School History

While cleaning out a box of records, I found two October 2000 issues of the late great Robinson Argus. There are two articles, one from October 5 and the second from October 19. I reprinted them here for your enjoyment.

THE WAY WE WERE…. (October 5, 2000 – The Robinson Argus)

With the first-ever combined alumni of Robinson High School reunion activity held last weekend to coincide with the school’s scheduled Homecoming, this seems an opportune time to run these photos of the local high school buildings of years past.

The old picture postcards were provided by Dorothy (Tennis) Sagaser who is donating them to the county Historical Society.

Identified: High School, Robinson, Ill.; card postmarked 1908. When a new high school was built in the north part of town, this building was used as a grade school, commonly called South Side School. Later, Lincoln Grade School was built at the north of the property on East Poplar and the two buildings accommodated grades kindergarten through eighth for many years until the old building was torn down around 1966.

Identified: Township High School, Robinson, Ill.; postmarked 1912. This building burned about 1919 just previous to the start of a new school year. Classes that year were held at various locations throughout the town. DOWN MEMORY LANE…..Robinillo Reports on the School Year (October 19, 2000 - The Robinson Argus)

R.T.H.S. Gutted by Fire in 1921 In the Oct. 5 Argus issue under title of “The Way We were” the new Robinson High School building was pictured with notation that it had burned about 1919.

A 1921 school annual, the Robinillo, bought at auction by Robinson’s Tim Spade gives the date it was destroyed by fire: January 29, 1921. The photo above was taken after the fire.

There’s an In Memoriam page, and photos of the school before and after the fire. A page of smaller photos is titled “After the Fire, Where We Went to School” but also includes three views of the burned building. Pictured are the Presbyterian Church, Community Building (once a private home), Elks Home, Library, courthouse, and what looks to be the county jail (”where we spent eighth period”).

The staff wrote tributes to the principal, P.M. Watson, and the faculty for their efforts in keeping the school year going. All equipment, books and records had been lost in the fire which had occurred on a Friday night.

On Monday with a general assembly, students were registered. Classwork resumed on Tuesday, “the new school system was working smoothly by Thursday”.

This Robinillo, consisting of 131 pages, an effort of 15 staff members, gives full report of school activity. As the school gym was lost in the fire, the boy’s basketball team practiced twice a week at Palestine. The girl’s basketball team did not schedule any games. A photo of trophies for athletic accomplishments was shown, a picture from the previous year being used as the trophies had been destroyed by the fire. The debating team was very active.

There are individual pictures of the seniors and group pictures taken on the courthouse steps of the other classes. Faculty members are pictured individually with listing where they received their degree, many from prestigious schools.

Alumni are listed in the back pages according to the graduation year, from 1910 to 1920. The listings give occupation or married name and community where residing. (end of article).

The sad epilogue is that both the school and gymnasium were demolished in January 2005 and 2008 respectively. See the photo albums for photos of the demolition.