EARLY TRAIL SCHOOLS

EARLY TRAIL SCHOOLS

The first school in the community of Trail Creek was established in 1897 in the Hanna Block on Bay Avenue. Forty pupils attended with a staff consisting of Principal Donald Dewar and teacher Mabel Bunting. This location soon proved to be too small for the growing town and in 1901 the community built a new school on Green Avenue on a bench above the town site with 115 pupils in attendance. A third teacher, Bessie Fraser was added to the staff. This school was replaced by Central School in 1912.

A historical black and white photograph of a school located on Green Avenue, situated on a bench above the townsite in Trail, British Columbia. The school, likely taken in the early 20th century, features a group of students and teachers posing for the photo outside the school building. The children are arrayed in several rows, with some sitting on the ground, others kneeling, and the rest standing. The teachers stand at the right end of the group. The students are dressed in various styles of the time, with many of the boys in knickers and shirts and the girls in dresses. The school building in the background is a simple wooden structure with visible windows, a shingled roof, and a bell tower, indicating its function as a place of learning. The surrounding area appears to be rural, with a fence running alongside and trees dotting the landscape behind. The image captures a sense of community and the educational setting of that era.

School on Green Avenue on a bench above the town site