p 74 
 
 69 R53 
 Copy 1 
 
 MOORS SCHOOL 
 
 AT OLD DISTRICT NO. 2 
 
 GROTON. MASSACHUSETTS 
 
 THE STORY OF A DISTRICT SCHOOL 
 
 BY EDWARD ADAMS RICHARDSON 
 
 SEPTEMBER, 1911 
 AVER, MASSACHUSETTS 
 

Mooris School. ITicJ— 11)11. 
 
X. 
 
 
 MOORS SCHOOL 
 
 AT OLD DISTRICT NO. 2 
 
 GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS 
 
 THE STORY OF A DISTRICT SCHOOL 
 
 By Edward adams Richardson 
 
 The good old-fashioned district 
 school has many friends and staunch 
 supporters. Among them are those 
 who were once pupils and know from 
 experience the advantages and disad- 
 vantages of the system as compared 
 with the more recent method of con- 
 centrating all schooling in the vil- 
 lages, in graded schools. 
 
 However isolated and inconvenient 
 many of the schoolhouses were, the 
 association there of younger with old- 
 er pupils was not altogether to their 
 disadvantage. Those who have en- 
 joyed the privilege of attending a dis- 
 trict school, or a school in a rural 
 district, will readily recall how many 
 of the older ones felt that they were 
 held up as models for the younger 
 ones and thus renewed their efforts 
 in industry and good behavior. 
 
 PMucation, too, is largely a process 
 of assimilation and frequently the 
 younger pupils could equal the older 
 ones in knowledge contained between 
 the covers of text books to which 
 they had not yet been assigned. 
 
 The district school furnishes just 
 the training needed to broaden the 
 younger minds, to teach them that 
 
 there is something more to be acquired 
 besides that which is laid down in 
 their particular school books and their 
 association with older pupils leads 
 them to hope to know the things their 
 further advanced schoolmates are 
 learning. It is, however, admitted, 
 that when our district scliool children 
 have arrived at an advanced age it 
 seems desirable that they be gathered 
 with others into the graded schools 
 where undiTided attention is given 
 to studies arranged especially for 
 older pupils. 
 
 The associations of the rural dis- 
 trict school are close and intimate. 
 Many of the pupils are of families 
 who are bound together by ties of 
 kinship or have been friends and 
 neighbors for years. There is a 
 friendliness and tenderness in the 
 gathering together of these children 
 in the small country schoolhouses and 
 quite often the teacher has a kindly 
 interest in their moral and intellectual 
 welfare greater than in the village 
 schools where their environment is 
 supposed to be under the oversight of 
 the village authorities. 
 
 1 — 
 
In the rural district the teacher be- 
 comes an intimate friend of the par- 
 ents of her pupils, more often living 
 in their homes and learns of their 
 hopes for their offspring and is fully 
 in sympathy with the sentiment as 
 expressed in the frontispiece of the 
 New England primer of 1836. 
 
 Children, like tender osiers, take the 
 bow, 
 And as they first are fashioned al- 
 ways grow; 
 For what we learn in youth, to that 
 alone. 
 In ages, we are by second nature 
 prone. 
 
 The ungraded school is an institu- 
 tion dating from the early days of the 
 settlement of this country and in the 
 new colonies after 1700 that institu- 
 tion known as a traveling school, suc- 
 ceeded the old dames school. 
 
 Under this arrangement the out- 
 lying districts were given a school- 
 master or mistress who went about 
 gathering in various farm houses a 
 few pupils who were taught the rudi- 
 ments of the three R's — Reading, 'Kit- 
 ing and 'Rithmetic. 
 
 Shortly after 1700, there was less 
 interest in educational matters than 
 in the Pilgrim days, especially in the 
 interior towns. 
 
 The New England primer was quite 
 an advance as a text book over the 
 school book of the Pilgrim days, 
 which was one book for the whole 
 school, the old English hornbook. This 
 was a single card, containing the al- 
 phabet and a few simple arithmetic 
 tables, and the whole covered with a 
 transparent sheet of horn to protect 
 it from the inquisitive fingers of as- 
 piring youth, who resorted to it for 
 instruction where it hung suspended 
 by a string from the wall. This is 
 to be compared with the present day 
 method when every pupil has ample 
 text books furnished at public ex- 
 pense. 
 
 In Groton, S'chools had been kept 
 in the various angles or squadrons of 
 the town for many years previous to 
 the promulgation of the new school 
 law in 1789. These schools were in 
 small and rough buildings, often cold 
 and heated in a manner by fires in 
 open fireplaces. 
 
 An interpretation of the history of 
 Groton leads us to believe that these 
 schools were supported wholly by the 
 parents of the children in the par- 
 
 ticular squadron in which the school 
 was maintained, until about the year 
 1755. 
 
 At this time, from the total amount 
 of money appropriated by the town 
 for schools, "twenty pounds was set 
 apart for the 'outskirts.' " 
 
 The year 1753, was the date of 
 the setting up of Shirley and Pep- 
 perell as separate districts, and in 
 the latter district the same method of 
 providing for the "outskirts" was fol- 
 lowed. 
 
 Again in Groton in 1758, twenty 
 pounds was set apart for the "read- 
 ing and writing schools in the sev- 
 eral angles of the town," besides 
 thirty pounds for the grammar school 
 at the center of the town. This 
 amount was to be applied only for 
 instruction and the inhabitants of the 
 angles or squadrons, later called dis- 
 tricts, undoubtedly provided their own 
 rude schoolhouses on land contributed 
 by individuals as is shown by the 
 clause in many of the deeds which 
 provided that the land should revert 
 to the original owners or their heirs 
 or assigns, should the school cease 
 to exist. 
 
 From the year 1789, dates the be- 
 ginning of Number Two school as a 
 district school, for which the inhabit- 
 ants of that part of the town were 
 taxed for its maintenance. It is re- 
 corded in 1790, that there were sixty- 
 six children of school age in "Major 
 Moors' District No. 2." 
 
 In 1792, the town voted to erect 
 several schoolhouses on the sites of 
 the old ones and undoubtedly the 
 present house in Major Joseph Moors' 
 immediate neighborhood was built in 
 accordance with this vote. 
 
 The law of 1789, required that towns 
 of fifty families should have six 
 months of schooling, and that reading, 
 writing, spelling and arithmetic be 
 taught in the common or English 
 schools, and that towns having two 
 hundred families should have a gram- 
 mar school. This last was in a man- 
 ner letting down the bars, for in the 
 ancient law of 1647, towns of one hun- 
 dred families were required to main- 
 tain a grammar school where young 
 men could be prepared for the minis- 
 try, having particular reference to 
 their being fitted to enter Harvard 
 college. This had no reference to the 
 education of the girls, who rarely 
 
 ■ trot%on) 
 
No. is. 'I'he Asm Sunnier (ira\e> IMiu-e. 
 
 Nil. .'). Thf t iirlis Lawrt-iitt' Farm. 
 
No. .to. The F;iriis\v()rtli-l)(>iiiil)iif' ri:ice. 
 
 Im 
 
 h 
 
 iij 
 
 ' t* 
 
 . «, 
 
 . d 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 i»i 
 
 • ,v 
 
 ,- 
 
 ' 
 
 .Nil. ."(,;. I'lic -lolui -ImcIooii (ira\('s House. 
 
wont bpyond the New Enghand primer 
 in tliose early days. 
 
 At tiie time of the new school law 
 of 1789, the requirements were that 
 the districts siiould be organized and 
 that the organization should choose 
 a clerk and prudential coinmittoe, who 
 had almost autocratic power. The 
 records of some of these district meet- 
 ings show between the lines petty 
 jealousies, particularly in the employ- 
 ment of the teacher, who might of- 
 ten be a member of the family of the 
 prudential committee. 
 
 After 1789, the academies, which 
 were intended as fitting schools for 
 young men for college, and as semi- 
 naries for young ladies, became the 
 goal to which many youths in the 
 district schools were looking. It is 
 true that since that date, in about 
 1827, the district school training had 
 steadily advanced into geography and 
 grammar and other studies often 
 spoken of by their brothers before 
 them in college. A year at the acad- 
 emy often led them to desire some- 
 thing more. The summer schools of 
 those days were taught by the acad- 
 emy girls and the winter terms by 
 young men still in college classes, 
 who were permitted to take a vaca- 
 tion for the purpose of teaching a 
 district school and thus help pay their 
 way through college. 
 
 In the employment of male teachers 
 for the winter terms, the committee had 
 in mind their ability to master their 
 pupils should occasion arise. They 
 undoubtedly had instilled into them 
 from out their old New England prim- 
 ers: "Foolishness is bound up in the 
 heart of a child, but the rod of cor- 
 rection will drive it from him." 
 
 Happily the rod of correction is 
 laid on the shelf and is seldom used 
 in an age where love and mutual re- 
 spect are prevalent in the schoolroom 
 between teacher and pupils. 
 
 In the state library at Boston, is a 
 copy of the school by-laws for Gro- 
 ton in 180B. Article V'llI was insert- 
 ed as follows: "That the advantages 
 of the grammar s<'hool may be ex- 
 tended to the greatest possible num- 
 ber of individuals and may be en- 
 joyed as equally as may be, the said 
 school shall be kept in District No. 
 I four months, in No. II, III and V. 
 two months respectively In each 
 year." 
 
 This was probably another reason 
 for employing college graduates large- 
 ly, about this time as teachers of the 
 winter schools. They were e.xpected 
 to be proficient in tiie advanced 
 branches which would prepare the 
 way for the young men for college 
 and the ministry. 
 
 The following from the same source, 
 though printed in full in Dr. Samuel 
 A. Green's Groton Historical Series, 
 Vol. I, No. IX, is so pertinent that it 
 will bear repeating: At a meeting of 
 the school committee of Groton, held 
 November 30, 1805, it was voted to 
 adopt the following: "1. The bible, 
 which affords the best lessons of mor- 
 ality and religion, must be read in 
 all the schools, at least a portion of 
 it, in the forenoon, and another, in 
 the afternoon, either by the instruc- 
 tor, or by a class of such scholars, 
 as can read with propriety, accord- 
 ing to his discretion. All those who 
 can read well enough to belong to the 
 bible class, must be required to sup- 
 ply themselves with bibles for their 
 use in schools." 
 
 In 1800, the law gave the power to 
 tax the inhabitants of the district for 
 the maintenance of the school and 
 even for the erection of new houses, 
 if required, and from this time the 
 district system was in full swing and 
 power for many years, until finally 
 abolished in 1882. Under such con- 
 ditions our little brick school at No. 
 2 came into existence, and like many 
 others was erected in a barren, unat- 
 tractive spot, near the fork of the 
 roads and as near as may be to the 
 center of the district. 
 
 A description of the limits of the 
 district is interesting as showing the 
 residents. In 1805, the by-laws of 
 Groton relative to schools gives the 
 limits of the various school districts 
 at that time. These are published by 
 Dr. Samuel A. Green, at length, in 
 Groton Historical Series. Vol. I. No. 
 IX. 
 
 The second description of the dis- 
 trict published in 1827, in a new code 
 of by-laws is as follows: "No. 2 ex- 
 tends from Russell's lane on the road 
 towards Harvard to the forks souther- 
 ly of William Hurgess'; easterly to 
 Snake Hill Including Curtis I^w- 
 rence's House: from the fork of the 
 roads southei y of Wm. lUncroft's 
 House by Levi Stone's to Harvard 
 Road; by Benjamin Moors to the guide 
 
 — 3 
 
post at Lunenburg Road; and by 
 Charles Warren and Capt. Tlios. 
 Farnsworth to Pages Bridge." 
 
 Comparing tliis with the description 
 of 1805, we find that Russell's lane is 
 mentioned in both; that William Bur- 
 gess lives where John Fiske was, and 
 Curtis Lawrence has succeeded to the 
 estate of Joel Lawrence; I\Iajor Jo- 
 seph JMoors, the veteran of two wars, 
 has passed on and his son Benja- 
 man is living at the farm settled by 
 his ancestor, Abraham Moors, in 1716. 
 
