Averyville High School

Averyville - Kingman High School

Peoria, IL

The History of Averyville/Peoria Kingman High School

Averyville is currently a neighborhood in the city of Peoria, located along Adams Avenue (Ill. Rt. 29/US Rt. 24) south of War Memorial Drive (US Rt. 150). Averyville was an early settlement along the Illinois River near the original town of Peoria. Averyville had a population of 1,573 in the 1900 census and grew to 2,668 in the 1910 census. The final census on record for Averyville was the 3,815 residents tallied for in 1920. As Peoria prospered and grew, the town of Averyville was swallowed up by Peoria's vast expanse during the 1920's.

There were a couple of school buildings in Averyville during the 1800's. The latest Averyville School was built in 1902 and located on Madison Avenue. Enrollment in 1903 was 11 students. The high school served the area for at least twenty years. Enrollment jumped to 37 students in 1911, and surged to 128 students by 1928. According to Talisman yearbook writer Violet F. Hansen's 1928 history of the school, S. R. Buchanan was the Superintendent from the high school's opening until 1907, when H. E. Iler rreplaced him and served until the eventual end of Averyville High School.

Averyville High School ceased to exist in name only in 1929 when the annexation into Peoria took place. However, the school became Kingman High School in the Peoria School District. Peoria's growth continued into the 1930's, as the school's enrollment was 531 in 1936. At that time, Kingman was conducting business on a two-shift schedule. In 1937, when a new and larger school was built just west of the Averyville neighborhood called Woodruff High School. That school closed in 2010.

The former Averyville/Kingman High School still serves in educational use today as Kingman Grade School for District 150.

In 1902 ...

W.S. Evert was School Board President

M.J. Yayahaugh was School Board clerk

G.A. Young, C.A. Johnson, M.T. Whalton, G.H. Nicol and H.O. Graham were the other Board members.

Reeves and Baille designed the building, J.S. Johnson was the general contractor, J.A. Palmer was the mason contractor, and Nailon Bros. and Co. installed the original plumbing and heating.

Averyville High School "Quick Facts"

Year opened: 1902

Year closed: 1929

Consolidated to: Peoria School System

Averyville HS team nickname: unavailable

AHS team colors: Blue and Gray

School Fight Song: unavailable

Peoria Kingman High School "Quick Facts"

Year opened: 1929

Year closed: 1937

Replacement school: Woodruff High School

Team Nickname: unavailable

School Colors: Blue and Gray

School Fight Song: listed below:

Come and fight now Kingman School show what you can do;
We will keep our pep and also help to cheer for you;
So keep on fighting all the while and we'll win this game.
Always wear a cheery smile and we'll do the same, Rah! Rah! Rah!
Fight team, fight, Rah! Rah! Rah!
Fight team, fight, Rah! Rah! Rah!

Come on team now fight, U, Rah! Rah!
What's the matter with our team?
Why they're all right, That's the way they'll always be--
If they fight! fight! fight! Rah!

Regarding the 1932 photo of the Peoria Kingman High School students submitted by Nathan Danz:

"(The) photo (below is) courtesy of my grandfather Edwin Atteberry, front right. His twin Edward Atteberry is also front row, fourth from the left. Dressed alike. This is taken about 1932 on the north side of the school along Sloan Street. The steps and school are still there."

Peoria Kingman High School Students 1932

Submitted by Nathan Danz

Athletics

The Averyville and Kingman High School boys competed in cross country, track, football, and basketball (www.ihsa.org). When Superintendent Iler came to Averyville in 1908, he started the school's first interscholastic competition. If you have any other facts regarding the athletic accomplishments of AHS/KHS please contact us via e-mail at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net..

Averyville High School's G. Davis

State Mile Champion 1909

Boys Track & Field

One Averyville High School thinclad made quite a name for the town and his team. A boy named Gerald Davis was a great long distance runner. For three consecutive years Gerald Davis brought home medals from the IHSA State Meet in the One Mile Run. In 1909 he was crowned the State Champion! Also in 1909 Davis finished SECOND in the 880 Yard Run. Davis' 1909 effort led the Averyille boys to an improbable FIFTH place finish in the one-class State Meet!!

1907-08 Gerald Davis 1 Mile Run 2ND Place

1908-09 Team Finished FIFTH in STATE MEET Competition!!

Individual Medalist

Gerald Davis 1 Mile Run STATE CHAMPION!!

