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| Victoria High School |
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| Home of the |
| Victoria School Bell |
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| Photo by Richard Soseman |
The History of Victoria High School
Victoria (population 323) is located in upper-western Illinois in northeastern Knox County. Illinois
Route 167 is the main roadway leading to and from Victoria. The town is located 9 miles east of Wataga, 12 miles
northeast of Galesburg. A branch of the Forman Creek flows by the northeast side of town.
The history of the town begins in 1835. According to legend, George Reynolds stole
the town and moved it to its current location where his cabin sat. This locale was important for the fact the stagecoach line
between Burlington and Chicago went through this area. The Swedes who eventually settled in Bishop Hill first stayed
in Victoria and is believed if they had converted Eric Janson to Methodism, Victoria may have been home to
the Swedish Colony.
Matt Smith adds this bit of historical background on VIctoria:
"Victoria was once a booming city with a prosperous future due to its successful mining industry that
lay south of town in an area now called Little John Conservation Club. Victoria's historical significance is that it
was a major Swedish Settlement in its day. It is home to the first Swedish Methodist Church in the world. A railroad
also ran to Victoria from Wataga to transfer the freshly mined coal. This is significant because it was the Shortest
Railroad in America at about 9 miles long. Once the train arrived in Victoria, it ran backwards back to Wataga due to the
abrupt end of Americas Shortest Railroad! The railroad is no longer in use, and Victoria is no longer home to a great
mining society."
In 1895, Victoria High School was established, and became a community high school in 1919 despite some opposition
(see Principal's questions below). It lasted until 1948 when the towns of Rio, Oneida, Victoria, and Altona formed R.O.V.A. High School located in Oneida. The grade schools in each town remained active at the time.
The school building fate and a little history on the school in Victoria was provided to us by Matt
Smith:
"The Victoria school building is no longer used as a high school, nor is it used as the elementary
school that it once was. It was sold to the village of Victoria by ROWVA school district for 1$ (practically given, but this
gives financial record of the transaction) The Village of Victoria sold it to a man who now runs a business out of the
building.
The reason for the sale and closing of the Victoria school was a consolidation of the elementary schools
of Rio, Oneida, Wataga, Victoria, and Altona. The consolidation formed ROWVA West Elementary (3rd and 4th grades in Wataga)
ROWVA Central Elementary (1st and 2nd grades in Oneida) And ROWVA East Elementary (5th and 6th grades in Altona)."
Victoria was featured in a 1920 Illinois schools journal. The following facts about the school were
furnished:
No. of districts consolidated: 3
Square miles:
11
Assessed valuation:
$293,227
Annual tax levy:
$4,536
Tax rate:
1.59
Annual tax levy before:
$2,625
Teachers now:
5
Teachers before:
4
Enrollment now: 130
Enrollment in grade school: 98
Enrollment in high school: 32
Aid from vocational fund:
No
Public conveyance:
No
Years of high school course: 3
Months in year: 8.5
Knox County Superintendent of Schools W.F. Boyes commented in the article about the establishment of the
consolidated school was a slow, but soon-to-be-effective one:
"This is a school that will amount to a great deal in the comparatively near future, but it has not
done all that it should have done since the consolidation.
Of the three districts united, one was practically a unit in opposition to the plan. This was, however,
due to an ill feeling in that district toward the village of Victoria because of telephone and road difficulties. The people
of the district fought it all the way through the Supreme Court. The directors of the Consolidated district, with this in
mind, have moved rather slowly and, I think, we are wise in doing so. A petition is circulating now for the proposed uniting
of another district with the present consolidation.
The plan this summer is to erect a new bulilding that will serve as a real community building. As yet
the community has not benefited particularly through the consolidation.
The needs of the children are better met than under the old plan in this: formerly there were two teachers
in the Victoria School and two outside, making it impossible to do any real satisfactory High school work. Under the new plan
there are three teachers doing grade work and two doing High school work. The High school has provisional recognition from
the State Department and recieves $1,500 or $1,800 a year as tuition.
