Rural Training Centers

Title

Description

By the end of the 19th century, many graduates from Oregon State Normal School (OSNS) were hired in rural areas of the state. These rural teachers reported to their county superintendents that they had little contact with their colleagues in other rural communities and were rarely visited by school district officials. As a result, in the late 1890s Oregon State Normal School set up an observation contract with two schools in rural Polk County to give teachers-in-training an opportunity to observe what it was like in a small school setting. In 1917, this program was expanded when Oregon Normal School (ONS) hired M.S. Pitman to develop a Rural Training Center Program. Between 1917 and 1940, students were sent to live at one of ten schools in Polk and Benton counties to receive experience in a rural setting.

This collection of images shows the early observation center and each of the rural training center schools. The images are collected from the Norm yearbook, WOU Archives, Salem Historic Photographs, and the Benton County Historic Society.

Coverage

United States--Oregon

Subject

rural training schools

Collection Items

Cochran Rural School Observation Center

The Cochran Observation Program was a forerunner in developing the Rural Training School Program. It was used for observing a rural classroom from 1899 to 1912. This image is from the June 1912 ONS Bulletin.

Composite of the Rural Training Schools

Composite from the 1926 NORM yearbook showing Training Schools.

Elkins Rural Center

The two-room Elkins School was near the town of Airlie, close to the rail line. It served as an observation classroom from 1911 until it became part of the Rural Training Program in 1917 to 1930. This photograph is from the 1923 NORM yearbook.

Eola Rural Center

The one-room Eola School was northeast of Oak Point and Greenwood schools, in the hills above the Willamette River. Eola School was part of Rural Training Program from 1921 to 1927. This image is from the 1925 NORM yearbook.

Fairplay Rural Center

Fairplay School was located between Corvallis and Albany on Highway 20. The one-room, school house was part of the Rural Training Program from 1925 to 1930. This image is from the 1926 NORM yearbook.

Falls City Rural Center

Falls City School was part of the Rural Training Program for only three years, 1925 to 1928. This center was a residential placement for Oregon Normal School students. The school building is still in use today, although with numerous renovations…

Greenwood Rural Center

Students and teacher pose for Fair Day in front of Greenwood school which was located on Greenwood Road outside Independence. The single-room schoolhouse was part of the Rural Training Program from 1927 through 1936.

Oak Point Rural Center

Oak Point school was located north of Independence on Highway51. This one-room school house was part of the Rural Training Program from 1917 to 1935. This image is from the 1925 NORM yearbook.

Mountain View Rural Center

Mountain View school was located five miles north of Corvallis, near the Lewisburg crossroads of Highway 22. This multi-room schoolhouse was part of the Rural Training Program from 1917 to 1927. This image is from the 1925 NORM yearbook.

Oak Point Rural Center

Students and teachers pose in front of the Oak Point School in Polk County, Oregon in 1958. This photograph is from the Salem Historic Photograph collection.

Rickreall Rural Center

The Rickreall School was near the intersection of Highways 22 and 99W. Constructed in 1923, it was considered to be a model school building with running water and electricity in every classroom. Rickreall School was part of the Rural Training Program…