Kirkwood High School "Rams"

Kirkwood High School Building

Courtesy of Fred Jenks (KHS Class of 1959)

The History of Kirkwood High School

Kirkwood (population 794) is located in upper-western Illinois in the east-central portion of Warren County. Towns of note near Kirkwood include Monmouth (seven miles to the northeast) and Galesburg (twenty miles to the northeast). The town is located on U.S. Route 34 at County Roads 160th Avenue and 20th Street. The C, B & Q (Chicago, Burlington (IA) and Quincy Railroad) ran through Kirkwood for many years, it was then known as the Burlington Northern, and now the Burlington Northern-Sante Fe railroad. A branch of the South Henderson Creek flows through Kirkwood's east side.

According to the website page http://www.chairwright.com/history.html, Kirkwood was platted in 1854 and originally called Young America. The town was incorporated in 1855. As the railroad tracks were laid through town, it began to grow and prosper. In 1874, it was decided to change the town's name to Kirkwood in honor of a Civil War veteran and governor of Iowa by that same name.

The history of Kirkwood High School has been difficult to research. Fred Jenks (Class of 1959) tells us:

Kirkwood Gymnasium built in 1927 - Rear View

Photo by Mike Edwards - 2008

"The Kirkwood High School building was built during the winter of 1912-1913 at a cost of $15,000. It was completed March 1913. In 1927 the gymnasium was added to the west side of the building. The first school in the Kirkwood Community was opened in 1840 and was located at the Mineral Springs Ground north of town."

A history of the Kirkwood school system was written by Ralph Eckley and printed in the Monmouth Review Atlas in the 1980s. That article is reprinted here in its entirety:

: "Kirkwood had its own high school"

"The Yorkwood school buildings, both located between Little York and Kirkwood, serve elementary, junior high and senior high school pupils of the two communitites, but not too many years ago there were high schools in two towns.

Today's picture (at the top of this page) loaned by Kenneth Jenks, shows the now razed Kirkwood High School building, which had served until Yorkwood High School went into service some years ago.

The building pictured, known as Kirkwood High School, was erected during the winter of 1912-13. A contract for the new building had been awarded Sept. 13, 1912, to H.F. Parkins of Galesburg, on his low bid of $13,800.

The only change made was to select Aledo pressed brick instead of the Abingdon pressed brick previously chosen.

It was completed in March, 1913. A gymnasium was built in 1925 and has become the property of the park district, but the high school building is long gone.

The Kirkwood High School was operated after 1937 by a township high school district, No. 150, which was separate from the elementary district, No. 67, that looked after the elementary school in the north part of Kirkwood.

The first school in the Kirkwood community was located on what was later the Mineral Springs Grounds, and it opened in 1840.

Then the C.B.&Q. railroad was built in 1855, and it served Lyndon, as Kirkwood was then known. The name of Lyndon soon became Young America, and in 1874 it became Kirkwood.

The first public school was held in Tau's Hall, and a school was built in the south part of Kirkwood in 1861. It ended up as the "ag" shop.

A north school was built in 1865, and it burned in 1898, and was replaced in 1899 by another."

The first graduate of Kirkwood High School was Sara Green Whitman from the class of 1890.

It was in the late 1950's that consolidation talks arose between the neighboring towns of Kirkwood and Little York. The effort become a reality after the 1959-60 school year. The new school district was named the Yorkwood School District.

The Kirkwood high school building was converted to a junior high for grades 7 - 9 after the consolidation. The Kirkwood HS building was closed when the new Yorkwood school building was opened in fall of 1969. The Kirkwood HS building was torn down in the mid 1970's.

Trevor Winebright (Class of 1953) tells us the high school building and the gymnasium were separated until 1949 when an addition connected them to each other.

Kirkwood High School Quick Facts

Year opened: 1890

Year closed: 1960

Consolidated to: (Monmouth)Yorkwood School District

Kirkwood HS team nickname: the "Rams"

Team colors: Purple & Gold

School Fight Song: Kirkwood High School Loyalty Song

Words Provided By FRED JENKS

Kirkwood HS Loyalty Song Music Sheet

Courtesy of Fred Jenks

Kirkwood High School Gymnasium - 2008

Photo Taken by Mike Edwards

Kirkwood Gymnasium - 2008

From our good friend Mike Edwards:

"The Kirkwood gym is all that remains of the original building. I think this was an add-on to the original building. This is how the old gymnasium that still stands today. It serves as the local Kirkwood park and playground."

Kikwwod High School Athletics

The Kirkwood High School Rams competed in boys' basketball, football, and track The school was well-rounded in its educational process, evidenced by its District title in the IHSA's Speech Sweepstakes Competition (www.ihsa.org).

Boys Basketball

This is the only sport with any mention on the IHSA website. The Kirkwood High School Rams won a total of two District titles during their existence. Unfortunately, the coaches' names and team records of these and other great KHS teams are not available at this time. Several scores involving Kirkwood High School in the IHSA State Tournament were found on a website titled "Illinois Postseason Basketball Scores." These scores are listed below.

