Halleck’s – A One Room School House in Elizabethtown

Halleck’s School 

(School Section #5)

present address 2301 Halleck’s Road North.

hallecks-school-1861-62-map
Location of school from map of 1861-62

On June 28, 1963 the school rang its’ bell for the last time. The teacher at the time was Mrs. Marion Ross, and she was the last person to teach at the little brick school house located on the Halleck’s Road. The 27 remaining pupils from this school were transferred to the Lyn Public School. About 10 years prior there were 34 pupils in the school

The original school was a log school house located in the north corner of the Hallecks Road and No. 2 Highway. Rev. William Hallock built a school before 1810 which had a ready made class: with 16 Coles, 13 Clows, 10 or 12 Fulfords and his own six children. The brick school house was built further north on the Halleck’s Road around 1839. The land on which the present school was built was donated by Mr. Caleb Halloch (Squire Halloch) on May 12, 1838 and was built by Archibald Davidson, a stone mason.

The school was replaced by the present building in 1935, a trim neo-classical brick Edifice.[2] A well was drilled for the new school in the 1930’s and toilets were installed around 1939. In the early 1940’s electricity was installed. Between 1886 and 1900 teachers salaries’ were from $220. to $300 per year. (Elizabethtown: The Last of the Royal Townships by Alvyn Austin pub. 2009)

Heritage Elizabethtown erected a plaque near the original school recalling an incident that took place during the War of 1812. The plaque reads as follows:

Hallock’s School and the ‘Underhill Incident’

“A one room school near here was the site of an international incident before the war of 1812. William Hallock (1770-1836), a Methodist preacher, established the school in a log cabin on his property. In 1809 the teacher was Isaac Underhill, an alleged American army deserter. On May 1, three American soldiers disembarked from a schooner on the St. Lawrence, seized Underhill at the school and dragged him, bound and gagged towards the river. When Underhill broke free and ran, his captors shot him from behind. They then fled to their boat with armed settlers in pursuit. Underhill died the next day. His murder was a flagrant violation of British sovereignty which outraged Canadians and lingered long on local memory” (Issac Underhill is said to be buried in an unmarked grave in the Fulford Cemetery)

The old school was converted into a home and is located at 2301 Hallecks Rd.N.

School Superintendents Report (Ontario Archives)

Shows the following information, which in some cases contradicts what we have already researched, and contradicts other filed School Superintendents Reports:

1850: Frame Building, size 24×34, construction date 1811, condition: Not Good

1854: Frame building, first opened in 1817 (this report combines SS #3 and 5)

 

The following information was extracted from the motion papers of the Elizabethtown Council 1855-1872

 

That the union of School sections no 3 & 5 be dissolved and that all resolutions uniting the same be rendered the same as if said divisions ere never united at the request of a public meeting held for that purpose signed by Henry Clow, Chairman- 1858
that the Clerk be instructed to prepare a Bylaw to unite School Sections No.3 and No.5 into one section agreeable to the request of the rate payers of said sections- 1869
that the application of the Trustees of School Section No 5 be complied with and the sum of $200 be levied and collected on the Taxable property of said section exclusive of expenses -1872 (Lyn Museum Archives)

Note: some of the dates may not be accurate, if you know the correct date for these photos please let us know.

Class of 1896-Partial list of pupils from the class in no particular order: Ambrose Clow, Alex Davisdon, George Davidson, Gertrude Davidson, Jessie Davidson, Mack Davidson, Leonard Elliott, Arlis Hoag, Cecil Hoag, Ernest Hoag, Russell Hoag, Lettitia Kennedy, Frank Latham, Maggie Latham, Roy Locke, Edgar Robinson, May Robinson, William (Billie) Robinson, William J. Robinson, George Snow, Frank Stafford, May Stafford, Julia Stafford, Inez Stafford, Edith Vanattan, George Vanattaan and the teacher was Miss Nellie Aird. (photo #1)

 

Class of 1920c (photo #2)

 

Class of 1922 (photo #3)

 

1926, Oct 1st – Gladys Clow, Walter Charles, Willie Unk. (photo #4)

 

1930c – younger grades (photo #5)

 

1930c – Front Row- Unk, Lawrence Davidson, Unk, Cecil Sack, Sid Vanattan, Richard Charles, John Charles. Second Row: Eleanor Davidson, Helen Billings, Margaret Robinson, Dorothy Billings, Irene Boulton, Mary Charles, Jean Bonsteel, Edith Hodge, Orpha Hudson. Back Row: Bill Billings, Albert Boulton, David Goodfellow; Bill Graham; Lelan Earl (Teacher), Unk, Milton Myers (photo #6)

 

There is a story about this teacher Mr. Leland Earl, who lived in Lyn. He traveled to school in winter on skis drawn by a horse, and was called by some of the parents “the school-man on chips”. (Recorder & Times)

 

1930c Class photo (photo #7)

 

1937 – Teddy and Beryl Hallett (photo #8)

 

