old school – CRUMBLING MEMORIES

April 19, 2020April 19, 2020

PENINSULA SCHOOL No.: 907

After a ratepayers meeting in 1901 and the assurance to two East Coast landowners that their land would only be used for a school, the sum of $700 was raised to build Peninsula School. Miss Anges Moore, with a second class professional certificate was hired for the year for an annual salary of $420. She resigned within one month.

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The school was heated with coal and wood. In 1927 the school was equipped with flat bowl coal oil lamps and then in 1950, oil burners were installed. The school had a well stocked library with two sets of encylopedia, the World Book and Book of Knowledge, and wall maps. The students were active in sports and 4H as well as community centered activities such as Christmas Concerts, picnics and dances. It even hosted a funeral.

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In 1934-35, it was reported that teachers at Peninsula School were paid $30 per month plus board. The family boarding the teacher would receive a $15 per month credit to be applied to their taxes.

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The school closed in 1960.

April 17, 2019April 17, 2019

ST. MARY’S SCHOOL

This school district was organized formally in July, 1885.

The school closed in 1967 and the remaining students went to a nearby school.

The original school building is still on the land but after closing down was converted to granary with this monument.

You can see from this photo that the windows have been boarded over and the front entrance has been moved.

April 6, 2019

ALMA SCHOOL

This school has been on my to see list for some time. I was told that it was no longer there so a couple nights ago I wasn’t doing anything and thought I would go for a ride to check it out not expecting to find anything except a metal monument in its place. Well low and behold, there it stood.

The Alma School District was established formally in July 1891, but wasn’t name until a year later by a student in the first class.

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A wood frame schoolhouse served as the first school house on the property and was used until 1905 when it was replaced by this one room brick structure, complete with full a basement and an oil-fueled furnace.

The school closed in January 1961 and its remaining students then attended the Belmont Consolidated School.

At the back of the property is what I will assume was the outhouse and a small storage building. The yard is well maintained.

There is extensive structural damage to the side wall of the school and the front entrance is blocked by a large pile of plaster, likely renovations carried out by the schools newest tenants.

A wooden stud wall inside the school was built in an attempt to stabilize the structure. A monument stands next to the former school.

There is a rickety staircase that leads up into the back of the school. As I wasn’t feeling much like a risk-taker and didn’t venture inside. This is likely due to the large “enter at your own risk” sign stapled to the door frame and the fact that I didn’t feel like running from any rabid racoons.

Among the teachers of Alma School were Alexander Tumoth (1890), Percy Brether (c1900), Jean Williamson (1948), Miss Munroe, Miss Tisdale, John Sutherland, Miss Donna McLean, Miss Anne Hawn, Miss Alice Embury, Mrs. Shirley Dubyts, Miss Irene Fitzpatrick, Miss McIntyre, Miss Marjorie Cleave, Miss Eva Croll, Ed Arndt, Miss Myrna Wray, Mr. P. Lougheed, K. M. Prowse, Miss Jean Cowell, Miss Pat Williams, Mr. McRae, Miss Evett, Miss Muriel Robinson, Miss Pinn, Miss Marion Lewis, Miss Jean Campbell, Miss M. Stintson, Mr. Johnson, Miss Anna McLean, Norman Smith, Miss Margaret Downey, Miss Ruth Watson, Miss Kinley, Miss Wall, Miss Mae Berry, Miss Harrower, Miss Katie Playfair, Henry Woods, Miss Murgatroid, Miss Shorthose, Miss Hazel Cunningham, Miss Valance, Miss Carvell, Miss Bailey, and Miss McGowan.

I’m glad I didn’t take someone elses word and drove out to see what was there. It was worth the drive and my fingers did eventually thaw out.

October 22, 2018October 22, 2018

RIVERSIDE SCHOOL

Remember the little boy that rushed to the school to sit with the teachers until dismissal? Well this is the school.

Built in 1883 on the SW corner of his parents property for $843.00. They collected a further $10.00 for benches as well as a heating stove for $9.00, 22 lengths of pipe for $0.18 cents each, a broom for $0.35, a box of chalk for $0.30 and desks for $8.50 each.

Church services were held in the church starting in 1884 until 1915.

As the nearby village grew, it was decided that the Riverside School should be moved to its current location in 1902. In 1904 a storm prevented the children from getting home that evening and they were stormed stayed until noon the following day.

Changes to the school happened over time and in the summer of 1912 metallic shingles were put on the roof. The inside walls were changed from tin to wallboard and wainscoting in 1936. In 1951 electricity was installed. An oil burning furnace was added in 1953.

The last teacher employed was Aggie Jean Martin in 1956 where she was paid approximately $215 per month. The school, like many other small, one room schools in small communities were the centre of activity where they would hold dances, card parties or box socials. The school closed in 1956.

October 6, 2018

BUTTRUM PART 2

A couple weekends ago I finally got myself inside this school. I don’t know what it is that keeps me going back. One thing for sure is that the sky always looks fabulous in the background. It never disappoints.

Once inside I tried to envision the very first Christmas concert with family & friends peering through the windows to get a better look.

And of course what is an abandoned exploration without me finding a shoe!

Such a neat old place with so many of the old settlers having played some sort of role as trustee, contributor or student. Love that its still here to be a part of history.

August 30, 2018September 8, 2018

BUTTRUM SCHOOL

This school in the RM of Prairie Lakes opened its doors in 1982 and closed permanently in June of 1972.

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This is what the building looks like now in 2018.

The school is nestled on a little hill in the middle of a farmer’s field. If your looking far and wide and in the right area, you will see it.

Miss A.L. MacLachlan was the first teacher at this school was paid $35.00 a month for her term position. She was given 5 months training to become a teacher.

