Historic Sites of Manitoba: Wellington School No. 59 / Thornhill Consolidated School No. 59 (Thornhill, RM of Stanley)

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

The Wellington School District was established in November 1878 and, as early as 1881, a log schoolhouse operated at the southwest corner of SE17-3-6W in the Rural Municipality of Stanley. This building was destroyed by fire, along with early records held within. By 1886, dissatisfaction with the original school site led local ratepayers to approve moving it to the nearby village of Thornhill, closer to the then-planned new railway line. That summer, a one-classroom, wood frame building was constructed in town, to which a second classroom was added ten years later. Destroyed by fire in 1899, classes were held in a local store and the Orange Hall until a new two-storey stone structure could be built in 1900. A teacherage was added in July 1955. This school structure served the community until the school district consolidated with Orangehill School District No. 794, in 1961, forming the Thornhill Consolidated School No. 59. The following year, a two-classroom designed by John A. Chivers, single-storey building replaced the earlier stone school, with construction starting on 21 October 1961 and concluding 17 February 1962, with classes commencing here 19 February. The old stone school was subsequently demolished in May 1962 to make way for a playground. The new facility lasted only six years because, in 1968, Thornhill consolidated with Morden to form the Morden Consolidated School No. 2440. The school at Thornhill was closed and students were henceforth bused to Morden. It became part of the Western School Division in 1969.

A monument, dedicated on 7 July 2003, commemorates the school and other notable historic buildings, including the Anglican Church (1895-1948), Methodist/United Church (1892-1978), Presbyterian Church (1891-1918), Memorial Curling Rink (1948-1975), Community Hall (1920-present), Canadian Pacific Railway Station (1888-1961), Lake of the Woods Elevator (1883-1962), Ogilvie / Manitoba Pool Elevator (1900-1978), Weldon-Broadbent / Ogilvie Elevator (1900-1978), Canadian Pacific Railway Stockyards (1888-1960), Reichert Garage (1945-1959), Jordan / Co-op / Martindale Store (1880-1980), Post Office (1879-present), South Warehouse (1920-1951), Campbell Garage (1920-1980), Manitoba Hotel / Campbell Boarding House (1900-1960), and Broadbent Store & Lumberyard (1880-1946).

Principals

Period	Principal
1897	Edward Bailey Fisher (1873-1946)
1898-1905	?
1906-1907	William John Bates (1876-1943)
1907	H. Blain
1907-1909	Una Grant
1909-1910	Edwin H. Clark
1910-1911	Perley Livingston
1911	Ruth Owens
1912	Margaret W. Halstead
1913-1914	Annie F. Johnston
1914-1916	George C. Simpson Jr.
1916-1918	Ella G. Martin
1918-1919	Ida L. Atkinson
1919-1920	Olive Johnston
1920	Mabel L. Bradley
1920	Frances “Fannie” South
1921	Hazel A. Vandecar
1922-1923	May Myers
1923-1927	John Bruce Day (1902-1955)
1927	Elva L. Wallace
1928-1929	Barney Thordarson (1904-1974)
1929-1930	William Fogel (1903-1991)
1930-1931	Kaethe M. D. “Kae” Carstens
1931-1933	Phyllis Mary Archibald
1933-1934	Frank Unrau Dyck
1934-1936	John Melville Brown (1913-1996)
1936-1937	William Morrison Reid
1937-1941	Louise McPhedran
1941-1942	Claire Edmond Dawson (?-1995)
1942-1943	Frances Maud Garton Hanbury (1893-1980)
1943-1945	Annie Belle Fraser
1945-1947	Josie Kathleen Okapiece
1947-1950	Muriel Ramona McVeigh
1950-1952	John S. Schellenberg (?-?)
1952-1953	Kenneth Donald Bruce (1892-1968)
1953-1956	Gerhard N. Janzen
1956-1957	David Langton MacDonald (1911-1957)
1957-1959	Oliver Glen Olmstead (?-1997)
1959-1960	Bernhard A. Klassen
1960-1962	Kaethe M. D. Carstens “Kae” White
1962-1964	Maxwell Ross “Ross” Webber
1964-1965	Phyllis Joyce DeNeve
1965-1967	Garth Spencer Field
1967-1968	Hedy Bridget Bugiera

