Unioto High School - Union-Scioto School District

Union and Scioto Townships

Chillicothe, OH

OHGenWeb NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations.

Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. 

This file was contributed for use in the OHGenWeb Ross County by Tina Kutschbach.

School District Name: Union-Scioto School District (Unioto)

Main Office Address:  1432 Egypt Pike

                                       Chillicothe, OH 45601

Telephone Number:    740-773-4102

High School Name:      Unioto High School

How was the school given its name ?: Located in Union and Scioto Townships

The year this school opened:     1936

First Graduating Class:  1937   Number of Graduates: 8

School Colors:              Purple and Gold

School Mascot:            Sherman Tanks – School is located on the site of WWI Camp Sherman.

Junior High Name:        Unioto Junior High School

Elementary School Name:         Unioto Elementary School

History of the Union-Scioto School District

(From the Chillicothe Gazette, 1962)

The first school house in Union Township was built about 1800, at or near the log house of Mr. Joseph Clark. It was a structure with a puncheon floor and a roof of clapboards with eight-poles laid across to keep them on. The windows were made by cutting out a log for several feet on each side of the house and putting greased paper in the opening. One end of the house was almost entirely appropriated for a fireplace. The seats consisted of split slabs supported by wooden pins. In this manner the school houses were built for a number of years. A school was opened in a log cabin about a mile north of where Andersonville now stands, in 1815 or 1816, the teacher being a man by the name of Perkins. It was afterwards held in a school house on the Inghams’ farm. East of the village. A hewed log house was erected a short distance above Andersonville in 1823, and was used until the brick house in the village was erected. A school house was built at an early date where the Union Church now stands, and another where the upper part of the basin was, in 1814 or 1815, Mr. Young and Mr. Lowery were the teachers. One of the earliest schools was opened on the farm of Thomas Withgott in which Charles McCrea was one of the first teachers. The first school in the Cook neighborhood was kept in a six-cornered, round log school house, as early as 1805 or 1806. Ebeneezer Everts was one of the first school teachers there, teaching several terms. The first school organized under the School Law was the Quaker School, then kept in a hewed log school house.

The one room school houses of Union and Scioto townships were abandoned at the end of the school year 1935-1936, upon the recommendation of the State Department of Education. A new district was created using the name Union-Scioto Rural School. The school became known as “Unioto”, a contractive term taken from Union and Scioto. A tax levy of 3 ½  mils voted by the district evolved the sum of $50,000 which was matched by another $50,000 from the Federal government under the Public Works Administration and numbered as Project M OH 1021 R. The building site was purchased from Mr. George Garrison, on Egypt Pike, for the sum of $2,000. Construction was started in February of 1936, and the building was occupied September 23 of the same year. DeVoss and Donaldson were the architects, McCabe and Proctor were the contractors.

It was thought that colors of purple and gold were adopted at the suggestion of one of the board members whose Chillicothe class colors were purple and gold. The mascot name of  “The Shermans” was later adopted when Supt. McMahon, former general in the United States Army, was superintendent of the Unioto School. Since Unioto lies just opposite the former site of WWI Camp Sherman, the suggestion of  “The Shermans” was unanimously accepted by the student body. The Tank emblem became likewise a fitting symbol for the school.

In May of 1937, the Unioto High School graduated its first senior class of eight members.

Known One Room School Houses:

The Hurst School, Egypt Pike and Cattail Road

The Roush’s School, Stone Road

The Bowdle School, Morrison and Albright Roads

The Andersonville School, Andersonville Road

The Dunlap School, Route 104

Sulpher Lick School, near Maple Grove Hotel

School at the Ross County Infirmary

Polk Hollow School, Polk Hollow Road

The Steel School, Belleview Hill and Plyley’s Lane

Shady Grove School, Plyley’s Lane

Pleasant Valley School, Pleasant Valley

Frenchtown School, Frenchtown

Tootle School

Springbank School

Bier’s Run School

School Construction, Renovations 1936-2003:

1936 – School erected on Egypt Pike

1957 – New Elementary School, with an addition in 1961

1973 – Intermediate Learning Center erected

1973 – New High School

1995 – Old High school renovated for use as Junior High School

2002 – New Elementary School

2002 – New Junior High School          

2002 – New additions to High School

2003 – Demolition to old Elementary School

Founder Information

First School Board Members of the district:

George Garrison, President

George Fagnano, Vice President

Leon Winget, Clerk

Reed Johnson

Thomas Schaeffer.

