Corvallis Community

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community of CORVALLIS

Corvallis, as its name suggests, is “the heart of the Bitterroot Valley.” Visit its historic buildings, drive or bike its rural roads, explore the river as it flows through the area…..for a taste of life in the valley as it was and as it is.

The annual American Legion Memorial Day Parade is a not-to-bemissed event in Corvallis. The parade was first organized by returning World War I veterans, and has continued since to honor men and women who have died in our nation’s service. This is a wonderful event for people of all ages. It is preceded by a pancake breakfast and draws people from all over the valley.

Corvallis was one of the first settlements in the valley. Some of the Bitterroot’s most fertile soils are located in the Corvallis area, and the community has a long agricultural history, which continues to this day. Corvallis is home to the Western Montana Agricultural Research Experiment Station. Numerous historic farm houses along the Eastside Highway and along back roads attest to the area’s history, as do many buildings in the town area of Corvallis. The former Memories Café occupied a building built in 1881 as the first protestant church in the valley. The Brooks day care center, occupies the former Brooks Hotel, ordered from a catalog and constructed in 1894!

A wagon train brought Elijah and Margaret Chaffin to the Corvallis area in 1864. The Chaffin homestead is now part of The Teller, a private wildlife refuge, which offers lodging in the historic Chaffin and Slack houses. In 1871, a post office was established in Corvallis and the town site was platted in 1879. Corvallis has grown along with the rest of the valley, but remains an unincorporated community.

In 1867, the first public school was opened, in what was then Missoula County, and Corvallis officially became School District No.1, a designation it still carries on Ravalli County records. Most residents would agree that the Corvallis community, in many ways, is centered around and defined by its schools. The Corvallis School District currently educates approximately 1,350 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, and is the second largest school district in the county. The Corvallis Schools have a well-deserved reputation for excellence and progressive, child-centered educational programs.

The Corvallis community is shaped by its volunteer organizations. The Corvallis School District is governed by the elected, volunteer Corvallis School Board. Through donations, the volunteer Corvallis School Foundation supports programs that enrich and enhance the academic programs of the school district. In 2007, an all-weather track, football field, soccer fields, and playground were completed on school district property through the fundraising efforts of community members who formed the Corvallis Community Events Center Foundation. The Corvallis Volunteer Fire Department offers first class service to Corvallis with the latest up-to-date fire hall and meeting room along the Woodside Cut-Off Road.