The Lincoln School
The Lincoln School, which stood on this site from 1869 to 1956, was a segregated elementary school intended for the city's African American students, grades one through eight. Hillsboro was the site of the first Northern desegregation suit following the May 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, a decision that abolished the nation's long standing "separate but equal" doctrine.
Side B
Following a two-year legal struggle, led by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and a group of parents, and assisted by Thurgood Marshall, who would later become the first black Supreme Court Justice, the Hillsboro school system was desegregated in 1956. The lawsuit hastened integration in other parts of Ohio and the north due to the national media coverage.
Erected 2003 by African American Awareness Research Council and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 6-36.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection
this page online
Location. 39° 12.479′ N, 83° 36.463′ W. Marker is in Hillsboro, Ohio, in Highland County. It is at the intersection of North East Street (Ohio Route 247) and Collins Avenue, on the left when traveling north on North East Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 537 North East Street, Hillsboro OH 45133, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Ohio Hill Country. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Highland County Civil War Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); William Fenher House (approx. 0.4 miles away); J.D.W. Spargur House (approx. 0.4 miles away); John Baker House (approx.
Additional keywords. NAACP
Credits. This page was last revised on April 2, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 17, 2018, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. This page has been viewed 913 times since then and 85 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 17, 2018, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. 7, 8, 9. submitted on March 19, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
