University of Lethbridge Research Repository OPUS https://opus.uleth.ca Theses & Projects Faculty of Education Projects (Master's) Forget, Simone 2003 Beauvais School : a collected and living history https://hdl.handle.net/10133/1114 Downloaded from OPUS, University of Lethbridge Research Repository BEAUVAIS SCHOOL A COLLECTED AND LIVING HISTORY SIMONE FORGET B.Ed., University of Lethbridge, 1991 A Project Submitted to School of Graduate Studies of the University of Lethbridge in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF EDUCATION FACULTY OF EDUCATION LETHBRIDGE,ALBERTA April 2003 111 To Gaston and Paulette Who continue to reveal to me life's greatest lessons ... tV Abstract The purpose of this project is twofold: (1) to collect, summarize, and narrate the history of the Beauvais School, a historic one-room schoolhouse in the Municipal District of Pincher Creek, and (2) to recreate, in the form of an educational, interactive program, a half-day of school in 1911112 at the Beauvais Schoolhouse (Appendix A). Using original documents from the Beauvais School and District (daily attendance records, the school board minute book and cash book, local newspapers, and pioneer's personal histories), the following topics are examined: the Beauvais family, the Beauvais School District, teacher training, caretaking, the school board, the interior and exterior of the schoolhouse, discipline and mischief, special occasions, morning routines, lunch and recess, textbooks and readers, the multi-grade classroom, attendance and truancy, teacher salaries, transportation to and from school, the school budget, the library, teacher shortages, the inspector, the large school unit, and rural school closures. The examination of these topics resulted in the re-creation of partial school day in the context of 191111912. Participants in this re-creation (designed for elementary school children or family groups) assume the names of actual Beauvais students and progress through the routines and lessons of an early twentieth-century school day. The intent of this research is to allow older generations to re-experience their past, and younger generations to understand the origins of their current community and lifestyle. v Acknowledgements As a student with lofty goals and a restricted budget, I have learned far more than local history through this project. I have been frequently and delightedly overwhelmed by the support and kindness of people offering to nourish and sustain my work (and me) during the course of this research. Staff at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, the Provincial Archives in Edmonton, the Sir Alexander Galt Museum in Lethbridge, the Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village in Pincher Creek (notably Farley Wuth and Betty Smith), and S1. Michael's Church in Pincher Creek (specifically Rosalie Levesque) consistently handled my research as enthusiastically as if it were their own. Their demonstration of bending over backwards certainly qualifies them as research gymnasts. There is a wealth of undiscovered history contained in the library and files of the Beauvais Lake Provincial Park office. Much of this research, done previously by Darrell Croft, formed the backbone of this project. lowe thanks to the Parks and Protected Areas staff ofPincher CreeklLethbridge for providing access to the Beauvais Lake Office and the resources contained therein. In addition, Heidi Eijgel's encouragement in the initial stages of the project made me believe it was worthwhile and CliffThesen's support of my proposal provided the means to make it happen. Al Heschl and Bryan Sundberg deserve special thanks for maintaining my momentum with their daily inquiries, sincere interest in the project, technical support, timely distractions and comic relief I am only beginning to discover history through individuals who lived the story of the one-room schoolhouse. I am inspired and humbled by each interaction with former students and teachers willing to share a piece of their past. In particular, I am grateful to the staff and residents of Crestview Lodge, and members of the local community who will be participating in my continuing research. The very personal research styles of Pat (Kropinak) Moskaluk and Joyce Sasse have provided me with excellent local mentorship. There is a unique kind of confidence born when someone you regard highly is intrigued by your vision, encourages progress on your own terms, and celebrates each small success as it happens. To Dr. Brian Titley I am grateful for this. My deepest thanks go also to Dr. John Poulsen for his enthusiasm and feedback, particularly with the practical application of this research. To each person who volunteered hours of time to scrutinize the initial drafts of this research, thank you for your commitment, encouragement, and helpful feedback. Only Michelle Forget could take the grueling task of data entry and transform it into something playful and entertaining. Her example is a metaphor for so much more. Being from the city, I found it difficult to imagine the kind of spirit that embodied the early rural community of the Beauvais District. But I have found a living example in Ken and Carolee Elliott. From the day we met, I was warmly welcomed into their home as family. With each visit, I am treated to large helpings oflocal history and Carolee's home cooking. Information and assistance provided by Ken and Carolee is woven richly into the pages of this document. All of this would have remained an unfulfilled idea were it not for Paul. Inadvertently, his gentle encouragement earned him the roles of research assistant, local historian and editor. I cannot express in words what his support has made possible. Vi Table of Contents Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... V Table of Contents ........................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................ vii List of Figures ............................................................................................................... vii Preface ......................................................................................................................... viii 1882: The Beauvais Family ............................................................................................ 1 1888: The Beauvais School District ................................................................................ 8 1896: The First Teacher and the Caretaker ................................................................... 