Document text
School District 2 in Southern Oregon was established in 1854 in the Griffin Creek area. Its first school was the Van Dorn School, which had 12 students who attended for three months in a log warehouse shared with muleskinners.  The Indian Wars forced cancellation of classes the following year. The warehouse burned, so District 2 built the Heber Grove School. By 1866 there were 25 pupils and the teacher was paid $110. Gus Newbury was hired to teach there in 1889. He was paid $200 to teach all eight grades, dig a well, and build two privies and a washhouse. By that time, the Medford and Phoenix School Districts had been carved out of District 2’s territory, taking many students with them, but District 2 continued to grow.  In 1901 the Enterprise School replaced the Heber Grove School for a cost of less than $1,000. In 1915 the Rosedale school was built for the first four grades, and Enterprise School was called Griffin Creek. A horse drawn school bus carted students between schools.  Griffin Creek Elementary School today is part of Medford School District 549c.   Sources: Guches, Janet, “Griffin Creek School Has Interesting History,” Medford Mail Tribune, May 3, 1959. As It Was is a co-production of Jefferson Public Radio and the Southern Oregon Historical Society. As It Was stories are broadcast weekdays on Jefferson Public Radio and are available online at asitwas.org.