| In 1883, the Chaffey Brothers donated 20 acres of land
on the corner of Fourth Street and Euclid Avenue to be used for their
educational dream, the Chaffey College of Agriculture. It opened on the
site of the present Chaffey High School on October 5, 1885. It was for the
longest period of time an agricultural offshoot of the University of Southern
California. The college was closed in 1901, when the Ontario School
District was formed and the building was used as a high school until 1911. |

1921
Boys and Girls Tennis
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In 1911, Ontario High School became Chaffey Union High School by vote of the
people of both Ontario and Upland. Chaffey High School took over the tract
of land and an $80,000 Library Endowment Fund left by the Chaffey family for the
building of the Library. The Chaffey-Garcia House, where they once lived,
is a protected historical landmark that is in Etiwanda. The Chaffey
brothers had founded Etiwanda in 1881-1882 before Ontario. The name
Etiwanda was taken from a family friend in Canada, an Iroquois Indian
chief.
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1910 Boys
Basketball
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The Chaffey Joint Union High School District was
formed on July 1, 1911 by a vote of the people of Ontario and Upland. If
you've ever wondered how Upland got its name, it's really pretty simple.
They were "up land" from the thriving metropolis of Ontario, hence the
name Upland. The school was renamed Chaffey High School and its first
class graduated in June of 1912. During this first year of operation, the
Chaffey brothers donated more land and buildings to the school district.
For forty years, most high school students in the West End of San Bernardino
County attended this single high school. The entire school site ran from
Euclid on the east, to the Vine Street Annex on the west, to Fifth Street on the
north and Fourth Street on the south. Citrus trees, mostly lemon and
orange groves, surrounded the entire area, and houses generally could not be
seen outside of gazing up and down Euclid Avenue. |
Just some fun, trivial facts: In
the 1920's a minimum of 160 days per school year were required. One
hundred units of course work including 49 units of PHYSICAL EDUCATION were
mandated for graduation. The 1998 school year will be over 180 days long.
The graduation class will have completed 230 units with ONLY 20 units of
PHYSICAL EDUCATION required. |