by Harold Burch

When we lived on the farm in Prince Township, our school was next door. It was in a one-room school house with all elementary grades from primary to senior fourth. Graduation gave you entry to High School in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

Our school was heated by a box stove, which was in the centre of the classroom. We used wood which was stored in the wood shed at the back of the school. When I was about nine years odd, one of the chores my fiend and I had to do was empty the ashes and bring in the wood from the wood shed when it was needed.

One night we were awakened by a lot of noise with someone calling for my father. The school was on fire! My mother, my twin sister, and I ran to the kitchen window. We could see flames coming out of our school house. Our first thought was, "Oh boy! There will be no school tomorrow!".

They were unable to save our school, but council got together to resolve the problem. They decided the fire started by hot ashes in the wood shed but there was no blame laid on anyone. They also decided to use the Church building next door as a temporary school. They were able to attach desks to the back of the pews, and in a short time we were going the school in the Church.

In time there was a new brick school built with all conveniences except electric lights, as power was not available. There was a basement with a furnace and indoor plumbing. Today the school is used as a Municipal Hall. The children go to the Base Line School, where a new addition was made. I still remember our little red School House. It has a lot of good memories.