In 1878, O.W. Easton and J.P. Whitney, San Francisco entrepreneurs, bought a total of 12 sections of land in this area, 7680 acres, formed the Washington Irrigated Colony, and began selling 20-acre farms. Allen T. Covell, the Colony's superintendent and resident manager, established the townsite that came to be called Covell. The town was composed of lots, each of which came as a bonus to the purchaser of a 20-acre farm. As the community grew and postal areas were rearranged, the community was renamed Easton. One hundred years ago, area voters formed the Washington Union High School District, and its initial classes were held in the Easton Town Hall and in Easton Park. In 1901, the first school building was constructed on this site at a cost of $7,500. It was destroyed by fire in 1923, and a new school was built in 1924 at a cost of $145,000. As the population increased, various additions were made, including a nine-classroom unit in 1961, but the entire building was razed in 1972 and a new high school complex was dedicated in 1975.