Milton School - 1875 - 1920s?

Courtesy of Dale Summers

Milton High School & Gymnasium (1920s? - 1979)

Courtesy of Patrick Kinn

The History of Milton High School

Milton (population 274) is located in lower-western Illinois about 30 miles southwest of Jacksonville and eight miles southeast of Pittsfield. The town was platted in the eastern portion of Pike County about three miles west of the Illinois River. Illinois Route 100 is the main roadway that cuts through the middle of Milton from north to south. Branches of the Little Blue Creek flow through the north and south sides of town.

Milton High School Student Body - 1934

Submitted by Richard Long

The history of the town and its school system are in need of research. We are fairly certain the townspeople of Milton began a school system for their children shortly after the town's inception. We are also fairly certain that the high school for the town's children was active by the late 1800s.

Milton High School served the town for at least five decades. in the early 1950s it was decided to consolidate Milton High School with nearby Pearl High School. The result was the creation of the East Pike School District. East Pike HS subsequently closed in 1979. MIlton students now attend school in Pittsfield.

The Milton High School buildings have both been razed. The newer building was razed in 2007. There is a "bandstand" still standing however, a reminder of the town's wonderful past.

Milton High School Quick Facts

Year opened: late 1800s

Year closed: 1955

Annexed to: East Pike School District (Milton)

Milton HS team nickname: "Mustangs"

Milton HS team colors: Red & White

School Fight Song: unavailable

Thank you to ONA DAY JOHNSTON for the quick facts information.

Athletics

We are certain that Mlton High School offered boys basketball. We are fairly certain that baseball and track were also offered to the boys of the school. We are need of this information as well as the school's fight song, team records, and coaches names for Milton High School sports.

Boys Basketball

The Milton High School Mustangs' boys basketball program was a true force to be reckoned with in the late 1930s and early 1940s. There has GOT to be a great coach story or a great story of some sort to explain the incredible run that MHS enjoyed.

During a ten year period from 1937-38 through 1946-47 the Milton High boys won a total of six District Championships, two Regional Championships, and a Sectional Championship. This Sectional Championship led to Milton's lone appearance in the IHSA Sweet 16 nder the direction of Coach Matt Moore. This was a very rare feat for a District Champion!! Great Job Milton High School!

The information we have available from the IHSA website (www.ihsa.org) is listed below. As mentioned above, team records and coach's names of this and other great Milton High School teams are being sought.

1916-17 Pike County "Basket Ball" Champions Coach Floyd French

Milton HS Mustangs - County Champions 1917

Submitted by Dale Summers

1937-38 28 - 4 IHSA Sweet 16 Qualifier Coach Matt Moore

IHSA District Champions

1st Rd Beat New Canton 64-28

Semi-Final Beat Pearl 52-27

Title Game Beat Nebo 37-32

Pittsfield Regional Runner-Up

1st Rd Beat Barry 49-35

Semi-Final Beat Pleasant Hill 46-31

Title Game lost to Pittsfield 38-28

Top 2 Teams from Regional advanced to Sectional

Pittsfield Sectional Champions

1st Rd Beat Jacksonville 28-21

Semi-final Beat Beardstown 30-24

Title Game Beat Pittsfield 30-28

IHSA State Tournament Sweet 16 Finalist

1st Rd to Harrisburg 36 - 25

Harrisburg lost to Dundee in Elite 8 Round

Dundee beat Braidwood Reed-Custer in State Title Game

Milton HS Sweet 16 Basketball Team of 1937-38

Submitted by Judy Hurdle

Milton HS Yearbook Write-Up 1938 Basketball Team

Submitted by Judy Hurdle

1938-39 IHSA District Champions Coach's name & record needed

District Scores Needed

Pittsfield Regional Champions

1st Rd Beat Pleasant Hill 33-23

Semi-final Beat Griggsville 32-25

Title Game Beat Nebo 25-12

Quincy Sectional Tournament

1st Rd lost to Bluffs 40-24

Roodhouse beat Quincy in title game

Roodhouse lost to Ziegler in Sweet 16

Ziegler lost to Rockford in Elite 8

Rockford won IHSA State Title

Milton High School "Mustangs" 1938-39

Submitted by Stephanie Tidwell

1939-40 Pittsfield Regional Champs Coach's name & record needed

Milton District Tournament

Title Game lost to Pearl 36-32

Top 2 Teams From District Advanced to Regional

Pittsfield Regional Champions

1st Rd Beat Perry 54-28

Semi-final Beat Winchester 45-25

Title Game Beat Pittsfield 30-29

Quincy Sectional Tournament

1st Rd Beat Jacksonville I.S.D.

