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Welcome to the Newberg Area Historical Society!

Mission: Preserve, present, and promote the history of Newberg and the surrounding areas.

Vision: To be the go to resource for Newberg area history, supporting historic efforts through research, preservation, funding, and outreach.

Welcome to the Newberg Area Historical Society, we are passionate about our local history and are excited to share this passion with you!

We will be celebrating Herbert Hoover's 147th Birthday with the Hoover Minthorn House Museum on August 7th from 12-3pm! You are invited to join us!

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What's all this about Herbert Hoover?

By Britta Stewart If you’ve been around Newberg or George Fox University you may have noticed that the name Herbert Hoover comes up a lot. There is a Hoover building on the George Fox campus and a stretch of Highway 99W called Herbert Hoover Highway. It does seem unusual for a small town in the Willamette Valley to be seemingly obsessed with a president who is most often remembered by the economic turmoil of the Great Depression. However, a deeper look shows that this fascination is not that strange. Herbert Hoover actually called the Willamette Valley home for six years during his childhood. Hoover, or Bert as he was often called, was born in West Branch, Iowa in 1874. Unfortunately, he was orphaned by the time he was nine and subsequently moved to Newberg when he was eleven to live with his uncle and aunt, John and Laura Minthorn. Dr. Henry John Minthorn (John) and his wife Laura had recently moved to Newberg to teach at a school called Friends Pacific Academy. This was

The Mysterious “E. Wright”

By Chuck Zickefoose Why mysterious? His name shows or has shown up on sidewalks around Newberg. The sidewalk faces have a distinctive white paint-like appearance not seen on other walks in town. Also he is associated with two “Union Block” buildings, one in McMinnville, the other in Newberg. It is supposed that the “E” in his name stood for either Elsia or Elza according to Polk’s Directory of 1912-13 for McMinnville, Oregon. His occupation is listed as a cement worker. Other sources name him as a contractor building sidewalks in McMinnville as well as a harness maker. There are three sections of sidewalks in Newberg that are presumed to have been laid by Wright, these are: West side of S. College St south of First St West side of Blaine, E. Sheridan and south on Washington West side of Main St. north of Hancock to Franklin St. The distinctive markings are evident on each of the above stretches of sidewalk: Sheridan and Washington Sts. West side of S.

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 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 buildi

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

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

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

Newberg Area Historical Society

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