Historic Sites of Manitoba: Kenton School No. 280 (Kenton, RM of Wallace-Woodworth)

Link to:
Principals | Vice-Principals | Teachers | Photos & Coordinates | Sources

In 1905, a two-classroom, two-storey brick school building was constructed at Kenton in the Rural Municipality of Woodworth on land donated by A. W. Kent. When it opened for classes in 1906, it drew students from the nearby Ralphton School. In 1914, it became Kenton Consolidated School and, six years later, a new two-storey brick structure was erected on a design by Winnipeg architect Eldred Dodsworth Tuttle. It was opened at a ceremony held on 3 January 1921, and attended by William Albert McIntyre and School Inspector William Robertson Beveridge.

The school district joined the Birdtail River School Division in 1959 and a new four-classroom collegiate and auditorium was built, with classes starting in 1960. Elementary grades continued in the older building under the control of the school district trustees. In 1967, students in grades 11 and 12 were transferred to Hamiota. The following year, grade 10 students followed them and the elementary grades became the responsibility of the School Division. The school building from 1920 was closed in the late 1970s and was demolished in 1980.

A monument at the site contains the original school bell, commemorative plaque, and cornerstone from the building listing the name of the architect and members of the school district at the time of its construction: I. Cormack (Chairman), C. Jones, A. S. Bowes, J. B. Bray, and W. Hudson (Secretary-Treasurer).

Principals

Period

Principal

1920-1925

Wilbur Walter Crosby (1893-1941)

1925-1926

Hugh Hamilton Saunderson (1904-1984)

1926-1929

A. S. Trueman

1929-1930

Myrtle Christina Evans Witherspoon (1906-1998)

1930-1932

Blanche McIntyre (1886-1974)

1932-1934

?

1934-1935

Victor Harvey Hugo (1888-1972)

1935-1938

Frank Jacob Harder (1906-1998)

1938-1941

John Arthur Buchanan (1913-1999)

1941-1943

Harold Payne

1943-1954

John Wesley Lorne Graham (1904-2000)

1954-1967

Thomas “Tom” Tesarski (1924-2018)

1967-1968

Joyce Johnson

1968-1971

Merril A. Kiliwnik

1971-1980

Larry Taylor

1980-1988

?

1988-?

Michael Boyle

?-1998

?

1998-1999

Lloyd McKinney

Teachers

Among the early teachers of Kenton School were Miss L. Willis, E. N. McGirr, C. Langton, L. Stewart, F. Langton, Miss J. Delmater, R. Greeway, Harold E. Riter, Miss E. Black, W. A. Hunter, C. B. MacKay, Ada Pauline Herkes, L. G. Kines, Miss G. Gibson, and Miss A. McKinnon.

School Year

Teachers

1920-1921

Annie McKinnon, Miss O. Thomas

1921-1922

Wilbur Walter Crosby, Sarah E. Donald, Grace Harrison, Minnie Hutchison, Elsie Miller

1922-1923

Wilbur Walter Crosby, Minnie Hutchison, Sarah McDonald, Elsie Miller

1923-1924

Wilbur Walter Crosby, Sarah McDonald, Marion McKinnon, Elsie Miller

1924-1925

Wilbur Walter Crosby, Emma Fowler, Elsie Miller, Margaret Tidsbury

1925-1926

Agnes Bannerman, E. B. Fowler, Gladys Mann, Hugh Hamilton Saunderson

1926-1927

Jean Babb, Agnes Bannerman, Gladys Mann, A. S. Trueman

1927-1928

Jean Babb, Agnes Bannerman, Gladys Mann, A. S. Trueman

1928-1929

Jean Babb, Agnes Bannerman, Ida Blakeman, Gladys Mann

1929-1930

Agnes Bannerman, Ida Blakeman, Blanche McIntyre

1930-1931

?

