Coolidge School I École Coolidge - District # 8- Formely # 5
East Bolton
Teacher / Enseignant (te)
Polly Knowiton
Annis Ball
Ezra Ball
Eliza Dimond
1867-68 John Gonnoley
1871-72 John Connoley
1875 Whiting Ball
1877 Elsie McClinaghan
1894 Lillian Boomhower
1916-17 Grace Pibus
1931-32 M. Pinkham
1932-33 Laura R. Knowlton
1933-34 Laura R. Knowlton
1935-36 Alice Norwood
1936-37 Doris Betty Postans
1937-38 Jean Young
1938-39 Eileen S. Clarkson
1939-40 Mary A. McNeil
1941-42 Iris Armnstrong Wedge
1942-43 Elsie M. Knowlton
1943-44 Elsie M. Knowlton
1944-45 Elsie M. Knowlton
1939 ( remplaçante / substitute ) Pearl Brown Jewett
COOLIDGE SCHOOL
Bay District, East Bolton
(written about 1937 by Rev. E.M. Taylor)
The Coolidge School named after Captain Eliot Coolidge, son-in-law to Levi Knowlton. He lived for many years in the house now called «Maple Leaf Lodge»> and died there in 1859. He married Polly Knowlton, daughter of Levi Knowiton, who taught school in this district before her marriage.
Of the pupils in the early years Lyman Knowiton I and Jerome Ball became prominent farmers in the district, while the family of Ezra Ball developed four teachers - Annis for the local school, and Ezra, Whiting and Alice, all of whom received normal school training and occupied prominent positions in the educational system of Montreal and elsewhere.
An interesting feature in the early history of this district was a lake ferry established about 1814 from the site of Georgeville to the site of «Maple Leaf Lodge». This ferry formed an important link on the Old Magog Road from Stanstead, across the lake, over the mountain through Bolton Pass, Brome Corner to Montreal. This road was first a foot path, then for travellers on horseback, then for sleds drawn by ox teams and then, about 1825, for wheel vehicles. About 1860 a four-horse stage route was established as a link in a passenger route from Montreal to Boston, via Waterloo by train - by stage from Waterloo to the lake, with a stop at the McManus Hotel at the mouth of the Bolton Pass - on the Lady of the Lake to Newport, thence by train to Boston. Under the efficient driving of Nathaniel Manson, this stage route became very popular in the Boston-Montreal trip.
The first religious services in this district were conducted by members of the Baptist communion, but the Methodist ministers soon organized work here with the parsonage near the present school house. This parsonage became the centre of a large work, including East Bolton, Thompson's Mills, Bolton Centre and South Bolton.
During the decade following 1875 this district enjoyed special educational privileges. Whiting Ball, a graduate f the McGill NormalSchool, was engaged as the teacher of the Coolidge School in 1875,a little later on, 1877, Miss Elsie McClenaghan, another graduate of the McGill Normal School, was engaged for an adjoining district and the pupils of the Coolidge district had the privilege of attending. In1879 Miss Kate Wilson, another graduate of the Normal School, was engaged to conduct a private school in the district which was opened in the house of Mr. John Tuck. This school attracted senior pupils, not only from the Coolidge District, but also from adjoining districts, and many of the pupils made good names for themselves in after life, including Eva Blunt, Elson Blunt, Margaret Knowlton,Mattie Tuck and Orrin Rexford. Miss Kate Wilson afterwards held important educational positions in Sherbrooke and in the Montreal High School.
This school was so named for an early settler known as Captain Coolidge. He was a prosperous farmer whose wife was childless. But they brought up three children -Coolidge Burnham and his sister, who married Charles Bullock, and Eliza Dimond.
Charles Bullock for some time conducted a general store at Coolidge's near the school. Later he became the captain of the steamer « The Lady of the Lake ».
Captain Coolidge gave the children of his adoption a good education for the time, and Eliza Dimond became very popular as a teacher. She later married Orin Rexford, son of Whiting, and in later years she became the owner of the Captain Coolidge farm which was afterwards exchanged for property inKnowlton.
I am of opinion that the present school house is the second structure on this site, - the first, 1831, I well remember being at a religious meeting in this school house when I was eleven years of age, and that is 75 years ago. The Wesleyan parsonage still stands not far from the school house and has for many years been owned and occupied by Mr. John Camber.
There was once considerable business done in this locality. The Tilton family long operated a grist mill here. A sawmill still stands. In this school about 1855 might be found the older of the Tiltons, W. Greene and Ezra G. Ball. The wife of Ezra G. Ball was a Miss Rexford, a daughter of Whiting Rexford, and hence a sister of the Orrin who married Eliza Dimond.
The children of Ezra G. Ball, senior, were Ezra, Jerome, Whiting, Annis, Alice and Hugil. Annis died in young womanhood. Ezra and Whiting became graduates of the McGill Normal School, each taught in Montreal, each married but died early. Ezra left no child. Whiting left a daughter who is the wife of Ralph Merry Noyes of the postal service and resides in Montreal. Alice taught in Montreal and died unmarried. Jerome Ball's family has been referred to in connection with the Page school.