1932-33 Roseville District Runner-Up Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Roseville 16-11

Title Game lost to Monmouth 19-13

1933-34 Roseville District Tournament Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Oquawka 36-8

2nd Rd lost to Media 24-20

Media won District over Keithsburg

1934-35 Roseville District Tournament Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Dallas City 25-9

Dallas City lost in semi-final

Roseville beat Stronghurst in title game

1935-36 Roseville Regional Tournament Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Macomb 40-7

Macomb beat Monmouth in title game

1936-37 Roseville Regional Tournament Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Colchester 34-19

2nd Rd lost to Macomb 23-19

Macomb beat Roseville in title game

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

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

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

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

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

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

District Scores Needed

Roseville Regional Tourney

1st Rd lost to Macomb Western 31-24

Western lost to Colchester in semi-final

Monmouth beat Colchester in title game

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

1944-45 Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.

1945-46 Blandinsville District Tournament Coach's name & record needed

Semi-final lost to Blandinsville 36-16

Stronghusrt beat Bardolph in title game

1946-47 Stronghurst District Tournament Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Terre Haute 44-43

Semi-final lost to Good Hope 55-18

Good Hope beat Bardolph in title game

1947-48 Blandinsville District Tournament Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Stronghurst 52-32

Strponghurst lost to Good Hope in semi-final

Good Hope beat Media in title game

1948-49 Stronghurst District Tournament Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Media 58-26

Semi-final lost to Terre Haute 46-44

Good Hope beat Terre Haute in title game

1949-50 Blandinsville District Champs Coach's name & record needed

Semi-final Beat Media 37-31

Title Game Beat Lomax 41-34

Monmouth Regional Tourney

1st Rd Beat Macomb 52-40

Semi-final lost to Bushnell 51-33

Monmouth beat Bushnell in title game

1950-51 Bi County Conference Champs Coach's name & record needed

Valley Conference Tourney Champs

Stronghurst District Tourney

1st Rd Beat Terre Haute 72-69

subsequent rounds needed

1951-52 Gladstone District Tournament Coach's name & record needed

Semi-final lost to Bardolph 63-57

Bardolph beat Media in title game

1952-53 26 - 1 Gladstone District Runner-Up Coach George Pape

Undefeated Regular Season!

Semi-final Beat Terre Haute 75-57

Title game lost to Gladstone-Oquawka 45-44

1953-54 Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.

1954-55 Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.

1955-56 11 - 14 Bardolph District Tournament Coach Burt Clark

1st Rd Beat Media 68-48

Semi-final lost to Stronghurst 68-67

Stronghurst beat Bardolph in title game

1956-57 7 - 16 Postseason scores needed Coach Jack Read

1957-58 Stronghurst District Tournament Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Stronghurst 57-52

Bardolph beat Gladstone-Oquawka in title game

1958-59 14 - 11 Media District Tournament Coach Jack Read

1st Rd lost to Bardolph 93-53

Bardolph lost to Roseville in semi-final

Roseville beat Gladstone-Oquawka in title game

1959-60 Stronghurst District Tournament Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Media 78-48

**Semi-final lost to Stronghurst 54-48

Bardolph beat Stronghurst in title game

**Final game for Kirkwood High School. Consolidated with Little York in the summer of 1960 to form the Yorkwood School District.

Football

The following Kirkwood HS Rams football records and successes were provided to us by Tom Sikorski. Check out the way KHS went out in 1958 and 1959!!

Kirkwood won the last 16 football games in the schools history in 1958 and 1959. Starting in 1960, they consolidated with Little York to form Monmouth Yorkwood which went 7-0 that first year. So this talented group from Kirkwood was part of a 23-game winning streak over 3 seasons!

1952 7-1 2nd place Valley Conference Coach George Page

Rex Avery named All-State for small

schools in Illinois.

1954 4-2 3rd place Valley Conference Coach Burt Clark

1955 7-0 Valley Conference Champions Coach Burt Clark

1955-56 Football Schedule

Kirkwood HS Football Team of 1955 - Undefeated 7-0

Submitted by Fred Jenks (Click on Photo for Enlarged Version)

1956 4-3 3rd place Valley Conference Coach Jack Read

1957 5-1 Valley Conference Co-Champs Coach Jack Read

1958 8-0 Valley Conference Champions Coach Jack Read

First six games were 8-man football

Final two games were 11-man football

Kirkwood HS Football Schedule - 1958

Kirkwood Football Team of 1958-59 - Undefeated 8-0

Sent to us by Fred Jenks (Click on Photo to View Enlarged Version)

1959 8-0 Valley Conference Champions Coach Jack Read

Grid Iron Memories:

From Fred Jenks (Class of 1959):

"The 1955 Football team was 8 man and didn't go to 11 man until 1958 or 1959 (need to check my annual!). The '55 linemen were written up and I think pictured if I remember correctly in the Chicago Tribune as one of the heaviest lines in the State of Illinois which likely was a big part of their undefeated record that year."

Speech Sweepstakes Competition

Kirkwood High School students were a well-rounded bunch. The Speech Team of 1957-58 won a District title in the IHSA's State Competition!

1957-58 District Champions

MEMORIES AND FACTS

From Megan C. Gist:

"My mother, Joyce Gray, is a member of the class of 1957. She painted the KHS logo on the gymnasium floor which still stands today. Also, my grandfather, Ernest L. Gray, installed the lights into the small football field KHS had for a time."

Need Your Assistance

Can you add some facts to the Kirkwood High School lore on this web site? Team colors, fight song, and especially records of all the championship teams and coaches names would be interesting. Also a photo of the old High School building and its status would be fun to share. Please help by completing a School Submission Form or Guest Commentary Form. You can also e-mail us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net or write us at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago, IL 60631