École South Bolton
School Journal - District # 4-
South Bolton School / École South Bolton
East Bolton
Teacher / Enseignant (te)
Dans la maison de Richard Holland David Taylor
Eliza Shufelt
Helen Hoskins
Geo. Dyer
Lillian McMannis
Frances McMannis
1833 Lucy Rexford
1853 S. S. Potter
1854 S. Dorothy Brown
1855 Marvin Ives John Fay
1856 Annis Ball Mr. Dagget
1857 Annis Ball Mr. Dagget
1858 Eliza Rexford
1859 H. Horner Mr. Snyder
1860 M. Boright Eliza Rexford
1861 J. H. Johnson
1862 Addie Dyer P. Reed
1863 Alice Atwood P. Reed
1864 Lillis L. Hoyt A. Young
1865 Valeria Taylor
1866 Alice Atwood Carlos Whitney
1867 Helen Hoskins Sarah Vilas
1868 Helen Hoskins Sarah Vilas
1876-77 Geo. A. Barton
1892 Susie Mooney
1894 Mary C. Phelps
1895 Annie E. Elliott Eugène Wherry
1914 Mattie Pibus
1915 Gladys H. Lincoln
1916-17 Lottie Stowe
1930-31 Clara J. Mountford
1931-32 Minerva F. Stowe Randall
1932-33 Minerva F. Stowe Randal
1933-34 Minerva F. Stowe Randall
1934-35 Minerva F. Stowe Randall
1935-36 Geraldine L. Parker
1937-38 Leola Stark
1938-39 Myrtle Vv. Prouty
1939-40 Leola Stark
1940-41 Beverly Lavallière
1941-42 Beverly Lavallière
1942-43 Minerva F. Stowe Randall
1943-44 Minerva F. Stowe Randall
1944-45 Minerva F. Stowe Randall
1947-48 Ruth MacDonald
1949-50 Evelyn Paige
South Bolton School - Old School District No. 9
An Outline History of the School in which I am teaching
by Minerva Randall 1935
Near the southern border, of the Township of East Bolton, in a little valley among the foot hills of ranges extending up from Vermont, and drained by the Missisquoi River, is a little place, which now derives its name from its position in the Township, namely South Bolton.
The Township of Bolton was organized into a municipality in 1846 (the date when the first municipalities were formed) and later in l876 it was divided into East and West Bolton. The territory of which Bolton is a part was erected into a County in 1855.
Traditionally this area of Bolton was said to be the Hunting Grounds of the Abenaki Indians who later were known as the St. Francis Indians.
This district became important because it was on the "Old Magog Road", from Stanstead to Georgeville, by the lake ferry to Knowlton Landing, South Bolton over the mountain to Brome Corner into Dunham Township to Montreal. This road was at first used by travellers on foot, on horseback, or on ox-sleds. It was not until 1830 that the road was opened for wheeled vehicles. The "Old Magog Road" leading over the mountain was then the only road in that district. The present Pass through the mountains, having been discovered by Lester Ball, years later when setting sable traps.
In the latter part of the eighteenth century, as early as 1793, when this area was opened for settlement, and during the first years of the nineteenth century, many settlers came to Bolton from the United States, among them were Brooks Davis, Orrin Rexford and Whiting Rexford. These Rexfords settled at this place where two roads intersect. They took such an active part in the settlement of the place, that for many years this spot was
known as Rexford's Corner.
Another of South Bolton's early settlers was Richard Holland. He came from Massachusetts, made two other settlements on the shores of Lake Memphremagog and finally settled at South Bolton in 1817. He erected a saw mill and grist mill on the bank of the Missisquoi River, just below the present bridge. He also owned a large farm, a blacksmith shop and potashery. In fact, the place was referred to as Holland's Mills at that early period. One of the highest mountains facing South Bolton, across the Missisquoi was named from his sister, Rebecca, commonly called "Becky."
West of South Bolton, near the entrance to Bolton Pass, is a little brook containing one particularly deep hole called, "Hanson's pork barrel." Years ago a man named Nathan Hanson had a public house near. The trout from this particular spot, so often supplied a part of the meal for his guests, that it is still identified by that name.
Nathan Hanson's two daughters married and settled in Bolton. One daughter married William Greene. The other daughter married John McMannis, who took such a lively interest in all things pertaining to the improvement of Bolton, that his name will long be remembered here. He was Bolton's first mayor and secretary of the town for about forty years.
