History:

The Village of Dunlap was first settled in 1834 and incorporated in 1954. The early settlers came from the East: New York, Massachusetts, and Ohio. In 1837, when another group of prospectors came, among them was a gentleman by the name of Alva Dunlap who settled on land southeast of the present town of Dunlap. The scarcity of timber for fuel, fencing and building purposes was a problem to the first settlers, but as time went on, saw mills sprang up, coal mines provided fuel, and Osage Orange hedges were introduced for fences.

In 1840, the first one-room school building was erected. By 1842, there were enough people to hold elections, and in 1850 township government was adopted. A canal opened up in 1848 and helped those who lived along the Illinois River. After the Civil War, Alva Dunlap began his gradual retirement from farming by selling his farm to his son. In 1869, he erected a new brick residence that became known as “Old Brick”. It was burned to the ground on April 24, 1966 and is now the location of Prospect United Methodist Church.

When the railroad wanted a right-of-way through Alva’s land, he sold it to the Rock Island Railroad for $1.00 on the condition that the town be named for him. Alva foresaw the advantages of a railroad for himself and his neighbors since the railroad offered quick and easy transportation to Peoria and its markets. The first post office was in the Alva Dunlap home tended by his daughter.

In 1893, the people of Dunlap saw the need for advanced schooling beyond the eighth grade. Two years of additional study were added, and the first graduating class was in 1895. From 1898 to 1905, these two grades were continued, but no graduation exercises were held or diplomas granted.

In 1897, a new school building was started but was not completed until 1899. Grades one (1) through eight (8) were on the lower level with the high school on the second floor. A gymnasium was later built, and a cottage just west of it was used as classrooms for the Home Economics and Bookkeeping Departments.

The first Parent-Teacher Club was organized in 1905 with Mr. New as its first president. In 1916, the Board of Education was elected with W. D. Charles Threshie as the first president.

The Athletic Association was organized in 1914-1915 for the bettering of the athletics under the direction of Clifford C. Merrill, the principal at the time. As a member of the association, monthly dues of five cents (.05) were required to help buy athletic supplies. From the early days of the school, athletics included basketball, tennis and track, with football being added at a later date.

The first meeting of the Dunlap High School Alumni Association was on August 17, 1923 at Shehan’s Hall. The committee appointed to take charge of the first banquet was Lawrence Shehan, Lucy Harlan, Maude Jackson, Hazel Adkinson, and G. F. Coriell.

In 1934, due to a growing enrollment, a new high school was built adjoining the gymnasium and completed for the school year 1935-36. This new school had a chemistry and biology lab, a large home economics department, typing, shorthand and bookkeeping rooms, music and band, mathematics, English, World and United States History, Civics, Agriculture and Latin.

In the fall of 1934, M. H. Huffman, a former teacher and coach for Dunlap High became the principal, and his tenure continued until 1960 when he retired.

Dunlap Grade School was built in 1949. In 1957 several new classrooms and a new gym were added on the south end of the high school running parallel to Route 91.