1931-1932

Ida Blakeman, Blanche McIntyre, Lorna E. Thorpe

1932-1933

Ida Blakeman, Victor H. Hugo, Lorne E. Thorpe

1933-1934

Ida Blakeman, Victor H. Hugo, Lorne E. Thorpe

1934-1935

Frank Harder, Annabelle McLennon, Esmee White

1935-1936

E. M. Bell, Frank Jacob Harder, Annabelle McLennon, Esmee White

1936-1937

E. M. Bell, D. G. Currie, Frank Jacob Harder, Annabelle McLennon, Esmee White

1937-1938

D. G. Currie, Frank Jacob Harder, Annabelle McLennon, Esmee White

1938-1939

John Buchanan, D. M. Cooper, D. G. Currie, Annabelle McLennon

1939-1940

John Buchanan, J. G. Laird, Margaret Mitchell, Molly Stalker

1940-1941

John Buchanan, Earl Bullock, Margaret Mitchell, Harold Payne

1941-1942

J. G. Anderson, John Buchanan, Harold Payne, Emily Stewart, Audrey A. Young

1942-1943

Phyllis Fraser, Alice Graham, Harold Payne, Audrey A. Young

1943-1944

Ila D. Cannon, Mable Geisel, J. W. Graham

1944-1945

Ila D. Cannon, Mable Geisel, Wes Graham, Kathleen Reddon

1945-1946

Wes Graham, Kathleen Reddon, Margaret Skuse

1946-1947

Jean Dandy, Wes Graham, Hugh Russell Makepeace

1947-1948

Jean Dandy, Wes Graham, Hugh Russell Makepeace

1948-1949

Jean Dandy, Louise Garnett, Wes Graham

1949-1950

Edith Bruce, Louise Garnett, Marjorie Genung, Wes Graham, Jona Paulson

1950-1951

Eleanor Brown, Edith Bruce, Louise Garnett, Matthew Samuel Pritchard Glowe, Wes Graham, Marion McKenzie, M. Helen Rolph

1951-1952

Madeline Brown, Edith Bruce, June Campbell, Wes Graham, Joyce Poersch

1952-1953

Marguerite Andrew, Louise Bailey, Edith Bruce, Wes Graham, Molly Vance

1953-1954

Marguerite Andrew, Wes Graham, Molly Vance, Joan Veal

1954-1955

Margeurite Andrew, Tom Tesarski, Molly Vance, Joan Veal

1955-1956

Helen McGregor, John Russell, Tom Tesarski, Molly Vance

1956-1957

Eleanor Beatty, John Russell, Tom Tesarski, Molly Vance

1957-1958

Eleanor Beatty, John Russell, Tom Tesarski, Molly Vance

1958-1959

Elizabeth Dodds, Margaret Mitchell, Tom Tesarski, Molly Vance

1959-1960

Elizabeth Dodds, Marie Godlien, Edith Johns, Margaret Mitchell, Charles Ramsey, Tom Tesarski, Molly Vance

1960-1961

Elizabeth Dodds, Marie Godlien, Edith Johns, Margaret Mitchell, Tom Tesarski, Molly Vance

1961-1962

Elizabeth Dodds, Edith Johns, David Lypchuk, Margaret Mitchell, Tom Tesarski, Molly Vance, Ian Whyte

1962-1963

Janice Bothe, Eileen Grant, Edith Johns, Phillip Johnson, John Longstaff, Margaret Mitchell, Tom Tesarski, Molly Vance

1963-1964

Janet Bothe, Eileen Grant, Edith Johns, Phillip Johnson, John Longstaff, Margaret Mitchell, Tom Tesarski, Molly Vance

1964-1965

Eileen Grant, Maureen Hay, Edith Johns, Philip Johnson, H. D. Lund, Margaret Mitchell, Tom Tesarski, Molly Vance

1965-1966

Jean Embury, Eileen Grant, Maureen Hay, Edith Johns, Joyce Johnson, Dale Lund, Margaret Mitchell, Tom Tesarski, Molly Vance

1966-1967

Jean Embury, Edith Johns, Joyce Johnson, D. Lund, Bette McLennan, Margaret Mitchell, Tom Tesarski, Molly Vance

1967-1968

Jean Embury, Lynne Henuset, Edith Johns, Joyce Johnson, Bette McLennan, Margaret Mitchell, Molly Vance

