Mohawk Valley Schools
Information from A History of the Mohawk Valley and Early Lumbering by Louis E. Polley
Isabel-Marcola
It's difficult to date the exact time when the first school district was started in the Mohawk Valley. It is believed the first school was built on the Donation Land Claim of one of the Allen Boys. It was built in the early 1860s on the old Territorial Road about half way between McGowan and Parson Creek. This school was replaced by an old white school in 1876.
School was also held in the log building at the present Marcola Cemetery. Prior to 1876, a frame building was built on the Wendling road half way between Marcola and Wendling. At this time the log building was abandoned. The frame building was the start of District #79.
Prior to 1905 a school was constructed at the present site of the high school. It is believed the teacher was Maude Drury.
The next school was built as a one story, four room school house on the present site of the elementary school around 1907. In 1912 the roof was raised and Mohawk Union 8 High School was added.
Both buildings burned around 1927 and Mohawk High School was erected on Wendling Road. At the present location of the elementary school another grade school was built.
The grade school burned again in 1976. A new school was built at the same location.
Stafford School District #11
It seems the Stafford School District was the first district in the valley to be numbered. Charley Evans and Charley Hayden agree it was the second school in the Mohawk Valley. They believe it started in the early 1870s and J.S. Churchill was one of the first teachers. This school was used for several years and then students were moved to Mohawk Elementary.
Mabel Schools #80 and #64 Upper Mabel #153
Mabel was thought to be the third school in the valley. The school was a log building built at the south edge of the Upper Mabel Cemetery in 1878. District #80 was built on the Drury place. In 1887 the second school in Mabel was found not far south of the cemetery.
The old timers partitioned Linn County to move the county line to the ridge on Brush Creek Road. On March 5, 1888 the school district changed its number to 64 after joining Lane County.
In 1895 a 20 x 30 and 16 foot high school building was built across from the Dunkard Church. District #153 was formed and the Upper Mabel School was built the same year.
A two-room school with two teachers was built in 1912. By 1926 only one room was being used and only one teacher was present for all eight grades. This decline was because of the closure of Coast Range Lumber Co. had closed down. Mabel was almost a ghost town. The school closed after 1932 and student was bused to Marcola.
Mohawk Schools at Donna #144
The Mohawk School (Ping Yang School) was built sometime before the turn of the century to relieve overcrowding in the old White School. This school was dynamited three times, repaired, and finally destroyed by fire. The school was erected in a new location and was in use from 1909 until around 1963. The school was sold to Robert Burns when Springfield School District built a new school. Burns remodeled it into a house.
Wendling Schools #163
Prior to 1900 Wendling started its own district. The school was found half way between the swimming hole and the town. The second school was built prior to 1909 and was located across the covered bridge. Another school was built near the second school.
Many student attended schools in the logging camps. One school described by Mr. Polley as having all grades in one room. It was built on skids so it could be moved from camp to camp. The school was heated by wood stove. Camp schools were closed in 1945 and the Wendling School in the early 1950s. Students were then bused to Marcola.
