Beckemeyer Grade School, scheduled to join the old Hillsboro Academy, Winhold and Edison schools as a part of the past, will celebrate its 75th year of service before being "retired" by the Hillsboro Unit district School board.
     The building, erected in 1904, has served as the high school, community high school, junior high school and as a grade school since it was occupied for the first time on December 19, 1904. Its establishment as the high school on the old fairgrounds was reported in the first installment of the school's history in the May 7, issue of the NEWS.
     William S. Harris was high school principal when students were moved to the new classroom from the old Presbyterian Church that had served as an attendance center after the high school vacated the second floor of the old South School, later named Edison. Samuel T. Robinson, superintendent of schools when the new high school was opened, announced his resignation during commencement exercises for the Class of 1905 in May.
     Mr. Harris continued to serve as high school principal until 1907 when he resigned and Henry Lee Cox was named to succeed him. H. L. Cox, a graduate of Southern Illinois Normal University at Carbondale, held the principal ship until 1910 when he was made superintendent of schools to succeed F. D. McKittrick, who replaced Mr. Robinson.

 

     Harry John Beckemeyer of Beckemeyer, IL near Carlyle, a friend of H. L. Cox, was named as the third principal of the new high school. In September 1910, he began a 39-year career as a school administrator in the Hillsboro school system. His career ended May 24, 1949 when he died from a heart attack while seated in his auto parked near the school that now bears his name. He was then superintendent of schools and the building was the junior high school.
     In 1914 H. J. Beckemeyer helped David C. "Doc" Kime coach the Hillsboro basketball team that won the state tournament. Later in the spring he was named superintendent of schools to succeed H. L. Cox who resigned to join the staff of Hillsboro National Bank.
     John M. Avery, a native of Williamson County in Illinois and superintendent of schools at Nashville, was named principal, coach and math teacher at the high school to succeed Mr. Beckemeyer and replace Mr. Kime who had resigned.
     He served as high school principal during World War I when the male members of the faculty and some of the older students left school for military service. Besides his duties as principal and teacher he took over the duties as football, basketball and track coach, being assisted part of the time by George Girhard who had left the faculty to serve in the Navy.
     After the war the state legislature authorized the establishment of community high school districts and Hillsboro was one of eight towns in the county to broaden their tax base by doing go. The other seven were Waggoner, Raymond, Litchfield, Walshville, Coffeen, Farmersville and Donnellson.

Community high school

     In 1920 Hillsboro Community High School, District 157 was established, covering most of Hillsboro, Butler Grove and Irving townships. A separate school board was elected to govern the new district with the first elected members being H. L. Cox, former high school principal and superintendent of schools, president; H. G. Patterson, secretary; M. C. Pressmar, Dr. H. A. Seymour and Archie Douglas.
     The new high school board named Mr. Avery principal of the community high school and leased the old high school from the Hillsboro School district, No. 95, for $125. A month until the present high school building was completed in 1921. The community high school, which was opened in the fall of 1923 and which Mr. Avery served as principal until leaving here in 1925 to live in Miami, FL.