Amesdale Schooling: The School Car 1936 - 1946

During the 1935-36, school year enrollment at the Rowell School dropped to six pupils and the school was closed at the end of the school year due to the lack of pupils. The children then had the options; either the government school car, or correspondence.

The railway school car had a four community circuit, spending one week in each, then moving on to the next community along the rail line. While it was out of town, under the direction of their parents the students presumably worked diligently on assignments. The teacher, Mr. Henry Antoniak, was the oldest child in a large family, and is described as a man well versed in the art of manipulating the young ones in a sugar-coated way.

Some students were able to make arrangements such that they could attend more continuously. In the 1936-37 school year, Mary Stouffer attended school in both Amesdale and Richan. In 1938-39 school year, Gordon Fradsham went east for one week where attended in Richan while staying with his Aunt Eva, then spent a week at home while attending in Amesdale, then followed the car west to Niddrie where he stayed with his Aunt Kate while the school car was stopped in Niddrie.

In September of 1943 the school car rolled into town with a new teacher. Henry Antoniak who had decided to switch to the south line of the CNR so he could spend more time in his hometown of the Lakehead. The new teacher was a personable, thirty-six year old. A quite, lonely, and still unmarried teacher named Andy Clement. He rolled into Amesdale in mid-September 1943 and earned a place for himself in the hearts of students and residents alike. He was a welcome part of the community for the next four years, developing many lasting friendships with residents like Gordon Ames and others.

In the 1940's attendance began to increase. From an enrollement of eight in September 1942, enrollment rose to sixteen by the spring of 1946. This justified reopening of the Rowell School. Andy Clement had already identified a teacher. Earlier in the year he had met Olive Lynch, the widowed daughter of Sam and Annie Ames. With Andy Clement's recommendation as an excellent and well qualified teacher, she assumed teaching duties in the Rowell School. In the fall of 1946 the Rowell School reopened with twenty-three students enrolled in grades one through ten.

Photo: Andy Clement

Requests:

1) If you can identify the students in the photo please provide "The Society" with their names.

2) If you have any stories or simple memories of the school car, please email them to "The Society"

When I say "The Society", that is just a fancy way to say email me at: ames.brian@gmail.com

Alternatively, if you have an Gmail address you can add a comment to this Blog.

Thanks,

Brian

Sources:

Clement, Andrew. 1987. The Bell and the Book. Highway Book Shop, Cobalt, Ontario. 204-216

Fradsham, Gordon. personal communications

William Albert Fradsham

William Albert Fradsham was born on September 28th 1901 in Coley’s Point Newfoundland which is now a part of Bay Roberts, about an hour from St. Johns. The area was settled in the 1600 hundreds.

At the time Albert was born the area was regarded as a wholesale and distribution centre for Conception Bay and Trinity Bay. The major businesses were cooperage and shipbuilding, and of course fishing. At the age of fourteen Albert went to sea, sailing on Barques and Barquenteens, three masted ships that were used for hauling freight such as salt, molasses and fish. He sailed to such places as Spain, Portugal and South America. As this was during the First World war it was considered to be the Merchant Marine which was finally recognised by the Canadian Government long after the second World War.

After sailing the Atlantic for a few years Albert left the seafaring life and went to Canada. Newfoundland wasn’t to become a Province until 1949. He worked out west on the threshing gangs for a while before heading east arriving at Amesdale and got a job on the section gang on the CNR where he was engaged in track maintenance and patrolling the rail line on a motor car.

While working in Amesdale Albert met a young girl by the name of Margaret Ames who was the daughter of Sam and Annie Ames. She had just returned from Melfort Saskatchewan where she had attended school as there was no school in Amesdale at that time. She stayed with her older sister Olive who was teaching there. While working in her older brother Bert’s pulp wood camp as a cook she met Albert.. In 1930 they were married at the United Church manse in Dryden with her cousin Bertha McKay and Jack Durocher as attendants.

They acquired a homestead just north of the railway about three quarters of a mile east of Amesdale. Albert built a small log cabin on the property where in 1931 their first son Gordon was born and was the first child born in Amesdale. Margaret’s mother Annie was the midwife. Albert walked to Dryden the next day to get the Doctor to make sure everything was all right.. In 1934 Albert acquired a second homestead approximately one mile south-east of Amesale and moved his family into another log cabin he had built. Two years later they built a storey and a half house of squared timbers on this property.

In July1937 a son Ron was born in the Dryden hospital. Albert borrowed a Jersey cow from his brother in law Art Carlson, which he didn’t have use for at the time, so Ron could have fresh milk. Gordon became of school age at this time and as there was no school his Mom tutored him with the aid of government correspondence courses for the first two years, until the school car began coming to Amesdale. The school car made it possible for the students to be instructed by a full time teacher, however the school was only in a community for a week at a time. For most this meant they worked at home on assignments while the school car was visiting other communities.The Fradsham’s made special arrangements such that their son could attend almost continuously. During the 1938-39 school year Gordon went east to Richan for one week, staying with his Mother’s Aunt, Eva McKay, Then spending a week at Amesdale, then traveling west to Morgan where he stayed with his Aunt and Uncle Kate and Art Carlson, then home for a week of assignments.

