Lincoln High School

**Lincoln High School** is the setting for the Princess: The Hopeful chronicle of *Keep Portland Weird*

## History

### 19th century

With an initial enrollment of 45 students, the school was established in 1869 as the Portland High School in the North Central School sited on Block 80 of Couch's Addition (bounded by NW 11th & 12th and Couch & Davis Streets). The principal was J.W. Johnson. The high school moved from the top floors of the North Central School to the Central School in 1873 (located where Pioneer Courthouse Square is today) and moved again to the Park School (block bounded by Park, 10th, Madison, and Jefferson (now the Portland Art Museum)) in 1878. The first building to be known as Lincoln High School was built at SW 14th and Morrison in 1885, but was still named West Side High School at the time. The land for the 14th and Morrison School was given to the school district by Mrs. Simeon G. Reed (wife of the founder of Reed College) in 1869 and the building was designed by William Stokes, an architect who had recently moved to Portland from Oakland, California. The building was situated in the block bounded by 14th, Morrison, Lownsdale (now 15th) and Alder Streets.

In 1889, a "very successful" night school program was started at the first purpose-built building at SW 14th and Morrison.

### 20th century

The school was renamed Lincoln High School in 1909, and moved to the 45-room South Park Blocks location (now known as Lincoln Hall) when construction was completed in 1912. The building occupies the block bounded by Market & Mill Streets and Park & Broadway. (After the 1912 move, the old building of 1885 was used by the Girls' Polytechnic School. In fall 1928, that school moved to a new building on the east side, leaving the 1885 building vacant, and it was demolished by 1930.)

In 1937, the school had grown to 1,580 students and 53 teachers. In 1972, it had 1,253 students, 7% of whom were black (a contemporary report noted they were mostly "voluntary transfers"); 4.3% of the students were on welfare.

Also in 1937, the Portland Police Bureau's anti-leftist "Red Squad" interrogated a student union leader. This rapidly led to the disbanding of the Silver Shirts-affiliated Red Squad.

Due to the baby boom and passing of a $25 million building levy by the school district in 1947, a new high school was slated. The existing building was sold to the Vanport Extension Center (now Portland State University) in April 1949 for $875,000, with the intention that the high school would not leave for "at least two years." Land was cleared for the school by June 1950 on the former Jacob Kamm House property.

## Class List

### Business

* Accounting
* Business Law
* Marketing

### Computer Science and IT

* Animation
* Computer Repair and Programming
* Film Production
* Video Game Development

### English

* American Literature
* British Literature
* Creative Writing
* Debate
* English Literature and Composition
* Journalism
* Literary Analysis
* Modern Literature
* Poetry
* Popular Literature
* Mythology

### Consumer Sciences

* Fashion and Retail Merchandising
* Home Economics

### Foreign Language

* American Sign Language
* French
* German
* Japanese
* Spanish

### Math

* Algebra
* Calculus
* Geometry
* Statistics
* Calculus

### Performing Arts

* Choir
* Concert Band
* Drama
* Music Theory

### Physical Education

* Gymnastics
* Health

### Sciences

* Agriculture
* Biology
* Chemistry
* Forensic Science
* Geology

### Social Studies

* Geography
* Psychology
* Religious Studies
* U.S. Government
* U.S. History

### Visual Arts

* Digital Media
* Film Production
* Painting & Ceramics

### Vocational Education

* Auto Mechanics
* Metalworking
* Networking
* Robotics
* Woodworking

### AP Classes

* AP English Literature and Composition
* AP Comparative Government and Politics
* AP United States Government and Politics
* AP Calculus AB
* AP Calculus BC
* AP Chemistry
* AP Physics