10 1897: Father Lacombe .................................................................................................. 14 1902: Early Teacher Training ....................................................................................... 17 1907: School Board ...................................................................................................... 19 1909: The New School: Renovations and Repair ......................................................... 24 1910: Discipline and Mischief.. .................................................................................... 26 1911: On the Inside ...................................................................................................... 32 1919: Finding Teachers for the School ......................................................................... 36 1920: Heat and Water. .................................................................................................. 41 1922: Morning Routines ............................................................................................... 47 1923: Special Occasions and Events ............................................................................. 50 1924: The Best Part ofthe Day ..................................................................................... 54 1926: Readers and Textbooks ....................................................................................... 58 1928: Early Transportation ........................................................................................... 61 1929: The Fun Part of Learning .................................................................................... 64 1933: The Multi-Grade Classroom ............................................................................... 67 1934: Attendance and Truancy ..................................................................................... 72 1935: Teacher Salaries ................................................................................................. 75 1938: School Budget .................................................................................................... 78 1938: The Large School Unit (the beginning of the end) .............................................. 82 1941: The School Library ............................................................................................. 86 1942: Teacher Shortages .............................................................................................. 88 1943: The Inspector. ..................................................................................................... 91 1949: Van Routes and School Closures ........................................................................ 97 References .................................................................................................................. 101 Appendix A: Syrup Pails and Gopher Tails - An Educational Program ...................... 104 Appendix B: Opening Exercises .................................................................................. 122 Appendix C: History of the Pincher Creek Area ......................................................... 123 Appendix D: Authorized Textbooks in 1911/12 .......................................................... 124 Appendix E: Beauvais School Library Books, 1941142 ............................................... 125 Appendix F: Families of the Beauvais School ............................................................. 127 Vll List of Tables 1. Normal School Courses Between 1890 and 1905 ......................................... . 18 2. Trustees of the S1. AgneslBeauvais School Board ........................... .............. 22 3. Miss Jane Kelly: Documented Information ................ , ................................ 26 4. A Multigrade Time Table ............... '" '" ................................................ 68 5. Normal School Courses in 1933 ............................................................ .6 9 6. Salaries of Beauvais School Teachers (1896-1949) ...................... , ................ 77 7. The Inspector's Rating ofa Teacher's Performance ....................................... 93 8. An Inspector's Responsibilities ............................................................ .. 95 List of Figures 1. School Districts in the Pincher Creek Area ................................................. .ix 2. A Map of the Beauvais School District .................................... ...................x Vlll Preface For two years now, I have been collecting loose strands of the past, hoping some day to restore them into something resembling the original tapestry from which they were scattered. It is long past time for the weaving to begin. What follows is an account of my attempt to reunite the pieces of history that tell the story of a one-room schoolhouse known originally as St. Agnes. The story of the St. AgneslBeauvais School cannot be told in isolation. It is part of a much broader context. As a result, anecdotes included in this story are not exclusively from the Beauvais School. While it is true that each school history is unique, the Beauvais School is linked to others by virtue of its place in time and space; over forty one-room schools in the Pincher Creek area existed in the same time period, on the same landscape, by communities sharing similar lifestyles. For this reason, examples from other school histories are used to illustrate what may have been at the Beauvais School, when Beauvais specific anecdotes were unavailable, and have been woven into the research to add flesh to the context. The intention of this research is to offer current generations an opportunity to relive a piece of Alberta's past through the context of the one-room schoolhouse. Because I did not experience this history first hand, my re-telling of the story may be incomplete or misinformed. For this reason, I am committed to revising and updating this research collection at every opportunity. IX MAYCROFT HEATH CRE~ WILLOW VALLEY NORTH FORK SPRING RIDGE BEAUVAIS CROOK GLADSTONE VAlLEY Figure 1 School Districts in the Pincher Creek Areal I Pincher Creek and District Historical Society (hereafter cited as PC&DHS), Prairie Grass to Mountain Pass: History oft he Pioneers ofPincher Creek and District, (Calgary, Alberta: PC&DHS, 1974), viii. Township 5 Figure 2 l A Map of the Beauvais School District I Created upon request oft he author at the Pincher Creek Municipal District Office, February 2003.