Little Schools in the Parkland

CREST HILL SCHOOL DISTRICT No.2604

  1. Crest Hill school was built in 1913 on the NE ¼ 25-42-3 W 4th. This
  2. land was donated by Bob Tennant and is currently owned by Ernest
  3. Clifford. Years later the school was moved to the SE ¼ 30-42-2 W4
  4. which was on Rolli Clifford’s land. In the 1940’s the school was once
  5. again moved. This time it was moved to Ribstone and later to Chauvin
  6. when it was purchased by the Odd Fellows Lodge. The Rebekahs and the
  7. Cubs and Scouts used it for their meeting place. It is now owned by Colin
  8. Saker and used as a workshop. The piano in the school was purchased by
  9. Doug and Eleanor Perry.
  10.  
  11. The Crest Hill School was built to accommodate the families of the early
  12. settlers, some of whom were Bob Tennant, Bob and Jim Morrison, John
  13. Dallyn, J.J. Cryderman, Jonathon Osbourne, J. Minnuk, N. Staley, Fred
  14. Gregory, Jim Young and John Heaseman. Later, the younger generation
  15. (some still residing in the area such as the Reinharts, Cliffords, Hilkers,
  16. Moncrieffs, Dallyns and Morrisons) attended Crest Hill at one time or
  17. another.
  18.  
  19. The first teacher at Crest Hill was Mr. Bennett. Over the years others
  20. included were Mr. Windell, Mrs. Perry, Ellen MacPhail, Cecil Burton, Mr.
  21. Grant, Mrs. Curtis, Mr. L. Jenkins, Florence Cahill, Mary McLaughlin, Miss
  22. Oulette, Gladys Mills, Hazel Dallyn and Mrs. Cliff Dallyn (not necessarily in
  23. that order).
  24.  
  25. These teachers experienced the same difficulties as all the early country
  26. teacher did. They were expected to teach all required subjects to grades
  27. one to eight inclusive for extremely minimal wage, some receiving a
  28. promissory note. An entry in the 1933 cash book noted, “Paid to Mrs. C.
  29. Burton (teacher) $190 in judgement.”
  30.  
  31. Other points of interest were the old wood and coal heater – hot on one
  32. side, cold on the other depending on how near you were to the heater;
  33. haling drinking water in a cream can from a nearby neighbour; driving
  34. with horse and sleigh or buggy or walking miles to arrive at the school to
  35. find the stove cold and snow sifting in through the windows.
  36.  
  37. The good times included skating on a nearby slough (sometimes in the
  38. Cloakroom if water had been accidentally spilled) and snowballs that flew
  39. with gusto. The summers were much more pleasant as one could look
  40. forward to playing ball and outdoor games.
  41.  
  42. Many good memories are recalled by those who attended Crest Hill;
  43. especially the picnics that Crest Hill and Ribstone shared at Birch Lake on
  44. the last day of school. Of course, Crest Hill won most of the races and
  45. ballgames.
  46.  
  47. The final remnants of the school and its flagpole, on the original site,
  48. have now given way to an oilwell. (The cement foundation which is on
  49. Ernie Clifford’s land has been left intact to mark the location of this
  50. school.)

Crest Hill School District No. 2604
Submitted by Bernice Moncrieff

122-123