WAY BACK WHEN

Valsetz Mill & Log pond During mid 1920's

It's been a good month old February 2010 has. I guess it all started by making the wife happy on her birthday with flowers and sweets. Keeping her happy over Valentine's Day by making her forget Valentine's Day.

This was done by keeping my promise of finding a 55 gallon fish tank and getting it setup, I finished his task by putting the fish in the tank this week. Now the snow is melting and sun shining, the week end should be just great.

The best part is at the first part of February I received a e-mail from A Mr Donald A. Davis with his Valsetz Story and told me he would send pictures. Then I received this large envelope containing pictures dating back into the Valsetz day's of the 1920's and 1930's. Now I had pictures to go along with this very fine story about life in Valsetz from a man that was born and lived in Valsetz in the 1920's and 1930's. This man wrote his own story at the age of 82.

The only part of his story I'm telling you about is the parts about Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon.

Please see : http://www.valsetzoregon.com/ WAY BACK WHEN for Mr. Davis's story.

Again February has been great. While working with Mr Davis on his story and getting it in print I receive a email from Phillip Clay also from Valsetz, but many many years later than Mr. Davis. Come to find out both of these Valsetzers had something in common. " Western Oregon University".No they were not alumni of W.O.U. in fact nether went to W.O.U.

Nether new the other or about the stories each had.

Do I have your attention yet?

Mr. Davis had in his story: "I had no problem by starting school in our small town or having teachers right out of normal school in Monmouth." That school now is known as WOU, Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon .

The e-mail from Mr. Clay stated he had recently learned of a dinning hall called Valsetz Hall located on WOU in Monmouth. It seems as when he visits family in Monmouth Or. he takes walks on the WOU Campus with family members living in Monmouth.

Before I could get back To Mr. Clay he had solved the mystery. And I thought Philip was a lawyer not a detective, But wasn't there a called lawyer Perry Mason that was also a great detective? I will tie the two stories together in a few minutes after we find out what Mr. Clay Found about The Valsetz Dinning Hall and it's history.

Mr. Clay wrote " The University was founded in 1856 as Monmouth University. Other names followed: Oregon Normal School, Oregon College of Education and Western Oregon State College. Its mission for years was the training of teachers for Oregon schools but has expanded to achieve University status to include a broad range of educational studies but its graduate program still appears to be oriented to educators. Valsetz Hall, would be a good destination for any old Cougar."

If you remember the quote from Mr. Davis "I had no problem by starting school in our small town or having teachers right out of Normal school in Monmouth." Mr. Clay had contact with a WOU faculty member who had a long association with the university. She explained that it had long been the policy of WOU to give buildings only generic names. She believed that she remembered that Valsetz Hall had originally been called simply, the dining hall. She went on to explain that in the early 1980's, about the time that Valsetz was being closed and was much in the local news that the committee charged with naming the hall learned that a large number of teachers who had gone on to teach in Valsetz had been graduates. She did not recall the precise number but indicated the percentage of Valsetz teachers who had graduated from the University was stunning. This led the committee to select the name, Valsetz Hall. She also indicated that in the foyer of the building is a tribute with photographs to the town of Valsetz, with pictures contributed by many of these same teachers.

Isn't it intriguing that two different times in Valsetz history could bring one story together.

Just a note: I want to thank Mr Davis and Mr. Clay for there Stories, and as a result I plan to add a new page to the Valsetz Web Site called Did you Know? Please watch for it .