History
The one room school at Nestor Falls was built in the fall of 1944. It was known as the Nestor Falls Public School. The first Board of Trustees included Charlie Helliar, Rex Tolton and Rudy Eklund. Alfred DeSilna was secretary-treasurer, assessor and tax collector. Mrs. Ellen Hanson was the first teacher, and R.S. McBurney was the school inspector. The school was built by Ed Sletmoen, Rex Tolton, Charlie Helliar and Rudy Eklund at the cost of approximately $2500. It was heated by a wood stove and had no modern bathroom facilities.
The first year there was no school bus. The first bus contract was given to Ben Halverson. Later the basement was put in and a furnace installed. This was done by Niskala of Fort Frances.
The school served as a community building. Programs, dances and movies were shown there. The money raised by these events was used for various projects, one being to build a small teacherage.
With the increase in population, it soon became necessary to build another room. At this time, three more school sections were formed: One Sided Lake, Crow Lake and Mando. In turn, they amalgamated with Nestor Falls to form Nestor Falls Township Area.
Another room was built, plus an office and bathrooms. The basement was enlarged and served as an auditorium. Ed Sletmoen was the carpenter. As the room was not finished in the beginning of September that school year, the teacherage served as a classroom.
The children from Crow Lake Reservation attended school there for one year until the school was built on the reservation.
In the early years, the teacher's salary was $150 per month. In 1944, Fred Wensley received fifty cents per day for janitor work plus $2.00 for scrubbing. In 1945, Lawrence Cottam received $15.00 per month for the sweeping, scrubbing and bringing in the drinking water and wood for that day. Fred supplied the fire wood for $5.00 a cord. Norval Brusven cleared the playgrounds in 1946. He received sixty cents per hour for one hundred and seventy six hours.
A new, three bedroom house was built by the school board to replace the one room teacherage. In 1967, all the small schools in the area came under the jurisdiction of one big board, the Fort Frances Rainy River Board of Education consisting of fourteen members.
Some of the teachers over the years were: Ellen Hanson, Pauline Paget, Edna Johnson, Gladys MacMillam, Sam Rasmussen, Elsie McMillan, Ray Husband, Maxine Clement, Hazel Paulson, Jay Howson, Dorothy Beninger, Mrs. Vanderwater, Jean Jack, Bob Fisher, Neil Booren, Mrs. Savage, Gail Croxford, Vi Siblock, Bob Fleming, Carolyn Halverson, Fred Wensley, Nioma Holden, Mr. Tyrell, Mrs. Crawford, Jerry O'Leary, Cecile Cole, Bob Derkson, Adriana Schulz, Dan Bleinkinsop and Phyllis Lyseng.
Over the years, our students have gone on many trips and have participated in music festivals, baseball tournaments, track and field as well as carrying on with their much enjoyed Christmas Concerts. We have earned baseball trophies, music festival trophies and individual awards for the hard work and effort put forth by our teachers and students.
Our enrolment has gone down quite a bit from what it was when the school was new. In the 1950s the enrolment was up to fifty students, now it hovers around twenty or so.
In 1982-83, the school was renovated and the United Church housed the students for the winter. The senior room was upstairs in the church and the junior room students took up residence in the basement. In the spring of 1983 the students and teachers moved back into a fully modern school building. We know it is the same building, but somehow it doesn't have that familiar old feeling anymore.
Ben Halverson, Rex Tolton, Doug Beaushene, Bill McReady and Fred Kropelin have transported the students to our school over the years. We have also had many occasional drivers: Jerry O'Leary, Mary O'Connor, Carol Petri, Stan Cottam, Janice Ross and Elaine Altbauer to name a few.
The majority of students who have graduated from Nestor Falls School have gone on to bigger and better things. Many of them own businesses right here in Nestor Falls and their children have gone to the Nestor Falls School as well.
We are all very proud of our ‘little two room school.' It is the only one of its kind left in the district which makes it unique.
-The following covers the school's history up to the 1980's... As written by Sharon Kropelin (Taken from The Nestor Falls History Book)