In the autumn of 1941 the family moved to Halifax where they lived in a suite of rooms at the home of Margaret’s sister Olive Lynch. While there Albert visited his family in Newfoundland for the first time since he had left home. He was going to take Gordon with him but with U boats on the prowl he decided against it, probably a good thing as he had to sleep on deck with his suitcase on top of him as it was so crowded. Albert secured a job in a fertilizer plant (?) But became dissatisfied and moved the family back to Amesdale in the spring of 1942. Shortly after the move back to Amesdale Albert joined the Army along with his Brother-in-law Sam Ames. When Albert and Sam left for the army, Margaret stayed for a short time with Sam’s wife Lorraine. In the summer of 1942 Margaret and Ron went to visit Albert who was stationed in Val Cartier, just north of Quebec City. Gordon had been left in the care of Gordon and Beatrice Ames. On returning home Margaret moved the Family into an apartment in Dryden in time for Gordon to start the fifth grade. In October 1942 Albert and Sam were posted overseas to Scotland with the Forestry Corp. Margaret next moved the family to a house on Machin Avenue , next door to her cousin Bertha Durocher.

Albert returned home from overseas in 1945 and got a job at the Dryden Paper Company, and they bought a home of their own at 55 David Avenue. In 1947 they purchased a home at 58 Machin Avenue from Margaret’s cousin Joe McKay which had been built by Margaret’s brother Bert Ames. A few years later Albert gave up his job at the mill for health reasons and got a job at the Royal Canadian Legion in Dryden as a steward. In 1958 Albert acquired the Rawleigh dealership for Dryden and area from a neighbour John Morton and operated this business until he retired in 1964.

Albert died on October 27,1966 at the age of 65.

.

Biography written and edited by Gordon and Ronald Fradsham.

“ALBERT”

by Marjorie (Pard) McKay

Like an older brother he was to me,
He often held me on his knee.
He would tell me stories and sing his songs
Of sailors and girls and their rights and wrongs.

*****
I thought he was great and so much fun,
Although he kept me on the run.
How he would tease me and I’d be so mad,
And then they’s laugh, both him and Dad.

*****
On his sholders he’d carry me for miles,
To swim at the lake and I’d be all smiles.
We were all together, so happy and gay;
That was before Dad was taken away.

*****
Then came sadder days and it was nice to know,
He was still around with Bill and Joe.
Just one of the family he seemed to be;
Sort of a comfort for Mom and me.

*****
Then the Ames girls came and we all could see,
He would not much longer belong to me.
Jealously came into my life,
I knew he’d take one of them for his wife.

*****
The years rolled by and I became nine.
I gave him up, this boyfriend of mine.
As I grew older, we drifed apart.
But he always kept that warm spot in my heart

*****
When my family and I go home for a trip,
As we have for the last few years
With all our folks and Albert and Marg
We’d go out for a couple of beers.

*****
We’d talk of things as they used to be.
On the homestead years ago.
It bought back so many memories.
I loved those visits so.

*****
Now when we go back Albert won’t be there.
For all good things must end;
But we’ll think of him always just as he was
A DEAR AND LOYAL FRIEND.

Poem written to the Fradsham Family by Pard McKay at the time of Albert's passing.

The Amesdale Lath and Supply Company

W 1/2 of N 1/2, Lot 10, Con. 3 Rowell Twp.

In 1927 Samuel George Ames, J.B. Nelson, and J.W. Stouffer organised the Amesdale Lath and Supply Company. One hundred and five shares were sold within the community at fifty dollars per share and the company was incorporated May 17, 1927.

A lath and saw mill was then purchased in Winnipeg, and was set up on the north-east corner of Bert Ames’ homestead, N1/2 Lot 10 Concession 3, just east of the swift creek. Sam Ames, who had experience as a sawyer, was the sawyer on the mill. J.W. Stouffer did a lot of the paperwork for the mill since he had a good education. Bert, Sam Ames' second son learned the trade from his father and took over the mill.

The economic value of the mill was in the lath that was cut and shipped to Winnipeg. Lumber which was for local consumption, supplied by the mill for the building of every frame home in Amesdale. Bert built a home across the creek from the saw mill. In November 3, 1930, school opened in Amesdale in a new frame school building built of dimensional lumber from that mill. The Ames family used lumber from the saw mill to build the new store in 1931, and a large new home in 1932. From squared timbers, Albert Fradsham built a two-story home just west Bert’s place. The squared timbers were from balsam logs, which when wet are very heavy. However, once dried the porous nature of the wood becomes an excellent insulator.

Lath, the main product produced, and was cut and shipped to Winnipeg, however with the advent of plywood, the demand for lath fell and the lath mill was sold. Thereafter, the mill was only run for about three weeks a year to meet local needs. Only one railroad car load of lumber was ever shipped out of the community, but the car became lost in transport and the company was never paid for the lumber.

Besides providing lumber for the community, the community enjoyed a sense of pride as dwellings were converted from log cabins to modern frame construction. It was also a place of entertainment, watched by youth like Gordon Fradsham who “could stand and watch that steam engine work all day, and watch them sawing lumber. To a young boy it was awesome”. By the 1940’s the mill was inoperative. Nevertheless, Bert’s girls enjoyed playing on the old steam engine and mill, until they moved with their parents to Dryden in 1945.

Some years later the lath mill was forfeited and in 1946 the saw mill was sold to Norman McMillan. The mill was not the financial success it was hoped to be but it was however of enormous value in supplying the building materials essential to the development of the isolated community.

In about 1947 or 1948, Mike Premack set up another saw mill on a 5 acre lot behind the store. It was by the road leading down to the spring.

.

(photos provided by Joanne Laforest Brown, Bert Ames' granddaughter)