Page:Oregon, her history, her great men, her literature.djvu/241

 First Oregon High School. The Old Lincoln High

School of Portland, was the first building of that character

erected in Oregon. It was begun in 1883, and completed

two years later, but before this time there had been high

school instruction in Portland. Under the principalship of

John W. Johnson, who had much to do with framing the

original high school course of study in the State, and who

later became the first president of the University of Oregon,

work of high school grade had been done in Portland as early as 1 869, with quarters on the second floor of the Central School building.

High School System Becomes Popular. The erection of Lincoln* High School was opposed by many who believed that secondary schools should not be supported by taxation. But the high school system grew in favor in Oregon until there came to be eight high schools in Portland, and one or more in nearly every other city or

POETLAND HIGH SCHOOL. 1886 State—all similar in

character to their predecessor.

Timely Appearance of the Lincobi School. Since the establishment of Lincoln High School there have been more great inventions than in any period of the same length in the history of the world. So many inventions have been made, and such numerous changes have followed that the conditions under which we now live are pronouncedly different from those which prevailed when the first high school 'At the outset It was known as Portland High School. 1