Milford Township High School ~ Darrtown, Ohio (circa 1930s)
The high school building was located on school grounds that were bordered on the north by Oxford Street, on the west by West Street, on the south by Mulberry Street / Schollenbarger Road, and on the east by the alley that runs between Oxford Street and Schollenbarger Road. The school's main entrance was located on the north side of the building, facing Oxford Street.
From the time that this website was established, a persistent question has been asked about the Milford Township (aka Darrtown) high school: "What were the school colors?"
Based on two pieces of history (shown at the right), both of which surfaced in the summer of 2012, it appears that the MIlford Township school colors were blue and gold.
LEFT: This image of a Milford Township HIgh School blue and yellow varsity letter was taken from an actual varsity letter owned by Donald Falk.
LEFT: This image of a "Milford - Darrtown" diploma, which includes a blue and yellow ribbon, was contributed by Harry Fillager. See a larger version of this image at the Fillager family page.
ADDITIONAL CONFIRMATION of school colors
In September 2013, Mrs. Madonna Burke donated a varsity letter that she found among items that belonged to her father, Alvin Alford - who was a member of the class that graduated from Darrtown High School in 1937.
The letter "M" refers to Milford Township High School, which was the official name of the high school that many called Darrtown High. Alvin Alford's varsity letter measures 8.5 inches by 8.5 inches.
The two images of varsity letters (Alvin Alford's at the right and Donald Falk's above) seem to confirm that the colors of Darrtown High School were blue and gold.
To date, no documented information answers that question. However, on November 11, 2013, Bruce Guiler sent an email to the Darrtown webmaster regarding that question. In his email (reproduced at the right), Bruce shared a recollection from his father, Fred Guiler.
Fred,
Dad had said that the nickname for Darrtown School was "Braves." He also told me the school colors were ________, but I cannot remember. Dad did not hesitate about the Braves. He did think about the colors for a minute, I think he said gray and something. He remembered the colors on a baseball cap. He transferred to Hanover for the senior year, and he wore that cap. He said someone threw his cap into the toilet. It had the "M" on it.
Bruce
Early photos of Darrtown High School
The image of the Darrtown school (below) was contributed by Eugene "Knute" Wagonfield, when he attended the April 18, 2009 "Darrtown Gathering" at the Hitching Post. This photo appeared on a 1-cent postcard (see "Schoolhouse Postcard" below).
It appears that this photo may have been taken when the school building was newly constructed. Note the bare earth in front of the school and the size of the tree in the right side of the photo. Also, compare the larger photo (below) with the smaller one that appears near the top of this page. The larger photo, below, shows only four windows along the left (east) side of the school, whereas the smaller photo, above, shows eight window along the east side of the school and a fire escape. This leads the assumption that the size of the Darrtown school was increased, sometime after it originally opened.
RIGHT: "Schoolhouse" Postcard
The image at the right shows the back of the postcard that displayed the Darrtown School image (seen above). The postcard is stamped with an Oxford, Ohio postmark and displays a 1 cent stamp. The postmark date cannot be determined. The postcard was addressed to "Mr. Guy Dynes - Collinsville, Ohio - R.F.D. #1 - c/o John Shaw." The card, which was unsigned, included a message that read "I've got a crow to pick with you."
We trust that this was a good-natured prank!
LEFT:
Darrtown HIgh School
In the undated photo at the left, the Darrtown High School is seen from the area near the intersection of West Street and Oxford Street.
The front entrance to the school faced Oxford Street and was located in the recessed area of the building (left side of photo).
MOST OF THE FOLLOWING items relate to individual Milford Township High School senior classes.
A few of the items relate to MULTI-GRADE LEVEL groups/activities.
All items are arranged in chronological order; oldest at the top.
1901
Milford Township High School 1901 commencement program discovered and donated
BACKGROUND: In the spring of 2014, Darrtown native, Ronald Wiley, found a 1901 Darrtown High School commencement program on E-bay. After purchasing the Darrtown artifact, Ron donated the following three images.
