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w“- nâ€"-.._...A.‘._ .9_.. A omâ€"uw FOCUS ON THE CLASS OF '97 Glen A. Sweet Plumbing & Heating, Limited Box 100, Delta, Ontario KOE-IGO (613) 928-2655 PLUMBING E» HEATING SYSTEMS SUPPLIED 8 INSTALLED IN NEW 0R EXISTING HOMES NORTH LEEDS LANTERN The octagonal schoolhouse known as " The Pimple " has previously appeared as a drawing on the cover of The Lantern The School was built on a hill in the Village of Morton prior to 1854. The walls were erected by George Morton with bricks manufactured at his brickyard in the village. At a time when most one room schools were rectangular log or frame structures, The Pimple was unusual in several respects. It was built with windows in six sides to maximize the available light, the other two sides being necessary for the entrance and a blackboard. The brick structure was probably much more comfortable than many of its contemporaries. It remains as one of only a small number of polygonal buildings in the province. The passing of The School Act in 1846 resulted in the erection of many rural schools however government funding was minimal and a school relied on assorted local taxes and the generosity of its patrons for many of the goods and services we would consider essential to its operation. The students of The Pimple were probably more fortunate than many in that regard. During the years The Pimple was in use, Morton was a prosperous community which included a church, a millwright, a shoemaker, a butter dealer, a cooper , a carriagemaker, a blacksmith, a machinist, three mills, a cheese factory and numerous merchants and dairy farmers. FRONT ROW:Aldred Somerville, Gerald Somerville, Florence Wiltse Hazel Wiltse, Mabel Henderson, Annabelle Dawson, Bertha Hartwell Vernon coon, Nelly Foley, Mary Stewart, Geraldine Hartwell, Anna, Taber, David Somerville, Bert Taber, Charlie Stewart, Clark Henderson, Guy Sliter. MIDDLE ROW: Almond Cheetham, Clint Dawson, Jim Taber, Clare Somerville. BACK ROW:Jennie Somerville, Etta Johnson, Miss McLean ( Teacher ) Mary Sliter, Viola Wills, May Simpson, Jehoida Wills, George Roantree, Ephraim Virtue, Charles Taber, Vincent Kenney, Robert Somerville. This photo was probably taken in 1897 or shortly thereafter. There is some reason to believe that a number of former students may have returned for this photo. The group pictured would cerâ€" tainly have made for a full house however the school served the village during its heyday and the population of Morton exceeded 250 during those years. The Pimple had been in use for almost fifty years when this photo was taken and was soon replaced by a larger school. Many of the family names remain familiar but others have disappeared from the area. This group of well dressed students posed in front of a unique brick building belies many of the accounts we hear of life in a one room rural school at the turn of the century. 1 cannot help but think that the students of The Pimple were a privileged group in more ways than one. D.LAWSON BUILDING SERVICES RR. 3 ELGIN, ONTAFIIO KOG IEO 0 BUILDING - RENOVATIONS o PROPERTY REPAIRS - t CUSTOM KITCHENS and 0 BATHROOMS I O Q I O O O '0 O O O . 0R nruovmou PROJECTS. 9 SSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.'9’... _ L291 (613) 359'5966 I. CALL US TOR TREE ESTIMATES AND DESIGNS ON ALL YOUR BUILDING Coco.coo-000.600.000.000. 3