›› Eramosa S.S. #5

The original S.S. #5 at lot 29, con. 6, Shiloh, was a small wood building erected circa 1843. Although some original information states that the first teacher was Henry Huxtable, the teacher listed in the general register (written from 1934-1943) was Philip Purcell, a man whom they felt had “very few qualifications as an educationist, but being a cripple [with a wooden leg] was given the position more or less out of charity.” During Purcell’s term the school burned down and a second, larger log building was erected upon the same site.

The first female teacher was Phoebe Hindley, and during her term in 1872 the stone school was built. S.S. #5’s territory was so large that the roll often listed over 100 students, with an average attendance of 90 pupils.

In 1950 a new entrance system was introduced, where the Grade 8 pupils wrote their high school entrance examinations in their own school before moving on to further education.

Photo courtesy of the Guelph-Eramosa Township Archives. For more information see Eramosa Anecdotes, by Deborah Quaile (Ayton: Wordbird Press, 2007).