The Log School-House on the Columbia

"The Log School-House on the Columbia" by Hezekiah Butterworth is a story about the courageous lives of pioneers in the Northwest during the 1800s. This story shows the hard work and bravery of the first families settling in Oregon and Washington. The book follows Gretchen, a young German immigrant, and her foster mother, Mrs. Woods, as they arrive in the wild lands near the Columbia River. Gretchen has dreams of being a poet, but her mother wants her to focus on more practical things. They meet Marlowe Mann, a dedicated schoolteacher from the East, who is there to start a school in a simple log cabin. Gretchen begins her education, learning in a place full of both beauty and danger as the story explores the connection between the settlers and Native Americans, and music plays a role in bringing people together.