were likely a part of the Donnellson High School experience.  If you have any of this information please share it with us as well.

Memories

   

**From Bea Brown:

“I attended Donnellson Grade School  from 1947 thru the 8th grade and graduated in 1956.  At that time there was no High School.  High school students were transported to Hillsboro.   One or two  years after I graduated from Donnellson, they transferred the junior high students to Hillsboro Jr. High.”

Seekin Your Assistance

We are always seeking more information regarding the city of Donnellson and its high school. If you wish to share any information with us, please complete a School Submission Form or a Guest Commentary Form. As always, we are particularly interested in photos of the old high school building or of the successful sports teams or individuals at Donnellson. You can e-mail us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net.  You may also write us at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago, Il.     60631

Rock River Military Academy – Dixon

Posted on by davenanninga in Uncategorized
Rock River Military Academy Building – Dixon, Il.
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http://www.cadetweb.net/gallery/album182

The History of the Rock River Military Academy 

Rock River Military Academy Building
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http://www.cadetweb.net/gallery/album182

Dixon, Illinois (population 16,000) is located along the Rock River in Lee County in Northwestern Illinois. Illinois Routes 2, 38, 26 as well as U.S. Route 52 and Interstate 88 all lead you to the “Petunia Capital of the World”. The “Overland Route” of the Union Pacific railroad runs through the south part of town, and the Illinois Central once did. The city is located on both sides of the Rock River, settled on the North side and the South side.

Rock River Military Academy was organized in 1875 as Rock River University on the north end of the River. By 1881, the school “settled down to a prepatory and military academy,” as told in the 1881 history of Lee County. It continued to serve in that capacity until 1922 when the academy shut down for good. More information is needed on the history of Rock River Military Academy.

It is believed that Institute Boulevard, Academy Street and Assembly Place bounded the Academy.

Rock River Military Academy “Quick Facts”:

Year opened:                   1875 (as a University)

“Settled” to prepatory:     1881

Year closed:                     1922

School Mascot:                Unknown if existant

School Song:                   Unknown if existant

School Colors:                 Unknown if existant
Dixon Rock River Military Academy Hat Shield
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Submitted by Darrell Hovland

MEMORIES & INFORMATION

*From Val Cassenti:

“My great-uncle, Edwin Bruce Floyd, was commandant of the Rock River Military Academy around 1910.  I have a 1911-1912 booklet and some photographs, mostly of the summer military encampment and military drills.”

Rock River Military Academy Yearbook
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Seeking More Information

As you can see, we are in need of a lot of information about the Rock River Military Academy in Dixon. If you have ANY information about anything related to the school, including a picture and our unknown “Quick Facts” information, please drop us an E-mail at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net – or – you can write to us at:

Illinois High School Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, IL  60631

North Dixon High School

Posted on by davenanninga in Uncategorized
North Dixon High School
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Dixon, IL
North Dixon School
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Built in 1868 – housed H.S. until 1900

The History of North Dixon High School

Dixon, Illinois (population 16,000) is located along the Rock River in Lee County in Northwestern Illinois. Illinois Routes 2, 38, 26 as well as U.S. Route 52 and Interstate 88 all lead you to the “Petunia Capital of the World”. The “Overland Route” of the Union Pacific railroad runs through the south part of town and the Illinois Central once did.

Educational studies were not too far to find for Dixon residents. In addition to primary education, Dixon was also home to the Rock River Military Academy, Rock River University, Steinman Institute, Dixon Business College, and Northern Illinois State Normal School.

The city is located on both sides of the Rock River, settled on the North side and the South side. The first high school was organized in the Methodist Church on the south side of town in 1858. Ten years later, in 1868, that school district split into two. The North Side School, which included a high school for north side residents, was erected in 1869 on the corner of Ottawa Avenue and Morgan Street at a cost of $20,000 according to the book Dixon, A Pictorial History. The high school of the South Side school would see its lineage continue to this very day as the present Dixon High School. This district retained the records of the original district, meaning the North school was a newly-created district.

The 1869 North building was expanded in 1900, and the new building housed the high school while the old building housed the grade school. In 1881, Dixon North High School enrollment was around 25 students. For a short time, this building was the only high school in Dixon. When the south Dixon High School building burned to the ground in 1907, their students attended the North Dixon school until 1909.

In 1918, the school districts on both sides of the river merged to become together for the first time in fifty years. The two high schools remained separate for another ten years. In 1929, a large campus was built to house the high school students from both sides of town. North Dixon High School was subsequently deactivated with the opening of the new high school. The new building still houses Dixon High School on the north side of town along the Rock River.

The North Dixon High School building was converted into more grade school space until torn down in the 1960s to make way for the Heritage Square retirement community.

FAMOUS ALUM – Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, lived here during the 1920s. He went to school first at the South Central Dixon School from 1920 to 1923 and then moved from his famous “boyhood home” (now a historic site) to a house just north of the present-day Dixon High School and graduated from North Dixon High School in 1928. Reagan, who also went on to star in Hollywood and become the Governor of California, visited his hometown in 1984 and 1990 returning to his former high schools to pay a visit. Reagan was just one of many current-era presidents who were proud to come from their school system!

Learn more about President Ronald Reagan by reading his biography at the White House website:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/ronald-reagan/

North Dixon High School “Quick Facts”:

Year opened:        1900

Year closed:          1929

School Mascot:     Unknown

School Song:        Unknown

School Colors:      Black and Gold

Ronald Reagan
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H.S. Photo on Left – Presidential Photo on Right

The following link to read quotes from President Ronald Reagan was provided to us by Sam Jacobs:

https://ammo.com/articles/ronald-reagan-quotes
Dixon Union (co-op) H.S. Football Team – 1927
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Ronald Reagan is in the bottom row, second from right

Athletics

North Dixon High School didn’t win any IHSA team hardware. However, they have an interesting athletic history. North Dixon fielded teams in football, basketball and track. Sometime before the school districts combined, the sports programs began to co-op.

Site visitor Michael Lawton had the following to contribute about the athletic programs of the Dixon schools:

“The first report of both schools playing football was in 1897. Up through 1912, most of the time the two schools fielded seperate athletic teams and played seperate schedules, even including a game against each other. However, in some years (1898, 1906, 1907, 1910) the schools combined forces and called themselves “Dixon Union High School”. Beginning in 1912, the two schools combined once and for all and the team was simply known from then on as Dixon High School.”

We’re seeking more information as far as win-loss records, trophies and coaches are concerned.

FOOTBALL

North Dixon’s football history can date back to 1897. By the late 1920s, when Reagan was in school, the football programs officially combined into one. They were supposed to have an interesting rivalry with Dixon while their programs were still seperate.

According to Lawton, the football team from 1901 had a record of 6-1 with their only loss to the much larger Rockford High School 28-0. On Thanksgiving Day in 1905 in front of a huge crowd, North Dixon played Dixon to a 0-0 tie. It would be the last time the two high schools from Dixon would play each other.

