The information on the CHL from 1985 - 2006 includes league standings and all-league selections. The Hamilton County Educational Services provided most of the information, but had some school years missing from their files. Jim Barre, retired Wyoming athletic director, provided some additional information. I spent time at the public library going through microfilm looking for league standings, which I found some. Also, I went to each league school to check yearbooks. From the yearbooks, I did find some additional varsity won-lost records. The standings that are missing some team records are shown in italics. Despite the info collected, there is still missing standings and all-league selections. Most of this missing info comes from the first two years of the league, 1985-86 and 1986-87. Another large gap came from 1998 - 2002.
The Cincinnati Hills League is in it's 40th year in the 24-25 school year.. It is one the best Division II/III leagues in Ohio. The current league schools are much diversified and are not only well known for their athletic teams, but also for their academics. Many of the schools have received state & national honors for their academics.
During the mid 1980's, there was a big shake-up in the sports leagues in the Cincinnati area. Some leagues dissolved and other realigned. From all these changes, the Cincinnati Hills League was created in 1985. The league was part of the Southwestern Ohio Athletic/Academic Confederation. Besides the CHL, the Metro County Conference & the Queen City Conference were part of the confederation. The league was based at the Hamilton County Educational Office. There were nine charter schools for the CHL: Cincinnati Academy of Physical Education (CAPE), Deer Park, Finneytown, Indian Hill, Loveland, Madeira, Mariemont, Reading, & Wyoming. In 1989, Taylor made it 10 schools when they moved over from the Western Metro Conference. The league stayed with 10 schools until 1993-1994. At the end of that school year, CAPE dissolved as a school bringing the number of CHL schools back down to nine. Loveland was the biggest school in the league enrollment wise from the beginning. The district continued to grow and, more or less, out grew the other eight schools. At the end of the 1994-1995 school year, Loveland dropped out of the CHL to join the Fort Ancient Valley Conference. Since the beginning of the 1995-1996 school, there have been no changes in the schools of the CHL. It has one of the longest stretches of any league in southwest Ohio that has not had a change in the number of league schools. The other two conferences in the confederation went through many changes over the years. Neither one exists today. At the end of the 2008-2009 school year, the CHL left the Hamilton County Educational Office. The league today is independent of any other organization. The current league secretary/treasurer is Terry Hartley, retired Deer Park Athletic Director. Besides the hired officials, assignors, and meet managers, the only other employee of the league is the Sports Information Director, Jim Barre, retired Wyoming Athletic Director.
At the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year, the CHL website was created. In the first ten years, that website has grown to over 2,600,000 views a year. A multitude of information can be found on the site. Also, the past year's standings, stats, & all-league since the 2006-2007 school year are archived on the website.
The links below will look back at standings, all-league, and other bits of information from fall of 1985 to the spring of 2006.
History Of Deer Park
The first home in the vicinity of Deer Park was built in 1795. The first brick home was built in 1806. In 1881, passenger train service began from Deer Park to Lebanon. Five years later, the Mutual Homestead Building Company purchased a large tract of land for suburban development. In 1912, Deer Park was incorporated as a village. The village of Deer Park became a city in 1952. Today, there are around 5700 people in the city.
The first school in the area was built in 1826. Today, there are four buildings in the district with the oldest being Amity Elementary (built 1906). The junior high and senior high share the same building. There are about 1500 students in the district which includes the city of Deer Park and parts of Sycamore Township, mainly Dillonvale.
Interesting Deer Park facts... The Deer Park volunteer life squad was organized in 1936, the second such department organized in the United States. Radio & TV personalty Bill Cunningham is a 1966 grad of Deer Park. And, yes he did lead the city in scoring in basketball his senior year!
History Of Finneytown
All the history I got on Finneytown was very early. In 1795, a section of land in the vicinity of present day was purchased by Ebenezer Ward. He bequeathed to his grandson Ebenezer Ward Finney for $426.23. Finney got to his land on an indian path that was later called Winton Road. In 1800, a new settlement was formed called Finneytown. Today, Finneytown has a population of 12,700.