Teachers

Period	Teachers
1897	Edward Bailey Fisher (senior grades), Maggie Duncan (junior grades)
1898-1905	?
1905-1906	William John Bates (grades 5-10, 1906), Clara McGirr (grades 1-4, 1906), ? ( grades 1-10, 1905)
1906-1907	William John Bates (grades 5-10), Lillie A. Winram (grades 1-4)
1907-1908	H. Blain (grades 5-10, 1907), Una Grant (grades 5-10), S. Stevenson (grades 1-4)
1908-1909	Una Grant (grades 5-9), S. Stevenson (grades 1-5)
1909-1910	Edwin H. Clark (grades 5-9), Mabel Rowbotham (grades 1-5)
1910-1911	Perley Livingston (grades 5-9, 1910; grades 6-10, 1911), Mabel Rowbotham (grades 1-5)
1911-1912	Margaret W. Halstead (grades 6-10, 1912), May V. Moreau (grades 1-5), Ruth Owens (grades 6-10, 1911)
1912-1913	Miss K. Coppinger (grades 1-5), Annie F. Johnson (grades 6-10, 1913), Margaret W. Halstead (grades 6-11, 1912)
1913-1914	Annie F. Johnson (grades 6-10), Lucy E. Swain (grades 1-5)
1914-1915	G, Lillie M. Kempthorne (grades 1-5), George C. Simpson Jr. (grades 6-11)
1915-1916	Victoria Finkbeiner (grades 1-5), George C. Simpson Jr. (grades 6-11)
1916-1917	Victoria Finkbeiner (grades 1-6), Ella G. Martin (grades 7-11)
1917-1918	Victoria Finkbeiner (grades 1-6), Ella G. Martin (grades 7-11)
1918-1919	Ida L. Atkinson (grades 7-10), Violet G. Earle (grades 1-6)
1919-1920	Olive Johnston (grades 6-10), Mildred H. Welch (grades 1-5)
1920-1921	Mabel L. Bradley (grades 6-10, 1920), Frances “Fannie&rlquo; South (grades 6-10, 1920), Hazel A. Vandecar (grades 6-10, 1921), Mildred H. Welch (grades 1-5)
1921-1922	Florence Hammond (grades 1-5, 1922), Hazel A. Vandecar (grades 6-10), Mildred H. Welch (grades 1-5, 1921)
1922-1923	Catherine M. Campbell (grades 1-5, 1923), Mary E. Durnin (grades 1-5, 1922), Jean I. Gunn (grades 1-5, 1922), May Myers (grades 6-10)
1923-1924	John Bruce Day (grades 6-11, 1924), Greta C. Harvey (grades 1-5, 1923), May Myers (grades 6-11, 1923), Barney Thordarson (grades 1-5, 1924)
1924-1925	John Bruce Day (grades 6-10), Barney Thordarson (grades 1-5)
1925-1926	John Bruce Day (grades 7-11), Barney Thordarson (grades 1-6)
1926-1927	John Bruce Day (grades 7-11), Anne Slusman (grades 1-6)
1927-1928	Edith M. Good (grades 1-6, 1927), Vera J. MacNair (grades 1-6), Barney Thordarson (grades 6-10, 1928), Elva L. Wallace (grades 6-10, 1927)
1928-1929	Isabel Milne (grades 1-6), Barney Thordarson (grades 7-11)
1929-1930	William Fogel (grades 7-11), Isabel Milne (grades 1-6)
1930-1931	Kaethe M. D. “Kae” Carstens (grades 7-11), Isabel Milne (grades 1-6)
1931-1932	Phyllis Mary Archibald (grades 7-11), Elizabeth Rendall Balfour (grades 1-6)
1932-1933	Phyllis Mary Archibald (grades 7-11), ? (grades 1-6)
1933-1934	Frank Unrau Dyck (grades 7-11), Lavina Mary Milne (grades 1-6)
1934-1935	John Melville Brown (grades 7-11), Lavina Mary Milne (grades 1-6)
1935-1936	John Melville Brown (grades 7-11), Lavina Mary Milne (grades 1-6)
1936-1937	Lavina Mary Milne (grades 1-6), William Morrison Reid (grades 7-11)
1937-1938	Louise McPhedran (grades 7-11), Lavina Mary Milne (grades 1-6)
1938-1939	Louise McPhedran (grades 7-11), Evelyn Spangelo (grades 1-6)
1939-1940	Lillian Mabel Elfreda Ablett (grades 1-5, 1940), Louise McPhedran (grades 7-11), Evelyn Spangelo (grades 1-5, 1939)
1940-1941	Lillian Mabel Elfreda Ablett (grades 1-6, 1941),Louise McPhedran (grades 7-11), Evelyn Spangelo (grades 1-6, 1940)
1941-1942	Lillian Mabel Elfreda Ablett (grades 1-6), Claire Edmond Dawson (grades 7-11)
