Historic Sites of Manitoba: Selkirk School No. 69 (Eaton Avenue, Selkirk)

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

The Selkirk School District was organized in December 1878. A two-storey brick school building was constructed along Eaton Avenue sometime before 1907. In September 1907, voters of the Selkirk School District decided by a 97 to 7 margin to spend $11,000 upgrading the building based on a design by Winnipeg architect William Fingland. After 1920, senior students were moved to the Devonshire Collegiate building nearby. The site is now the parking lot of a shopping mall.

It eventually became part of the Lord Selkirk School Division.

Principals

Period	Principal
1887-1888	Felton Strudwicke [Strudwick] Chapman (1864-1936)
1889-1890	F. G. Brien
1891	Farquhar McRae (1840-1913)
1892-1894	Francis Kethel “Frank” Coleridge (1865-1944)
1894-1900	Archibald Wesley Hooper (1868-1941)
1900-1903	Percy Dewart Harris (1871-1953)
1903-1904	Hugh William Watson (1872-?)
1904-1905	Norman Benson Tufts (1875-1921)
1905-1906	A. A. McNeil
1906-1909	?
1910	Peter Robert Loutit (1878-1961)
1911-1912	?
1913-1914	Miss Hall
1915-1919	?
1920-1921	Miss Hall

Principals (Junior High)

Period	Principal
1929-1945	Nellie Blanche Lyons Gobert (1882-1959)
1946-1947	Sarah “Ruth” Swanson (1904-1976)

