Old Jacksonville School keeps its charm

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Larry Smith’s fifth-grade class at Jacksonville School, in 1974-75, was the eighth of 17 groups of students Smith taught in this room.Larry Smith Collection

Room 6 at the Old Jacksonville School is filled with memories for hometown historian and teacher Larry Smith.

Smith spent 33 years teaching fifth grade in Jacksonville schools, and more than half of those years were spent writing on the blackboard at the front of the class.

"Even though the room was crammed into 550 square feet, and we did not have efficient heat or air conditioning and the roof leaked," Smith said, "we had a good time. The kids were great."

The old brick schoolhouse on Bigham's Knoll is more than 100 years old now. Its first classroom doors opened in January 1908, but it wasn't the first school to be built there.

By 1854, the shanty-filled mining town was becoming civilized. Families were arriving nearly every day, bringing their children who needed an education. Informal classes in private homes and church schools just weren't enough.

Jackson School District No. 1 was formed, and the first of at least two one-room school houses were established. School terms were irregular and sometimes nonexistent.

In 1867, school trustees decided to convert a house into a school room while they constructed a two-story schoolhouse on property acquired from a local farmer, John Bigham.

Fire after fire destroyed or damaged every school building built on the site until the brick and concrete "fireproof" two-story structure was erected at the end of 1907.

The fires didn't bother Pinto Colvig, who would grow up to become the voice of Goofy and Bozo the Clown.

"Wasn't it a beautiful sight that dark, snowy night when that old schoolhouse burned down?" Pinto once said. "All the old women and little girls cried, and us boys were glad."

The new school proved a durable addition to the community. Beginning in 1924, a gymnasium was built, followed over the years by a series of classroom additions. Smith's classroom was included in the 1947-48 expansion.

He began teaching in 1966, inspiring his students with his love of history.

"At a moment's notice we could take off on a walking trip and stand at the exact spot where so much history had taken place," he said. "I liked being downtown."

In 1983, the public school on Bigham's Knoll was abandoned in favor of a new elementary school on Hueners Lane. Smith was forced to leave the classroom that had been his home for 17 years.

The old brick schoolhouse was sold in 1993 to Cascade Christian High School, which used the property until selling it to Mel and Brooke Ashland in 2007.

As much as possible, the Ashlands have kept the original look of the old school, including reattaching the school's bell tower that had been removed in 1959.

Even Larry Smith is part of their plans.

"My old classroom is being restored," said Smith. "The Ashlands plan to name it the Larry Smith Room. It's a nice honor."

"What we're trying to do is preserve 100 years of history — the 100 years of learning that took place there," said Brooke Ashland, "Larry has been so helpful in helping us to do that."

"I left a lot of wonderful memories in that building when we moved out in 1984," said Smith. "But it was also nice to finally have a roof and heating system that worked."

Writer Bill Miller lives in Shady Cove. Reach him at newsmiller@yahoo.com.

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