1951 Education in the upper Nisqually Valley underwent a major change in the year 1951. Prior to this time Ashford, Elbe, and Alder were each separate school districts. In 1951 the three schools combined and also became part of Eatonville School District #404. The school year began with all the children attending school in Ashford. The new Columbia Crest building was not quite finished and did not open until shortly before Christmas. Duane Rose, the Ashford principal, became the first principal of Columbia Crest.

Building and moving into Columbia Crest were definitely a community project. Townspeople gathered trucks and moved everything from the Ashford school down to their spacious new home. Local men laid the beautiful hardwood gym floor that would become the envy of many visiting athletic teams. Thanks to the diligent guarding of this floor by long time principal Lucy Fountain it is still in excellent condition, even as we approach the 50th anniversary of our school.

The school received its name as the result of a student contest. All the children were invited to submit their suggestions. Barbara Barnett had the winning entry. "Columbia Crest" was deemed the most appropriate as the school sits in the shadow of Mt. Rainier and Columbia Crest is the highest point on its summit.

The building has undergone many changes since that inaugural day in 1951. In the beginning, the main entrance was where the current office is and our teachers' room was the main office. The last two classrooms on the main hall were not added until the 1960's. There was no stage and no girl's locker room. The library had plenty of books from the combined schools of Ashford, Elbe, and Alder but was so small it could only accomodate 5-6 students at a time. The current special education classroom was an outside covered play area with a dirt floor. When the staff complained about all the mud being tracked inside the Ashford Community Improvement Club got together and laid a cement pad for the children to play on.

1989 The school building underwent a million dollar re-modeling project in 1989. The old domed roof was covered over and the office area was modernized.

1997 No history of Columbia Crest would be complete without mentioning the contribution of Lucy Fountain. Lucy came to CC as a young teacher in 1970 and became principal in 1978. She served in this capacity for 19 years moving on to become the district Curriculum Director in 1997. Lucy was infamous for her high standards, dedication to students, and ability to get the job done. Pam Burke became principal in 1997 and stayed at CC for four years. In the Fall of 2001 she left to become the principal of Weyerhaeuser Elementary.

2000 The 2000 school year saw a change of a different type. Columbia Crest was converted from a K-8 to a K-6 school. Local 7th and 8th grade students now attend Eatonville Middle School.

2001 David Jacobson took over as principal of Columbia Crest in the Fall of 2001. Mr. Jacobson graduated from Central Washington University and has spent the last four years on the staff of Enumclaw Middle School. He will fulfill the dual role of principal and special education teacher at C.C.

Many dedicated and capable educators have made their contributions to our school since that inaugural day in 1951. Regretfully, space does not allow for all of them to be listed. Equally important is that this is truly a community school. Columbia Crest began with much community involvement and continues to be a focal point of the area today.