Beason High School "Yellowjackets"
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Beason High School - 1968
beasonhsbldg1967dav1.jpg
Submitted by Vicky Hilton Cunningham

Beason High School - 2006
beasonschool2.jpg
Courtesy of Jon Wheat

The History of Beason High School
 
Beason (population approximately 250) is located in central Illinois about 10 miles east of Lincoln. The town was platted in 1872 in east-central Logan County. It is named after one of its earliest settlers and founders, Silas Beason, a lawyer who was instrumental in getting the Illinois Central Railroad to lay tracks through town. The town sits quietly on County Road 2150th Avenue just south of Illinois Route 10. According to MapQuest (www.mapquest.com), Beason is four blocks long and four blocks wide.

History of Beason High School
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beasonhshistory2dav.jpg
Provided by Vicky Hilton Cunningham

 

Beason HS - 1968
beasonhs1968principaldav.jpg
Courtesy of Vicky Hilton Cunningham

Gerry Halpin, who provided photos at the bottom of this page of the Beason school from May of 2014, tells us that the brick Beason High School building still standing today was constructed in 1921. We are told by a graduate of the last class of Beason High that the first year the high school was open there were 47 students in attendance.  The year the school closed the enrollment stood proudly at 74 students (grades 9 - 12).  The school spirit of Beason High School lives on.  There is an annual reunion for BHS students to ensure the Yellowjacket pride is alive and well. 
 
The photos on this page were taken in January of 2006 by some great fans of this site, Dan, Jim, and Jon Wheat. As you can see this lonely building is filled with memories. Here is to hoping it is put to good use before it falls into a state of disrepair.
 
Beason High School Quick Facts
 
Year opened:                     late 1890's
Year closed:                      1975
Annexed to:                       Lincoln High School
School Team nickname:      the "Yellowjackets"
Team colors:                      Purple & Gold
School Fight Song:             "Stand Up and Root, Root, Root for Victory."
                                                      Thank you to PEGGY REINEKE KOCHERT - Class of 1966
                                                      Lyrics submitted by VICKY HILTON CUNNINGHAM
 
 

Stand up and root, root, root for Victory

LetĒs give three cheers for Beason High

 

Rah! Rah! Rah!

 

Come on and show your fighting energy

LetĒs raise our banner to the sky

Our team is out there fighting valiantly

LetĒs let them know weĒre with them too

 

For it's a Rah! Rah! Rah!

For dear old Alma Mater

Beason High we're all for you!

 
 
"This is another popular song we sang (Vicky Hilton Cunningham, Class of 1968)":
 

When those Yellowjacket guys go down the line

You know we’re gonna win another time

We’re gonna yell and yell and yell and yell

For the Purple & the Gold, I say we’re gonna yell

We’re gonna fight, fight, fight for victory

We’re gonna put another down in history, history

While our guys go down the line every time

B.H.S.

FIGHT! FIGHT!

Beason HS Gymnasium Entrance
beasongymentrancemons.jpg
Submitted by the Wheat Family

Yellowjacket Mascot - Creator Ronnie Zurkammer
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Submitted by Vicky Hilton Cunningham

Athletics
 
We know that Beason High School competed in boys basketball. We also know that baseball, cross country, and track were offered. The girls did not compete in interscholastic athletics.  The school closed prior to this effort being realized.. Conference affiliation included the Lincolnland and Kickapoo conferences.
 
 
 
Boys Basketball 
 
This is the only sport listed on the IHSA website (www.ihsa.org). Someone is quite a basketball fan at BHS because it is a very extensive listing indeed. For such a small town and presumably small school, Beason folks must have lived and breathed basketball. 

