Historic Hood River
Valley Crest School
Notes
There are a few things to talk about with this image.
The first is that it was mis-tagged as “Valley Christ Church” instead of “Valley Crest School.” Mistakes like this are easy because the software makes helpful suggestions as soon as you type “Valley.” This is a good reminder that whenever you search you are depending on the quality of the indexing to find what your looking for. When I do research if I’m having trouble finding what I’m looking for I cast a wider net, recognizing what I’m looking for may not be conveniently tagged with the keywords I am looking for. Archives are full of material insufficiently or incorrectly cataloged, which is why scholars make “discoveries” of important material all the time.
The second is the term “Valley Crest.” Hopefully some of the long time residents can help me here, but from what I am reading in the newspaper archives the term “Valley Crest” comes into usage about 1909 and fades out sometime about 1920. The papers have sections for news from “Mt. Hood” and “Valley Crest” about 1910, then start adding a section for “Parkdale” about 1911 and eventually “Valley Crest” fades away. I’m not 100% sure what “Valley Crest” refers to, but this article in The Hood River Glacier gives a few hints. In describing the “Stage Road to Mt. Hood Country” they say, “He traversed the Mt. Hood stage road from Booth Hill as far south as China Hill, now known as Valley Crest, and visited homesteaders on the east side of the East Fork, and along Dog River.” From what I read in the newspapers, it seems these terms are being driven by the real estate boom of that era, when people were working hard to sell orchard land to mid western transplanted farmers. “Valley Crest” was probably a little more appealing than “China Hill.”
And finally, notes indicate the Valley Crest School was constructed in 1907-08. It seems to have replaced an earlier “China Hill School.” I’ve never seen a photo of the earlier school. Miss Carrie Candee was one of the early teachers. The building was still around in 1920, but I can’t find any later references. I see an earlier reference that the Mt. Hood School, the Parkdale School and the Valley Crest School all funneled students into the Parkdale High School when that was constructed.
Charlott
Carrie Candee was the daughter of James and Christine (Anderson) Candee. She was a native of Iowa and died in Marin County, California. She was married to George Monroe. She was the sister of Pearl Alyuna (Candee) Routson.
Kenn
Looks like three teachers for six kids?.
ArthurB
I was wondering about that too, Kenn. The records show only one teacher each year, so maybe those are parents or teachers from other years. I saw different teacher names for each of the three years I looked at.
ArthurB
I checked the 1911 map. This school was somewhere near (a little north of) the intersection of Cooper Spur Road and Evans Creek Drive, just before the road starts to climb. That climb is “China Hill”. The route of the old Wagon Road is gone, but it continued from here up to Cloud Cap Inn.
nels
I assume the name China Hill came from some former residents?
ArthurB
Someone sent me a source claiming China Hill was named for the Chinese road crew that built the road.
Beth H
Valley Crest is the name of the Euwer farm that sits south of London Rd and east of cooper spur Rd. They still use the original log cabin farm house on their property- and I bet the school was just along their south property towards Evans cr…The Monroe’s/ Routson orchards sits between cooper spur rd and Evans cr rd – and clear cr rd-all at that same elevation. The McCarthys call part of their farm China Hill- and their properties go from upper clear cr and above and east of Laurance lk rd- and along cooper spur to the location of the old Mt a Hood Inn ( it burned down)- that Kate Rogers McCarthys folks (Homer Rogers) owned and ran during the years you are referring to-
I know a few upper valley folk who could tell me where that school sat- I’ll check it out.
nels
Trees to the right burned or diseased? Beautiful quality building, brand spanking new and looking sturdy.
Charlott
There is a portion of Cloud Cap Road that is called “China Fill.” I am not certain but think some Chinese were used for the construction of that area of the road at least.
I don't know, but could those trees be Tamaracks, that loose their needles in winter?
Beth H
I think those trees are Tamarack also, Charlotte.
And I noticed I said “Inn†but it was the Mt Hood Lodge.
I spoke to Euwers and McCarthys- they both say they had always been told that the Valley Crest school sat on the sight of 8620 Cooper Spur Rd- Which is now the home of Bud and Margie Routson. Now I want to ask a Routson to confirm.
ArthurB
Thanks for tracking that down, Beth. The map seems shows a 5 way intersection with a school and a church. Cooper Spur Road is N-S, the wagon road was NE-SW, and Evan's Creek Road heads west. 8620 Cooper Spur looks pretty close.
ArthurB
I'll try to add a map detail when I have a chance. It's pretty interesting.
Kitty Monroe
Valley Crest School was located at what is now Bud & Marge Routson home after a major remodeling.
My grandmother, Carrie Candy Monroe was the teacher at Valley Crest, a one room school house.
Carries’ son Melvin Monroe (my father) had several maps made when he was a speaker at the local Historical Society.
Kitty Monroe