Early football games were played at Pleasure Park during the turn of the previous century.

BASKETBALL

In the early 1900s, North Dixon fielded their first Basketball team. They also had interesting battles with Dixon. They played each other as late as the 1918-19 season, a game that Dixon won. In the 1919 postseason, North Dixon lost to Morrison 18-14 in the District tournament.

TRACK

North Dixon High School was fortunate to have one of their athletes stand out amongst Illinois’ best in Track and Field. F.E. Lord was the state champion in the 220-yard hurdles in 1905.

North Dixon High School Individual Placer

F.E. LORD          220-yard Hurdles          STATE CHAMPION!!

Seeking More Information

If you have ANY information about anything related to North Dixon High School, including an expansion of the history already mentioned, and our unknown “Quick Facts” information, please drop us an E-mail at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net – or – you can write to us at:

Illinois High School Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, IL  60631


Dixon Bethel Christian High School “Crusaders”

Posted on by davenanninga in Uncategorized
Dixon Bethel Christian High School Building 2020
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Dixon Bethel Christian Church 2020
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The History of Bethel High School in Dixon

Dixon (population 16,000) is located along the Rock River in Lee County in Northwestern Illinois. Illinois Routes 2, 38, 26 as well as U.S. Route 52 and Interstate 88 all lead you to the “Petunia Capital of the World”. The “Overland Route” of the Union Pacific railroad runs through the south part of town and the Illinois Central once did.

Educational studies were not too far to find for Dixon residents. In addition to primary education, Dixon was also home to the Rock River Military Academy, Rock River University, Steinman Institute, Dixon Business College, and Northern Illinois State Normal School.

The city is located on both sides of the Rock River, settled on the North side and the South side. The Bethel Evangelical Congregational Church is one of the oldest churches and Dixon, and is currently located on North Court in the north side of Dixon. For many years, the church offered grade school education, and in the late 1970s and early 1980s, talks of expanding its curriculum to offer high school education were in the works.

High school classes started in the church basement in the fall of 1983, before the building of the ministry center. By that time, junior high students from the Faith Christian School (run by the Faith Assembly Church of Grand Detour) began attending Bethel.

Dixon Bethel Christian HS Building Front
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Now a Ministry Center

When a new Faith Christian campus opened north of nearby Grand Detour in 1986, the junior high students began attending that school. High school students were moved to Faith from Bethel in 1988, bringing an end to high school education at the Bethel School. A total of 6 graduating classes of seniors earned their diplomas at Bethel Christian High School.

Today, Bethel Evangelical Congregational is a strong supporter of the Faith Christian School, which continues to operate today. The ministry center building which housed the high school students continues to serve the needs of the church.

Bethel High School “Quick Facts”

Year opened:                    1983

Year closed:                     1988

Athletic Team Nickname: “Crusaders”

Team Colors:                    Maroon & Yellow
Athletics

The Bethel Christian High School “Crusaders” competed in flag football, girls volleyball, and boys basketball with other Christian schools. Being small in numbers competition with public schools was not attempted. Coaches’ were normally parents or interested church members.

Extra-Curricular Activities

The Bethel student experience included extra-curricular activities like most schools in the area. Choir and art programs were available for the kids to participate in.

Memories & Information provided by Principal Steve Hicks:

“I was the founding principal of Bethel High School which opened in 1983.  Then pastors Robert Zetterburg and Kurt Graff approached me the previous year about starting a Christian high school to piggy back with Faith Christian, then under the principalship of John Novak.  I was, the year before, teaching at Etnyre Middle School in Oregon.  I spent the year of 1982-1983 writing all the policies, curricula, etc., on my trust typewriter and then at the ripe old age of 28,  we opened that fall (1983) to about 23 kids in the basement of the church.  This arrangement lasted two years until we moved into the building behind the church, even though the gym floor was still concrete then.  Unfortunately, pastors Zetterburg and Graff left after the 1st year. Besides being the principal, I was also the athletic director, guidance counselor, development director, and a teacher of 2-3 classes every semester. I decided to move on to resume teaching. I moved to Florida, and went back into full-time teaching.  I’ve never looked back, although I do think we did a good work in those years.

We developed an athletic program. I started a flag football program which played on the field behind the parsonage. We had a girls’ volleyball program and a boys’ basketball program which also competed against other schools.  They were coached by employees and parents who were generously giving of their time.  We had choir programs, art programs, etc. — most of the same things in “small form” that the public schools had.  We also had a computer lab with Commodore 64s–remember those?  These were purchased at Montgomery Ward’s in Dixon.

When we were in the basement, I remember running upstairs twice a period every period for 180 days to ring the existing Sunday School bell to start and end classes.  I also recall selling Florida oranges every year to raise money for extra-curricular things, delivering them around Christmas in snow and cold.

As far as some other key people, Eric Forman was instrumental in building the school; Jerry Virtue was the head of the church board; Romelle Sikula was my very able secretary.  We had a third pastor, Dick Reigle, I think, who was a good guy and supportive of the school.  By the time he’d come, though, it was too late for me.

I’m 65 and have now taught school for 43 years.”

If You Have Any More Information…

We are told that Bethel did not offer any athletics, but may have offered other extra-curricular activities. If you have any other information regarding the history of the Bethel School, especially a timeframe of high school offerings, more photos of the school or great clubs you would like to share, please e-mail this web site at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. 

Dixon Bethel Church Entrance 2020
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Dix High School

Posted on by davenanninga in Uncategorized
Dix Rome Grade School Building 2015
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The History of Dix High School

Dix (population 494) is located in south-cental Illinois in the north-central portion of Jefferson County.  Dix is located on the east side of Interstate Highway 57.  Illinois Route 37 passes through Dix as does County Highway 39.  The Norfolk Southern Railroad curves through the west side of Dix. According to the Wikipedia web address of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dix,_Illinois , Dix is located on high ground that marks the boundary between the Big Muddy River and its tributary, Casey Creek.

The Wikipedia address listed above also gives a brief, excellent account of the history of the town of Dix. In summary, the area where Dix now sits was originally inhabited in 1830.  A post office was established there in 1852, proclaiming the town to be named Rome.  The town was incorporated in 1869 but was forced to change its name as there was already a town in Illinois named Rome.  It is believed the townspeople named the town Dix in honor of Civil War hero General John Adams Dix.

We currently have very little concrete information on Dix High School, we only know that it did, in fact, exist. Our guess is that the residents of Dix had a school in place for their children by the mid-1800s.  A high school was probably established in the late 1800s. We think that Dix High School may have fell victim to the state of Illinois’ push to consolidate school districts in the late 1940s.  Dix High School closed in 1943.  The high school-aged children of Dix now attend Mt. Vernon High School, its neighbor to the south.