The location of the village of Victoria, eight or twelve miles from the town nearest to it, makes it
certain that this will be an important school some day."
| Victoria Student Body of 1932 |
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| Click Photo for Enlarged Version |
| Victoria's Original School Building - 1920 |
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Victoria High School "Quick Facts":
Year High School Opened: 1895
Year High School Closed: 1948
Consolidated to: ROWVA High
School
School mascot: the "Trojans"
School Colors:
Purple & Gold
School Song:
unavailable
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| Victoria High School Gym |
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| From the Inside |
| Victoria High School |
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| Baseball Team - 1927 |
Athletics
Through the history of Victoria High School, several sports were offered for their students. Boys
Basketball, Girls Basketball, Track, and Baseball were offered at least at some point at VHS.
Victoria Boys Baseball
As you can see by the photo to the right, the Victoria High School boys definitely competed in baseball. If
you have the chance, click on the photo for an enlarged version. Then read the caption underneath. It
appears this group of boys were hard workers but dd not fair to well overall.
During the 1926-27 baseball year, the Vix went 6-3 including taking championship honors at the tournament
they hosted. The Vix drubbed Altona in that tournament 15-3 that also included teams from Oneida and Wataga.
| Game Time in Victoria |
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Victoria Boys Basketball
Not much is known about their teams, except one district title was won by the Vix. That title
came in the 1938-1939 school year. That is all that is known about that team.
1924-25 12-7
1938-39 N.R.A. District Champions
Knox Co. Tourney Champs
Victoria Girls Basketball
The sport was offered for the ladies, at least in the 1924-25 school year. They played 3 games against
other schools, a loss to Altona and 2 losses to Galesburg. The other two games featured that year was a first team win
over the grade school team, and the 2nd teamers also beating the grade school team.
Victoria Track & Field
Again, the only information for this sport comes during the 1924-25 season. A name that was unanimously
talked about that year was a gentleman by the name of Olmstead. Olmstead set several meet records that year. According
to the 1925 yearbook, Olmstead set a new record at every meet except for a track meet in Macomb where he placed 2nd.
The Victoria Tracksters took part in meets in Macomb, Urbana, Lombard, and Bradley University and earned a 2nd place
team finish at the Oneida Invitational that year.
| Victoria Baseball Field - West of School |
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| Photo by Richard Soseman |
| Lunch Hour at Victoria School |
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Memories
We hope you enjoy the following memories and facts as shared by former Victoria school alum Wayne
E Swedeen:
"My Years at Victoria School were 1949-1955. When I started school in Victoria (1949) the consolidation
of schools into ROVA had taken place. At that time Victoria had grades 1-8 and HS 9-12 were consolidated in Oneida
IL. The opening of the new HS building in Oneida in 1954 (Dedicated Dec. 1954), the old Oneida HS building was
used for Oneida grade School and Jr. High (grades 7-8) from the four district towns of Rio, Oneida, Victoria and Altona. Victoria
School was then grades 1-6 and remained that way until long after I left the area in 1971.
| Grade School Games at Victoria |
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| Photo from Wayne Sweeden |
The gymnasium is a real piece of work. I'm sure it would be ruled a hard hat area today! The windows
are at ground level. The playing surface below grade. The spectator balcony is at about ground level, suspended
out over court. Windows on East, West and south sides. The balcony from the floor up was slightly higher than
the basket, but with heating pipes hanging below the balcony floor, there wasn't much head room and not many over-the-head
inbound passes. The Bank board and basket were hung flush on the balcony, not extended out over the floor as they
are today. There was padding on the balcony edge by the baskets in case anyone were tall enough, and foolish enough
to try a driving lay-up, or what today may be called a slam dunk. There was barely enough room on the edges of
the court to put a chair and players and coach had to always be alert to keep their feet and body parts off the floor and
out of the way. As you can imagine, the noise levels were intense.
The gymnasium then, like today's "mega gyms", was a multipurpose area. It was used for basketball,
volleyball, dance lessons, band practice, special occasion parties and probably a lot of other things I have
forgotten."
Thanks for the great information and memories Wayne!!
| Victoria Senior Class of 1928 |
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| Courtesy of Wayne Sweeden |
| Victoria Cheerleaders |
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Seeking More Information
More Information is needed on Victoria High School. We are seekng information regaring
the more successful teams, players, and coaches who graced the courts and fields of Victoria High School. If you can
offer any assistance in documenting this information please contact us via e-mail at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net ..You may also write us at:
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, Il. 60631
| Victoria High School |
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| Girls Basketball - 1924 |
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