As our young children go back to school in the coming weeks, I think to myself what school life was like for young Mississaugans in the late 19th century. Did they also have those first day jitters? What hopes and dreams did they have? And what impact did those young minds have on our city? Two photos of children from S.S. (School Section) #17, also known as Eden Public School, from 1896 and 1899 respectfully have always stuck out in my mind. The mischievous smirks and innocent eyes, the children holding flowers and sports equipment, the peak into the schoolroom from the windows, all tell a story. But what is their story?

Eden School was originally constructed as a small log building in 1823 on Lot 11 Concession 5 WHS, Toronto Township (historic Mississauga). It served as a prayer hall for the Methodists who had settled west of Meadowvale in 1819. It was sometimes called Switzer's Schoolhouse because it doubled as a schoolhouse during the week and was on the property of John Switzer. It serviced what is now the communities of Meadowvale and Lisgar.

In 1835 this chapel-school was replaced by a building of hewn logs. The Streetsville Temperance Society met in this building and the Reverend James Magrath of Springfield held services here too. When Toronto Township was divided into school sections in 1843, this building was moved to the property of Mr. Warnock and school trustees made plans for a more permanent school. In 1847, James Switzer asked the Toronto Township Council for permission to enlarge the school's property. At some time during these years, a 30 x 26 foot red-brick schoolhouse was built.

The name “Eden” came from the name given to the nearby Methodist Church in 1868. The final one-room red-brick school was built in 1887, approximately 100 yards west of the old school and further from the road. It was located on what today would be the corner of Argentia and Derry roads. As a rural school section, the School Board consisted of three trustees elected by the male ratepayers of the section. One trustee was elected at every annual meeting held late in December for a term of three years. The school operated as a one-room ungraded rural school until it was closed in 1960.

The school was not only a place to learn but a community hub. During the First World War, students participated in the war effort by organizing events such as a concert whose proceeds were used to knit socks for soldiers. In the 1920s, the school underwent improvements, including the installation of a well and an organ. By the 1930s, repairs slowed due to the financial strain of the Great Depression, though hydro was finally connected in 1937, just in time for the annual Christmas concert.

During the Second World War, the school faced challenges such as steel shortages and staffing issues, which were addressed through community work gatherings. Despite these hardships, students from School Section #17 achieved notable successes in sports and music competitions during and after the war. The 1950s brought pressure to consolidate smaller school sections, but School Section #17 resisted closure proposals due to recent renovations. Ultimately, declining enrollment led to the school's closure in 1960, and it was demolished in 1993.

But what of our young students in the 1890s? What was their school life like? Pupils sat in double desks facing two blackboards on either side of the room. Their school room was heated by a heavy box stove placed in the centre of the room, which would have given the room a distinctive smell. The roster of pupils was very large at this time, but it was rare that all pupils would be present at any one time. For students, life on the family farm was paramount to survival. Older pupils tended to come in the winter months when they were not needed for farm work and younger ones tended to come in the warmer months. As each farm tended to be quite far apart and no school buses available, most students walked far distances to school each day. Typically, students learned reading, writing and arithmetic as a baseline, but other subjects might also include geography and history, among others.

The teachers who taught these children are each pictured with rather stern looks. While teaching was a temporary gig before women were married, it was also one of the only respectable professions for women in this era. Teachers were typically paid a salary of $250 annually by 1885. It might not sound like a lot, but it gave women an independent salary outside of any men in her life before societal pressures and household duties within the marital home forced most women to settle into the routine of a homemaker.

The teacher pictured in the 1896 school picture was Miss Amelia "Amy" Bull who lived in Chinguacousy (Brampton). The Bull name is perhaps the most recognizable in the historic record as she was the younger sister of noted Peel historian William Perkins Bull who, during the 1930s, interviewed and recorded information on nearly all the residents of Peel. Memoirs from the time recall that in mid-January 1896, the school at Harris Corners was in "full blast," and "Miss Bull again wielded the rod." In December 1896, the newspaper praised the trustees for giving Miss Bull a very high recommendation, noting that she fully deserved it. On June 22, 1898, she married Wellington Fletcher Justin, retired from teaching, and moved to Trafalgar Township, Halton. Her replacement was Miss Harriet Montgomery (pictured in the 1899 photo) who lived and farmed on the east half of Lot 1, Concession 5 WHS (West of Hurontario Street), just south of Streetsville. She taught at Eden School from 1898 to 1900. Although it is unclear where she taught after this period, it appears that she continued her teaching career until her untimely death on May 11, 1903, at the age of 28, following a 12-hour diabetic coma.

But who were these hardy farming children taught by Ms. Bull and Ms. Montgomery? What were their names? These photographs represent a cross-section of some of the most well-known and respected farming families in northwestern Mississauga. Many of the pupils came from Methodist farming families along Concession 5, roughly along what is now Winston Churchill Boulevard. Students would likely have been the grandchildren of early settlers who founded many of the early hamlet communities in historic Mississauga. For example, the Arnott children were from Whaley’s Corners; the Cantelons, Eakins, and Rutledges all lived in and around Streetsville; the Leslies and Burtons were from Harris’ Corners; and the Hamiltons and Switzers were from Switzer’s Corners (Lisgar). The Leslie family is credited with building Leslie Log House (now home to the Streetsville Historical Society), which pupil Wilbert Leslie later purchased in 1924, while pupil Edgar Switzer was one of many Switzer children who attended Eden School on the property originally owned by his own grandfather, John Switzer.

Many of the students also went on to serve their communities in various capacities. For example, pupil John Eakins fought in the First World War, while his sister Myrtle was a local librarian. Pupil George Rutledge served as a postmaster in Cooksville, while students Thomas Leslie and William Switzer both became census enumerators. Others found love, such as student Garnet Hamilton, who married fellow classmate Mary Helena Cook. Unfortunately, there are other stories of loss within the community such as that of pupil Samuel Tisdale who was orphaned at a young age and was, at the time of the class photo, being cared for by his mother’s family, the Burtons who are also photographed. Young Dora Hamilton died at the age of 10 not long after she was photographed, while fellow classmate Mary McLean died at age 17 from "La Grippe" or Influenza.

For the students of School Section #17, Eden Public School was a place to not only learn but also make lasting connections within their communities. And while the lives of these students over 100 years ago may seem distant to us now, these pupils had dreams and aspirations just like our young children today. 100 years from now, we will likely be talking about the amazing advances and influences they made to Mississauga. To all our kids out there- have fun and remember this is your time to shine!

For more information on Eden Public School, please visit Heritage Mississauga’s online collection to learn more and read about the lives of each student here.