Historic Sites of Manitoba: Eigenhof School No. 1591 (Municipality of Rhineland)

The Eigenhof School District (spelled Eigenhoff in some sources) was established in June 1911 and a one-room schoolhouse operated at SE22-1-2W in what is now the Municipality of Rhineland. After the school closed, Eigenhof operated for a time as a “closed district” where the school board paid to enable students from this area to attend Gretna School. In 1971, the district formally became part of the Rhineland School Division. A portion of the former schoolyard was sold to the farmer who owned the adjacent land. The remainder of the property, including the teacherage (constructed in the summer of 1961, with the older teacherage moved to the village of Rosetown), was sold for residential purposes. The teacherage was moved away.

Among the teachers who worked at Eigenhof School through the years were David Wiebe (1947-1948, 1951-1954), Katie Brown (1948-1949), Neil Wiebe (1954-1956), Bernard D. Klippenstein (1956-1958), Ben D. Wiebe (1958-1959), Peter Hildebrand (1959-1960), Henry Unger (1960-1963), Tina Thiessen Bergen (1964-1967), Gordon Wiebe (1967-1968), Ben Hiebert, and Allan Giesbrecht.

Copies of the daily registers and other documents for the Eigenhof School District are available at the Archives of Manitoba.

The original Eigenhof School building (no date) by G. G. Neufeld Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 145. Group of students at Eigenhof School (no date) Source: Frank Kehler Students beside the original teacherage (no date) Source: Frank Kehler Students in front of the school entrance (no date) Source: Frank Kehler View of Eigenhof School and teacherage (March 1955) Source: Frank Kehler Aerial view of Eigenhof School and second teacherage (1964) Source: Frank Kehler Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.04529, W97.64866 denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

Altona East topographic map, 62H/4 East, Edition 1, Series A743 [UFS Reference Collection].

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 Armin Wiebe for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Al Schmidt (Altona and District Heritage Research Centre), Frank Kehler, Henry Unger, and prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 30 April 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!