In 1910, the junction of Langley Trunk Road and Townline Roads (Glover/216) was named Milner Station, when the BC Electric Interurban was constructed through the area. It was named after Lord Alfred Milner, an English notable whose life William John Mufford had been reading about. He suggested the name, and it was chosen over the name, Berry's Station, in a hard-fought vote among the citizens of the day. Located in the centre of the former Hudson's Bay Farm, Milner had a general store, the Bank of Hamilton, a church, a few houses, and Moir's Blacksmith Shop.
Since the Langley Prairie School on Townline Road was closer to Milner than to Langley Prairie, the school board renamed the school Milner School. The school was moved north to Milner and set up on the east side of Townline Road, next to Moir's Blacksmith Shop. Here it served for a couple of years until a new Milner School was opened in 1913.
Miss Jennie Estey was the first teacher at the Milner School, and later (as Mrs. Jennie Medd) taught at Langley High School. One day, the bigger boys in her class (grades 1-8) decided to get a holiday for themselves. They filled the chimney with bricks or stones, thus producing a very smoky fire. Miss Estey delegated the big boys to clean out the stove and pipes, and sent the smaller children home. So much for their planned holiday!
In 1914, a new plastered school with two rooms, large windows, and a basement was built by Mr. Owen Hughes on Glover Road on land purchased from J. H. Mufford. A third room was added later. In 1957 the building was renovated with lowered ceilings, new windows, tiled floors, and tables and chairs in place of the well-scarred desks of the early days. Further renovations were made in 1968, with the completion of a modern building behind the original two-storey building on Glover.
Several well-known teachers in Langley taught at Milner: Mrs. G. Rawlison, Mrs. J. Jamieson, Mrs. B. Finlayson, Miss Alice Brown, Miss Olsen, Mr. P. Staniworth, and Mr. R. Mountain (who also went to school in Milner and became principal of Langley High School).
In 1922, Langley High School moved from Murrayville to Milner School where it remained until Langley High School on Yale Road was constructed in 1924.
The Hutchison family, who lived on Medd Road (64), brought along a hammer to school each day to knock down the field fence off 216 until the School Board made the present lane which leads to the school from Johnson-Townline (216).
One time some pupils persuaded one of the young cows fresh out to spring pasture to enter the school and climb the stairs to the main hallway. Pupils thought it was hilarious, but the teachers were not amused when the cow dumped all over the floor. The cow had to be rolled down the stairs to get her out.
When there was no longer a need for a school in the Milner area, the buildings became the Milner Education Centre, which included rooms for audio-visual, a boardroom for the School Board, a main office, media production and instruction services, a science room, computer lab, and two meeting rooms. Many teachers worked at Milner over the years, providing professional development courses and services to all the schools of Langley. In 2001, many of these services were transferred to the School Board building's third floor. In 2004 the Milner Education Centre is being offered for sale.
The following is an update on Milner
THE END OF AN ERA!
by Annette O'Connor
Milner Education Center will be closing its doors for good on December 17th. Here are some interesting anecdotes from the book “Legend of Langley” that was published in 1958, as well as recollections from Jean Gregson, whose father Bill Blair attended Milner in 1919.
About 1914, a fine new plastered school, with two rooms, large windows, and basements, was built by Mr. Owen Hughes on Glover road, on land purchased from J. H. Mufford. A procession of pupils left the small dingy “little red schoolhouse” behind and took possession of their fine new building, which has served the community of Milner ever since.
The school was called Milner after the small community of Milner, which was a thriving little community in the early 1900s. Milner was named after Viscount Milner, a British colonial administrator and was a station on the BC Electric Railway Co. Interurban line.
Long-time residents remember the planting of the trees and lawn, which now give the school one of the most attractive grounds in the district. They recall that at one time the children had individual garden plots at the back of the yard, and that one year the pupils danced in the basements to the music of comb and tissue paper.
And the story of the cow that came to school still is told with laughter. It seems some of the pupils persuaded one of the young cows fresh out to spring pasture to enter the halls of learning and climb the stairs to the main hallway. Pupils were hilarious, the teacher irate, and the cow-well, spring grass and mortal terror were too much for her! She had to be rolled down the stairs to get her out; fortunately, without broken bones, but the school wasn’t the same for days!
The Milner staff encourages you to visit them at their new sites. The professional development staff and services will be moving to the 3rd floor of the School Board office. Three meeting rooms will be available. The audio-visual staff and services will be moving to Langley Secondary.