Scottville High School

Scottville Community High School Building

District 186 / Erected 1932 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/tourismguy/6060213937/)

Scottville Community Grade School Building

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tourismguy/6060213937/

The History of Scottville High School

Scottville (population 140) is located in lower west-central Illinois in the northwest portion of Macoupin County. County Highway 21, County Highway 38, and the Modesto-Scottville Road all intersect in Scottville. Scottville is about four blocks long and four blocks wide. Scottville sits quietly in the country about 25 miles southwest of Springfield.

A brief history on how and when the town of Scottville was established can be viewed at https://macoupin.illinoisgenweb.org/history/scottville.html. The site states that Scottville was established in 1835. It goes on to say that the town was not actually incorporatd as a village until 1857.

A school was set up in Scottville between 1835 and 1854. This is the extent of knowledge that we possess on the Scottville's school history. We would bet that Scottville had a high school curriculum in place for its students by the late 1800s. We do knbow that if Scottville had a high school, it closed in 1948. That was the year that Scottville joined its northwest Macoupin County neighbors Palmyra, Modesto, and Hettick to consolidate their educational efforts. The result was the establishment of the Northwestern School District.

The high school and grade school for the Northwestern School District landed in the group's largest town, Palmyra. The fate of the Scottville High School is also in need of research.

Scottville High School Class of 1908

Submitted by Rhonda Ashby Coulter

From Rhonda Ashby Coulter regarding the 1908 Scottville High School class photo above:

"My father's step-mother was a Mitchell (Ruth Emily Mitchell Ashby, 1904-1992), from Athensville Twp, Greene County, Illinois. In the pictures passed down in the family, I came across a poster of the graduates of Scottville High School, Class of 1908. There are no names on the photos or the back of the poster. I thought I'd share them with IHSGD. If anyone can put names to any of these students, it would be greatly appreciated!

I assume at least one of the boys is a Mitchell (Ruth's half-brother). I estimate these students were born around 1890. Frank Mitchell was born in June of 1889 and his brother Verne was born in January of 1891. Their parents are John Mitchell (1865-1927) and Luella J. White (1867-1898). Ruth's mother is John Mitchell's second wife Nancy Etna Northern Mitchell.

I know that Ruth, whose family lived on a farm, boarded with an uncle while she attended Scottville High School about 1922-1926."

Scottville High School Quick Facts

Year opened: late 1800s

Year closed: 1948

Consolidated to: Northwestern School District (Palmyra)

Scottville HS team nickname: unavailable

Scottville HS team colors: unavailable

School Fight Song: unavailable

ATHLETICS

Like many of the smaller schools on this site, we are strapped for information regarding the school and the many activities that were probably offered. We know that the Scottville boys competed in basketball. We are curious as to whether other sports were offered as well. School team nickname, uniform colors, fight song, coach's names, and team records are all items we would like to post on this page.

BOYS BASKETBALL

There were some season records located on the IHSA website (www.ihsa.org). We also located some scores of the Scottville basketball teams on the website titled "Illinois Postseason Basketball Scores". What we do know is the Scottville HIgh School boys won consecutive District Tournament championships in the mid-1940s. The 1944-45 team nearly won the Regional title as well. Photos of these teams and season records are being sought for other SHS teams.

1931-32 Greenfield District Tourney Coach's name & season record needed.

1st Rd Beat Hettick 36-21

Semi-final lost to Jerseyville 33-25

Jerseyville won District Title over Modesto

1935-36 Greenville District Tourney

1st Rd. - Roodhouse 37, SHS 30

Roodhouse won District title.

1936-37 Winchester District Tourney Coach's name & season record needed.

1st Rd lost to Winchester 28-21

Winchester lost to Franklin in title game.

1940-41 3 - 18 Eldred District Tournament Coach Lester Cox

1st Rd lost to Grafton 35-14

Eldred Beat Kampsville in title game

1941-42 2 - 19 District Scores Needed Coach Lester Cox

1942-43 2 - 20 Eldred District Tournament Coach Lester Cox

1st Rd lost to Grafton 42-36

Grafton beat Eldred in title game

1943-44 16 - 9 District Champions! Coach Lester Cox

District Scores not available

Jerseyville Regional Tourney

1st Rd lost to Jerseyville 34-23

Carrollton beat Greenville in title game

1944-45 19 - 5 District Champions! Coach Lester Cox

Eldred District Tourney

Beat Carrollton St. John 28-27

Beat Eldred 19-11

Beat Kampsville 30-28

Jerseyville Regional Tourney RUNNER-UP

Beat Roodhouse 36-31

Beat Jerseyville 38-35

TITLE GAME

Lost to White Hall 36-30

White Hall lost 1st Rd of Sectional

1945-46 2 - 21 Coach Lester Cox

Scores not available

1946-47 2 - 21 Coach Lester Cox

Eldred District Tourney

Lost to Grafton 53-23

Grafton lost in title game.

Scottsville High School closed in the Spring of 1948. Scores for the 1947-48 District tournament were not available.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

We are also confident that many other extra-curricular activities were offered to the students of Scottville High. Band, chorus, cheerleading, GAA, FFA, dances, plays, and many other activities may have been a part of the SHS experience. If you wish to share your memories or knowledge of these activities, please contact us via the means below.

SEEKING YOUR ASSISTANCE

Scottville High School should be remembered, and its accomplishments recorded, for all to see and read. We are hopeful for some in-put from a Scottville High School alum or resident of the area. Items can be e-mailed to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. You can also write to us at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago, Il. 60631