Did You Know? Union School #9 and Goulburn #16

With Files from Country Tales by Stittsville Women’s Institute- thanks to Ed and Shirley (Catherine) Simpson

Before 1860 a number of families had settled on farms where Beckwith and Ramsay Townships in Lanark County meet Goulburn and Huntley Townships in Carleton County.

Because of all the swamps and other conditions it became a close knit community. At a central on Lot 3 of Concession 12 in Goulburn on a map of 1863 was a schoolhouse- Union School No. 9 Huntley and No. 16 Goulburn. The children came here from all four townships and one of the former Union School’s pupil whose name was Cecil Scarfe said their family had one of the longest walks of anyone going to that school. It was a frame building and 30- to 35 names on the roll. Some of the other names were: Kelly from Huntley and McArton from Ransay and from Beckwith was Aiken and Fumerton. When Christena Aiken taught in her home school in 1920 she barely had 10 pupils. They replace the log building with the frame school in 1898.

Things changes as the years progressed the children decreased with declining population. In June 1938 they closed the school and children were driven to S.S. 9 the stone school at Dwyer Hill on the corner of Highway 15 and the School Fair Banner for Union School #9 was rolled up and put away for the last time.