Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 21.djvu/93



METHODIST EDUCATIONAL EFFORT IN OREGON TO 1860 83

2. A Professor of Ancient and Modern Languages. Salary, $900.

3. A Professor of Exact and Natural Sciences. Salary, $900.

4. The President shall be responsible for the discipline.

CLACKAMAS COUNTY FEMALE SEMINARY

This school grew out of a venture of the part of Mrs. J. Quinn Thornton who had established a "Female School for the Instruction of Young Ladies and Misses" at Oregon City in 1847. 23 This instruction comprised "all branches of a thor- ough English education, including plain and fancy needlework, drawing and painting in water colors and mezzotint." Doubtless the good lady was doing her best to counteract the influence of the Baptists and Catholics who were founding schools in Oregon City at the same time.

In any event, the first Territorial Legislature gave a charter to the "Clackamas County Female Seminary" in Sept. 1849. 24 This school was to be undenominational, the charter specifically stating that no one religious sect was ever to be in complete control, but, the Methodists and Congregationalists were back of it. Dr. McLoughlin gave three blocks of land, (the act of 1849 limited the real estate to ten acres and the total resources to $100,000.00). A $10,000.00 building was constructed and Mr. Harvey Clark installed as teacher. He was followed by Mrs. Thornton and Mr. and Mrs. H. K. Hines.

In 1852 according to an advertisement in the "Statesman," the president of the Clackamas County Female Seminary was G. H. Atkinson, but it was under the "direction of Mr. E. D. Shattuck, lady and competent assistants." These teachers were obtained by Atkinson from Vermont. There were three departments, primary, preparatory and regular course. The tuition was $8, $10, and $12 respectively for a term of eleven weeks. The "regular course" paraded the following curricu- lum : Geometry, Logic, Intellectual Philosophy, Moral Science,

23 Oregon Spectator. Feb. 1, 1847.

24 I mention this school for several reasons, although it was not, strictly speaking, a Methodist school. The Methodists were very influential in its affairs, however. Eva Emery Dye says the Clackamas County Female Seminary and the Oregon City Seminary were the same thing. I am inclined to doubt this. There is no question about the acts of incorporation being different. It may be the Oregon City Seminary was incorporated after the Female Seminary died out. Have been unable to determine this point.