Little Schools in the Parkland

By 1909, the Lewis, Leggett, Frank Redmond, Jim Smithson, Sam Redmond, Alfred Redmond, Ed Drury and Charlie Moore families and others had settled an area in the SE township 45 range 4. Several of these families had children and serious thought was given to their education. Frank Redmond was chosen to contact the provincial government concerning forming a school district. As a result, in 1910, the Saddle Hill School was opened with Mr. Wiggley as the first teacher.

The name “Saddle Hill” was suitable because of a range of hills to the east and south. The contour of the hills appears as a distinct saddle to those approaching from the east. From this saddle, our school and district got its name.

From the minutes of trustee meetings from 1909-1946, we find that in 1909 there were enough children to justify a school in the area. A meeting was called. Arthur Leggett, Charlie Moore and Frank Redmond were chosen as the first trustees. On July 20, 1909, a by-law was passed to borrow $1000 for the purpose of “obtaining a school site, building and furnishing a school and outhouses, and digging a well.” The site on the SW ¼ 14-45-4 W4 was obtained from Sam Redmond. This is eight miles north and one mile west of the village of Edgerton. George Otterham was the contractor and in 1910 the school was opened.

To meet expenses $.10 per acre was levied on all land in the district except C.P.R. land. The school district had financial trouble right from the beginning. The tax was raised to $.12 per acre; then to $.15 in 1917, $.16 in 1919, $.20 in 1921. In 1924, it was changed to eight mills on the dollar of the assessed value.

Teachers were hired for part of a year. From the record we read, “Miss Borden to be hired at $67 per month for eight months more or less for as long as the money holds out.” The first time school continued for a year was in 1918 when Miss Empey, a graduate of a four-month term at Camrose Normal School, taught from May 1, 1918 to June 30, 1919.

If we could turn to some of the early registers, we would find such names as Moore, Guthrie, Taylor, Gilbert, McCormick, McFarland, Greibrok, Wallgren and many others.

Two farms in the district are still owned and operated by descendants of the original settlers. These are Freeman Leggett and his son Philip, and Dixie Bowen and her husband Rod. Dixie is the grand-daughter of Frank Redmond.

The following list of teachers of Saddle Hill may not be entirely complete or in the proper sequence. Mr. Wiggley, Miss McLaughlin, Miss McLean, Miss Dickson, Mr. Pomeroy, Miss Stanley, Miss Harding, Miss Kellogg, Miss Borden, Miss Gilchrist, Miss Empey, Miss R. Redmond, Mr. M. Murdock, Miss Smith, Miss B. Wheeler, Miss Ewart, Miss Mogan, Mr. Shaw, Miss Whitman, Miss Cunningham, Miss Nichols, Miss Woodhull, Miss A. Withnell, Mr. McDarmand, Miss Ruth Miles, Mrs. Irma Kingham, Mr. Harry Moore, Miss Vera Bertrand, Miss Dorothy Fox, Miss Ruth Chandler, Mrs. Elma Redmond, Miss Margurite Jackson, Miss Marion Dallyn, Mrs. Marion Greibrok, Miss Shirley Burton, Miss Agnes Erickson, Mrs. Elma Redmond.

Supervisors of correspondence lessons included Miss Thelma Burnett, Miss Joyce Firkus and Miss Grace Leech.

As the years passed, the school population varied from thirty-one in 1919 to a low of six in 1916. One year when enrolment was very high, Wesley Kellogg was not allowed to start Gr. 1 until the following year. Usually grades one to eight were taught if there were pupils for each grade. This was extended to include Grade Nine. One year at Saddle Hill School, when there was no grade nine, grade ten was taught.

In 1943-44 during war time, school started about a month late allowing children to help with harvest. To make up for the delayed start, school continued to the middle of July. That same year, Canada stayed on Daylight Saving Time for the whole year. Because of lack of artificial lighting in rural schools, commencement was at 10:00 A.M. D.S.T. and dismissal at 4:30 P.M. Also in 1943-44, some students from Empire School District attended Saddle Hill School.

Because of the proximity of Schwenk’s slough to Saddle Hill School, skating was one of the sports participated in at noon hours. During Miss Smith’s tenure, Freeman Leggett was sent to find out why Luther Vieweger and Frankie Redmond had not returned to school. He found them in the bush with a fire going drying out their clothes after having gone through the ice. Having been warned not to tell, Freeman just told the teacher that they would be back shortly.

Don Redmond recalls that many students during the depression came to school barefoot. He remembers walking barefoot down to the slough, putting on his skates, and later walking back shoeless with his skates slung over his shoulder.

The janitor work at the school was often done by one of the older boys. One of these boys recalls getting $.10 a day. At the end of the year, he received $19.50 which he put toward a bicycle. Another one of these boys enjoyed the furore caused when the “22” shells he put in the heater exploded. Sometimes teachers did the janitor work, as Miss Margurite Jackson did. Mrs. Marion Greibrok remembers the dismay of coming to school one morning and seeing oily soot covering everything. Apparently the heater, which had been converted to oil, had exploded.

Transportation to school took many forms. Many children walked, while others rode horseback as each schoolyard had a barn. As a teacher, I also rode horseback to school. I remember one time having my steed all loaded down with my lunch kit, books etc. but decided to check to make sure the porch door was shut securely. When I slammed the door, my horse bolted, leaving me to walk. When my landlord saw the horse coming home, minus the teacher, he was afraid I’d been thrown off and came looking for me with the truck. I learned never to do that again.

Another means of transportation was ski-joring. Walter Erickson rode his horse, Shorty, pulling Knute Wallgren on skis at the end of a rope. Greibroks and Cornfields came to school in the winter time with a cutter pulled by a single horse. Billy Redmond thought it was fun to hang on to the box at the back of the cutter and slide along the snow on his tummy. From this position he couldn’t see what was coming and consequently when the horse relieved himself, he was dragged right through the manure. Since Saddle Hill School was not located on a well travelled road, mud in summer and snow in winter hampered Mrs. Greibrok getting to school by car. She was very thankful numerous times when Guy Gibson snowplowed the road.

In 1939, Saddle Hill became part of the large Wainwright School Division, whose Board hired all the teachers for the division and disposed of the rural schools; some were sold to individuals and some to communities for social centres. In 1956, the children of Saddle Hill School District were bussed to Edgerton. Mr. Guy Gibson purchased Saddle Hill School and moved it to his farm one mile east, where it serves as a workshop.

On July 1 and 2, 1973, a Saddle Hill Homecoming was held at the farm of Arne and Marion Greibrok. About 250 former students, teachers and their families attended. It was also a time to honour five former students and their wives who were celebrating their silver wedding anniversaries. They were Alget & Eva Erickson, Buster & Pauline Gilbert, Arne & Marion Greibrok, John & Brenda Greibrok and Bill & Thelma Redmond. The following year, 1974, a claim was erected at the original site of Saddle Hill School.

Much of this information has been taken from the account of Saddle Hill in the Edgerton history book, “Winds of Change,” written by Mrs. F. Redmond.

Saddle Hill School District No. 1983
Submitted by Ruth Erickson

92-93-94-95