The Lucknow Sentinel, 1963-06-19, Page 6PAGE SIX
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‘LUCFNO
VV'ETyNE$DAY, JUNE 10th, 1963
S11TIIL. LUCKN
OW ONTARIO
•■
Ji.st;Lo.• Schoolh�use. Built fiver •
A century Ago Served• As ;Many As'
children At One dime, Frpm Wide"Area
was during the war ' of 191448
when ,:school• waS closed. for six
.weeks 'because ,of the 'influenza
outbreak followed. by a 'whoop
V .. ,ing. cough - epidemic,,
Also during . the war :proves
ions were..;nlade that. exannina-.
tians.eould be .passed if the child.
.was given ,the . settlement by 'a 'wee needed home:.on• the' farm.
'man tuy the name of Allan Mac. -:,providing, Of 'course : 'that. • his.
•Kenzie who ,Was' married to a grades• were; high enoughduring
maid •'by. the name of Fletcher, the, ,year. ••
and •when the first rural ' mail Arbor :Day.,Waa day looked
delivery was ,introduced'a Con=- forward to with'enthusi•asm, Af-
servative •-Daily published •;in , a 'ter .a. real :house cleaning at ,the:
near city, sent two canvassers ` school a picnic by a .„nearby
to ,rntrodtice: their lite .
raaure to 'creek :or: woods, was enl eyed by
the -good ,and true Men of Loch `all. -•
alsh... • . , Sports Had' .Their Place
Needless ito say,, they met.. •with • Games of all kinds Were ',play-,
poor 'success.. • They • apparently •ed,but hockey' perhaps 'has last
thought .that •the Tame Loohal:sh ed •thru the .years. Now, hookey
was. a bad omen, for. they'could sticks' '. are regular, pieces .of,
neither'. say: nor ` spell . it: On "their . equipment but 'many 'were.. the
way, '+home •'•,from:. :their fruitless': tYPes • used years gone • by A
canvass :','they met With one :of !buggy rib or.. a. limb from a
!the'• •yoemen of the burg. 'Stop tree, or ''what 'ever'' came ,hart-
ping ,him :they; asked him te:;diest. made. the •:game•more •ex
apellt the queer name'.of ,the' 1Post citing. ' . ,
Office, 'with -a. twinkle ir%. ,his •Lochalsh was Widely known
eye; • the' gallant • answered slow- for its :baseball team.• Who were
ly G -ho b -e Needless. '.to say charnpions . on. 'many occasions.
they .never returned; Many were the„ distractions for
•One '• could' terrible. on ,for those.' Who. Walked ..mites to , get
.hours. about, 'such Stories told to and 'from :school''with houses,_
the' writer by a •riumber of the barns, churches. and. 'haunts. . to
. over $+0 class' . •still .with.. us and ; explore and • find' treasures
;full of • memories of • tales =told known only ito, those who have
to .them' many,' !years ago: •' had the experience ; tp• • walk to
Names such as Maolntosh, En school. • "
sign, �
Buckin am , ,Bell.•. Mac-• :' The . .Ins ''tor'$ visit in ' days.
Lean, . 1VIacLennan, '.,Sutherland, gone, by Was One to be remern-.;
.chamber's 'Johnstone,‘, Cowan bered. A. story is told :sof • a e1Vir.
Scott, ` MeeNain and others had •J:iElgin' Thom '.who travelled ,by
all' taken' ,uup•land. 'before . '1879.: 'hd"rse and . tbuggY or .horse ' ,and:
at 'Which time an atlas,_ of Huron , cutter • and :would leave his, rig"
County ,was =published .with re= at Finlaysons ,.rid spend a 'great
cords .•of ' all who .•::had bought deal of Mine with- the: spelling;
land' from; the, Crown:'. • arithmetic and read'ing> lessons,
deeds'. are .still in:the' the P!p
He :was a da " p er' 'little pian. with
-Original.
hands of 'many in, the cornmu-` •apointed:,:) ack beard `and ;was
nityand are :: cherished • along: referred to as', Black Tom
With 'the Many memories .passed Once he:- arrived ' iii a new Ov-`
from ' one generation. to the twit. :Orlandeafr which : ran out of
Communion. At -Log School gas and 'you . ,guessed it, the ` Buf- .
