Historic Hood River
Crapper School
12-2-2019
Notes
We have several nice old images of the Crapper School at Oak Grove. While this isn’t the best view of the building, I think it captures the era the best. It is dated 1898, though I wouldn’t be surprised if it is a few years older. The school was constructed in 1893, and everything looks very new in this image.
Kenn
Is it logical to assume the school is named for a local family that donated land or constructed the school?
Roger Sheldrake
Can we also assume the school house had a bell? Looks as though it had a rope to ring it
ArthurB
Yes, and yes: The land was donated by Dorsey Crapper. Not only did the school have a bell, but you can still ring that bell if you drop by the History Museum. That’s the bell which to the east of the museum building.
nels
Do you know the photographer by any chance? Looks very wet, maybe raining as the picture is taken.
nels
Adding to clues of when this was built: no plants, grass or weeds, near the building.
ArthurB
Yes, I suspect this is the first class (1893) and the 1898 data on the reverse is a transcription error.
It’s hard to imagine how those kids aren’t covered in mud.
Kenn
Wonder how students from other schools referred to them.
Arlen Sheldrake
"great" question Kenn"¦..no other comment from this former Blue Dragon….
ArthurB
In 1912 this building was replaced with the brick building which is still there today. Common usage referred to the old building as the Crapper School and the new building as the Oak Grove School.
Bill Seaton
I remember Mabel Selnes, who was a long time principal of Oak Grove School and was one of my Mother’s good friends in the 1940’s.
Charlott
I think it is so wet from snow melt. If you look at the shed to the left of the photo you will see it wet from the ground up a ways. How would it get that soaked, I say snow and lots of it. You have to things that suggest the time of the year. First off the ladder, indicating to me they had it there because they had had to go up and shovel snow off that roof. Also note the trees are bare. In fact those little white ripple looking things might be the very last remnants of snow.