County Line School -  Frank Croquet, Mary Simard (nee Gjertsen), Hazel Harrower (nee Harding) 

County Line School - Reminiscences of Frank Croquet 

Frank Croquet, who attended County Line School in 1918-1919, remembers that he and his friends walked the two miles from Kendall Road (62) with their school bags slung from their shoulders, carrying books and lunches. He remembers tasty sandwiches of homemade bread and wild blackberry jam. In the winter there was so much snow that the school was closed for three months. 

The principal of the school, Mr. Sangster, lived in Vancouver and came out on the BC Electric on Sunday night, boarded at a home on Coghlan Road during the week, and returned to the city on Friday night. One Monday morning, Mr. Sangster failed to show up as he had missed the Sunday night train. The students waited around until noon, ate their lunches, and went home. 

In 1919, a massive fire at the Beaver River mill meant that Beaver River became a ghost town, and the Croquet family were forced to move to Lombard. Because there was no connecting road, the children moved to Bradner School. 


County Line - Reminiscences Mary Simard (nee Gjertsen) 

Mary Simard remembers that after the fire of 1931 burnt down the school (except for the chimney), the grade 8 students continued their education at the Presbyterian Church and later were bussed to Langley High School for a monthly fee of three dollars. 

Water that was brought from the little creek just west of the school for drinking was not polluted in those days, but the families were concerned about all the students drinking from the same dipper. Tuberculosis was rampant at the time, and even spitting on the school grounds brought on serious punishment. 

School-wide annual medical examinations were conducted by Dr. McBurney. Students were called up one at a time for a quick check-up of ear, nose, and throat. Notes were sent home to parents if a problem was detected. However, with no Medicare and money being scarce, it is doubtful if many students could afford medical help. 

In the mid-1930s, manual training for boys and home economics for girls were taught in the closed-in basement of the school. As there was no electricity, the boys had hand tools only, and the girls used treadle sewing machines. 


County Line School, by Hazel Harrower (nee Harding) 

Hazel Harding was appointed to her first teaching job at County Line in 1940. She remembers the hectograph, which was a mimeographing device that used a slab of gelatine.  She mixed gelatine powder with water and poured it into a wooden rectangular frame. A special purple pencil was used to make the original copy of printing or drawing. The first paper lifted from the pad was hopefully very clear, but the purple printing gradually faded into the jelly until the copies were useless. 

Back to top 1


Navigation Links for History of Langley Schools Section

Click on the following

or

Return to LRTA Web Site’s Home Page



1234