Strawn High School "Bluebirds"
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Strawn High School Building
strawnhsbuildingdav.jpg
From Vintage Aerial Photos.com - Submitted by Erica W.

Strawn School Student Body & School Buses
strawnhsstudentbody1930smons.jpg
1922 (courtesy of Lucille Goodrich's "A Livingston County Scrapbook: 1855-1975")

Strawn Basketball Court
strawnbballcourt.jpg
School Foundation in Background

The History of Strawn High School
 
Strawn (population 104) is located in eastern Illinois approximately 30 miles northeast of Bloomington. Illinois Route 47 runs through town at County Road E 200 North. This places Strawn in southeastern Livingston County. The Norfolk & Western Railroad also lays some tracks through the small town.
 
Strawn has a very progressive and storied educational past. The first school in the community was opened in 1874, and was the very first village in Livingston County to consolidate the surrounding country schools in the early 1920's. The dirt roads leading to and from Strawn had to be paved with gravel to accommodate the students being brought to town from the Leopold, Kuntz, and Pursely country schools on the buses shown above. 
 
Strawn supported its own high school for about five decades. It was in the late 1940's the villages of Forrest, Strawn, and Wing began consolidation talks for their high schools. After a favorable vote in all three villages in March 1949, their efforts became a reality when the Forrest-Strawn-Wing School District was formed. 
 
The high school for the new district was located in Forrest. The Strawn High School building served as the Forrest-Strawn-Wing Grade School building for about 30 years. It was in 1985 that Forrest-Strawn-Wing closed her doors as well. The Strawn School building was originally turned into a nightclub called "Nightschool," however, this venture did not go very well. The building sat abandoned for several years until being razed in 1997. A photo of the building is especially needed to share with others. 
 
The Strawn high school-aged kids now attend Fairbury Prairie Central High School.
 
Strawn High School Quick Facts
 
Year opened:                           late 1800s
Year closed:                            1949
Consolidated to:                       Forrest-Strawn-Wing High School
School building use:                 Forrest-Strawn-Wing Grade School
Year FSW GS closed:              1985
Year former HS building razed: 1997
Consolidated to:                       Forrest-Strawn-Wing High School     
School nickname:                     the "Bluebirds"
School colors:                          Blue & White
School Fight Song:                   unavailable

Strawn School Bus Barn
strawnhsgarage.jpg

Athletics
 
The Strawn High School Bluebirds were a competitive group.  They did win two District titles in basketball.  It is believed Strawn high School also cometed in baseball and track.  Conference affiliation and records and coaches names of the better teams in Strawn's history are in need of research.  Please e-mail us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net if you have this information. 
 
Boys Basketball
 
The Strawn High School boys basketball team had a nice run in the early 1940s winning back to back District titles. Unfortunately the records and coaches names of these and other great Strawn High School teams are not available. Please e-mail us if you have this knowledge so we can share it on this page. The basketball scores listed below were located on a website titled Illinois High School Postseason Basketball Scores.
 
1932-33           Gibson City District Tournament           Coach's name & record needed.
                        1st Rd Beat Melvin 37-24
                        Semi-final lost to Fisher 24-22
                        Fisher lost to Rantoul in title game.
   
1933-34           Gibson City District Tournament           Coach's name & record needed.
                        1st Rd Beat Anchor 27-19
                        2nd Rd lost to Fisher 25-22
                        Rantoul beat Fisher in title game 
   
1934-35           Fisher District Tournament                    Coach's name & record needed.
                        1st Rd Beat Arrowsmih 39-29
                        2nd Rd lost to Urbana 41-24
                        Urbana beat Fisher in title game
    
1935-36           Gibson City Regional Runner-Up       Coach's name & record needed.
                        1st Rd Beat Cropsey 32-29 (O/T)
                        Semi-final Beat Melvin 27-20
                        Title Game lost to Paxton 44-29
         
1936-37           Colfax District Runner-Up                    Coach's name & record needed
                        1st Rd Beat Loda 42-17
                        Semi-final Beat Colfax 25-19
                        Title Game lost to Farmer City 25-19
   
1937-38 through 1939-40 scores, records, and coach's names needed.
 
1940-41           Sibley District Tournament                       Coach's name & record needed
                        1st Rd Beat Roberts 49-32
                        Semi-final lost to Melvin 50-36
                        Melvin beat Forrest for title.
       
1941-42           Sibley District Champions                      Coach's name & record needed
                        Early Round Scores Needed
                        Title Game Beat Melvin 33-31
                        Paxton Regional Qualifier
                        1st Rd Beat Rantoul 33-29
                        Semi-final lost to Champaign 45-16
                        Champaign beat Melvin in title game
  
1942-43           Roberts District Champions                   Coach's name & record needed
                        1st Rd Beat Sibley 36-35
                        Semi-final Beat Melvin 45-39
                        Title Game Beat Loda 28-24
                        Gibson City Regional Qualifier
                        1st Rd lost to Paxton 49-28
                        Paxton beat Rantoul in title game
  
1943-44           Sibley District Runner-Up                        Coach's name & record needed
                         Early Rd Scores Needed
                         Title Game lost to Buckley 36-31
   
1944-45            Sibley District Tournament                         Coach's name & record needed
                         1st Rd lost to Thawville 31-28
                         Sibley beat Saybrook in title game
    
1945-46            Roberts District Tournament                       Coach's name & record needed
                         1st Rd lost to Melvin 46-22
                         Melvin lost to Roberts in title game
      
1946-47            Sibley District Tournament                         Coach's name & record needed
                         1st Rd lost to Sibley 24-20
                         Sibley beat Saybrook in title game
        
1947-48            Roberts District Tournament                       Coach's name & record needed
                         1st Rd lost to Thawville 56-29
                         Saybrook beat Buckley in title game
  
1948-49            Sibley District Tournament                         Coach's name & record needed
                         1st Rd Beat Sibley 38-32
                         ^^Semi-final lost to Melvin 42-32
                         Buckley beat Melvin in title game
   
**Last score for Strawn High School listed on the website "Illinois High School Postseason Basketball Scores." Possibly the last boys basketball game played by Strawn High School. May have consolidated with Forrest in the summer of 1949.
 
Strawn Spirit Lives On
 
Strawn's high school-aged students continued to go on to become great athletes at other schools.  Among these were the Knauers (the "K" is not silent), the youngest, Greg being an All-Conference football lineman for the FSW 1979 playoff team. 
 
Seeking More Information
 
If you have ANY information you would like to share regarding the history and accomplishments of Strawn High School, especially a photo of the school building, please send it to us via e-mail 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