Heritage Day uncovers artifacts from a local resident
Monday February 25, 2008 -- Camille Jensen
When Almonte Country Haven resident Jean Sutton’s geography text turned up at a recent heritage event, she could explain its pristine condition.

“I didn’t like geography,” says Sutton, 92, with a laugh.

Her textbook, along with artwork by her brother, formed part of a presentation about one-room schoolhouses put on by the Lanark Genealogy Society.

Speaking at the Ottawa-area long-term care home for Heritage Day, a presenter from the society talked to residents about the history of one-room schoolhouses.

The society is collecting information for a potential book chronicling schoolhouses in the Lanark area. 

Activity aide Marg Dickinson says the event brought back a lot of memories for residents, many of whom attended one-room schoolhouses in the area.

“(Residents) were talking about the different teachers they had,” says Dickinson.

The event held special significance for Sutton, whose niece conducted the presentation.  She had found Sutton’s books and other artifacts amongst their family’s belongings. 

The presentation included a photograph with Sutton and her classmates from 1924.

Sutton says she enjoyed the presentation, adding that it brought back memories of “all the fun at recess.”

She remembers other residents at Almonte from her school days but says they went to schools in nearby districts.

The Lanark Genealogy Society also brought in a “Rules of Conduct for Teachers” from 1915. 

Teachers, usually young women, were instructed, “not to loiter downtown in any ice cream stores” and were not allowed “to ride in a carriage or automobile with any man unless he is your father or brother.”

Dickinson says she was pleased with the events and says the home always tries to bring in different speakers for Heritage Day.

Speakers in the past have talked about topics ranging from quilt and basket weaving to blacksmiths.