 The William Bancroft place referred 
 to is the place a few years later 
 occupied by John Jackson Graves. 
 William Bancroft was a lieutenant in 
 the revolutionary war, and later a 
 sheriff and town officer. 
 
 Charles Warren, in 1827, lived near 
 the present Gardner estate, and Capt. 
 Thomas Farnsworth resided at the 
 old Farnsworth house on the hillside 
 towards the river. 
 
 In the law of 1827, it was required 
 that towns choose prudential com- 
 mittees for the several districts, which 
 was done by allowing the districts to 
 select their own and this was the 
 method generally throughout the 
 state. 
 
 In view of our knowledge of suc- 
 ceeding school events in ^Massachu- 
 setts, we are to believe that the peri- 
 od immediately thereafter was rather 
 a degenerate one as regards educa- 
 tional matters, perhaps due to un- 
 scrupulous overseers in school affairs 
 and this decadence continued until 
 taken up by James G. Carter of Lan- 
 caster, who preceded and became an 
 able coadjutor with Horace Mann, the 
 secretary of the newly established 
 Board of Education in 1837, the date 
 which marks tbe revival of the school 
 laws. 
 
 The third description of the dis- 
 trict is printed in the new code of 
 town by-laws which is inserted with 
 the state laws in a record book print- 
 ed in 1838, and distributed by the 
 town to the various districts for the 
 use of the clerks. 
 
 The original record book of District 
 No. 2 school for the years 1838 to 
 1868, inclusive, is in existence and 
 has revealed much interesting mat- 
 ter. Extracts have been made which 
 may be of peculiar interest since they 
 show the residents of the district for 
 thirty years, and the number of their 
 children between the ages of five and 
 
 fifteen, and fifteen and twenty-one, 
 male and female as required by law 
 to be enumerated by the district 
 clerk on May first of each year. 
 
 In order to show the limits of the 
 district in 1838, it seems desirable to 
 also insert tbose of District No. 1. 
 "No. 1 is bounded beginning at the 
 bridge over James' Brook in the cen- 
 ter of the Town, on the great county 
 road, thence running southwesterly by 
 the current of said brook to the mid- 
 dle of broad meadow, thence south- 
 erly through the middle of said broad 
 meadow, crossing the road at "Swill 
 bridge," and thence by the current of 
 water to the road called Russell's 
 Lane, thence easterly by said Lane 
 to the road leading to Harvard, thence 
 northerly by the Harvard Road to a 
 point therein northerly of the house 
 of Curtis Lawrence, thence south- 
 easterly to Half Moon pond, thence 
 northwesterly to the road midway be- 
 tween the houses of Rufus Moors and 
 Joshua Davis, thence nortberly to the 
 great county road at the brook issu- 
 ing from Cady's pond, thence to the 
 road midway between the houses of 
 David Torrey and Sally Whitman, 
 thence to the top of Gibbet hill, thence 
 northwesterly to the point of begin- 
 ning." 
 
 "No. 2 is bounded northerly by No. 
 1, from Half-moon pond to the water 
 course in Russell's lane thence run- 
 ning northwesterly to the forks of the 
 road between the houses of John J. 
 Graves and Stephen Kendall, thence 
 due west to Nashua River, thence up 
 said river to Page's bridge, thence 
 southeasterly to the forks of the road 
 southerly of Oliver Blood's house, 
 thence easterly to the top of snake 
 hill, thence northerly to the place of 
 beginning at half-moon pond." 
 
 In the enumeration as made by the 
 clerk it does not follow that all were 
 in attendance at this school. Some of 
 the older ones were attending school 
 at Groton Center, in the earlier years 
 at the academy, and later at the high 
 school which was established in 1859. 
 Some were going to the grammar 
 school at South Groton and some 
 through with school and at work long 
 before the age limit of twenty-one. 
 
 To one familiar with the birth dates 
 of the sons and daughters of the old 
 families this enumeration is a pretty 
 clear index of the attending scholars 
 of old No. 2. 
 
 4 — 
 
No. •_'!. Ilciiiic (.1 the .Mui.r- Kiiinih. IT Hi— ls:»it. 
 
 m 
 
 No. Is. Ilir ,l,.liii ll;irt\\tll II. .MM-. .M.iMcl in jstis. 
 
(in.tuii Aciiilciin. Krectfd IT'.CJ— lUinu'd Julv 4, l.s6f^. 
 
 Lawrence Aca<leniv — Sfcoml liiiildin::. |)(ili(;itc(l .lunc -J'.i. isTl. 
 
In the earlier days the district lines 
 were quite closely drawn and several 
 houses were never considered in the 
 district, though near the line, for 
 instance, the Arteniaa Longley home- 
 stead and the John J. Graves place. 
 In order to show where the pupils 
 lived, as far as is at present known, 
 a list of occupants of various houses 
 is given here. It will not show all 
 the names of parents of scholars, but 
 running back from the last known 
 occupants will give for the most part 
 the homes of the pupils. Beginning 
 with the old Rufus Moors place in 
 the eastern part of the district, the 
 houses are taken in succession: 
 
 10. 
 
 11. 
 
 12. 
 
 13. 
 14. 
 
 If). 
 
 Ifi. 
 
 17. 
 
 18. 
 
 19. 
 
 20. 
 21. 
 
 Rufus Moors — house removed. 
 
 Rork, Bliss. Sivert, Lewis, Jo- 
 seph Moors. 
 
 Robert Duren. 
 
 A. Tuttle, Eaton, Whittaker, Col- 
 ley, Race, N. Sawtell. 
 
 Willis, Joel Page, Curtis Law- 
 rence, Joel Lawrence. 
 
 Ranisdell, Hawkes, Harris, Hol- 
 brook, Drake, Kendall, Boyn- 
 ton. 
 
 Bowles, Dickerman, Taintor, H. 
 Stone, James Stone. 
 
 F. Tuttle, Turner, Gould, Dun- 
 ham, Samuel F. Stone. 
 
 J. Sargent, Ward Stone, Betsey 
 Stone. 
 
 J. E. Gilson, F. E. Gilson, J. iM. 
 Gilson, Goodwin, Fletcher, 
 Ward Stone, William Chase, 
 Peter Chase. 
 
 R. Sargent, J. Tuttle, Benjamin 
 Stevens, Benjamin Stone, Car- 
 rig, Willard, L. Burgess. 
 
 Ilarriman, Gaut, Chase, E. Saw- 
 tell. 
 
 Clough, Gove, Wright, Hubbard. 
 
 Black, Thompson, Jewett, Marble, 
 Nimmo, Sparks, Robinson, 
 Lawrence H. Gilson, Asa Gil- 
 son. 
 
 iSIiller, G. Tuttle, Hulen. H. Gil- 
 son, Ward Stone, Gallot. 
 
 A. G. Lewis, Sanborn, Hodgeman, 
 Matthias Farnsworth. 
 
 Joseph Graves. Hazzard. Hub- 
 bard~old house removed. 
 
 Jewett. Sumner Graves, T. Stone, 
 W. Burgess, Fiske. 
 
 T. Smith, Mason, Hills, Stewart. 
 J. M. Gilson, Levi Stone. 
 
 Evans — house removed. 
 Mandigo. Culver, Chase. Ilarri- 
 man. Mason, Moors. 
 
 22. James Culver. 
 
 23. Collins, Delano, Wood, Wheeler, 
 
 George Brown, Reuben Hart- 
 well. 
 
 24. Weber, McCarthy, Lyons, Bond, 
 
 Ellen Brown, Kemp. 
 
 25. Wood, Russell. Abraham Stone. 
 
 26. Rand. Dickson, Donlon, Abraliam 
 
 Stone. 
 
 27. H. Farnsworth, N. Hartwell, Abel 
 
 Page. 
 
 28. Bessant. 
 
 29. Berquist, Grimes, Cutts, R. Hart- 
 
 well. 
 
 30. Taylor, Page, Harkinson, Pate, 
 
 Keegan, Donahue, T. Pollard, 
 Whittemore, J. Farnsworth. 
 
 31. Monroe, Wyeth — house removed. 
 
 32. Taylor, Messer, L. Farnsworth. 
 
 33. W. Davis, Achorn, N. Davis, A. 
 
 Farnsworth. 
 
 34. Keating, J. Pollard, David Davis. 
 
 35. Dickinson, Richardson, Moody, 
 
 Dickson, Hildreth. 
 
 36. Huebner, Swan, Newman, Gush- 
 
 ing. 
 
 37. Berquist, Daffy, Leathes, Denahy. 
 
 38. Hackett. 
 
 39. Rynn, Parker — house removed. 
 
 40. Smith, Fitz — house removed. 
 
 41. Jefferson, Watson, Root, Fuller, 
 
 Daggett, Pollard, Chase, Hall, 
 Stanley — house burned. 
 
 42. Gilson, Dutton — house removed. 
 
 43. G. Culver, T. Goding, Dibble, 
 
 Hamlet, Livingston, Messer, 
 Newton, Ferrin, Richardson, 
 Leighton — house removed. 
 
 44. Benjamin Hartwell — house re- 
 
 moved. 
 
 45. Whitney, Jewett, Richardson, 
 
 Torrey, Marcy, Keyes, Otis. 
 
 46. Butler, Kendall, Billings, Rich- 
 
 ardson — house removed. 
 
 47. Powell, Hannis. J. Goodwin — 
 
 house burned. 
 
 48. Waitt, J. Hartwell, Shattuck, 
 
 Kendall, Hopkins — house re- 
 moved. 
 
 49. Harris, Moulton, Corey, Frost, 
 
 Stanley. 
 
 50. Palmer, Chlsholm, Keegan, Sha- 
 
 bono, Messer. Twitchell. Rear- 
 don, Robblns, Bishop, Carruth, 
 Torrey, G. Culver, Higgins, 
 Needham. Otis. Brennan, Foye, 
 Frost. Hopkins. J. McGilson. 
 
 51. Giddings; new home burned. 
 
 52. French. Wing, Richardson— Yeast 
 
 house burned. 
 Houses outside the district: 
 
 — 5 — 
 
53. Stewart, Williams, Blood, J. J. 
 
 Graves. 
 
 54. Hennegan. 
 
 55. Scanlon, Dodge. 
 
 56. Magoon, O'Neil, Kilbourn. 
 
 57. Thomas McGovern, Hall, Benja- 
 
 min Hazen. 
 
 The district school meetings were 
 all conducted in a similar manner, 
 and the record of one is here given 
 for the purpose of showing the pro- 
 cedure: 
 
 At a legal meeting of the legal 
 voters in District No. 2, held March 
 3rd, 1857: 
 
 1. Chose Alva Wriglit, moderator. 
 
 2. Chose Luke Farnsworth, clerk. 
 
 3. Chose John M. Gilson, pruden- 
 tial committee. 
 
 4. Voted that the wood be broughte 
 to the school house before the first 
 of June cut four feet long and cut 
 twice and split fit for the stove and 
 put into the wood shed. 
 
 5. Voted to get too cords of oak 
 one cord of pine wood Alva Right 
 bid of the wood at $6.63 cents per 
 cord. Voted that the summer school 
 begin June Monday first and the win- 
 ter school the first Monday after 
 Thanksgiving. 
 
 6. Voted to desolve the meeting 
 attest Luke Farnsworth, Clerk. 
 
 Then follows a table of the enum- 
 eration of children, fifty-six under 
 fifteen and twelve over fifteen years 
 of age and the residents in the dis- 
 trict given, who were: Luke Farns- 
 'worth, Thomas Pollard, Reuben Hart- 
 well, Abel Page, Oliver Blood, Na- 
 thaniel Davis, Jacob Pollard, Rebec- 
 ca Green, Walter Keyes, Joseph A. 
 Gushing, Senieth Pierce, Benjamin 
 Hall, Rodolphus Parker, Joseph Rich- 
 ards, Henry Moody, Reuben M. Leigh- 
 ton, Benjamin Hartwell, Lucy M. 
 Richardson, John H. Hartwell, Benja- 
 min Needham, Isaac Harriman, jr., 
 Isaac Harriman, Phillip Gross, Abra- 
 ham Stone, Ellen Brown, John M. 
 Gilson, Asa Gilson, Asa S. Graves, 
 John Hodgman, William Chase, Ephra- 
 im Sawtell, Stedman Willard, Cur- 
 tis Lawrence, Sumner Boynton, Sam- 
 uel Stone, Betsey Stone, Alva Wright, 
 
 Merritt Hale, Mrs. Pierce, Horace 
 Patten, Nathaniel Sawtell* George 
 Bessant. 
 
