Monday, December 18, 2017

Craig: What's in a Name?

While taking a road never before traveled, I spotted a church spire off in the distance. I found the closest road and headed towards it. Down that road I happened to pass a community hall. As you, my smart readers probably know, many old community halls were once one room schoolhouses. This one was no exception.

I had found former Craig School SD#1793. Named after the Craig Post Office, established in 1905 and closed in 1912. Which begs the question, how did Craig Post Office get its name? Well the story goes that at the meeting where making a post office application was discussed, local homesteader Mert Craig was late and could be seen through the window riding up on horseback. The name Craig was suggested and agreed upon. Seems like a right place at the right time situation. Isn't that kinda how Mrs. Doubtfire got her name?




The first school was opened in 1909. In 1947 a new school was built and the old one moved away to be used as a teacherage. In 1958 the school became the Craig Community Club. The Community Creed as written by Inga Miller is as follows, 'God help us to be good neighbours, always ready to lend a hand, whenever a friend might need us, let us do whatever we can. Teach us to understand each other, overcome misunderstandings that appear, because it takes all kinds to make a world, and God help us, we're all here. So let us learn a little and serve a little and at the same time have a little fun, so we can go home from our meetings feeling a job has been well done.'  Well said Inga, words to abide by still.

Spotted near the Community Hall.
As for the church spire I spied in the distance...it was a church I had seen before but had come from the other direction. It has been added onto since it was originally built. I didn't realize that at the time. Here is an old and a more recent photo for comparison.

Craig Lutheran. Built in 1941, image from Grub-Axe to Grain

Google image of the church now.

Since I had seen this church before, I didn't take another photo. Then, as luck would have it, I couldn't find my photo of it. An internet photo will have to do until I am over that way again.

As always, if anyone has anymore info on the Craig District of Alberta, I would love to hear from you.

References: Grub-Axe to Grain; Pioneering With a Piece of Chalk

16 comments:

  1. Well done Inga Miller. Words to live by indeed!

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    1. Thanks Marie, I though it was a great sentiment!

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  2. Replies
    1. Thanks Gorges, schoolhouses are my favourite thing to find!

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  3. Great post, Jenn! I always like when the playground equipment remains at an old school...seems more real somehow.

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    1. Thanks Michael, I agree! Also a little sad. I have come across some really old playground equipment.

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  4. It's interesting the Craig SD started in 1909. I've been making a personal list of the various AB school districts as a fun side project. Craig SD 1793 slots in on my list between Weedon (1780) and Muirhead (2032), both of which didn't get schools until 1910.

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    1. Hi Dan! Yeah in all the schools I have found and researched, dates vary quite a bit. I guess it all depended on when the local homesteaders approved the school and paid their taxes.

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    1. Thanks Adam, nice to see it added onto instead of destroyed.

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  6. Man, that old swing set looks like the one we had as kids!

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  7. I love how they founded the town's name! LOL at the Mrs. Doubtfire reference! Lovely photos! :)

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    1. Thanks Rain! I have come across a couple schools that have been named in unusual ways!

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  8. Inga's words are still ring true 50+ years later. They don't make swing sets like that anyone more, they would never last. I always find the background stories very interesting. It's link stepping in to a time machine when you explore something old and left behind, take some photos and then go research it. So much fun and enjoyment, don't you agree.

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    1. Hi Bill! I totally agree, I love the research part of doing this. Thanks for reading!

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