> NINE seniors were in the 1901 graduating class.
> All NINE students participated in the commencement exercise.
Coincidentally, the ceremony was identified as the NINTH annual commencement, from which it may be inferred that Milford Township students began receiving diplomas from the Milford Township High School as early as 1892.
>The NINE members of the Board of Education represent families known to have lived throughout the township.
Ninth Annual Commencement
of the
Milford Township Schools
to be held at
The Lutheran Church, Darrtown
Tuesday evening, June the Eighteenth
Nineteen Hundred and One
Eight O'clock
The second page of the 1901 program reads:
MARY EDNA SCHWAB
JESSE K. MANROD
GLADYS HARRIS
CHARLES DALE DEAM
MARY E. COOMBS
FRANK M. HINKEL
FRED A. HINKEL
FRED P. BRINCEFIELD
CLASS MOTTO: "ONWARD AND UPWARD"
CLASS OF 01
OTTO MILLER
BOARD OF EDUCATION
H. D. KYGER, President
WILLIAM FISHER
CHARLES KREBS
SAMUEL ZIGLER
JOSEPH McVICKER
SAMUEL FRAZEE
R. M. L. HUSTON
JOHN WILLIAMSON
CHARLES YOUNG
CORNELIUS CONARROE, Clerk
PROGRAMME
---------
MUSIC ......................................................................... OKEANA QUARTETTE
INVOCATION .................................................................. REV. O.P. HOFFMAN
RECITATION - "St. Peter at the Gate"........................MARY EDNA SCHWAB
ESSAY - "Common Things" ........................................... JESSE K. MANROD
SONG
RECITATION - "A Maiden's Dream" .................................. GLADYS HARRIS
ESSAY - "The Two Enterprising Frogs" ................. CHARLES DALE DEAM
MUSIC ......................................................................... OKEANA QUARTETTE
ESSAY - "Time" ........................................................................ OTTO MILLER
RECITATION - "Flash" ...................................................... MARY E. COOMBS
DUET .................................................. MESSRS CAMPBELL AND SIZELOVE
ESSAY - "Duty" ................................................................ FRANK M. HINKLE
RECITATION - "Pierre Barnard, the Dusky Soldier" ......... FRED A. HINKLE
ESSAY - "The Influence of Kind Words" ................. FRED P. BRINCEFIELD
ADDRESS .................................................... REV. C. E. SCHENK, HAMILTON
MUSIC ......................................................................... OKEANA QUARTETTE
The third page of the 1901 program reads:
1928
RIGHT:
The 1928 Darrtown High School baseball team won the Butler County championship. Members of the Championship team included (L-R):
Back row: Fred Finkbine (coach), Walter Alston, Clarence Wright, Cecil Pierson, and W.H. Ogden (principal).
Middle row: Eldon Betz, James Harris, Wilbur Smith, and Clifford Alexander.
Front row: Clifford Decker, Raymond Wiley, and Glen Elliot
1930
LEFT:
Left to right (standing):
W. Hobart Ogden (principal), Clarence Gillespie, Wilbur Smith, Raymond Wiley, Howard Fox, and Cecil Pierson.
Left to right (seated): Katherine Grothaus, Jessie Lindley, Emma Cartwright, Edna Weibel, Marie Pierson, and Myrtle Tabor.
1932
1928 Butler County baseball champs!
Darrtown High School Senior Class - 1930
Darrtown High School Senior Class - 1932
RIGHT:
Clockwise from top left:
Dorothy M. Havens; W. H. Ogden, Principal; Claribel G. Devine; Louise M. Guiler; Clifford A. Alexander; John E. Dome; Donald Fisher; Wilbur L. Pierson; Wayne C. Withrow; Rollin O. Ledwell; Mary E. Schlabach
Photo contributed by Bob and Frances Young - December 2014 (Bob's mother, Louise Guiler, was a member of the 1932 class)
1933
LEFT (L-R):
Darrtown High School Class of 1933
Front row: Bernice Phares, Gustabel Bradbury, and Ruth Long.
