[AtlPirateFan]

Ok, Bell County faithful. I am currently working through the L's in my teams lost to history series and I have just finished up Lone Jack. News articles at the time refer to the merger of the schools as a consolidation of Bell County High School (maroon and white) and Lone Jack (Blue and White) into Bell County High School (Blue and White) at a new location, there appears to have been an uproar from the Lone Jack crowd that the school wasn't called Bell Central or Bell County Central. The school would keep the name and mascot from Bell County and the colors from Lone Jack

So my question is this is today's Bell Co considered a continuation of the old Bell Co that absorbed Lone Jack or a new school altogether after consolidation?

[Hound05]

Continuation I would say. There is still a lone jack elementary I think. Unless it’s closed in the last couple of years.

[AtlPirateFan]

Continuation I would say. There is still a lone jack elementary I think. Unless it’s closed in the last couple of years.

that seems to be the trend, most schools that consolidated used the old high schools as middle schools and elementary schools.

[Gitback Coach]

I suppose technically, the two schools "consolidated," but I've always considered it more of an "absorption" since Bell County HS retained its school name. At least they did give up their old maroon-and-white colors for Lone Jack's blue/white scheme, though.

I recall a few years prior to the Lone Jack merger, Bell County also absorbed/consolidated with Henderson Settlement HS (Frakes, KY)--and in that instance, no deference was given to the small school at all. Bell's mascot, colors, all stayed the same.

[Granny Bear]

Continuation I would say. There is still a lone jack elementary I think. Unless it’s closed in the last couple of years.

I agree with continuation, but I'm not from Bell. Lone Jack elementary is still open and appears to have a healthy attendance.

[BobcatForever]

I would guess continuation since they kept the name of one of these two schools!

[Objective]

It was an consolidation with the agreement of one school name and the others mascot and colors. Long jack still has a elementary school that is healthy. The long jack bunch dislike the black uniforms because it breaks the agreement

[Craze JACKET man]

How about we focus on the drug problem in Bell Co and let uniform color go..

[Hound05]

Cause it’s a sports forum?

But outside of that, I agree, while we’re at it go ahead and throw corbin, London, wburg, and Bville in there too. It’s and epidemic everywhere. I honestly don’t know one single person who isn’t affected by this in some form. There’s help out there, but the people have to want to change first I guess. Take it to the general forum and you might get a better response.

Btw, I like the blue and black uni’s

[HCS]

Two schools closed - one new school opened. Definitely a consolidation. I think Bell's records are sort of combined though if you look at history of championships, etc., especially in basketball. I don't think old Bell ever won any championships in football.

[HCS]

Lone Jack does have an elementary school, but it's a different building on the opposite side of 25 from the high school.

[AtlPirateFan]

Two schools closed - one new school opened. Definitely a consolidation. I think Bell's records are sort of combined though if you look at history of championships, etc., especially in basketball. I don't think old Bell ever won any championships in football.

Thanks HCS that’s what I was wondering mostly, if they combined the two bells records

[four quarters]

I can’t see HCS having Evarts, Cumberland and using their history. I think the school has a section for each one around the gym area talking about Scotty Russell and great Cumberland teams. The Bell Co. should use maroon/white and Blue/White records. Not too much Bell history changed with that consolidation. People have memories of old Lone Jack and they should, but 25E and 119 Bobcat records stay together. People only believe there is a blue/white Bell, but older alumni probably feel different about that idea.

[HCS]

I'm not sure. It seems the 1,000-point club in the gym is just the new Bell from 1985 forward.
When you see records of past district/regional basketball champions, Bell County will be listed before and after the consolidation.
I doubt anyone has any Bell football individual records before the new school opened. It seems all the football banners were from the new school, but I don't think the old school ever won a district football title. They were in 2A with Middlesboro and Corbin and those two seemed to dominate. Evarts won three district 2A titles in the 1960s.

[HCS]

I can’t see HCS having Evarts, Cumberland and using their history. I think the school has a section for each one around the gym area talking about Scotty Russell and great Cumberland teams. The Bell Co. should use maroon/white and Blue/White records. Not too much Bell history changed with that consolidation. People have memories of old Lone Jack and they should, but 25E and 119 Bobcat records stay together. People only believe there is a blue/white Bell, but older alumni probably feel different about that idea.

Just the fact the names are totally different makes that impossible for Harlan County. It was also a much more even merger with three schools into one with a different name. Harlan County had 12 high schools at one point, so merger wasn't at all new. Cawood High School merged three schools, four in a way if you count Black Star a few years earlier going to Hall.
Bell County merged into Bell County, so it's pretty hard to distinguish between the two.