History surrounding the story of this school tells that the schools first concert was a huge success and in fact, so many people attended the concert that there was no room inside the building and parents and town people watched the concert through the windows from their horse carriages up against the side of the building.

Due to a drop in students registered at the school, the school closed for a period of time from Fall of 1939 to 1943.

The school held district social events, dances, card parties and concerts.

Unfortunately we were denied permission to enter this property so road shots it is. I’m sure I’ll be back as the backdrop is spectacular.

August 28, 2018

RICHVIEW SCHOOL

This school is on private property and permission was granted for us to enter.

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The school opened in 1887 and operated until January, 1968.

Richview School is the only original school built and still standing in the area. When school started it was agreed upon that classes would run in the Fall, Spring and Summer as the winters were to cold and the school would need to be heated. It was later agreed upon that the older children were needed at home during the summer and they decided to run school through winter. The first student to arrive at the school in the AM was paid to light a fire. The student was paid $0.05 per morning.

In 1939 this addition was made to the school to make more room for social activities.

In 1941 hydro was installed and in 1949 the basement was enlarged to hold a coal furnace. In 1951 the Insul-Brick was added to help insulate the school.

The school bell was donated to the local museum and other items were donated to the new school including the fire extinguisher, text books, radio and a chemistry set.

August 28, 2018August 28, 2018

BROWN LEA SCHOOL

The Brown Lea School District was established in August 1886 and the first classes were held in 1887. The original building was replaced by a wood frame structure built in 1902 by contractor A. King. The school closed in January 1967 but a vacant building remains on private property.

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Over the years there were 59 teachers and 220 pupils that attended the school.

Teachers at the school were paid an average of $35.00 per month.

The land for the school was purchased $5.00 and the school cost approximately $400 to build.

This second school house was built in 1902.

August 6, 2018August 6, 2018

NORTHFIELD SCHOOL

Settlers in the area east of Wawanesa established a school district in the spring of 1882 and, by June, a one-room school had been erected.

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An early student of the school was Nellie McClung.

Nellie Letitia McClung (born Helen Letitia Mooney was born October 20, 1873 and died September 1, 1951. Nellie was a Canadian suffragette, politician, author, and social activist. She was a part of the social and moral reform movements prevalent in Western Canada in the early 1900s. In 1927, McClung and four other women, who together came to be known as “The Famous Five” (also called “The Valiant Five”),^[2] launched the Persons Case contending that women could be “qualified persons” eligible to sit in the Senate. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the current law did not recognize women as such. However, the case was won upon appeal.

Nellie also taught at the school briefly, in 1896. The first Northfield School was destroyed by fire on February 16, 1933 was rebuilt according to the original design, this time with a basement.

In 1960, the school closed and the sold to the town and was designated as a municipal heritage site in May 1995.

My co-worker is a history major and LOVES this sort of stuff. When I got home and realized this little bit of history, I wished that I had paid more detail to all the finer details of the building.

The building is well cared for and holds some neat artifacts inside. I’m glad we ventured off the highway to see what the little roof in the distance was.

August 5, 2018

HENDERSON SCHOOL

The Henderson School District was established formally in August 1904. During the 1940’s, the building was used for services of the Bannerman Church of Christ. The school closed in 1968.

Among the teachers of Henderson School were John Nay (1904), W. W. Metcalfe (1914-1915), Katie McLeod (1915), Lottie Porter (1919), D. Finnen (1919-1920), Bertha Barsky (1923-1924), F. M Bissett (1926-1927), P. McNevin (1928-1929), Louise McPhedran (1930-1931), Edith Elizabeth Nicol (1932-1933), Carl Bjarnason (1938-1939), Freda Miller (1939-1940), Richard Neilson (1940-1941), Franklin Stuart “Frank” Presunka (1941-1943), Miss Luella F. Glock (1943-1944), Harold Wilfred Walker (1944-1946), Miss Annie Neufeld (1946-1947), Angela May Shirtliff (1947-1948), Isabel Jeanette Allison (1948-1949), Esther Kettner (1950-1951), Ruth Elizabeth Rempel (1951-1953), Glen J. Hammond (1953-1954), Mrs. Jean Margaret Jaques (1954-1955), Viola Mae Neufeld (1955-1956), Mrs. Mabel I. Agar (1956-1957), Mrs. Devona Doreen Kenter (1957-1964), and Nellie Irene Friesen (1964-1967).

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For some reason I just love this old school. Nestled safely into the trees and protected but a shelter belt of tall, strong trees, this school is holding its own against the elements. After the school closed I am told it was owned by a women’s group. The ladies group later relinquished the property to the RM.

Friends of ours that told me about the school told me that his Dad attended this school until it closed when he was in grade 9 and then finished his schooling at the Killarney School.

While we were there some other explorers stopped by. A lady and two gentlemen. She was very friendly and she told me that they all went to school at this location as kids. I offered to take their picture in front of the school.

This board has the names of many people who have visited the property over the years, some even noting the years that they attended. I love that this place is still open and hasn’t been vandalized and that people of the area can still enjoy the history of the building.

August 4, 2018August 5, 2018

OLD DELORAINE SCHOOL

A couple things I can tell you about this school is that it is on private property. I do not believe that it is the original school on this property but I am pretty sure that this particular school was built in 1913 and remained open until 1966. When the kids were moved to another, larger school this building was used as a community hall. The school served as an educational center for the district, and also hosted concerts, church services, dances, and youth group meetings.

The land for this school was donated by early school trustee J.P. Morgan and the school was later named after the small town himself and his wife came from in Ottawa, Ontario.

I loved all the little handles and window closures in this building.

My favorite photo of the day though has nothing to do with an old building. Reg’s wife joined us on this excursion even though she is not feeling well. I got this picture of Reg’s two favorite girls.

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