A wooded, out-of-the-way parcel of land north of Hwy. 12 in northeastern Clearwater County is now marked by a sign commemorating the former site of Leafland School.
The marker is one of several recently installed by the Rocky Agricultural Society and Clearwater County. The one-room country school served local students from 1915 to 1955.
“In 1925, it had 28 students,” said longtime area resident Bob Menzies, noting that was an unusually large student population for a rural school at the time.
Menzies said the school’s relatively remote location may have contributed to the higher enrolment, with the nearest schools located miles away in Blueberry Valley, Wood Lake and Gimlet.
Menzies’ mother attended Leafland School and said her childhood home once served as a boarding house for the teacher.
Like many country schools of the era, students often travelled long distances to attend classes — by horseback, cutter or on foot.
Menzies said he is unsure what became of the original school building, noting many such structures were later repurposed or lost over time.
Bob Menzies recalls some of his own experiences attending a country school, many of which were shared by Leafland students.
Bob Menzies speaking to the large area the school served
Leafland historic school marker as seen April 2026. (Randy Rein)
Randy Rein, whose father Albert attended the school in the 1920s with his sisters Vienna and Sylvia, recalls stories passed down about life at Leafland.
Although he could not recall the teacher’s name, Rein said she must have been effective, as his father developed strong skills in math, reading and writing despite only completing Grade 6.
Students often walked more than a mile each way to school, sometimes in extreme heat or cold. In the summer, many went barefoot, with girls wearing dresses and boys in bib overalls.
One favourite story involved Albert bringing a garter snake to school. He had kept it in his pocket during the walk and later placed it under the teacher’s bell on her desk.
When the teacher lifted the bell to call the class, the snake slithered out, startling her and amusing the students.
Both Rein and Menzies said many more memories from Leafland’s four decades of operation may now be lost to history.
A 1921 class photo from Leafland School is displayed at the Shadynook School building at the Leslieville Antique Grounds. About 25 students are pictured, an unusually large enrolment for a rural school at the time. Albert Rein is in the front row, second from left. (Randy Rein)
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