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