Although there was always an abundance of wonderful and influential teachers in the village over the years, we at Vintage Westport like to focus on the long-ago.  Even though we have a huge supply of old class photos, the teachers weren’t always identified in them, and so they are destined to go nameless in pictures from the latter part of the 1800s and early 1900s.

Miss Mary Stinson ~ 1881 to 1978

 

We do, however, have some identified photos of a few of our local educators at the Westport Public School.  Meet Miss Mary Stinson.

This photo was taken around the time of Mary’s graduation from the Ottawa Normal School in 1902, and she would later teach in Westport for about five years.

She left Westport and headed west, a very common occurrence back in the early 1900s, especially for those with breathing difficulties, as the fresh air of the mountains was supposed to do wonders for one’s health.

Mary would meet her husband in Alberta and the two of them would eventually move even further west to British Columbia.

Upon her departure from Westport, her pupils gave her a letter stating, “our best wishes for your health and success shall always follow you in the great pathway of life”.

 

 Miss A. Lola Bullard, Elocutionist

 

Next up is Miss Lola Bullard, shown here in 1909.

From the pages of the 1911 census, Lola is listed as single, born in 1888, living with her father, Burton, Aunt Emma, 12-year-old brother Josiah, and her grandparents Levina and Josiah in Leeds, Ontario.

Miss Bullard taught classes in Westport, Newboro, Delta, and Athens and was from Plum Hollow.

A locally well-known elocutionist, Miss Lola taught the art of proper pronunciation to her pupils and was adept at giving speeches.

Lastly we have Dora Beatrice McFarlane, Junior Room teacher at the public school in 1927, and in later years at Halliday’s School, S.S.#5, North Crosby.

 

 

 1927 Westport School Fair

 

Born in Prescott in 1900, Miss McFarlane would marry Wilfred Rice of Westport in July of 1927.  Interestingly, and in a shameless plug for the museum, next summer we will have Mrs. Rice’s wedding dress on display in our collection

Mrs. Rice can be seen in the back row of the above photo wearing the hat.