Records-' have it, that the .se= ,':Eales ;- ushed him to ' the: store-
•cond .Comnn,urnon services held to•,get, him on hrs.way,.'
in .bhe ' •area were . `conducted
M. or. near •the did 'log •school.
at Lochalsh '•thea year ,1853:
and were ,ser • =held . for . five . or
•six Years... It. seems that. this ol,d
log.' school :'served' 'as .a ` church
as ,well • •as a` :school long :before
the' first: church was built in
1860. ' Even ,after 'ithe church, was
+built; : Sunday !School' was car,.
ried on in the' sghoal for. :many
years under the leadership. of
Finlay ' MacLennan.' •
One Eby one 'schools' imient up
through the township until'
ally number ',1i5 was-ibuilt'' at !•Terri
lock .City :and:. less . need '•,for ' a
two -room school .:at .,'Lochalsh;
which; by: the way, ,•hada +been the,
,fourth' ,school. in : Ashf ield T'own
•ship. One. half of, i,ochalsh.
School :building was kicked over
and the other ` half .used 'as', a
shed.,: .
' Teachers who served '. inthis:'
school 'were. • Annie ` • MacIntosh,
John, McClung; John Gibson,.
Frank 'MacWill ,Dhant
bets, Solt. 'Mac1ntyre, Tom ,Mac -
•Kay, Dan W. MacKenzie, Eddie
:Robb,, Donald ' Alex,Matheson,
•Billy 'MacLeod, Miss Blair, Mr.
MVIidd•leton and ,Millie Long;
Millie:being ,the fast teacher
the old. school . and the first .one
in the. red brick school,
' Buffalo • and 'Egypt
:.Stories. Old, 'by former 'stud.(
eats And teachers • • of Lochalsh:
are rainy, y, :.such as fellow's.
At one time ' the' area ,east of
the school. was'+known as Rufifa
•10 and west of , the school ,was
Egyipt. Consequently .the school;
'population was 'divided
Buffaros arid:. Gypsiei; .More
than ,,,:one feud• broke oat be-
'tween. the two, M:r. Gordon who
owned a 'blacksmith shop on the
corner of the Ripley i' !act` even
Tabled his , :bills Buffalo, •
The red +brick schoolhouse. at
Lochalsh, built in ' 1918 :at a: cost
of .$5,090, is :presently being de-
molished as •a . highway .hazard.'.
It has :been vacant since :the
• !pupils of the section comme need
being • transprted ' to ..the new
North Ashfield Central- 'School
on Con. +12,: Ashfield. ` •
A. history , of the school .sec'
tion, which: dates back to the.,
..arrival ' of the • first settlers. in
the Lochalsh `area in 11847, has
been' compiled' by Mrs. Oliver
1MeCharles and ' is reproduced
there as, follows:
L
zr 1s
ha hew 'school at.' the cost of.
$5000. Trustees . 'at that time
were Jack K. MacDonald,.. Jack
Finlayson, Secretary Dan Mac-,
Donald • and Rory ,Mac 'Lennart
and the assistance of a com-
mittee of John MacRae' and
Duncan Cameron, ,•
John • Robertson of ;Ripley •was
the ibuiider. ,-$rick were hauled
from . up near !'orrnosa; money
borrowed from , Kenneth •Mac-
Kenzie of Ki`rloss and so the
building got: under way with
*Mr, .. Robe'rtsari having the con=
tract. to; ,build . the ..school and
.boarding with: the MacLeod. A
stained glass, window high in.
the front of the school was a
work of•>art with the date 1,918.
there - ,inscribed,, A. red brick
'building .with full size basement
of w=hich ' Lochalsh• , ratepayers
were truly ' proud :served the
community until two years ago,
when • it .was .felt necessary . ;to
f
erect a , school' 'to . serve several'
sections in • North' 'Ashfield.
• Open Red Brick School
:Official: opening of the : red
brick . school ' was:, February 21,
'1919 .when it . is ' recorded. that 42
loaves of ;bread were bought for
same at ` 1.32.• Wihat; was served
with.
..t
i th • the, isn't 'recorded
but those who,:'remem+ber, said
there was lots'. ' of .home.' made
butter and home owed' meat and
Plenty :.:of sweets' to make 'a
,bountiful. lunch•.,
(By Marion 'E. MCCharles)
Three' schools „On , the L the loathe
d Loch-,
property have *s�gr
alsh area ,for well over 100 years.
The 'first school • of log•construc-
tion *as 'built ' in --t-he late '1840's
or • early ,1&5+0's and was '•a two
room school serving.. as many. as
.17+0 children at one time. ' These
tt+pils• ;came from. ;the surround-
ing. i'n territories of Ashfield and
g. .
Huron:' townships _ asti :there was
no other school near ' at , hand.
