Saskatchewan Golden Jubilee School Histories 1905-1955
The Outline Suggested:
- GEOGRAPHY OF THE COMMUNITY. The evolution of the pioneers and their community and how it relates to the boundaries of the current one room school house district. In this section the students are encouraged to add maps which may show the communication routes, places of the area. Another scale map would serve to place the school district in context with the province as a whole.
- THE EARLIEST INHABITANTS: Including a history of this area before settlement. The majority of the booklets included the history of the First Nations of the area.
- THE COMING OF THE SETTLERS: A story would evolve covering where the early pioneers came from, along with stories of their immigration to the new country. The booklets were dependent upon the biographies, and the interviews of the residents. The teacher, themselves, would often be interviewed as well, giving another unique perspective at the history of the community and the school.
- PIONEER SETTLEMENT: A chart or a map may show the changes in development of the community including population changes and evolution of the district from the earliest days up to the current time in 1954.
For the next considerations family life is considered. Students could draw from their interviews and research the information about homes and compile the aggregate into one sample family - albeit a fictious one amassing all the experiences. However this amalgamation of experiences from may sources into one fictional pioneer family did not happen.
These chapters included interviews and submitted biographies from the family ancestors, and the resident submitters were duly acknowledged and thanked for their contributions to the project. At times the residents submitted thsir own family genealogies to the student project. There was also a submission of a Saskatchewan Archives questionnaire filled out by a pioneer resident included in a booklet. The booklets written in the cities focused upon the main historial figures, as compared to the rural booklets which were more apt to encompass the origins of the village and the surrounding school district rural settlers.- SHELTER:
- Interviews of the residents encompassed the types of homes used by the pioneers "materials for building, heating lighting, furniture, utensils, tools.
- Other buildings were considered whether they are the schools, barns, churches, post offices, stores, livery barns, hen houses, any other outbuildings or residences. Here the stories varied. Often photographs were included in the booklet, and very often write ups about the churches and the congregations, first wedding, first burial, first baptism were recorded in some booklets.
- FOOD:
- Types of food available in the community resulted in photos of food items avaiable from local flyers, and in a few cases, recipes were also added. The students at times delved into how the foods changed from early pioneer times to the current era - 1955.
- Sources of acquiring the food
- Preperation and preservation of the food
- CLOTHING:
- Seasonal attire for men and women. The clothing chapters varied, and ofttimes depicted the pages from catalogues, either contemporary from 1955 or historical if an old catalog was available. Some students drew the changes in the clothing.
- Materials used for clothing and where they are obtained
- The various methods used to make clothes.
- Pictures and images.
- Community clothing influences by the earliest inhabitants.
- PROBLEMS IN TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION:
- How did the early settlers arrive? Example, Red River carts, oxen, trails, ferries, immigrant trains. Here drawings and photographs sufficed to show the changes in transporation methodologies.
- What methods were used for communication? Here the examples suggested by the Department of Education and STF were telegraph lines, mail and post offices, delivery services, early telegraph lines. The booklets varied depending on their proximity to telegraph lines and the types of communication available to the community.
- TYPES OF ACTIVITIES: This outline topic covered a wide variety of area - "Modes of farming, ranching, hunting, trapping, Fishing, recreation, co-operative spirit and shared activities, blacksmithing, harness shops, community services" were given as examples of activities that may be found within the community.
- HARDSHIPS: Recognizing incidents which have been remembered as being notable within the area, be it "weather conditions, lack of medical care, lawlessness, epidemics, prairie and bush fires, lack of fuel or water, isolation, marketing problems." These hardships were oftimes covered in accounts submitted by mail or by interview to the school by the pioneers themsevles.
- LAW ENFORCEMENT: The evolution of the arrival of the North West Mounted Police, provincial police, and itinerant judges.
- THE SCHOOLS: Included in this section would be a concise history of the education in the community. An analysis or introduction to the "first schools, nature of buildings, nature of school equipment, enrolment, attitudes to education, first trustee boards, choice of names for schools, first teachers, how teachers selected, teachers' boarding places, teachers' salaries, visits of inspectors, length of school year, winter vacation, school attendance, nature of texts and curriculum in general, school health conditions, the school as a social centre, outstanding changes." The students had first hand knowledge of the schools, being pupils there themselves. Reports in Consolidated schools, would remember those one room school districts which became part of the larger school unit. One room school houses still in operation would delve into their history singularly. School reports included most times photos of the school, historically and in 1955 when the report was written. A few took photos of all the students in 1955 making it into a rather unique "year book" May class photos were submitted with the students standing in front of the school.
- THE CHURCH: A short story regarding the local churches. Pupils could cover topics such as; "first services, nature of early church buildings and equipment, the work of early ministers, priests and missionaries, growth of various deonominations, the influence of the church on the community throughout the years, early Sunday Schools, early burial places."
- A HISTORY OF RECREATION AND SOCIAL LIFE: How did the community socialize, be it through organizations, sports, homemakers groups, hobbies ,dances and the like. This chapter was as often as not a very full chapter encompassing games, cards, championshipds, and athletic accomplishments in addition to the suggested outline topics..
- THE COMMUNITY IN 'TWO WORLD WARS': Were any ceremonies undertaken on the departure of those who enlisted, or were events planned on their arrival, did the community erect memorials or cenotaphs in honour of those who gave the supreme sacrifice. A look at the war effort and how it affected the community. Students were able to list those who had served in the Great Wars, occasionally with pictures, telegram communications or news paper reports added to the report.
- CONCLUSION: No points were offered in this portion of the outline which undertakes to summarize the exploration of the communities history and where the research has probed and delved.
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