Sibley High School

Sibley High School 1918 - 1949

Sibley, Illinois

The History Of Sibley High School

Sibley (population 329) is located in eastern Illinois in northwestern Ford County. The Illinois Routes of 47 and 165 intersect in Sibley. The Mackinaw River runs into the south side of town. Lake Sibley is located on the north side of town. The Norfolk & Western Railroad also lays its tracks through Sibley. Sibley is located about 35 miles east and a little north of Bloomington.

The town of Sibley is named after Hiram Sibley, who bought a good portion of land from Michael L. Sullivant in 1877. Sullivant was a farmer whose corn crop was well noted. The town was originally named Sullivant but was changed to Sibley in 1880. One feature of the town in the late 1800's was a corn crib so large that it was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records at the time, and was torn down in 1965.

Sibley residents began a school system for their children in the late 1800's. In 1874, the first Sibley School building was erected. Classes for high school children were begun shortly after this. Sibley High School offered only freshman, sophomore, and junior years. Students seeking a high school diploma had to attend Gibson City Drummer Township High to finish their high school years.

This changed in 1918 when Sibley began offering a four-year high school education. It was this year also that a new school building was built in Sibley. A gymnasium was added to the school in 1941. Sibley High School served the residents quite well for the next 31 years. In the late 1940's (as with MANY small school districts), the state of Illinois put pressure on the smaller districts to consolidate. The residents of Sibley got together with their neighbors, Melvin, and created a new school district. The new district was started after the 1949 school year and was named the Melvin-Sibley School District.

The Sibley school building served the Melvin-Sibley School District until that district was also closed in 1993. The children of Sibley now complete all of their schooling in Gibson City as part of the Gibson City Melvin-Sibley School District.

Sibley High School Quick Facts

Year HS (1 - 3 year) school opened:1874

New building/four-year HS opened: 1918

Year gymnasium added: 1941

Year HS closed: 1949

School nickname: unavailable

School colors: Black & Orange

School Fight Song: unavailable

Sibley High School 1884 - 1918

Sibley, Illinois

Athletics

Sibley High School had some IHSA success in boys' basketball and boys' track & field. It is thought that baseball was also offered as a sport. Team nickname, team colors, school fight song, conference affiliation, etc., are all items we are searching for. Also, coaches' names and some of the better team records are also needed.

Boys' Basketball

The Sibley boys were the kings of the small towns in their area in the mid to late 1940's. The basketball teams of 1944-45 and 1946-47 won District Championships. Team records and coach's names of other great Sibley teams are needed.

1936-37 Coach LeRoy Koeher

1944-45 District Champions Coach J.R. Nichols

1946-47 District Champions Coach J.R. Nichols

Boys' Track & Field

One Sibley High School trackster brought some serious pride and joy to his town in the late 1920's. Charles Rohrer claimed the STATE CHAMPIONSHIP in the discus in 1929! If you have any further information on the Sibley High thinclad program, please send it to us via e-mail.

1928-29 Charles Rohrer Discus STATE CHAMPION !!!!!

Memories

From Dale Winter, Class of 1947

"I graduated from Sibley High in 1947. I went on to college where I graduated from Illinois State Normal University, as it was called then, in 1951. I then began a path of teaching and coaching in several schools in Illinois before going to Michigan where I finished my career."

Seeking Further Information

If you have ANY further information you would like to share about Sibley High School and its many successful accomplishments, please write to us. Items and information 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, Illinois 60631