1968-1969

Maisie Blackwell, Jean Embury, Eileen Grant, Edith Johns, Merril Kiliwnik, Erva Lindsay, Helen McGregor, Bette McLennan, Dorothy Smith, Molly Vance

1969-1970

Maisie Blackwell, Sharon Boyd, Jean Embury, Eileen Grant, Edith Johns, Joyce Johnson, Merril Kiliwnik, Erva Lindsay, Lorraine Lonsdale, Helen McGregor, Molly Vance

1970-1971

Maisie Blackwell, Louise Bond, Sharon Boyd, Jean Embury, Eileen Grant, Edith Johns, Joyce Johnson, Merril Kiliwnik, Erva Lindsay, Helen McGregor, Molly Vance

1971-1972

Maisie Blackwell, Velma Doupe, Lorraine Dykman, Jean Embury, Frances Finnie, Eileen Grant, Edith Johns, Joyce Johnson, Erva Lindsay, Helen McGregor, Robert Mitchell, Larry Taylor

1972-1973

Maisie Blackwell, Jean Embury, Frances Finnie, Eileen Grant, Joyce Johnson, Erva Lindsay, Helen McGregor, Wayne Rudd, Larry Taylor

1973-1974

Jean Embury, Frances Finnie, Eileen Grant, Gene Hodgson, Joyce Johnson, Erva Lindsay, Helen McGregor, Larry Taylor

1974-1975

Eileen Grant, Gene Hodgson, Erva Lindsay, Helen McGregor, Molly McLennan, Eleanor Miller, Janice Speelman, Larry Taylor

1975-1976

Jean Embury, Eileen Grant, Gene Hodgson, Helen McGregor, Molly McLellan, Eleanor Miller, Gary Nicholls, Larry Taylor

1976-1977

Eileen Grant, Gene Hodgson, Helen McGregor, Eleanor Miller, Gary Nicholls, Larry Taylor

1977-1978

Jean Embury, Gene Hodgson, Helen McGregor, Eleanor Miller, Gary Nicholls, Larry Taylor

1978-1979

Gene Hodgson, Glennis Hodgson, Helen McGregor, Eleanor Miller, Gary Nicholls, Larry Taylor

1979-1980

Gene Hodgson, Glennis Hodgson, Helen McGregor, Eleanor Miller, Gary Nicholls, Larry Taylor

1980-1981

Gene Hodgson, Glennis Hodgson, Helen McGregor, Eleanor Miller, Gary Nicholls, Larry Taylor

Photos & Coordinates

Postcard view of the original Kenton School, constructed in 1905

Postcard view of the original Kenton School, constructed in 1905 (no date)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2014-0271

The Kenton Consolidated School building, erected in 1920, was lighted with electricity. There was a teacherage, skating rink, and curling rink on its seven-acre grounds

The Kenton Consolidated School building, erected in 1920, was lighted with electricity. There was a teacherage, skating rink, and curling rink on its seven-acre grounds (circa 1921)
Source: Education Department Report, 1921, Manitoba Legislative Library.

Kenton School

Kenton School (no date) by W. R. Beveridge
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-1, page 14.

Kenton School

Kenton School (1967)
Source: Archives of Manitoba, Architectural Survey - Kenton 1.

Kenton School commemorative monument

Kenton School commemorative monument (July 2012)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough

Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.98787, W100.61915
denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Ralphton School No. 280 (RM of Wallace-Woodworth)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Verity School No. 561 (RM of Wallace-Woodworth)

Sources:

Annual Reports of the Manitoba Department of Education, Manitoba Legislative Library.

“Council reports,” Birtle Eyewitness, 3 October 1961, page 10.

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.

Cradle to Combine, Volume 2: Kenton, 1881-1981 by Kenton History Committee, 1981, pages 265-270. [Manitoba Legislative Library, F5648.K45]

“Trustees conduct regular meeting,” Hamiota Echo, 13 September 1988, page 7.

“Teacher assistants,” Shoal Lake Star, 27 July 1998, page 8.

We thank Nathan Kramer for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 25 February 2024

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