The Arcola Purple Riders and the Tuscola Warriors have a rivalry that extends beyond athletics.
Both towns’ high schools started playing football in the mid-1890s but the rub between the two Douglas County farm communities is as old as the county itself, which was formed in 1859 from Coles County. Local history books confirm the first election for county seat saw 10 times as many ballots cast as there were residents. A second election resulted in Tuscola winning.
“Arcola was bitter over the county seat vote,” Retired Circuit Judge Mike Carroll, a 1964 graduate of Tuscola High School, said. “They never got over it.”
Full story here:
https://www.bnd.com/news/local/article214919630.html
Both towns’ high schools started playing football in the mid-1890s but the rub between the two Douglas County farm communities is as old as the county itself, which was formed in 1859 from Coles County. Local history books confirm the first election for county seat saw 10 times as many ballots cast as there were residents. A second election resulted in Tuscola winning.
“Arcola was bitter over the county seat vote,” Retired Circuit Judge Mike Carroll, a 1964 graduate of Tuscola High School, said. “They never got over it.”
Full story here:
https://www.bnd.com/news/local/article214919630.html
