Lincoln Trail Conference
The Lincoln Trail Conference is a high school conference in western central Illinois. The conference participates in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association. The conference comprises public high schools with small enrollments in portions of Bureau, Henderson, Henry, Knox, Mercer, Peoria, Rock Island, Stark, and Warren counties.
Current membership
''Sources:IHSA Conferences and IHSA Member Schools Directory''History
The Lincoln Trail Conference was established in 1976. The eight charter members included Cambridge, Winola, and Alwood from the Corn Belt Conference; Alexis, Galva and ROVA from the Little 6 Conference; and Wethersfield and Toulon-LaFayette from the Blackhawk Conference.Wethersfield played an independent schedule that first season and its first full conference slate wasn't until 1977. In 1988 Viola-Winola closed and Joy-Westmer replaced them in 1989. In 1992 Toulon consolidated with Wyoming and became known as Stark County. Alexis left briefly in 1993 and Annawan and Princeville joined in 1995. In 1998 Alexis was back in along with newcomers Biggsville Union and Monmouth Warren. The league divided into two divisions with Cambridge, Galva, Wethersfield, ROWVA, Princeville and Stark County in the East, and Alexis, Annawan, Biggsville, Westmer, Warren and Alwood in the West. In 2004 Alexis and Monmouth Warren consolidated forming Alexis United, and Biggsville Union left the loop to coop with Stronghurst Southern and the division set up was dropped. In 2005 Oneida ROWVA and Woodhull-Alwood co-oped in football and Biggsville Union rejoined under the name of West Central having consolidated with Stronghurst Southern. Football was not a conference sport from 2006–2009. During that time the Lincoln Trail Conference was a component of the West Prairie Trail mega conference for football only. The components of the West Prairie Trail conference were the West Central Conference, Prairieland Conference and Lincoln Trail Conference. The Lincoln Trail may reform as a football conference moving forward with the following teams: Annawan/Wethersfield co-op, Cambridge/AlWood co-op, Galva/Williamsfield co-op, Mercer County, Stark County, Princeville, Sciota West Prairie, West Central, and the River Valley co-op which is not a member for other sports.
Prior to the advent of the Lincoln Trail Conference, the schools of the present day conference are known to have participated in several other conferences. During the life of the conference many changes have occurred, the following table and timeline summarize major events:
| School | Years | Consolidations | Conference Came From | Conference Went To |
| Aledo High School | 2006–2009 | Aledo+Westmer=Mercer County | Olympic | Mercer County remained in LTC |
| Alexis High School | 1976–1993; 1998–2004 | Alexis+Warren=United | Little 6 ; Bi County | Bi County ; United remained in LTC |
| AlWood High School | 1976–Present | Alpha+Woodhull=AlWood | Corn Belt | |
| Annawan High School | 1995–Present | Indian Valley | ||
| Cambridge High School | 1976–Present | Corn Belt | ||
| Galva High School | 1976–Present | Little 6 | ||
| Mercer County High School | 2009–Present | Aledo+Westmer=Mercer County | Consolidation of 2 LTC members | |
| Princeville High School | 1995–Present | Indian Valley | ||
| River Valley Coop | Football only 2010–2012 | Henry+Low Point-Washburn+Midland=River Valley Coop | Big Rivers | |
| ROVA High School | 1976–1987 | Rio+Oneida+Victoria+Altona=ROVA ; ROVA+Galesburg =ROWVA | Little 6 | ROWVA remained in LTC |
| ROWVA High School | 1987–Present | ROVA+Galesburg =ROWVA | Consolidation of LTC member and some Western Big 6 member students | |
| Stark County High School | 1992–Present | Toulon-LaFayette+Wyoming=Stark County | Consolidation of LTC member and Indian Valley member | |
| Toulon-LaFayette High School | 1976–1992 | Toulon Township+LaFayette=Toulon-LaFayette ; Toulon-LaFayette+Wyoming=Stark County | Blackhawk & Inter County Athletic Conference | Stark County remained in LTC |
| Union High School | 1998–2004 | Biggsville+Gladstone-Qquawka=Union ; Union+Stronghurst Southern=West Central | Bi County | West Central |
| United High School | 2004–Present | Alexis+Warren=United ; added Yorkwood | Consolidation of 2 LTC members ; added Prairieland member | |
| Warren High School | 1998–2004 | Alexis+Warren=United | Bi County | United remained in LTC |
| Westmer High School | 1989–2009 | Joy+Keithsburg+New Boston=Westmer ; Aledo+Westmer= Mercer County | Olympic 1976–1987; Unknown 1987–1989 | Mercer County remained in LTC |
| Wethersfield High School | 1976–Present | Blackhawk | ||
| West Central High School | 2005–Present | Union+Stronghurst Southern=West Central | Consolidation of 2 West Central members | |
| West Prairie High School | 2010–2014 | |||
