in other words
The Good Ol ’ Days
By Tobie Finzel
Early Schools, Part One
Education was important to
Vernonia’s earliest settlers. In 1875,
just a year after the first families arrived,
Clark Parker donated a piece of land for
a school near present day Mist Drive,
north of the green bridge. Built in late
1876, the one room hewn log cabin
measured eighteen by twenty-four feet
with four windows. Fern Hill School
opened with Ozias Cherrington as the
teacher followed by Judson Weed the
next term. Due to the expense of hiring
a teacher and the need for children’s
labor on the family farms, school was
in session just three months per year.
The little log school also was used
for community functions. By 1881,
the growing population with its large
families meant a second school was
needed.
The first to serve the families
living west of the Parker land was built
in 1881 near the Nehalem west side road
and the start of the Rock Creek road, less
than a mile southwest of the Spencer
homestead on what became known as
“O-A Hill.” According to Sarah Spencer,
wife of pioneer Israel Spencer, in a 1928
Vernonia Eagle article, “the cracks
between the logs were filled in with
moss, and the large chimney which was
built from sticks and clay was perched
on one end of the building. At Christmas
in the year 1881, the community
Christmas tree was inside of the school
house where presents were distributed to
all, and following a potluck supper was
served to the many who attended the
program.”
Sarah also recalled that “On
Sunday, services and Sunday school was
held in the old school house, where set-
tlers from miles around attended to wor-
ship. Judson Weed taught the first school
term, which in the year of 1881 existed
three months of the year for learning
and teaching. School was next taught in
a building fashioned after a wood shed,
and later the school was held in a build-
ing which had been originally intended
to be a dance hall. A short time later
a school was built near where the high
school is now located, and was later sold
and a laundry started operations in the
old building.” The high school to which
Sarah refers was the Vernonia Union
Terry’s
Gym
july21
2016
High School, built in 1922 at State and
A Streets.
Locations of the various Verno-
nia schools are challenging to pinpoint,
but our research from multiple sources
states that the first wood-frame school
near the business district was sited near
the intersection of today’s Stoney Point
Road and Keasey (then called Rock
Creek) Road. Land for that school was
donated by the Mellinger family from
its homestead land. Built in 1893, it
had four windows, four rows of seats,
a double front door, and separate out-
houses for boys and girls. The desks and
blackboard came from the old school.
By then the town had its only church on
Jefferson Street north of Bridge.
The first Washington Grade
School was built in 1913 primarily as
an elementary school but in 1916 some
ninth grade classes for older children
were offered. Prior to 1922, a high
school diploma could only be obtained
by students who traveled away to board-
ing schools. Sometimes, the whole fam-
ily moved to get their children a high
school education. The first WGS was
erected on land donated by the Malm-
sten family near the site of the second
high school which was erected in the
early 1950s. The second Washington
Grade School was approved by the vot-
ers in 1930, opened in 1932 and oper-
ated until 2012 with the opening of the
new K-12 school on what was part of the
Israel Spencer homestead. Lincoln El-
ementary School, built in 1923, served
the booming population around the Rose
Avenue addition and Corey Hill areas of
town. In its four rooms, students from
kindergarten through fifth grade attend-
ed classes through 2004.
Columbia County provided cen-
tral administration of the schools under
Oregon School Law in the early days of
the county before regional school dis-
tricts were established. Teachers sub-
mitted monthly reports which had to be
reviewed and approved by the county be-
fore the $20 to $35 monthly salary order
was written to the chairman of the local
school board. These orders were vouch-
ers that would be presented for payment
at the annual school meeting. Teach-
ers were required to submit school term
summary reports to the County School
Superintendent in St. Helens.
Throughout the decades, former
students of our local schools went on to
become teachers here themselves. Dedi-
cated teachers and students have bene-
fited from the foresight of those first set-
tlers who knew that education was a key
to a full and happy life. Next month we
will explore the many one room schools
that appeared in the remote settlements
beyond Vernonia.
From Virgil Powell’s Diary
Virgil Powell (1887-1963) was a long-
time resident whose family had a farm in
the Upper Nehalem Valley between Na-
tal and Pittsburg. Each year from 1906
until 1955, he kept a regular diary of his
activities. We hope someone can tell us
if the last sentence in the July 27 entry is
an old time expression or if he was really
into sartorial splendor.
Saturday, July 21, 1906:
Went down to Mist in
morning also went up to
Vernonia in evening to
basket social which was
pretty good. Total amount
cleared $24.65. Seen Edna
and had a little talk. The
people danced a little after
the basket social but it did
not amount to anything.
There were a dance at Natal
Grange Hall tonight. All
report having a good time.
Sunday, July 22: Got home
from Vernonia at 5:30 A.M.
Slept until 9, then went down
to Natal and played ball
a little. Seen Alice, Minnie
and Hilda, got home at 5:15
P.M.
Monday, July 23: Went up
to Albers and N.J. Parkers
in morning. Went up to
Pittsburg in evening and
was sworn in to carry the U.S.
Mail. Today is my birthday.
There wasn’t any mail came
over today on account of a
train wreck. Emil Messing
was up this evening on his
bicycle.
Tuesday, July 24: Carried
the mail to Mist. Seen 2
deer down by Dave Kaye’s
when was coming back. Sent
postal card to Rob. Pretty
hot all day.
Wednesday, July 25: Sawed
a little wood and went
7
down to Crooked Creek
hunting, went up toward the
Wilkinson School House in
afternoon.
Thursday, July 26: Carried
the mail to Mist. Not very
warm during the day. Got
back at 12 N. Wrote to L.L.
Detrick.
Friday, July 27: Went up to
Pittsburg in morning. Came
back and fixed barn to hold
more oat hay. Very hot all
day. Got my hair curled in
evening.
Saturday, July 28: Hauled
a little wood in morning.
Not very warm during the
day. Started for Vernonia at
5:30 took in Grange meeting
and went over and stayed
overnight with Rob. Got to
their place at 1:30.
Sunday, July 29: Went
over to Vernonia with Rob
and took buggy ride up the
river about 3 miles. Played
a little ball in the street
in afternoon. Edna and
several more girls were there.
Heard about Gust Peterson
being dead.
Monday, July 30: Albert
Parker came down and cut
the oats for hay. Cool and
cloudy most all day. Went
up to Mellingers in evening
and brought Edna down.
Got home at 9:15.
The Vernonia Pioneer Museum is located
at E. 511 Bridge Street and is open from
1 to 4 pm on Saturdays and Sundays (ex-
cluding holidays) all year. From June
through mid-September, the museum
is also open on Fridays from 1 – 4 pm.
There is no charge for admission but do-
nations are always welcome. Become a
member of the museum for an annual $5
fee to receive the periodic newsletter. We
now have a page on the Vernonia Hands
on Art website, www.vernoniahandson-
art.org If you are a Facebook user, check
out the Vernonia Pioneer Museum page.
The museum volunteers are always
pleased to enlist additional volunteers to
help hold the museum open and assist in
other ways. Please stop by and let one
of the volunteers know of your interest in
helping out.
VERNONIA
C H I RO P R AC T I C C L I N I C, I NC.
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