Teachers

School Year	Teachers
1879	?
1880	?
1881	?
1882	?
1883	Ernest Wall
1884	Ernest Wall
1885	John Acheson (Spring), Thomas Partington (Fall)
1886	Thomas Partington
1887	Minnie Blyth (Fall, junior grades), Felton Strudwicke [Strudwick] Chapman (Fall, senior grades), Thomas Partington (Spring, all grades)
1888	Minnie Blyth (junior grades), Felton Strudwicke [Strudwick] Chapman (senior grades)
1889	F. G. Brien (senior grades), Jessie Galloway (Spring, ? grades), Belle Scott (Spring, ? grades; Fall, junior grades)
1890	F. G. Brien (senior grades), Mary McInnes (Spring, ? grades), Belle Scott (Spring, ? grades; Fall, junior grades)
1891	Farquhar McRae (senior grades), Nellie Scarry (junior grades)
1892	Francis Kethel “Frank” Coleridge (senior grades), Nellie Scarry (junior grades)
1893	Francis Kethel “Frank” Coleridge (senior grades), Augusta S. Galloway (Spring), Ellie Marshall (Fall), Nellie Scarry
1894	H. Black (Spring), Francis Kethel “Frank” Coleridge (Spring, senior grades), Archibald Wesley Hooper (Fall, senior grades), Ellie Marshall (Fall), Nellie Scarry
1895	Margaret Burnett (Fall), Archibald Wesley Hooper (senior grades), Abby Anna McKibbin (Fall; wife of Ernest James Motley), Matilda McKibbin (Fall), Ellie Marshall (Spring), Nellie Scarry (Spring)
1896	M. Mauce Bruce, Margaret Burnett (Spring), Augusta S. Galloway (Spring), Archibald Wesley Hooper (senior grades), Abby Anna McKibbin (Fall), Matilda McKibbin
1897	M. Mauce Bruce, Archibald Wesley Hooper (senior grades), Abby Anna McKibbin, Matilda McKibbin, Jean M. Wellwood (daughter of James Moncrieff Wellwood)
1898	M. Mauce Bruce (Spring), Eva Cornell (Spring), Augusta S. Galloway, Archibald Wesley Hooper (senior grades), F? M. S. Howard (Spring), Matilda McKibbin (Fall), Mabel M. Talbot (Fall), Jean M. Wellwood (Fall)
1899	Augusta S. Galloway (Spring), Edith C. Gemmel (), Hjortur Jonas Leo (Fall), Archibald Wesley Hooper (senior grades), Matilda McKibbin, Mabel M. Talbot, Grace Winkler (Fall)
1900	Winifred N. Brown (Fall), Edith C. Gemmel (Spring), M. Lillian Gemmell (Fall), Percy Dewart Harris (Fall, senior grades), Hjortur Jonas Leo (Spring), Archibald Wesley Hooper (Spring, senior grades), Matilda McKibbin (Spring), Alex L. McLean (Fall), Thomas Boniface Molloy (Fall), Ethel O’Dounell? (Fall), Alice M. Sherrin? (Fall), Mabel M. Talbot (Spring), Grace Winkler (Spring)
1901	Winifred N. Brown, Edith C. Gemmel, Lilian Gemmell (Fall), Percy Dewart Harris (senior grades), Eleanor Jones (Fall), Archie L. McLean (Spring), Thomas Boniface Molloy (Spring), Hannah W. Sutherland, W. Van Dusen (Fall), Helen S. Young
1902	?
1903	?
1904	?
1905	Mansell Allan Davis (Fall), E. Grace Galloway, Edith C. Gemmel, Winifred Gilmore, ?. H. Harris (Spring), Mollis McGregor (Fall), Helen M. Tracy, Norman Benson Tufts (Spring), Jean Urquhart, Hugh William Watson (Spring), Helen S. Young
1906	Evelyn I. Colborne (high school grades), Edith C. Gemmel, Winifred Gilmore (Spring), E. Grace Greenway, Ray H. Hall, Jean M. Lyon (Fall), Mollie McGregor, A. A. Neil (Fall, high school grades), Josephine M. Seamlow? (Fall), Helen M. Tracy (Fall), Norman Benson Tufts (Spring, high school grades), Gertrude Warner (Spring), Asenart? Way, Helen S. Young
1907	?
1908	?
1909	?
1910	?
1911	?
1912	(Spring only): ?
1912-1913	?
1913-1914	Miss Hountton, Miss Orton
1914-1915	?
1915-1916	?
1916-1917	?
1917-1918	?
1918-1919	?
1919-1920	Annie Calder (grades 5-6), Mrs. G. Radcliffe (grades 5-6)
1920-1921	?
1921-1922	Miss Chambers, Miss Cornish, Miss Alice Daly, Miss Hall, Miss Mann, Miss McIntyre, Miss Newton, Miss D. Teeter
1922-1923	?
1923-1924	?
1924-1925	?
1925-1926	?
1926-1927	?
1927-1928	?
1928-1929	?
1929-1930	?
1930-1931	?
1931-1932	?
1932-1933	Elementary Department: Mrs. J. Finnsson, Miss E. McKay, Maude Nixon, Ruth Swanson. Junior High Department: Mrs. W. M. Angus, Eleanor Flint, Phylis M. Frank
1933-1934	Mrs. W. M. Angus, Eleanor Flint, Phylis M. Frank
1934-1935	?
1935-1936	Mrs. W. M. Angus, Miss J. Finnsson, Eleanor Flint, Phylis M. Frank, Alda Jones, Maude Nixon, Ruth Swanson
1936-1937	Mrs. W. M. Angus, N. B. Barick, Eleanor Flint, Phylis M. Frank, Miss A. Jones, Maude Nixon, Ruth Swanson
1937-1938	Mrs. W. M. Angus, J. B. Barrick BSc, Eleanor Flint, Phylis M. Frank, Alda Jones, Maude Nixon, Ruth Swanson
1938-1939	?
1939-1940	Mrs. W. M. Angus, Phylis M. Frank, Elsie McKay, Maude Nixon, Ruth Swanson, Clifford G. Williamson
1940-1941	Mrs. W. M. Angus, Phylis M. Frank, Alda Jones, Kathleen MacQueen, Elsie McKay, Mrs. J. J. Moody, Ruth Swanson, Clifford G. Williamson
1941-1942	Mrs. W.M. Angus, Verna Gunter, T. Harriott, Alda Jones, Elsie McKay, Mrs. J. J. Moody, Miss J. S. Olafson, Ruth Swanson
1942-1943	Mrs. W. M. Angus, Elsie McKay, Mrs. J. J. Moody, Miss J. S. Olafson, Ruth Swanson, Mrs. C. Wright
1943-1944	Mrs. W. M. Angus, Mrs. J. J. Moody, Miss J. S. Olafson, Mrs. C. P. Reid, Ruth Swanson, Miss R. Thackeray, Mrs. C. Wright
1944-1945	Mrs. W. M. Angus, Mrs. E. I. Dewar, Mrs. J. J. Moody, Miss J. S. Olafson, Mrs. C. P. Reid, Ruth Swanson, Miss R. Thackeray, Mr. C. B. Tyler (manual training)
1945-1946	Mrs. W. M. Angus, Mrs. E. S. Dewar, Mrs. J. J. Moody, Miss J. S. Olafson, Ila Purdy, Ruth Swanson, Mr. C. B. Tyler
1946-1947	Mrs. W. M. Angus (grades 7 & 8), Miss A. Benoit (grades 7 & 8), Miss M. Lebit (grades 7 & 8), Alda Jones (grade 3), Mrs. Louise Jones (grades 7 & 8), Mrs. J. J. Moody (grade 2), Miss I. Purdy (grade 1), Ruth Swanson (grades 4 & 5), Mr. C. B. Tyler (manual workshop)