In the earlier years of the nineteenth century, the educational vantages in the Townships were provided by voluntary effort. A very small grant was awarded these voluntary schools, by the government upon the fulfilment of certain conditions. Some son, who had received a little education, very elementary in some cases, would agree, for a very small amount, to teach the children of the neighbourhood. Before the school building was erected, David Taylor, grandfather of Mrs. Arthur Sheldon, of Potton, taught such a school in the home of Richard Holland at South Bolton. An account from a voluntary school stated that the teacher's wages amounted to $39.86 for a winter season of teaching.
In those times, the wood was provided by the parents of the school, about a quarter of a cord for each pupil in attendance. It was frequently drawn in sled lengths and cut up into stove wood by the older boys. In zero weather this green wood sometimes failed to warm the school room and the children were sometimes uncomfortable, in spite of the homespun flannel and "wale" with which they were clothed.
The present school grounds at South Bolton, a space four rods square, were deeded by Orrin Rexford, brother of Dr. Rexford's grandfather, to Richard Holland and Dr. A. Lay and Nathan Hanson in 1829, and the deed was registered in Georgeville in 1832 (copy in Brome County Historical Society Archives) Rev. E.M. Taylor of Knowlton, great grandson of Richard Holland Sr. now has the deed, which was saved from destruction by Bert Randall, where some years after Mr. McMannis' death, a mass of his papers were being burned.
A frame school house was erected on the grounds, soon after deeded for that purpose. Rev. E.M. Taylor's father, Daniel Taylor and Dr. Rexford's father, Orrin Rexford, were among the pupils who attended that school. Lucy Rexford, daughter of Whiting Rexford, took charge of the school in 1833.
Whiting Rexford, with his wife, three daughters and son Orrin, had moved to South Bolton the previous year. Orrin Rexford later married Eliza Dimond. The three children Eva, Elson and Orrin, have all held important educational positions in the province. One son Elson, now Rev. Dr. Rexford of Montreal, by his untiring efforts in educational work and particularly in the County of Brome, has earned for himself a name in the annals of
history. South Bolton is proud to possess the home of his birth, a house more than one hundred years old, now owned by the Postmaster H.G. Lane. It has been removed to another site and considerably renovated but the handforged nails still remain in the floors.
In 1846, the first public school law was enacted, this being the basis of our present school law. It enabled each municipality to divide the township into school districts, to elect a school board, and levy taxes. Each district was placed under the direction of a school manager.
In 1853 a new school building was erected at South Bolton, near the site of the former one. Owing largely to the wise management of Mr. John Holland, who himself could scarcely read or write, the little "Red School House" among the mountains of South Bolton became one of the most effective schools in the Townships. A four month summer term, attended by the little ones, and a four month winter term under a man teacher, for the older ones, sometimes eighteen or twenty years of age, made up the school year.
The school manager always secured the best available teacher for the winter months. Occasionally a graduate in Arts taught the winter term. Sometimes they were not so fortunate. An old pupil, who attended several winter terms here, relates how one teacher could only go as far as Division in Arithmetic. The greater number of text books were from the United States. The schools were fitted with benches without backs and equipment of the simplest kind.
Dorothy Brown of Sutton, who taught at South Bolton in 1854, was Rev. Doctor Rexford's first teacher. She afterwards married Nathan Taylor, of this place, and later Nathan Banfill, also of South Bolton. One son Joel Banfill had a foundry business at East Farnham. One grandson is Dr. Banfill of East Angus. Another grandson Rev. E.M. Taylor of Knowlton has spent his life in educational work. He is perhaps best known to the people of the Townships by his long inspection of the elementary schools. Several other grandsons still reside at South Bolton. Two of her great grandsons, one time pupils of the "Red School House", now hold responsible positions. Clifton Taylor, Adventist minister, in New Haven, Conn. and Albion Taylor, Ph. D., M.A. of the Mary & William College, Virginia.
Miss Addie Dyer, teacher of South Bolton, in 1862, who later married Dr. A. Knowlton of Waterloo, assisted in naming what is now called, “Potton Sulphur Spring."
In the early sixties of the nineteenth century, Dr. and Mrs. A. Knowlton led a procession, which formed at South Bolton, and moved down to the Spring where, by a formal cememony, the spring was named, "Mount Pleasant Spring":
About 1880 Nathan Hanson Greene, grandson of Nathan Han- son, built an hotel near the spring. This hotel has undergone many renovations and enlargements but each summer many visitors still avail themselves of the medicinal spring water. Geo. Dyer, later Col. Geo. Dyer, was also one of South Bolton's teachers.
