Historic Sites of Manitoba: East Prospect School No. 111 (RM of Portage la Prairie)

The first Prospect School, established in 1876, operated in a local home in the southwest quarter of 36-12-7 until 1879, when enrolment had grown so large that a second school was required. Students in the eastern area of the district then attended school in another home on the northwest quarter of 18-12-6 until 1880, East Prospect School was formally established and a school building was erected on the northeast quarter in 18-12-6 west of the Principal Meridian, in the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie.

In 1910, a new school building was built, a half mile from the earlier location. A noteworthy student at East Prospect School was J. G. Cowan. The school operated until 1963, when the district merged with Dale School No. 705 to form Dale Prospect Consolidated School No. 2417, using the school building brought from the Dale site. The former East Nairn School building was brought to the site for use by grade 7 and 8 students.

Teachers at the East Prospect School included Alice Laut, Annie McLeod, J. A. Bowman, Harry Cook, Essie Huston, Annie Cameron, Minnie Spire, Mary McKinnon, Mr. Delimore, Walter Shaw, G. C. Boothe, R. G. Taylor, James L. Bowman, Miss Cook, Mr. A. Bowman, Effie Smith, Dorcas Crake, Jessie A. Graham, Etta McCracken, Grace Burns, Sydney Gardner, and Edward J. Hatheway.

East Prospect School, built in 1910 (no date) by A. B. Fallis Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-1, page 35. East Prospect School commemorative monument (March 2011) Source: Gordon Goldsborough East Prospect School commemorative monument (April 2023) Source: Rose Kuzina Site Coordinates (lat/long): N50.02607, W98.26239 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: West Prospect School No. 112 (RM of Portage la Prairie)

Prospect School, 1876-1880 by Norman J. Williamson
Manitoba Pageant, Volume 21, Number 2, Winter 1976

Sources:

One Hundred Years in the History of the Rural Schools of Manitoba: Their Formation, Reorganization and Dissolution (1871-1971) by Mary B. Perfect, MEd thesis, University of Manitoba, April 1978.

Rural Schools of Portage la Prairie School Division #24 by Muriel Wright, 1996.

We thank Rose Kuzina for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 4 May 2023

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