Dix has continued to support a grade school for its children.  Dix grade school supports grades PK – 8.  Regarding the fate of the Dix High School building, Jay Bell provided the following information:

“After the high school closed, it became the Dix Masonic Lodge. Membership dwindled to just a few members 20 years ago and it was finally torn down. The site of the former Dix High School is now the Dix Township Park.”

Dix High School Quick Facts

Year opened:                     late 1800s?

Year closed:                      1943

Consolidated to:                 Mt. Vernon High School

Dix HS team nickname:      unavailable

Dix HS team colors:           unavailable

School Fight Song:             unavailable
Athletics

We are assured that the Dix High School boys competed in basketball as a member of the IHSA.  We would bet that baseball and track were offered at the school as well. Coach’s names, team records, great athletes, and any other information regarding the athletic program at Dix High would be appreciated.

—-

Boys Basketball

We know that the Dix boys of 1929-30 could play some ball.  These kids nearly won the Carlyle IHSA District title finishing second to Centralia, a school many times the size of Dix. Some scores involving Dix High School in the IHSA State Tourney were located on a website titled “Illinois Postseason Basketball Scores.” These scores are listed below as well.

1929-30        Team Finished Second in Carlyle District Tourney   Coach’s name & record needed

District Scores Needed

—-

1932-33        Sandoval District Tournament           Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd lost to Breese 34-22

Centralia beat Sandoval in title game

—-

1933-34        Carlyle District Tournament               Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Keyesport 19-5

2nd Rd lost to Trenton 22-20 (3 O/Ts)

Trenton lost to Centralia in Semi-final

Centralia beat Ashley in title game

Centralia lost to Quincy in Sweet 16 Rd.

—-

1934-35        Ashley District Tournament               Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd Beat Woodlawn 26-20

2nd Rd lost to Mt. Vernon 52-20

Mt. Vernon beat Centralia in title game

Mt. Vernon lost in Sectional Tourney

—-

1935-36        Wayne City District Tourney             Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd lost to Belle Rive 33-25

Belle Rive lost to Bonnie in 2nd Rd

Bonnie beat Woodlawn in title game

—-

1936-37            Woodlawn District Tournament    Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd Beat Okawville 58-24.

Semi-Final lost to Opdyke 31029

Trenton Beat Opdyke in title game.

—-

1937-38           Wayne City District Tournament    Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd lost to Bluford 70-24.

Clay City Beat Bluford in title game.

—-

1938-39            Fairfield District Tournament         Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd Beat Geff 38-14

Semi-Final lost to Xenia 40-27

Cisne beat Xenia in title game.

—-

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

—-

1940-41          Patoka District Tournament             Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Edgewood 23-21

2nd Rd Beat Kell 30-25

Semi-final lost to Patoka 60-37

Patoka beat Odin in title game

—-

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

—-

1942-43           Ina District Tournament                  Coach’s name & record needed

**Semi-final lost to Waltonville 46-33

Waltonville beat Opdyke in title game

—

**Final game for Dix High School, consolidated to Mt. Vernon High School in the summer of 1943.

All other season records and postseason scores are needed.

—-

Extra-Curricular Activities

School playes, dances, homecomings, clubs, parties, and student government all were likely a part of the Dix High School experience.  Please let us know if you have more to share regarding the DHS experience.

Memories & Facts

**From Catarina Bell:

Dix Woods Elementary School Building – 2012
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Served as Grade School from 1851-1951 / Submitted by Catarina Bell

“Hello! I read your article about the Dix High School on Illinoishsglorydays.com. I was trying to learn more about the old building that used to be in my backyard (see photo to the right). I knew it was a schoolhouse at one point, but I needed to know more as I had spent so much of my time there. The building still stands, but in shambles. I always thought I was the only one to care about it. I’m 17 and it’s been a part of my life since I was 12. It’s always interested me. I have attached a picture with this e-mail. It was taken around maybe two years ago (2012)? I just know the condition has worsened. I just really wanted to share this so that someone besides myself can know what has happened to this important part of Dix history. We have discovered that the building was once known as the Woods Elementary School and served as a school building from 1851 – 1951.”

**From Wanda (Bruce) Puleo:

“My maiden name was Wanda Bruce, and I walked to the one room Woods School my first three years of school. My parents lived one mile north of Dix on route 37, Woods school was maybe a half mile north of that and a short distance east of route 37. The Dix High School was located in the Village of Dix,  two separate buildings.  My father Harry Bruce also attended Woods School all 8

Grades and then the 3 year high school in Dix, and a 4th  year at Mt.Vernon Twp. High school, graduating in 1926.

I will say that the Woods School may likely be the one in the picture, as it has been neglected and used for storage by a local farmer and was overgrown with weeds etc. Woods School and other rural schools were consolidated in 1947 and went to the 2 room Dix Grade School. That school was closed when the larger  Rome Elementary school was opened in 1951.

Thank you for mentioning the Woods School. The teacher the last three years it was open was Miss Grace Quarterman. Principal at Dix grade school was Carl Jolly till 1950, Ivan Gibbs in 1950-1951

I moved away from Dix in 1955 and didn’t stay in touch with many of the students, but I  do remember there were 2 Bell children at Woods , James and a girl maybe Catherine  who were in the higher grades.”

       

We Need Your Assistance

The folks who made Dix High School thrive for so many years deserve to have its existence memorialized. A photo of the high school building and any other information is welcome to be shared on this page.  You can contact us via e-mail at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net.  Items can be mailed to us via USPS at:

IHSGD Website 

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago, Il.  60631


Divernon High School “Dragons” & “Lady Dragons”

Posted on by davenanninga in Uncategorized
Divernon High School Complex
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As viewed at http://www.divy.net
Original Divernon High School Building
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Submitted by Phil Shadid

The History of Divernon High School

Divernon (population 1,201) is located in central Illinois about ten miles south of Springfield.  The town sits in the southeast corner of Sangamon County.  Interstate Highway 55 is the main roadway that will lead you to Divernon.  Illinois Route 104 passes by town about 1 1/2 miles to the north.  The Illinois Central Railroad parts the middle of town traveling to the north and south. Brush Creek flows to the west of Divernon.

Divernon was likely established in the late 1800s.  We are told the town was named after a character in a book titled “Rob Roy”.  The character’s name is Diane Vernon.  The town was also once a stop along the historic U.S. Route 66.

Divernon residents likely started a school system for their children in the late 1800s. It was not until the very early 1900s that high school curriculum was established.  We do not have th exact year that a high school was established, but we do know that Divernon lists its first high school graduate as earning her diploma in 1904.

Divernon High School has fourished and served the residents of the community and surrounding farm country for over 100 years.  It was in the early years of the 21st centrury that the future of the school district seemed in doubt.  Financial concerns, dwindling enrollment, and inability to offer students what some considered a well-rounded education took their toll.  In October of 2006 it was announced that the Divernon School District would be deactivated.

The Divernon School District has been annexed into the Auburn School District.  The DHS Class of 2007 was the last to earn their diplomas as the school closed in June of 2007.