[pjdoug]

I can’t see HCS having Evarts, Cumberland and using their history. I think the school has a section for each one around the gym area talking about Scotty Russell and great Cumberland teams. The Bell Co. should use maroon/white and Blue/White records. Not too much Bell history changed with that consolidation. People have memories of old Lone Jack and they should, but 25E and 119 Bobcat records stay together. People only believe there is a blue/white Bell, but older alumni probably feel different about that idea.

I was gonna ask if the old building is still on 119. I hadn't noticed in a long time.

[pjdoug]

Just the fact the names are totally different makes that impossible for Harlan County. It was also a much more even merger with three schools into one with a different name. Harlan County had 12 high schools at one point, so merger wasn't at all new. Cawood High School merged three schools, four in a way if you count Black Star a few years earlier going to Hall.
Bell County merged into Bell County, so it's pretty hard to distinguish between the two.

Which four? Cawood used to be dreaded more than Bell County. it's hard for me to keep up with all the community names, but my grandfather was born at Kildav so he lived at Evarts and I have a picture of him as a toddler at Sunshine.

[HCS]

Which four? Cawood used to be dreaded more than Bell County. it's hard for me to keep up with all the community names, but my grandfather was born at Kildav so he lived at Evarts and I have a picture of him as a toddler at Sunshine.

Hall, Wallins and Loyall. Black Star closed earlier and moved to Hall.
Cawood was a lot better than Bell County through the 70s and most of the 80s.

[BellMiddle]

The smaller high schools were brought together to form one new school, but the sports history was lost. All football basketball and other wins and championships are not granted to Bell County. Bell County has a monster number of wins from 85 til now, but historically will not compare to the Corbin, mayfield, and fort thomas who has history for a number of decades

[HCS]

What smaller high schools were in Bell County, other than Lone Jack and Henderson Settlement?

[four quarters]

Bell closed Cubbage, Ward Chapple, Harmony and Blackmont. They created Bell Middle, but I think it is Bell Central. There are also five other feeder schools still I think. However, there is not a district contract where any kid can go to any school.

[four quarters]

Bell won the region in 1980 I think and got beat in the quarter finals. Don’t hold me to that.

[HCS]

Bell closed Cubbage, Ward Chapple, Harmony and Blackmont. They created Bell Middle, but I think it is Bell Central. There are also five other feeder schools still I think. However, there is not a district contract where any kid can go to any school.

Yeah, I meant high schools. Bell didn't have as many high schools as some other counties in the old days.

[HCS]

Bell won the region in 1980 I think and got beat in the quarter finals. Don’t hold me to that.

Yes, 77 and 80. They won one in the 50s also and lost to Wayland and King Kelly Coleman in the third-place game.
I think Lone Jack won one or two regions in the 60s.

[four quarters]

Never recognized at 25E. I think current Bell County School was built in 1984 or 1985. I’m not exactly for sure on that. I guess they just recognize from that time until now. (I think Dudley started coaching around that time so older records don’t count)🤔

[HCS]

Bell won the region in 1980 I think and got beat in the quarter finals. Don’t hold me to that.

Never recognized at 25E. I think current Bell County School was built in 1984 or 1985. I’m not exactly for sure on that. I guess they just recognize from that time until now. (I think Dudley started coaching around that time so older records don’t count)🤔

I guess they don't, but Bell County is still on the list of regional champs in 77 and 80.
The new Bell opened for the 84-85 school year.

[pjdoug]

Hall, Wallins and Loyall. Black Star closed earlier and moved to Hall.
Cawood was a lot better than Bell County through the 70s and most of the 80s.

Do you know much about the history of Black Star? it's down 119? I think it's where my grandfather's younger sister was killed.

[HCS]

You turn right off 119 while you are still in Bell County. You take KY 72, which takes you into Harlan County. The road ends about 10 miles down the road instead of connecting to the other part of KY 72 that takes you to Catrons Creek and into Harlan. The high school closed in 1961, but the elementary school stayed open until 1985.

[pjdoug]

You turn right off 119 while you are still in Bell County. You take KY 72, which takes you into Harlan County. The road ends about 10 miles down the road instead of connecting to the other part of KY 72 that takes you to Catrons Creek and into Harlan. The high school closed in 1961, but the elementary school stayed open until 1985.

My great aunt probably went to school at Black Star. I wonder if I can get her school records

[pjdoug]

Most of the high schools in this county were probably closed or are the current elementary schools. Pleasant View, Poplar Creek, Rockholds etc. Whitley County High School opened in 1963.