Semi-final lost to Beardstown 37-29

Beardstown Beat Camp Point in title game

Beardstown lost to Salem in Sweet 16

1940-41 Nebo District Champions Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Nebo 31-17

Semi-final Beat New Canton 51-19

Title Game Beat Hull 38-19

Pittsfield Regional Tournament

1st Rd lost to Griggsville 29-28

Pittsfield beat Winchester in title game

1941-42 Nebo District Champions Coach's name & record needed

Early Rd Scores Needed

Title Game Beat Nebo 49-23

Pittsfield Regional Tournament

1st Rd lost to Perry 36-34

Winchester beat Pittsfield in title game

1942-43 Milton District Runner-Up Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Kinderhook 60-23

Semi-final Beat Pearl 44-22

Title Game lost to Nebo 31-27

1943-44 Milton District Runner-Up Coach's name & record needed

Early Rd Scores Needed

Title Game lost to Nebo 31-27

1944-45 Milton District Champions Coach's name & record needed

Semi-final Beat New Canton 32-28

Title Game Beat Nebo 21-20 (O/T)

Pittsfield Regional Tournament

Regional Scores Needed

1945-46 Milton District Runner-Up Coach's name & record needed

Early Rd Scores Needed

Title Game lost to Kinderhook 30-27

1946-47 Milton District Champions Coach's name & record needed

Semi-final Beat Perry 42-27

Title Game Beat Pearl 45-34

Pittsfield Regional Tournament

1st Rd lost to Winchester 47-31

Pittsfield beat Winchester in title game

1947-48 Pittsfield Regional Tourney Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Alsey 44-42

Pittsfield beat Winchester in title game

1948-49 Pittsfield Regional Tourney Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Pittsfield 40-24

Pittsfield beat Winchester in title game

1949-50 Pittsfield Regional Tournament Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Pearl 48-34

Semi-final lost to Winchester 42-41

Winchester beat Pittsfield in title game

1950-51 Barry Regional Tournament Coach's name & record needed

Milton Scores Needed

Griggsville beat Pittsfield in title game

1951-52 Pittsfield Regional Tourney Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Pittsfield 60-50

Perry beat Pleasant Hill in title game

1952-53 Pittsfield Regional Tourney Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Winchester 66-46

Pittsfield beat Perry in title game

1953-54 Pittsfield Regional Tourney Coach's name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Perry 69-33

Griggsville beat Pittsfield in title game

1954-55 Pleasant Hill Regional Tourney Coach's name & record needed

**1st Rd lost to Pittsfield 73-39

PITTSFIELD (73): Fox 25, Dunham 23, Sanderson 12, Fraizer 8, Ferguson 5, Bagent 3.

MILTON (39): Kern 17, Hoover 11, Smart 4, Bissell 3, Ranfo 3, McEuen 1.

Winchester beat Pittsfield in title game

**Final boys basketball game for Milton High School. Consolidated with Pearl in the summer of 1955 to form Milton East Pike High School.

Girls Basketball

Like several schools of the early 1900s, girls basketball was offered at Milton High. It was in the late 1920s that girls "basket ball" was discontinued as it was thought to be unlady-like. It was eventually returned in 1974. The photo below is of the girls basketball team of 1916-17, crowned champions of Pike County!

1916-17 Pike County "Basket Ball" Champions Coach Joe Zumwalt

Milton HS Girls Basket Ball Champs of 1917

Submitted by Dale Summers

BASEBALL

We know that Milton High School offered baseball as well. In fact, in 1937-38 the male athletes not only traveled to the Sweet 16 in basketball, but were very good on the baseball field as well! The team won the Pike County Baseball Conference Championship with a 7 - 1 record.

1937-38 7 - 1 Pike County Baseball Conference Champions Coach Matt Moore

Milton High School Baseball Team of 1937-38

Submitted by Judy Hurdle

Names for Photo Above

Milton HS 1937-38 Yearbook Write-up for Baseball

Submitted by Judy Hurdle

Searching For More Information

If you have ANY information to add to the Milton High School lore please send it to us. There is a lot of unanswered questions regarding the history of the school and the many great teams which are not mentioned on the IHSA web site. We are also searching for a photo of the Milton High School building. You can e-mail items to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. You can also write to us at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago, Il. 60631

Milton High School Senior Class of 1934

Submitted by Richard Long

MILTON HIGH SCHOOL – GRADUATING CLASS OF 1934

(Left to Right)

Front Row: Hugh Graham, Everet Landess, Charles Meek, Eugene Stephenson, Roger Reed, Virgil Couch, Melvin Dennison.

Back Row: Odessa Renoud, Juanita Landess, Gereldine Sanderson, Maxine Mercer, Mardel Lemons, Retta Ruth Boren, Maurine Chandier, Alberta Ball, Alene Brauman, Lois Sneeden