The Divernon High School building will continue in a useful capacity, serving as the Auburn Junior High School for grades 7 and 8.  Divernon kids in grades PK – 3 will attend school in Divernon as well.

Divernon High School Quick Facts

Year opened:                         early 1900s (1st alum graduated in 1904)

Year closed:                          2007

Consolidated to:                     Auburn School District

Divernon HS team nickname:  the “Dragons” and “Lady Dragons”

Divernon HS team colors:       Blue & Gold

Divernon HS fight song:         “Go Divernon!”

University of Wisconsin Fight Song Tune

Lyrics contributed by Diane Howe

Go Divernon, Go Divernon              

                                               Fight for victory!

                                               We’re the team that can’t be beat

                                               So come on, team, let’s fight!

                                               Fight-Fight-FIGHT!

                                               Go Divernon, Go Divernon
Raise that score tonight!
Lead on to victory

                                               So fight, team, fight!
ATHLETICS

The Divernon High School Dragons and Lady Dragons had some real nice seasons.  The boys definitely competed in baseball, basketball, football and track.  The girls have IHSA seasonal records listed in softball and volleyball.  We are certain the girls competed in basketball and track as well.  Other sports may have been offered at the school throughout the years.  We are in need of the school’s fight song lyrics and coach’s names of several different seasons of several of the sports.

BOYS BASEBALL

The hardballers of Divernon High have two seasons listed on the IHSA website(www.ihsa.org).   The boys of 1996-97 had a record of 15 – 6 under the leadership of Coach Jeff Marsaglia.  Other team records and coach’s names are welcome and will be added if submitted.

1996-97   15 – 6                                            Coach Jeff Marsaglia

2005-06     5 – 15

BOYS BASKETBALL

Judging by the great coverage of this sport on the IHSA website, our guess is that Divernon residents loved their basketball. During many of the seasons the Dragons did not disappoint!  Overall the program won a total of FOUR District titles and THREE Regional Championships!!  There were also FIVE 20+ games-won seasons listed.  The records of the District Championship teams of 1938, 1943, and 1950 might add to that mark as well.

Several scores from the IHSA State Tournament were located on a website titled “Illinois Postseason Basketball Scores.” These scores are posted below.

1912-13   10 – 2        Postseason scores & record needed.

1913-14     7 – 1        Postseason scores & record needed.

1914-15  Postseason scores. record, and coach’s name needed.

1915-16  Postseason scores. record, and coach’s name needed.

1916-17  Postseason scores. record, and coach’s name needed.

1917-18  Postseason scores. record, and coach’s name needed.

1918-20  Postseason scores. record, and coach’s name needed.

1919-20   11 – 3     Sangamon Cnty. Tourney Champs!        Coach George Bradley

                               Postseason scores needed.

1920-21 through 1932-33    Postseason scores. records, and coaches’ names needed.

1933-34                  Sangamon Cnty. Tourney Champs!

                               Postseason scores. record, and coach’s name needed.

1934-35                  Williamsville District Tournament               Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Glenarm Ball Twshp HS 18-17

                               2nd Rd Beat Virden 27-22

                               Semi-final lost to Auburn 23-19

Auburn lost title game to Springfield HS

1935-36                  Springfield Regional Tournament              Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Springfield Converse 26-15

                               Semi-final lost to Springfield HS 35-8

Springfield beat Riverton in title game

1936-37    Postseason scores. record, and coach’s name needed.

1937-38                  Glenarm District Champions                  Coach’s name & record needed

Early Rd Scores Needed

                               Title Game Beat Glenarm Ball Twshp 23-21

                               IHSA Regional Qualifier

                               Regional Scores Needed

1938-39   24 – 3      IHSA District Champions                        Coach’s name & record needed

                               Sangamon Cnty. Tourney Champs!

                               District Scores Needed

                               Springfield District Runner-Up

                               1st Rd Beat Virden 25-18

                               Semi-final Beat Spfld Feitshans 31-26

                               Title Game lost to Springfield HS 27-16

1939-40                  Sangamon Cnty. Tourney Champs!        Coach’s name & record needed

Postseason scores needed.

1940-41  Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

1941-42                   Springfield Regional Tournament              Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Springfield Feitshans 33-26

Feitshans lost to Springfield Lanphier HS in semi-final

Lanphier HS lost to Spfld Cathedral HS in title game

1942-43                   IHSA District Champions                        Coach’s name & record needed

     District Scores Needed

Virden Regional Runner-Up

                                1st Rd Beat Auburn 36-34

                                Semi-final Beat Riverton 38-34

                                Title Game lost to Spfld Lanphier 48-40

1943-44                   Postseason scores & record needed.       Coach Roman

                                                                                                  Principal Sutsmon

1944-45                   Glenarm District Runner-Up                   Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Ball Twshp 43-27

                                Semi-final Beat Pawnee 36-32

                                Title Game lost to Farmersville 34-37

1945-46                   Sangamon Cnty. Tourney Champs!       Coach’s name & record needed

Postseason scores needed.

1946-47  Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

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

  

1948-49                   Farmersville District Tournament                Coach’s name & record needed

Semi-final lost to Riverton 48-31

Riverton lost to Girard in title game

1949-50                   Farmersville District Champions             Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Auburn 54-37

                                Semi-final Beat Farmersville 51-47

                                Title Game Beat Rochester 49-45

                                Springfield Regional Tourney

                                1st Rd lost to Spfld Feitshans 58-46

Feitshans lost to Springfield HS in semi-final

Spfld HS beat Lanphier in title game

1950-51                   Farmersville District Tournament                Coach’s name & record needed

Semi-final lost to Raymond 59-53

Raymond beat Farmersville in title game

1951-52                   Glenarm District Tournament                      Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Raymond 62-48

Raymond lost to Pawnee in semi-final

Pawnee beat Girard 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.

1956-57  Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

1957-58  Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

1958-59                   Palmyra District Tournament                        Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Farmersville 55-43

Farmersville lost to Spfld St. James in title game

1959-60                   Raymond District Tournament                      Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Pawnee 76-63

Pawnee lost to Palmyra NW in semi-final

Palmyra lost to Farmersville in title game

1960-61   10 – 14    Postseason scores & coach’s name needed.

1961-62  Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

1962-63                  Pawnee Regional Tournament                      Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Palmyra NW 55-27

                               Semi-final lost to Raymond Lincolnwood 67-55

Lincolnwood beat Auburn in title game

1963-64     2 – 19   Postseason scores & coach’s name needed.

