Antonio originally began as a railway siding. The town was named after a character in the play, The Merchant of Venice.

TheAround 1912, a one-room schoolhouse was established just south of the siding to serve local farming families. Historical records (such as the Grassy Lake-Purple Springs Faded Trails history book) note that up to 35 students attended the school at its peak, with George Murphy serving as its first trustee and Waldo Sherburne as its final treasurer.

The school closed around 1927. Following its closure, the building was moved south of Taber, where it was repurposed to become the Hungarian Hall.