Past Known Superintendents:

M.A. Shepherd           

Robert Stillwell

Clifford Schweinfurth 

C.L. McMahon           

Robert Stillwell

William McPherson     

Charles Stephens         

Ralph Brown               

Guy DeAngelis

Paul Folmer

Bud Sayer

Ronald Vaughn

Barbara Cook

Dwight Garrett

Past Known High School Principals:

Robert Stillwell            

Clifford L. Schweinfurth

June Cormany (Elementary)     

Frank Sessions            

Donald Morris                         

David Warne

Steve Stirn

Dwight Garrett             

James Osborne

Notable Staff:

June V. Cormany – Long time Elementary Principal

Margaret Graves – History, Latin, Journalism

Leroy Silvani – Coach (Baseball, Track, Basketball), Physical Education, Health

Jesse Lloyd – Math, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry

Donald Morris – High School Principal

Clifford Schweinfurth – High School Principal

Donald Neff – Baseball Coach, Drivers Education

Warren Whitaker – Science, Biology, Track Coach

Emily Marks – Home Economics

Lodema Attaway - English

Rhoda Hannan - English

Jean Krebs - English

Daisy Gillfillan - Cook

Joanne Valentine - Music

Elizabeth Umsted – Music, Art

Nellie Gomsi – Spanish, English

Jean Alcorn – Math

Judy Hoops – English

Elizabeth Sanford – Librarian

Leoma Straight – Physical Education, Health

Bonnie Amos – Elementary

Pearl Eisnaugle – Elementary

Ernest Enderle – Industrial Arts

Mabel Gire – Elementary

Myrtle Maddox – Elementary

Ann Prickett – Elementary

Ethel Simcox - Elementary

Virginia Morris – Elementary

Juanita Hendricks – Elementary

Thelma Flynn – Elementary

Bushnell McDaniels - Elementary

Margaret Large – Elementary

Joanna Haskins – High School

Helen Castle – High School

Letha Tuttle – High School

Carl Hollis – Custodian

Earl Cormany – Bus Driver

Jean Echard – Cashier

Sheridan Robinson – Bus Driver

Richard Cox – 6^th Grade

Mary Matson – Elementary

Delores Mackley – Math

Steve Swan – Government, Social Studies

Patricia Davis – 6^th Grade

Cheryl Graves – Intermediate

Marvine Williams – Cook

Gary Adams – High School

Bonnie Atwood Adams – Secretary

Frank Sessions- Principal

Robert Uhrig – Science

Alex Mace – Science, Chemistry, Physics

Dean Forcum – Occupational Work Experience

William Marsh – History

Diane McFadden – English

Mike Shoemaker – Math, Algebra

Sally Shoemaker Rathkamp – History

Daniel Wade – Junior High

Mrs. Ralph Brown “Brownie” – Cafeteria

Marie Jayne – Cafeteria

Mabel Andeson – Secretary

Sue Young – High School Secretary

Velma Steel – Clerk of Board of Education

Raymond Houser – Bus Driver and Mechanic

Harry Hurtt – Bus Driver

School Fight Song

To the Tune of Notre Dame’s fight song

Lyrics written by: Elizabeth Umsted and Helen Brown Letizia

“Cheer, cheer for old UHS, Cheer for the school that we love the best. While our team is on the floor, ______________will never raise the score. We love our colors, purple and gold. Our loyal team so fearless and bold. While Unioto’s sons go marching onward to victory. Rah! Rah! Rah!

School Alma Mater

Lyrics written by: Elizabeth Umsted and the Girls Glee Club

There's a school we'll cherish ever,

By the highway side.

Our love for thee will vanish never,

Be our fondest pride.

Chorus

Many lessons she has taught us,

Honor, faith and truth;

Many blessings she has brought us,

Glorified our youth.

Chorus:

Sons and daughters, sing her praises,

Sing them far and wide;

Sing our love for Unioto,

Unioto High.

Academics:

1967-1968    First school in the state to have Special Education classes for grades 1-12

Clubs:

Hi-lites Newsletter 1946

Future Teachers of America 1947

Glee Club 1937

Future Homemakers of America 1937

French Club 1941

Future Farmers of America 1937

Latin Club 1942

Hi-Y 1937

Quill and Scroll 1944

Boosters Club 1947

Science Club 1957

Junior Classical League 1956

Spanish Club 1965

Library Audio Visual Club 1972

Fellowship of Christian Athletes 1972

National Honor Society 1956

Occupational Work Experience

Leviathan Society

Bands:

Orchestra 1936

First Band under the Mrs. Hendrick 1945

German Band 1950

Sports

Boys:

Football 1962

Basketball 1936-37

Baseball 1949

Softball 1948

Track 1937

Golf 1963

Soccer 1985

Tennis 1962

Girls:

Basketball 1977

Softball 1948

Track 1937

Soccer 2002

Tennis 1976

Cheer Team 1937

Volleyball 1938

Hall of Fame: