Central School to Chehalem Cultural Center: Part One

By Barbara Doyle

This is part one of a multi-part series on the history of Central School, look for new installments in the weeks to come! This and future installments in this series are adapted from Barbara Doyle's book on this topic: From Then 'till Now: Schooling in Newberg, Oregon.

Part Two
Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six

Part Seven

Newberg Oregon was just like many other small towns in late nineteenth century America. We had a one-room wooden schoolhouse with students that could vary between five and twenty years of age – with just one teacher. Erected in 1881, the building was located at the Northeast corner of Main and Illinois streets. Initially thirteen students attended this ungraded public school. Students progressed individually thru the educational program. Good spelling and penmanship plus competence in simple arithmetic and understanding the words and ideas in Readers [numbered 1-6] was often the equivalent of an eighth grade education. This building could accommodate thirty students.

Courtesy of the George Fox University Archives. https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/newberg_photos/93/

School board members realized the growing community needed a larger building. Local resident N. E. Deskins sold part of his land on Sheridan Street – the site for the new building. The four-room two-story wooden fifty by sixty foot school opened its front door in October 1889 for one hundred and seventy-five students – spread around just three of those rooms . The building was designed to hold two hundred students. Not much growing room there.

This building was the first version of Central School. But it wasn’t called ‘Central’. It was just called the school – as the only public one in Newberg, it didn’t need a name.

Courtesy of the George Fox University Archives. https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/newberg_photos/88/

It was more than a new building; it incorporated a new educational
philosophy – a graded school. That meant that a fairly small group of students [ideally 20-25], of the same age, studied the same specific subjects and after a fixed period of time, they collectively advanced to the next grade. That was a very big change for students. This new organizational structure gained national support. Some non-resident Newberg parents began to take their children out of nearby ungraded country schools and enrolled them in Newberg’s new graded school. And they willingly paid a tuition fee for each child.

By early 1892, Newberg residents demanded more classrooms – and they stated their willingness to pay for them.

Continue this story with:

Have you enjoyed these stories? Contact us about becoming a member!

Comments

The Newberg Friendly Club

By Rachel Thomas A mysterious box full of letters was recently donated to the Newberg Area Historical Society. Upon opening, we discovered that it was the correspondence of an organization called the "Friendly Club." With such a name, we at first assumed it must be part of the local Friends Church, but to our surprise, it was actually a separate organization, unrelated to the Quakers. The Friendly Club, which ran from 1919-1960's, was a women's social club devoted to building strong friendships and building community among the women of Newberg. While engaging in charitable work. Their club poem, below, showed their values and interests: Friendly Club, by Phoebe Damewood Hill F- Is for friendly, a magic word It's golden chains your heart will gird. R- Is for royal, the banner we bear Willing each other's problems to share. I- Is for ideals, for which we stand

Chapters or the Morris, Miles, and Company Building

The Morris, Miles and Co. building, erected in 1891, was the first commercial brick building in Newberg. At that time, Newberg had been an officially incorporated town for only two years. In this year, the fledgling Pacific Friends Academy added their college arm (later named George Fox University).Several businesses existed in the downtown and the Quaker settlement that had begun to take root was begining to flourish. The Morris, Miles and Co. drygoods and groceries business struggled financially and changed ownership several times thru the early 1900s. They sold a variety of materials, advertising their products in the Newberg Graphic. After Moris, Miles, and Co closed, Larkin-Prince managed a hardware store there for at least ten years thru the 1910s. Parker Hardware followed in the 1920s. There were times when the building was vacant and other times when it was divided into two separate stores. Then in 1944, Rolla Renne left his position as Superintendent of Newberg School

Ewing Young Distillery

In 1836, Ewing Young, seeking a way to support himself, began a distilling operation. He purchased materials and constructed a still. The historical record conflicts on whether or not he actually began distilling however. Ewing Young's operation was vehemently opposed by Dr. John McLoughlin factor of Fort Vancouver for the Hudson's Bay Trading Company and by Reverend Jason Lee and others from the Methodist Mission established in the Willamette Valley. Whether or not Ewing Young actually produced any "spiritous liquors" is unknown, but we do know that the attempt to begin the operation led to another world changing event. In an effort to dissuade Young from distilling, McLoughlin, Lee, Slacum, and others contracted with Young to form the Willamette Cattle Company, bringing cattle to the Willamette Valley, breaking a monopoly on the cattle market held by the Hudson's Bay Company. This is a image of a contemporary distilling operation from Sutter's Mill. Photo

Central School to Chehalem Cultural Center: Part Four

By Barbara Doyle This is part four of a multi-part series on the history of Central School, look for new installments in the weeks to come! Installments in this series are adapted from Barbara Doyle's book on this topic: From Then 'till Now: Schooling in Newberg, Oregon. Part One Part Two Part Three Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part 4 - A New Building The 1932-33 school year began just like the previous one – short on cash, struggling financially in the Great Depression. But the long view was more promising. In early 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected president and his new Democratic government promised financial help. Newberg went for a $50,000 project – a new grade school – with residents taking on $35,000 bonded indebtedness and the federal government providing a $15,000 grant. The least costly plan was to build right on the existing site. The project moved forward – slowly. Thursday, January 24, 1935 was the last day of classes in the old school that

Central School to Chehalem Cultural Center: Part Three

By Barbara Doyle This is part three of a multi-part series on the history of Central School, look for new installments in the weeks to come! This and future installments in this series are adapted from Barbara Doyle's book on this topic: From Then 'till Now: Schooling in Newberg, Oregon. Part One Part Two Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Three – Good Times to Hard Times The new building had space for the principal’s office, a library and high school grades 9-11. The large basement could be used for recess time activities. The furnace wasn’t capable of heating sixteen rooms and long hallways; it was replaced. But some first and second graders still had classes in three separate rooms at the Creamery. Newberg experienced tremendous growth in the first decade of the 20th century. Perhaps the newcomers brought new ideas – high school, library, City Hall, bridge across the Willamette River, commuter train service to Portland. The three buildings were constructed

The Precedent for Unprecedented Times: The Spanish Flu in Newberg 1918-1919

by Rachel Thomas Ch eck out Part 2: The Spanish Flu and Pacific College/George Fox University! Note: Clippings in this article are from the Newberg Graphic which can be accessed through the University of Oregon Historic Oregon Newspapers project . Newberg Graphic, October 17, 1918. In the winter of 1918-1919 an epidemic swept the globe. The Spanish Influenza as it was called, arrived in the last few months of World War I. In Newberg, schools were closed, public gatherings were cancelled, and many fell ill. Newberg Graphic, January 9, 1919. Spain protested the moniker "Spanish Flu" - it was not theirs! News from London, New York, and other major cities spoke of a major epidemic. The Newberg Graphic published articles answering questions on symptoms of influenza, how to care for oneself, and the importance of avoiding gatherings. Outdoor exercise was recommended. Newberg Graphic, October 17, 1918. Newberg Graphic, October 10, 1918 Advice gi

Newberg Area Historical Society

Search This Blog