Historic Sites of Manitoba: Hochstadt School No. 66 (RM of Hanover)

The Hochstadt School District was established in November 1878 and a one-room schoolhouse operated at 9-6-5E in the Rural Municipality of Hanover. In 1962, the district was amalgamated with Gruenfeld School District to form the Cloverleaf Consolidated School District, although classes continued to be held in the Hochstadt building. In 1917, it was decided to build a new school at SE17-6-5E, at a site closer to a farm house in case of accident, nearer to the majority of students, on a road that was passable year-round. The district’s area became part of the Hanover School Division in 1968. The school closed at the end of the 1972-1973 school year and the site, school, and teacherage were sold for $7,100.

The concrete foundation for the former school and the foundation and steps of a teacherage are still present at the time of a 2020 site visit. A commemorative sign was erected at the site by the EastMenn Historical Society in 2013.

Among the teachers who worked at Hochstadt School through the years were: Otto Hansen (1892), Franz Goossen (1893), Abraham Friesen (1894), Jacob F. Friesen (1898), John L. Isaac (1900-1901), Eva F. Hiebert, F. L. Isaac, P. J. Loewen, Frank V. Dyck, George K. Reimer (1916-1917, 1919-1920, 1925-1942), John R. Barkman, John Kornelson, Harry Rempel, C. L. Toews, Nicholas Toews, Harry Topnik, Arthur Fast, Abram Rempel, Jacob P. Siemens, Elizabeth Giesbrecht, Phyllis Dueck, Linda Klassen, S. W. Grafe, Charlotte Wiebe, Ben Klassen, and David Penner.

Hochstadt School (no date) by A. A. Herriot Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-1, page 27. Hochstadt School teacherage (no date) by A. A. Herriot Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-1, page 27. The newly built Hochstadt School building (1937) Source: Education Department Report, 1938, Manitoba Legislative Library. Foundation of the former Hochstadt School building (November 2020) Source: Rose Kuzina Steps of the former Hochstadt School teacherage (November 2020) Source: Rose Kuzina Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.47344, W96.87209 denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

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.

Schools - Our Heritage: From 46 School Districts to Hanover Unitary School Division (1878-1968) by John K. Schellenberg, The Board of The Hanover School Division No. 15, May 1985, ISBN 0-919673-93-7.

We thank Glen Klassen and Ernest Braun (EastMenn Historical Society) for providing information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Rose Kuzina.

Page revised: 20 November 2020

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