1964-65                 Postseason scores & record needed              Coach Jay Lorton

     

1965-66  Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

1966-67  Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

1967-68     3 – 20   Waverly District Tournament                           Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Palmyra NW 75-41

Palmyra NW lost to New Berlin in title game

1968-69     2 – 19   Franklin District Tournament                            Coach Mike Boyer

                              1st Rd lost to Franklin 88-39

Franklin lost in semi-final to Auburn

Auburn beat New Berlin in title game

1969-70   10 – 14   Franklin District Tournament                            Coach Al Taylor

                              1st Rd lost to Palmyra NW 44-43

Palmyra NW lost in semi-final to Auburn

Auburn beat New Berlin in title game

1970-71   17 – 7     Waverly District Tournament                            Coach Al Taylor

                              1st Rd Beat Spfld St. James 85-57

Semi-final lost to Palmyra NW 79-59

Palmyra beat Auburn in title game

1971-72   18 – 5     Franklin Class ‘A’ Regional Tournament          Coach Al Taylor

                              1st Rd lost to Girard 69-68

Girard lost to Chatham Glenwood in semi-final

Chatham Glenwood lost to Auburn in title game

1972-73   16 – 10                                                                Coach Al Taylor

1973-74   15 – 9                                                                  Coach Al Taylor

1974-75   17 – 8                                                                  Coach Al Taylor

1975-76   24 – 3      Chatham-Glenwood Reg. Champs  Coach Al Taylor

                               Sangamon Cnty. Tourney Champs!

                               Regular Season lost to State Champ Mt. Pulaski

                               Regional Scores

                               Semi-final Beat Franklin 55-49

                               Title Game Beat Virden 65-59

                               Carlinville Sectional Tourney   

Lost in 1st Rd of Sectional to Piasa (Southwestern) 66-63

Piasa SW lost to Pleasant Plains in title game

Pleasant Plains lost to Havana in Sweet 16 Rd

Divernon “Dragons” – 1976 Sangamon County Champs!
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Submitted by Erick Bristow

Photo Above:

Front Row Kneeling L-R: Lance Rettberg, Gary Nichols, Curtis Fishburn, Kenny Hogan, David Adcock

Standing L-R: Manager-Mark Molohon Craig Ladage, Marc Bourne, Mike Smith, Erick Bristow, Tim Bramley, Coach Al Taylor, Rodney Bourne, Robert Norris, Asst. Coach Rick Rossetto

 

Memories of the 1975-76 season from Erick Bristow:

“Being a member of the 1976 County and Regional Championship team I can say, with all honesty, that it was one ot he greatest times of my life. After nearly 40 years have passed the legacy of that great team is still alive in the community. They never forgot what it meant to rise up after 46 years without a championship in the Sangamon County Tournament, tiny Divernon was alive with Dragon pride!

That 24-3 record included 2 undefeated conference championships as well as the County and Regional. One of our losses that season came to Mt. Pulaski, the eventual State Class ‘A’ Champion that year. As basketball in Illinois goes, you would be hard pressed to find a better team at any High School with even 3 or 4 times the enrollment in the State’s glorious HS basketball history! When we were on a roll it was a sight to behold at the little gymnasium in Divernon, One night in particular in 1976 we put up 114 points on a Greenfield team that was shell shocked, so much so the game landed an article in the STL paper about “tiny” Divernon basketball team. I really believe the 1976 team could have won it all with just a little bit of luck. Having played Mt. Pulaski that year there is no doubt we had the talent but in the end our dream season ended without ever reaching its true potential, and that remains a life-long regret for me personally.”

1976-77     8 – 14                                                                Coach Gene Woodward

1977-78     4 – 18                                                                Coach Gene Woodward

1978-79     2 – 19                                                                Coach Greg Lipe

1979-80   10 – 15                                                                Coach Bob Elkin

1980-81   11 – 14                                                                Coach Jim Edmonds

1981-82   13 – 12                                                                Coach Jim Edmonds

1982-83     9 – 14                                                               Coach Marty Miller

1983-84     6 – 16                                                               Coach Marty Miller

1984-85     5 – 17                                                               Coach Carey McVickers

1985-86     9 – 13                                                               Coach Carey McVickers

1986-87     6 – 16                                                               Coach Carey McVickers

1987-88     4 – 19                                                               Coach Carey McVickers

1988-89     4 – 19                                                               Coach Mark Verticchio

1989-90     2 – 20                                                               Coach Kent Leninger

1990-91                                                                             Coach Kent Leninger

1991-92     9 – 14                                                               Coach Jeff Stevens

1992-93   10 – 15                                                               Coach Jeff Stevens

1993-94     6 – 17                                                               Coach Jeff Stevens

1994-95   17 – 9                                                                 Coach Jeff Stevens

1995-96   21 – 7         IHSA Regional Champions          Coach Jeff Stevens

                                  Regional Scores Needed

                                  IHSA Sectional Qualifier

                                  Sectional Scores Needed

1996-97   23 – 6         Divernon Regional Champions   Coach Jeff Stevens

                                  Regional Scores Needed

                                  IHSA Sectional Qualifier

                                  Sectional Scores Needed

                

1997-98     7 – 21       Postseason scores needed            Coach Jeff Stevens

1998-99     5 – 21       Postseason scores needed            Coach Jeff Stevens

1999-00   11 – 16       Postseason scores needed            Coach Jeff Marsaglia

2000-01     3 – 24       Postseason scores needed            Coach Jeff Marsaglia

2001-02     6 – 22       Postseason scores needed            Coach Jeff Marsaglia

2002-03     9 – 19       Postseason scores needed            Coach Jeff Marsaglia

    

2003-04   21 – 9      M-S-M Conference Champions      Coach Steve Allen

                                  Postseason scores needed             

2004-05   16 – 12       Postseason scores needed            Coach Steve Allen

2005-06   13 – 16       Postseason scores needed            Coach Steve Allen

2006-07     8 – 19       Postseason scores needed            Coach Jeff Stevens

Sangamon County Tournament

Divernon played well in this tournament in the 1930s and 1940s.  The boys won the championship a total of five times, as research was completed by Mark Jurenga:

Five championships  –  1920*, 1934, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1976

One 2nd Place finish

Five 3rd Place finishes

Five 4th Place finishes

Our good friend Phil Shadid tells us of Divernon’s 1920 Sangamon County Basketball Championship:

DIVERNON, SANGAMON COUNTY BASKETBALL CHAMPS, 1920:

In a basketball tournament that until now had been lost to history, Divernon won the very FIRST Sangamon County championship in 1920, five years before the official start of the annual tourney. In January 1920 the Illinois State Journal (Springfield) reported that “some of the county schools are going to compete in a basketball tournament which they hope will become an annual endeavor.”

The tournament was scheduled to be played in February at Springfield’s YMCA with Auburn, Chatham, Dawson, Divernon, Illiopolis, Mechanicsburg, New Berlin and Pawnee taking part. Pleasant Plains, Riverton, Rochester and Williamsville decided not to send their teams to the tourney.

But tournament officials had to postpone the original dates because the Flu epidemic that winter had severely effected the Chatham, Illiopolis and Pawnee teams.

Finally, the tournament took place on March 11-12, 1920, a week after the state District tournaments concluded. None of the county teams had advanced in the Districts.

