Marion County, Oregon had at one time at least 144 different public school districts. These districts ranged in size from a single one-room school house, to larger city districts with multiple schools. Over time many of these smaller school districts were merged and consolidated. Today (2022) only 12 public school districts remain.

Because of the complex administrative history of these many districts, records are spread far and wide, and often utilize different naming systems. This finding aide has been created to help demystify the historical numbering/naming system and provide a list of these Marion County School District Records available at the Willamette Heritage Center.

Check out the Marion County Records Guide created by the Oregon State Archives (another large repository of Marion County School District Records) for an inventory of records they have found at a variety of institutions: Marion County Records Guide -> Scroll down to School District Records.

Standard School Record Book for the Rocky Point School located near Aumsville, Oregon. WHC Collections 2009.093.0001. These ledgers kept a list of students names and attendance in the district school as well as other things. Scroll down this page to find a list of all Marion County School District Records in the WHC’s collections.

How to Use This Guide

This guide consists of several parts:

Map of Historical Marion County School Districts
Numerical List of Known Marion County School Districts
Inventory of Collections Materials at the Willamette Heritage Center Related to these districts

Scroll to access these different elements. You can also search this page by using the keyboard shortcuts CTL + F to search for a school name inside all of these records.

This is just a list of materials available. To learn more about accessing records at the Willamette Heritage Center visit our research page

Donald School. WHC Collections 2004.025.0100

This map was created utilizing a number of sources including:

Early Schools of Marion County, 1976
Ledger of Teachers Contracts for Marion County Schools, 1911-1915 WHC Collections 2008.066.0001
Metsker’s Map of Marion County, 1929
Newspaper Records

This map is not to scale and is meant to provide an approximate location to help start searches. Numbered school districts (keeping in mind that many smaller districts consisted of a single school until later consolidations) are overlaid on an approximation of modern districts. A numerical list of school districts can be found below. You can search for a school district name by using keyboard shortcuts CTRL+F and typing in the name of the school. Note inconsistencies in the records are common and noted in the list below where possible.

Download a copy of the map here. Map created by the Willamette Heritage Center, 2022.

Marion County School Districts by District Number

No.	District Name	A.K.A.	Map Key	Notes
1	Donald		North Marion
2	Arbor Grove	Case	St. Paul
3	Middle Grove		Salem
4	Silverton		Silverton
5	Rosedale		Salem
6	Witzel		Cascade
7	Sublimity		North Santiam
8	Rickey		Salem	District School No. 8 is illustrated in the 1878 Atlas of Marion and Linn County as being located in section 32, Township 7 South Range 2 West.
9	Macleay		Salem
10	Evergreen		Silver Falls
11	Aumsville		Cascade
12	Fern Ridge		North Santiam
13	Manning	Pioneer	Gervais
14	Jefferson		Jefferson
15	Hubbard		North Marion	District School No. 15 is illustrated in the 1878 Marion and Linn County Atlas on the property of W. Gomley in Township 5S range 1 West, section 4.
16	Oak Grove		Silver Falls	1929 Metsker’s Map shows school between sections 12 and 13 T8S R1W
17	Parrish Gap		Jefferson
18	Hall		Woodburn	District School No. 18 is shown in the 1878 Marion and Linn County Atlas in Section 7 of Township 5 south Range 1 West of the Willamette Meridian.
19	Brush Creek		Silver Falls
20	Marion		Cascade
21	Gates		Santiam Canyon
22	Pringle		Salem
23	Aurora		North Marion
24	Salem		Salem
25	Battle Creek	Squirrel Hill; Capital School; Illihee/Illahe	Cascade	1929 Metsker Map, Section 2 T9S, R3W. Not to be confused with Ilihee (#28)
26	Fairfield		Gervais	1878 Atlas of Marion and Linn Counties shows Fairfield School located T5S R3W Section 13. Read more about Fairfield and the school here.
27	Looney Butte		Jefferson
28	Ilihee		Salem	Not to be confused with Battle Creek/Illihee (#25)
29	Rocky Point		Cascade	1929 Metsker’s Map shows school in southwest quadrant of section 15, T8 SR 1 W
30	Willard	Liberty	Silver Falls	Note 1929 Metskers Map of Marion County shows separate entries for Liberty School and Willard School, suggesting at least two school buildings within the district
31	Brooks		Gervais
32	Champoeg		St. Paul
33	Evans Valley	Evans	Silver Falls
34	Belle Passi		Woodburn
35	Silver Cliff	Silver Knob	Silver Falls
36	Mission Bottom		Gervais
37	Fairview	Ankeny	Salem
38	White		North Marion	District School No. 38 is illustrated in the 1878 Atlas of Marion and Linn County as being located in Township 4 South Range 1 West Section 36.
39				To date could not find records of school district with this numerical designation
40	Central Howell		Silver Falls
41	Hazel Dell	Lone Butte	Silver Falls	District School No. 41 is illustrated in the 1878 Atlas of Marion and Linn Counties as being located in section 16, Township 6 south range 1 West on property owned by the heirs of “H. Stafford.”
42	Union Hill	Victor Point	Silver Falls	These two merged, but were two separate districts. This number currently marks Union Hill. See number 112 for Victor Point; Union Hill School in 1929 Metsker’s Map shown T8S R1E east half of section 18. Comparing to modern County Assessor’s map, this appears to be the north side of what is now Hwy 214, just west of the intersection with Drift Creek Road SE
43	Independence		North Santiam
44	West Woodburn		Woodburn
45	St. Paul		St. Paul
46	McKee		Woodburn
47				To date could not find records of school district with this numerical designation
48	Croston	Livesley, Roberts	Salem
49	Whiskey Hill		North Marion	Out of order in 2008.066.0001 Teachers Contracts (listed on page 242)

