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Picture

S. S. #15 - Beachvale

It is said that the first log school in the township was built on the 11th line but there are no records to support this. In 1855, residents decided that a new school was needed. A new frame school was built on the NW corner of William Hawke’s farm, lot 8 concession  11. Mr. George Ballard was the first teacher.

In 1872 a new frame school was built on the NW corner of lot 9, concession 11. In 1900 another new school was erected on the site, using material salvaged from the old school.   One of the teachers was Wilbert Sloman.  In about 1906 a separate school was built in Linwood and the Catholic students went there. 

Alternate spellings of the school name include Beech Vale, Beachvale and Beachville

The building now houses Beechvale Parochial school.


Picture
S. S. #15 - Beechvale School, 1897 (Accession #2104-12-004)
Row 1: Lily Wismer, Florence Smith, Nina Cunningham, Alberta Hayes, Mabel Foster, Lorna Esbaugh, Pearl Ballard
Row 2: Mary Gerth, Emerson Foster, Emerson Burnett, Allen Foster, ___ Diebold, Thad Cunningham, Alex Diebold
Row 3: Fanny Diebold, Menno Hahn, Irwin Wismer, Lorne Rennie, John Schlueter, Arthur Rennie, Arthur Foster, _____ Koebel, Louisa Hahn, Lizzie Gerth
Row 4: Ida Cunningham, Louise Weber, Lydia Hahn, Clara Weber, Mary Rennie, Bessie Cunningham, Ida Wismer, Alice Smith, Katie Meyer
Row 5:  ____ Weber, Edward Burnett, Henry Gerth, Norman Hosea, Menno Schlueter, Herman Schlueter, Roy Hosea, Leo Esbaugh, Herman Wismer
Teacher: Emma Lackner 

Picture
S. S. #15 - Beechvale School (now Beechvale Parochial School) (c) Martin Ouedjans (Accession #2012-02-017)

Picture
Wilbert G. Sloman, schoolteacher of Beechvale and Crosshill schools, one of the small number of Black residents of Wellesley Township, seen here in his WWI uniform. Photo courtesy of Edgar Hammond.