Hartney & Cameron Heritage

Schools

Former RM of Cameron & Former RM of Whitewater

Former RM of Cameron

1. Cavell School #1840 (1916 - 1957)

Cavell School (no date) by George Hunter
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-3, page 44.

Originally known as Munster School District when it was established in August 1916, it was later renamed Cavell, probably in commemoration of executed First World War nurse Edith Cavell (1865-1915). A school building was erected in 1917 in the southwest quarter of 30-6-23 west of the Principal Meridian in the Rural Municipality of Cameron. It was also used as an Anglican church for a time after 1919. The school closed in 1957 and its remaining students went to Hartney Consolidated School No. 2389. The district was dissolved in July 1960. A cairn was erected on the site in 1995 and the building was torn down in 2011.

GPS Reading: 49* 30’ 12.87” N 100* 34’ 40.22” W

http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/cavellschool.shtml

2. Grande Clairiere School #1121 (1889-1968)

SE 30-6-24

3. Maple Hill School

SW 16-6-25

4. Tremblay School

NE 26-5-25

Also South of Lauder in R.M. of Brenda

5. Grand Bend School #595 (1889 - 1946)

Grand Bend School (no date) by George Hunter
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-1, page 93.

The Grand Bend School District was established formally in June 1889, named for a community in Ontario. A one-room frame school building was erected later that year, at a cost of $600, on the northwest corner of 28-5-24 west of the Principal Meridian, in the Rural Municipality of Cameron. Enrollment never exceeded 17 students at a time. The school closed in 1946 when it was consolidated with Lauder School No. 779. The building was moved to a site one mile north. A monument unveiled in 1989 commemorates it.

http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/grandbendschool.shtml

6. Lauder School #779 (1883 - 1968)

http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/lauderschool.shtm

Lauder School (no date) by George Hunter
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-1, page 125.
Built 1912

Lauder School (October 2009)
200 Lorne St. Lauder, Mb.
As of 2009 – Lauder Leisure Centre and Post Office

Earlier Lauder School on a nearby street.

7. Melgund School

Melgund School (no date) by George Hunter
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-1, page 28.

A monument in the Rural Municipality of Cameron, erected in 1982, commemorates the former community of Melgund, named for Lord Melgund, Chief of Staff for Major General Middleton during the 1885 North West Rebellion. A Presbyterian church (later Melgund United Church) operated here from 1885 to 1967. The Melgund School District No. 322, known originally as Rose School District, operated here from 1884 to 1963. After the school closed, the remaining students went to Hartney Consolidated School No. 2389 or Lauder Consolidiated School No. 779.

Melgund Pioneers Monument (October 2011)

8. Truro School #450 (1886 - 1944)

http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/truroschool.shtml

Truro School (no date) by George Hunter
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-1, page 60.

The Truro School District was established formally in July 1885, named in commemoration of the Nova Scotia birthplace of local settler Robert T. Logan. The next year, a one-room frame school building was erected on the southwest corner of 12-5-24 west of the Principal Meridian, in the Rural Municipality of Cameron. Enrollment was as high as 41 students at a time but declining attendance caused the school to close in 1944. Remaining students went to Dand Consolidated School No. 1913 or Lauder Consolidated School No. 779. The building was later moved to Hartney and the district was dissolved in January 1961.

Truro School Monument (October 2011)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough

9. Chain Lakes School #783 (1895 - 1919)

http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/chainlakesschool.shtml

Chain Lakes School Monument (October 2011)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough

The Chain Lakes School District was established formally in May 1893 and a one-room frame schoolhouse was erected two years later at this site, on the northwest corner of 3-5-23 west of the Principal Meridian, in the Rural Municipality of Cameron. After 24 years of service, it closed in October 1919 when its district was consolidated with Luther School No. 1018 to become Dand Consolidated School No. 1913.

Some of the teachers who worked at Chain Lakes School included: Mr. Ed Woodhull, Miss Marguerite Morrison, Miss Orpha McCullogh, Miss Coral Spencer, Miss Elizabeth Sutton, Miss Jessie Andrews, Miss Lillian Beynon, Miss Young, Miss Alice Jones, Miss Ida McCulloch, Miss Janet L. More (who had also been a student at the school), Miss Collier, Miss Martha Reekie, Grace Woodhull, Miss Jamieson, Miss M. Sulley, and Ethel Sutton.

10. Westhall School NE 4-5-22

11. Whitewater School No. 346 (1884-1960)

http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/whitewaterschool.shtml

Whitewater School (no date) by George Hunter
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-1, page 34.

The Whitewater School District was established formally in November 1884, and a school building was erected on the southeast corner of 25-5-23 west of the Principal Meridian, in the Rural Municipality of Cameron. It closed in July 1960 and the remaining students went to Hartney Consolidated School No. 2389. The school building is no longer on the site but it is commemorated by a monument erected in 1989.

Whitewater School Monument (October 2011)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough

12. Barber School No. 423 (1886-1961)

http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/barberschool.shtml

Barber School Monument (October 2011)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough

The Barber School District was established formally in September 1885, and a one-room frame school building was erected on land owned by William Barber (p68Parkinson)) purchased from John Underhill, on the northeast corner of 33-5-22 west of the Principal Meridian, in the Rural Municipality of Cameron. With the arrival in the area of the Canadian National Railway in 1898, and the subsequent founding of the village of Underhill, the school was moved to this site.