No.	District Name	A.K.A.	Map Key	Notes
50	Pratum		Silver Falls	District School No. 50 is illustrated in the 1878 Atlas of Marion and Linn Counties as being located between sections 23 and 24, Township 7 South Range 2 W.
51	North Howell		Gervais
52				No records have been found with this district number
53				No records have been found with this district number
54	McAlpin		Silver Falls	1929 Sanborn Map shows School in southeast quadrant of Section 4, T8S R1W
55				No records have been found with this district number
56	Grassy Pond		Silver Falls
57	Butteville		North Marion
58	Pleasant View		Cascade
59	St. Louis		Gervais
60	Eldridge		Gervais
61	West Stayton		Cascade
62	Milster			Possible duplicate of #94. Listed this way in 2008.066.0001 Teachers Contract Book
63	Bethany		Silver Falls
64				No records have been found with this district number
65	Hazel Green		Salem Keizer
66				No records have been found with this district number
67	Thomas		Silver Falls
68	Johnston		Woodburn
69	Prospect		Salem Keizer	7085 Skyline Road
70	Harmony		Silver Falls
71	Liberty		Salem Keizer
72	Sidney	Ankeny	Jefferson
73	Scotts Mills		Silver Falls
74	Mehama		North Santiam
75	McLaughlin		Silver Falls
76	Gervais		Gervais
77	Stayton		North Santiam
78	Swegle		Salem Keizer
79	Turner		Cascade
80	Shaw		Cascade
81	Oak Glen		North Santiam
82	Parkersville		Gervais
83	Triumph		North Santiam
84	Four Corners		St. Paul	District School No. 84 is illustrated in the 1878 Atlas of Marion and Linn Counties as at a cross-roads near the center of section 21, Township 4 South Range 2 West.
85	Silver Creek Falls	Silver Falls City	Silver Falls
86	Center View	Centerview	Silver Falls	1929 Metskers Map shows the school in Township 7 S Range 1 West Section 22, located on the east side of the Silverton-Willard Road (now Cascade Highway) and just north of intersection with Pratum-Willard Road (now Sunnyview Rd NE). Newspaper article in the Oregon Statesman (24 June 1967) states “Centerview school district consolidated with Victor Point Many years ago. The school was torn down and property returned to farm land.” Marion County History (Volume XIV -1983/84 pg 57) reads: Enrollment at the school ranged from high of 32 to less than six pupils when the district consolidated with Victor Point in 1947. Later the building was razed and some of the lumber used in the construction of a new home in the district. Contradictory source (photo at the WHC 1999.003.0019) says the building became Waldo Hills Community Hall (now located across Cascade Highway).
87	Summit		Cascade
88	Keizer		Salem Keizer	District School No. 88 is illustrated in the 1878 Atlas of Marion and Linn Counties near the intersection of sections 34 and 35 (Township 6 South Range 3 West) and Sections 3 and 2 (Township 7 South Range 3 West).
89	Pleasant Point		Salem Keizer
90	Oakdale		Mari Linn
91	Mt. Angel		Mt. Angel	Also number assigned to Geelan (Later 92)
92	Geelan		St. Paul	Also at one time labelled No. 91
93	Mountain View	Havernick	Silver Falls
94	Milster		Mt. Angel	Duplicate of No.62 or was 62 a separate district?
95	Davis		Silver Falls
96	Sunnyside		Salem Keizer
97	Crooked Finger		Silver Falls	Is it possible Crooked Finger (97) and Abiqua (105) are same school? So close together in maps.
98	Howell	Powell, Alder Creek	North Santiam