Names ' of teachers' . in this
school -have long since :+been .for
gotten. 'In the (book "Ben -locked"
' • of , DestinYy ,by- .Aneaus'.iMCChar-
,
.:les, .it, is recorded that in ` 1856 a
• Mrs.: 'Christina MacLennan ''was'
one of . the , teachers .along` • w +ti
Andrew ,Fletcher •. in , . Lochalsh'
school. It is also ,:recorded in the
• same :book :that IMcCharles.
self conducted his ,first classes •
*hen,was ten--yearsof age.
He, taught in., the .Lewis
settle-
• Merit aiter '- graduating from
.
Loehalsh` school' and, was. .passing,
g,
:rich 90 1$200; a'' year .'Peter. ,Flet-,
cher taught. around '.;the year
g . ,.
1857. Terra • MacKenzre.,and. Tena
Cameron :were. ''+tob ° more names'
!Brought to • .light •in, the search
for. ' history; Tena :MacKenzie.
.rel'la fririlayson's Mother). was-
teaching
asto c+l ing school at the ` age -of 'of 16
years. " / r'
• Settllers -Arrive. In 1847
Records .have .it that in'' 1847
:settlers who .arrived in •the area
were Kenneth, Finlay, Straight
Ojonald and Lame Donald 1VI+ac-
Donal,, who settled on lands
s
now • owned ,by their heirs to the
fourth and •fifth.' generations. • .
In' ;1849' there- ebtled •,in- Loch-
.alsh , Finlay. MacLenn 'n . :and
•
sons; Andrew MacRae , arid: sons,
Malcolm MacRae and . his family:
and; a 'grandson, ;Duncan •Finlay-
son; also Kenneth MacKenzie,'
Big Donald 'Mackenzie, 'Alexan-
oder (Black. Sandy). MacKenzie,
Big Dougald Matheson,' the .Fin.
layson :brothers an;d MacKenzie
brothers. ' r .
1n :105.+0 Donald Bain MacKen-;
z,ie,. Peter,. John .and ;Alexander
Murray- and V1iliarn Murray,
. the .Wheelvvright and his :family
arrived, . 3n ' 1852. the Iatnilies , of
Kenneth '. (Sohian) ,, MacKenzie,
' • Donald Ma,cLellari,:" a
shepherd
p
and; his 'family; the ,Mur hs,
Macint. yr es .
,. Moss family,:.Jahn.
!MacRae and family, Rod, Mac-
Kenzie,
Kenzie, Peter MacKenzie, :Mattie-'
• sons and MaeKays • were -added.
In. -°1854 .the • John Camerons; .
,Potchers, ,MacI3ougals • and rid-.
-.
•cshers came; In 1:855 Stewarts,
'MeCharles family, Kenneth. Ross
sand MacRae's • settled. in the
Lochalsh • area; All these hardy
sons :from the , Highlands were
,welcomed by the earlier. ,pion-'•
eer's ' as family • after • family
•tramped, through swat•ri+p arid
'slashing, climbing' g' ''over • fallen
+trees,` =ever . 'grasping tighter' the
precious .bundles com,niitted to
their ' 'care.
:,Even •folk; lore : does not • .tell
us, 'but the irnaginatic pictures
• scenes •of joy
and
rejoicing
true„
to .the -custom. of the age 'on` the
occasion of their ,meeting the
new world All these ' took up
land, now 'held by' 'their•heirs;
an ,the Lochalsh area:
' ,One ' story `,brought to light in
the 'search for history of Loch-
alsh might bring a chuckle; The
name Lochalsh, by, the way
•
Stories .are"told' :.of• many. tea=
chers •. who served; Lochalsh
school. Dean MacLeod ' was re-
menvbered ;for :her patriotic songs
and. ,hymns, . Eddie• Robb 'for his
thou,ghfulness of •little children,
Millie• Long:' ' brought •. an:: 'Ash,
pointer :made • 'by'• ` her` •father
Alex Long; • Duncan,MacRae for -
his a+bi lity •. to :have the pupil' win
many prizes. • wr<th their: handi-
crafts .at bhe 'School, fairs;: Lielia
!Finlayson' : for • cher.kindness arid'
`on : and ' on the stories go ' :as
eaoti, person remembers and tells'
hew wonderful! were their
school dayts, at :Lochalsh.
•,In• 1916, Dean •MacLeod,° tea-
cher :at Lochalsh scohool, . ,passed
out souvenirs-,' of4-..the school
which was's.00ri. to be torn '•down:
to make room; ,far a new. school.
