Tecumseh School District No. 34, 1877-1977

Manitoba Pageant, Summer 1978, Volume 23, Number 4

This article was published originally in Manitoba Pageant by the Manitoba Historical Society on the above date. We make this online version available as a free, public service. As an historical document, the article may contain language and views that are no longer in common use and may be culturally sensitive in nature.

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Originally built in 1877 on the NW¼ of Sec.18-13-2E Tecumseh School was moved to this site eight years later. To accommodate the growing settlement a larger school was erected in 1888. It remained the centre of learning and community life until 1967. Students from this school have made their contributions in all walks of life, a tribute to dedicated teachers. Erected by former students, teachers and people of the Community.

"Golden memories are man's treasures"

In the early evening of June 24^th 1977 over one hundred people gathered for the unveiling of a cairn to commemorate TECUMSEH SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 34, one of the early School Districts in Manitoba. As noted on the cairn the first school was erected on the NW of S.18-13-2E and eight years later, owing to a shift in school population, it was decided to move the school building to the present site, a two and one-half acre plot on the north-west corner of the John Matheson farm (NW¼ Sec. 12-13-2E) which had been donated by Mr. Matheson. In 1888 a larger school was built, which was used until closed in 1967 due to consolidation of school districts, thus ending ninety years of service, and this June 1977 marks the one hundredth year since the formation of the school district.

The school building was some time later moved to Warren, ten miles west of Stonewall, to be used as an auxiliary classroom until renovations were completed on the Warren School, following which the building was purchased by a local farmer and is still in use as a storage shed.

The John Matheson who donated the property came as a very young child with his family, the Alexander and Anne Matheson family, in the 1815 party of Lord Selkirk Settlers, grew up in Kildonan and in 1873 took up land in the Grassmere District where the family have resided since, the Alexander Matheson who acted as Chairman at this service is the great-greatgrandson of the original settler at Red River.

Mr. Alexander Matheson told briefly of the decision to erect this cairn and of the trials that followed but in the end all went well, the cairn is well built, the bronze plaque most effective and the location ideal, standing as it does at the cross-roads, and plans are in hand to landscape the whole plot. Mr. Matheson introduced a number of former teachers and pupils present, as well as the following special guests Miss Anne Henderson, Past President of the Manitoba Historical Society, Mr. Alex Krawec, representing the Dept. of Education, Correspondence Branch, Mr. George Sadler, former, now retired, school trustee, Mr. Bill Anderson, local stone mason who was responsible for the erection of the cairn, Mr. John Harcus, local farmer, and for a number of years a member of the school board, following which Mr. Harcus unveiled the cairn. Members of the Stonewall Band provided music.

Following the unveiling and a friendly half hour all were invited to the nearby farm of Alan and Vivian Sheldon for lunch. A most enjoyable time was spent at the farm - a very lovely farm incidentally - teachers, pupils and old friends enjoyed a happy time recalling the old school days. Mr. Sheldon was a one time school trustee and Mrs. Sheldon taught at Tecumseh School during the war while Mr. Sheldon was overseas.