Bi-County League

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The Bi-County League is a former high school athletic conference with its membership base in west central Wisconsin. The conference was active from 1928 to 1959, and all of its member schools belonged to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Contents

History

Formation and sustained stability (1928–1955)

The Bi-County League was formed in 1928 [1] by eight small high schools near the Mississippi River in west central Wisconsin: Alma, Arkansaw, Cochrane, Durand, Fountain City, Gilmanton, Mondovi and Nelson. [2] All original members were located in two counties (Buffalo and Pepin), which is where the name originated from. Five years after it was founded, the conference lost three members to the new Mississippi Valley Conference (Alma, Durand and Mondovi), [3] along with a fourth becoming an independent in Fountain City. Pepin replaced the four departing schools, bringing the membership tally to five. [4] Alma and Fountain City rejoined the Bi-County League in 1934 [5] to bring membership back up to seven schools. Plum City joined the Bi-County League in 1935, [6] replacing Cochrane after their exit. They would rejoin the next year, [7] bringing the conference back up to eight members, where it would stay for the next two decades.

Rural consolidation and demise (1955–1959)

The Bi-County League’s membership was whittled away by rural school district consolidation in the 1950s, starting with Nelson’s closing and redistricting to Durand in 1955. [8] Two years later, Plum City left for membership in the Dunn-St. Croix Conference, [9] and after the merger of Cochrane and Fountain City in 1958, [10] the conference was left with only five members. [11] The Bi-County League was dissolved in 1959, with four schools (Alma, Arkansaw, Gilmanton and Pepin) forming half of the new West Central Conference [12] and Cochrane-Fountain City becoming members of the Mississippi Valley Conference. [13]

Conference membership history

SchoolLocationAffiliation Enrollment MascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent Conference
Alma Alma, WI Public65Rivermen  1928, [1] [2] 1934 [5] 1933, [3] 1959 [12] Mississippi Valley, West Central Dairyland (coop with Pepin)
Arkansaw Arkansaw, WI PublicN/ATravelers  1928 [1] [2] 1959 [12] West Central Closed in 1992 (consolidated into Durand)
Cochrane Cochrane, WI PublicN/AIndians  1928, [1] [2] 1936 [7] 1935, [6] 1958 [10] Closed (merged into Cochrane-Fountain City)
Durand Durand, WI Public307Panthers  1928 [1] [2] 1933 [3] Mississippi Valley Dunn-St. Croix
Fountain City Fountain City, WI PublicN/AEagles  1928, [1] [2] 1934 [5] 1933, [4] 1958 [10] Closed (merged into Cochrane-Fountain City)
Gilmanton Gilmanton, WI Public39Panthers  1928 [1] [2] 1959 [12] West Central Dairyland (coop with Independence)
Mondovi Mondovi, WI Public250Buffaloes  1928 [1] [2] 1933 [3] Mississippi Valley Dunn-St. Croix
Nelson Nelson, WI PublicN/AVikings  1928 [1] [2] 1955 [8] Closed (consolidated into Durand)
Pepin Pepin, WI Public84Lakers  1933 [4] 1959 [12] West Central Dairyland (coop with Alma)
Plum City Plum City, WI Public88Blue Devils  1935 [6] 1957 [9] Dunn-St. Croix Dunn-St. Croix (coop with Elmwood)
Cochrane-Fountain City Fountain City, WI Public175Pirates  1958 [10] 1959 [13] Mississippi Valley Dairyland

Membership timeline

Bi-County League

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 The Mirror. Mondovi High School. 1929. p. 44.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Durand Defeats Gilmanton, Keeps Bi-County Lead". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. 17 February 1929. p. 7. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Mondovi". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. 23 May 1934. p. 5. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 "Gilmanton Keeps Bi-County Lead, Arkansaw Threatens". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. 24 January 1934. p. 4. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 "Bi-County Conference Admits Two Schools". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. 22 September 1934. p. 12. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 "Arkansaw, Alma Hold Bi-County Conference Lead". Winona Daily News. 7 December 1935. p. 10. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Gilmanton, Alma, Fountain City and Plum City Victors". Winona Daily News. 25 November 1936. p. 12. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Durand High School Enrollment Increases". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. 4 September 1955. p. 3. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  9. 1 2 "Seven Circuits See Action in Prep Grid Slate Tonight". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. 13 September 1957. p. 11. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "School District Sells Bond Issue at Cochrane Meet". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. 15 September 1957. p. 3. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  11. ↑ "Prep Cagers End 1958 Season with 25 Games". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. 19 December 1958. p. 10. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "Fifty Area Cage Teams Slate Pre-Holiday Action". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. 24 November 1959. p. 14. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  13. 1 2 "Chippewa, Menomonie Join Mississippi Valley League". Chippewa Herald-Telegram. 30 October 1958. p. 18. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
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