The History of Elliott High School
Elliott (population 295) is located in east central Illinois in the south
central portion of Ford County. Illinois Route 9 is the main roadway to and from Elliott as it passes by the small village
to the south. County Road N. 1000 E, also known as County Highway 4, travels through the heart of Elliott from the north to
south. Elliott is located about 5 miles due east of Gibson City and about 25 miles due north of Champaign.
Elliott is named after the primary donor of the land the town is located
on, Samuel Elliott. The village was established in 1865. A railroad depot was constructed in 1872 and the
village at that time was filled various businesses and was very self-supporting.
The businesses in Elliott included a school house. The first school in Elliott was a two-room frame structure
for grades 1 - 8. According to a newspaper article submitted by Elliott school offered two years of high school
with the first graduation for the school taking place in 1898. The Elliott school building burnt to the ground in 1912 and
was soon replaced by a new, brick school building in 1922. It is unknown when the high school courses offered at Elliott were
discontinued, however it is known that kids who wanted full 4-year high school education would have to continue at Gibson
City High School upon leaving the Elliott school. It is only known that the school offered classes for grades 1 - 8 as Elliott
School District #94. Additions were made to the original portion of the school in 1948 which included a gymnasium.