State's Leading Scorer 1961-62
beasonhsbobguydav.jpg
Provided by Vicky Hilton Cunningham

 
 
 
One famous star of the 1960's was a player named Bobby Guy, who led the state of Illinois in scoring his senior year. If you have any more information on Bobby or any other informaton on the Beason HS Yellowjacket basketball program, please pass it on to us so we may share it on this page. The best records and IHSA tournament trophies won by the Beason kids are listed below.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1921-22            2nd Place - Logan County Tourney         Coach C.E. Townsend

Beason High School Basketball Team 1922-23
beasonhsbasketball1922dav.jpg
Submitted by Vicky Hilton Cunningham

1922-23                  Postseason scores & record needed         Coach G. Ernest Smith
1923-24   17- 5       Logan County Tourney Champs                Coach Wayne Dickey
                               Postseason scores needed
1924-25   20- 4       Great Record                                              Coach Wayne Dickey
                               Postseason scores needed
    
1925-26   18- 7       IHSA District Champions                         Coach Wayne Dickey
                               District Scores Needed
                               Peoria Sectional Tournament
                               1st Rd lost to Normal University HS 25-24
                               Normal U-High lost to Canton in semi-final
                               Canton finished 2nd in tournament
  
1926-27                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Wayne Dickey
1927-28                  Logan Co. Tourney Runner-ups                 Coach Wayne Dickey
                               Postseason scores & record needed
1928-29                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Glenn McConkey
1929-30                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Aaron Hoffman         
1930-31                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Aaron Hoffman
1931-32   13- 8       Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Aaron Hoffman
1932-33                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Victor Manley
    
1933-34   19- 5       Lincoln District Tournament Semi-finals     Coach Victor Manley
                               1st Rd Beat Williamsville 37-18
                               2nd Rd Beat Elkhart 37-29
                               Semi-final lost to Lincoln 23-20
                               Lincoln lost title game to Mt. Pulaski
    
1934-35                  Lincoln District Tournament                        Coach Victor Manley
                               1st Rd lost to Lincoln 46-16
                               Lincoln lost to Hartsburg in semi-final
                               Hartsburg lost to Mt. Pulaski in title game
    
1935-36                  New Holland District Tournament               Coach Victor Manley
                               1st Rd Beat Elkhart 19-12
                               Later round scores needed
   
1936-37                  Lincoln District Tournament                        Coach Charles W. Green
                               1st Rd lost to Lincoln 31-21
                               Lincoln lost to Mt. Pulaski in title game
  
1937-38   13- 8       New Holland District Runner-Up             Coach Ennis Sullivan
                               Title game lost to Hartsburg 38-29
                               
1938-39                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Dallas Myers
1939-40                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Dallas Myers
1940-41                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Dallas Myers
1941-42                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Dallas Myers
1942-43                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Dallas Myers
1943-44                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Dallas Myers
     
1944-45     8- 8       Beason Hosted District Tourney                 Coach Dallas Myers
                               Beason Scores Needed
                               Washburn beat Dunlap in title game
     
1945-46                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Dallas Myers

    
1946-47     7- 7       Postseason scores & record needed          Coach C. Allen Fort
1947-48     9- 7       Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Wallace C. Yenerich
     
1948-49   19- 7       Waynesville District Runner-Up               Coach Michael Anich
                               Early Round Scores Needed
                               Title Game lost to Maroa 42-40 (O/T)
     
1949-50                  Waynesville District Tournament                 Coach Michael Anich
                               1st Rd Beat Waynesville 59-48
                               Semi-final lost to Wapella 66-53
                               Wapella lost to Maroa in title game
      
1950-51                  Waynesville District Runner-Up               Coach Michael Anich
                               Record Needed
                               District Scores
                               1st Rd Beat Downs 67-17
                               Semi-final Beat Wapella 53-47
                               Title Game lost to Argenta 73-53
     
1951-52   20-10      McLean District Champions                     Coach Loren Dittus
                               1st Rd Beat Argenta 61-42
                               Semi-final Beat Downs 63-46
                               Title Game Beat McLean 46-41
                               Clinton Regional Tourney
                               1st Rd lost to Clinton 42-35
                               Clinton lost to Bloomington in title game
      
1952-53   21-  7      IHSA District Champions                         Coach Joe Adams
                               District Scores Needed
                               Clinton Regional Tourney
                               1st Rd lost to Clinton 56-44
                               Clinton lost to Bloomington in title game 
   
1953-54                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Winfield Bates
    
1954-55   18-9        IHSA District Runner-Up                          Coach Loren Dittus
                               1st Rd Beat Waynesville 58-34
                               Semi-final Beat New Holland 77-60
                               Title Game lost to Hartsburg-Emden 59-55