Back row: Carl Geisler, Glen Ward, Robert Harris, Walter Null, Garland Wyckoff, Andy Popst, and Ralph Reynolds
Photo and names contributed by Andy Popst - June, 2009.
Darrtown High School Senior Class - 1933
1934
RIGHT:
Andy Popst contributed the following image, which shows the members of the Darrtown High School Class of 1934.
(Left to right):
Top row: Woodrow Whitehill, James E. Guillaume, Harold Shaw, W. H. Ogden (principal), Adrian Geist, and Robert W. Fisher.
Second row from top: Mabel B. Carpenter, Dorothy Harris, Dorothy Lackey, Mary Beiser, Naomi E. Baecker, and Florence Gault.
Darrtown High School Senior Class - 1934
Third row from top: Ruth Bowers, Raymond E. Schlabach, James Irwin, and Helen Bufler.
Fourth row from top: Ray Bannon, William Withrow, Harry A. Summers, and William Weber.
1935
LEFT:
Class members (clockwise
from bottom center)
Minerva Curtis
Dwight Harris
Fred Grothaus
Frances Lang
Arthur Fulmer
John Smith
Verna McMillian
Albert Lindley
William Miller
Darrtown High School Senior Class - 1935
1935 Senior Class Honored By Junior Class
According to the information that appears at the right, on April 6, 1935, the Junior Class of Darrtown High School honored the Senior Class with a reception in Eaton, Ohio at the Seven Mile Tavern.
The dinner cost was 75 cents per plate and the Jewell Brothers five-piece orchestra received $8.00 for musical entertainment.
The handwritten notes indicate that the following persons attended:
William Miller, Edyth Taylor, Verna McMillian, Mr. Ogden, Martha Grothaus, Miss Clark, Fred Grothhaus, Frances Lang, Mildred Harris, Gladys Ledwell, Luella Bowers, Donald Irwin, Verna Pfaff, Dwight Harris, Hazel Pfaff, Miss Rubel, Mr. Burkhardt, Mrs. Burkhardt, Minerva Curtis, Mr. Hamilton, Helen Geisler, Freda Marshall, Charles Witherby, James Ramsey, Arthur Fulmer, Mr. Bulow, John Smith, Albert Lindley, and Dorothy Bowman.
1935 Senior Class Play
Click the following links to see four pages of the play program:
Program cover Advertisers page 1 Advertisers page 2 Advertisers page 3
1936
RIGHT:
Darrtown High School Class of 1936
Top Row: Mildred Harris, Vice President; James Ramsey, President; Gladys Ledwell, Sec.
Second/Bottom Row: Donald Irwin; Edythe Taylor; and Charles Witherby
Left Side: top, Martha Grothaus; bottom, Luella Bowers
Right Side: top, Hazel Pfaff; bottom, Verna Pfaff
Naomi (Witherby) Fea, daughter of Charles Witherby, contributed this image in early August 2009.
Darrtown High School Senior Class - 1936
50th Reunion of the Darrtown High School
Class of 1936
Among the artifacts contributed by Naomi (Witherby) Fea was a "Class of 1936 50th Reunion" folder created by Gladys (Ledwell) Spaulding. The contents included a printed program for planned festivities (which Gladys had prepared) and two pages of a "Class Will" that was written in 1936.
CANCELED!
From the handwritten note that appears on the program cover, it seems that Gladys presented the folder to Naomi's parents, Charles and Jean Witherby, after plans for the reunion failed to materialize. Even though the reunion was canceled, the printed materials provide a glimpse into the world of the 1936 DHS seniors.
Access images of the three items at the following links:
CANCELED!
