ASPEN SCHOOL DISTRICT No.2675
- Aspen School was built in 1911 on the NE ¼ 11-44-4 W4. It was
- constructed by Tom Withnell Sr. (father of Thos. Withnell, one of the first
- settlers) and completed in July of that year. School opened in August and
- closed for January and February, then opened in March 1912 to resume
- classes.
- Now there were nine children, the required number needed for keeping a
- school open. So the people got together at a general meeting to vote on
- having a school built on a site which the Government required, four by five
- miles. There was plenty of opposition by the bachelors who did not want
- to pay school taxes, but the vote was carried.
- A board of three was elected: T. Withnell, Mrs. McDonnah and Ed Cook. The
- naming of the school was one of their first duties. After much discussion,
- Mr. McDonnah came up with the idea that as most of the timber in the area
- was aspen poplar, why not call it Aspen?
- The building cost $750 and the contents cost $350; total cost $1100 the
- maximum allowed for a school building. Miss Cobbin was engaged as
- teacher and nine pupils attended: Nancy, Tom, Lucy and Amy Withnell;
- Emma, Fred and John McDonnah; Flo Cook and Virgil Backwell.
- Many good times were had in the school as it was used for dances, socials,
- meetings and church services. Picnics, ball games and plays were also
- held at the school.
- Some of the teachers throughout the years were: Miss Corbin (Mrs.
- Maughan), Miss Moral, Grant Soul, M. Humphreys (Krinbill), L. Withnell
- (Swindlehurst), N. Armstrong, Miss L. Haywood (Fitzgerald), Miss A. Dewar
- (Olson), Miss Oddin, M. Shortreed, Mrs. Harvey Challenger.
- The school closed in December 1944. The children were bussed to
- Bloomington Valley School and the next year to Edgerton. The building was
- sold to the community in 1945 for $125. Jim Withnell says he attended
- Aspen from 1937 to 1944.
Aspen School District No. 2675
Submitted by Tom and Jim Withnell
97-98