Beason HS Basketball Schedule 1954-55
beasonbasketballschedule195455dav.jpg
Submitted by Richard Savage (left click on photo for larger view)

Beason HS Basketball Team 1954-55
beasonbasketballteam195455dav.jpg
Submitted by Richard Savage (left click on photo for larger view)

1955-56   15-10      Postseason scores needed                        Coach Arthur D. Ambler
1956-57                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach James H. McCarthy
     
1957-58                  Wapella District Runner-Up                     Coach Richard Cross
                                Early Round Scores & Record Needed
                                Title Game lost to Heyworth 74-58
                               
1958-59   16-11      Heyworth District Champions                 Coach Richard Cross
                               Semi-Final Beat Wapella 79-48
                               Title Game Beat Heyworth 76-70 (O/T)
                                Clinton Regional Tourney
                                1st Rd lost to Bloomington 67-57
                                Bloomington lost to Clinton in semi-final
                                Clinton lost to Maroa in title game
    
1959-60   19-  8      Farmer City District Champions             Coach James H. McCarthy
                               Semi-Final Beat Downs 95-80
                               Title Game Beat Farmer City 85-84
                                IHSA Regional Qualifier
                                Regional Scores Needed
        
1960-61   23-  5      IHSA District Champions                        Coach James H. McCarthy
                               District Scores Needed
                               Clinton Regional Tourney
                               1st Rd Beat Bloomington Trinity 83-68
                               Semi-Final lost to Clinton 96-80
                               Clinton beat Argenta in title game
      
1961-62   23-  6      Wapella District Champions                   Coach Don Cender
                               Semi-Final Beat Farmer City 81-75
                               Title Game Beat Wapella 101-73
                               Bloomington Regional Runner-Up
                               1st Rd Beat Heyworth 71-65
                               Semi-Final Beat Bloomington Trinity 68-62
                               Title Game lost to Bloomington 98-68
     
1962-63   15-13      Wapella District Champions                   Coach Don Cender
                               Semi-Final Beat Wapella 82-58
                               Title Game Beat Downs 48-43
                                Clinton Regional Tourney
                                1st Rd lost to Clinton 75-57
                                Clinton lost to Bloomington in semi-final
                                Bloomington lost to Trinity in title game 

      
1963-64   13-13      Postseason scores needed                        Coach Dean Padgett
1964-65                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Dean Padgett
1965-66                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Dean Padgett
1966-67                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach Mike Akin
     
1967-68   16-11      Hartsburg District Runner-Up                  Coach Mike Akin
                                1st Rd Beat McLean 71-44
                                Semi-Final Beat Hartsburg 72-63
                                Title Game lost to Armington 89-62 
     
1968-69                  Hartsburg-Emden District Tournament        Coach Mike Akin
                               Record Needed
                               District Scores
                               1st Rd Beat New Holland 51-50
                               Semi-Final lost to Hartsburg-Emden 87-67
                               Hart-Em beat Elkhart in title game
     
1969-70                  Beason District Tournament                        Coach Mike Akin
                               Record Needed
                               District Scores
                               1st Rd lost to Hartsburg-Emden 58-48
                               Hart-Em lost to Williamsville in semi-final
                               Williamsville lost to Elkhart in title game
      
1970-71                 Hartsburg-Emden District Tournament        Coach Tom Chitwood
                               Record Needed
                               District Scores
                               1st Rd lost to Hartsburg-Emden 50-46
                               Hart-Em lost to Atlanta in title game
    
1971-72                 Leroy Class 1A Regional Tournament         Coach Tom Chitwood
                               Record Needed
                               District Scores
                               1st Rd Beat Clinton 81-75
                               Semi-Final lost to Farmer City 78-59
                               Farmer City beat Heyworth in title game
        
1972-73                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach John Welch
1973-74                  Postseason scores & record needed          Coach John Welch
   
1974-75    21- 6     Tremont Class 1A Regional Runner-Up  Coach John Welch
                               1st Rd Beat Deer Creek-Mackinaw 82-78
                               Semi-Final Beat Eureka 62-58
                            **Title Game lost to Bloomington Central Catholic 75-52
                  
**Final basketball game for the Beason High School "Yellowjackets".
    
*Dean Bentley tells us the 1974-75 season started off on a difficult note when the team was called for five technical fouls in the season opener against Witt High School. The technical fouls were called for having the incorrect uniform numbers entered in the scorebook. Beason would go on to win that game  70-50. The season record of 21-6 shows the Beason High School boys basketball program was still going strong when the school closed!
 
