Beaconsfield High School

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Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 6/3/2009 at 05:45:52

BEACONSFIELD HIGH SCHOOL

Beaconsfield High School was built in 1929 and closed in 1958.

During the second decade of the 1900's, several school districts in Ringgold County considered consolidation. Although the citizens of Redding School District voted in favor of consolidation in 1913, the vote was cast out on a technicality. The following year, a new school was erected in Redding. In 1915, another election was held in Redding and the citizens again voted to consolidate. In 1917, a large addition was constructed to accomondate an increase in pupils attending the Redding School. In 1915, the residents of Delphos voted to consolidate; Maloy residents voted for consolidation in 1917; and the Beconsfield residents cast their vote for consolidation in 1920. Although the residents of Ellston voted to consolidate, it was annulled on a technicality when the bonding company realized that the election notice had been advertised solely by public notices and not published in the newspaper. A second vote was called which resulted in a vote against consolidation.

During summer vacation, the Beaconsfield School sponsored a weekly 10-cent movie. This venture proved to be highly successful.

BOYS' BASKETBALL
The first Ringgold County Boys' Basketball Tournament was held February 28 - March 1st, 1919, at the Mount Ayr high school gymnasium. The Beaconsfield team did not enter into the tournament until 1921. The following year, Beaconsfield did not participate due to severe winter weather, bad roads and a small pox epidemic which had swept through western Ringgold County.

Beaconsfield lost the 1927 championship to Delphos, 36-16. Beaconsfield's guard ALTEKRUSE was named to the all-county first team.

The following year, 1928, Beaconsfield upset the highly favored Delphos team, 27-23, for the tournament championship. Referee WHEELER of Des Moines YMCA chose Beaconsfield's guard ALTEKRUSE for the all-county first team.

Beaconsfield won the 3rd place spot at the 1931 Ringgold County Basketball Tournament, defeating Kellerton 31-24. Center BRYANT was selected by Referee Jake LUKE to the all-tournament first team. During the 1939 Ringgold County Tournament, G. POORE of the Beaconsfield team was named to the all-tournament first team.

Beaconsfield won the consolation game of the 1953 Ringgold County Tournament, defeating Delphos 63-27. The team's win was astonishing considering that 1 of the players was a senior and 2 were juniors - all three making up the entire junior and senior classes of Beaconsfield High School.

Mount Ayr defeated Beaconsfield 83-60 for the 1954 county championship. Beaconsfield's star center, Gene JOHNSTON, left the game with an injury after the first quarter. Rex WALTERS and Keith WHITSON were Beaconsfield's leading scorers, under Coach Loring SNOOK.

Beaconsfield's Gary WION was the leading scorer of the 1958 Ringgold County Tournament.

SOURCES:
Mount Ayr Record-News, Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa, February 10, 2007

Sources: Ringgold County History Compiled and written by the Iowa Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of Iowa, Sponsored by Ringgold County Superintendent of Schools, Mount Ayr, Iowa. 1942.

AVITT, Mike. Pages and Pictures from the Past. . .Ringgold County, Iowa 1855-2005 p. 91. Paragon Publications, Inc. Mount Ayr. 2009.

Compilation by Sharon R. Becker, June of 2009