 The enumerator evidently took the 
 names in the order in which they 
 occurred to him as they lived along 
 the roads. Perhaps he made an ac- 
 tual house to house canvass — most of 
 them are in that order except at the 
 end of the list where omissions were 
 added. This list is selected as show- 
 ing the names of many of the old 
 families before the departure of the 
 community people for the west. 
 
 As one follows the record year by 
 year, the changes are noticeable. Here 
 the head of the family drops out by 
 death or removal and a new owner of 
 the estate takes his place with chil- 
 dren as reported. 
 
 These by-laws of 1838, like those 
 of 1805 and 1827, defined the district 
 limits, determined the date of the 
 district meetings for the first week 
 in March; that a clerk and prudential 
 committee should be chosen; that 
 clerk should take census of families 
 and children; apportionment of town 
 school money and duties of pruden- 
 tial committee. Under these by-laws 
 the district must also make ordinary 
 repairs to the schoolhouses. Article 
 VII of the school by-laws of 1838, 
 read as follows: "The ordinary re- 
 pairs of schoolhouses and all other 
 incidental expenses of the schools 
 shall be made and defrayed by the 
 the prudential committee from the 
 monies apportioned to their districts; 
 but the rebuilding and more extensive 
 repairs may by vote of the town, be 
 paid from other monies raised." 
 
 Under the district system the old 
 schoolhouse had been permitted to go 
 without repairs probably because the 
 burden fell on the inhabitants of the 
 district. A new building or an ad- 
 dition would be erected at the ex- 
 pense of the town at large, and so in 
 the district meeting held on March 
 5, 1856, it was voted: "To choose a 
 committee to get an article in the 
 warrant for the April meeting to see 
 if the town will repair our school- 
 house and furnish a new stove. Chose 
 Nathan Gallott that committee." 
 
 This was allowed by vote of the 
 town and the bills for repairs appear 
 in the town report of February 1857, 
 showing that a new roof was placed 
 upon it and new seats within it. 
 
 It is without doubt then that the 
 
 — 6 
 
Nil. 7. .Iiiino StDiii' l'l:u-f 
 
 N(i. i:!. Al\:i W riu'lil II. .11- 
 
I»iiniel Xeeilliam. Isii-J — Is'j.l 
 
old hipped-roof was removed and the 
 present style adopted, for there ap- 
 pears an item for several thousand 
 brick, which the new ends would re- 
 quire and an examination of the 
 house shows tho difference in the 
 brick laying. About $400 was ex- 
 pended at this time. 
 
 The town of Groton has been favor- 
 ed in having men and women on tho 
 school board, who always had an in- 
 tense interest in the advancement of 
 learning. Among them may be men- 
 tioned: Caleb Butler, Daniel Butler, 
 Daniel Needham, George S. Doutwcll, 
 Clarissa Butler, Willard Torrey, Wal- 
 ter Shattuck, Samuel W. Rowe, David 
 Fosdick, jr., Crawford Nightingale, J. 
 Bigelow, Artemas Longley, Curtis 
 Lawrence, William A. Lawrence, Jo- 
 siah K. Bennett, Charles Jacobs, Reu- 
 ben Lewis, and for the south part of 
 the town, Edmund Dana Bancroft, Dr. 
 John Q. A. .McCollester and John E. 
 Hills. These and many others served 
 the town long and faithfully. 
 
 In the annual school reports, the 
 committee sometimes give a tribute 
 of appreciation to some successful 
 teacher. 
 
 This school was under the particu- 
 lar care of some one member of the 
 committee and for years Artemas 
 Longley, who had been a teacher here, 
 became its guide, councillor and 
 friend, then Josiah K. Bennett, and 
 more recently the late Charles Jacobs. 
 Mr. Jacobs was a graduate of Har- 
 vard college, class of 1853. He was 
 a fine scholar, but as the pupils no- 
 ticed, somewhat diffident in the pres- 
 ence of ladies. He was never mar- 
 ried and the scholars wrongly as- 
 sumed that his visits to the school 
 "were more for the teacher than to 
 them. One innocent little girl made 
 bold to say to him one day: "I love 
 my teacher, don't you?" Mr. Jacobs 
 was nonplused and murmured some 
 reply, neither understood by the pu- 
 pil or the teacher. 
 
 One of the old scholars contributes 
 the following as an incident in the 
 school at this time: "Ipon the visit 
 of a member of the committee one 
 day, the class in spelling was called 
 up. He gave out the word 'metemi)- 
 sychosis." It was too formidable for 
 us, and after repeated failures, my 
 sister called out, 'You spell it.' He 
 complied witli her re<|U('st in a way 
 
 which impressed us all with his su- 
 perior wisdom." 
 
 Mr. Jacobs was always expected In 
 the first week of school, and as one 
 scholar has stated, always commenced 
 his little speecli with: "Scholars, I 
 congratulate you upon commencing 
 the term under sucli favorable cir- 
 cumstances." 
 
 The auditors always looked for this 
 preliminary speech and considered it 
 as a compliment to the teacher. On 
 one occasion, in particular, Mr. Ja- 
 cobs, as chairman of the board, show- 
 ed his grave responsibility by hia 
 nervous introduction of Miss Clarissa 
 Butler, a fellow member of the board, 
 when her presence added dignity to 
 the closing day of school. 
 
 In 1854, George S. Boutwell, then 
 secretary of the State Board of Edu- 
 cation, was serving as chairman of 
 the school committee of Groton, and 
 makes the report for the committee. 
 In the report he says: "We believe 
 females could be employed all the 
 year around to advantage." 
 
 In the report of 1860-61, reference 
 is made to the exodus of many at 
 the "community" for Wisconsin as fol- 
 lows: "Owing to the removal of sev- 
 eral families from the district, the 
 number of scholars was considerably 
 less than in former years." 
 
 In the report for 1872-3, the com- 
 mittee was pleased to say: "This un- 
 graded school is one of the largest 
 in town and is made up of unusually 
 bright and interesting children." 
 
 In the 1874-5 report they say: "The 
 good reputation of this scliool so nobly 
 earned during the years 1873-4, has 
 been more than sustained under the 
 continued management of Mrs. Ellen 
 M. Torrey throughout the year." They 
 also commented on the attention paid 
 to "mental, moral and physical edu- 
 cation." 
 
 The town reports from 1847 to 1860, 
 show that the wages of the male 
 teachers were about double that of 
 the lady teachers for the spring torm, 
 and after 1860, the lady received about 
 two-thirds the amount paid the man 
 teacher for the winter term, and then 
 the lady sought to keep the winter 
 school, and in 1870, a lady teacher, 
 the year around, was an established 
 custom, except In two instances, and 
 tlien the continuance of a male teacli- 
 or did not seem to be warranted. 
 
 7 — 
 
In 1874, at the town meeting in 
 March, a committee appointed in the 
 previous year, reported a list of 
 names to be given to the old district 
 schools. That committee consisted of 
 Rev. Henry Dix, John Gilson and J. 
 Nelson Hoar, and when their report 
 was finally accepted, District No. 2 
 school became known as Moors school 
 from the Moors family which had 
 liv^ed for generations just below the 
 schoolhouse on the "Junction" road. 
 In some towns the spirit of the 
 law of 1837, was closely observed as 
 regards the school census which re- 
 quired the taking of the number, but 
 not the names of children of school 
 age, and some went so far as to pre- 
 pare registers of the names of schol- 
 ars. The Acts of 1838, however, made 
 it compulsory under Chapter 105: 
 "Sect. 6. The board of education shall 
 prescribe a blank form of register, to 
 be kept in all the towns and dis- 
 trict schools of the commonwealth, 
 and the secretary of state shall for- 
 ward a sufficient number of copies of 
 the same to the school committees of 
 the respective towns; and said com- 
 mittees shall cause registers to be 
 faithfully kept in all said schools ac- 
 cording to the form prescribed. Act 
 to take effect from and after its pass- 
 ing, April 13, 1838." 
 
 However compulsory the law may 
 have been intended, it was followed 
 the more "in the breach than in the 
 observance" in Groton, and even if 
 the teachers did keep the register 
 faithfully, it seems that some one af- 
 ter them kept the register so secure- 
 ly that many of them are not to be 
 found at the present time, and none 
 have been found giving the record of 
 school attendance previous to the 
 year 1851. 
 
 From these registers it is possible 
 to complete a fairly accurate list of 
 pupils except for a few missing years 
 coming at the beginning or ending of 
 a pupil's attendance. 
 
 The canvass of names shows that an 
 entire new set of scholars will be 
 found every nine years, which indi- 
 cates that at about the age of fifteen, 
 the older ones pass on to higher 
 schools, or have left school, or moved 
 from town. 
 
 The list of earlier pupils has been 
 secured from a knowledge of the 
 families living in the district, and 
 from many interesting letters receiv- 
 
 ed from representatives of such fam- 
 ilies. This portion of the list of pu- 
 pils is by no means complete. It 
 shows only some of the pupils previ- 
 ous to 1851. That part beginning 
 with 1851, is fairly complete and gives 
 the earliest and latest known dates of 
 school attendance. The initials, G. 
 A., L. A. and H. S., followed by a 
 date, signify a scholar's first enroll- 
 ment at the academy or high school 
 at Groton, In the earlier years many 
 appear as beginning at three, four 
 and five years of age, and a very 
 few as in school when they were of 
 age, the latter mostly in the winter 
 term. 
 
 It must be borne in mind that 
 many of the boys had to work every 
 spring and summer, and they let no 
 opportunity pass for recovering the 
 lost ground. It is possible that the 
 names of some who attended in the 
 years in which the registers are miss- 
 ing, may not appear at all. 
 
 For the first portion of the list of 
 scholars, the years of enrollment giv- 
 en is based on a probable attendance 
 at the age of five years. 
 
 Partial list of pupils previous to 
 1851, is as follows: 
 
 Bartemus, Anna, 1849-51. 
 
 Baldwin, Charles B., 1836. 
 
 Brennan, Walter, 1849-51. 
 
 Burgess, Louisa, 1815. 
 
 Chase, William A., 1836. 
 
 Culver, Nathan F., 1844-45. 
 
 Cushing, Susan, 1848. 
 
 Cushing. Harriet, 1844. 
 
 Davis, Betsey, 1798, G. A. 1804. 
 
 Davis, Lucy, 1798, G. A. 1803. 
 
 Dickson, Philip D., 1838-43, G. A. 1839. 
 
 Diclison, Henry A., 1842. 
 
 Dickson, Walter E., 1838-43. 
 
 Dickson, Almira A., 1838-43, G. A. 1841. 
 
 Dickson, Mary E., 1838-43, G. A. 1841. 
 
 Dickson, Caroline S., 1850, L. A. 1864. 
 
 Doltd, Mary Ann, 1838-42. 
 
 Doltd, John Carroll, 1838-42. 
 
 Dunn, Mary Jane, 1849-51. 
 
 Parnsworth, Elizabeth, 1797, G. A. 1804. 
 
 Farnsworth, Claudius B., 1820, G. A. 
 
