May 24, 2005:

Thanks to Debbie Prince for the following material:

Hello all,
I believe the following excerpts of articles will answer a few questions, including 
the fact that "Mulligan's Schoolhouse" appears to have derived its name by the 
donation of land for same by Thomas Mulligan.  See copies of articles below.
(I am a direct descendant of Thomas Mulligan outlined :
"Thomas Mulligan was born in 1771 in Castleterra, County Cavan, Ireland.  He married 
Dorothy Leathem who was born in 1763 in the Townland of Tumroght, Town of Cavan, 
County Cavan. Thomas and Dorothy attended the Church of Ireland (Anglican) in 
the parish of Castleterra at Ballyhaise.
In 1821 they emigrated to Canada; the family then consisted of parents 
Thomas and Dorothy, and children John 20 years, Phoebe 15 years, Eliza 15 years, 
Sarah 14 years, Thomas 12 years, James 8 years, and Nathaniel 5 years.  
They first settled at Eardley, Quebec and then in 1825 acquired a land grant on 
the Carp Road. Thomas and family settled on 100 acres and the oldest son, John, 
took over the adjoining 100 acres on the north east half of lot 6, con. 2, 
Huntley Township. (See Pioneer Families and Early Settlers of Huntley Township, 
Volume 3)  Dorothy died in 1855; there is no information on when Thomas died." 
(pg. 3, Pioneer Families and Early Settlers of Huntley Township, Volume 4.)
 
From "Beginnings - A Brief History of Huntley Township 1819-1930 - Huntley Township 
Historical Society" - page 74:
 
"S.S. #1
School Section No. 1 was a double section, containing 8400 acres, and extending 
from the town line of March to the seventh line of Huntley and from the town line 
of Goulbourn to the seventh lot.  In 1820, lot 6, concession 2 was obtained by 
Thomas Mulligan, and it was a half acre of land on the west end of this lot, that 
was given to the school section, and where, in later years, "Mulligan's School" 
was built.
The first school was a scoop-roofed shanty with few benches and no blackboard.  
The second school showed a major improvement over the first in that it was a 
four-sided cottage-roofed log building.  But it was far from perfect - the chinks 
were poor and snow drifted into the loft; there was a long bench along either side, 
with twelve foot benches for seats.  The boys sat on the left, the girls on the 
right.  The boys would punch out the knots to spit through the holes.  The teacher's 
desk sat at the front of the room, the stove near the back, while the small 
children crowded in a circle in the centre.  While there was a large attendance 
in the winter, those attending diminished in numbers in the summertime, when they 
were expected to help with the great amount of work which had to be done around 
their parents' farms.  The school offered the three basics - reading, writing 
and arithmetic, and in some years, the school was completely filled and crowded 
to the doors.
 
The third school, built after the fire, was another log structure with a 
pitched-roof.  Although it was larger, the equipment after the disaster was poor.  
There was a fifth class for the older pupils where all the subjects were taught including alegebra, geometry, and trigonometry.  The fourth school, built of stone in 1883, had plastered walls and ceiling, and in 1890 was refinished in oiled boards.  The first bell which had been purchased, was cracked and a new one bought.  Internal improvements were obtained gradually -in 1903 double desks replaced the previous old seats with sloped tops, the slit at the front for the slate, and no ink wells.  Hardwood floors were laid the same year.  Up to 1910 painted boards served as blackboards; after that tyear, painted beaver-board was used, untill 1925 when a new sterling composition blackboard was purchased.  In 1905, under Inspector R.H. Cowley, the library was started.  In 1917 a clock was installed, and in 1929 an organ added.  External improvements included a board fence (1896) and later a wire fence (1909), an iron pump, new flag, tin roof (1927) and window-boxes.  In 1933 the school yard was extended to the Third Line, when Mr. Nat Mulligan began renting a strip of land to the school at $1 a year.  Other activities, besides the learning of the basic subjects taught, included school concerts at the end or middle of the term, school fairs, and agriculture and art as part of the course of study.  Some of the first teachers were Mr. Johnston (the first), Lewis Conley (1862), Enoch Bradley (1864), Mr. Munroe (when cross, boys brought him a bottle of whiskey), Mr. Foster, and John Clark."
From the Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Carleton, 1879, H. Belden & Co.:
Under Huntley:
"The first school in the Township was taught by a Miss Mills, in a log shanty 
built for the purpose, on Lot 19, Conc. 4.   This continued to be used for many 
years, but has been long since replaced by a building more in keeping with the 
changed circumstances of the settlers and settlement."
 
Page 447, Carleton Saga, Walker
"Schools
Mitchell's Carleton Directory for 1863 contains the superintendent's report on the Huntley 
Public schools.  He reported on eight school sections all with log schools as follows:
Section No. 1, John S. Clarke, teacher
Section No. 2, Adam Robinson, teacher
Section No. 3, Annie C. McCallum, teacher
Section No. 4, James Armstrong, teacher
Section No. 5, Thomas Brown, teacher
Section No. 6, Elizabeth Kitts, teacher
Section No. 7, Catharine Murphy, teacher
Section No. 8, Ralph Slattery, teacher
 
The writer will not attempt to indicate which was the first school.  But one 
that is held even today in nostalgic recollection by the dwindling number of its 
former pupils was the "Red School" that used to be on the Fifth Concession of 
the forced road.  This school was about three miles out of Carp toward Kinburn 
on what was then called the "Indian Road".  The teacher most recalled in happy 
memory was Miss Vera Moorhead now the wife of Hon. Irwin Haskett, Ontario Minister 
of Transport.  One of her "star" pupils was Erskine Johnston, Carleton's Member 
in the Ontario Legislature.
 
About three years ago the school sections of the township disappeared under the 
new organization of the Huntley Township School Area.  Under this system all the 
340 public school pupils in the township are transported by bus to the modern 
Carp Centennnial School under the principalship of Devid Lemke..."
 
Huntley in Black and White - Huntley Township Historical Society, page 57 - 
contains a photo with the following label:
"Carp's Second School
Built in 1872 on Rivington Street, this structure served until 1905, when a 
new school was built on Church Street.  This building was remodelled into 
two houses which still stand."
 
Page 58
Photo with label:
"Hodgins's School
A photograph from the late 1800s.  Hodgins's school on the 6th Line, where 
the St. John's Anglican Church congregation held their first services.  
This building burned and a second school was erected on the same spot."
 
*****
Page 59:
"S.S. No. 1 Huntley
At the corner of the Carp Road and Richardson's Side Road.  Its latest incarnation 
is in the form of the Cheshire Cat pub.  One-room schools disappeared with the 
formation of the township school areas, culminating in the construction of 
large central schools, like Huntley Centennial Public School in Carp."

... Debbie Prince

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