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The Huron Expositor, 1981-07-29, Page 25bri S.S. #8 -Browntown School Students from the S.S. No. 5 Photo from George Michie S.S.#b -Anderson's School MORRIS TOWNSHIP Congratulations - on your 125th BIRTHDAY AMS BIRTHDAY ISSUE OR 0. to school in Spring uses a for old Morris schools M I2511411,10114 AY issue Continued from page 7 During the spring floods. pupils of the first and second line of Morris crossed the railroad bridges to get to school. Between the years of 1946-1954, the ball team from Stone School competed with teams from surrounding districts winning many championships. They also had their own hockey team. Bill Elston. the current reeve of Morris Township attended the school. The Stone School, which has been converted to a house, now belongs to Wal- ter and Wehdy Orawski. Mr. Orwaski bought the building in the late 60 s. The Orawskis are desig- ners. He designs shopping malls and she designs mostly stores and offices. On July 18, 1928 the S.S. it7 held its Diamond Jubilee Reunion. About 300 former students attended. By early afternoon 10p(Lpeople gath- ered to listen to speeches music and view the softball game. One of the .highlights was a book written by Mr. C.G. 'Campbell, an author and former school student. 'Mr. Campbell who lived in the States couldn't attend but gent a speech which was, ready by one of the teachers. The evening wound down• to the sound of the bagpipes and a dance. Taking a look at the house. on Concession 2 it's hard to. imagine that it was once known as the Browntown School. According to information obtained from Mr. and Mrs. Bert Garniss, the original frame school was replaced in 1894 by a brick building. In 1945, the present structure was built:. At times, the school had up to 40 students in 10 grades. The one room school- was heated by a huge wood stove which served many purpos- es. An incident is recalled when the stove was used to demonstrate the use of steam. An ink bottle 'was corked and filled with water.. On one occasion however,. it, was the bottle that popped instead of the cork and glass was everywhere. The school was also fortunate enough to have a piano which was put to good use. In December, of 1966: the. school closed and in the following spring it was sold to Ralph Darlow who cont'er- ted it to a house presently owned by Phillip Massey who also operates his repair- shop out of there, Mrs. Bernard Thomas said what the school closed those on. the east side went to Brussels and these on the west side went to Fast WaW- anosh. She said a lot of social times and Christmas con— certs were held there. Across from the school was Browntawn church which was used each year for plays put on by the school children of Browntowp. The congre- gation gradually decreased and the church and land were sold with the property being used for farmland. • Buttons School or S.S. 89 in Morris Township is now In a decrepit state, but once faithfully served students on the seventh, eighth and ninth concessions. A few from Hullett Township also at- tended this school. Built in 1876 and located on lot 20, the eighth conces- sion of Morris, it was about the first school in the Morris school section to close, which it did in 1955. A ,T, - There were Grades 1 to 8 in the school but also some- thing called a fifth class which would compare with our Grade 9. Rather than go to Continuation School in Brussels some would elect to take their Grade 9 there. When Jack Bryans of Brussels went to Buttons school, the old double seats were still there, although not in use. Among the inter- •esting things 'he recalled .• about the school was- that it was heated by a stove in the centre, of the building and that there was no basement. For their water supply students simply dipped out of a spring and everybody drank out of the same cup. One of the things studnets enjoyed about the school when Jack attended was that it was set in a swamp. In the winter when the swamp flooded, the children would skate on it. Jack said they used to eat lunch at recess time so that they could have the full hour to skate on the ice. Some- times when the bell would ring to call them in to school pupils wouldn't hear it, but there were other times, Jack says, when they were deaf on purpose. Senior students took turns sweeping the school. A con- tract was let for the cleaning of the school which was ,scrubbed at Christmas, Ea- ster and during the summer holidays. They would also let a contract for lighting the fire and a lot of senior students would take turns because their