No.	District Name	A.K.A.	Map Key	Notes
99	Hayesville		Salem Keizer
100	Oak Ridge		Salem Keizer
101				No records found with this district number
102	Perkins	Maplewood	Salem Keizer
103	Woodburn		Woodburn
104	Union		Woodburn
105	Abiqua	Dunigan	Silver Falls	Depicted on 1929 Metsker’s Map T6S R1E S half of section 28. Possible Crooked Finger (97) and Abiqua (105) are same school, so close together in maps?
106	Taylor		Santiam Canyon	Article Oregon Statesman 18 May 1932 pg 5 describes school as “on the ridge south of Mill City.” Map placement is based on that.
107	Hullt		Silver Falls
108	Unnamed District		Santiam Canyon	Not listed the Marion County Teachers Contract’s Ledgers WHC 2008.066.0001. Is listed in Early Schools in Marion County, 1976.
109	Riverside		Salem Keizer	Note “Improvements at Riverside School Lauded” Capital Journal 19 April 1929 pg 1, also calls it Riverview school — could this be related to River view/Hall’s Ferry School (138) and just another number assigned? “Only Five One Room School houses Remain in Marion County.” Capital Journal 15 April 1955 has picture and describe it on South River Road near Salem.
110	Valley View	Pleasant View; Fair View	Silver Falls
111				No records found for a district with this number.
112	Victor Point		Silver Falls	See 42 for Union Hill on Map. These two districts merged and both went by 42 at one point.
113	Fruitland		Salem Keizer
114	Brier Nob	Briar Knob	Silver Falls
115	Elkhorn		Santiam Canyon	1929 Metsker’s Map shows T9S R3E north half of section 11
116	Noble		Silver Falls	1929 Metsker’s Map shows school in on border between south halves of sections 35 and 35 T6S R1E
117	Niagara		Santiam Canyon
118	Auburn		Salem Keizer
119	Mahony		St. Paul
120	Hall’s Camp		Santiam Canyon	Not finding on maps from 1929 (Metsker’s) nor 1976 Early Marion County Schools. “County to Maintain Old Hall’s Camp Road” described it as “four miles west of Detroit.” Location on map is guess based on this description
121	Minto		Santiam Canyon
122	Clear Lake		Salem Keizer
123	Detroit		Santiam Canyon
124	Crawford		Cascade
125	Bethel		Salem Keizer
126	North Santiam		Cascade	Not to be confused with later Unified District Title/Map Key
127	Porter		Silver Falls
128	Salem Heights		Salem Keizer
129	Mill City		Santiam Canyon
130	Broadacres		North Marion
131	Cloverdale		Cascade	See Also No. 144
132	Fox Valley	Gooch	Santiam Canyon	Now in Linn County, but was at one time administered by Marion County
133	Cedar Cap	Bridge Crest	Silver Falls
134	Buena Crest		Gervais
135	Waconda		Gervais
136	Talbot		Jefferson
137	Raybell		St. Paul
138	Halls Ferry	Riverview	Salem Keizer	Could this be related to Riverside (No.109)?
139	Abiqua Heights		Silver Falls
140	Unnamed District		Silver Falls
141	Idanha		Santiam Canyon
142	Monitor		Silver Falls
143	Labish Center		Salem Keizer
144	Cloverdale		Cascade	See Also No. 131

Other Schools mentioned in Early Schools of Marion County, but not given with district numbers are represented below

No.	Name	A.K.A.	Map Key	Notes
?	Cooley	Colley	Woodburn
?	Fargo		North Marion
?	Lutheran	Luthern	Silver Falls	1929 Metsker’s Map shows in the southwest corner of section 6 T6S R1E
?	Kaufman		Silver Falls
?	Waldo Hills		Silver Falls

Inventory of Marion County School District Records at the WHC

Marion County School Directory, 1946-1947. Lists teachers and schools in Marion County, Oregon. WHC Collections X2018.008.0038

Types of Records

The Willamette Heritage Center maintains a variety of materials documenting Marion County School Districts. These include things like:

Photographs
Scrapbooks
District Directories
Oregon School Record Books
Individual Report Cards
Diplomas
Teachers Contracts and certificates
Oral History Interviews

The collections at the WHC are not comprehensive. Most were acquired by individual donors. The one exception to this is a large collection of Salem-Keizer School District records. Check out the finding aide for these records here: https://www.willametteheritage.org/salem-keizer-school-district-records/

Inventory Coming soon!

We are in the process of completing an inventory of Marion County School District Records within the WHC collections. This area will be updated as the inventory progresses. Check back often for updates.

General Marion County Schools Records at the WHC

Records

Ledger of Teachers Contracts for Marion County Schools, 1911-1915 WHC 2008.066.0001

Directories

Marion County School Directory, 1946-1947 WHC X2018.008.0038

Oral History Interviews

Interview with Marion County Schools Superintendent Agnes Booth, 1962 WHC X2012.031.0012 (see link above)

Marion County School Districts