Historic Sites of Manitoba: Berry Hill School No. 748 (Municipality of Brenda-Waskada)

Originally known as Grandview School when it was established in March 1893, its name changed to Berry Hill School sometime between 1912 and 1915. The building was situated on the northeast corner of 22-4-24 west of the Principal Meridian, in the Rural Municipality of Brenda. The school operated continuously until June 1955 when it closed due to low enrollment. The remaining students went to Medora Consolidated School No. 493. The district was dissolved in January 1961. The building was sold and moved to Medora where it was attached to the United Church. A monument was unveiled at its former site on 2 August 1987.

The teachers of Berry Hill School were Miss Janet Landreth (1897-1898), Ed Pollock (1897), Miss Frances Logan (1899), H. H. Bruce (1899), H. A. White (1900), William Sandercock (1901), Vera Strange (1902-1903), Beatrice M. Webb (1904), Isabel Rice (1913), J. C. Leader (1913), R. G. Pannell (1913), D. S. Atkinson (1914-1915), Anna B. Smith (1915-1916), S. Barnett (1916-1917), Miss Taylor (1917), Miss Treble (1918), Edna O. Barnett (1918), F. B. Couling (1919), H. M. Sawyer (1919), M. V. McArthur (1919), Edna O. Barnett (1920-1921), J. Vandusen (1921-1922), Myrtle E. LeBaron (1922-1926), Miss Buckland (1926-1927), Miss McLean (1927-1928), Miss Smith (1928-1929), C. B. Doughty (1929-1932), Isabel Brownell (1932-1934), Lora Wiegand (1934-1935), Mary L. Bent (1935-1938), Helen R. Bent (1938-1939), Louis C. Todd (1940), Miss E. Fraser (1940-1941), I. Anderson (1941-1942), Ruth Holden (1942-1944), A. Doraine Pearen (1945), Murray Keyes (1945-1946), G. W. McCaffrey (1946-1947), Mrs. M. I. Moffatt (1947-1949), Elsie Elliott (1949-1950), and Stenna M. Holden (1950-1955).

Berry Hill School (no date) by George Hunter Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-1, page 119. The former Berry Hill School attached to the Medora United Church (1975) Source: The Rise and Fall of a Prairie Town, A History of Lauder by Gordon G. Phillips. Berry Hill School commemorative monument (October 2011) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.32562, W100.62502 denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

The Rise and Fall of a Prairie Town, A History of Lauder by Gordon G. Phillips, 1970s.

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.

Our First Century, Town of Melita and Municipality of Arthur: 1884-1984 by Melita-Arthur History Committee, 1983, page 227.

Bridging Brenda: The History of Brenda Municipality and Area, Volume 1 by Brenda History Committee, 1990, pages 99-100.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 23 January 2021

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