(Des Plaines) Maine Township North High School "Norsemen"

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Maine North High School
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Des Plaines, Illinois

The History of Maine North High School
 
Maine Township is located in the northwestern area of Cook County.  Three towns make up the bulk of Maine Township. They include Des Plaines (population 58,720), Park Ridge (population 37,775) and Rosemont (4,224).  Two roads that run through Maine Township very near the old Maine North High School building include Illinois Route 58 (Golf Road) about 1/2 mile south of the school's location,  and Illinois Route 21 (Milwaukee Road) which runs about 1 mile east of the former school.
 
The history of Maine Township North High School is probably one regarding the most brief existence for any public high school on this site.  Like many suburban areas of the 1950s and 1960s, the three towns, and Maine Township's unincorporated areas, were growing at incredible rates. The Maine Township School District had built two new schools to accommodate this growth, one in Des Plaines and one in Park Ridge.  With student population still growing and an outlook of more intense population growth, it was decided in the late 1960s to add a fourth high school to the district.  The new building was to be built where growth was expected to increase the most, in the northeastern portion of Maine Township.
 
Already having a Maine West, Maine South, and Maine East High School, the new school would be called Maine North.  Construction was completed on this new and then "state of the art" building in 1970. The doors opened for the students in the late summer of 1970 for the beginning of the 1970-71 school year.  Lots of land made for an excellent football/track facility as well as excellent baseball/softball diamond.  One gymnasium which would seat over 2,500 fans, and an auxilary gymnasium for practice purposes, were a welcome sight for those who entered that first day.
 
The class rooms were fresh and up to date as well with the auditorium being one of the nicest in the area. Maine North High School was the pride and joy for the students and their parents.  Three problems would soon come back to dictate the school's future.
 
School officials realized in the late 1970s that some serious errors were made in calculating the population increase expected.  The area did not develop as hoped and the Maine Township population had stabilized.  The board decided there was a need to close one of the Maine Township High School buildings.  Maine North was built in an unincorporated part of Maine Township.  There was technically no town to claim the facilities as their own as there was with the other schools.  Also the very short time Maine North was open did not allow for a large alumni base to fight for the school. 
 
As is stated on the Wikipedia web page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine_North_High_School :
 
"The closing of Maine North was controversial, considering that it was the most modern of the Maine Township schools.  However its lack of alumni also meant that it lacked critical support in the community to keep its doors open. The school was sold along with the District's administration building, which had its offices relocated to Maine South High School"
 
Sadly it was decided to close the Maine North High School building in favor of keeping the other three buildings open. The school was closed in 1981 after only 10 years of service. 
 
The Maine North High School building had many uses in its after school life.  The building has served as a headquarters for the old Chicago Blitz of the USFL.  It was later bought by a group of doctors who were going to change it into a rehabilitation center.  Its most famous use came when it served as the set for the classic movie "The Breakfast Club" (see http://maineeastalumni.org/mnnorth/indexnf.html).  The building is currently owned by the State of Illinois and is used for several departmental offices including as a headquarters for the Illinois State Police and a radio base for the Cook County Sheriff's Department.
 
Dick Paul, web master for the Maine North and Main East websites, advises us that the Maine North High School Class of 1978 will be holding a reunion, their 30th, this year (2008).  Check out Dick's excellent work at http://maineeastalumni.org/mnnorth/indexnf.html .
 
For the members of the Class of 1979, and any others who attended Maine North High School, check out this website created by Robyn Lazarus:
 
Maine Township North High School Quick Facts
 
Year opened:                Fall of 1970
Year closed:                 Spring of 1981
School building today:   Owned by State of Illinois (Many Illinois Government Offices there)
School team nickname: the "Norsemen"
School team colors:      Black & Gold
School Fight Song:       "Hail to the Norsemen"
                                                Courtesy of James Hickman
                                                Written by band director O. D. Premo
 
                                   Hail to the Norsemen,
                                   True and bold.
                                   Praising our colors,
                                   Black and Gold.
                                   Rise to her challenge,
                                   Winning her victories,
                                   Our ship will never go down!

