Jessie
Margaret Henderson: Pioneer
Teacher of Spirit River
your browser does not support javascript! By Betty
Dahlie
The Spirit River Signal in March, 1951, carried a story about
the services of one of Spirit River's longest serving teachers. A
plaque on a new two-room wing of the Spirit River School stated:
"Dedicated in Honour of Margaret Henderson—For her many years of
service as a school teacher—1919-1947." The plaque was unveiled by
J. K. Fildes, chairman of the Spirit River School Board, in a
ceremony attended by one of the largest crowds ever in Spirit River.
Dr. E.J.M. Church of the Alberta Department of Education read an
inspector's report, filed February 27, 1945 which described Miss
Henderson as follows:
By carrying on during the dark days of the Depression in the
thirties she made a great contribution to the community. Her work
in the classroom has always been of exceptionally high order. As
the years went by, her efficiency increased, rather than
diminished. It is an honour for me to pay highest tribute to a
teacher who has given her life unselfishly to the education and
advancement of the community.1
Jessie Margaret O. Henderson was born at Union Road, Lot 33, near
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, on July 4, 1881. She was the
eldest child of Dr. James Henderson and his wife Annie Gregor, and
was one of five daughters. One son, James Gregor, died at the age
of nine in 1903.
Jessie Margaret Henderson came from a well-educated and fairly
prominent family. Her grandfather, Kenneth Henderson, was a medical
doctor who was elected a member of the P.E.I Legislative Council in
1863, and served on the Executive Council until 1866. He was then
elected to the House of Assembly, holding this position for four
years, after which he retired from public life.2
Miss Henderson's father, James, also studied medicine and set up a
medical practice at Beach Hill, P.E.I., immediately after
graduating. In 1879 he married Annie Gregor, a school teacher from
Charlottetown. Except for four years in California, Dr. Henderson
practised in Beach Hill until his retirement.
With this family background, it is not surprising that Jessie
Margaret Henderson decided to pursue a career in education. She
received her basic education in Prince Edward Island, completing her
studies at the Prince of Wales College in Charlottetown. She then
taught for three years in Prince Edward Island before moving west to
Regina, North-West Territories. There she attended the Regina Normal
School in 1902-03, receiving her primary teaching certificate on
December 30, 1903. The Regina Normal Souvenir, published by the
students, gave her high praise: "Judging from the lessons Miss
Henderson has taught at Normal, the three years of teaching in P.E.I,
must have been very successful."3
Miss Henderson taught for a short time in what is now the province
of Saskatchewan, then moved to Alberta before it became a province.
For the next few years she taught in the Crowsnest Pass area, in
Canmore, and in Tofield, before going to Spirit River. She did not
like the Crowsnest Pass area (she hated the wind), but remembered
Mrs. Raskivitch as "being very good to me when I was in Bellevue."4
In Canmore, Miss Henderson shared a house with another teacher whom
she called "Crowe" and an office secretary named "Travers," both of
whom simply called her "Henderson." The three enjoyed living
together, often welcoming other people for dinner, going to skating
parties, and attending local dances. After a time each of them
wanted to explore other places, Crowe going to Vancouver area to
teach and later to Seattle; Travers finding a job as legal secretary
to a lawyer named Sandecock in Drumheller; and Henderson going to
Tofield for a couple of years.
Miss Henderson's adventuresome spirit next took her to the old
Spirit River Settlement, what used to be old Fort Dunvegan prior to
1900. The first train on the newly-built Edmonton, Dunvegan &
British Columbia Railway arrived on January 17, 1916, in what is now
the town of Spirit River. This is located two and a half miles north
of the Old Settlement and is on the banks of the Spirit River. It is
believed that she arrived at the Old Spirit River Settlement in
September of 1916 to teach the 1916-17 term in a one-room log
building on the Presbyterian & Methodist Mission Church Farm. At
this time the population of the Old Spirit River Settlement was
approximately one hundred, including whites and natives, some people
having already moved to the new Spirit River townsite to be nearer
the railway.