Chairs of the Selkirk School Board

Period	Principal
1932-1934	Walter Henry Gabriel “Harry” Gibbs (1872-1952)
1934-?	James Osborne McLenaghen (1892-1950)
?-1941	?
1941-1949	Ruth Caroline Hooker (c1901-1957)
1949-?	Charles Harper (c1902-1965)

Photos & Coordinates

Postcard view of the Selkirk Central School, with the public library in the right background (circa 1910) Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2014-0274 Fire insurance map showing the location of the Selkirk Central School (September 1916) Source: Library and Archives Canada Selkirk Central School at left with Devonshire School in the background (August 1937) Source: Archives of Manitoba, George Harris Fonds, Acc. 1979-141, P7453, Album 20, Page 46. Site Coordinates (lat/long): N50.14306, W96.87301 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Devonshire School (Main Street, Selkirk)

Sources:

“Provincial paragraphs,” Manitoba Daily Free Press, 18 October 1882, page 2.

“Tenders,” Manitoba Free Press, 23 April 1907, page 24.

“Selkirk schools,” Winnipeg Tribune, 10 September 1907, page 12.

“Petition against new fisheries law,” Manitoba Daily Free Press, 24 May 1910, page 11.

“Selkirk news and local events,” Manitoba Free Press, 15 August 1914, page 31.

“Selkirk, Man,” Western Canada Fire Underwriters’ Association map, September 1916, Library and Archives Canada.

“Selkirk,” Manitoba Free Press, 27 December 1919, page 16.

“Selkirk,” Manitoba Free Press, 31 August 1920, page 11.

“Interesting newsy items from Selkirk,” Manitoba Free Press, 6 September 1921, page 4.

“Grade 12 to be tought [sic] at Selkirk Collegiate,” Winnipeg Tribune, 14 September 1932, page 3.

“Four Selkirk schools open for fall season,” Winnipeg Tribune, 20 September 1933, page 11.

“Many present as school goes in at Selkirk,” Winnipeg Tribune, 5 September 1935, page 3.

“Selkirk schools open,” Winnipeg Tribune, 3 September 1936, page 3.

“Teachers are named for Selkirk schools,” Winnipeg Tribune, 11 August 1937, page 2.

“One thousand pupils for Selkirk schools,” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 August 1939, page 2.

“Thousand to enroll in Selkirk schools,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 August 1940, page 4.

“Schools of Selkirk to reopen Tuesday,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 September 1941, page 3.

“Selkirk schools open,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 September 1942, page 2.

“Schools to reopen in Selkirk Sept. 7,” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 August 1943, page 10.

“Personalities,” Manitoba School Journal, Vol. 6, No. 9, May 1944, page 2.

“Selkirk schools to reopen Tuesday,” Winnipeg Tribune, 31 August 1944, page 3.

“Selkirk school staff engage for new term,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 August 1945, page 19.

“Selkirk school staff named,” Winnipeg Tribune, 31 August 1946, page 20.

“Selkirk schools re-open on Monday,” Winnipeg Tribune, 27 August 1949, page 19.

“School starts Sept. 1 for Selkirk pupils,” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 August 1955, page 12.

Board of Education registers (A 0050), GR7643, Archives of Manitoba.

Summative half-yearly returns for school districts (A 0051), GR0571, Archives of Manitoba.

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

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.

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 4 December 2022

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