1937 – Isobel Clow and Beryl Hallett (Photo #9)

 

1937, June – Front Row: Lois McClelland, Phyllis McClelland, Patsy Andress; George Clow; Keith Davidson; Helen Chisamore; Audrey Hodge, Phyllis Hodge, Marion Eyre, Beulah Andress Middle Row: Lester Hunt, Joe Wescome, Teddy Hallett, Leslie Hunt, Clarence Hodge, Donald Boulton, Donald Nesbitt Back Row: Florence Chisamore, Mildred Vanattan, Evelyn Hodge, Beryl Hallett, Ernest Hunt, Beulah Hodge, Noreen Hodge. (photo #10)

 

1937-37 School Fair, Miss Anna Hudson teacher (photo #11)

 

1937-38 School Fair (photo #12)
1937-38 School Fair Miss Anna Hudson teacher (photo #13)

 

1938- Beulah Hodge, Mildred Vanattan, Florence Chisamore, Noreen Hodge (photo #14)

 

1937-38 Class (Photo #15)

 

1938 – First Row: Mabel Hodge, Unk, Florence Chisamore, Unk, Middle Row: 1-4 unknown; Bob Fritz, George Clow, Myron Bryan Back Row: Clarence Hodge, unk, Beulah Hodge, Joe Wescome, Donald Nesbitt (names as they were written and may be out of order) (photo #16)

 

1938-39 Teacher Mary Franklin (photo #17)

 

1950c – Students in the snow (photo #18)

 

1950c – Lion’s Club Music Festival (photo #19)

 

1953 Class -First Row: Charlie Hoare, Jim Gulford, Unk Bilow, Unk Bilow, Ron Bilow, Steve Hudson, Don St John, Ron Hoare 2nd Row: Isobel Ferguson, Shirley Avery, Sharon Billings, Donna Billings, Shirley St. John. Jane Ferguson 3rd Row- Bill Stevens, Don Schultz, Aaron Bilow, Doug Avery, David Nicol, Jean Hoaare, Wayne Young, Carol Merchant, Richard Ferguson, Dan Slack Back Row: Pam Smith, Pat Zufelt, Linda Towler, Edna St.John, Eliz Smith, Mrs. Haffie (Teacher) (photo #20)

 

1958c Halleck’s School Class (photo #21)

 

 

1963 – Last School Class Mrs. Marion Ross teacher (photo #22)

 

 

1963, June 29- Bells ring for the last time (photo #23)

 

1963 June 28 Last day of school (photo #24)

 

1963, June 28th- Last Day of School (photo #25)

 

1963, June 28th – Last day of school (photo #26)

 

 

1963, June 28th – Former teachers gather (photo #27)

 

1963, June 28th – Former students look at the old building (photo #28)

 

Hallecks School Teacher’s Listing

1886- Miss Gertrude E. Giles

1887- Miss Annie McCallum

1888- Miss Effie Clow

1889- Miss Jessie V. Gardiner ( six months)

1889-97- Miss Nelie Aird

1897- Miss Effie Clow (one month)

1897-99- Miss Isadora Clow

1900-02- Miss Ida G. Wemyss

1902-03- Miss Clara L. Wilson

1903-04- Miss Ethel Alford

1904- Miss H.A. Holmes (one month)

1904-07- Miss Lillian Hudson

1907-10- Miss Lillian Robbins

1910-11- Miss Jennia Hamilton

1911-13- Miss A.M.Riley

1913- Mrs. Lucy Greer (3 days)

1913-14- Miss Nellie Armstrong

1914-15- Miss Clara I. Brown

1915-16- Miss Mabel M.Marshall

1916-17- Miss Mary Webster

1917-18- Miss Hazel Fenton

1918-19- Miss Louisa Hargraves

1919-20- Miss Iva M. Hamilton

1920- Miss M.L.McNeil (4 months)

1921-22- Miss Grace Jelly (1 1/2 years)

1922-23- Miss Edna Waghorn

1923-24- Miss Georgia Frances

1924-26- Leland Earle

1926-28-Miss R. Isobel Taylor

1928-29- Miss Dora Thurston

1929-31- Miss Hilda V. Gilroy

1931-33- Miss Helen Purvis

1933-38- Miss Anna Hudson

1939-58- Miss Mabel Haffie

1958- Mrs. Patrica McGillis

1959- Mrs. Beatrice Kyer

1959-63- Mrs. Marion Ross

Heritage Elizabethtown Plaque regarding the Underhill Incident (photo #29)

 

 

Halleck’s School throughout the years

 

1936 (photo #30)

 

1937 (Photo #31)

 

1939 (photo #32)

 

1957 (photo #33)

 

1963 (photo #34)

 

1963 (photo #35)

 

1966 (photo #36)

 

1991 (Photo #37)

 

Additional facts:

The school well was drilled in the 1930’s

New toilets were installed around 1939

Electricity came to the school in the early 1940’s

 

School Books belonging to Alex Davidson at Hallecks School