Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/187

Rh That the court house was promptly completed we find in the first circuit court record.

"Term of District Court of the United States in and for the County of Polk and Territory of Oregon began and holden at the court house in Cynthian on the first Monday of October, the same being the sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-one."

The next public service on record in which Lyle was concerned was the establishment of La Creole Academic Institute. A glance through the records beginning February 5, 1855, reveals that it was a far-seeing project. The name Dallas had at the time replaced "Cynthian." Water, however, could not be secured on the site and the more progressive landholders, determined to keep the sessions of the county court in their locality, adroitly managed a new townsite, while they endowed the Academic Institute. The minutes are signed by Horace Lyman, Secretary.

"The meeting called for the purpose of establishing an Academy at or near Dallas was held pursuant to call at the Court House and came to order by choosing Mr. Harvy to the chair, H. Lyman, Secretary." Trustees elected were R. P. Boise, N. Lee, Wm. Lewis, J. F. Roberts, J. E. Lyle, F. Waymire, A. H. Sweeney, J. M. Frederick and Horace Lyman. The trustees were to draft a charter, select a location and report at the next meeting. It was decided at this meeting that "the provisions of the charter be made such as to leave with the teacher at the time employed, whether or not the exercises of morning and evening prayer should be had."

R. P. Boise was elected president of the Board of Trustees, plans were presented for the building and each trustee was requested to act as a solicitor to obtain funds for the Institute. F. Waymire made "the offer of twenty acres on the south side of La Creole" for S. Shelton, which offer was subsequently raised to twenty-five acres