Before a packed house at the YMCA, favored New Berlin, led by legendary coach Homer Bartholomew, opened with a 23-14 win over Illiopolis, even though Junior star forward Roy Breeding and Illiopolis’ Red Delaney were thrown out of the game, with five minutes left, for fighting. (They had briefly exchanged punches earlier in the game, but the referee had not seen the altercation.) Auburn (rated second) and Dawson won their games, and third-ranked Divernon breezed to a 30-10 trouncing of Chatham.

That night (March 11) New Berlin easily beat Dawson (29-12) in a semi-final and the next afternoon Divernon pulled a mild upset with a 14-9 win over Auburn in the other semi-final. The night of March 12, the “Dragons” beat New Berlin by a lopsided score of 21-8 to claim the championship. Robert Brown led the way with 8 points for Divernon while Breeding had 6 for the losers. The Journal reported: “Team work (for New Berlin) which showed in the tournament, was not so obvious in the final game. They seemed cold. Divernon broke up play after play, and stands out supreme as the Sangamon champion.”

Divernon placed three on the All-County 10-man tournament team ( Virgil Case, Llewellyn Dean and Harvey Starkweather).

Divernon’s rich basketball history will now include a SIXTH county championship to their credit: 1920, along with 1934, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1976.

BOYS FOOTBALL

There were not any great records listed on the Divernon High School football stats listed on the IHSA website.  It is actually quite a statement to the Divernon school that the school maintained a football program into the 1980s. We are certain that they were likely never the larger of the two schools stepping on the field on any given Friday night.  We are also certain there were some real nice seasons in the school’s storied history.  If you have this information, please drop us an e-mail.

Erick Bristow tells us the Divernon team of 1973-74 was a one of the all-time greats. The team went undefeated at 9 – 0 in spite of not having a home football field. The Dragons played all of their games on the road, with their “home” games played at Virden High School. A remarkable feat for any-sized school! Ercik sent us the following information about this team:  “Divernon certainly had some great football teams. In the 1973-74 season Divernon, not even having its own field, we played home games at Virden as I recall, finished 9 – 0! Almost all those games were played on the road and when you consider that the entire school probably had only about 100 students then it makes it even that much more remarkable that virtually every male student was on the football team and they were good enough to beat everyone they played, all of which were obviously larger schools.”

1973-74    9 – 0    Undefeated Season!           Coach’s name needed

1977-78    1 – 8                                                  Coach Coy Angelo

1978-79    1 – 8                                                  Coach Coy Angelo

1979-80    1 – 8                                                  Coach Coy Angelo

1980-81    0 – 9

1981-82    0 – 9

GIRLS SOFTBALL

Two Regional Championships highlighted the Lady Dragons of the softball diamond.  These are currently the only two seasons we have information about.  Season records and coach’s names are needed to complete this sport’s history at DHS.

1990-91   14 – 6       Regional Champions

1997-98                  Regional Champions         Coach Daillen Pomerenke

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

The Lady Dragon netters had some excellent seasons during the 1980s and early 1990s under the coaching of Shelli Wilmarth.  The team of 1998-99 even earned an IHSA Regional title.

1982-83   10 – 11                                                  Coach Shelli Wilmarth

1983-84   11 – 12                                                  Coach Shelli Wilmarth

1984-85     5 – 12                                                  Coach Shelli Wilmarth

1985-86   12 – 12                                                  Coach Shelli Wilmarth

1986-87     8 – 14                                                  Coach Shelli Wilmarth

1987-88   12 – 12                                                  Coach Shelli Wilmarth

1988-89   17 – 8                                                    Coach Shelli Wilmarth

1989-90   14 – 11                                                  Coach Shelli Wilmarth

1990-91   16 – 9                                                    Coach Shelli Wilmarth

1991-92   23 – 6                                                    Coach Shelli Wilmarth

1992-93   23 – 7                                                    Coach Shelli Wilmarth

1993-94   22 – 6                                                    Coach Shelli Wilmarth

1998-99   28 – 8         Regional Champions          (Coach’s name unavailable)

2006-07   21 – 10       School’s Final Year               Coach Linda Regan

 

BOYS TRACK & FIELD

1933-34     Individual Medalist          Bukant         Shot Put       4TH Place

INDIVIDUAL EVENTS

1948    Individual Medalist       Blanche Dickey        Serious Category     5TH Place

FOR THE RECORD

The following facts about Divernon High School’s final school year were provided to us by Phil Shadid:

“A total of 14 seniors graduated in May 2007.  A total of 70 students were in the high school when it closed. The girls volleyball record for their final season, 2006-07: 21-10. The boys basketball record for their final season, 2006-07: 8-19. Other sports for boys and girls were played, but only as a co-op arrangement with Auburn or Pawnee.

Ironically, the final home game of any sport ever played in the Divernon gym was in February 2007, when the boys lost to Springfield Ursuline, 69-48.  The Ursuline team did not know at that time, that their own school would be closing the same time as Divernon.”

Need More Information

The folks who worked to make Divernon High School a reality and a success should not be forgotten. There are many missing items that should be shared and remembered forever. If you have this information, please e-mail it to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net or write to us at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago, Il.  60631
 


Dewmaine High School

Posted on by davenanninga in Uncategorized
Dewmaine High School District 51
A house with a tree in the front Description automatically generated with low confidence
Submitted by Ronald Kirby

The History of Dewmaine High School

Dewmaine (population 0) is located in the southeastern portion of Illinois in the north-central portion of Williamson County. Dewmaine is located about 10 miles northeast of Carbondale. County Road 10 (aka Carterville-Colp Road) is the main roadway to and from Dewmaine. It connects to Illinois Route 13 just 3 miles to the south. Carterville is about 1 mile south of Dewmaine and Herrin is about 2 miles to the northwest.

A very nice history of Dewmaine is found at the web address of

http://thesouthern.com/news/local/ghost-town-the-rise-and-fall-of-dewmaine/article_858950f4-1333-11e1-9e3b-001cc4c002e0.html . The article is posted in The Southern.Com and was written by Mary Beth Roderick. In summary the article states the following:

Dewmaine was created in 1898 when mine owner Samuel Bush recruited African American miners from Sweetwater, Tennessee to relocate to an area just north of Carterville to work in one of his mines. The miners numbered about 200, and over the next two years were joined by several others. The mining camp was named Dewmaine in honor of Admiral Dewey and the battleship U.S.S. Maine.

Dewmaine grew from a mining camp to a town in two years. A post office was established in 1901. Several businesses were soon established as well. A school, two churches, and several stores were in operation. The mine was producing at full capacity and the miners were doing well financially.

The mine was prosperous for over 20 years.  However the coal began to run out and the mine was closed in 1923. Many of the residents continued to live in Dewmaine and farm. However, slowly residents began to move away. The post office closed in 1931. By the middle 1960s only one of the original houses that were part of Dewmaine was still occupied.

