Chatsworth High School "Bluebirds"

Chatsworth High School

Chatsworth, Illinois

Chatsworth School Building - Early 1900s

The History of Chatsworth High School

Chatsworth (population 1,225) is located in eastern Illinois about 35 miles north of Champaign. This places Chatsworth in southeastern Livingston County. U.S. Route 24 is the main highway to and from Chatsworth and is intersected by County Highway 3 in town. The Bloomer Line Railroad runs north and south through town and intersects with the Toledo, Peoria, & Western Railroad which runs east and west through Chatsworth. The railroad had a hand in naming the town, which was for the country home of the Duke of Devonshire. A branch of the Vermillion River flows on the east side of town as well.

Chatsworth has a very long history of education. The first school in the village was opened in 1838, but replaced in 1870. High school education dates back to 1876. The first graduating class for Chatsworth High School, which consisted of Mary Fosdick, Louisa Stevens, Emma Turnbull, and Eliza Dorsey, earned their diplomas in June 1881. The original Chatsworth School (pictured below) housed both grade and high school students, and was known for its steep curving stairs. In 1951, as there was a need for space, the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades were attending school in the newer high school building. The 1870 building was abandoned and torn down in 1960.

Following the formation of a township school district in 1916, a "modern" high school building (pictured above) was built in 1921 and opened in 1922 and was abandoned in 1985, with the last graduating class. The school was built with bricks from our local "Walter's Brick Factory" and wired by our local "Ortman Electic", for the cost of $113,000. This building served as the Chatsworth High School building for 63 years. Following World War II, the school added on the agriculture building in 1946 and the gymnasium (seen on this page) in 1949.

In 1985 the school districts in Chatsworth, Forrest-Strawn-Wing, and nearby Fairbury-Cropsey agreed to consolidate their efforts. The new district was named the Prairie Central School District with the high school located in Fairbury.

The fate of the original Chatsworth High School building is a sad one. The building was razed shortly after the consolidation of high school took place. There is a school still operating in Chatsworth for grades PK-4 for the Prairie Central District.

Excellent Tributes!

For a truly excellent tribute on the town of Chatsworth and its former high school please check out www.chatsworthillinois.com . The site was developed by brothers Bob (now of Arizona) and Jim (now from Washington) Saathoff. It contains an excellent photo gallery and a tremendous amount of information on the city's rich history. Also go to http://picasaweb.google.com/rgschs1960 for more great photos and Chatsworth High School information. Great job and sincere thanks to Bob and Jim Saathoff!!

A second excellent tribute to the town of Chatsworth and its former school is titled "Chatsworth Illinois Memories" and can be viewed at http://sites.google.com/site/chatsworthillinoismemories. The site was developed by Mary Hanshew and gives another great account of the history of Chatsworth and Chatsworth schools. The site includes several great photos as well.

For a town to have two websites such as these to honor its storied past, it must have been a great place to live!

Chatsworth School 1910

Chatsworth School 1959

Ag Shop - Chatsworth High School - Built 1946

Now Privately Owned by Charles and Dolores Haberkorn (CHS Classes of 1949 and 1950)

Chatsworth High School Quick Facts

Year opened: 1876

First graduating class: 1881

Brick school building built: 1922

Year closed: 1985

Consolidated to: Prairie Central (Fairbury)

School nickname: the "Bluebirds"

School colors: Blue & Orange

School Fight Song: Those Chatsworth Bluebirds!

Words provided by Mary Hanshew and Friends!

Oh, when those Chatsworth Bluebirds start to fight.

Our foe will never live to see the light.

We’re goin’ a roll those fellows off their feet

Cause Chatsworth High just simply can’t be beat,

Oh no.

We’re gonna' charge right on to victory

No matter who or what the time may be

We’re gonna' fight, fight, fight for varsity

Yesiree

For Chatsworth High!

B-b-b-lue

B-b-irds

Bluebirds, Bluebirds. Yeah!!!

Athletics

The Chatsworth Bluebirds had success on many different levels in athletics. The Bluebirds competed in the Vermillion Valley Conference and offered the boys sports of football, basketball, and track. The girls were offered volleyball, basketball, and track as well. It is possible that baseball and softball were offered; however, there is no mention of this on the IHSA web site (www.ihsa.org).

Chatsworth HS Gymnasium Scoreboard

Girls Basketball

Not too many high schools the size of Chatsworth can claim the success that the Lady Bluebirds attained in their short existence. How about SIX Sweet 16 appeareances, THREE Elite 8 appearances, in a seven year period? Check out these accomplishments, first listed in order of greatness, then season by season.