There are two elementary schools and a junior-senior high school in the district today, which includes part of Springfield Township. Whitaker Elementary is located on the site of the original school in the area from the 1800's.
Some interesting Finneytown facts.... In 1962, Finneytown was the site of the first Homearama. Jeffery Immelt, the CEO & Chairman of the Board of General Electric, was a 1974 graduate of Finneytown High School.
History Of Indian Hill
Indian Hill had it's beginnings as farming community in the 1800's. In 1904, Cincinnatians bought up farmhouses as rural weekend destinations. In 1924, the Camargo Realty Company formed. More ambitious building took place with grand mansions, many with stables, being built. Indian Hill was incorporated as a village in 1941. Today, the population is 5700. The official name is The Village of Indian Hill, even though under Ohio code it is a city.
An early school in the area was Camp Dennison. Today, it is a popular restaurant named "The School House". The Indian Hill Rural School District was formed in 1936. Today, the district includes two elementary schools and a junior & senior high school. As far as enrollment, Indian Hill is the largest high school in the league and has received numerous awards and recognitions over the years as one of the best high schools in the nation. The school district today not only includes Indian Hill but parts of Sycamore Township.
Some interesting Indian Hill facts... There are many notable residents of Indian Hill. Some who have lived there are Peter Frampton, rock star, and Marvin Lewis, former Bengals head coach. At one time the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, was a resident.
History Of Madeira
In 1824, Montgomery Road was built making it easier to get in the area that is now Madeira. This city developed in 1866 along the rail line between Cincinnati and Parkersburg, West Virginia. The local stop was named after a nearby resident, John Madeira. In 1910, it was incorporated as a village, with a population of 500. By 1930, over 1000 people lived in the village and in 1960, Madeira became a city when the population reached 6500. Today, around 8700 people live in Madeira.
The schools in the Madeira area go back to 1808 when the first classes were held in a log building near what is today Miami & Euclid Avenues. In 1875, a brick building was built to start the Madeira District Number 6. In 1937, Madeira junior/senior building was completed. Later this was Sellman Middle School. The building was torn down and replaced in 2006 with a new middle school. The high school moved to a new building in 1958. It was one of the first campus style buildings in the Cincinnati area. Much renovation and expansion has been done to the high school over the years.
Some interesting Madeira facts... Clarence DeMar, a former Madeira resident, competed in the Olympic Marathon three times (1912, 1924, 1928). He won a bronze medal in 1924. He has held the record for running the most Boston Marathons, competing in 34 and winning 7. In 1863, Confederate general John Morgan passed through Madeira on his famous raid of southern Ohio.
History Of Mariemont
Mariemont's history is actually a two part story. In 1788, the settlement of Columbia was founded in the area that is now Lunken Airport. In 1799, part of that land was sold off in the area that is now Mariemont. In 1802, the first brick house in the area of Mariemont was built by Eliphalet Fern. Today, it is one of the oldest brick houses in Hamilton County. This area remained a small village until the 1900's. In 1923, Mary Emery broke ground on a planned community. She spent millions of dollars to develop a "National Exemplar" town. The town was built to resemble an English town with most structures Tudor style. A very distinctive town square is along Wooster Avenue. Today, there are about 3400 people in the village.
Plainfield High School & Terrace Park High School merged into Mariemont High School in the early 1950's. When built in the early 1970's, the present Mariemont High School was built with no walls between classrooms. That was an "educational fad" of the time. Today, there are walls in the high school. It is the only high school in the league to have a full size natatorium. The school district also includes Fairfax and Terrace Park.
Some interesting Mariemont facts... The village was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2007 and is one of the few communities in the United States to still have a town crier. Mariemont Schools have received the Blue Ribbon School of Excellence four times. They are the first school in Ohio and 4th nationwide to do this.
