Greenshields School District No. 1816
Were one wishing to see the locale of the Greenshields School travel three
miles south from Wainwright on Highway 41 and three miles east. There
on the right hand side of the road is a dwelling. This dwelling is the
remodeled Greenshields School moved to a foundation.
Martin Daniels bought and remodeled the school where he and his wife, the former Lillian Pfluger, lived with their daughters Linda and Helen. Martin and Lillian now live in Wainwright.
From information in the “Buffalo Trails and Tales” publication, it would seem that the local area was organized into a school district in 1908. When approval was obtained, a site on the NE corner of Section 11-44-6 was chosen with the school district number 1816.
At a meeting held in August 1908 it was decided that debentures in the amount of $1800 were to be issued to build a 24 foot by 32 foot structure with twelve foot ceilings as well as two outhouses, one for the girls, the other for the boys. Tenders were called for the construction of the buildings. The contract was granted to a firm from Hardisty. In a month the school was constructed. A meeting was held in September to authorize the borrowing of $600 for current expenses.
The first board members were Wm. T. Morrison, Chairman; S.T. Gregory, Secretary-Treasurer; and Donald McDougall and D.W. Stouffer, trustees. The school was referred to as Holmstead after the store in Greenshields but the name was changed to Greenshields in 1926 because teachers had not applied. Once the name was changed there were no lack of applications.
The first teacher was Miss Edythe Aykroyd employed at the magnificent wage of $600. The first pupils were Jim Robertson, Martin Hedlund, Adrian and Erman Stouffer, Selwyn and Emery Fountain, Bill and Ed Patterson.
In 1908 a barn was built for $35 and in 1909 a well was drilled. The pump and necessary materials were $28.90.
In 1909 the School Board members backed a note at the Merchants’ Bank in Wainwright to borrow money so that the teacher could be paid.
Sources of income were:
- 4 cents per day per family for students attending the school from another district.
- 8 ½ cents per acre was the land assessment.
- 30 cents rent of the school for church service.
- 75 cents rent for other organizations.
- $1 per meeting when refreshments were served.
- $4 when Government elections were held in the school
Teachers:
- 1910 – Miss Jean Nickle teaching on a permit. She later married Tom McDougall.
- 1911 – Myrtle Taylor (Ewart’s sister) at $700.
- 1912 – Mrs. Morrison part term and Matilda Prescott remainder of term.
- 1913 – Bessie Borden at $60 per month.
- Following were: Misses McIntyre, Wotton, Adams, Simpson, and Scott.
- Then Mrs. Aykroyd for the next two years at $100 per month.
From 1922 some of the teachers were Clara Peckham, Mrs. Aykroyd, Melba Shaw, Ruby Townsend, Jim Habkirk, Miss Fieldhouse, Miss Wittaker, Margaret Spence (3 years). Christina McDonald (became Mrs. Kett), Needa LaRue, Hetty Kennedy, Mary Hess (became Mrs. Carl), Doreen Treffry, Marian Spak (became Mrs. Boyd), Winnie Jones, Lillian Daniels.
Greenshields School District No. 1816
Submitted by Doreen Treffry
70-71