Welcome Adams Elementary students!

“Schoolhouses were among the first buildings erected once the settlers took care of the more pressing needs of food and shelter. The rural school site, which was often one acre, contained the schoolhouse, a wood shed, two outhouses, perhaps a horse shed, and sometimes play equipment. The schoolhouse was usually a rectangular, front-gabled building with one room. The outsides of schoolhouses ranged from crude, unpainted board, to exteriors finished with painted trim elements. Many of the first schools were of log construction, like the schoolhouse erected in 1848 on what is currently the northeast corner of Second and Jackson in Corvallis and the Gingles Schoolhouse, located in the North Albany area.”

“Most students walked, while some rode horses to the district schoolhouse– often a mile or more away but rarely more than five miles from home. Many schools were closed in the worst winter months because of deep mud and heavy rains. In the summer, farm work closed the schools, leaving several months in the fall and spring for classes.”

“Schoolhouses were also the social hubs of communities, because the schools sponsored many community events. Popular amusements included box socials, pie socials, and ice cream socials. Christmas, May Day, and graduation were among the most important days for school celebrations.”

From A Pictorial History of Benton County, found on the Archives Reference shelf on the 3rd floor of The Valley Library.