| Winola High School | 1976–1988 | New Windsor+Viola=Winola ; Winola into Sherrard | Corn Belt | Olympic |
Timeline
- 1976 – Lincoln Trial Conference forms with initial members Alexis, AlWood, Cambridge, Galva, ROVA, Toulon-LaFayette, Wethersfield, and Winola
- 1987 – ROVA consolidates with Wataga students attending Galesburg to become ROWVA
- 1988 – Winola leaves
- 1989 – Westmer joins
- 1992 – Toulon-LaFayette consolidates with Wyoming to become Stark County
- 1993 – Alexis leaves
- 1995 – Annawan and Princeville join
- 1997 – Divisional east and west format adopted for boys football
- 1998 – Alexis returns, Union joins, and Warren joins
- 2004 – Union leaves, Alexis consolidates with Warren to become United, divisional format dropped for boys football
- 2005 – West Central joins
- 2006 – Aledo joins and boys football leaves to participate in the West Prairie Trail mega conference
- 2007 – Yorkwood consolidates into United
- 2009 – Aledo and Westmer consolidate to become Mercer County
- 2010 – Boys football returns
- 2021- Abingdon-Avon and Knoxville join from Prairieland Conference
Membership timeline
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id:Full value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
id:FullxF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
id:AssocF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a full member in a football coop
id:AssocOS value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that was a member of the Northwest 8 Conference
id:OtherC1 value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that was a member of the NWIC
id:OtherC2 value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that was a member of the Mid Northern Conference
id:OtherC3 value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that was a member of the SHARK Conference
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bar:1 color:Full from:1976 till:1993 text:Alexis
bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:1993 till:1998 text:BiCounty
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bar:1 color:white from:2004 till:end text:Consolidated with Monmouth Warren to become Monmouth United
bar:2 color:Full from:1976 till:2009 text:AlWood
bar:2 color:AssocOS from:2009 till:2022 text:Cambridge Coop known as Ridgewood
bar:2 color:AssocF from:2022 till:end text:8-Man
bar:3 color:Full from:1976 till:2009 text:Cambridge
bar:3 color:AssocOS from:2009 till:2022 text:Alwood Coop
bar:3 color:AssocF from:2022 till:end text:8-Man
bar:4 color:Full from:1976 till:2009 text:Galva
bar:4 color:AssocOS from:2009 till:2022 text:ROWVA/Willamsfield Coop
bar:4 color:AssocF from:2022 till:end text:8-Man
bar:5 color:Full from:1976 till:1987 text:ROVA
bar:5 color:white from:1987 till:end text:Consolidated with Wataga to become ROWVA
bar:6 color:Full from:1976 till:1992 text:Toulon-LaFayette
bar:6 color:white from:1992 till:end text:Consolidated with Wyoming to become Stark County
bar:7 color:Full from:1976 till:2008 text:Wethersfield
bar:7 color:AssocOS from:2008 till:end text:Annawan Coop
bar:8 color:Full from:1976 till:1988 text:Winola
bar:8 color:white from:1988 till:end text:Consolidated with Sherrard
bar:9 color:Full from:1987 till:2009 text:ROWVA
bar:9 color:AssocOS from:2009 till:2022 text:Galva/Willamsfield Coop
bar:9 color:AssocF from:2022 till:end text:8-Man
bar:10 color:Full from:1989 till:2007 text:Westmer
bar:10 color:AssocOS from:2006 till:2009 text:Football Coop
bar:10 color:white from:2010 till:end text:Consolidated with Aledo to become Mercer County
bar:11 color:Full from:1992 till:end text:Stark County
bar:12 color:Full from:1995 till:2008 text:Annawan
bar:12 color:AssocOS from:2008 till:end text:Wethersfield Coop
bar:13 color:Full from:1995 till:end text:Princeville
bar:14 color:Full from:1998 till:2004 text:Warren
bar:14 color:white from:2004 till:end text:Consolidated with Alexis to become Monmouth United
bar:15 color:Full from:1998 till:2004 text:Union
bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:2004 till:2005
bar:15 color:white from:2005 till:end text:Consolidated with Stronghurst Southern to become West Central
bar:16 color:Full from:2004 till:end text:Monmouth United
bar:17 color:Full from:2005 till:2020 text:West Central
bar:17 color:AssocF from:2020 till:end text:8-Man
bar:18 color:AssocOS from:2006 till:2009 text:Aledo
bar:18 color:white from:2010 till:end text:Consolidated with Westmer to become Mercer County
bar:19 color:Full from:2009 till:end text:Mercer County
bar:20 color:AssocOS from:2010 till:2012 text:River Valley Coop
bar:21 color:Full from:2010 till:2014 text:West Prairie
bar:22 color:Full from:2021 till:end text:Abingdon-Avon
bar:23 color:Full from:2021 till:end text:Knoxville
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text:^"Lincoln Trail Membership History"
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