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The first school in Lebanon, Oregon was built in the early 1850s by the Methodist Church. It began as a log cabin that was used for church service, and as a school. This school legally became the Santiam Academy on January 18, 1854, by a special Act of the Oregon Territorial Legislature.
"The members of the first Board of Trustees were: John McKinney, Aaron J. Hyde, the Rev. Thomas H. Pearne, William C. Gallagher, Andrew Kees, Alvan H. Wailer, Morgan Kees, Jeremiah Ralston, Luther T. Woodward, Delazon Smith, Luther Elkins, John Settle and David W. Ballard. In 1857, William Helm, Thomas Angell and Ruben S. Coyle [were] also named as trustees."
The school initially enrolled about fifty students; by 1870, enrollment increased to about 150 students. The school closed in 1903.
[Sources: Lebanon Community School District. lebanon.or.schoolwebpages.com; "History of the First Methodist Church of Lebanon, and of its associate, Santiam Academy, by Anna D. S. Pratt. Webpage: http://www.linncountyroots.com]
The collection (1865-1869) contains manuscripts of periodicals created by students of the Academy.
Periodical titles include:
Aurora Borealis, vol. 1, nos. 1-2, December 25, 1865 and February 6, 1866;
Debater's Review, vol. 1, no. 1, 1865;
Lodge Chip Basket [n.d.];
Review, vol. 2, no. 2, April 3, 1869;
Times, vol. 1, no. 5, March 19, 1868.