Athletics and Extra-Curricular Activities
We currently do not have evidence that Buckingham High School competed in athletics with other schools of the area.
If you have this information please contact us via the means below.
We do know that Buckingham School was a major part of the town's early history for nearly 100 years. There had
to have been some great activities and extra-curricular activities planned for the kids who attended there. School dances,
plays, clubs, field trips, all were likely to have been an important part of the Buckingham School experience.
MEMORIES
*From Karen (Hartman) Thurston-Stephens:
"I started 1st. grade in the fall of '57. There wasn't any kindergarten so we jumped right in
to 1st. grade. The school was a three room school house with a room between all of the class rooms that served as a
library. Two classes were in each room and at the end of our 6th grade, students would then attend 7th. grade at Herscher
Grade School. When I attended, our 1st. and 2nd. grade teacher was Mrs. Cane. Mrs. Cane then retired and the 1st.
and 2nd. the following year was Mrs. Collins. 3rd. and 4th. grade teacher was my all time favorite and her name was
Mrs. Hazel Nutt. 5th. and 6th. grade teacher was Mr. Cunningham and was also the principal. There were no electric
bells to call us in from recess, just a large hand bell that you could hear a mile away. Once a week there was a speech
therapist by the name of Ms. Brown that came to the school. She traveled between other schools within the Herscher School
District. We had a cafeteria and Lena Burrow was our cook. She would go to the main school and would bring back
our lunch but she always doctored it up for us. And if there was something on the menu that she knew we didn't care
for, she would make us peanut and jelly sandwiches. We all loved Lena.
We were called the Buckingham Beavers and our color was pink and purple. My older brother
even had a small flag and a beanie with the school name and the Beavers written on it.
We always had recess outside even in the winter, but if it was raining or if the temperature
was too severe we had recess in the basement. We didn't have any kind of basketball hoops so we used the pipes next
to the ceiling as our hoop. I think we also may have started the first roller derby. We would roller skate in
the basement when we were inside. Being a small school the boys had to let us girls play in order to field a team.
Us girls got to be really good at baseball. When the temperature got hot Mrs. Nutt would let us take off our shoes,
but we had to make sure they were right by the side of our desk just in case the Superintendent made a surprise visit.
I was the President of the PTO in 1980 when the decision was made to close the school.
We fought to keep the school open but it wasn't to be. My daughter Mistie, was the last 1st. grade class to attend Buckingham
Grade School. Her teacher was Mrs. Rieke and she retired at the end of the final year.
It was a wonderful experience attending Buckingham Grade School. My classmates
and I always say, it was a Norman Rockwell era."
Do You Have ANY Information to Share?
If you have any information you would like to share regarding Buckingham and its former school please write to us
at
ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. A photo of the brick school building is welcome. You can also mail items to us via the US Postal service at:
IHSGD Website
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, Il. 60631
