Kasbeer High School

Kasbeer Grade School Bldg 2011

The History of Kasbeer High School

Kasbeer (population approximately 100) is located in the north-central portion of Illinois. The village sits on Illinois Route 26 about 8 miles north of the Bureau County seat, Princeton. Kasbeer is also about four miles south of Ohio, Illinois. According the map of Kasbeer found on MapQuest (www.mapquest.com), the village is about 1 block long from north to south and 3 blocks wide from east to west. The tiny, at one time plotted, village of Limerick is only one mile south of Kasbeer. Kasbeer is an unincorporated village.

Information on the history of the town and its former school system is needed. We learned of the former high school in Kasbeer from the son of one of the former students of the school. Lyle "Ben" Lund tells us that his father and his father's siblings attended Kasbeer High School in the late 19-teens. It was written in a centennial book regarding the history of Ohio, Illinois that Kasbeer school district offered a two or three year course of high school study beginning in the 1917-18 school year.

The Kasbeer High School served the community and surrounding farm kids for about 10 years. It was in the late 1920s, possibly as late as the early 1930s, that Kasbeer school district discontinued the high school courses. Kasbeer Grade School continued to serve the communty for several more years before it, too, was closed.

The following memories and facts regarding Kasbeer High School were provided by Steve Heaton:

"I attended Kasbeer Grade School from 1955 to1963. At that time the building shown in your photo was non-existent. The school started out as a two room school. Grades 1-4 in one classroom and 5-8 in the other classroom. Even though the classrooms were the same size, one was called the “Little Room and the other was called the “Big Room”. In probably 1957 we had a new room built that became the Little Room for grades 1-3. And the old Little Room became the Middle Room. During that time we topped out at 60 students.

We had three full time teachers and a music teacher would come in once a week to give us singing lessons. Even though the school was small we turned out some of the best students in the county.

You make reference to Lyle Lund whom I did not know but not know but his father or uncle ran the local car repair shop in Kasbeer and also was our bus driver. He had the nickname of "Hooky."

The three room grade school was burned down probably in the 1990s allowing the Ohio Fire Department to get some practice in. The building in the photo was sold to the church across the street for $1. (As some say).

We always knew about the high school because a small piece of the foundation still remained on our playground. It represented a convenient marker for tag games.

I have some doubts about Kasbeer High School having much if any basketball team or any formal team. Just a guess. The school would have been pretty small."

Kasbeer High School Quick Facts

Year opened: 1917 (two-year HS)

Year closed: 1920s

Consolidated to: Princeton High School

Team nickname: "Kougars"

Uniform colors: unavailable

Fight Song: unavailable

Athletics

It is quite possible that the Kasbeer High School boys competed against other schools in the area in the sport of basketball. It is also possible that baseball and track were offered as well. School team nickname, uniform colors, fight song lyrics, coach's names, and team records are all items were are seeking to share on this page.

Extra Curricular Activities

We are certain sports were likely not the only item offered at Kasbeer HS. It is probable that choir, plays, and many other activities made the experience of attending KHS a rewarding one.

Memories and Facts

From Lyle "Ben" Lund:

"I do not have many resources here that are of much good, an article from a centennial book on Ohio, my dad's diploma, and pictures and info of the grade school which was on the same ground as the high school. The Ohio centennial article tells of the formation of the high school in 1917-1918 as a consolidation of another school district, #24, with Kasbeer which was #23. My dad's diploma shows him to have graduated from a public school in district 24 in 1918. I'm sure it was the Kasbeer high school as he was then 17 years old. The article says the high school closed after a few years. I think it was at least 10. As far as a graduation picture, there were probably no more than 3 or 4 others in his class and I never have seen any pics of that time. I do have photos of him and my mother (as well as my brother, sister and myself) in the Kasbeer grade school."

From Roberta Van Briesen:

(A good friend of the Glory Days website.)

"Kasbeer Grade School was open at least through the early 1990s. I believe the school was closed in 1994. The school building is located on the south edge of town. It is a one-story frame building. It is still standing and, I believe, being used by the township."

Do You Have Information on Kasbeer High School?

If you do, please contact us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. A photo of the original school building is especially being sought. You can also send items to us at:

IHSGD Website

6439 N. Neva Ave.

Chicago, Il. 60631