fathers would get the contract. Walter Bewley and Jack did it one year at 17 cents a morning which they divided between themselves. They used to time themselves to see how long it would take to get the'stove Jack also remembered- the time a school teacher who lived seven or eight miles away from the school forgot something and had to go back for it. When she asked if any of the sudents would like to r ide back with her in her Model T Ford all of them put up their hands so she wound up with 17 or 18 students packed into her car. The school closed in 1955 because of a very, small enrolment of six pupils who were then transported to other schools. S.S. No. 10 Now in the process of being converted into a house the S.S. #10 or Ramsey's schoolhouse sits on a pleas- ant location on concession one. The first school' was a doghouse built in 1860. A frame one was erected in 1880 to be followed by the present red brick school- house in 1915. In 1927 the school cele- ' brated an old boys reunion. Approximately 200 former pupils attended. There was a large parade. softball game. and bands. Everyone was dressed in the' school colors of green and white. When the school closed it was, bought by 'Robert Pull- man. It is presently owned by Gordon Cowan of Brantford. McGavin's ' school house Perhaps the S.S. No. 11, WartOtt befit-1i used for one of the, most unusual• reasons of -any of the other schoolhouses in Morris Township. McGavin's Farm Equip, meet now operates its bus- iness out of the bri4k build- ing. The .Walton 'rweedsmuir:_boolt provides • some of the • histo0 of the Walton schoolhouses. According to it, a frame' school was built on the southeast corner of Lot 30, Concession 9, Morris Town- ship land purchased by Iltobert Dennis, on for Sl. The frame school was built before. 1873 with one room directly behind the red brick school, now owned by Neil McGavin. Later another school was built to the east of this frame school and joined to it by a hallway. Then later on one of these rooms was closed. In 1907, the red brick school was built . to replace the two buildings. At, one time this building held class- es in both the classroom and the basement. Due to overcrowding in the brick school, another school was built in 1920, a few yards north of the brick school on the same property. This •frame building• was built for the junior classes. A house was built at the northeast corner. These buildings were covered with red asphalt shingles. This school which is now being used for storageef some of McGavin's equip- ment was closed in 1932 and . people returned to the red Crick school. A new school was formed in 1961 which was known as Grey Township School Area No. 2. While the largest assessment was in Grey Township, it was .comprised ' of 25 lots in McKillop Township belonging te,s-the Walton Seho,Q1., Mion No. 11 alS614-IvfeKillop lots belong- ing. to Union SchoorNo. 12. ' In addition, a portion of Morris Township was includ-, ed. • The move was the outcome of a vote in Morris Township which rejected the proposal to build a new ' school in Walton. A petition of inter- ested Morris and Grey Town- ship ratepayers asked for the formation of a new school area. This new four room schoolhouse was opened of- ficially on December 12. 1962 with the total cost of con- struction and equipment and other expenses amounting to about S84,000. McGavins moved into the red brick schoolhouse in 1962 and added a piece onto it in 1963. The old school bell is used as a paging system to call the men--one ring for Neil, -two for Bob. Occasionally they also ring the bell for weddings in Walton or for special events. Upstairs where McGavins keep records, its worth a crawl through the cubbyhole to see what school children wrote on the walls - dirty limericks and one liners combined with students names such as Doug Kirkby. Walton, Ont. Feb. 22, 1950. lm June 12, 1936. Grade • ht. S.S. No. 12 S.S. #12 located on the road between Walton and Blyth. was built in 1901. According to Mrs. ..lehn A. Perrie when the school closed it was changed: into the Country Studio. The, studio contained a potters wheel and hobby shop; It was run by Anne Fairservice. atv artist from the area. Anne took her art classes in Chic- ago and taught art to resi- dents in the area. Congratulations & Best Wishes to MORRIS TOWNSHIP on their 125th Anniversary Brussels Stockyards Ltd . Cattle Sales R.R. 3, Brussels Hog Sales 887-6461 887-6811' SERVING AGRICULTURE SINCE 1.875 How on, &Howson Limited Flour & Feed Millers, Complete Farm Supplies Grain Elevators • WINGHAM, BLYTH, CARGILL 41.