Peoria High School is a public high schoolinPeoria, Illinois. Peoria High School was established in 1856 and is the second oldest continually operating high school west of the Allegheny Mountains after Evansville Central High SchoolinIndiana.[2][3] Peoria High is located at 1615 N. North Street and moved to this location in 1916. Peoria High School is commonly referred to as "Central" to distinguish it from Richwoods and Manual, and it is centrally located in Peoria. Peoria is the only city in the Peoria metro area with multiple high schools. The motto is the "Pride of the City".[3]
In 1856, the school opened on the second floor of the Peoria Female Academy.[3] Classes were held in this building for five years until the first location, at Fourth and Fisher streets near the present-day Civic Center, opened in 1861.[3]
Lucetta Howell was the first valedictorian in 1858.[3]
The name Peoria High became official in 1882.[3] A second location was built at Monroe and Fayette Streets due to rising enrollment.[3] This location was demolished to build I-74.[4]
In 1889, the first student newspaper, The High School Opinion, was established with Julia Proctor as its first editor.[3] It is the oldest continuously running student newspaper in Illinois and currently publishes quarterly.[3]
In 1912, the school board voted to build a new school on North Street.[3] The current building opened on September 11, 1916.[3] It was designed by Peoria architect Frederic Klein, who also designed Madison Theatre, the Japanese bridge at Bradley Park, and pavilions in Glen Oak Park and Grand View Park.[4]
Peoria High had one of the first football teams in the area and played Illinois Wesleyan's college team.[3] Peoria high won the first Illinois state championship for basketball in 1908.[3] They also won the first state track and field championship in May 1893.[3]
Peoria High is a member of the Big Twelve Conference (Illinois) in athletics, and the school mascot is the Lions. The school mascot was the Maroons until the late 1940s when it was changed. The school colors are maroon, black, and white. Their longtime rivals are the Peoria Manual Rams.
The student council of Peoria High School is a part of the Hopewell District of the Illinois Association of Student Councils. They take part in (as well as host) a multitude of events for student councils throughout the state.
Harry Bay (1878–1952), professional baseball player
John Dailey (1867–1929), Illinois State Senator and Representative
Jon Daker (1939–2022, attended but did not graduate[5]), viral video star known for a 1990 video of him singing in a Easter church recital at First United Methodist Church