Dewmaine High School was established in the early 1900s, probably by 1910. Classes graduated from the school until the 1929, when the final high school ceremony was held. The principal at the school when it was closed was Professor Penn. All high school-aged children were then bused to Carbondale to attend Attucks High School or to Colp to attend Colp High School.  Dewmaine Grade School continued in operation for several more years until eventually it, too, was closed.

A wonderfula and informative article was sent to us by Ronald Kirby regarding the history of Dewmaine High School nd Grade School. It is copied and pasted below in its entirety.

LOOKING FOR A DEWMAINE SCHOOL

April 17, 2017

My name is Ronald Kirby.  I was born and raised in Colp, Illinois.  I am the oldest grandson of the late Virginia Adkins Kirby who came to a small mining town of Dewmaine, that no longer exists, as the 2 year old daughter of Sam and Nicie Adkins in 1898 as one of about 184 coal miners during a strike by Union Miners.  The events of this Dewmaine history has been widely written and discussed.

Since there were no longer any such building that existed, there anymore, my thoughts turned to  the school where my grandmother Virginia Kirby must have gone to school.  So, I set my mind to find out.  I started by reviewing the U.S. Census records of the miners families there in 1900.The 1900 U.S. Census revealed approximately 149 colored Dewmaine miners with a total of 332 family members including 91 school-age children and 34 white total family members including 22 school-age children.  There were only 5 white coal miners and the other 4 occupied positions as fireman, mine supt., store clerk and mine boss.

It so happened that  my Aunt Armanda Kirby discovered an old photo of her school when she was a 7th grade student at Dewmaine. Jim Gentile had previously told me of his dad’s home at Colp having been built with lumber from a Dewmaine school. Jim also discovered a photo of a two-story vacant school building in Dewmaine District #31.

Armanda started grade school about 1924 at a two story grade and high school with a basement   located on the cemetery road behind the office of Dr. A.W. Springs .  Her photo of her 7th grade class identified  her teachers as Emma Allen and Etta Jackson. She remembers Don Moss who signed her report card and although the white children attended a separate one-room school West of the Carterville Highway, she remembers the white teacher as a Miss Harriett who was the daughter of Mr. Porter.  Other teachers she new who taught at Dewmaine were:  Helen Kelly, Daisy Sykes and Wardell Jones.

Dewmaine Grade School 7th Grade Class 1920s
Text Description automatically generated
Submitted by Ronald Kirby Supplied by Armanda Kirby.

Discussions with others from Dewmaine determined that the two story school building was not in Dewmaine after 1930 because the Dewmaine High School was replaced by the Colp High School in October 1, 1927.  According to a photo submitted by Pat Shoffner of her dad’s graduation class from Dewmaine in 1929, this was the last class to graduate from Dewmaine high school with Josie Rafe and Professor Penn.

In 1931 Aunt Armanda started high school in Colp following her brother and sister there.  She again kept a photo of the 1931-1932 school year that showed her as a freshman with a total of 50 students divided evenly with girls and boys including the three teachers. At her age of 98, she can identify everyone in this picture without looking at it.  Most amazing, The teachers were Principal Carl Lee, teacher, Gaffney Taylor and teacher Evelyn Bower.  One of the girls was Izetta Brown Williams who two years ago spoke with me of her memories of Dewmaine.  She will be 104 in July, 2017.

Her older sister, Leona graduated from Dewmaine high school.  Leona was also born in Dewmaine.  Izetta was born and attended grade school in Clifford.  She went to the new high school in Colp when it opened in 1927.  She remembered Armanda and her sister at Colp high school.  Her friend at high school was Francis Bowen.  Her father, George Brown, had a baseball team in Clifford called salt and pepper because it had colored and Italian baseball players.  Izetta’s father was one family miner that had children attend schools in the three mining towns of Dewmaine, Clifford and Colp.

Other family members who would have attended the two-story colored school in Dewmaine were:  Thelma Phillips Rafe who said her first grade teacher in Dewmaine was Mrs. Flossie Williams. This would be about 1914.

Next comes Mrs. Viola Williams who once told a writer of Colp history that she was a student at Dewmaine high school when she met her husband Bo Williams.  This would be about 1920/1922.

A news article also shows Rev Raymond Davis as one of the first to graduate from Colp High School in 1928. Additional news articles produced by Jim Gentile revealed several articles of sports activity played by Dewmaine teams including a basketball game showing Rev Davis as a player.  Such articles include a track meet on May 4, 1925 when Dewmaine captured 2nd place at the Little Ten colored track meet played in Marion with Williams of Dewmaine the high point of the meet by capturing 1st in the 50 and 100 yard dashes.  The Dewmaine girls took 3rd place in tennis and another news article dated January 21, 1928 shows that Dewmaine High School basketball quintet edged out 12 to 7 by Carbondale Attucks.  This was the first defeat of the season suffered by the Dewmaine boys.  The Dewmaine lineup included Leftoie, Miller, Mays, Watson and Davis.

Following are students who only attended a one-room school at Dewmaine after 1930.

Starting with Homer Spears, son of Cleo and Lela Spears.  He remembers going to kindergarten in 1929-30 at a schoolhouse on the cemetery road behind the office of Dr. Springs with 4-6 steps, but not sure if it had a second floor. He was in the first grade at Colp in 1930.

Billy Underwood was in 4rd grade in Colp when his family moved to Dewmaine in 1939.  He was the son of Alonia Underwood and Lillie Underwood.  They moved into the home next to the old Post Office just across the highway from the office of Dr. Springs.  Billy recalls going to a one-room school on cemetery road behind the office of Dr. Springs where he cleaned the office for Dr. Springs.  He also recalls that at one time the school building was vacant and his father and others used it to can local grown vegetables to distribute among the neighbors.

Michael Martin, son of Johnnie Martin, and nephew of Armanda Martin Kirby, started grade school about 1947 at a different one-room school located on the West side of the highway near home of Mr. Tobe Meeks.  This school had front steps and was on one level and his teacher was Miss Wardell Jones.  Michael went to school here until it was closed about 1953 and he completed grade school in Colp and high school in Herrin.

The final student from Dewmaine I spoke to was Jackye Sivels Watson who wrote a beautiful story in 1998 of her life in Dewmaine.  According to Jackye, about 1943 she first attended school from 1-3 grades at a one-room school located near the cemetery and about 1946-1947 the colored kids were transferred to the former white school. She attended this school for 4-8 grades before going to high school for one year at Colp in 1952-53. She gave much praise to her teacher Miss Wardell Jones who said her goal was to get her students ready for anybody’s college and Jackye added that during her year in high school she and two other students of Miss Wardell Jones wrote the best compositions.  After the Dewmaine Grade School was closed, Miss Wardell Jones, according to Michael Martin took a teaching position at Harvey, Illinois.