History Of Reading
Reading is the only one of our communities that started off with a different name. In 1794, Abraham Voorhees moved his family near Philadelphia to a log cabin along the Mill Creek. Others purchased land nearby and In 1797 the early settlement was called Voorhees Town. One of those who purchased land was Harry Redinbo. Shortly after, the settlement's name was changed to Reading in honor of Redinbo's hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania. His father in-law was William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania and originally from Reading, England. By 1830, Reading had 200 residents. In 1851, it incorporated as a village. By 1920, Reading had a population of 4540. Before World War II, most of the population lived in the Mill Creek Valley area. After the war, construction started picked up in the hilltop area around Columbia Avenue and Hunt Road and the population jump to 12,832 by 1960. In 1976, the city's population peaked at 15,500. Today, it is around 10,300.
The high school was located in the valley until 1962 when a new high school was built on the hilltop. The district had two elementary schools and middle school in the same building as Central Elementary and a 9th -12th high school. Construction started in the summer of 2017 for a new K-12 campus. It was opened in the fall of 2019.
Some interesting Reading facts. Reading is the boyhood home of the former US Speaker of the House, John Boehner. The Reading Bridal District along and near Benson Street is the largest of it's kind in the country. There are 25 different wedding related businesses and services.
History Of Taylor
Taylor High School is only one in the league that is in a district with a different name. The Three Rivers Local School District is the largest in area of the league districts. It is also the most diverse in that it covers multiple communities. Miami Township makes up most of the area of the district. It was laid out as a township in 1791 by John Cleves Symmes. It should be noted that Symmes surveyed most of what is today Hamilton County. In 1789, Symmes founded the settlement of North Bend, which was incorporated as a village in 1874. Cleves was laid out in 1818 by William Henry Harrison. Addyston was incorporated in 1891. Today, Miami Township has about 15,700 population. Cleves has 3300 people, Addyston just under 1000, & North Bend about 850. If you are wondering what the three rivers are in the district, they are the Ohio, Great Miami, & Whitewater.
Taylor High School dates back to 1926. For the last several years, the Three Rivers district had 2 elementary schools, a middle school, and the high school. At least three of the buildings were better than 50 years old. This all changed in the fall of 2013 when the Three Rivers Campus opened. Kindergarten through 12th grade are on a campus setting near the Great Miami River in Cleves. The sports complex, known as the Field of Dreams, opened for the 2014-2015 school year.
Some interesting Taylor facts... North Bend is the only town in America to have had a president born there and one buried there. William Henry Harrison, the man who served the shortest time as president (one month), is buried overlooking the Ohio River. His grandson Benjamin Harrison, who served as president in the late 1800's, was born in North Bend. Also buried in the school district is John Scott Harrison, the only man to be a son of a president and a father of a president.
History Of Wyoming
Lets get this out first. Wyoming is not named after the state! The first house in the area of Wyoming, Ohio today was built by the Pendery family in 1805. Three events help Wyoming's population grow in the early to mid 1800's. The building of Springfield Pike in the early 1800's brought people in the area. The Miami-Erie Canal was completed in the late 1820's in neighboring Lockland. Development in around the canal started in the Mill Creek Valley. Many of those factory workers chose to build their homes in Wyoming. In 1851, a railroad was completed along the Wyoming-Lockland border, which brought more building of homes in the area. In April 1861, Colonel Robert Reily held a meeting to name the village. The name Wyoming was selected because it reminded residents of a beautiful spot in Pennsylvania that was called Wyoming. The village was incorporated in 1874. The local leaders were very progressive and by the 1890's the town had a water works, sewers, an electric plant, and school buildings.. In 1946, a master plan was adopted by the village. Three years later, Wyoming became a city when the population past 5000. Wyoming's population has remain fairly staple the last 30 years. Today there are around 8400 people in the city.
Wyoming school district has 3 elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The high school use to be in the middle school building but moved to a new building in 1971. A new addition was added in 1999. There are just under 2000 students in the district. Wyoming schools have consistently been not only one of the top districts in Ohio, but one of the best nationwide in academics.
Some interesting Wyoming facts... Tracy Smith, a Wyoming grad, is a CBS news correspondent. David Payne, also a Wyoming grad, won a silver medal in the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing in the 110 hurdlers. Another grad, Deena Deardurff, a swimmer, was on a gold medal 4 x 100 team in the 1972 Olympics.