1942-1943	Frances Maud Garton Hanbury (grades 7-11), Ann Reid "Annie" Harper (grades 1-6)
1943-1944	Marie Margaret Campbell (grades 1-6), Annie Belle Fraser (grades 7-11)
1944-1945	Marie Margaret Campbell (grades 1-6), Annie Belle Fraser (grades 7-11)
1945-1946	Evelyn Dorothy Denhard (grades 1-6), Josie Kathleen Okapiece (grades 7-11)
1946-1947	Evelyn Dorothy Denhard (grades 1-6), Josie Kathleen Okapiece (grades 7-11)
1947-1948	Muriel Ramona McVeigh (grades 7-11), Leona Ruth Neuman (grades 1-6)
1948-1949	Dolores Lorain Henry (grades 1-6), Muriel Ramona McVeigh (grades 7-11)
1949-1950	Jessie Margaret Fast (grades 1-6), Muriel Ramona McVeigh (grades 7-11)
1950-1951	Helen Reimer (grades 1-6), John S. Schellenberg (grades 7-11)
1951-1952	Helen Reimer (grades 1-6), John S. Schellenberg (grades 7-11)
1952-1953	Florence Mildred Lorraine Hamm (grades 1-6), Kenneth Donald Bruce (grades 7-11)
1953-1954	Gerhard N. Janzen (grades 5-11), Marjorie Ruth Laurie (grades 1-4)
1954-1955	Gerhard N. Janzen (grades 7-11), Myrtle Geraldine Rusenel (grades 1-6)
1955-1956	Anne Bugera (grades 1-6), Gerhard N. Janzen (grades 7-11)
1956-1957	Lillian Joyce Gibson (grades 1-6), David Langton MacDonald (grades 7-11)
1957-1958	Lillian Joyce Gibson (grades 1-6), Oliver Glen Olmstead (grades 7-11)
1958-1959	Oliver Glen Olmstead (grades 7-11), Ella Eileen Shiskoski (grades 1-6)
1959-1960	Bernhard A. Klassen (grades 5-9), Ella Eileen Shiskoski Martens (grades 1-4)
1960-1961	Evelyn Josephine Alwin (grades 1-4), Kaethe M. D. Carstens “Kae” White (grades 7-11)
1961-1962	Evelyn Josephine Alwin (grades 1-4), Kaethe M. D. Carstens “Kae” White (grades 7-11)
1962-1963	Beverly Ailsa Webber (grades 1-4), Maxwell Ross “Ross” Webber (grades 5-8)
1963-1964	Beverly Ailsa Webber (grades 1-3), Maxwell Ross “Ross” Webber (grades 4-7)
1964-1965	Phyllis Joyce DeNeve (grades 4-8), Edel Eberhardt (grades 1-3)
1965-1966	Garth Spencer Field (grades 5-8), Janice Shirley Friesen (grades 1-4)
1966-1967	Garth Spencer Field (grades 5-8), Janice Shirley Friesen (grades 1-4)
1967-1968	Hedy Bridget Bugiera (grades 5-7), Ruth Vivian Gooley (grades 1-4)

Among the other teachers were Alfred Jackson (1885), Jeanne Brown (1890), Stewart Murray Battram (1893), T. G. Hamilton (1894), Edward Bailey Fisher (1896), and Mr. W. A. Clark (1900).

Photos & Coordinates

Wellington School (no date) Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Districts - Thornhill. Wellington School (no date) by G. G. Neufeld Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-1, page 21. Thornhill Consolidated School (1962) Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Districts - Thornhill. Thornhill commemorative monument (May 2013) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.20142, W98.23063 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Wellington School (Wellington Avenue, Winnipeg)

Sources:

“The Indian famine fund,” Winnipeg Tribune, 4 March 1897, page 4.

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

As Years Go By: 1876-1971 by the Thornhill Book Committee, 1971.

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.

Manitoba School Records Collection, Wellington School No. 59 & Thornhill School No. 59 Daily Registers, GR0347, Archives of Manitoba.

Manitoba School Records Collection, Wellington School No. 59 School History and Teachers Listing, GR0347, Archives of Manitoba.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 18 January 2020

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