Emmanuel Duncan, although he never attended school in Dewmaine, he recalls a vacant school, one-room building, located near the cemetery. In 1938, Attucks Grade School under the leadership of teacher Emma Carter became Colored State Champion in a Spelling Bee contest composed of Emmanuel, Sally Pete Harvey, Alfred Brewington, Lee Anna Hill and another he could not name.  They won by defeating Carbondale and Dewmaine in the finals with colored schools from Carbondale to Cairo participating.  The finals were held in Colp.  Sally kept a copy of the trophy.

Now I would like to tell of a personal story of myself and my great-grandmother Nicie Adkins.  As a young boy, my great-grandmother often visited Colp and would take me fishing as she loved to do.  We would either go to Clifford or Blairsville to fish in the big muddy river or locally in the Colp mule pond.  During our trips she used to tell me of her experience of coming to Dewmaine in 1898 by train with my grandmother then about 2 years old.  As the train neared Carterville, the conductor told the passengers to close the shades and lie on the floor to avoid the gun shots fired at the train.

She spoke of a lady who was shot and killed as she held a baby in her arms.  I never knew until reading the book Bloody Williamson that my great-grandma Adkins was speaking of a woman named Hannah Carr and the baby would have been her youngest son, Wayne Carr.  As an adult, I mentioned this in Colp in the company of the late John Porch and he commented that he was the baby but some members of his family corrected him that the lady killed was his aunt, not his mother.  His mother, Minnie Porch Payne, was the sister of Hannah Carr who was on the same train with her family including  John Porch at age 5.  I later found Wayne Carr in the 1920 Census living with his wife in the Colp area and later he was identified as a World War I veteran whose name was recently honored on a Colp Veterans Memorial with 300 area veterans. This also includes two other great nephews of Hannah Carr, Joseph Powell and Sol Griffin, Jr. who were among the 300 veterans honored.

After my review of the early schools of Blairsville and Herrin Townships without finding much written about Dewmaine or Colp schools was a disappointment until I received a number of news articles found by Jim Gentile including sports activities at Dewmaine and a church announcement dated February 5, 1954. The article related to the Mt Zion Baptist Church at Dewmaine having a special service to honor members having over 30 years of service or more.  Such members included Mary and Peter Cox, Alfonzo McKinney, Bertha Perkins and J.E. Taylor.  The names of the Cox family,  Mr. McKinney and Mr. Taylor were familiar to me from my life in Colp.  Mrs. Cox was the sister of Emma Allen Carter who was my 8th grade principal and early teacher at Dewmaine.  After confirming with Tony Taylor Collins that Mr. J.E. Taylor was her grandfather, Jerry Taylor, I knew him as a father of 2 teachers at Colp, including Grace Taylor Claybrook and Gaffney Taylor, teacher and principal at Colp High School from about 1930 until his death in 1946.  He was also my principal in high school.   Mr. J.E. Taylor was also known as the accountant for Mrs. Johanna Hatchett.   The church was organized in 1898 and Mr. Taylor was one of the original organizers.  Mr. Cox joined in 1903. The church once had 225 members.  Now that I know that such education minded people were involved with this church in early Dewmaine from the beginning in 1898, gives me a positive feeling that I have found the answer to my grandmother’s education in early Dewmaine.

There were no records when the white Dewmaine students started going to Carterville. The 1930 U.S. Census did reveal several white families living in Dewmaine including the family of Dominic Capogreco and family of Joe Brandon shown his occupation as a teamster with wife, Victory, and 4 sons and 2 daughters in the household with 4 school-age children. We did learn from the daughter of the late Bonnie Barnes, that her mother attended the 4th grade at Dewmaine about 1910 when her father was a coal miner there.  This would place the one-room white school in Dewmaine at 1910 or earlier and converted to a grade school for colored students about 1946.  According to information from Jim Gentile, Joe Macri, father of Jr  Macri was born in 1909 and during this time his father Frank Macri was working at the Dewmaine #8 coal mine and later he worked at the Colp #9 mine.  Joe Macri grew up living between Colp and Dewmaine.  His sister Rose Surbaro was born in Dewmaine in 1907 and after her marriage to Dominic Surbaro she delivered her first daughter, Angeline, in Dewmaine in 1923 and a second daughter,  Carmella, in Colp in 1925.

Before the end, I want to thank and express appreciation for all who shared their information with me.

This includes my wife, Marjorie, who under difficult circumstances, did all my typing with computer help from her Caregiver, Kaila.  Marge and I have been blessed to know Armanda most of our lives.  She became my aunt by marrying in 1939 my uncle Norvel Kirby, son of Virginia and Percy Kirby.  She is now a widow and will celebrate her 99th birthday in August with her family, Palmer, Ruby, Janice, Norvel and Scott.  She still lives in her own home with her youngest son, Scott.

I appreciate the following from Pat Shoffner.  Her father Floyd Shoffner, after graduation from Dewmaine high school in 1929, drove Professor Penn to Pontiac,  Michigan where he met and married Pat’s mother, Vergie, in the same year.  In May 1930 these newly weds would be found in Colp household of Floyd’s mother and stepfather, Ellie and John Sivels and their new grandson Floyd Shoffner Jr, John Sivels would thereafter be known for his famous John’s BBQ and secret sauce.

RONALD W. KIRBY

Today all that remains of Dewmaine is its cemetery. It is listed as a ghost town in many publications that record such things.

Dewmaine High School Quick Facts

Year opened:                     early 1900s

Year closed:                      1929

School team nickname:      unavailable

School team colors:           unavailable

School Fight Song:            unavailable
ATHLETICS

Though we have no current direct proof, we are told that Dewmaine High School competed in the Southern Illinois Conference for Colored Schools. The conference consisted of African American high schools and was established in 1919.

Pat Heston tells us participating schools included, furthest north, the St. Louis Metro East schools. These schools were: Brooklyn (Lovejoy), Edwardsville (Lincoln), East St. Louis (Lincoln), Madison (Dunbar) and Venice (Lincoln).

To the south were schools from DuQuoin (Lincoln) and Carbondale (Attucks), as well as Murphysboro (Douglass), Herrin (Colp), Dubois and Dewmaine.  Herrin Colp, as it is officially called by the IHSA, was actually not in Herrin, but in Colp.

Furthest south were Cairo (Sumner), Mound City (Lovejoy), Mounds (Douglass), Brookport (Lincoln), Metropolis (Dunbar), and Sandusky (Young).

Basketball was the main sport, but baseball and track may also have been offered. We are searching for records, coaches names, and any other information regarding Dewmaine’s participation in athletics.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

We believe other activities may have been offered.  We know that Dewmaine kids were part of one of the first African American Boy Scout Troops in history.

SEEKING FURTHER INFORMATION .

The article cited above is a very good account of the history of Dewmaine. We are always searching for further information. If you would like to have any items or information added regarding Dewmaine High School please contact us via the following means:

e-mail:    ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net

mail:

IHSGD Website

6439 N. Neva Ave

Chicago, Il.  60631