History of the Wishkah Valley School District

In 2004, a group of Wishkah Valley School District students, under the guidance of former history teacher Bob Eager, began compiling a brief history of the district.

We welcome corrections, additions, and contributions from our community. If submitted information can be verified as accurate, it may be incorporated into our historical record.

We also encourage alumni, families, and community members to share special stories or memories about Wishkah Valley School District—especially those that inspire, encourage, and reflect the values of our school community.

The Wishkah Valley is a truly special place, and our school district has a proud history worth celebrating. We invite you to help us preserve and share those memories for future generations.

Anyone who has pictures is encouraged to contact Wendy Olson by email, wolson@wishkah.org.

Introduction

By the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, North of Aberdeen, there were several schools in the Wishkah and East Hoquiam valleys. By 1920 there were seven little schools that were scattered throughout the area.

Summary

If you are interested in viewing original glass-slide photographs of the people and schools in the Wishkah and East Hoquiam valleys, visit the Polson Museum in Hoquiam, which has hundreds of original glass-plate negatives. The glass negatives are from Oral M. Patterson's work.

Many times a photo would appear in the local newspaper with Eugene Patterson (Oral's son) as the contributor, but in most cases it was Oral's work. Visit http://www.polsonmuseum.org/ for more information.