Editor’s note: This is the final installment of The Chronicle’s four-part series featuring historical excerpts from the collections of local museums and historians as they prepare to launch “Historic Atlas of Springfield, Oregon,” a 200-page collection detailing the city’s historical development this summer.
Thurston was annexed by Springfield over 60 years ago but is still a distinct neighborhood on the east side of town. Despite the changes this area has seen, its past has remained, and in some parts of town, continues to live on.
The Thurston neighborhood originated as a stopping point along present-day High Banks Road. High Banks Road was a former stagecoach route along the McKenzie River, connecting Eugene and Springfield east to the McKenzie Valley.
A small community developed near present-day Thurston Road and 66th Street, with a post office, general store, and blacksmith to serve travelers and locals. Mining, logging, and later tourism in the upper McKenzie Valley created regular traffic along the route.
The earliest Donation Land Claims in Thurston date from 1851, when white settlers established homesteads due to the location’s proximity to the Mckenzie River. Timber from the forests in nearby foothills provided lumber for building houses and bridges. The river created fertile farmland, which led to Thurston’s farming legacy.
In the early pioneer days, getting food was a labor-intensive process. Many families had to grow or hunt almost everything they ate. Apple trees were some of the earliest fruit trees planted in the area, and many families kept cider presses. Some parts of Thurston lining the McKenzie River are still used for agriculture today.
Early white farmers grew wheat and oats. Wheat could be ground into flour at the Springfield mill, and oats were used for livestock like cows and pigs. By 1929, at least 39 dairies operated in Springfield. As late as the 1940s, Thurston Union High School excused absences for students helping their families with harvests.
Thurston was considered a separate community from Springfield in its early days, with its schools and institutions. The Davis School taught grades first through eighth in the 1850s, and Thurston Elementary opened in the 1860s.
Thurston Union High School, also called Union High School No. 7 and sometimes referred to as “Old Thurston High School”, opened in 1912. It served students who lived between 42nd Street and Cedar Flat.
In 1943, voters in Thurston approved a merger with the Springfield School District. The high school was closed, and students were bussed to Springfield. In 1960, the Springfield School District opened a new high school in Thurston to accommodate the city’s growing population. The new school was built on 58th Street, a few blocks south and across the street from the “Old Thurston High School.” THS is still in use today, with an enrollment of roughly 1,300 students.
Dr. B.F. Russell was Thurston’s community doctor. He visited patients on horseback and was the namesake of Russell Road, now called Thurston Road. Russell established the Thurston post office in 1877. His home served as the county’s poor farm for a period. Poor farms provided shelter, food, and health care for people in the community who couldn’t take care of themselves.
Russell’s home was between the old Thurston Elementary School and the Thurston Church of Christ, which sits at 6680 Thurston Road. Early baptisms for the church took place in the McKenzie River at the end of the street.
In addition to Russell’s county home, Thurston’s General Store and the Community Hall were staples to the community for years. The general store became an everyday stopping place for travelers through the McKenzie Valley. Here, they could purchase supplies, meals, blacksmith services, and even spend the night in rooms above the store. In 1965, the store went up in flames and wasn’t rebuilt.
Thurston’s Community Hall was located next to the general store. It was constructed in 1912 and became the social center. The building served as the gym for Thurston Union High School and held classes, dances, theater, basketball games, and public meetings. In 1936, it became a grange hall and continues to be used for public functions today at 6596 Thurston Road.
Thurston is sometimes considered a “gateway” area for recreational activities along the McKenzie River and east of Springfield. Today, Willamalane manages several popular parks and recreation sites in this part of town, such as Thurston Park, Thurston Hills Natural Area, Bob Artz Park, and Splash! at Lively Park.
The McKenzie River and Thurston Hills create a natural corridor toward the Cascade Mountains, illustrating why the area began to be described as the “gateway to the McKenzie.”
After the McKenzie Highway was paved in the 1930s, it made traveling upriver easier and created a market for fishing and boating guides.
The 1950 logo above is one example of how the Springfield Chamber of Commerce has depicted Springfield as a point of interest along this popular tourist route.
Keep an eye out this summer for the release of “Historic Atlas of Springfield, Oregon.” As publication approaches, all that’s left is final-level editing, like choosing the font and “crossing t’s and dotting i’s.”
The atlas will be available for purchase through Friends of the Springfield Public Library and History Museum.
This reporter is supported by the Catalyst Journalism Project at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication.
