Bull Creek School District No. 3161
Bull Creek School was built in 1914-15 on a high hill overlooking the
Killarney Lakes and hiss, about three miles from Bull Creek and
approximately 14 miles south and east of Chauvin. It was a frame
structure 30’ x 20’ built with lumber purchased from the Farmers’ Co-op
Lumber Co. in Vancouver, B.C. A woodshed attached to the school housed
the fuel for the wood and coal burning heater. This school was moved to
Provost in the early 1940s where it is residence and the large bell in
the steeple now rings from the Anglican Church in Provost.
Some of the early school board members included A. Godin, Sam Burtch, Felix Page, John Knox, Archie Merriman, D. Hager and Geo. McEwan. Other families in the district were Grays, Wilfred Watsons, Lloyd Webbers, Ungers, Borgstroms and the George, Joe and Ambrose Skinner families. Many of these families immigrated in the years 1908 – 12 and many came from Illinois, Michigan, southern Ontario and New Brunswick.
Uncle Hi Shippey (as he was known to all) a brother of Mrs. Everitt Skinner, played his dulcimer at the dances and social functions in the school. This instrument was the only known dulcimer in this part of Alberta.
When the A. Godin family were on their way from Chauvin to their new farm, numerous buffalo bones were noticed scattered over the prairie. One of the older boys said in a loud voice, “The Indians were here and these are the bones of the people they killed.” The fear and trembling stayed with the younger siblings for a number of years as Indians from a nearby reservation, curious to learn what was taking place, were often noticed skirting around.
Bull Creek, like all rural schools, was the social center for the neighbourhood. Dances and pie and box socials were means of raising money for the Christmas Concert expenses and in 1921, John Knox was paid $75 for building the school barn, a portion of that money being raised form a box social and dance.
The school well was a costly item - $30.75 plus the cost of materials for 253 feet of cribbing! Mr. Bill Farrer dug the well which cost fifty cents a foot for the first fifty feet and fifteen cents a foot for the next twenty- five feet. The school board furnished 253 feet of casing and Mr. Page built this cribbing for two dollars.
Mr. Joe Coatsworth, the first teacher, was hired for four months at a salary of $80.00 a month – he was expected to do the janitor work as well. Local teacher at Bull Creek were Claire Richardson (Folkins), Gretchen Richardson (Wright) and Heather Richardson (Bradley). A Mr. Miles was especially interested in physical training and, during his term, had his pupils trained at pyramid building. They exhibited their skill at fairs in Provost and nearby social functions.
One day, after there was enough snow to ride a toboggan, four or five children decided to test the slope – one of them being Jimmy Burtch in his first year at school. On the way down the hill, he put his leg out just as a tree loomed up. Their enjoyment came to an abrupt end! Jimmy was taken to the Provost hospital with a badly broken leg and there he recuperated for some time. However, the fracture healed well and unless you know of the incident, the limp is barely noticeable.
On January 12, 1938, Joe Skinner signed a conveyance contract to take the children to Marquis School. Bull Creek School doors and windows were fastened shut. This is a deserted area now. Of all the students that attended this school, Ambrose Skinner is the only resident in this immediate area. However, a different hive of activity exists three- quarters to one mile west of the Bull Creek School site – the battery of Renaissance Energy Ltd. Its beacons at night, from the highest hill in the terrain are visible for miles around the country to attest to a very rich and memorable heritage.
Bull Creek School District No. 3161
Submitted by Eleanor Perry with help from Evelyn Skinner
129-130