04/17/2026
Detroit Schools - Beginning to End.
Old Detroit
The first Detroit school was opened in 1898 in a one room log cabin above the town of old Detroit. Miss Ethel E. Redfield started her teaching career teaching thirty-four pupils.
On October 4, 1918 Idanha School District #141 was established. It was held in a one room cabin located in Idanha. With an average of six students or less per year the school only lasted six years. On April 4, 1924, School District #141 was annexed in Detroit School District .
Detroit High School was first organized in old Detroit in September 1936. The only space available at the time was a play shed. For one year Miss Adcock held classes here teaching eleven pupils.
Classes started in the new building located in old Detroit in September of 1937. Classes were held from 1937 to 1952 when the town was relocated to higher ground. The existing school buildings were torn down.
New Detroit
The Army Corps of Engineers built Detroit School. In the very beginning all grades attended school in the one building. The L shaped school's cost was originally estimated at $200,000, including a former air base gymnasium which was to be moved from Corvallis, but the cost was actually considered to be much higher.
In these articles it said when built, the L shaped structure housed 12 classrooms. One wing was entirely of classrooms and the other wing included the library, cafeteria, and offices. A three-bus garage was at one end, and a deep basement.
In 1967 Detroit High School was built only for a fire to breakout in the science room 1969. The estimated cost in damage was $265,000. Until the the building was rebuilt the high school shared a space with the elementary once again.
In the mid 70's Detroit Elementary got a makeover. When first built Detroit school had 200 windows, each with nine small panes of glass. During the winter the district's heating bill was a chilling $17,000 to $18,000 due to the rotting walls and old windows. New single paned windows were traded out for the old nine pane windows. Young & Morgan and Stuckarts donated "a lot" of lumber. A new roof was put on and foam insulation was pumped into the ceiling and walls.
In 1994 the district decided to close down the high school and bus the students to Mill City. The class of 1994 was the last class to graduate from Detroit. For the 94-95 school year, the old high school became the middle school and housed grades 6th, 7th, and 8th.
In the year 2000, the district decide to close to school and ship all the students to Mill City. It was at this time the community banned together trying to save what they could. For the 2001 school year Detroit Charter School occupied the old high school. The charter school was made up of mainly parents and volunteers. I am not positive when the charter school closed but unfortunately it did not last too long. In one of the articles it states that after its first year they signed up for two more years but I do not know for sure if that happened.
December 2014 was a sad time for many former Detroit students as Detroit elementary was demolished. Several years later Detroit high school followed.
