The History of Compton High School
Compton (population 347) is located in north-central Illinois about 15 miles south of Rochelle. Compton
sits quietly in the southeast corner of Lee County on the east side of Illinois Route 251.
According to the website address of http://www.leecountyhistory.com/lee_county/compton.htm, Compton is named after a gentleman named Joel Compton who owned the farm land that the village
was platted on in the late 1860's. Compton was farmland until the Kenyon Railroad laid tracks through the area. The
town of Melugin's Grove was located about one mile north of the tracks. As the tracks were laid and a depot built,
the folks of Melugin's Grove (still listed on the MapQuest website as "The Burg") migrated to the depot as the town was
named after the land owner whose land it was platted on, Joel Compton.
Compton was officially incorporated in 1875. A school house and several businesses were already
in place. We believe that Compton residents had a school program with high school curriculum in place by the late
1800's.
Compton High School was never more than a three-year high school, and was officially closed in 1948, sending
its students to Mendota (10 miles south). Prior to the annexation, students had a choice between Lee Center, Paw Paw, and
Mendota as to where they could go to complete their fourth year of high school education. The building has been
since torn dorn.
Compton High School Quick Facts
Year opened:
late 1800s?
Year closed:
1948
Consolidated to:
Mendota School District
Compton HS team nickname: unavailable
Compton HS team colors: Blue & White
School Fight Song:
unavailable