 1824. 
 Parnsworth, Luke, 1790, G. A. 1795. 
 Parnsworth, Mary, 1835-45, G. A. 1845. 
 Parnsworth, Amos, 1797, G. A. 1800. 
 Farnsworth, Ralph, 1800, G. A. 1805, 
 
 H. U. 1821, Dart. M. S. 1826. 
 Frost, Ebenezer H., 1830, G. A. 1839. 
 Frost. Samuel Bailey, 1835. 
 Frost, Solomon Gilman, 1836, G. A. 1843. 
 Frost, Sarah Young, 1839, L. A. 1846. 
 Evans, Harrison D., 1844. 
 Evans, Eugene, 1844. 
 Hazen. Hattie. 1849-51. 
 Hazen, Eveline, 1849-51. 
 Haven, Albert. 1849-51. 
 Hildreth, Francis, 1838. 
 Hildreth, John P., 1841-51. 
 
 — 8- 
 
Ciili'l) Hiitli'r. 17T<l-ls:.4. 
 
 l»r. .1. <,>. A. ,M.( olk-t.r. ivii i!tll. 
 
>;n. 1(1. ii(i<igiiiim riiicf, 
 
 No. 33. Amos Fiiniswdrtli Jlonie. 
 
Hildreth. Wllllain, 1842. 
 Hopkins, Ebenezer, 1804. G. A. 1808. 
 Hopkins. Jeduthan S.. 1805. G. A. 1809. 
 Hopkins, Dorcas. ISIO. G. A. 1815. 
 Hod^man, Nancy W., 1845, L. A. 1849. 
 Hodg'nian, John K.. 1845. 
 Hubbard, lOllza, 1836. G. A. 1837. 
 llubUard, Calvin Patterson. 1836, G. A. 
 
 1838. 
 Hazen, Martha A., 1845. 
 Hazen. Elizabeth, 1841. 
 Hazon, Benjamin F., 1843. L. A. 1859. 
 Hazen, William H., 1845. 
 Gallot. Sarah E., 1S30. 
 .lones, Mary, 1849-51. 
 Keycs. William L., 1851. 
 Liund, Emma, 1849-51. 
 Lawrence, Curtis, 1804, L. A. 1813. 
 Lawrence, Edward A., 1818. G. A. 1836. 
 Lawrence, Eliza, 1806, G. A. 1813. 
 Lawrence, Lucy, 1801. 
 
 Lawrence, Lucy Maria, 1830. G. A. 1837. 
 Lawrence, Mary W.. 1839. G. A. 184U. 
 Lawrence, Susan P., 1833, G. A. 1840. 
 Lawrence. Susan, 1799, G. A. 1812. 
 Lawrence, Thomas, 1797. 
 Mason, Martha E.. 1850. L. A. 1851. 
 Moors, James, 1788. 
 Moors. Benjamin, 1790, G. A. 1800. 
 Moors, John F., 1825. G. A. 1830. 
 Moors, Joseph B.. 1833, G. A. 1842. 
 Newell. Albert, 1841. 
 Oliver, Nancy, 1849-51. 
 Pollard. Alfred, 1836, G. A. 1837. 
 Pollard. Luther, 1836. 
 Pollard, Thomas, 1833, G. A. 1837. 
 Pollard. Walter. 1836, G. A. 1837. 
 Pollard. Albert. 
 Pollard, Lucy, 1830. 
 Pollard, Mary J., 1833, G. A. 1839. 
 Pollard, Sarah A., 1839, G. A. 1845. 
 Pollard. Asnes B., 1840, L. A. 1847. 
 Pollard, Lousia F., 1835, G. A. 1840. 
 Pollard, Warren. 
 
 Pollard, Bet.sey D., 1820, G. A. 1827. 
 Pollard. Luther, 1849-51. 
 Page. Nelson, 1836. 
 F'aKe. Mary Jane. 1838. 
 Shattuck, M. Adelaide. 1846. 
 Stone. Sophia, 1820. 
 Stone, Emily, 1820. 
 Stone. Abel, 1820. 
 Stone, Sherman, 1820. 
 Stone, Sallv, 1780. 
 Stone, Lydia, 1783. 
 Stone, Lucy, 1787. 
 Stone, Levi, 1789. 
 Stone, Betsey, 1791. 
 Stone, James F., 1793, G. A. 1809. 
 Stone, John, 1797. 
 Stone, Samuel, 1802. 
 Stone, James Franklin. 1823. 
 Stone, Harriot E., 1824. G. A. 1837. 
 Stone. Anna Maria. 1827, G. A. 1838. 
 Stone. John W^, 1829. 
 
 Stone. James Franklin, 1831, G. A. 1840. 
 Stone, I.,evi Augustus. 1834. 
 Stone, Henry L.. 1836, L. A. 1850. 
 Stone. Valancourt. 1834, G. A. 1843. 
 Stone. Maria. 1849-51. 
 Sawtell, Nathaniel, 1803. G. A. 1813. 
 Sawtoll, Ephraim. 1803, G, A. 1813. 
 Tucker. Josephine. 1849-51. 
 Wallace. William. 1849-51. 
 Wlllard, Alfred, 1845-51. 
 Wlllard. M. Almeda, 1S45, G. A. 1845. 
 Wlllard. Almn, 1845, G. A. 1845. 
 
 One branch of the Farnswortli fam- 
 ily in the early history of Grotoii lived 
 on the east road Iroiu Groton to 
 Ayer and as oarly as 1«J70, it Is re- 
 corded that .Matthias Farnswortli lived 
 there just south of James brcjok. In 
 18:'.G, a Mathias Faiiiswortli sold his 
 farm to Nathaniel and lOphraiui Saw- 
 tell and they deeded it in the next 
 year to John HodRman of Hedford. 
 While this is not exactly school his- 
 tory, it is interesting as showing 
 when the Hodginan family came to 
 Groton. 
 
 Reuben Ilartwell once told Asa Bur- 
 gess tiiat .Matthias Farnsworth went 
 to Michigan and took with him a 
 whole barrel of boots of .Mr. Hart- 
 well's making. 
 
 Major Amos Farnsworth lived at 
 the present Joy farm during the rev- 
 olutionary period and marched to 
 Concord and Lexington. He died on 
 October 29, 1847, aged ninety-three. 
 His sons and daughters were pupils 
 at old No. 2 school. There was Dr. 
 Ralph Farnsworth born in 179.'), who 
 graduated at Harvard in the class of 
 1821, and at Dartmouth medical 
 school in 182G, lived for many years 
 in Norwich, Conn., and died tiiere on 
 July 16, 1875. Another son, Dr. Amos 
 Farnsworth, was born in 178S. attend- 
 ed school here and at Groton acad- 
 emy, served as surgeon in the F'ourth 
 Massachusetts infantry in the war of 
 1812. He practised his profession in 
 Boston, and after 1832, in Groton. and 
 died in Roxbury in 1861. Elizabeth 
 Farnsworth, a daughter, was born on 
 October 19, 1792, and died in Groton 
 Center on February 2, 1884. 
 
 Like her brother, she attended the 
 district school and academy. She 
 was a woman of great mental capaci- 
 ty and of rare personality. 
 
 I^uke Farnsworth. born In October, 
 1785, a brother of the preceding, lived 
 on the old homestead from youth up, 
 except for a brief period spent in 
 Canada. He lived to be over ninety. His 
 sons and daughters wore scholars at the 
 district school. Hon. Claudius lUichan- 
 an Farnsworth, who lived for many 
 years at Pawtucket, R. I., was the 
 eldest son of Luke and Sarah (Hart- 
 well) Farnsworth, and was born in 
 Canada, January 8, 1815. His boy- 
 hood days were passed on the farm 
 in Groton, and he attended the town 
 schools until he was fourteen. He 
 
fitted for college at New Ipswich and 
 Groton academies, and graduated at 
 Harvard college in the class of 1841. 
 He afterwards engaged in the prac- 
 tice of the law and later in manufac- 
 turing. 
 
 George H. Farnsworth, a pupil in 
 1851, was another son of Luke, and 
 enlisted for the war of the rebellion 
 in Company B, Massachusetts Sixth 
 Regiment, and died several years ago. 
 There were several Farnsworth girls 
 who attended school in the years af- 
 ter 1850. 
 
 The Pollard family was one of the 
 largest in the district and the boys 
 and girls all attended school here. 
 Jacob Pollard was born in Goffstown, 
 N. H., and early in life came to 
 Groton. He married. May 7, 1812, 
 Betsey Davis, who was born in Gro- 
 ton, the daughter of David Davis. They 
 lived on the farm of Mrs. Pollard's 
 parents, and members of the Pollard 
 family resided here for more than 
 fifty years after 1828, when one-half 
 interest in the farm was deeded to 
 Jacob Pollard. 
 
 Solomon Frost, who lived at the 
 top of the long hill above the school 
 had married Dorcas Hopkins, and 
 there were three boys and a girl, 
 pupils in the early period— Samuel 
 Bailey, Solomon Gilman, Ebenezer Hop- 
 kins and Sarah Young. Samuel died 
 when twenty, Solomon Gilman remov- 
 ed to Fitchburg, Sarah was the fourth 
 of the five wives of Dr. Norman Smith. 
 Ebenezer Hopkins Frost had the dis- 
 tinction when living in Boston of be- 
 ing the first patient of Dr. Morton, 
 the discoverer of ether, to be etherized 
 for a surgical operation. All these, 
 as children, attended the district 
 school and Groton academy. 
 
 There was a kinship between the 
 Stanley, Hopkins and Frost families 
 all living on the hill in the early 
 part of the last century. Jeduthan 
 and Dorcas Stanley had a daughter 
 Dorcas, who married Ebenezer Hop- 
 kins, and Ebenezer and Dorcas Hop- 
 kins had a daughter Dorcas, who mar- 
 ried Solomon Frost, and they were 
 the parents of the children above 
 mentioned. 
 
 The widow Hopkins died in 1840, 
 and the place was sold in February, 
 1843, by Mr. and Mrs. Frost to Jo- 
 seph Foye. Mr. Frost died in March 
 of the same year and the widow and 
 
 children went to live with Aunt Nab- 
 by Stanley in the next house towards 
 Groton, from which home Sarah was 
 married. After the death of Aunt 
 Nabby, February 22, 1863, the place 
 was sold in April, by Mrs. Dorcas 
 Frost, then living at Fitchburg, where 
 she died in 1881. 
 
 The Levi Hildreth family came into 
 the district about 1840, and at about 
 this time there were several Hildreth 
 children in the school. 
 
 One of these, John P. Hildreth, of 
 Townsend, states that when he first 
 attended school here, his family lived 
 at a place called "The Dale," which 
 is another place name to be edded to 
 the localities in Ayer. It applies to 
 that part of the James Brook valley 
 which lies now in Ayer, just below the 
 old Reuben Hartwell farm, where the 
 Hildreths lived. The term savors of 
 old England and may have been given 
 it by some settler who wished to per- 
 petuate the name in some beautiful 
 locality in America. 
 
 List of names of pupils at District 
 No. 2 school, taken with few excep- 
 tions from the registers: 
 
 Achorn, Lizzie B., 1865-69. 
 
 Achorn, Minnie L., 1865-77'. 
 
 Acliorn, Albert W., 1868-75. 
 
 Achorn, Robert E., 1865-70. 
 
 Adams, Martlia J., 1851. 
 
 Adams, Thomas E., 1851. 
 
 Adams, Almond, 1851. 
 
 Adams, Luther, 1851. 
 
 Ames, Amos L., 1868-72. 
 
 Andrew, Jessie M., 1894-96. 
 
 Barry, Edward, 1860. 
 
 Barry, James, 1859-60. 
 
 Bartemus, George H., 1857. 
 
 Barry, Mary, 1854. 
 
 Berquist, Lawrence, 1904-10. 
 
 Berquist, Irene, 1905-07. 
 
 Berquist, Grant T., 1908-10. 
 
 Berquist, Oscar W., 1890-93. 
 
 Berquist, George W., 1890-94. 
 
 Bessant, Luther, 1866. 
 
 Bessant, Margaret, 1857-61. 
 
 Beard, Charles, 1862. 
 
 Bigelow, Marjorie, 1900-01. 
 
 Bibby. William T., 1884-86. 
 
 Black, Donald D., 1884. 
 
 Bliss, Charles P., 1880-81. 
 
