Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/526

376 to rent rooms, etc., provided the expense of this school for tuition shall not exceed $800 per annum. This school was opened in September, 1867, on the northeast corner of Columbia and Fourth streets, Mrs. Abbie J. Young teacher. The first quarter shows twenty-one boys and five girls enrolled. Miss Anna S. Northrup succeeded Mrs. Young in February, 1869, and taught one and a half years; September, 1870, T. L. Dugger, one year. At the annual meeting, April, 1871, it was voted to close this school at the end of the school year. Since then, colored children have been admitted to all schools on the same terms as other children.

October 30, 1873, Messrs. Giltner and Glenn, present, a resolution was passed by the board to open a night school in the Central building, beginning on the first Monday in November following. The school was to be open from 7:30 p. m. to 10 p. m. This school was to continue until the following April. Walter Johnson was employed as teacher. In a report of S. W. King, city superintendent, December 5, 1873, thirty-five pupils are reported as attending the evening school. In a report of T. L. Eliot, March 14, 1874, he mentions having visited this evening school December 1st and January 5th, and says that the school "seems to have done a good work for a class of young men in this city, and should be sustained part of every year." This single session of four months was closed April 1, 1874. Mr. Johnson received $200 for his services. Since then no effort has been made to sustain a night school. (See statement later on.)

At the annual meeting April, 1868, Thomas Stephens, James Terwilliger and others asked for a school house on the macadam road in the southern part of the city. A resolution was passed authorizing the directors, Messrs. Lovejoy, Glisan and Dennison, to erect said school building at a cost not to exceed $1,600, provided an acre of ground could be had free, etc. The building was erected evidently during the succeeding year.

From the records, it appears that the first school was taught by Miss Selina Barker (Mrs. S. M. Barr), beginning in April, 1869. She taught one quarter. By order of the directors, no school was taught there during the fall term. December 6, 1869, W. S. Chapman began and completed a six months' term. The next mention made is of a three months' school in the summer of 1871, when Miss Sutton was employed. October 26, 1871, E. C. Clarke began a term of fourteen weeks. September, 1872, Charles J. Mulkey was employed. He taught six months; whether longer, at that time, does not appear. He, however, began a term of six months, July 1, 1873.

May 30, 1874, at a meeting of the board, Messrs. Glenn, Ainsworth and Morgan T. L. Eliot, county school superintendent, were present, announced that in answer to a petition of the taxpayers of the district, he had set apart as a separate district, all that portion of No. i, lying south of the city limits, with the condition that at least three months more of school should be conducted at the expense of No. i. The board complied with the condition, and employed Miss Mary Pollock at $50 per month to teach said school, closing August 31, 1874.

July 14, 1874, on the recommendation of the county school superintendent, all that part of district No. i, lying north of P street and east of the Balch claim, was set off and made into district No. 27, now known as the Watson school district.

There are on file several newspaper items praising a few citizens for their liberal donations of lots and blocks for school purposes. It certainly will not harm any one to say that in all my researches, I have found but one-half block owned by the district, that came into its possession as a free gift. The north half of block 134 was a donation from Stephen Coffin, and he afterward gave the