3 - Elite 8 Appearances (consecutive years)

6 - Sweet 16 Appearances (in a 7 year period)

6 - Sectional Championships

6 - Regional Championships

5 - Consecutive 20-plus games won seasons

2 - Undefeated Regular Seasons

1975-76 4 - 4 Coach Kathy McCool

1976-77 8 - 5 Coach Gary McCool

1977-78 18 - 1 Sweet 16 Qualifier (1 - class system) Coach Gary McCool

Sectional Champions

Regional Champions

Undefeated Regular Season

Super Sectional Finalist

Lost to Matoon 80 - 73

1978-79 19 - 2 Sweet 16 Qualifier (1 - class system) Coach Edmund "Skip" Ball

Sectional Champions

Regional Champions

Super Sectional Finalist

Lost to Matoon 53 - 51

1979-80 14 - 3 Coach Edmund "Skip" Ball

1980-81 23 - 2 Sweet 16 Qualifier - Class A Coach Don Gibb

Sectional Champions

Regional Champions

Super Sectional Finalist

Lost to Paxton 53 - 49 (2 O/T)

1981-82 25 - 1 Elite 8 Qualifier - Class A Coach Don Gibb

Super-Sectional Champions

Sectional Champions

Regional Champions

Undefeated Regular Season

Elite 8 Finalist

Lost to Seneca 37 - 32

1982-83 26 - 2 Elite 8 Qualifier - Class A Coach Don Gibb

Super-Sectional Champions

Sectional Champions

Regional Champions

Elite 8 Finalist

Lost to Bloomington Cent. Cath. 47 - 45

1983-84 27 - 3 Elite 8 Qualifier - Class A Coach Don Gibb

Super-Sectional Champions

Sectional Champions

Regional Champions

Elite 8 Finalist

Lost to Teutopolis 53 - 41

1984-85 24 - 2 (Final Season as a School) Coach Don Gibbs

Incredible run by the Lady Bluebirds!!!

The Chatworth Bluebirds - 1960-61

Gotta Love the Chuck Taylor Converse All-Star Shoes

Boys Basketball

The Chatwworth High School boys could play basketball quite well, too. In the seasons recorded from 1929-30 through the schools' closing in 1984-85, the Bluebirds earned five Regional titles and four District titles. They also posted 14 seasons of 20 or more games won. Conference championships are not available at this time.

Coach Barry Corban had an incredible 15-year run with the Bluebirds. His overall record, which included the past 15 years of the school's existence, was an incredible 307 - 93.....a .768 winning % !!!

1929-30 District Champions Coach Bill Kibler

1930-31 Livingston Co. Tourney Runner-Ups Coach unknown

1954-55 13-12 Coach Herb Raab

1960-61 16- 9 Coach Mel Bishop

1961-62 14-10 Coach Mel Bishop

1962-63 18- 7 Coach Mel Bishop

1963-64 19- 7 District Champions Coach Hank Jefford

1964-65 17- 9 Coach Don Rudolph

1967-68 22- 4 Coach Denny Lehnus

1968-69 24- 5 District Champions Coach Denny Lehnus

1970-71 24- 3 District Champions Coach Barry Corban

1971-72 23- 5 Regional Champions Coach Barry Corban

1972-73 21- 3 Coach Barry Corban

1973-74 20- 8 Regional Champions Coach Barry Corban

1974-75 14-11 Coach Barry Corban

1975-76 20- 6 Coach Barry Corban

1976-77 21- 5 Coach Barry Corban

1977-78 23- 5 Regional Champions Coach Barry Corban

1978-79 21- 6 Coach Barry Corban

1979-80 18-10 Regional Champions Coach Barry Corban

1980-81 23- 3 Coach Barry Corban

1981-82 23- 4 Coach Barry Corban

1982-83 21- 7 Regional Champions Coach Barry Corban

1983-84 21- 5 Coach Barry Corban

1984-85 14-12 School's Final Season Coach Barry Corban

Nice job Chatsworth High School Bluebirds!

Chatsworth Bluebirds of 1954

8 - 0 Conference Champs

Football

Only one season is recorded on the IHSA website regarding the Bluebird football team. The team of 1978-79 qualified for the IHSA Class 1A playoffs.

Our conference and high school football "guru" Tom Sikorski forwarded several season records to us and had this to say about the Chatsworth Bluebird grid iron program:

"Chatsworth had a long and storied football tradition. At one point they won 27 Vermillion Valley conference games in row between 1959 and 1962."

