Glendale is a rural community in Harrison Township, one of the least populated areas of Daviess County. In 1890 Harrison Township had a population of 1,300. By 2020 the census dropped to 689.
Despite its small size, Glendale has a noteworthy history of endeavoring to provide education for its children. The last Glendale School was a two story brick structure completed in 1922 that initially served grades one through twelve. The building had two elementary rooms on the first floor, two high school classrooms and a study hall on the second floor, and a basement with two classrooms, a furnace room, and a gymnasium. Glendale High School operated from 1922 to 1947. From 1947 to 1968, the Glendale School was used for grades one through eight.
A committee of Glendale High School alumni organized a reunion held August 6, 1978 at the Masonic Lodge in Glendale for “everyone that attended Glendale school.” In the invitation, the committee said they were working on “a historic type booklet” to be finished for the reunion. What resulted was By-Gones of Glendale High 1922-1947, a 26 page booklet—compiled and written by unknown contributors—that does an outstanding job of preserving the history of Glendale School. It contains numerous vintage photographs, lists of Glendale teachers and graduates, recollections of former students, and delightful text sprinkled with self-deprecating humor.
Glendale High School was one of the smallest high schools in Daviess County. The first graduating class in 1923 had seven seniors: Ora (Armes) Allison, Orphus (Armes) Scott, Robert Clark, Audrey Massey, Ira Meade, Lucille (Akester) Osmon and Kermit Traylor. The last graduating class in 1947 had 13 seniors: Mary (Kane) Arnold, Dorothy (Colvin) O’Connor, Joe Robinson, Patty (Webber) Hopewell, Harold Shake, Ambrose Doyle, Betty (Healy) Henline, Hargis Thomas, Ann Lou (Armes) Wright, Jerry McCafferty, Donald Riker, Ray Armes and Dane Lee (Peachee) Keller.
When first built in 1922, the Glendale School did not have electricity or indoor plumbing. One of the By-Gones contributors remembered drinking from the school’s outside water pump and the cinder path that led to the “back house” behind the school. Electricity was installed in the building in 1940.
The booklet noted the basement “gymnasium” had a ceiling “too low for sports” with a concrete floor that was “a good place for getting skinned up.” Glendale’s small enrollment and limited athletic facilities may explain the less than stellar record of the boys’ basketball team. By-Gones lists the scores of the 19 games played by Glendale High School in the Washington Sectional Tourney from 1926 to 1947 where the Glendale Bears suffered 18 losses with just one victory. The scores were published with the title: Glendale’s Glorious Records (It’s sure hard to be humble with a record like this).
In 1926, the first year Glendale competed in the tourney, the Bears faced the Washington Hatchets and were defeated 60 to 7. The next year Glendale again drew the Hatchets and were trounced 62 to 6. By-Gones writers explained the serious handicap faced by the Glendale boys: “The ball bounced different on a floor.”
Glendale did not have a basketball team during the Depression from 1930 to 1933. The By-Gones authors explained (perhaps not in jest): “Couldn’t afford to buy a basketball to practice with.”
The Glendale Bears persevered and defeated Trinity Springs 38 to 18 in the 1937 sectional. The By-Gones writers gushed with pride: “Wow! What can be said, our first sectional victory!! Also a scoring record.” A photo of the 1937 team is conspicuously printed in the booklet with the caption: “The Winners!! Aren’t They Great??” However, in the second game of the 1937 tourney, Glendale was beaten—again—by Washington 60 to 15. By-Gones contributors groused: “Those Hatchets were always known as spoilsports.”
In the 1947 sectional Glendale was defeated 63 to 18 by Montgomery High School. The By-Gones writers recognized the irony: “Our last year. If you can’t whip’em, join’em and we did.” In the fall of 1947, Glendale students in grades nine through twelve were bussed to Montgomery High School.
The marvelous By-Gones of Glendale High 1922-1947 can be viewed at the Daviess County Museum’s online site, daviesscounty.pastperfectonline.com (2018.0083.0004 in Archives) or in the Research Room at the Daviess County Museum.
This article was compiled by Bruce Smith, a member of the Daviess County Historian Team. Comments or questions can be sent to the historian team at daviesscountyhistorian@gmail.com.
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