
Washougal School District History
Education plays an important role in the history of our community. Washougal School District has the distinction of operating the first public school North of the Columbia River. In 1852 Washougal was the first school district to file with the Clark County Commissioners to be established as a public school district.
At this time, much schooling was done at home or classes were held in churches and public buildings.
The exact location of the first public school in Washougal is not known, but it was likely near the river, the site of many early land claims. A second school was built around 1847 on Joseph Gibbons' property, now the Orchard Hills Golf Course. The first class of WHS students graduated in 1914 with a total of four graduates. Over the years more rural schools became part of Washougal School District, including Mt. Norway, Bear Prairie, and finally in 1966 Cape Horn-Skye joined the district.
In 1999, Washougal voters approved a 20-year general obligation bond to modernize and upgrade several district schools, including Washougal High School, Hathaway Elementary and Gause Elementary. At the same time, Cape Horn-Skye was also modernized and Canyon Creek Middle School was built.
| 1792 | Lt. William Robert Broughton claims Washougal area for Britain | |
| 1806 | Lewis and Clark camp near the mouth of the Washougal River. | |
| 1845 | David Parker moves to the area and establishes Parkersville. | |
| 1847 | Gibbons family takes up land claim on what is now the Orchard Hills Golf Course. A two-room school was built on this property. | |
| 1852 | Clark County commissioners named six school districts in Southwest Washington. | |
| 1880 | Town of Washougal established. | |
| 1887 | First Skye School built. | |
| 1889 | Washington State admitted to United States. | |
| 1891 | Two story, four room school built on property donated by David Shepherd. | |
| 1910 | Eight-room grammar school built on property donated by the Hathaways. Second Skye School built. | |
| 1911 | Cape Horn School built. | |
| 1914 | First graduating class from Washougal High School, four students graduate. | |
| 1925 | Columbia School built, called Washougal High School at the time. | |
| 1925 | Mt. Norway and Bear Prairie Schools become part of Washougal School District. | |
| 1927 | Forest Hill School becomes part of Washougal School District. | |
| 1934 | Hathaway built. | |
| 1944 | Sunnyside and Fir Grove Schools become part of Washougal School District. | |
| 1952 | Gause Elementary built. | |
| 1956 | Current Washougal High School built. | |
| 1958 | Current Cape Horn-Skye School built. | |
| 1966 | Cape Horn-Skye becomes part of Washougal School District. | |
| 1981 | Jemtegaard Middle School built. | |
| 2001 | Canyon Creek Middle School built. | |
| 2001 | Cape Horn-Skye Elementary remodeled. | |
| 2001 | Gause Elementary remodeled. | |
| 2001 | Washougal High School remodeled. | |
| 2002 | Hathaway Elementary remodeled. |