Historic Hood River
Pleasant View School
4-13-2017
Notes
Surprisingly I’ve never shown a clear view of this school before. This was the Pleasant View School, or Heights Public School, which was part of our school system until 1930 when it became the American Legion Hall. I suspect something relatively drastic happened back then, because the photos of the American Legion Hall show a significantly different building on the same foundation. The American Legion Hall was torn down in 1959, making room for a doctors’ office complex.
This was on the SE corner of 11th and June Streets in the Heights. It appears in the 1905 Sanborn map on the corner of H and Jago Streets. I don’t have a definitive date for construction, but we do have a 1903 class picture.
Rick
Looking at the architectural detail of this building makes me wonder what the cost invested per student per year was in that day versus our current time. There was clearly great pride taken in this building.
LMH
A thumbnail description of Pleasant View history.
Samuel Blythe wrote a brief paragraph in January 1904 regarding the money woes of the local school district and the overcrowded conditions of the two existing schools. Samuel made mention that the people on the hill wanted a school. In May mass meetings were held to discuss the building of a new four room schoolhouse on the hill. In June an election was held to refloat the $8,000 bond for Park Street school and $5,000 to build a new school on the heights. Of the eligible 400 voters only 25 voters showed up to cast their ballots.
July 1904 brought a mad scramble to find property to accommodate the school. There were the usual suspects offering lots for $1,000 but the school board only had $600 to spend for property. Property was finally located and purchased and bids were requested from various contractors. In August contracts were awarded to perform the various construction tasks. In September new teachers were hired although to new school would not be accepted by the School Board until December. In February 1905 the school name Pleasant View School was used.
In May of 1921 a roof fire occurred at the school, but quick reaction by the local volunteer fire department and their motor driven vehicle saved the day. In June 1921 the firm of Stranahan & Slavens were repairing the damage. In September 1921 the Pleasant View School burns again with more substantial damage, $15,000 with $12,000 insurance carried. In November 1921 the school structure (ruins) was finished by a freak snowstorm.
In September 1922 construction of the new junior high was completed by Stranahan and Slavens at a cost of $16,000 using $11,300 insurance money and some good economical decisions by the school board (such as using the same foundation).
L.E.
Another beautiful Hood River school.
Anyone know where the bell is now located?
Arthur
Two bells which still exist: the 1891 bell from the downtown school is in front of May Street elementary (discussed in a previous post) and the Frankton bell is outside the museum.
LMH
L.E., please see below regarding a bell at Pleasant View School.
The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, March 18, 1915, Image 5
The school bell, which has long done duty in the tower of the Pleasant View school, and which has rung in the duet with the Park street bell four times day for the past five years, threw up the sponge and cracked last week, like the bell that made Philadelphia famous. The janitor was ringing the 12:30 bell last Friday when it broke through. An old bell of the wrist moving model is doing duty there now till the school board gets into action on the question.
L.E.
Good find LMH.
I am trying to figure out the 4 times. Start of school, lunch, end of lunch, end of school?
I came up with end of lunch because the janitor was ringing it at 12:30.
I suspect many kids walked home for lunch.