Geo. A. Barton PhD., L.L.D., D.D. of an American university, began his career, as a teacher in the South Bolton school, during the winter of 1876-77. In Aug. of 1933, he visited the school and presented to the school library a valuable book of his own authorship, "Archaeology and the Bible."
Eliza Rexford, Valeria Taylor, Lillian and Frances McMannis, Eliza Shufelt and Helen Hoskins all taught at South Bolton for several terms.
In these early schools, a general feature of closing days was a programme consisting of dialogues, recitations and songs. Singing school for the children and grown-ups was very popular.
"Moving pictures," also was an important feature of those days. They consisted of a web of canvas, about 50 ft. long and six feet wide, upon which pictures had been painted. An upright roller was fastened to each end. This canvas could be unrolled from one roller and rolled on the other, to show one picture at a time and alecturer explained the picture.
Spelling matches and "Challenge problems" between schools created interest in neighbouring districts.
The greatest winter sport for the school children was coasting downhill and, in summer, wrestling, racing, throwing stones at a mark and Tag. These pastimes are still common in our Elementary schools.
The school building has undergone numerous renovations since 1853. In 1909 the floor, which was elevated at the back of the room, was lowered and the wooden desks replaced by patent ones. The school grounds were surrounded by a strong wire fence in
1918. In 1921 two former pupils of the school, Rev. Doctor Rex- ford and Volney Taylor (who spent his boyhood in South Bolton but in 1866 had removed to California with his parents), offered to spend one hundred dollars in improving the school if the School Board would also make certain changes. The offer was accepted and the school building was greatly improved.
This plan of working with the School Boards in improving the schools has since been followed by the Trustees of the Fisher Trust Fund in improving educational conditions throughout the County of Brome. The late Hon. S.A. Fisher had left this fund to be used in Brome County only.
Special prizes are also given the teachers from this fund, under certain conditions. A successive term of eight, in some districts nine months, is now held. The older pupils who wish to continue their studies attend the graded schools in the towns.
Many changes have been made in the school system, since its creation in 1842, by Dr. Meilleur, Superintendent of Education. He was responsible for the appointment of Dr. Rotus Parmlee in 1853, as first inspector of schools in Brome County. He was succeeded by J.A. McLoughlin M.A.. After his death Rev. E.M. Taylor M.A. was appointed. Since his resignation in 1930, after forty years of faithful service, the position has been efficiently filled by HD. Wells, teacher of Montreal, who now makes three yearly inspections of the schools in Brome.
The little "Red School House'" among the mountains has, during the course of later years, changed its colour to buff. The "Old Magog Road", now greatly improved, and called the King's Highway, passes by it.
The boys and girls of the place still endure the joys and sorrows of school life. Let us hope that some of them may uphold and forward the educational development of the province, particularly in the County of Brome, as diligently as some of their predecessors
of the "Red School House" have done.
Footnotes:
1. Minerva F. Randall 1897-1969 was the wife of Carlton A. Randall of South
Bolton. She was the daughter of Samuel and Esther (Whitcher) Stowe and was
born in Potton Township. She married C.A. Randall in 1925. She taught school
for 25 years in the area.
2. The last teacher connected with the school was Miss Evelyn Paige who taught
here 1949-1950. The school was closed June 1950.
3. Families who went to school there included the Willey, Davis, Cameron, Lane,
Randall and Greene. People we remember are Mrs. Cora McGill, Clinton
Adams of Mansonville, Miss Mary Selby and Mrs. Edward Bracey of Dunham
and Dr. Albion Taylor of Colorado.
4. The school building has been for several years a meeting hall for the Women's
Institute of South Bolton and area, and is owned by them. A newspaper article
of Sept. 12, 1968 says that a "bee" was held at that time when the men of
South Bolton and Bolton Centre restored the foundation of the historical
building.
5. The "Old Magog Road" is now known as Stagecoach Road.
by Editor, Sept. 1990
South Bolton School by Ruth MacDonald
In September 1947, I, as a young girl of 18, came from Mansonville to teach school in South Bolton. It was the time of not enough teachers and many young people just graduated from High School were teaching. I had graduated from grade 12 at Knowlton High School. I was Ruth Mac Donald.
There were 14 scholars, at least one in each of the seven grades, 3 girls and 11 boys. They were lona Thayer, Gordon Fuller Jr., Doug Davis, Ron Brett, Gary DurrelI, Joan, Jack and Donald Heckley, Wesley and Bruce Barrette (who stayed with Mrs. Calvin C. Davis on East River road), Jim Scruton, Wayne Fuller, Dorothy Davis and Robert Jasper. Wayne was in grade 1, lona in grade 7.
