We are sure that London Mills offered Basketball as a sport. Did they offer other sports? They might have not
won any IHSA hardware, but we are sure there were many successful seasons over the years.
Patrick Kinn sent us the athletics pagefrom the 1923 London Mills High School yearbook titled "The Tale-Tell".
The book tells us that the boys of 1923 had some tough obstacles to overcome. The school at that time had
no indoor gym, so an outdoor court was their only source of practice time. The team finished their season at 1
- 8 (their lone win against
Ellisville). The segment goes onto to say that the "players took their defeats in a sportsmanlike manner and never gave up until
the final whistle." Players for this team included Keith Richards, Craig Benson (mgr.), Wendell Owens, Russell
Mishler, Leonard Moshier, and Harrison Welch (capt.)
"I am not really familiar with this school except for the fact that my roommate at Bradley, during my freshman year,
had a brother in law who graduated from this high school. His name was Roy Grieve, and he finished
4th in the 120 high hurdles and 2nd in the 200 low hurdles at the 1946 IHSA State Track Meet. He went on to become one
of the best hurdlers in the midwest while attending Bradley University and was even selected by the old AAU to travel to Africa
as a ASA team member on one of the summer track series from the late 40's early 50's era. Since I was a shotputter at
Bradley, and shared a love for track with Roy, we became friends until his death several years ago."
From the "Tell-Tale" LMHS yearbook of 1923 by G. Blakeslee:
"A
Stretch of Spoon River"
"I think that this place I am going to describe is one of the prettiest scenes I ever saw. It is about
one-half mile stretch of Spoon River, prettiest in the summer time, some evening just after sun-down.
When I go down to the water's edge, jump into the canoe and with one swift sweep of the oars, go sailing outinto
the middle of the river, I look toward the farther end of this stretch and my heart thrills. The water is as clear as
crystal.
I look down and see a thin veil of clouds, which makes me feel like I am going to fall any minute down, down, through
space 'till I reach the feathery clouds, far below. A slight noise causes me to look toward the banks, and there were
two gray squirrels playing around on the fresh green grass, which comes down to the water's edge. Then they jump
up into a hard maple opposite me as I float slowly down the river and are lost in the dark green leaves.
On the opposite side of the stream there is a towering cotton-wood, the giant of the country, with its leaves quivering
in the cool summer breeze. Tired from a hard day's work, I lie down at the bottom of the boat and view the clouds above
me. Toward the west they are golden, then red and purple and above me they are a mixture between red and white,
and farther east they are pure white.
All at once this scene is shut off by a large elm, whose large green spreading branches reach almost across the river.
As I pass out into an open space again, I see a solitary crow winging its way lazily toward the east and his resting place.
Far in the distance I hear some boy calling the cows home. In another direction I can faintly hear some hogs squealing
for their supper.
All at once I am aroused from this peaceful scene by my mother's voice, a quarter of a mile up the river, calling me
for supper. I turn the canoe and row slowly up the river, while no sound is heard but the splashing of my oars.
I eat my supper and go to bed to have a good nights sleep."
A scene that probably hasn't changed in all these many years!