1937
LEFT (L-R):
TOP ROW: Harold Baeker, Leroy Brown, Pres., Edith Geisler, John Burkhart, Supt., Robert Moyer, Harold Witherby
SECOND ROW DOWN: Charles Uhl, Elsie Hunkler, David Hollowell, Alvin Alford
THIRD ROW FROM TOP: Mary Elizabeth Harris, Bernice Weiss - Treas., Martha Summers, Elmer Sheard
BOTTOM ROW: Warren Beiser, Jean Bradbury, Arnold Cornelius, Robert Betz, George Hansel - V.P., Goldie Bowman
Darrtown High School Senior Class - 1937
RIGHT:
1937 Senior Class
(L-R)
FRONT ROW: Bernice Weiss, Edith Geisler, Jean Bradbury, Esther Ledwell, Mary Bannon, Martha Summers, Mary Harris, and Elsie Hunkler.
MIDDLE ROW: Harold Baecker, Elmer Sheard , John Burkhardt (Superintendent), George Hansel, and Charles Uhl.
BACK ROW: Robert Betz, David Hollowell, Leroy Brown, Arnold Cornelius, and Alvin Alford.
In September, 2013, Mrs. Madonna Burke donated the 1937 class photo above ... and the graduation program that appears right and below.
Mrs. Burke is the daughter of Alvin Alford, who is standing at the far right in the back row of the above photo.
1938
Darrtown High School Senior Class - 1938
FOUR ON TOP ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: John S. Burkhart, superintendent, Nancy K. Robinson, Melvin Leslie, and Edith Bryant.
THREE ON THE LEFT SIDE, TOP TO BOTTOM: Robert Earl Howard, Kathryn Dynes, and James Cornelius.
THREE ON THE RIGHT SIDE, TOP TO BOTTOM: Mary A. Fisher, Emily Bryant, and Leo E. McWhorter
FIVE ON BOTTOM ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Carlisle W. Wolfe, Fred Baecker, Loraine Gerber, James Arnold, and Wilbur Gibson.
This image was copied from a newspaper clipping that Harry and Sue Fillager contributed, April 21, 2012.
In September 2013, Don Beckett contributed the alumni program, that appears below and right.
Don's mother was Dorothy Lackey, whose name is handwritten on the cover of the program (seen below). Dorothy Lackey was a member of the 1934 Milford Township High School Senior Class (see image above).
From the dates that appear on the program cover, it seems logical to assume that the Darrtown High School alumni group existed from 1906 through the year of this event - 1937.
Evidence of a Darrtown High School Alumni group...
ABOVE: This is an undated photo of Darrtown High School teacher Mr. Paul Miller and students.
FRONT ROW: Beecher Clark, Bill Bowers, Bob Lemmons, unknown, unknown, ____ Geisler, and Leonard Reynolds.
MIDDLE ROW: First three unknown, Robert McMillian, Dorothy Glardon, Treva Cunningham, Betty Mae Alston, and Anna Schlabach.
BACK ROW: ____ Leeds, Gertrude Kettman, Paul Miller, teacher, Dorothy Alston, and unknown.
Paul Miller's career led him from being a teacher at Darrtown to being the Superintendent of Public Schools in Cincinnati. Other leadership positions included Okeana, Seven MIle, and Wintersville (all in Ohio); Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Canton, Ohio; Warren, Ohio; Syracuse, N.Y. and Omaha, Nebraska. Along the way, he earned a Ph.D. degree from Ohio State University and an LL.D. degree from Miami University of Ohio. He left the Cincinnati superintendency to work at U.S. Department of Education. Read more about Dr. Paul MIller's career at:
1. Dr. Miller speaks at Boys Town.
2. Dr. Miller is quoted in the New York Times.
2. Paul Miller is remembered by Dale Bufler.
3. Paul Miller is remembered by Jim Blount (when this link opens, scroll to item #816)
To see two diplomas granted by the Darrtown-Milford Township High School, visit the Fillager family page.
