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History

One half mile south of Boring on Richey Road there stands one of Boring's most important historic buildings. Now the home of the Country Cut-Ups Square Dancers, it is called the Boring Barn. This 40 by 60 foot structure was first built in 1919 as a sheltered play area for Boring Grade School pupils, called the Playshed.It was once the best basketball facility east of Gresham and the scene of rough and tumble play during recesses and lunch hours. In 1959, a man went to the Master of the Damascus Grange in Boring and asked them if they could have square dancing in the Grange Hall. The Grange consented and on Jan 15, 1960 they had their first square dance class with 8 squares. Like any other class, they had their ups and downs and finally graduated in July. Since they had been together for 6 months the class members didn't want to part so they decided to form a club, but what would they call it? One said to call it the "Tri-Squares" because that is a square that doesn't make it. They finally came down to four names-- The Silver Stars, The Square Circles, The Swing Gates, and The Country Cut-Ups. We all know which name made it, but, like the chicken and the egg, which came first, were they really the Cut-Ups or did they just want to live up to their name? The Cut-Ups Club offered their first class that September. The following spring John Valberg told the Club that if they would clean up and maintain the old play shed that they could use it for their dances rent free. After lots of work. in the evenings and on weekends and lots of potlucks they finally moved into the hall and they were very happy to have their own building. To celebrate, on Sept. 17, 1961, they had a free Harvest Ball Dance. Now, we talk about 12 to 15 squares as being a lot of people they had 30 squares!! By 10 o'clock you couldn't get another person in the door and the traffic was backed up clear to Boring!! In March, 1962 Mr. Valberg came to the Club again and asked if they would like to buy the play shed for $1400.00, but there was also 3 years taxes due on it. In those days though, the 3 years taxes came to less than $180.00. Where was a club less than 2 years old going to come up with $1,400.00 plus taxes? After alot of night meetings, they decided to sell $10.00 shares to their members only and you could buy as many shares as you could afford until the $1,400.00 amount was made. On May 1, 1962, the papers were signed and now the hall belonged to its members. Later, as the Club could afford it, for every share a member owned, one name was put in a hat and if your name was pulled out you got your $10.00 paid back but with no interest. Finally in 1970 all the shares were paid back and the hall now belonged to the Club. Starting in 1976, the Cut-Ups began having a pancake breakfast to pay their insurance and taxes. This has been a terrific asset to the Club and now the membership continues to grow and the Club is on financially solid ground.