Colusa High School Wildcats

Colusa High School

The History of Colusa High School

Colusa (estimated population 25) is located in upper-far-western Illinois about 25 miles northwest of Macomb. This little hamlet is located in the north-central area of Hancock County. According to Map Quest (www.mapquest.com) Colusa is about two blocks long from north to south and one block wide from the east to the west. Colusa is situated on County Roadway 1750 between roadways 2500 and 2600. The nearest well-traveled roadway might be Illinois Route 94 located 1 1/2 miles to the east of Colusa. Colusa has a distinction of being both ten miles east of the Mississppi River and four miles south of the Mississippi River. Branches of the Camp Creek flow to the west and east of town. An unnamed set of railroad tracks runs through town as well. The most efficient business in Colusa appears to be the Colusa Grain Elevator.

Donald Hopkins provided us with this bit of information regrading Colusa's railroad system and its future partner Nauvoo:

"Nauvoo is right on the banks of the Mississippi river and is nine miles west of Colusa. The old railroad trakcs through Colusa are the old Chicago--Burlinton--Quincy Railroad. The tracks ran from Burlington, Iowa, through Lomax, Dallas City, Colusa, Adrian, Ferris, Carthage, Bentley, Denver in Illinois on down to Quincy, Illinois.Known as the CB&Q, it merged with the Great Northern and became the Burlington Northern and a few years ago it merged again with the Santa Fe."

Colusa and the surrounding farmlands have been supporting a school system since the late 1800s. A high school was developed in Colusa in 1910. We are sure Colusa High School was supported through the early 1960s. It was then that Colusa High School supporters agreed to consolidate their efforts with Nauvoo, nine miles to the east. This effort resulted in the creation of the Nauvoo-Colusa School District. The consolidation was made official after the 1961 school year.

The Colusa school building continued to be used as a grade school/junior high (grades 5 - 8) for the Nauvoo-Colusa District, however it is no longer used in that capacity today. The Colusa School was closed in 1969 and is now used for storage by the Colusa Grain Elevator. As the photo from Henry Neff shows, it was in pretty decent condition.

However, sadly, this building has met an all to familiar fate. As Steve Jones, who attended the school from 1957 - 1964, tells us:

"The Colusa School building was demolished in 2009. The brick and morter may be gone but the fond memories from grades one through eight remain."

A nice history of the Colusa School District can be read at the following web address: http://hancock.ilgenweb.net/photos/millercoxfam/target10.html . Thank you to Roberta Van Briesen for this excellent find.

Colusa High School Quick Facts

Year opened: 1910

Year closed: 1961

Consolidated to: Nauvoo-Colusa School District

Colusa HS team nickname: the "Wildcats"

Colusa team colors: Purple & Gold

School FIght Song: "On Colusa"

Sung to "On Wisconsin"

Click "play" button below for On Colusa tune!

Athletics

We know the Wildcats competed in boys basketball. We are confident that baseball and probably track were offered as well. We are searching for the other color(s) that the teams dressed in, also the school fight song and conference affiliation. In the photo above you can view the gymnasiumin the back of the school building.

Boys Basketball

The Colusa High School Wildcats brought home a District title in the 1956-57 school year (www.ihsa.org). We also located some scores involving Colusa High School in the annual IHSA tournament on a website titled "Illinois Postseason Basketball Scores". The scores we located and the location the tournament was played are listed below. However this is the only information we currently have on the boys basketball team.

Coach's names and team records are being sought for this and other great CHS Wildcat teams.

1921-22 Galesburg District Tournament Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Wethersfield 24-9

1922-23 through 1927-28 Postseason scores, record, and coaches' names needed

1928-29 Hancock County Tournament Champions! Coach's name & record needed

Postseason scores needed

Colusa HS County Champions - 1929

http://hancock.ilgenweb.net/photos/millercoxfam/target10.html

1929-30 Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.

1930-31 Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.

1931-32 Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.

1932-33 Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.

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

1st Rd lost to Macomb 19-16

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

1st Rd Beat Carthage 19-15

2nd Rd lost to Bushnell 15-8

Bushnell placed 2nd in District

1935-36 Carthage Regiional Tournament Coach's name & record needed

(Colusa did not compete in District tourney this year.)

1st Rd Beat Dallas City 32-24

Semi-final lost to Colchester 58-19

Colchester won Regional title

1936-37 Carthage Regiional Tournament Coach's name & record needed

(Colusa did not compete in District tourney this year.)

1st Rd lost to Carthage 33-11

Carthage lost in semi-final round

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 Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.

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

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

1945-46 Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.

1946-47 Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.

1947-48 Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.

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

Colusa scores unavailable

Nauvoo Sts Peter & Paul beat Bowen for title

1949-50 Colusa District Tournament Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Bowen 63-37

Bowen won District title

1950-51 Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.

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

1st Rd lost to Plymouth

Plymouth lost in title game

1952-53 Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.

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

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

1955-56 Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.

1956-57 IHSA District Champions! Coach's name & record needed

District scores unavailable

Hamilton Regional Tourney

1st Rd lost to Warsaw 83-46

Warsaw lost in semi-final round

1957-58 Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.

1958-59 Plymouth District Tournament Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Plymouth 72-59

Plymouth lost in title game

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

1st Rd lost to Bowen 79-34

Bowen won District tourney.

**1960-61 Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.

**Last season as Colusa High School. In the summer of 1961 Colusa High School consolidated with Nauvoo High School to create the Nauvoo-Colusa School District.

Colusa HS Basketball Team of 1958-59

Left Click to Enlarge

Baseball

The Colusa High School boys participated in baseball as well. The photo below is of the Wildcat team of 1958-59 season. Season records, coaches' names, and other information regarding the baseball program is being sought.

Colusa HS Baseball Team of 1958-59

Track & Field

Floyd "Fox" Mathews's long jump record of 23 feet, 1 inch set in 1931 in the Hancock County Track Meet still stands today. (thank you Jayne Eckhardt)

Memories

This bit of information was provided by Colusa High School alum Henry Neff (Class of 1959):

"The Colusa High School building is still standing and is in pretty good shape. The Quonset building to the left and rear was the gym. We played baseball, basketball, and track. Coach Bradley was a former Golden Glove boxer so every time two guys got into a physical disagreement, he would get the gloves out and let them settle the disagreement in the ring."

From Jayne Eckjhardt:

"Western Illinois University said in the 1950, some of their best students came from Colusa because of the teacher-student relationship and small classes.

A gymnasium was built in March 1928 with donated labor. There was a monthly newspaper, a yearbook, student council, FFA and FHA, vocal choruses, An addition was built in 1947 for grade school rooms and hot lunch room, In 1950 the community helped tear down three buldings at Camp Ellis, a deserted Army Camp near Table Grove and an addition was built on the back consisting of a band room, an agr. shop and bus garage."

Need More In-Put

If you have ANY further information regarding the achievements and successes attained at Colusa High School, especially a photo of the original school building, please write to us 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

The Colusa HS Band of 1958-59

Photo Courtesy of Henry Neff