 Bishop, Flora E., 1880-81, L. A. 1886. 
 
 Bishop, Athella, 1877, L. A. 1879. 
 
 Bishop, Nellie, 1880-81. 
 
 Bishop, Sylvia, 1880-81. 
 
 Blood, George D., 1852. 
 
 Blood, Andrew, 1853-59. 
 
 I'>lood, John, 1853-59. 
 
 Blood. Roxanna, 1853-57. 
 
 Blood, Charles, 1853-59. 
 
 Blood, Nancy M., 1853. 
 
 Blood, Frank, 1854-59. 
 
 Blood, Olive, 1853-55. 
 
 Blood, Maria M., 1855. 
 
 Blood, Henry, 1859-60. 
 
 Blood, Eliza. 1856. 
 
 10 
 
N... :'.t. r.)ll,inl llniiM' 
 
 No. .".0. lloiiM' .>( tllf I5i^; i;."'l. 
 
N<i. 41. The Heiijaniin Hall I'lace. lUinied Ffli. lo. isiil. 
 
 .\... i;.. (;aii(.t iioiix' 
 
Blood, Charles N.. 1904-06. Dickinson. Joseph n.. 1868-75. L. A. 
 
 Billings, Henry A., 1855. 1879. 
 
 Billings, lOllzabeth L.. 1856. DlcklnHon. Helon S.. 1S6S-76, L. A. 1880. 
 
 Bowles, Howard J., 1902-OG. I )|fkltiaon. Mabol C. 1896-04. 
 
 Bowels, Dorothy L., 1902-05. DIckerman, Doris G.. 1909-10. 
 
 Hond, Alice, 1860-64. Dlck-son, Katy M.. 1873-74. 
 
 Bond. Ella V.. 1860-68. Dibble. Jo<'. 1869-70. 
 
 Urown. Daniel, 1851-56. Donahue, Daniel, 1869-73. 
 
 Brown. William, 1851-57. Dunaluic, Nellie, 1868-76. 
 
 Brown, .Jane, 1851-54. Donahue, MarKaret, 1868-70. 
 
 Brown, Catherine, 1851-57. Donahue, Thomas. 1872-75. 
 
 Brown, George, 1851. Donahue, Alice, 1880-80. 
 
 Brown, John, 1851. Donahue, James, 1881-84. 
 
 Burgess, Ellen M.. 1852-53. Donahue, John, 1874-82, 
 
 Burgess, Hattle, 1876. Donahue, Su.sle, 1882-90. 
 
 Butler, Ella G., 1861. Donl.in. Michael, 1851-53. 
 
 Brennan, Francis M., 1854. Donlon, Patrick, 1851-53. 
 
 iioothboy, Fannie, 1877. Drake. Alden W., 1887. 
 
 Carruth, -Mberta, 1876. Dragon, Olive, 1888. 
 
 Carrig, John, 1S6S. Dorrily. Patrick, 1853. 
 
 Carrlg, Lizzie, 1868. Dulton. Julius C, 1855. 
 
 Carrig, Margaret, 1868. Dot ton, George. 1855. 
 
 Careton, George S., 1884. Dutlon, f)rniand N., 1855. 
 
 Chase. George S., 1853-64. Dulton. Mary E., 1855. 
 
 Chase, Walter, 1863-68, L. A. 1876. DulTy, John C, 1886. 
 
 Chase. Maria F., 1859-68, L. A. 1871. Duffv, Annie H., 1886. 
 
 Chase. Fannie S., 1863. Duren, Mary J.. 1851-52. 
 
 Chase, Mary E., 1853-64. Duren, George B., 1852. 
 
 (^hase, Sarah F., 1857-61. Duren, Charles, 1852-60. 
 
 Carney, Mary A.. 1857-59. Dyboll, Edward, 1910. 
 
 Carney, Katherlne. 1857-59. Dyboll, Albert. 1910. 
 
 trhisholm. Flora E., 1910. Dunham, Etta, 1868-70. 
 
 Clapp, Austin W., 1891. Doroughty, Willie. 1872-73. 
 
 Clough, Warren A., 1889-95. T.. A. 1897'. l^.aton, Walter. 1886-87. 
 
 Clough. Marion D., 1891-99. L. A. 1897. Eaton, Lamont R., 1886-87. 
 
 Chesborough. Charles C, 1894. Farnsworth, I-^lizaheth H.. 1851-60. 
 
 Chosborough, Samuel, 1887. Farnsworth, Sarah A.. 1851-63. 
 
 Chesborough, Walter A.. 1887-94. Farnsworth, George H., 1S51-63, D. A. 
 
 Campbell. Katherine, 1852. 1861. 
 
 Campbell, Harriet, 1852. Farnsworth, Ellis, 1851-55. 
 
 Corey, John H.. 1852-53. Farnsworth, Mary J.. 1853-64. 
 
 Condon. C, 1856. Farnsworth, Sarah E., 185.1-57. 
 
 Condon, J., 1856. Farnsworth, Anna, 1853. 
 
 Condon. W., 1856. Farnsworth, John, 1855. 
 
 Corey, Lucy, 1862. Farnsworth. Isabelle. 1856. 
 
 Culoon, Frank. 1855. Farnsworth, Elizabeth, 1861-63. 
 
 Culoon. Edward L.. 1855. Farnsworth, George W., 1903-08. 
 
 (^uloon, Susanna, 1855. Farnsworth, Lydia G.. 1903-09. 
 
 Croney. James, 1851-51. Farnsworth. Edith H.. 1904-09. 
 
 ("ulver, James F.. 1868-69. Farnsworth, Mildred E., 1909-10. 
 
 (^ulver, George. 1869-70. Felch, Ell, 1854. 
 
 Culver. Charlotte F.. 1868-76, L. A. 1877. Ferrln. Abbie, 1863-64. 
 
 Culver, Alice I., 1870-72, L. A. 1880. Ferrln, Mary, 1863-64. 
 
 Culver, Grace A., 1875-81, L. A. 1883. Ferrln, Edward C. 1863-64. 
 
 Culver, Herbert G., 1883-89. Ferrln, B. J., 1864. 
 
 Culver, Walter J., 1882-90. FItts. George B.. 1857. 
 
 Culver. Addle E., 1885-89. Fitts, Eugenia, 1860. 
 
 Culver, Ethel E., 1885-86. Felch, Edward P., 1887. 
 
 Culver, Ralph F.. 1886-91. Fitzgerald, Florence, 1895. 
 
 Culver, John H., 1891-00. Folklns, Florence J., 1899-07. 
 
 Culver, Pauline M., 1889-96. Fox, Halburton, 1883-84. 
 
 Culver, Roy A., 1896-07. Ford, George. 1860. L. A. 1864. 
 
 Cashing, Joseph M., 1857. French, Samuel P., 1870-72. 
 
 Cushing, Anna H.. 1857-69. Fuller. Hattle W.. 1881-83. 
 
 Cutts, Florence, 1870-72. Fuller, Frank, 1864. 
 
 Cutts, WInfleld, 1870-73. Gaut, Nellie A., 1869-73. L. A. 1871. 
 
 Collins. Nellie M., 1875-76. Gaut. Franklin S.. 1S69-73. L. A. 1876. 
 
 Davis. Ruth, 1900-07. Gllson, Fannie E.. 1861-66. 
 
 Davl.s, Carrie F., 1900-07. Gllson. William B., 1861-57. 
 
 Davis. Harry E., 1906-10. Gllson, Lucv E., 1861-61. 
 
 Davis, Alice M., 1909-10. Gllson. Mary E., 1861-60. 
 
 Delano. Ida May, 1900. Gllson. Henry A.. 1S51-67. 
 
 Delano. Ada F., 1900. Gllson. (Jeorge H., 1851-fi2. 
 
 Denahy, Michael J., 1894-05. Gllson. Franklin E.. lsn:-C9. L. A. 1870. 
 
 Denahy, Jerry L., 1894-95. Gllson, 1,111a A., IS.ig-np. 
 
 Denahy, Catherine, 1895. Gllson, Sumner. 1863-64. 
 
 DIrkinson. Henrietta, 1869-70. Gllson, Henry H., 1870-81. 
 
 Dickinson. Robert C. 1859-63, L. A. 186G. Gllson. Susie. 1886. 
 
 Dickinson, Edward D., 1859-64, L. A. Gllson, Earl W.. 1891-99. 
 
 1860-63. Gllson, Charlotte V., 1899-00. 
 
 — 11 — 
 
Gllson. Mildred E., 1901-05. 
 
 Gilson, Cyril W. B., 1903-10. 
 
 Gllson. Robina, 1905. 
 
 Goding, John W., 1874-78. A. H. S. 1883. 
 
 Goding-, T. Edgar, 1884-88. 
 
 Goding, T. Arthur, 1874-76. 
 
 Gill. William H., 1857-59. 
 
 Gill. Jane E., 1857. 
 
 Gilson. William M.. 1851-55. 
 
 Graves. Joseph, 1856-64, L. A. 1865. 
 
 Graves, Benjamin F., 1857, L. A. 1862. 
 
 Graves, Samuel L., 1857, L. A. 1860. 
 
 Graves, Henry G., 1857, L. A. 1863. 
 
 Graves, Ellen, 1862-70. 
 
 Graves, Susie, 1870-80. 
 
 Graves, Fred, 1875-82, A. H. S. 1886. 
 
 Graves, Lizzie, 1874-82. 
 
 Graves, Mabel, 1881-90. 
 
 Gove, Everett (Everhard), 1881. 
 
 Gove, Clarence, 1881. 
 
 Gove, Henry, 1881. 
 
 Goodwin, Mabel E., 1884-86. 
 
 Goodwin, Harry P., 1884. 
 
 Giddings. Eugene, 1889. 
 
 Giddings, Isabella A., 1895-96. 
 
 Grimes, Delia B., 1890-91. 
 
 Grimes, Andrew J., 1890-91. 
 
 Gerry, Cyril, 1906-08. 
 
 Gray, Katie 1862-69. 
 
 Gould, John, 1862. 
 
 Gould, Opphia J.. 1851, L. A. 1852. 
 
 Hackett, Mary A., 1860-64. 
 
 Hackett, Ellen, 1860-64. 
 
 Hackett, Michael, 1860. 
 
 Hackett, John, 1861-69. 
 
 Hackett, Willie. 1862-74. 
 
 Hackett, Kate, 1862-72. 
 
 Hackett, James. 1869-75, L. A. 1879. 
 
 Hackett. Mary A., 1882-84. 
 
 Hart. James, 1859. 
 
 Hart, John, 1859. 
 
 Hartwell, John S., 1851-55. 
 
 Hartwell, Nathaniel C, 1851-55. 
 
 Hartwell. Harris C, 1859, L. A. 1863. 
 
 Hartwell, Benjamin H., 1859, L. A. 1863, 
 
 Hartwell. Samuel N., 1859-60. 
 
 Hartwell, Lottie E., 1859-64, L. A. 1865. 
 
 Hazen, Thomas L., 1853. 
 
 Hazen, Caroline B., 1862. 
 
 Hazen, Louisa C. 1859-62. 
 
 Hazen. Emily P., 1859-62. 
 
 Haley, Henry, 1861. 
 
 Haley, Jeremiah, 1856. 
 
 Hart, Lizzie, 1862. 
 
 Hennigan, Mary, 1870-76. 
 
 Hennigan, Kate, 1870-76, L. A. 1881. 
 
 Hennigan, Ellen, 1870-80. 
 
 Hennigan, John T., 1872-80, L. A. 1883. 
 
 Hamlet. William, 1872. 
 
 Hamlet, Fred, 1872. 
 
 Hamlet, Eddie, 1872. 
 
 Harris, Elinor, 1884. 
 
 Harris, Lizzie, 1884. 
 
 Harris, George C, 1884. 
 
 Harris, Benjamin. 1884. 
 
 Harris, Elmer L., 1904. 
 
 Harris, Everett E., 1904. 
 
 Harris, Viola K., 1909-10. 
 
