The History of El Dara High School
El Dara (population 89) is located in far western Illinois about 35 miles southeast of
Quincy. The village is located in Derry Township in the upper-west portion of Pike County about 10 miles west of
the county seat of Pittsfield. County Highway 13 is the main roadway to and from El Dara. It connects the town
to Illinois Route 106 just four miles to the east.
We know there was a post office established in El Dara in 1849. The town was officially incorporated
in 1881. Unfortunately this is the extent of the knowledge we currently have of the history of the village.
The residents of El Dara began a school for their children shortly after settling the area. We
know that El Dara had a small, frame-style school building with tdwo large rooms that were divided into two more rooms. It
is likely that El Dara School District #118 began offering a two or three-year high school course in the 1920s.
This probably lasted until the early to mid-1940s.
The kids of El Dara High School then were sent to nearby Barry High School to finish their education. It is not stated when the El Dara School actual closed. We do know that El Dara's
school-aged children attend Barry Western High School today.
For an excellent and informative article on the El Dara school check out the following web address:
**Memories from Joan Grawe:
"I attended the 1st thru 6th grade at El Dara Grade School. A few years before they still taught up
to the eighth grade level. The community was able to keep it open solely due to the dedication of the closely held together
community’s fund raising efforts. We put on elaborate plays and had parties and fish fries. My grandmother or her neighbor
came and played the piano and we had patriotic time in music and hymns of Praise. They also made costumes for us for the plays.
Our mothers came and helped the cook on a schedule. We played hard and were known for being a little smarter than our classmates
when we went to Barry Junior High (7th Grade). I attended El Dara Grade School of El Dara, IL (rural Barry) from 1963-1969.
It was closed as a school in 1969.
The building was demolished in July 2017. El Dara’s public school system enrolled children attend
Western Grade School in Kinderhook Illinois and Western High School of Barry. This arrangement was created around 2010."
El Dara High School Quick Facts
Year opened: early 1920s?
Year closed: late 1940s
Consolidated to: Barry High School
Team nickname: unavailable
Uniform colors: unavailable
Fight Song: unavailable
