Camp Point Maplewood High School

Camp Point Maplewood High School 1910-20 Era

Submitted by Keith Burns

The History of Camp Point Maplewood High School

Camp Point (population 1,244) is located in west-central Illinois in the north-central portion of Adams County. Camp Point is about 25 miles northeast of Quincy. U.S. Highway 24 is the main roadway to and from Camp Point. County Road E 2300th Street also passes through Camp Point. The Burlington Northern & Sante Fe Railroad line passes through town as well.

The name of the town of Camp Point was established as follows according to the book titled "Place Names of Illinois" by Edward Callary. The town was originally called Garrett's Mill after a grist mill owner named Peter Garrett. The town name was eventually changed to Camp Point as there was a nearby grove of trees that stretched from the town's edge far into the plains. This grove of trees was thought to be a Native American campground.

The web address of http://history.rays-place.com/il/adams-camp-point.htm provides a great deal of historical information regarding the town of Camp Point. The information is taken from a book titled "Quincy and Adams County, History and Representative Men" written by David F. Wilcox and published in 1919. In summary, this article states the following:

The area in whcih Camp Point is located was first settled in the late 1820s. Camp Point was platted in 1855 along the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad line. The town was so named as it was originally a Native American settlement known as "Indian Camp Point" by the new settlers. The area had a small river and an abundance of trees making it an excellent camp ground.

Many businesses soon sprung up. The first school in the town was established in 1855. Camp Point was known through out the area as having an excellent eductonal system early on. In 1866 property was purchased with the intention of building a "graded school building." The three story building was completed in 1867. The grounds on which the building was erected was full of maplewood trees. The school was aptly named "Maplewood High School."

The school was well-known in all parts of the area. The school continued to excel well into the 1900s. As of the writing of the previously mentioned article, Maplewood High School had 350 students in 1919.

Camp Point Maplewood High School Entrance

Submitted by Keith Bruns

Maplewood High School became the name of the Camp Point high school building which continued to serve the community through the late 1940s. It is probable that the school became known simply as Camp Point High School at some point in the 1920s - 1940s. We believe that in the late 1940s (possibly the early 1950s) the three-year schools in the area of Camp Point were forced to close due to a new state law abolishing all two and three-year high schools. The high schools in Clayton, Coatsburg, Golden and La Prarie joined in a consolidation effort with Camp Point to create the Camp Point Central School District which became a reality in the summer of 1951. It is believed all of these schools continued to hold their own graduation ceremonies until the new school was completed in Camp Point prior to the start of the 1955-56 school year. Though all of the schools held their own graduation ceremoies the diplomas they were issued read "Central School District."

The kids of Camp Point continue to attend the high school as part of the Central School District today.

To read more about the history of the town of Camp Point and Maplewood High School please visit the following website address:

http://history.rays-place.com/il/adams-camp-point.htm

Camp Point High School Quick Facts

Year opened: 1867

Year became Central School Dist. 1951

Consolidated to: Camp Point Central School District

Camp Point HS team nickname: "Pointers"

Camp Point HS team colors: Black & Orange

School Fight Song: (needed)

ATHLETICS

Camp Point Maplewood High School competed in boys athletics for certain. It is possible the girls played basketball as well in the early 1900s. The boys competed in basketball and probably baseball, football, and track. Unfortunately we could not find evidence of success on the IHSA website. We are in search of the team nickname, uniform colors, and school fight song. Team records and coaches names are needed as well.

BOYS BASKETBALL

The boys of Maplewood High competed in basketball for certain from 1935 through 1951. A web site found at https://sites.google.com/site/xtmi2000/ lists the post season tournaments throughout Illinois along with scores from many of the games. From 1935 through 1951 "Camp Point" high school competed in the area's Regional tournaments annually. In 1952 the site begins listing Camp Point as "Camp Point Central". The scores of the Camp Point games from 1935 - 51 found on the site are listed below. We are in need of season records and coaches names of these teams as well.

1931-32 Quincy District Tourney Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Clayton 25-18

Payson beat Mendon in title game

1932-33 Quincy District Tourney Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Clayton 23-19

Quincy beat Hamilton in title game

1933-34 Quincy District Tourney Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Plainville 51-19

2nd Rd lost to Payson 29-16

Quincy beat Hamilton in title game

Camp Point finished second in the 1935 Quincy District Tournament

Round 1: Camp Point 34, Warsaw 13

Round 2: Camp Point 32, Liberty 5

Semi-Final: Camp Point 23, Payson 22

Title Game: Quincy 44, Camp Point 10

Sectional Tournament at Pittsfield (top two of District advanced)

Murrayville 39, Camp Point 17 (Murrayville would finish 2nd in the Sectional to Quincy)

1936 Quincy Regional Tourney

Round 1: Quincy 57, Camp Point 10

1937 Quincy Regional Tourney

Round 1: Camp Point 52, Liberty 30

Round 2: Clayton 34, Camp Point 16 (Clayton would finish second to Quincy)

1939 Mendon Regional Tourney

Round 1: Quincy 33, Camp Point 16 (Quincy would lose title game to Mendon)

1940 Quincy Sectional Tourney - 2nd Place!

Round 1: Camp Point 49, Bluffs 34

Round 2: Camp Point 41, Hamilton 20

Title Game: Beardstown 35, Camp Point 26

1941 Pittsfield Sectional Tourney

Round 1: Camp Point 27, Astoria 20

Round 2: Pittsfield 35, Camp Point 26

(Pittsfield tourney champs)

1942 Quincy Regional Tourney

Round 1: Camp Point 28, Clayton 27

Round 2: Quincy 40, Camp Point 11

(Quincy won tourney)

1943 Mendon Regional Tourney

Round 1: Quincy ND 31, Camp Point 30

(QND lost in Semi-final round)

1944 - no listing

1945 Liberty Regional Tourney

Round 1: Kinderhook 41, Camp Point 30

1946 Quincy Regional Tourney - Camp Point Placed 2nd!

Round 1: Camp Point 46, Golden 45

Round 2: Camp Point 38, Payson 35

Title Game: Quincy 63, Camp Point 27

1947 Liberty Regional Tourney

Round 1: Camp Point 62, Liberty 27

Round 2: Quincy 57, Camp Point 31

Quincy won Regional title

1948 Quincy Regional Tourney

Round 1: Camp Point 45, Liberty 28

Round 2: Quincy 84, Camp Point 48

Quincy won Regional title

1949 Liberty Regional Tourney - Camp Point placed 2nd!

Round 1: Camp Point 54, Mendon 29

Round 2: Camp Point 56, New Canton 51

Title Game: Quincy 74, Camp Point 59

1950 Quincy Regional Tourney

Round 1: Payson 60, Camp Point 30

Payson lost title game to Quincy

1951 Liberty Regional Tourney

Round 1: Mendon Unity 49, Camp Point 27

Mendon lost in semi-final.

Games listed in 1952 list Camp Point as "Camp Point Central."

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

We are certain that a school of the size of Camp Point Maplewood had many other activities. Band, chorus, student government, FFA, FHA, and other activities were likely a part of the yearly curriculum at Camp Point Maplewood High School.

We Need Your Assistance

If you have ANY further information on the history of Maplewood High School in Camp Point please contact us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. We are especially interested in a photo of the school building. You can also send us items via real mail at the following address:

IHSGD Website

6439 N. Neva Ave.

Chicago, Il. 60631