The Basin Record Newsletter Vol.7 Issue 1

Published by the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History CBIRH Newsletter : Vol. 7 No.1 Miss Muriel Lillian Baxter was an outstanding public figure, serving as a teacher, principal, and ele- mentary school supervisor in Cran- brook for 41 years. Ms. Baxter was born on October 13th, 1902 in Saint Johns, N.B. to Isaac and Idel- la Baxter. They relocated to Cran- brook in 1903. She was the oldest of five children. She received her education, or “schooling”, in the early 1900’s at Cranbrook Central School. After High School she attended the Pro- vincial Normal School in Victoria, B.C., for teacher training in 1919. After teacher training she re- turned to the Cranbrook area to begin her teaching career. She taught for two years in Wycliffe, B.C. In 1922, she began teaching in Cranbrook, and continued here until her retirement in 1963. Dur- ing her time, most of which was spent at Cranbrook Central School, she was regarded as the specialist teacher of the “MacLean Method of Writing”. Miss Baxter filled many positions in the “Ladder of Learning”; first as a grade school teacher, then from 1928 to 1949, as Vice-Principal at Cranbrook Central School under Principal Miss Amy Woodland and Principal Mr. R.C. Lucas. In 1950, when the post-war population started to increase, Central School had to have a Supervising Principal of its own – Miss Muriel Baxter. With an expanding school sys- tem in 1956, Miss Baxter, became Elementary Supervisor of School Districts 1 and 2. In this position from which she retired in 1963, Miss Baxter, shared her teaching experience with the influx of new teachers. Her contributions to the management of education were uncommon for a woman of this period and the Cranbrook School District was justly proud of her. Muriel always cared about the well-being and future of her pu- pils. She rarely forgot a student’s name. She lived in the family home on 12th Avenue South which she shared with her mother, Mrs. I.J. Baxter until 1973. In 1974, Muriel moved in to the F.W. Green Home, after suffering a stroke. She passed away August 28th, 1980 at the age of 77.The Muriel Baxter Elemen- tary School was named in honour of Miss Muriel Lillian Baxter as a tribute to her many years of exem- plary service in the community in both public and private life. Muriel Baxter Elementary School was officially opened by its name- sake on November 22nd, 1967. The school was planned as a “child -centered” school in which pupils were encouraged to develop their own individual personality and to learn successfully in their own unique styles. Due to declining enrollment Muriel Baxter Elementary School was closed in 2002. It reopened for a short time as Kootenay Edu- cational Services and it was offi- cially closed in June 2008. The school burned to the ground be- fore It was slated for demolition in December 2008. Over 15,000 students walked the halls of Muriel Baxter Elementary School from 1967 to 2008. 0047.0030 0047.0339 Muriel Lillian Baxter 41 Years of Education 0493.0102 Amy Woodland (left) and Muriel Baxter Muriel Lillian Baxter - 2023.0001