District No. 8 Prairie View School
1850-1926
5012 Hwy M

The Prairie View School District is located in the southeast corner of Fitchburg (click here for district boundaries). Unlike many other districts, District No. 8 had no population center and only served several farm families in the area. This insured that there were many brothers and sisters in the same school room. Established in 1850, the first school was a log building north of the present County Hwy. M and west of Hwy. 14. Its name was derived from the view south and southwest of the site. A wood frame schoolhouse replaced the log building and that building was itself replace by another wood frame schoolhouse.

Having a limited enrollment, Prairie View School followed the example of Swan Creek School and merged with the Oregon School District in 1926. Being too far to walk, the students were taken by bus to their new school. The unused school building was eventually sold and moved east, just off County Hwy. MM.

First school bus from Fitchburg (Prairie View School District) to Oregon; L to R: Bob Keenan, Betty Johnson, Anna Kivien, Virginia Johnson, Blanche Merrick, Eleanor Stone, Edna Merrick, David Schuster, Dorothy Keenan, Margaret Stone, Unknown. Dorothy Merrick, Alice Merrick, Mary Stone, Dick Schuster, Ray Rice, Unknown, Gladys Merrick, Wayne Rice and driver, P. H. Dvergedal

In 2001, the Fitchburg Historical Society in conjunction with the City of Fitchburg erected an historical marker at the site of the 1926 school.