1920 and 1929 Darrtown High School diplomas
Darrtown High School library book discovered
In October 2019, William "Bill" Weiss contributed three images of a book that he found among items that belonged to his father, Paul William Weiss (1911-1982).
The book is an 1893 copy of The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. A notation on the inside cover indicates that Joseph C. Thoms gave the book to the Darrtown High School Library.
We do not know if or how Mr. Thoms was affiliated with Darrtown or the high school.
The Darrtown High School colors were referenced in a 1929 newspaper item that reported a Darrtown/Somerville basketball game played at Somerville. The news item referred to the "blue and gold quintet" of Darrtown.
RIGHT: This image shows the top portion of a (1929) Darrtown HS diploma.
DHS was part of the Butler County public school system (note the BCPS logo at the center of the diploma).
Known locally known as the "Darrtown High School," the school's official name was the Milford Township HIgh School.
These links connect to items further down this page.
√
Click the following link to see a news article on the 1929 DHS baseball team.
Click the following links to see extra information about Coach Finkbine.
Click the following link to access the
School Colors?
Possible mascot?
Coincidence, or... foreshadowing?
In the 1930s, there may have been the Darrtown high school Braves... and twenty years later, the area acquired the Talawanda high school Braves.
Hmm...
Some have asked, "Did the Milford Township High School have a mascot or nickname?"
Located in the second block west of the village square
Wilbur "Weeb" Ewbank coachs Oxford McGuffey against a Darrtown team
It's true! In 1930, the man who would become an NFL Hall of Fame coach, guided an Oxford team against a team from Darrtown. But, it wasn't on the gridiron!
Coach Wilbur Ewbank, of NFL coaching fame, directed Oxford McGuffey High School to a win over Darrtown High School, on the basketball court.
Click the link at the right to see a news item about the event.
1939
Darrtown High School Senior Class - 1939
Left to right
FOUR IN TOP ROW:
Virginia Conway, David Neanover, Wanda Wolfe, and principal, John Burkhardt.
THREE IN MIDDLE ROW:
Kenneth Irwin, Virgil Alston, and Clara Hunkler.
FOUR IN BOTTOM ROW:
Jane Fisher, Warren Hansel, Betty Lou Finlay, and Eugene Guiler.
An anecdotal record reports that the school building "was condemed by state authorities" in 1938. Obviously, the state allowed the school to operate for one school year, after the decision to close.
Until, September 2023, this website had no record to indicate the existence of the class of 1939.
It was believed (and published here) that the Darrtown High School closed at the end of the 1937-38 school year.
WEBMASTER NOTES ABOUT THE CLASS OF 1939
The discovery of a third newspaper item confirmed the existence of the 1939 class, when it reported the 50th Year Reunion of the last class to graduate from Darrtown High School.
Two news items (see links below) were found that raised the notion that the Darrtown High School existed during the 1938-38 school year.
Since Warren Hansel was a member of the Class of 1939, a call for help was made to Mollie Hansel.
And, Mollie came through!
Mollie turned to Warren's daughter, Sally Hansel, who had a photo of the 1939 graduating class. Mollie snapped a photo of the photo and sent it to the webmaster.
As a result, the image of the 1939 class now appears (above) on this website.
THANK YOU, MOLLIE AND SALLY!
This was THE LAST CLASS to graduate from Darrtown High School. Details appear in the "Webmaster Notes" below.
The 1901 commencement program cover reads:
_______
_______
MID-TO-LATE 1920S
Lori Clendinning donated the photograph that appears at the right, in mid-November, 2023. When Lori found this image, it was undated and the location of the photo was not specified.
By comparing the people in the photo (and the building seen in the background) with other images posted in this high school section, it is deduced that the image was taken in the mid-to-late 1920s, in front of the Milford Township High School, which was located on west Oxford Street, in Darrtown.
A LARGER and ENHANCED version of this image, along with BACKGROUND INFORMATION, appears at the following link.
Darrtown High School photo discovered
LINK AT RIGHT SHOWS LARGER VIEW