Craigvale
History of Craigvale and Stroud
School History
Victoria (Stroud)
The Victoria School opened in 1838 on the S/E corner of the village's
intersection. The first teacher was Wm. Booth. This was replaced by a
second log schoolhouse which in turn was replaced by a frame structure,
at a cost of $300.00, according to a report in 1860. In 1875 a second
frame classroom was added to make it the only two room school for the
next seventy three years.
Craigvale - School Section No. 11
In 1863 the municipal council of the Township of Innisfil formed a part
of the township into School Section No. ll and designated its boundaries
and limits. The trustees of this new section were John Gordon, Robert
Leonard and Thomas Orchard.
The first, Craigvale Public School, No 11 Innisfil, was built in 1864
on the N-E corner of Lot 20, Conc. 9, on land donated by Henry McConkey.
On January 16, 1864, John Leonard was given the contract to build a frame
schoolhouse, 30 feet long by 24 feet wide, with twenty eight desks inside,
and a teacher's platform; walls and ceiling to be plastered about a four
foot wainscoting, and all to be finished by July 1, for the sum of $380.00.
Miss Christena McKay, with a third class certificate, was the first teacher,
at a salary of $160. per annum. Non residentsattending the school were
charged 25 cents a month, payable in advance.
The first Minute Book of the sections, shows that expenses in 1866 were:
Thomas Sproule delivered 10 cords of wood to the school at $1.75 a cord;
In 1867 he received $1.50 a cord. (all wood to be good, sound, dry hardwood,
either beech or maple); A broom, 25c; box of chalk 15c; scrubbing school-room
50c; the teacher was paid 40c for putting 5 cords of wood in the shed;
teacher's desk, $3.00; Beatty Bros. were paid $24.00 in 1878 for a large
bell.
In 1869, the teacher, Miss Frances A Taylor, agreed to light and tend
the fires, swept and cleaned for the sum of $5, which work was performed
by each succeeding teacher until the turn of the century.
In 1873, the school grounds were enlarged by buying a one quarter acre
of land from Henry McConkey. In 1874, Alfred Houghton was paid $71 for
digging and stoning a well.
In 1927, since this school was deemed too small and the inspector demanded
windows on one side only, it was torn down, being replace by a handsome
brick building costing approximately $6,000 with George Martin as contractor.
The grounds were enlarged by the purchase of a half acre from George Neilly,
also in 1927. Shrubs and landscaping have converted the building into
a picturesque sight on the south side of the 10th line.
Innisfil (Knock) School - School Section No. 15
Mr James Reynolds was to hold office for two years from the second Wednesday
in January, 1871 as trustee for the S.S. 15, Innisfil (Knock) school.
At the first annual school meeting held on January 11, 1871, at the
house of William T. Hunter at 10 o'clock in the forenoon, William R. Hunter
was elected to the office of trustee for three years in place of David
Hunter (husband of Elizabeth Maneer), who resigned as he was to be bondsman
to the sum of $400. for his brother-in-law, Stephen Maneer, whose tender
for the sum of $230.00 was accepted by the trustees at their meeting held
at 12 o'clock following the annual meeting of Jan 11. He was to have the
school ready to be opened by March 15, 1871.
The use of whiskey at 'bees' and 'raisings' was the custom, but the
Hunters steadfastly refused to have it. At that time there were twenty
taverns in the township.
In April, 1873 the trustees purchased the second quarter acre of land
from William T Hunter for the sum of twenty five dollars, and had Stephen
Maneer fence the half acre of playground with picket fence on the two
sides next to the Side roadand 9th Line and cclose boardfence in the two
sides next to William Hunter's farm.
This section contains material collected by Jeanne Groce about the history
of Stroud and Craigvale. It contains "information collected from libraries,
books, newspapers, the Centennial History of Innisfil, Historical Revue,
word of mouth, and anywhere else I could find it." Reference to the source
of the material is given where possible.
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