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HISTORY OF THE GOBLE SCHOOL 1881-1998*
HISTORY OF THE GOBLE SCHOOL 1881-1998*
By Robert M. Thomas
In 1881, William M. Link, Charles Makinster, Francis M. Fowler, and John M. Archibald formed the first school board for school district number twenty. William Link served as the board’s first director, and in 1881 the communities first public schoolhouse was built upon a rock bluff, opposite of where modern-day Jaquish Road intersects with Nicolai Cutoff Road (then known as the St. Helens-Rainier Road).
Although the area has long been known as Goble, in 1881 the local settlers referred to their settlement as Enterprise, in reference to Enterprise Landing, which was located on the Columbia River at the east terminus of modern-day Jaquish Road—then known as Enterprise Road.
In reference to the community it served, the founders of the new two-room schoolhouse named it "Enterprise." Miss Flora Archibald, the lovely young daughter of John and Mary Archibald taught the first semester at the Enterprise School in 1881. Two years later, Civil War veteran, Mr. Elijah Wingert took over the school teaching duties. As a musician in the 118th Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteer's Infantry, Mr. Wingert had served in the historic battle of Gettysburg. It must have been an interesting session for the 38 pupils that attended the Enterprise School that year.
Goble’s first two room school was built in 1881. It served until 1886 when a larger second building was constructed across the road to accommodate a growing community. The original school became a private residence and an addition was added to the right side of the building. Pictured here is the Tipton family in about 1910 in front of the original schoolhouse. Robert Thomas’ family (the author) lived there in 1990s. It still remains as a private home. (a)
During this time, due to the expansion of the Northern Pacific Railroad and the influx of settlers seeking homestead claims, the area's population increased significantly. In 1886, a larger schoolhouse was constructed in Enterprise to adapt to the growing community. This schoolhouse was located on the east side of Nicolai Cutoff Road, opposite of the original Enterprise schoolhouse. One can only speculate as to its exact location, and on which side of modern-day Jaquish Road the second Enterprise Schoolhouse was built.
In 1890, the U. S. Postmaster General approved the founding of a post office at Enterprise; however, because at this time there was another settlement in Oregon also named Enterprise, Eli G. Foster, the applicant of the post office and its first postmaster, opted to name the post office Reuben, in respect to his uncle and the settlement’s primary founder Reuben R. Foster. It was Reuben who had donated the land which the first Enterprise schoolhouse was built upon. Following the founding of the Reuben post office, the settlement and schoolhouse inherited the new name.
Shown is Goble’s third schoolhouse built in 1902 on present-day Goble School Road. There was expansion to this building years later, and then in 1974 the original was torn down to make way for an addition to the expansion. (b)
In 1902, a new two-room schoolhouse was built. The 36' X 56' structure was constructed on present-day Goble School Road. To accommodate the new school, the pupils worked to raise funds to purchase mathematical blocks, a glass book case, wall pictures, a new organ, and 100 volumes of books for the library. Students Jennie Foster and Virgie Nichols sold subscription paper to raise money for a school flag, and an additional forty dollars was raised for the purchase of the school bell. Made in Chicago, Illinois, per reports the new school bell weighed 650 pounds.
Five years after the completion of the new schoolhouse, a historic event for the community of Reuben took place. On May 24, 1907, Hannah Gowen, Jennie Foster, Lizzie Hunter, Gladys Cox, William Nicholson, Wanda Wasceiwitz, and May Gowen became the final scholars to graduate from the Reuben School. Their chosen class motto was, "Self Effort Educates."
The existing schoolhouse was closed in 1998 and now serves as a church. Photo by Friends of Goble School on Facebook.
Although the locals often referred to the Reuben School as the Goble School, it did not officially become the Goble School until 1908. Beginning in the mid 1890's, two "three month" semesters were taught at the Reuben Schoolhouse. During the spring semester the school was called the Reuben School, and during the summer semester it was called the Goble School. Some people referred to it as the Goble-Reuben School. The name switching was done as a compromise to appease the two competing town sites.
In January of 1915, Goble Mayor, Mr. Frank Bishop issued a proclamation to the community that a sidewalk would be built on the 30th day of January from the main part of town to the Goble Schoohouse. On that winter day, nearly the whole town turned out for a regular sidewalk building bee. The boardwalk requiring 30,000 feet of lumber, and extending more than 4,000 feet, was completed before the sun had set that evening. The only cost to the city was for the purchase of the lumber and nails.
The citizens of Goble were not only supportive of their own district, they were also generous in helping other areas in times of need. During the San Francisco earthquake in 1906, the Goble community organized a committee to gather donations to help the suffering victims. In 1912, eleven-year-old Jenny Belle Link, a talented musician, performed on piano "The Wreck of the Titanic" in commemoration to the tragic event.
During World War I, the local chapter of the Red Cross unveiled a service flag at the Goble School that displayed fifteen stars. Each star represented a local soldier. Serving in the U.S. military from the Goble area during World War I were the following soldiers: Joe Alexander, Arthur Burbee, Arthur Cooper, Harry Cooper, Henry Cooper, Cass Fowler, Ray Grimshaw, Chester Link, Ernest Link, Edward Mellan, Warren Mellan, John Patrick, Nick Thomas, Emil Verhaeghe, and Frank Welter.
(1) Location of Goble’s 1st schoolhouse built in 1881. (2) Probable location of Schoolhouse #2 built in 1886 (though there are indications that it may’ve been on the South side of Jacquish Rd.). (3&4) School house #3 built in 1902 and then torn down in 1974 to make way for an addition to an earlier expansion making it #4. It closed in 1998.
Local history became an important subject for many schools during the 1930's. The local newspapers published several articles about the pioneers, and the establishments of the townsites. An article titled "History of Goble," written by Vera McAtee, an eighth-grade student at the Goble School was published in 1941. The article can be found in the Oregon Historical Quarterly, Volume 42, Page 97.
Shortly after the second World War, the school districts in the modern-day Goble area began to downsize. In 1948, the Beaver Homes School originally known as Mooresville closed its doors, and consolidated with Goble. Eight years later, in 1956, the Shiloh Basin School did the same. The Neer City School closed in 1964, its students transferring to Rainier Elementary. In 1974, the old Goble School expanded, and the Neer City students transferred to the Goble School. It was at this time that the old Goble Schoolhouse was razed to make room for the additions in the expansion, including a new library.
In 1998, Goble Elementary School closed. "It is a sad situation for the community," noted sixth grade student Alexis Link in the spring of 1998, following the school district's decision to close the school. The closure of the Goble School that spring not only marked the end of an era for a community, it also marked the end of a generation for a family. During the spring of 1998, Alexis Link was a member of the final class to graduate from the school that her great-great-grandfather William “Bill” Link had helped to establish 117 years earlier. Alexis was the fourth generation of the Link family to attend grade school in the Goble District. Her Great-grandfather Abe, her grandfather Henry, and her dad Scott, all having preceded her.
During the fall of 1998, the students from Goble began attending Rainier Elementary.
Reference:
(a) Image from a photo postcard in the Robert M. Thomas collection, given to him by Robert Tipton of Hillsboro, Oregon (the youngest child in the photo).
(b) Photo source; Beaver Homes Grange 2014 centennial calendar, and contributor Sheryle Teuscher, Country Financial. Caption for this photo read: “According to State records, William Link received $57.50 in state school funds in 1881 for school district # 20, which was Goble School. In 1882 Goble School had 38 registered students. According to records this school was tore down 1974 and a new facility was built.”
*Published in the Rainier Oregon Historical Museum newsletter, Number 3 Fall/Winter 2024
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