Chronology of Concord School's History

Michael G. Schmeer
Oak Lodge History Detectives
February 2018

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1854
Oregon Territorial Legislature passed a law creating school districts within Oregon Territory and establishing an organized system to administer them. School District boundaries and numbers were assigned. The area of today's Oak Lodge was assigned School District No. 28.
1856
The first school in the Oak Lodge area was constructed, from logs, and was called "The little log school". Financed by subscriptions, it was located on the west side of today's River Rd. at Laurelwood Drive. Students were drawn from all or parts of what today is Oswego, West Linn, Oak Grove, Concord, Jennings Lodge and Gladstone. The average daily attendance in the school was 15 pupils during the first six week school period. There were only 55 students in the first school census of 1857. Orville Risley is credited with having started the school on Sept. 6, 1856.
1866
As the population gradually grew the log building was no longer suitable. William A. Starkweather suggested a new school be built. A newer building was built further south on River Rd., in the vicinity of today's Hillside Dr. on William A. Starkweather's property — later John Roethe's — and the log building was abandoned. The school came to be called "Riverside School", and the building was of board and batten construction. It was used until 1890.
1868
The area west of the Willamette River broke away from School District No. 28, creating District 47.
1890
Continued growth made the Riverside School unsuitable. In June 1890 Michael and Minerva Oatfield sold to School District No. 28 one acre along the west boundary of their farm for $175. At that time Concord Rd. was still part of what was called the "Oatfield Rd." and was a muddy track up the hill. Birkemeier & Schmale (Fred Birkemeier and Charles Schmale) were contracted to build the one room school house, with bell tower, along the road, where today's play area is. The total cost was $842.10 including paint, desks, shades and stovepipe. The name "Concord" was suggested by William A. Starkweather, and the "Concord School District" label began to be used. A dance was held in lieu of a dedication ceremony.
1893
Eastside Railway Interurban line was completed to Oregon City.
1903
Oak Grove growth resulted in Oak Grove's School District #103 being carved out of Concord's.
1904
Lorrin and Martha Andrews deed School District #28 1/2 acre adjacent to the west boundary of the 1 acre parcel previously deeded by the Oatfields. (This 1/2 acre was sold to the Brownells in 1945).
1904
Oak Grove School was built.
1908
Jennings Lodge School District #114 was carved out of Concord's. Construction of first Jennings Lodge School was begun by L.B. Miller.
1910
By this time yet a larger Concord school building was needed. A two room building was built directly behind the original school house. The original school was moved to Harold Ave. a few years later and used to construct a house.
  
1911
The first Concord PTA meeting occurred on Oct. 20th — the first Oregon PTA outside the city of Portland.
1922
Two more rooms and a basement were added by E.B. White to the 1910 two-room school house for $10,677. This enlarged building housed the 2nd through 8th grades. A separate building along the property's west boundary, adjacent to the Brownell's home, housed the 1st graders.
1925
Stanley and Della Zelasko deeded School District #28 approximately a 0.4 acre parcel at the foot of Spaulding Ave. — a small, oddly shaped piece of Lot 1 of Spaulding Acres.
1928
In anticipation of yet more growth, the school district purchased from the Quisenberys Lot 7 in Spaulding Acres (2.68 acres) immediately to the east of the original 1 acre school property.
1936
With a $26,182 grant from the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works (P.W.A.) and $20,000 local bond measure the district constructed the building we are familiar with today — minus the north wing. It was designed by F.M. Stokes, Architect at a total cost of $60,000. The 1st sites were earmarked for a play area.
1945
Additional property was purchased from Ambrose and Helen Brownell, who owned the chicken/holly farm immediately adjacent to the school property to the west, and who also owned a large portion of the properties between Risley Ave. and Vineyard Rd. on the east side of McLoughlin Blvd. The transaction was for Lot 2 in Spaulding Acres (2.31 acres — the "ball field") and included selling to the Brownells the 1904 1/2-acre immediately west of the original 1 acre the Oatfields had sold to the district.
1948
A north wing was added to the 1936 building from a $100,000 bond measure, and a ball field constructed on Lot 2 of Spaulding Acres.
1955
West Concord School, now (the new) Riverside School, is constructed on the west side of River Rd. @ Concord Rd. – only a few feet south of the Jacob Risley Donation Land Claim. The name was changed to "Riverside" in 1966.
1971
Concord school district becomes part of the newly created North Clackamas School District #12.
2014
North Clackamas School District #12 closes Concord.
2018
Concord School property is transferred to the North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District.