At the time of my earliest visit I found only thirteen pupils enrolled. In 1890 among the pupils who made a creditable showing were Lyman Knowlton and Charles G. Greene. Lyman Knowlton has since raised a considerable family and has succeeded in obtaining and retaining and improving much of the domain of his ancestor, Levi Knowiton, who about one hundred and ten years ago constructed the substantial solid brick house which was for many years the home of the man affectionately called Uncle John Tuck. Lyman Knowiton, and his father Lyman, and his grandfather Miles Knowiton, have been in turn pupils of the Coolidge School, though their property belongs in Potton. Lyman Knowiton, senior, was for a considerable time a Councillor of Potton. Miles and Lyman, senior, may sometimes have attended the Drew School in Potton.
Young Lyman is now a grandfather and his sons are active citizens, being the fifth generation occupying the land where ferryboats and later steamboats, have landed it may well be called Knowiton Landing, which was the name of the first post office here established and this was the first in the Township of Potton. It is in the extreme northeastern part of Potton.
Another pupil who received a reward at my early examination was Charles G. Greene, now a Supervisor of Inspectors of Immigration, with office at Ottawa. He has a son who is a university graduate and a specialist in industrial chemistry. He is married and has one son. The son Charles is Chief Chemist for a large silk factory at Louiseville, P. Q.
Ezra G. Ball, senior., had a sister who married - (1) a Mooney of Bolton Glen, (2) a Merrill. She has a grandson, Mr. P. C. Duboyce, B.A. LL.B., Notary Public at Richmond, P.Q. He is also a member of the Protestant Committee of the Province of Quebec. He has a son, a lawyer in Montreal. Another of her grandsons is Mr. Cedric M. Goddard who was for many years private secretary for the Honorable Sydney A. Fisher. Mr. Goddard is still in the Civil Service.
Source : Yesterday's of Brome County, Vol. 5, 1982
L'ÉCOLE COOLIDGE
Bay District, East Bolton
COOLIDGE SCHOOL
Bay District, East Bolton
(from Laura Knowlton's Teacher's Essay, 1945 B.C.H.S. Archives)
This school situated at Knowiton Landing and named after an early settler, Gaptain Eliot Coolidge, is the oldest school on record in East Bolton as shown by the Deed of Site which was passed before William Ritchie, Notary Public, Nov. 8, 1831, and signed by Moses George Jr. There must have been a school here previously as the Deed of Sale reads « to School Trustees in the Bay District » and was witnessed by Wm. Greene, Mark Randall, Eliot Coolidge, Alex Thompson - all School Trustees.
This deed is of particular interest now as Mr. R. Eric Fisher, one the present trustees of the Fisher Trust Fund, is the great grandson of the notary before whom this deed was passed - Wm. Ritchie. Mr. Fisher's mother was a member of the Ritchie family their summer home being situated at Bolton Cliffs where the Austin Settlement was established. As this was just across from the « Bay District », by which name the Coolidge locality was known at this time, it is probable that as early as 1810 or 1815 the children of the «Austin Settlers» came across the bay to attend school in the building that occupied this site prior to 1831.
Frequently when some personage attains prominence and honors in their particular sphere of life in tracing their history it will be found their early education was gained in the district schoolhouse of a rural community.
Footnote:
A true copy of «The Deed of Site > mentioned is now in the B.C.H.S.
Archives, Knowlton, having been brought to the museum on March 3, 1975 by Mrs. Porter Knowiton, Mrs. Ben George, Mrs. Roland Ethier of Knowiton's Landing. These ladies represented the «Women's Institute» of that area as the building has been owned by the Institute in recent years. This deed whereby Mose George Jr. sels the land to the Trustees for 35 pounds, 5 shillings. Signed in the office at Georgeville of Wm. Ritchie N.P, dated Nov.8, 1831.
Witnesses : Ellot Coolidge & Alexander Thompson
Trustees :
Nahum Newton Wilson
Willam Greene
Benjamin Austin
Mark Randall Jr.
Amos W. Lay
THE COOLIDGE SCHOOL HOUSE
Notes from Viola and Elsie Knowiton
The property on which the Goolidge school house now stands was purchased in 1831 from Moses George Jr. For a time it was kept as a house on that property but it was burned down and subsequently, the present schoolhouse was built. In later years, another piece of land was added on the property given by the late John Chamber for school purposes.
This school was also used for United Church services. The ministers came mostly from Austin, then known as East Bolton. In 1925, services were conducted by an elderly gentleman, Mr. Yates who walked from South Bolton and then on to Bolton Centre. Later, the Rev. Darlington conducted services, followed by student ministers. One well-known minister was Rev. Graham Barr. The Rev. John Stark conducted the last services. The Bible and collection plate from the church were given to the Brome County Historical Society in Knowiton.
Some schoolteachers were Mrs L.P. Knowlton in the 1940's and Miss Iris Armstrong in 1952-53.
In 1954, The Women's Institute (W.I.) bought the school House and it was used as a community centre until the winter of 1975. It has been sold and resold in 1975, both times fora private dwelling. The current residents are Marc Charlebois and Nathalie Visotsky.
Heritage Week, Juy 2002
Municipality of East Bolton