For more information on Wall Lake School District

Hello Julia,
I stumbled upon the Saskatchewan One Room School Project when I was researching schools in the Saltcoats area. What a great idea to preserve this part of our history.

Unfortunately, many of the little schools have been destroyed and the school-yards have disappeared as cultivated land.

I attended a one-room school from the fall of 1955 to the fall of 1959 (we moved at the end of October). I was at the school from the beginning of grade 1 to the end of the second month of grade 5.

The school was called Wall Lake School, about 8.5 miles east of Dundurn. Our superintendent was Archie Bowes. We had a different teacher almost every year " all women.

I did not find this school in the project database. I am attaching information about it.

My grandmother taught at several schools in the area including: Blackstrap, Wall Lake (as included on this webpage), and Lost River (has no image online).

I don"t recall the exact location of Lost River school but I believe it was about 7 miles west and about 2 miles south of South Allan (southeast of Saskatoon). My parents had to vote at this school in the 1957 federal election.

A little more about BLACKSTRAP and LOST RIVER school districts:

Blackstrap and Lost River districts were still as shown on the map when I left the area in 1959 (i.e. the two school districts south of Wall Lake school district).

Blackstrap school was located near the present Hutterite colony " a bit east of the colony and on the south side of the grid. Dundurn 4-H Beef Club held meetings there for years.

Lost River school was the next school, several miles to the east " toward South Allan. The school was located farther south of the grid than Blackstrap school (very near the grid).

Wall Lake school had a teacherage very near the school. There was also a barn for several horses, two out-houses (girls & boys), an outdoor skating rink, and a ball diamond. We had annual Christmas concerts that involved the entire community. We had a real Christmas tree and decorations galore. In the winter, we had hot lunches. We took food in canning jars and heated them in a copper boiler on a 2-burner hot-plate before lunch. Each spring, we practiced foot-races on the rural road to the south of the school. We had spotters watching for vehicles.

Regards,
Richard Peasley

Hi there

This is excellent information. Thank you so much! Added a tiny bit more from a 1912 map to your cool notes, and direction map with current roads shown. The 1912 township range school district map shows LOST RIVER School District # 2071 south of WALL LAKE. BLACK STRAP / BLACKSTRAP School District #3506 appears west of WALL LAKE. In Geographic Names of Saskatchewan Bill Barry mentions the name change from Indiana School District 1764 to Wall Lake School District 1764.

Your keen insight into this school is very much appreciated, as are the directions to see it. There are not too very many school houses around any more as you mention. Thanks for helping to preserve this one!!!

Also, it is appreciated the additional information about Blackstrap and Lost River Schools. Those reminiscences, really bring the era of the one room schoolhouse to life! Thank you very much.

Kind Regards
Julia Adamson
c/o Saskatchewan One Room Schoolhouse Project.

Book. Dundurn Memories Our Roots Nos Racines
Dundurn and District History Committee
Dundurn, Saskatchewan
1982

Nearby Placenames

Camp Dundurn 33-4-W3 is a nearby Unincorporated place
Dundurn 9-33-4-W3 is a nearby Town
Dundurn Camp is a nearby Unincorporated place
Dundurn No. 314 is a nearby Rural Municipality
Hanley 1-31-4-W3 is a nearby Town
Haultain 34-4-W3 is a nearby Unincorporated place
Indi 9-32-4-W3 is a nearby Unincorporated place
Shields 33-3-W3 is a nearby Village
Strehlow 34-4-W3 is a nearby Unincorporated place
Thode 36-32-4-W3 is a nearby Village
Whitecap is a nearby Unincorporated place
School maps used with permission