On this card are. •recorded 'Vthe
names:.of the school. board:. John
Finlayson, -, John MacRae, IDon
add. 'Finlayson:.• Pupiliattending
• Margaret :MacLennan,. �'Jahn
MacLeod,' Mary :Finlayson; Ian.
MacRae, ,Mar:,garet MacLeod; Jes-
sie' MacDonald;; D'anald Catnip -
'bell, Jean Finlayson,'' Catherine
MacDonald, Duncarr'MacRae; He-
len MacRae, Alexandee+MacLen-.
nen, Malcolm! Fi,nlayaon, :Waiter
Dexter,'Selena. -MacDonald,
irly ' .Dexter John Robertson,
Donald Finlayson, Lucy •,Rp+bert-
son, ' Mary B. MacDonald, Iso'
;belle MapDona.ld,.' 'ibuncan. Fin-
layson, 'Roderick • +MacLennan
.Jimmie:Fletcher,, '
Pupils *h.o`` shad' .attended in
1912-14 were: Bain Stewart, D.
A. MacLennan, ,'rank .'MacLen-
nail, Kenneth. • :MacLeod; Cliff
Connell; Rhoda tMVIcK•en•dribk, Sa-
die MacDonald, •L'iella F,itviay-
soon, Roderick ;'MacDonald, Lila
Robb, Walter 'MacKendrick, caw
meron Camip'bell and' Ch'ristena.
McKendrick: .
Records. .havp,' It that. 1 •
. ,.. ,, n� .19b3
.
an outbrreak_:._•o_L.Dipl.theria catty
ed.all school records to be burn-
ed as many' going ,to -school died
from the effects. •of' this dread
'dise'ase. Thus `,wee,are left with
only what ppeol'le canreriiember
as to the. earlier ' ,eaolters 'names.,
Decide On New Seltool
Irl 1917 a Vote. ,of th'e• Boni-
rrrurtii y
approved . the' axi.i ding .o£
A' daily ;stop at .the. stores was
as regular ar
as school—
itself •a •
-,mai'i•"was "'there to pick up and'
groceries Were bought and carom
vied ,home, )by' the students. Many
a . conversation ' .was carried on
iso Gaelic by the .old timers as
they sat around the old, box:
stove. •
Manya.
ekt
ri
ra •holiday' cattle,
tip but • one not :to be :forgotten
However, the original oAening'
date 'h'ad ` ' to . be, ;pospaned be-
cause the "paint hadn't dried
properly. ; Finally the ° brig • day
,arriv'ed' and in best ibitb and tuc-.
ker the ;pupil§ 'marched from the
old ,school, to: 'the :new., Reeves
Gideon 'Ruffle ,'and Jlm ;Shields
arrivedalong. • with builders,,
',painters :' and parents to make!
it a, joyous occassio'n. One speak-
er made •a. hit with the >:Iboys
and::•girls. 'by., saying. .they were
the best • ibehaved...children. 'he
•had ever seen-:,
. Teachers wh`o .taught 'in the
school ' built` in•1918 were Mild-
red . , Long, Maria ,Long, •;•Liell'a.
Finlayson, Duncan. MacRae, Iso
belle MacDonald, Roderick Fin-
layson,'+Ella Cowan,' Catherine
MacDonald, Madeline Caesar,
Thelma. (Cardwell, Grace Mac
Kinnon, Donalda---MacDonald,
Lorraine ':Ferguson, Mrs. ' 'Roy
+MacKenzie.,. Ruth Pentland, Mrs.
Victoria Srrti h,: Mrs. Margaret
McC!herles, Mrs, :Donald.. Blue,
,Adkins;; Mrs. Helen, Blake,
and ,Miss . Shirley Cpurtney.
The firstclasses .'in th'e school
built • in 1918' were atten.de d by:
Malcom, Jean,' Donald,' 'Duncan,
George;' Allan and Gordon' Fin-.
layson; John ,R,, Lucy,. Catherine
and Dorothy ::Robertson';, Sandy";
Roddy and• • Kenny. MacLennan
'Isobelle; ' Elizabeth; Mable, Clara`
Sally, and Marybelle :MacDonald;
Jim .MacRae, , an•d' .Oliver �-`
Charles Clara'.MaoDonald, Dor-
bthy Robertson. `:and Oliver Mc-
Charles ,were the beginners ' in
the. new,' school:
' Although •',the school at Loch-
,alsh was In good. condition' 'and
could ;,.have • seri, ed :for many.
years, bhe people who'•lov.ed the.'
community centre • agreed 'to
• join In the new school area'..
,building.. and so to -day we see,
Our school sold to: 'the Depart-
ment of• H;ighyWays to'. ibe torn
down to . allow bigger; and better.