The curriculum of the time was mainly « reading, writing and arithmetic », along with spelling, French, geography and history. Science and extra subjects, singing, drawing, Red Gross meetings were specialties of Friday afternoon. French elementary, beginning I think with grade 3, with picture charts of objects and simple phrases.
Spelling matches and multiplication tables competitions were sometimes held. Classes were combined for some subjects and pupils learned some things from listening to other classes. I think our reader books were not the Dick and Jane books but had progressed to the « Streets and Roads », « Friends and Neighbours » series.
That fall was the year electricity came to South Bolton. We then had electric lights at school, but no running water. The scholars took turns going to the spring behind Calt Randall's house to carry a bucket of water which I think was emptied into a crock-type cooler with a little spout. No bathrooms, we had 2 outhouses in the shed, one at each end of a passage with a woodpile or place for a woodpile between. I think we had an oilburning space heater, not wood.
The furnishings of the school were a big teacher's desk, chair like desks I think, a couple book cupboards for school books and for library books to read, a big blackboard, a sand box table with a cover which could be removed, hooks for coats.
The sand box was for play, or to make deserts or mountains and valleys. The library books, I think were surprisingly good. On the wall were the usual pictures of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the 2 princesses, Rev. E.M. Taylor and perhaps one of Mr. Fisher. Rev. Taylor was a former school inspector, minister and teacher. Mr. Fisher was a man who gave out bursaries and scholarships.
The school inspector of our day was Mr. Wells. Some of the pupils at noon-time lived in town, could go home for lunch, some brought their lunch to eat at school.
We hadn't much playground equipment, they made up and played their own games. They may have had a ball or two, an empty tin can, a few old broom handles for hockey-sticks, trees to climb. In the winter, they spent some time in the shed, or entry way.
We had a Christmas programme with some adults helping out, held in the little old Anglican hall which has now been moved to the Pass.
Where are these young people now? Some are in the area, some in Western Canada, Ontario, the Maritimes. Four have died, Doug Davis drowned here in the Missisquoi river, Gary Durrell of heart problems, Ron Brett on his bicycle hit by a car, Donald Heckley of cancer.
What happened to the school house? I think a Miss Page taught there one more year after I did, then the pupils went by bus to Mansonville or Knowlton. The school building was bought by the South Bolton Women's Institute, painted red instead of the cream colour it was, and has been used as a summer children's playground, a place for gatherings for parties, showers, after funerals and also for W.l. meetings.
What happened to the school teacher? As with many teachers, she came back to South Bolton, was married to RusselI Coates, and still lives here after a few more than fifty years.
Ruth Mac Donald Coates.
The school house and important people connected with it
The property for the Protestant School at South Bolton, then called Rexford's Corner, was deeded by Orrin Rexford, brother of Dr. Rexford's grandfather, in 1822.
Dr. Rexford's father and Rev. E.M. Taylor's father attended school in this framed building. A second building was erected, Dr. Rexford attended school here in 1854.
Rev. E.M. Taylor was born January 29, 1849 in the Potton Township. He started teaching in 1863 and was the school inspector for the Protestant School Board for forty-one years. Rev. Taylor died in 1941.
Elson I. Rexford, B.A., M.A., L.L.D., D.C.L., D.D. was born in South Bolton, June 17, 1850, died October 1936. He was a famous son Brome County, « one of the province's outstanding educators », who was at one time, English secretary of the Department of
Education at Quebec and Rector of Montreal High School. The school manager in 1853 was Mr. John Holland. He was the grandfather of Mrs. John Cameron (Edith Holland).
When the little one room school house was closed, the members of the Women's Institute began proceedings to buy this building, as this school house was a historical building and situated in the center of town. After much red tape and hard work, on January 5, 1954, the deed was signed and the school house became the
property of the Women's Institute.
Throughout these years there has been considerable work done on this building. Electricity has been installed, bookshelves made by the late Harley Adams, these donated by Mrs. Ray Duval in memory of her mother Mrs. Horace Greene. The library
has grown thanks to books being donated in memory of the late Mrs. Greene, the Holland family, and Mrs. Walter Durrell. The Plaque and outside Grest was given in memory of the late Mrs. Bertie Perkins by Mrs. Gertrude (Knowlton) Hume, Foster.