**Beason High School "Yellowjackets" won a total of EIGHT District Championships, including FIVE in a row (1959-63).  Great Job Yellowjackets!!

**Dave Kane, writer for the State Journal-Register, provides us this bit of information regarding a Beason basketball great:
 
     "When Beason HS closed in the mid-1970s, most of its students were indeed sent to nearby Lincoln. But a few of them went to Mount Pulaski. One of them was Jeff Clements, who attended Beason HS as a freshman. As a Mount Pulaski sophomore, Clements helped lead the Hilltoppers to the Class 'A' State Basketball Championship in 1976.
     Jeff Clements hit what proved to be the game-winning basket with less than a minute left in the 1976 state title game against Oneida ROVA (it didn't have the "W" then), a 59-58 Mt. Pulaski victory."

Beason Yellowjacket's Baseball Diamond
beasonbaseballfield.jpg

Baseball Field
 
The baseball field in the photo to your right was beside the school. It is quite probable that baseball and possibly softball were offered at Beason High school at one time as well. Please write to us if you have any of this information available.
 
 

Beason HS Baseball 1922-23
beasonhsbaseball1923dav.jpg
Courtesy of Vicky Hilton Cunningham

1954-55   6-2 (Fall)          IHSA District Tourney Participants          Coach Loren Dittus
                6-6 (Spring)      Lost in District Tourney to Clinton 11-2

Beason HS Baseball Team Schedule 1954-55
beasonbaseballschedule195455dav.jpg
Submitted by Richard Savage (left click on photo for larger view)

Beason HS Baseball Team 1954-55
beasonbaseballteam195455dav.jpg
Submitted by Richard Savage (left click on photo for larger view)

The Beason boys played Fall baseball in the 1974-75 school year, the school's final year. The team would end the season at 5-5.  Jim Brown pitched a 1 hitter in one game and catcher Jeff Clements had a batting average of .533!
                  
Boys Track & Field

The IHSA website does not list any Beason athletes as earning a top-8 finish in any event in track & field. However athletes from the school did make it through sectional meets to compete in the state finals. In the school's final year (1974-75) two Beason thinclads, Brad Reinhart (Shot) & Jeff Clements (Discus), competed in the state meet finals.
Extra-Curricular Activities
 
The girls of Beason High School were members of the Future Homemakers of America.  Chorus and Band were likely also offered. 
 
From Vicky Hilton Cunningham:
 
"Band and chorus were offered at Beason High School. The Band Boosters worked hard and there were many fund raisers for annual trips to Chicago to see Broadway musicals. From 1964 -1968, we saw Celeste Holm starring in "Mame", Carol Channing in "Hello Dolly", Paul Lipson in "Fiddler on the Roof" and Judy Bruce in "Oliver". Also in "Oliver" playing one of the orphans was none other than David Jones, who later became Davey Jones of the Monkees!" 
 
Need Your Assistance
 
The Beason High School Yellowjackets' legacy should not be forgotten. More great teams and other noteable accomplishments at BHS should be remembered and shared with others. You can e-mail these items to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net or you can write to us at:
 
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, Il.    60631

BHS' Final Graduating Class
beasonhsclassof1975dav.jpg
Courtesy of Vicky Hilton Cunningham

BHS' First Graduating Class
beasonhsclassof1922dav.jpg
Submitted by Vicky Hilton Cunningham

Beason High School Class of 1954
beasonclass2of1954dv.jpg
Submitted by RICHARD SAVAGE

The Class of 1968
beasonhsclassof1968dav.jpg

Beason HS Building Inscription
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Beason School Building - January, 2006
beasonschoolmons.jpg

Beason HS Building 2014
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Photo by Gerry Halpin

Beason HS Building 2014
beason1hs2014dav.jpg
Courtesy of Gerry Halpin

Beason HS Gym 2014
beason4hs2014dav.jpg
Photo by Gerry Halpin

Beason School U.S.A. Map Painting
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