880 Yard Run 2ND Place

Final Team Standings

1) Chicago (University) High 21

                       2) Oak Park (O.P.-River Forest)        17
                        3) Milford                                        15
                       4) Galesburg (H.S.)                         10
                       5) AVERYVILLE HIGH SCHOOL       8
                       6) Aurora (West)                               7
                        7) Normal (Community)                     6
                        7) Tuscola                                        6
                       9) Assumption                                  5
                        9) Biggsville                                      5
                        9) Springfield (H.S.)                                        5

1909-10 Gerald Davis 1 Mile Run 2ND Place

1927-27 Peoria County Champions Coach Tommy Correll

From Kathleen Holder:

"In doing some family history research, I happened on your site. I am pretty certain that G. Davis was my maternal grandfather, Gerald Holmes Davis. He grew up in Peoria, and was a standout track athlete (and diver, too, I believe) In 1912, as a Lake Forest University student, he won the 10,000 meter race in a regional trial in Evanston for the Olympics (New York Times article, June 9, 1912). (He didn't get to go to the Olympics, however).

Attached is an image from a page in a 1930 Kingman High School yearbook that mentions Gerald Davis, class of 1910, among the school's prominent alums and great athletes. Gerald died in 1969 in Oregon."

Roy Gummerson was also an outstanding track athlete for Kingman, having ran in high school and at Bradley University, where he captained the track and cross country teams.

Boys Basketball

Averyville and Kingman also had team success in basketball. IHSA District Titles were won during the 1923-24 (Averyville) and 1932-33 seasons (Kingman). Superintendant Iler was the coach of the team from 1908 to 1923. Les George took over the reins in 1923 for one season only, followed by Wilbur Short for the 1924 season. Tommy Correll took over the next year and would coach the team into the 1960's. Below are some of the more prominent seasons for Averyville and Kingman. If you know of win-loss records and other accomplishments for these and other teams, please let us know.

1923-24 N.R.A. District Champions Coach Les George

1932-33 N.R.A. District Champions Coach Tommy Correll

Peoria County Champions

Cross Country

In addition to Track and Field, Averyville and Kingman offered cross country. The 1926 Averyville team had a very successful season, winning the Peoria County Meet, scoring fewer points than runner-up Peoria Manual.

1925-26 N.R.A. Peoria County Champions Coach Les George

Football

Below are some of the seasons we've already researched for Averyville and Kingman. We have discovered that Averyville offered football from 1924-26, compiling a record of 11 wins, 12 losses, and one tie, while Kingman was 37-29-2 between 1927-36. If you know of win-loss records and other accomplishments for these and other teams, please let us know.

1927-28 4 - 2 - 1 Coach Tommy Correll

1928-29 6 - 1 Coach Tommy Correll

1929-30 4 - 2 - 1 Coach Tommy Correll

Golf

Kingman started a Golf program in 1933. Although we aren't able to find any year-by-year information on the program, we do know that in 1937, Kingman's last year of existance, the Kingman golfers gave Bloomington High School its first defeat in three years.

Great Coach

Tommy Correll - Teacher and coach at Averyville, Kingman and Woodruff high schools from 1924 to 1962. Although most of his accomplishments were with the current Woodruff High School, Correll successfully built the basketball and football programs starting at Averyville. The former Bradley University standout and Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame inductee passed away in 1980.

Peoria Kingman High School Yearbook Page - 1930

Submitted by KATHLEEN HOLDER

MEMORIES

**From Suzanne Mullen:

"My great-aunt, Emily (Crowder) Hessing is a Kingman Alumni—Class of 1936. After graduating from Kingman, she went on to the University of Southern California and earned her Master’s degree. She then returned to Peoria where she taught for numerous years before retiring. She was the first woman in our family to attend college. We are all particularly proud of her and hold her in extreme admiration for being a woman of that era who had the courage to pursue, and attain, a higher education. She passed away on March 8, 2007 at the age of 88. I’ve attached photos of her Kingman class ring from 1936 (photos below). I thought you might be interested in seeing it. I wear this ring on a chain around my neck daily.

Emily Crowder Hessing 1936 Kingman HS Class Ring

Submitted by Suzanne Mullen

Emily Crowder Hessing 1936 Kingman HS Class Ring

Submitted by Suzanne Mullen

Seeking Your Help

If you have ANY information about Averyville High School as well as Kingman High School we hope that you would share with this site. There may not be too many Alumni left, so please e-mail us so we can let AHS and KHS memories live on forever. 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

**From Kimberly Eyman regarding the photo below:

"I was on Illinoishsglorydays.com site and saw you were asking for any information (and memories) from Averyville and Kingman High School. This is a picture that has been in a photo album for some time now. My grandmother was Celia Reynolds pictured here first on the left with the drum. Unfortunately, it is not dated but she was born in 1920 so this picture would have to be from the mid 1930's. Possibly right before the Kingman became a grade school. Maybe someone else will recognize their family members in this photo."

Peoria Kingman GIrls Reserve Band Mid-1930s

Sumbitted by Kimberly Eyman (Grandma Celia Reynolds on left holding drum.)