1953 8-0 Vermillion Valley Conference Champs Coach George Evans

Don "Hank" Snow State's Leading Scorer

Don Scored 175 Points in his 8 games!

From Bob Saathoff regarding the Bluebirds of 1953-54:

"What if ESPN existed back in 1954? If it had, I think the 1954 Bluebirds Football Team would have been a Headliner on ESPN and here's why.....

- They finished the football season undefeated and won the conference title in the process.

- For the regular season, the team outscored their opponents with 315 points by the Bluebirds vs. just 32 points (total !) for their opponents!!

- They averaged 40 points per game.

- Of the 315 points that the team scored, Don Snow scored 175 of them.

I asked Dr. Don Hummel - a junior at the time - what the secret was and he said it was Don Snow, mean linemen, a great quarterback and a fabulous tactician and coach - George Evans. By the way this year will be the Class of 54's 55th class reunion. Great memories from that group!!"

See Bob's ESPN wish come true below!

ESPN Article .... if ESPN Had Existed in 1953

Created by Bob Saathoff

1954 7-1 2nd place VV Conference Coach Herb Raab

1955 5-3 3rd place VV Conference Coach Herb Raab

1956 5-4 4th place VV Conference Coach Charles Edgington

1957 7-2 2nd place VV Conference Coach Charles Edgington

1959 8-1 Vermillion Valley Conference Champs Coach Mel Bishop

1960 9-0 Vermillion Valley Conference Champs Coach Mel Bishop

1961 8-1 Vermillion Valley Conference Champs Coach Mel Bishop

1962 8-1 Vermillion Valley Conference Co-Champs Coach Mel Bishop

1963 8-1 3rd place VV Conference Coach Leeon Carrico

1964 8-1 2nd place VV Conference Coach Leeon Carrico

1965 5-4 4th place VV Conference Coach Leeon Carrico

1966 7-2 2nd place (tie) VV Conference Coach Leeon Carrico

1967 6-2 3rd place VV Conference Coach Leeon Carrico

1968 4-4-1 4th place VV Conference Coach Leeon Carrico

1969 4-3-1 4th place VV Conference Coach Leeon Carrico

1970 5-2 Vermillion Valley Conference Co-Champs Coach Leeon Carrico

1971 5-2-1 2nd place (tie) VV Conference Coach Leeon Carrico

1972 6-1-1 2nd place (tie) VV Conference Coach Leeon Carrico

1974 5-4 2nd place VV Conference Coach Rich Bohlander

1976 5-4 2nd place (tie) VV Conference Coach Denny O'Boyle

1978 Class 1A Football Playoff Qualifier Coach Dwight Unzicker

Lost to Colfax Octavia in 1st Round 40 - 19

Chatsworth last fielded a football team in 1980

Girls Volleyball

The Lady Bluebird netters won a District Tile of their own. However, the team record and coach's name of this and other good Chatsworth High volleyball teams are not available.

1977-78 District Champions

Girls Track & Field

One female thinclad left a great mark on the IHSA Class A Track Meet. Rebecca Weber won the State Championship in the Long Jump in 1981 and 1983.

1980-81 Individual Medalist

Rebecca Weber Long Jump STATE CHAMPION!!

1982-83 Individual Medalist

Rebecca Weber Long Jump STATE CHAMPION!!

Boys Track & Field

Four male tracksters brought home a total of seven medals from the IHSA state teack meet.

1929-30 Individual Medalist

?? Adamson Discus 2ND Place

1971-72 Individual Medalist

Bill Fisher High Jump 3RD Place

1976-77 Individual Medalist

Rich Hornickle Long Jump 4TH Place

Triple Jump 7TH Place

1982-83 Individual Medalist

Phil Black 100 Meter Hurdles 4TH Place

1983-84 Individual Medalist

Phil Black 100 Meter Hurdles 3RD Place

NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBER

--Bill Kibler (1920-1957) Mr. Kibler was on the faculty at Chatsworth for over four decades, serving as a teacher, basketball coach, and superintendent. The athletic field at the school was named in his honor in 1959.

If You Have ANY Information You Can Add...

Please forward any information regarding the successes of Chatsworth High School, especially a photo of the school building, to eganann@sbcglobal.net. You can also write to us at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago, Il. 60631

Poster With All 50 Chatsworth HS Yearbook Covers

Submitted by Bob Saathoff

Chatsworth Country School