Historic Hood River
Downtown School
Notes
In 1891 citizens of Hood River donated a fine bell to the downtown school, which had been constructed in 1882. You can see the bell tower in this image. This bell is now housed in a small shelter near the entrance to the May Street school. For more than 125 years this bell has welcomed young would-be scholars to a new day of learning. I am lobbying to place this bell in the new May Street school in a way which will honor this history.
A note on the reverse tells more of the story:
In 1882 a one room school building was erected in the newly platted town of Hood River. Later its capacity was doubled by extending the plan east, thus giving two rooms, When Park School was built in the early nineties, this original building was used for the primary department. Hood River county was organized in 1908 and purchased this building from the district for a courthouse, adding more rooms It is still used as such— Sept. 1925.
Two years ago I found the original plan for the building along with a detailed accounting for expenses by the builder.
Charlott
Nice looking school for a small town in that era. I am assuming that would probably be the wood shed in the lean to area in the back. Unless there is another chimney in the right under the branches and leaves I would think just one chimney with a stove would not give too much warmth to a building that large. Do we have any idea how many actual class rooms there were?
L.E.
From the very beginning, Hood River built beautiful schools. Definitely worth putting the bell in a safe and viewable place.
This school sat where today’s courthouse now sits?
Bill Seaton
Yes the school sat where the courthouse is now. However, the old building was still there in the early 1950’s. In those days, I used to hunt nightcrawlers on the lawn in front of it and sell them for a penny apiece.
nels
How about building a modern bell tower near the rest rooms in front of the court house and an explanatory sign to further explain HR’s early history?
Charlott
Bill has a good memory, as I don’t recall it……..
Charlott
Talking about school bells. I recall the story that my Dad told about when he was small and attended Pine Grove. The older boys got to take turns ringing the bell to signal the end of lunch and recess. He said he liked to stand there and watch them, then high tail it to his class room. If the bell ringer got carried away it would turn the bell over and he was sent to turn it back over. His birthday rolled around and his teacher, Miss Grace Turney (later Mrs. Percy Laraway) asked him what he wanted for his birthday. He said all he wanted was to ring the bell. She apparently fixed it with who ever was in charge of bell ringing. He said he gave that old rope a mighty pull down and up he went about 2 feet off the floor. Never did get to make the trip to the attic. I recall watching as it was being rang and it took a lot of umph to pull that rope down to give it enough to actually ring it.