Charles E. Larsen Chemawa Indian School collection

The Chemawa Indian School is the oldest continuously operated boarding school for Native American students in the United States. Enrollment in Chemawa required, and continues to require, membership in a federally recognized Native American tribe or Alaska native village. What is now Chemawa was initially located in Forest Grove, Oregon. Construction began in 1880 for the first class of fourteen boys and four girls. By 1884, with the lack of community support, need for more land, and the burning of the girl’s dormitory, the school was moved to a location near Salem, Oregon. In June of 1885, the Chemawa Indian School opened, known then as the Salem Indian Training School.

Chemawa began with a goal to integrate the Indian population into general society through vocational training at a boarding school. Courses were taught in blacksmithing, shoe making, carpentering, wagon making, farming, dairying, nursing and the domestic arts. Initially, the school served students through the 9th grade. By 1927, the elementary program was dropped and the school became a fully accredited high school.

In 1900, 453 students were enrolled, coming from Alaska, Washington, Idaho and California. By 1913 enrollment had grown to 690, and to 1000 by 1926. By the 1930s demand for off-reservation boarding schools was diminishing as tribal schools were being located on reservations and state schools began allowing Native American students. Chemawa threatened to close in the 1930s, 1940s, and again in the 1960s. Push-back from alumni, Salem residents, and Oregon politicians aided its survival.

In 1947, the Chemawa campus had grown from its initial 177 acres to 457 acres with fruit trees, a farm with chickens, pigs, and a dairy, as well as one hundred buildings. The buildings included dormitories, classrooms, a gymnasium, and a hospital. Much of the schools funding and food came from student labor. 84 acres had been added in 1887 with funds students earned from picking hops. Food came from the campus agriculture, and students were later trained in industrial labor to raise money. In addition to vocational studies, students participated in debate, literary societies, and the school band. Male students participated in athletics including football, basketball, baseball, wrestling, boxing and track. Female students participated in women’s basketball beginning in the early 1900s.

In the 1970s, with the growth of Salem and building of the interstate, the Chemawa campus moved to a smaller, adjacent location. Enrollment remains at up to 400 students from the Western United States, with a new dormitory built in 2009. The school specializes in technology integration into education, and the campus includes a challenge course, wetlands, a forest, athletics fields, a swimming pool, auditorium, and gymnasium. The private boarding school continues to be funded and operated by the Bureau of Indian Education.

Beginning in 2005, Chemawa and Willamette University began the Chemawa-Willamette Partnership Program, providing tutoring and opportunities to collaborate on events.

Charles Larsen was a Chemawa student and employee whose goal was to document the history of Chemawa. One of nine children, Charles was born in Warren, Oregon in 1883 to Henry and Emma Larsen. Henry was a postmaster and owned a country store. Being part Chinook, many of the Larsen children, including Charles, enrolled in Chemawa in 1893. While there, Charles was a member of the school band, was the school bugler, worked in the school print-shop and played baseball and football. Larsen completed school in 1902. He was then employed as the Chemawa assistant clerk, dairyman, and disciplinarian until 1912.

Between 1912 and 1925, Larsen left Chemawa to work at the Jones Male Academy in Hartshorne, Oklahoma, the Tulalip Indian Agency in Tulalip, Washington, the Cushman Trade School in Tacoma Washington, and the Klamath and Siletz Indian Agencies in Oregon. He married Myrtle Romona Loughrey in Marysville, Washington on July 8, 1914. Their daughter, Vivian Cora was born on April 20, 1915.

In 1925, Larsen returned to work as clerk until 1946. He additionally served as band instructor and coached football, baseball and basketball. Larson became president of the Chemawa Alumni Association beginning in 1931. During his time at Chemawa, Charles collected and documented his own history as well as the history of the school.