Tonight was the homecoming game at CG playing against Ben Davis. CG kicked their butts.
They had a full front page write up last week in the Daily Journal.
This is one of the pictures that was on the front page.
This is some of the article:
At Center Grove High School, a four-room schoolhouse has become a 2,000-student building. And the barn for students' horses has been replaced by acres of parking lots. The original school nickname, Swedes, has become the Trojans. Among all the changes, though, a spirit of community and pride has remained. Those qualities will be on display all year long, as generations of Center Grove students mark the 125th anniversary of the high school. "You need to know where you came from. You need to know why things were the way they were before you can know where you are," said Meresa Girdley, a 1975 Center Grove graduate.
The first year of high school classes in White River Township came in 1884, in a two-story building that had four rooms. Dubbed Center Grove, the school was named due to its location in the center of the township amid a stand of trees. When the first class graduated in 1888, four students received diplomas. More than 500 graduated in May.
DID YOU KNOW?
• In 1915, teachers could not be married or dress in bright colors. They had to sweep their classroom at least once daily and start a fire for warmth by 7 a.m.
• The school nickname during the 1930s was the Swedes, a nod to the heritage of the boys basketball coach, Swede Chambers. After Chambers left the school in 1938, the student council voted to name themselves the Trojans.
• Men in the early 1940s were granted diplomas as soon as they turned 18 so they could enlist in the military if they chose.
• The first graduating class of Center Grove High School, in 1888, consisted of four students: Edgar Shufflebarger, Paschal Earl Dorrell, Harvey Harrell and George Ballard.
SOURCE: "Center Grove: Unveiling the Past."
6 comments:
Ode Perry, our dear neighbor and adopted grandpa, often told us how he was on the first CG basketball team. They had to take up a collection to buy ONE basketball. Games were played on outdoor courts and scores were extremely low back in those days.
Can you imagine taking a tumble during a game? Talk about road rash.
I never knew about the original mascot name. I always loved our Trojan mascot. Can't remember the name of who played our Trojan when we were in school, but he did a super job of standing in the middle of the court in his Trojan outfit. Then at one time a few years ago they switched to a cartoon version of a Trojan. Yuk. I much preferred the tough looking Trojan.
The town of Shoals, seven miles from my town, has a mascot called a JugRox due to the jug rock they have in their town. Stupidest looking mascot you ever saw. But the natural formation is pretty cool. If traveling through Shoals, check it out sometime.
Interesting post Carol. Thank you.
I had an amazing thought-
CG is approaching it's 125th year, and we're now approaching 45 years since graduation. The school literally exploded when the class of '65 passed through the doors, and I'm sure we caused many a school board member to toss and turn at night wondering how they would handle this influx of snotty young kids needing an education. But when you look at the fact the school(s) are now spread all over the place...
Campuses North, South, West, (and I'm not sure there's an East) Grove, don't you feel fortunate to have attended 12 years, as many of us did, on the same ground where the first school started all those years ago? I do.
In 37 years our class will be closer to the class of 1884 than the class graduating that year.
2000 kids in High School, olympic-size swimming pools and three gymnasiums...
We ALREADY ARE closer to the class of 1889 so far as the atmosphere we experienced while being educated, aren't we?
I've said before, I think I knew the middle names of all my classmates even though our class was record-breaking size at the time. I bet many CGHS grads today don't even know some of their classmates FIRST names...
And that's a little sad, isn't it?
We were "The Walton's" or "Andy of Mayberry".
Today's kids are "American Idol".
I wonder if Edgar Shufflebarger was related to Mel Shufflebarger, He was part owner of Walnut Ridge golfcourse ( which I helped build when I worked for Surface Const.) and the Benchmark Inn which I drank heavily in. and Farwest Const. co, which I worked for also.
Yeah, Benchmark Inn. I remember that place CnC, the place where you came busting out the swinging doors fighting with someone like an old Western where I had to pull you off of someone.
And then Cissy screams until she fallx to the floor and I have to ask someone for a paper bag to keep her from hyperventilating.
Geez, was I the only sane one in the family?
ahhh the memories !
Ya know in 1888, receiving a high school degree was quite an accomplishment. Most Teachers didn't have much more than that and maybe a year of additional schooling with some teaching themes. At least that's what some of my Uncles and Aunts that grew up (early 1900's 01-10) around Peoga always said. They talked about the teacher usually only being 2-3 years older than some of the oldest students. But that was a one room school too. They (Uncles) talked about wanting to get a longer recess and locking the teacher in the closet. The big problem was when their Father got wind of it and he would let them know that he knew there had been a "little trouble up at the school". He would let them worry about it for 3-4 days before he would announce very quietly after dinner the he "believed they had some business to take care of out behind the shed". They knew what was coming and at least the wait (worst part) was over. Quite an accomplishment to get a high school degree. My Mom was the first in her family of eight to receive a H.S. degree. She went to old Wood H.S. in Indy. Could have received some outside help to go on to college but couldn't get anyone from the family to go up to the school and help with the process, but that was the way it was then. . . .
dj
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