 Harriman, Elizabeth, 1856-57. 
 
 Harriman, Augustus B., 1903-10. 
 
 Harriman, Gordon F., 1908. 
 
 Hart, John, 1900-07. 
 
 Hannis, Annie M., 1880, L. A. 1880. 
 
 Higgins, Albertina, 1865-70. 
 
 Hills, Minerva C. 1870-75. 
 
 Hills, Mary A., 1870-75. 
 
 Hodgman, Nancy Hannah, 1851-53. 
 
 Hodgman, George H., 1851-59. 
 
 Hodgman, Harriet W., 1851. 
 
 Hodgman, Lucilla H., 1852-53, L. A. 1854. 
 Hodgman, George E.. 1851-54. 
 Houghton, Charles, 1851. 
 Harlow, Esteane, 1889. 
 Holbrook, Eunice, 1900-01. 
 Huebner, Thekla V.. 1896-04. 
 Huebner, Leonita, 1899-07. 
 Huebner, Reginald, S.. 1902-08. 
 Huebner, Herman E., 1894-01, L. A. 
 
 1902. 
 Huebnor, Nimie, 1894-99. 
 Hulen, George, 1894-95. 
 Hulen, Bertrand, 1894-95. 
 Hurley, Mary, 1902. 
 Haskins. Araminta, 1872. 
 Jones, John H., 1884. 
 Jewett, Fred R., 1888-90. 
 Jewett, Annie M., 1888-91. 
 Jewett, Mabel M., 1890. 
 Jewett, Maud A., 1905-07. 
 Jewett, Harold E., 1905-07. 
 John.-^on. Charles K., 1901. 
 Kane, John, 1854-55. 
 Kendall, Eliza A.. 1861-62. 
 Kendall, George. 1861. 
 Keyes, L. Lizzie, 1864-69, L. A. 1871. 
 Keating, Susie E., 1880-84, A. H. S. 
 
 1SS9, Bridgewater Normal. 
 Keating, Mary J., 1880-90, G. H. S., 
 
 Bridgewater Normal. 
 Keating, Charles D., 1880-89. 
 Keating. John F., 1880-86. 
 Keating, George H., 1880-84. 
 Keating, Lillie, 1884-90. 
 Keating, Helen L., 1886-95, G. H. S. 
 ICeating, Charlotte, 1891-99, G. H. S. 
 Keegan, Nancy. 1905-09. 
 Keegan, Catherine I., 1905-09. 
 Keegan, Joseph O., 1905-09. 
 Keegan, Jeremiah F., 1905-09. 
 Lunt. Emily W., 1851. 
 Long, M. A., 1856. 
 Long, James, 1856. 
 Long. Mary E., 1888. 
 Long, Michael, 1888-89. 
 Lamont. Mary A., 1888-91. 
 Levers, Stenie J., 1868-69. 
 Leighton, Mary A., 1859. 
 Leighton, Calvin D., 1859. 
 Lawrence, Billie, 1864. 
 Lawrence, Horace, 1864. 
 Livingston, Anna, 1867-69. 
 Livingston, Joseph W., 1864-69. 
 Livingston. Charles. 1867-69. 
 Legnard, Grace, 1880-82. 
 Lcathe. Emma T., 1880. 
 Lewis, Joseph, D., 1882-91, L. A. 1891. 
 Lewis, Alfred G., 1888-94. 
 Lund, Evangeline, 1905-07. 
 Lyons, Daniel, 1872-73. 
 Lyons, John, 1872-73. 
 Magoon, Oscar L., 1871-72. 
 Mandigo, Jessie H., 1902. 
 Mandigo, Henry J., 1902. 
 Marcy, Arline, 1875. 
 Mason, Jo.seph C. 1851, L. A. 1854. 
 Mason, Alfred D.. 1875-76, L. A. 1877. 
 Mason, Clara C, 1875-76. 
 Mayo, Merle R., 1887-89. 
 May. Edith H.. 1881. 
 May, Alonzo F., 1880-84. 
 May. Edward H., 1880. 
 Marble, Carrie E., 1883-84. 
 Maxwell. William T., 1880. 
 McConlouge, Francis, 1863. 
 McConlouge, Mary, 1863. 
 McConlouge, Thomas, 1863. 
 McCarthy. John, 1S75-76. 
 McDermott, George, 1863. 
 
 12 
 
McDonald, Thomas, 1874. 
 
 McGovern, Thomas W., 1907-09. 
 
 McGovern, Nellie M.. 1907-09. 
 
 McGovern. T.izzle C, 1907-09. 
 
 Messer, Walter. 1854. 
 
 Messer, Kmnia. 1S61-64, I.,. A. 1865. 
 
 Messer, Georfro Fred, 1861-64. 
 
 Messer, Abbott M., 1862. 
 
 Messer, Maud, lSSO-82. 
 
 Messer, Mary C. 1882. 
 
 McDonald. Thomas F., 1883. 
 
 Messer, Jane, 1905. 
 
 Messer, Genevieve, 1905. 
 
 Miller, Henry W., 1908-10. 
 
 Miller. Delvina, 1908-10. 
 
 Miller, Lewis E., 1908-10. 
 
 Miller, Rowell. 1908-10. 
 
 Miller, Irene, 1909-10. 
 
 McNerny, Thomas, 1886. 
 
 McNerny. Kate, 1886. 
 
 Moors, Mary F.. 1S51-55, I.. A. 1853. 
 
 Moors, Klizabeth A.. 1851-59. 
 
 Moors, Fanny F., 1852-56. 
 
 Moors. Lucy, 1854-55. 
 
 Monroe. Charles L., 1854. 
 
 ilonroe, Peter F., 1854. 
 
 Morrison, Christine, M.. 1899. 
 
 Moulton, Adelia, 1862-68. 
 
 Moulton, Harry E., 1875. 
 
 Moulton, Wilson N., 1861-64. 
 
 Munster. William. 1908. 
 
 Murray, James, 1854. 
 
 Needham, Elmer. 1S59. 
 
 Newman. Charles, 1860-63. L. A. 1866. 
 
 Newton, IJzzie M.. 1S64. 
 
 Newton. William H., 1864. 
 
 Newton, 1864. 
 
 Nimmo, I'hilip, 1890-91. 
 
 Nimmo. Donald C, 1902-04. 
 
 Northrup. Hertha. 1902-03. 
 
 Nowill, Herbert, 1910. 
 
 O'Day. Michael. 1851. 
 
 Ober, Jessie, 1880-81. 
 
 Ober, J. Frank, 1880-82. 
 
 O'Brien. Nellie, S.. 1880-81. 
 
 O'Connell. Josephine C, 1908-10. 
 
 Oliver, Rachel M.. 1S56. 
 
 O'Veil, Michael, 1857-61. 
 
 O-Neill. Thomas. 1870-72. 
 
 O-Neil, Edward, 1870-72. 
 
 Otis, George A., 1855. 
 
 Otis. Lucy R., 1855. 
 
 Otis, Samuel, 1855. 
 
 Otis. Harrison G.. 1855. 
 
 Page, Abel Dexter, 1851-52. 
 
 Page, Luther. 1851-55. 
 
 Parker. Josephine M., 1851-52. 
 
 T'age. Edward C. 1881-89, L. A. 1894. 
 
 Parker, Luther L., 1854. 
 
 Parker, Augustus P.. 1854. 
 
 Parker. Svbil D., 1858-59. 
 
 Pate, Mary A.. 1864. 
 
 Pate. James, 1907-08. 
 
 Patten. Francis. 1859. 
 
 Patten, Simon. 1858. 
 
 Palmer, Ernest R., 1910. 
 
 Palmer. Randolph. 1910. 
 
 Palmer. Lloyd, 1910. 
 
 rvarson. Stephen C. 1853. 
 
 Pike. Willie. 1868. 
 
 Pollard, Mary J., 1851-62. 
 
 Pollnrd. Florence M., 1S53-6L 
 
 Pollard. Franklin H.. 1857-62. 
 
 Powell. Mary C, 1895-01. 
 
 Powell. Charles A.. 1895-01. 
 
 Powell, George E.. 1895-01. 
 
 Powell, John B., 1896-01. 
 
 Proctor, Anna M.. 1855-57. 
 
 Proctor, Sanford P., 1855-62. 
 
 Renders, Nellie, 1877-78. 
 
 Uand. William. 1869-70. 
 
 Rand, Winnie, 1869-70. 
 
 Rand. Albert W., 1871. 
 
 Raymond, Albert C. S.. 1891. 
 
 Richardson, Joseph H., 1853. 
 
 Richardson, Mary E.. 1856-59, L. A. 
 
 1858. 
 Richardson, Rufua B., 1856--59. L. A. 
 
 186.-'., Yale 1869. 
 Richardson, Alfred A., 1856-59. 
 Richardson. Charles H.. 1864. L. A. 1876, 
 
 Andover 1875, Yale 1880. 
 Richardson, Edward A.. 1864-75, L. A. 
 
 1875, Yale. 
 Richardson, Edith H„ 1880-84. A. H. S. 
 
 1892. 
 Richardson, Arthur B., 1877-84. L. A. 
 
 1883 
 Richardson, Francis J., 1877-84, A. H. 
 
 S 1892 
 Richardson, Bertha C, 1882-86. 
 Richardson, Florence J.. 1877-78. 
 Richards, L J., 1864. 
 Rice. Stella R., 1890-91. 
 Reardon. John D.. 1891-96. 
 Roblnsqn, Luther A., 1869-70. 
 Robinson, Mary F., 1874. 
 Robinson, Ida F., 1873-75. 
 Robinson, CJeorge H., 1871-75. 
 Robbins. Eflle M., 1891-94. 
 Robbins, Charles E., 1891-94. 
 Robbins, Frances J., 1891-94. 
 Robbins, Leon R.. 1891-94. 
 Robbins, Louisa L... 1894. 
 Roots, Nelson H., 1871-74. 
 Roots, Alice E.. 1874. 
 Roots. Annie M., 1872-74. 
 Russell. Artemas, 1873. 
 Russell, George C. 1884-90, A. H. S. 
 
 1896. 
 Reardon. (^hristopher P., 1895. 
 Rynn, Thomas, 1864-76. 
 Rynn. William. 1864-76. 
 Rynn, Nellie M., 1868-76. 
 Rynn. Annie T. 1876-81. 
 Rowell. Almond, 1868. 
 Sargent, Harold H., 1902-07, G. H. S. 
 Sargent. Arollne H., 1905-09. 
 Sargent. David P.. 1907-10. 
 Sargent. Ralph. 1907-10. 
 Sargent, Esther, 1909. 
 Sargent. Stella C. 1910. 
 Sargent, Joseph H^, 1887-98. 
 Sawtell, Mary F., 1851-60. 
 Scanlon, Susan, 1870-72. 
 Scanlon. Charlotte F.. 1870-76. 
 Scanlon. Thomas. 1871-76. 
 Scanlon, John, 1872. 
 Saunders. Ansel, 1861-64. 
 Searles. Emma, 1868-70. 
 Sawyer, Alice E.. 1882-84. 
 Scott. Blanche A.. 1898-99. 
 Scott. Eva M.. 1898-03. 
 Scott. Bertha R.. 1898-01. 
 Scott, George W., 1898-03. 
 Scott. Bernard A.. 1900-05. 
 Scott, <\irrle B.. 1902-08. 
 Scott, Raymond E.. 1904-OS. 
 Scott. Stephen A.. 1905-07. 
 Scott. Everett W.. 190S. 
 Singer, Blanche. 1906. 
 SIvret, Helen T.. 1S99. 
 SIvret. Marion E.. 1S99-0O. 
 SIvret. Harold F.. 1900 
 Shnrbono. Fred. 1906-OS. 
 Sharbono, Perley W.. 1908. 
 Scanlon. Joseph H.. 1900. 
 Smale, Oswald, 1900. 
 
 — 13 — 
 
Smith, Charles, 1868-69. 
 
 Smith, Albert C, 1887-88. 
 