Maine North HS Yearbook Cover 1971
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Submitted by Nancy Brenner

ATHLETICS & EXTRA-CURRICULARS
 
The life span of the Maine North Norsemen was very short in the world of high school athletics.  The MTHS kids competed in about every sport offered though.  The basics; football, basketball, track, baseball/softball, were offered to the boys and girls.  In addition swimming (a pool was added in the 1970s), gymnastics, wrestling, badminton, and volleyball were also offered.  If you have any additional information about the sports offered and the players and coaches who competed in them, please write to us. If any great teams competed that did not win IHSA hardware but possibly had a top three finish in a conference, let us know as well.
 
As it stands, there were only two sports listed in which Maine North won IHSA medals.  They were the sports of boys track and wrestling. 
 
When it came to IHSA competition, the folks in the English Department represented Maine North quite well.  Two top ten State Meet finishes were accomplished in the short 10 year existence of the school.  In addition several individual medals were earned as well.  The best of the Maine North accomplishments as listed on the IHSA website (www.ihsa.org) are listed below.
 
BOYS TRACK & FIELD
 
One male athlete earned two medals at the IHSA State Track Meet.  Chris Heroux's accomplishment came in back to back seasons in 1976 and 1977.  During both years Heroux won 2nd Place in the 880 Yard Run.
 
1976-77   Chris Heroux         880 Yard Run            2ND Place
1977-78   Chris Heroux         880 Yard Run            2ND Place
 
WRESTLING
 
Two Noresmen grapplers also earned a medal from the State Meet competition.
 
1972-73       Jack Horowitz        98 Lbs. Weight Class      STATE CHAMPION!!
1974-75       Bob Russo            126 Lbs. Weight Class      6TH Place
 
FOOTBALL
 
The best records of the Norsemen grid iron warriors are listed below as researched by Tom Sikorski
 
1971  4-5  First Varsity team                                                                      Coach Lou Gartner 
            First win in school history was 30-7 over Thornwood.
1976  5-4  3rd place O'Hare Suburban Conference
            Last team was in 1980. 
            Last win in school history was 34-12 over North Chicago
 
THE ENGLISH / ARTS  DEPARTMENT
 
A total of seven medals and two top-ten finishes were recorded by the Maine North thespians.  This is an excellent accomplishment considering the short life span of the school.
 
DRAMA TEAM
 
1975-76           District Champions
1978-79           Team Finished FIFTH in STATE MEET Competition 
                      Qualified for the State Meet
                       Final Team Standings
 
                      1.) Fenton
                      2.) Homewood-Flossmoor
                      3.) Thornridge
                      4.) Morton West
                      5.) MAINE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
 
SPEECH TEAM
 
1975-76          Team Finished TENTH in STATE MEET Competition
                      Final Team Standings
 
                      1.) Thornwood
                      2.) Joliet East (tie)
                      2.) Luther South (tie)
                      4.) Rock Island (tie)
                      4.) Peoria Central (tie)
                      6.) Loyola
                      7.) Richards (tie)
                      7.) Deerfield (tie)
                      7.) Carbondale (tie)
                    10.) MAINE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
                           (tied with 5 other schools)
 
INDIVIDUAL MEDALISTS
 
1973-74    Steve Dimenna    Original Comedy     3RD Place
1975-76    Steve Dimenna    Original Comedy     STATE CHAMPION!!
1977-78    Jill Resnick           Prose                      6TH Place
1978-79    Jill Resnick          Original Comedy     5TH Place
                Dave Elliot           Humor Duet             6TH Place
                Laura Swenson   Humor Duet             6Th Place
1979-80    Jill Resnick          Original Comedy     4TH Place
 
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. Maine North participated in this festival from 1977 to it's closure in 1980.
                
MEMORIES
 
From Nancy Brenner (Class of 1971):
             
"I was among the first class to enter Maine North as a Junior transferred from Maine East mid year.  It was also my first year in Illinois as my father was transferred there by his company from Delaware.  I was in the chorus and served as the editor-in-chief of the yearbook (the school’s first). Because of my education in Delaware I was asked to graduate early - which I did!  I am, as far as I know, the only 1971 graduate.  I received my diploma a year late when there was a real class graduating and a real need for diplomas was needed."
 
SEEKING MORE INFORMATION
 
If you have any further information regarding the brief existence of Maine North High School please write to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net.  You can also write to us via real mail at:
 
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, Il.    60631

Maine Township HS 1971 Yearbook Dedication
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