The original building was replaced in 1928 and it served as the social centre of the community. It closed in late 1961 and the district was dissolved in January 1962. The remaining students went to Hartney Consolidated School No. 2389 or Elgin Consolidated School No. 153. The building was sold and moved to Souris where it was converted into a church.

A commemorative cairn on the former school site was unveiled on 30 June 1991.

13. Swaffham School SE 20- 6-22

14. Webb School No.

14-6-23 on land owned by Mr. Webb

Now on the back of a commercial property in Hartney.

Closed ca. 1892 and became the Orange Hall – moved to a lot on Poplar Avenue.

15. Hartney School No. 312 (1884-?)

http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/hartneyschool.shtml

Hartney School (circa 1911)
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspector Photos GR2664, C65.

Former RM of Whitewater

Alcester School No. 380

The Alcester School District was organized formally in February 1887 and a school building operated at SE18-5-19W and NE15-5-19W. After the school closed in 1954, its building was moved to the village of Minto, in the Rural Municipality of Whitewater, where it was used as the local Legion Hall.

Alice School was opened in 1884 on 31-5-21. It was often called the McKellar School because it was on their farm. In 1900 the school equipment was moved to the Orange Hall in Elgin, and later the building was moved to 3rd St where it served as a post office.

Barber School #423

The Barber School District was established formally in September 1885, and a one-room frame school building was erected on land owned by William Barber on the northeast corner of 33-5-22. With the arrival in the area of the Canadian National Railway in 1898, and the subsequent founding of the village of Underhill, the school was moved to this site.

The original building was replaced in 1928 and it served as the social centre of the community. It closed in late 1961. The building was sold and moved to Souris where it was converted into a church.

A commemorative cairn on the former school site was unveiled on 30 June 1991.

Bunclody School No. 383

The Bunclody School District was established in March 1885, occupying a small wood frame school building that had been constructed the previous year by local carpenters Tom Wilson and Mr. Carrothers. It was used until 1921 when a new wood structure was built immediately west of the first one, at SE34-6-20W.

The contractor was Daniel Kitchen of Souris using plans drawn by architect Carter Brindle. It had a full basement and was heated by a oil-burning furnace.

Student enrollment dwindled during and after the Second World War. In 1947, the school closed and students were transported to Carroll School. It reopened the following year but attendance was never higher than 14 students. It closed permanently in 1966.

Crown School No. 184

The Crown School District was established formally in August 1883 and a one-room school was built at NE24-6-21W, on land belonging to settler Joseph Taylor. It operated until June 1930.

Elgin Consolidated School No. 153

The Elgin School District was organized around 1884 in the village of Elgin. In 1912, Elgin Consolidated School was formed. The building closed in 1951 and was replaced by a new structure. The school closed in 1986 and a monument, dedicated in July 1988 commemorates it.

Built in 1903, the building had one level and a basement.

It was expanded in 1906.

Fairfax Consolidated School No. 1195

Fairfax School was established in the village of Fairfax in August 1902. It became Fairfax Consolidated School in February 1913. The school closed in 1964.

The first school also served as an extra classroom when needed, then moved to a farm in the Riverside area.

Gilead School No. 565

The Gilead School District was established in November 1888. A one-room schoolhouse operated at NE36-5-21W. The school closed in 1912, after which students from this area went to Elgin Consolidated School. A monument marks the former site of the school.

Maguire School No. 1073

The Maguire School District was organized formally in June 1900 and a one-room schoolhouse operated at NW8-5-21W, on one acre of land purchased from W. J. Maguire. The school closed in 1913 when its district became consolidated into the Elgin Consolidated School District. The former school building was sold and renovated into a private residence.

Minto School No. 1174

Minto School was established formally in the village of Minto in July 1901, becoming Minto Consolidated School in 1962. The present red-brick school building dates from 1928. The bell from Minto School is contained in a monument nearby, as a donation fro the Minto and District Historical Society.

Pinkham School No. 269

The Pinkham School District was formally organized in June 1883, presumably named for cleric William Cyprian Pinkham. A school building was erected by 1885, and it operated on the northeast quarter of 36-5-19. The school closed in 1953 and was moved to Margaret. A small sign commemorates it.

Plainville School No. 562

Plainville School District was established in January 1889, with a school located in the west half of 9-5-20 west of the Principal Meridian, It closed in February 1913 and was merged into Fairfax Consolidated School No. 1195.

Riverbank School No. 384

Riverbank School was established in 1886 on NE34-6-19W. Classes commenced in the one-room wood frame building on 23 August 1886. The school served the educational needs of the district until June 1953 when it was closed to the lack of students. As of 2006, the wood frame building was sitting vacant at its former site but, sometime before August 2010, it burned to the ground. A monument was dedicated in July 1992 to the pioneers, trustees, parents, teachers, and students of Riverbank School.

Riverside School No. 276

The Riverside School District was organized formally in June 1883 and a school building was erected around 1885 on the northwest quarter of 9-6-19. It was dissolved in 1962 and remaining students went to Minto Consolidated School No. 1174. The original building, now destroyed was a municipally designated historic site.

St. Luke's School

One of the first schools in the region was situated on 2-6-20.
St. Luke likely closed in 1912 when nearby Fairfax Consolidated School District was formed.

Back Row: Miss Dukett, Elsie Ballentyne, Florence Cruse.
Front Row: Frank Burke, Donald Shaw, Roy Shaw, Kathleen Burke

It served the early settlers as a school, church, and meeting place. The first Municipal Council meeting was held there.