lead to some expansion of the public school . Let us now trace, as well as we can with our scanty materials, the course of its history to this point.
In September, 1849, the territorial legislature passed the first general school law providing for a system of common schools.[1] This act was elaborated by the acts of January 31, 1853, and January 12, 1854.[2] Under this revised school law education began in Eugene. The counties of the state were to be districted by the school superintendents,[3] and a tax of two mills levied by the commissioners of each county for the support of the schools. Such tax was to be collected in the same manner as other taxes, and to be distributed among the districts (together with the proceeds of a prospective state fund) in proportion to the number of children between four and twenty-one years.
In 1854 or 1855 (the exact date cannot be determined because all of the early records, both of the school district and of the county superintendent are lost), Eugene was organized as School District No. 4, Lane County. The first school in the village was kept in a small frame house erected by Fielden McMurray upon his farm. The teacher was Miss Sarah Ann Moore.[4] But this was purely private, the teacher being paid in tuition fees. From testimony of persons who were here at that period it is pretty certain that a school was held every year after that. Since the county commissioners levied the two mill tax
- ↑ Session Laws, Oregon Territory, session of 1850, pp. 66-76.
- ↑ These acts are summarized by Rev. Geo. H. Atkinson in Early History of the Public School System of Oregon, with a General Outline of its Legal Aspects; biennial report of Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1876, pp. 7-8.
- ↑ Rev. Robert Robe, now of Brownsville, Linn County, was the first superintendent, and districted the county. He thinks No. 4 was laid out in 1854 or 1855. (Letter from R. Robe.) Here signed on or before September 6, 1855. (Court records, 1852-1860, p. 138.)
- ↑ Interview with Milt. McMurray, a pupil of Miss Moore; and Mrs. Hampton, sister of Miss Sarah Ann Moore.
