I've been so busy with current coaching jobs, that the history portion of our game has taken a back seat for a bit. Thanks to a good Varsity Clubber (Albert Cross) for some great research that turned up some info that has now been updated. Usually Varsity Club members are anonymous sources for coaching gigs, but I can't imagine any harm in divulging Mr. Cross' name. Don't figure any Solsberry Berries will be impacted in a negative way 
From Mr. Cross:
Have a bit of an update on a couple local high schools that are now represented by Eastern Greene County. As an Eastern alum, I attend the alumni events and in your file you show Owensburg as the Eagles and Solsberry as the Hornets. This was correct when Eastern began in 1961, but I had had several older Owensburg natives tell me that Owensburg had actually been the Indians in the past. I finally had the opportunity to ask Mark Clensy about this at an alumni gathering earlier this year and this is the explanation. Owensburg was a 1 – 12 school until 1948. After that, the high school grades actually went to Oolitic, in Lawrence County for 13 years, until the Eastern Greene consolidation began in 1961. Owensburg School was a 1 – 8 grade facility during that time.
So, Owensburg High School was actually the Owensburg Indians with red, white, and black being their colors. This is interesting because those same colors later became the colors for the Eastern Greene Thunderbirds after consolidation. For some reason (and Mark had no idea why), when Owensburg changed to a 1 – 8 school after 1948, they changed their mascot to the Eagles and adopted the colors of blue and gold as you have it in your file. Perhaps they changed their colors to match Oolitic’s blue and gold, who knows?
Eastern Greene had a “throw back” game this past year where they dressed out and played as the Solsberry Hornets. I attended that and although we lost a close one to North Knox I discovered another interesting fact about Solsberry’s past that I had never heard before. Solsberry was actually known as the “Berries” up until about 1942 or so with the same purple and gold colors you show in your file. But, I guess they had had some down years in basketball and they had a principal who said they needed a mascot that had more “fight” or “sting” to it, so he changed it to the Hornets. It was during the war years and there were probably a lot of boys who left early for the service. Stories like this fit right in with the history of Indiana high school basketball, lol.
I am in the process of getting the information from another community just north of us that seems to be completely missing from your file. Kirksville, in extreme southwest Monroe County (Indian Creek Township) had a high school back in the day, and I can remember it being open as a 1 – 8 school. Those high school students would now go into Bloomington South. The Lions Club building in Kirksville has quite a bit of information on their teams.
Owensburg (1 - 12); until 1948 - Indians Red, Black, & White
Owensburg (1 – 8); 1948 – 1961 - Eagles Blue & Gold
Solsberry (1 - 12); until 1942? - Berries Purple & Gold
Solsberry (1 – 12); 1942? – 1961 Hornets Purple & Gold
Here is link to my full meal deal list of all-time Long Lost Indiana High Schools!
hickoryhusker.rivals.com
From Mr. Cross:
Have a bit of an update on a couple local high schools that are now represented by Eastern Greene County. As an Eastern alum, I attend the alumni events and in your file you show Owensburg as the Eagles and Solsberry as the Hornets. This was correct when Eastern began in 1961, but I had had several older Owensburg natives tell me that Owensburg had actually been the Indians in the past. I finally had the opportunity to ask Mark Clensy about this at an alumni gathering earlier this year and this is the explanation. Owensburg was a 1 – 12 school until 1948. After that, the high school grades actually went to Oolitic, in Lawrence County for 13 years, until the Eastern Greene consolidation began in 1961. Owensburg School was a 1 – 8 grade facility during that time.
So, Owensburg High School was actually the Owensburg Indians with red, white, and black being their colors. This is interesting because those same colors later became the colors for the Eastern Greene Thunderbirds after consolidation. For some reason (and Mark had no idea why), when Owensburg changed to a 1 – 8 school after 1948, they changed their mascot to the Eagles and adopted the colors of blue and gold as you have it in your file. Perhaps they changed their colors to match Oolitic’s blue and gold, who knows?
Eastern Greene had a “throw back” game this past year where they dressed out and played as the Solsberry Hornets. I attended that and although we lost a close one to North Knox I discovered another interesting fact about Solsberry’s past that I had never heard before. Solsberry was actually known as the “Berries” up until about 1942 or so with the same purple and gold colors you show in your file. But, I guess they had had some down years in basketball and they had a principal who said they needed a mascot that had more “fight” or “sting” to it, so he changed it to the Hornets. It was during the war years and there were probably a lot of boys who left early for the service. Stories like this fit right in with the history of Indiana high school basketball, lol.
I am in the process of getting the information from another community just north of us that seems to be completely missing from your file. Kirksville, in extreme southwest Monroe County (Indian Creek Township) had a high school back in the day, and I can remember it being open as a 1 – 8 school. Those high school students would now go into Bloomington South. The Lions Club building in Kirksville has quite a bit of information on their teams.
Owensburg (1 - 12); until 1948 - Indians Red, Black, & White
Owensburg (1 – 8); 1948 – 1961 - Eagles Blue & Gold
Solsberry (1 - 12); until 1942? - Berries Purple & Gold
Solsberry (1 – 12); 1942? – 1961 Hornets Purple & Gold
Here is link to my full meal deal list of all-time Long Lost Indiana High Schools!
HickoryHusker - Long Lost Indiana High Schools and Nicknames
INDIANA -- Compiling list of every long lost Indiana high school & mascot! Updates on Owensburg ans Solsberry!
hickoryhusker.rivals.com