,highways to be built; •
Many are the .memories 'and
stories ' told of a section • where
one, of the .first 'sch''
ools..was .
erected ,to serve the .area for a
frvte . mile radius or more: .
Graduation Marked • Closing
'here ,are many tales- ,that
.could ,be trxld''but in. the 'history,
Stgxy.
of the school '• only •one grad .a-;
tion' party was. held; Although.
many ' were. the >`students' who
graduated 'with higher• •,than. ay..
erage--,m,arks and many are .there
who .have ,places of' distinctiOre
in the:-World-toitley, the' gt`a'dira-
tion party.,held in; 430 will long
Abe re rriernb'F red ' l'ry ' those
who
had ,a part in it. Knowing.that
a, new School, Was: to be bilt �.....
the area it seemed: to
4 d. only fitting
that a: ,pa'rty''i f this kind shoi.l
bei held, Mr Kinkead, d
nkead, Tns.pec.tot
of; iuhlie Sr lttiols in 1
. lutot5
County rtlarig•"with former tea.
REPLACIED
chers; and Rev, Hutton anal .Rel
Dunlop, who spoke= to. th
graduating, class andurged ther
on to higher •education, made
a memorable. occasion. Thos
graduating were Esther. G•vbsor
Joyce Thonburn; Phyllis Br:ac
ley, Sheila Collin_and, •John Mc
Charles. Grkde-' seven student.
Finlayson and David Gik
son presented ,the;, �graduati:n
'class with gifts •from the •sectior
Already, bhe feeling of a to
community spirit has crept in ,
there are ,few who feelthe saris
about a! consolidated school ` a
they did: about` the little re
schoolhouse as. ,�a .com,munit
centre, However, as Judge Ia.
MacRae said 'ir his address
the opening' of the North. Ash.
field public 'School,that in pay
ing tribute to': a school• such,' s
Lochalsh, that we must .,beari.
nd. ".that .ese. h:istor4c e:
ions are allthfor the beisteccin
°changing: world' and. our ,each
ers 'are what,, count' yin maki.n
his ,or here students •:men • :gin
women,=to :(!Leet the' challenge :c
•
the times."
ff OCHALSH' SCHOOL
Lfou've •never -one • to . A.
hitt:
Y g
redp school
v ' isse • lot J k dw
You missed, m d, a , r� ,•
'But' the folks 'w:ho.,, have, wi
hear --me out •
And ,let, their feeling show, •
A wonderful. place was 'the. on
.room. „schaol.
As it stood :a'' landinank 'brave,
Where we learned our• lesson
• and. the Golden 'rule •
And some even' learned to
A wionde'rf til ' place was' the ,on
room 'sclio9l,
A wonderful ,piece: to Abe,
Arid now.: as' we .see it, ;fall un.de
,the 'axe
'-
Melly a ,tear shall . We see.
For the little red 'school. •hou�
shall be no ' more*.
And ;all that remains at Lethals.
is a• store, •
But memories are many an
fondly. kept •
Of, a ditt'le, red school the• pl ac.
• where we .., a'll met.
Our children we' will send by bu
or . by car... ' i
To :a, school +built of stone -,an
ib4ger my ,
Their' lessons to'. learn and th
.Golden rule , ;
And: men o ies oto. keep of ano
,ther, school: .
Things like 'these •..we.'must, ac
crept with 'glee
And help. our • children Ieac
lessons "three':'
But 'we shall never. forgeti.'th
school ..on' the corner so 'blear
Which, ;now we all , realize, W
were lucky to have
Those da' s atti.. one . but, w hi
Yl
e g
''• 1 five: •
Their •memories•• .of love
:peace divine, ' "•
Will draw ,rne +back, •will mak+
me dream - • • ,
Of that old school of tine.
I' see My' teachers • sniffing fh e
• I .see it: all so clear '
The meeting place,' the learn;ri•,
(place, the "place so' very dt?a
That little recd' school at Lech
a'lsh a landmark tis tree •..
'Which, .We'll never forget, ltc5..thei
1• no
(you,
Marton , E. 1VIcC;h e T rt,
am
ST. HELENS--
Recent ,visitors with 'itc:v. l; ;: '!
.and Mrs. green and Crri=.den
were • Dr. and -Mrs. B. ' " G•rden
of Stillwell; Oklahoma and .fisc(.
of „their ehildren,, Calene; li.�t17,
ara, Beverley and. turdge jr,s try
also Mr: We Iet,ci,<td y
ricks`,o
rich
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