Historic Sites of Manitoba: Minnedosa South School No. 232 (Minnedosa)

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

The first school classes in Minnedosa were held in a log structure on Minnedosa Avenue opposite the present-day Court House. Between 1882 and 1883, it was replaced with a two-storey brick building designed by Winnipeg architect William T. Dalton and erected on the side of a hill on the southwest side of town. By 1897, the structure was condemned as unsafe and students were moved to makeshift classrooms in the town hall until a two-storey, four-room building, designed by Winnipeg architect George Browne, could be built the following year on Main Street South. It opened in October 1898. This school served the community’s needs alone until 1909 when overcrowding necessitated the construction of a second school, deemed the “North School”.

South School No. 1 was destroyed by fire on 19 February 1923 and was replaced in early 1924 by a one-storey, six-classroom structure. It closed in 1971 and was demolished. A commemorative plaque at the former school site was erected in July 1993.

Noteworthy graduates of the South School include William John Rose, Grace Anne Stewart, Ralph Pearson, Jim Wright, and Woodrow St. John.

Principals

Period	Principal
1884-1886	James Campbell (1842-1917)
1886-1890	?
1890-1891	R. Moir
1891-1900	George Allison Grierson (1867-1931)
1900-1902	Jonathan Hughes Arnett (1879-1953)
1902-1903	A. E. Bence
1903-1904	F. W. Turnbull
1904-1905	David Bruce Huggins (1879-1955)
1905-1906	David Williamson Yuill (1878-1970)
1906-1909	Herbert Hanford “Harry” McIntosh (1880-1953)
1909-?	See Minnedosa North School

Teachers

Some of the other teachers who taught at the South School included: Miss Murchison, Miss Leslie, James Campbell, Miss Montgomery, George A. Grierson, and Mr. A. J. Baker.

Photos & Coordinates

The first school in the vicinity of Minnedosa, built in 1883 southwest of the town (no date) Source: S. J. McKee Archives, Minnedosa Womens Institute, Village History 1878-1956. Minnedosa South School No. 1, used from 1898 to 1923 (no date) Source: S. J. McKee Archives, Minnedosa Womens Institute, Village History 1878-1956. Minnedosa South School No. 2 (no date) by W. C. Hartley Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-1, page 81. Minnedosa South School plaque (August 2012) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Site Coordinates (lat/long): N50.24546, W99.83882 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Minnedosa North School No. 232 (Minnedosa)

Sources:

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

A History of Minnedosa, 1878-1948 compiled by the Minnedosa Women’s Institute, 1948.

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.

We thank Dorothy Brooking and John Perrin for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 23 May 2021

Historic Sites of Manitoba This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. The information is offered for historical interest only. SEARCH the collection Browse lists of: Museums/Archives | Buildings | Monuments | Cemeteries | Locations | Other Inclusion in this collection does not confer special status or protection. Official heritage designation may only come from municipal, provincial, or federal governments. Some sites are on private property and permission to visit must be secured from the owner. Site information is provided by the Manitoba Historical Society as a free public service only for non-commercial purposes. Send corrections and additions to this page to the MHS Webmaster at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca. Search Tips | Suggest an Historic Site | FAQ Help us keep history alive!