 Smith, Georg-e Gilman, 1887-91, G. H. S. 
 
 Smith, Lawrence B., 1887-91, G. H. S. 
 
 Smith. Edward C., 1887-91, L. A. 1897. 
 
 Smith, Francis W., 1889-96, L. A. 1900. 
 
 Smith, Theophilus G., 1894-99, L. A. 
 
 1901. 
 Smith, Franklin O., 1899. 
 Sparks, Klla E., 1868-69. 
 Sparks, Hattie H., 1868-69. 
 Sparks. Levi, 1868. 
 Sparks, Malcolm C, 1868-69. 
 Stewart, Carrie, 1869-70. 
 Stewart, Luella, 1869-70. 
 Stewart, Flora, 1869. 
 Stewart, Hiram, 1869, L. A. 1871. 
 Stone, Loui.sa E., 18.51-59. 
 Stone, George H.. 1851-61. 
 Stone, William H., 1851-64. 
 Stone. Mary A., 1851-53. 
 Stone, Martha E., 1851-53. 
 Stone, Ward L., 1851-53. 
 Stone, Albert, 1851. 
 Stone, Emma L., 1852-64. 
 Stone, J. F., 1856-57. 
 Stone, Mary F., 1870-81. 
 Stone, Jennie C, 1867-78. 
 Stone, Fannie E.. 1870-83. 
 Stone, Clara L., 1875-82. 
 Stone, H. Austin, 1874-80. 
 Stone, Abbie H., 1883-91. 
 Swan, Emory C, 1884. 
 Taylor, Fannie E., 1886-94. 
 Taylor, Herbert W^.. 1886-94. 
 Thatcher, Michael, 1856. 
 Tibbetts, Georgianna, 1874-75. 
 Tibbetts, .Jennie, 1874-75. 
 Torrey, Linnie W., 1874-76, L. A. 1882. 
 Tuttle, Lena, 1869-80, L. A. ISSO. 
 Tuttle, Arthur C, 1869-78. 
 Tuttle, Cora F., 1874-83. 
 Tuttle, Frank F., 1883-87. 
 Tuttle, I-ouisa E., 1873-76. 
 Tuttle, Clarence A., 1890-99, L. A. 1900. 
 Tuttle, Howard G., 1892-00. 
 Tuttle. Lillian G., 1900-08. G. H. S. 
 
 1911. 
 Turner, Helen M., 1872-75. 
 Twitchell, Mabel A., 1900-01. 
 Twitchell, Harry A., 1900-01. 
 Waitt, Ellsworth, 1864. 
 Waitt, Lizzie E., 1860-64, G. H. S. 
 Waitt. Charles H., 1869-78, L. A. 1879. 
 Waitt, Georg-e E., 1872-80. 
 Watson, Charles H., 1879, L. A. 1880. 
 Watson, Mary A., 1880-82, L. A. 1882. 
 Watson, Sarah L., 1880-83. 
 Watson, Edwin F., 1884. 
 Weber, Eleanor May, 1897-00, A. H. S. 
 
 1907. 
 Weber, Marion L., 1897-03. 
 Walden, William H., 1851. 
 Wheeler, Sarah A.. 1852. 
 Wheeler, Eva R., 1898-00. 
 Wheeler, Hazel, 1899-00. 
 Whalen, Margaret, 1899. 
 Whittaker, Laura A., 1880-82. 
 Whittaker, Minnie. 1882. 
 Whitney, Alvin G.. 1888-91, L. A. 1902. 
 Williams. William J.. 1896. 
 AVilliams, Annie T., 1901-03. 
 Wing, Frank H.. 1875-76. 
 Wing, Fred, 1875-76. 
 Wonson, Asa M., 1900-01. 
 Wonson. Jennie M., 1900. 
 Wood, Edward Addison. 1857. L. A. 
 
 1858. 
 Wood. William Curtis, 1857, L. A. 1858. 
 
 Wood, Vesta, 1894-96. 
 
 Wood, Wilma, 1894-02. 
 
 Wood, Henry, 1894-03. 
 
 Wood, George E., 1901-05. 
 
 Wood, Sarah E., 1901-04. 
 
 Wood. Elmer J., 1902-10. 
 
 Woods, Laura J., 1903-08. 
 
 Wood, Herbert B.. 1905-07. 
 
 Woods. Hattie, 1908. 
 
 Wood, Vernon F., 1908-09. 
 
 Wilis, Benedict J., 1908-09. 
 
 Workman, Ruth E., 1902-09. 
 
 Workman, Horace W., 1902. 
 
 Workman, Edith M., 1909-10. 
 
 Willard, Stedman A.. 1853-55. 
 
 Willard, Lydia S.. 1843-56, L. A. 1851. 
 
 Williams, Lucy A., 1870. 
 
 Wright, Maria C, 1851-59, L. A. 1854. 
 
 Wright. Sarah J., 1851-64, L. A. 1866. 
 
 Wright, Fannie E., 1851-64, L. A. 1860. 
 
 Wveth, Adaline D., 1854. 
 
 Wveth, Warren, 1854-55. 
 
 Wyeth, Augusta E., 1854. 
 
 The John M. Gilson family lived for 
 many years in the district and Mr. Gil- 
 son was prudential committee at 
 times. His home was Just below the 
 school and has been a favorite board- 
 ing place for the teachers. We can 
 imagine the young men found it 
 pleasant in the company of Mr. Gil- 
 son's interesting daughters. His sons 
 and daughters all attended here and 
 some of his grandchildren are now 
 pupils. 
 
 Mr. Gilson built a new house after 
 his purchase of the farm in 1849, of 
 the Levi Stone heirs and the old house 
 which stood deserted across the road 
 southerly of the present one was a 
 favorite playhouse for the scholars 
 of those days until sold to a Mr. Fitz 
 and moved away. 
 
 Valancourt Stone was the only son 
 of Abraham Stone and attended school 
 here for several years. He was born 
 in 1829, and died on December 15, 1906, 
 aged 77 yrs. 2 mos. 10 days, at Cam- 
 bridge, Mass., where he had resided 
 for several years after leaving the 
 town of Ayer. His house in the last- 
 named town, was opposite the en- 
 trance to the town park at the reser- 
 voir. 
 
 The Harriman family was living 
 at the well-known Moors farm in 1857, 
 and had representatives in the school. 
 In 1894, Isaac Harriman, jr., return- 
 ed to the district and purchased the 
 Ephraim Sawtell or Gaut place, 
 where he now resides, with his son 
 and family. 
 
 .John and Benjamin Hartwell both 
 settled in this district at about the 
 same time, in 1846. John bought the 
 
 14 — 
 
No. ]!•. 'rill' .l.ihii M. (.iUoli II. .MM'. I'.iiih ill I- 
 
 No. I'J. lii'lirnim -.iwliil lloim-, 
 
Hiifiis U. Itifhurdsoii. I'll. D. I?(>rii Aiiril is, 1,S4J. 
 
George M. Shattuck place and Ren- 
 jainin built a now house on i)art of 
 the Benjamin Ilall farm. They wore 
 sons of Doacon Samuel and Caroline 
 Matilda Wright Hartwell of Groton. 
 
 Samuel Noah Hartwell was the only 
 one of John's children who altondod 
 the school. He is now living at Ger- 
 mania, Wis., and is town clerk, librari- 
 an and a general business man at 
 that place. 
 
 The sons of Benjamin, Benjamin H. 
 and Harris C, became distinguisiied 
 in the councils of the state, both being 
 members of the legislature and the 
 latter a member of the state senate 
 and its president. 
 
 The services of Benjamin H. Hart- 
 well in this vicinity as teacher, physi- 
 cian, school committee and the pro- 
 moter of all work for the public good, 
 will never be forgotten. Harris was 
 a lawyer in Fitciiburg and both died 
 in the very midst of their useful ca- 
 reers much lamented. 
 
 Emma C. Hartwell was a daughter 
 of Benjamin and a brief account of 
 her is given among the list of teach- 
 ers. 
 
 In a pamphlet heretofore published, 
 entitled "The Community at Groton," 
 is an extended account of the Walter 
 Dickson family. The names of the 
 sons and daughters will be found 
 among the early iiupila. They attend- 
 ed school here between 1838 and 1843, 
 and three of these — Henry, Almira 
 and Mary, with the younger one Caro- 
 line, accompanied their parents to 
 Palestine on their mission of humanity 
 and suffered greatly in a brutal as- 
 sault made by brigands in that coun- 
 try. 
 
 Rufus B. Richardson was born in 
 Westford, Mass., April 18, 1845, son of 
 Joseph and Lucy M. Richardson, at- 
 tended this school 1856-59, graduated 
 at Lawrence academy in 1865, after 
 his return from the war, and Yale 
 college in 1869. He studied for the 
 ministry at Yale Divinity school and 
 was licensed to preach. After a brief 
 period of preaching, he was appointed 
 a tutor at Yale, followed by an ap- 
 pointment as professor in Greek lan- 
 guages at Indiana State university, 
 and later at Dartmouth college. He 
 was at the head of the American 
 School of Archeology and Research at 
 Athens, Greece, for eleven years and 
 
 made important discoveries In the ex- 
 cavations at Corinth. He is a cloar 
 tliinkor and writer, and a lerturor 
 upon subjects of archeologica! inter- 
 est. He married Alice E., daughter 
 of the late Henry C. Bowen of Brook- 
 lyn, N. Y., and Woodstock, Conn., and 
 resides at Woodstock. 
 
 One old pupil in 1855-62, Sanford P. 
 Proctor, says: "After leaving Mr. 
 Wright I enlisted in the navy and at 
 tiie close of the war, was sent to Europe 
 for two years; then sent to India, 
 China and Japan for four years; then 
 to South America, one year. Was 
 married here in Waterbury, Conn., in 
 1878, and have lived here ever sinco. 
 We have two daughters living in Now 
 Haven. My wife and I are passing 
 the evening of our lives here in Wa- 
 terbury, and talking over the past." 
 
 George Ford was the son of Rev. 
 George Ford, a missionary to southern 
 India in November. 1846. The son 
 George boarded in the family of Ephra- 
 im Sawtell while liis father was doing 
 missionary work in various places in 
 the United States. 
 
 Benjamin F., Samuel L. and Henry 
 G. Graves, residents of District No. 
 3 in 1857, when that school was tem- 
 porarily closed, attended this school. 
 
 Samuel L. Graves graduated at Am- 
 herst college in 1870, is a successful 
 lawyer in Fitchburg and in 1891, was 
 elected mayor of that city. 
 
 Franklin Earland Gilson was born 
 on September 7, 1852, son of John M. 
 Gilson, attended Lawrence academy 
 after leaving No. 2, and studied den- 
 tistry with the Colton Dental associ- 
 ation in Boston. Began practice in 
 Groton in 1880, and at present Is one 
 of the most successful dentists in 
 the state, being located in Aver. ]io 
 is a successful fruit grower, owning 
 one of the largest apple orchards in 
 Groton, in which town he resides. His 
 interest In Moors school is deeply 
 rooted, continued from his boyhood 
 days, when he was a pupil, to the pres- 
 ent time, and is further shown by 
 the attendance of three of his childron 
 there, though he resides nearer to the 
 village schools. To Dr. Gilson. the 
 writer wishes to extend appreciation 
 for assistance rondored in the securing 
 of much information from the older 
 pupils who are now living. 
 
 — 15 — 
 
Everhard, Clarence and Henry Gove 
 were sons of Edward H. Gove, once 
 secretary of the state of Maine, who 
 bought and lived for about a year at 
 the Alva Wright farm. 
 
 James Hackett is an officer at the 
 truant school for boys at North 
 Chelmsford, Mass. 
 
 Charles, Frank and Henry Blood 
 were for many years employed on the 
 old Fitchburg railroad, all at one time 
 on one train as engineer, conductor 
 and brakeman. The engineer, Charles, 
 is still employed as such on the same 
 division and the other two have died. 
 
