About Us

Our class, the NDHS Class of 1985, started its Freshman year with 47 students, but dropped to only 30 by graduation. The average class size at graduation in the 1980's was almost 50. We were one of the smallest classes (and may have been the smallest) of our generation from Drain, Oregon.

The first school district in Drain was organized in 1861, which was eleven years before the town was established. This became Oregon School District No. 22, which still serves the residents of Drain after 150 years.

The Drain Academy was built in 1883. The building was purchased in 1893 and Central Oregon Normal School was established. There were 4 Normal Schools in Oregon that provided training for teachers. Due to limited funding, Central Oregon Normal School in Drain closed in 1908 and the Weston Normal School in eastern Oregon closed in 1909. Years later in 1929, the state opened the Eastern Oregon Normal School in La Grande.These 3 remaining schools later became colleges and are known today as Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Southern Oregon University in Ashland, and Eastern Oregon University in La Grande. For more information about the history of these schools, read the History of Oregon Normal Schools written by John C. Almack.

The current elementary and middle school in the North Douglas School District now occupies the site where the original Normal School was built. During the school year 1968-69, the name of the schools changed from Drain to North Douglas. This change is believed to be due to a merger of Drain, Curtin and Yoncalla schools, although Drain's rival school, Yoncalla, backed out at the last minute.