Dorena School is the only original school upriver that is still open. It started out as Chrisman School in 1891. The grounds for the school building that stood from 1896 until 1946 were purchased from James and Sarah Kirk. The name Dorena did not come into being until 1899 when Postmaster Alfred Bigelow named the town after two local women, Dora Burnette and Rena Martin. As the town obtained a Post Office and an official name, the name of the school followed suit.
In the very early years school was only in session for 14 weeks. The teacher received $40.00 per month in 1904 and taught as many as 40 kids from 1st through 7th grades in one room. In 1905 the salary went up to $50.00 per month and in 1906 it increased to $55.00 per month. A new two room building was added in 1907 and another teacher was hired. In 1909 the Hawley Act was passed requiring school to be in session for 6 months per year.
Dorena School added a High School class around 1912. 1912 was also the first year that Mrs. A.E. Dean taught at the school. She was known and loved as Aunt Jakey Dean by the people of Dorena for many years after.
In 1914 there was a big community celebration at Dorena School. The Cottage Grove paper reported “Over 200 people gathered at the schoolhouse Saturday morning for the rally to standardize the school. A short program was given by the school, after which Supervisor Stahlman presented the school pennant. He also gave the silver loving cup as a prize for being the first school in his district to standardize…After the exercises were closed a basket dinner was served by the boys and girls of the High School.” 17 year old Dorena High School student Opal Whiteley appears in the panoramic photo taken of all of the attendees that day.
In 1936 the last graduating class left Dorena High School. The class of three included Robert Wagner, Robert Vaughn and Mary Doolittle. From then on Dorena teenagers went to Cottage Grove High School. The town of Dorena had to disperse when Dorena Dam was constructed. The School moved to a new building a few miles upriver from its original site and reopened there in 1946. That school building still stands and, with the addition of a number of portable classrooms, is still in use.
Disston School was in operation from 1912 until 1961. The school and the town both took their name from the Disston saw blades at the lumber mill there. The old gym is still standing on private property. In an interview with Lena Carr taped in 1979 she tells this story about the school: the teacher would have the littlest kids sit on his lap during lessons. He wore an alarm clock around his neck to let him know when the lessons would end, and the little kids would surreptitiously turn the hands of the clock forward so that they could get out of school earlier. One little girl accidently turned the hands the wrong way, prolonging the agony of the class.
The oldest first-grader at Disston School was a 17 year old named Signe. She had just immigrated from Sweden and decided to spend a year in the first grade to learn English.
Wildwood School was the oldest school in the Row River Valley, opening in 1884. It closed down in 1940. The old building remains on private property on Lower Brice Creek Road.
Star School was open from 1890 until 1936. It is the only old valley school that leaves no trace of where it once was. The community of Star was centered between the 12 and 14 mile markers of Row River Rd, so it must have been somewhere in that area. Noted local author Opal Whiteley and her sisters attended Star School for part of their childhoods.
Culp Creek School enjoyed a long run. It opened in 1885 and closed in 1989. The large gymnasium at the school was the pride of the area and many events and activities were held there. The Culp Creek School building enjoys new life today as Child’s Way School.
There were some other small schools in the area that came and went quickly. The Doolittle School near Cerro Gordo was open from 1906 until 1916 and served children of the Doolittle and Crites families.
In the old days each school was often its own School District. At one point there were 200 School Districts in Lane County. Some years ago, a law was passed that required every School District to have a High School. At that point the many small Districts surrounding Cottage Grove merged to become the South Lane School District, including the little schools of the Row River Valley.