Little Schools in the Parkland

ORBINDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT No.1723

  1. The Orbindale School District #1723 was named after the first two
  2. school-age boys who came to the district – Orbin Sproule and Dale
  3. Johnston. Mr. Sproule Sr., Mr. Johnston and Mr. Coultman Sr. were mainly
  4. responsible for organizing and erecting the school in 1909. James Craig
  5. Sr. was engaged as carpenter and the school, located on the NE ¼ 21-47-
  6. 8 W4, opened Jan 1, 1910. Since this was the first school in township 47,
  7. children came several miles to attend.
  8.  
  9. Some of the first pupils to attend were Freddie Stephenson, Roy Moulton,
  10. Bruce Osterhout, Dale Johnston, Irskin Kail, Orbin Sproule, Lester Brown
  11. and his brother, Stan and Gar Coultman, Sherman and Freeman Prosser, and
  12. Vera and Royden Chrysler.
  13.  
  14. Miss Marshall was the first teacher. Others who taught were: Mr.
  15. Chippmen, Miss DeMille, Mr. Purden, Mr. Green, Miss Parsons, Mr. Baggs Mr.
  16. Bruce, Miss Osterland, Miss Hurlbert, Miss Briggs, Mr. Barkwell, Miss
  17. Gunston, Mrs. DeTro, Miss Hart, Miss Murray, Miss McLeod, Miss Atkinson,
  18. Miss McLean, Mr. Gunn, Miss Frederking, Miss Jackson, Miss Horn, Miss
  19. Fucsko, Miss Erickson, Miss Fath and Mrs. Ballentine.
  20.  
  21. In the 1950’s when teachers were scarce, Miss Yvonne Carter and Miss
  22. Betty Prior supervised at Orbindale. Many of the teachers taught for only
  23. six months, but Mr. Donald Gunn and Miss Jean McLean each taught for a
  24. period of five and one half years. Members of the school board were: Mr.
  25. Sproule Sr., Mr. Johnston Sr., Mr. Coultman Sr., Mr. A. Barker, Mr. William
  26. Prior, Mr. A. Lymburner, Mr. R. Marquis, Mr. M. Wallhund, Mr. E. Guy, Mr. E.
  27. Prior, Mr. S. Coultman, Mr. J. Meyer, Mr. M. Prosser, Mr. T. Prior, Mr. L.
  28. Savage, and Mr. F. Keller.
  29.  
  30. The Orbindale school was closed in June 1954, when the children were
  31. bussed to Albert Centralized School. The Tri-Way Organization bought the
  32. school with the intention of joining it with other schools for a community
  33. center. Erle and Ron Prior bought the building in 1971, and moved it to
  34. Ron’s yard, where it is used as a shop. Margaret (Shotts) Clifford of
  35. Wainwright attended Orbindale School for one year.

Orbindale School District No. 1723
from “Down Memory Lane”

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