 In the year 1857, after the breaking 
 up of the "community," as a religious 
 sect, the private school previously held 
 in the "Old shop," was not maintained, 
 and from out the west came advise to 
 the remaining families to have their 
 boys and girls attend the town 
 schools. As one of them remarks he 
 felt like a "fish out of water," but 
 they had good friends in the teacher 
 of 1858, Mr. Bancroft and in Nathaniel 
 Sawtell, the prudential committee for 
 1858-59-60, who had to come over and 
 talk pretty strongly to some of the 
 older boys who were inclined to make 
 life at school miserable for them. 
 
 Samuel N. Hartwell of Wisconsin, 
 v.rites: "We all read two verses in 
 the Testament each morning, and then 
 Mr. Bancroft offered prayer, standing 
 behind his desk. Mr. Bancroft was 
 always very kind to the community 
 children and gave us much credit for 
 being good and studious. I have al- 
 ways had pleasant memories of my 
 going to school at school No. 2 in 
 Groton, Mass." 
 
 The following is a sketch of a form- 
 er pupil who like his father, .Joseph 
 H. Richardson, attended school here 
 for a short period. This was publish- 
 ed in Turner's Public Spirit shortly 
 after his death, which occurred on 
 July 1, 1894: 
 
 "Charles H. Richardson was born in 
 Groton, in 1857, being the eldest of a 
 family of nine children. His boyhood 
 years were spent with his parents on 
 a small farm in that part of the town 
 known as "the community" and near 
 where is now located the Groton 
 School; afterward working somewhat 
 with his father at the carpenter's 
 trade. Becoming at an early age fa- 
 miliar with all the branches taught 
 
 in the common schools in the vicinity 
 of his home, he attended the Ayer 
 high school, graduating with its earli- 
 est class. He attended the academy 
 and later Phillips academy, from 
 which he graduated. He then enter- 
 ed Yale college, graduating with hon- 
 or in the class of '80. Immediately 
 upon leaving Yale, before returning 
 to his home, he took a civil service ex- 
 amination, passing successfully, near 
 the head of the list. On August 16, 
 1880, he was appointed to a clerkship 
 in the patent office at Washington. 
 There he was from time to time pro- 
 moted upon his merits as shown by 
 competitive examination, from a $1200 
 position to that of first assistant ex- 
 aminer at a salary of $1800 a year. 
 When taken down with his last sick- 
 ness he was acting principal examiner, 
 with prospect of an early promotion 
 to the position of principal." 
 
 His wife was Anna Bancroft, daugh- 
 ter of the late Edmund Dana Bancroft 
 of Ayer, and she taught Moors school 
 in 1878-79. 
 
 Edward Adams Richardson, a pupil 
 in 1864 and again from 1870 to 1875, 
 was born in Groton Junction, Novem- 
 ber 24, 1859. After leaving this school 
 and the excellent methods of instruc- 
 tion of Mrs. Torrey, he attended Law- 
 rence academy, graduating in the class 
 of 1879. He entered Yale in the class 
 of 1883, and left college in his junior 
 year to take up a business life. Has 
 served the towns of Shirley and Ayer 
 in public positions and now resides 
 in Ayer. His name is also found 
 among the list of pupils who have 
 taught school after leaving No. 2. He 
 is a son of Joseph H. and Mary Hart- 
 well Richardson, and is of a family 
 which has furnished several scholars 
 at this school. 
 
 Amos L. Ames, pupil 1868-72, was 
 elected a selectman of Groton in the 
 year 1911. 
 
 Henry A. Billings, 1885, became a 
 noted turfman at Chicago, where hia 
 father was a wealthy gas manufac- 
 turer. 
 
 The Brown children of 1851, are liv- 
 ing in New York and Pennsylvania at 
 the present time, and were brothers 
 and sisters of the late Michael Brown 
 of Ayer, an older son of Mrs. Ellen 
 Brown, a widow, who lived at the 
 "pink house" south of James brook. 
 
 16 — 
 
.\(i. It. I'.(ii.i:iiiiiii ll:irt\vcll Iloii-f. Uiiilt IMT— Mi>\f.| 1!HI4. 
 
 
 No. i:.. i;i.li;ir.l-.m llniin'. Ituilt Is.M. 
 
K. I);m:i r.Murrolt. Is-Jl— is'.Ki 
 
George B. Duren is a successful 
 comiuission merchant in dry goods in 
 New Yorlt city. He was a member 
 of Company B, 26tli Massachusetts 
 Regiment in the war of the rebellion. 
 His parents, Robert and Betsey Duren, 
 died, the one July 25, 1886, aged 82 
 years and 8 months, the other on July 
 7, 1886, aged 82 years and 8 months. 
 
 John Willard Coding was born at 
 Waterville. Me., April 5, 1866, the son 
 of T. Madison Coding, who came into 
 the district in 1874. John and his 
 brothers attended Moors school and 
 when the family removed to Ayer he 
 entered the high school there, where 
 he graduated in the class of 1883. Dur- 
 ing his school days in Ayer he assisted 
 Ceorge H. Hill as a druggist clerk, 
 and in 1884, entered West Point mili- 
 tary academy, where he ranked high 
 in his studies. 
 
 He was a favorite in all the schools 
 he attended and a young man of great 
 promise. He died suddenly at West 
 Point at the age of nineteen, appar- 
 ently up to that time in perfect health, 
 after running up stairs to his room. 
 
 Alline E. Marcy will be remembered 
 by a few of the past pupils as having 
 attended the school for a short time 
 while her aunt, Mrs. Ellen M. Torrey, 
 taught and with whom she lived at the 
 time. Miss Marcy is the daughter of 
 Dwight and Alline Williams Marcy, 
 and was born at Tolland, Conn., in 
 February, 1868. Her mother was one 
 of the Williams family of Chicopee 
 row, a family which furnished men and 
 women as teachers for the schools of 
 Groton for many years. Miss .Marcy 
 is a graduate of Boston Law school 
 and is a practicing lawyer in Boston 
 and was among the first young ladies 
 to graduate from that institution. 
 
 Ralph Farnsworth Culver, son of 
 James and Mary Holland Culver, was 
 born on August 1, 1881, in Groton, 
 graduated at the Lowell TeJctile school 
 and as a chemist was employed at 
 Littleton, Providence and Pawtucket, 
 and then was head dyer for the Ar- 
 nold Print Works, North Adams. He 
 is now superintendent of the Hollis- 
 ton mill at Norwood. IMass., and is 
 quite a successful man along the lines 
 of his chosen work. He has been a 
 director and trustee of the institution 
 in Ix)well at which he secured his 
 technical training. 
 
 The five sons of Theophilu.s Ciiinan 
 Smith, who resides on the old Levi 
 Stone and John .M. Cilson farm, have 
 all extended the education received 
 here by attending the high school and 
 Lawrence academy at Groton. Fran- 
 cis went to Tufts college, bocame a 
 civil engineer and was employed by 
 the Inited States government in the 
 Phillipine Islands. lOdward went to 
 Williams college, Lawrence took a 
 course at the Massachusetts Agricul- 
 tural college and Theophilus, jr., at- 
 tended the Lowell Textile school. 
 George attended the Groton high 
 school and all the brothers have ex- 
 cellent postions. 
 
 It may be interesting to state that 
 Nathan F. Culver once told his oldest 
 daughter, Mary Elizabeth, that li<« and 
 her mother often ploughed their way 
 across the very farm they afterwards 
 owned when they were pupils togeth- 
 er at No. 2, one winter. They then 
 lived at the Amos Farnsworth farm 
 and the boy led the way to school, 
 breaking the path through the deep 
 snow for his future wife. 
 
 When public spelling matclies were 
 the rage in the New England towns, 
 the schoolhouse was opened on several 
 occasions in the evenings for a neigh- 
 borhood contest and lamps were 
 brought in and a generally social time 
 was had. The presence of the fixed 
 seats probably was all that prevented 
 a country dance to wind up the meet- 
 ing. 
 
 So in the earlier days, spirit lamps 
 were brought by every pupil to the 
 writing schools given by some peripa- 
 tetic teacher. The evening prayer 
 meeting held here In the revival peri- 
 od of 1871, gives another tJirn to our 
 interest in the old schoolhouse and 
 was intended to bring into the fold 
 those in the district who were, per- 
 haps, not afRliated with any particu- 
 lar church. These meetings were af- 
 terwards conducted at the "Yeast 
 house," up on the hill, and later in a 
 tent by evangelists from Boston. 
 
 Some of the more recent pupils have 
 expressed their pleasant recollections 
 of the ride to school with the teacher, 
 Miss Lonpley. as she drove from the 
 neighborhood of the "other road," and 
 recall the great alarm and constant 
 solicitude they had for her and Clar- 
 ence Tuttle when they were injured 
 
 17 
 
at the railroad crossing on Decem- 
 ber 23, 1891. 
 
 One of the "school girls" who lived 
 quite near the school Avrites: "I re- 
 member with peculiar pleasure my 
 five years of school life at the little 
 brick schoolhouse on the hill. Time 
 has brought many changes, but the 
 fragrance of the memory of my child- 
 hood days in Groton lingers very near 
 my heart." 
 
 Many of the teachers at this school 
 afterwards continued their labors as 
 educators in other places and some 
 became famous as the heads of class- 
 ical and technical schools. 
 
 The following list of teachers will 
 be found interesting for reference: 
 
 1802-3. John Farrar. 
 1817. Joshua Green. 
 
 1832. Curtis Lawrence. 
 
 1833. Elizabeth Jacobs. 
 
 1834. Maria Nutting. 
 1836. Clifford Belcher. 
 
 1840. Charles Dickson. 
 
 1841. Mary Brigham. 
 
 1842. Cynthia Jacobs. 
 1842-3. Samuel C. Wheeler. 
 
 1846. Curtis Lawrence. 
 
 1847. Harriet B. Harwood; Curtis 
 
 Lawrence. 
 1848-9. Artemas Longley. 
 
 1849. Susan F. Lawrence; J. Otis 
 
 Whitney. 
 
 1850. Agnes B. Pollard; Hollis Carr. 
 
 1851. Agnes B. Pollard; John P. 
 
 Towne. 
 
 1852. Alma Willard; Alden Ladd. 
 
 1853. Agnes B. Pollard; Alden Ladd. 
 
 1854. Mary E. Andrews; Mary P. 
 
 Baker. 
 
 1855. Frances O. Peabody; Charles 
 
 O. Thompson. 
 
 1856. Jane E. Davis; Solomon Flagg. 
 
 1857. Amanda Parsons; Earl Web- 
 
 ster Westgate. 
 
 1858. Elizabeth Graham; Cecil F. P. 
 
 Bancroft. 
 
 1859. Susan F. Bancroft; Cecil F. P. 
 
 Bancroft. 
 
 1860. Susan F. Bancroft; Rufus Liv- 
 
 ermore. 
 
 1861. Susan F. Bancroft; George A. 
 
 Bruce. 
 
 1862. Julia M. Page; Charles E. 
 
 Blgelow. 
 
 1863. Emma C. Hartwell; Emma C. 
 
 Hartwell. 
 J864. Emma C. Hartwell; Benjamin 
 H. Hartwell. 
 
 1865. Lizzie S. Jaquith; Maria C. 
 
 Wright. 
 
 1866. Fannie E. Wright; James C. C. 
 
 Parker. 
 
 1867. Fannie E. Wright; Jennie 
 
 Wright. 
 
 1868. Cynthia A. Goodnow; Andrew 
 
 F. Reed. 
 
 1869. Arabella Prescott; Andrew P. 
 
 Reed. 
 
 1870. Genie A. Hunt; Jennie Wright, 
 
 two terms. 
 
 1871. Jennie Wright, three terms. 
 
 1872. Jennie Wright; Lucy Hill; El- 
 
 len M. Torrey. 
 
 1873-4-5-6. Ellen M. Torrey. 
 
 1877. Ellen M. Torrey Mason, thir- 
 teen terms in all. 
 
 1877. Clara F. Woods, three terms. 
 
 1878. Clara F. Woods; Abby D. Pen- 
 
 niman; J. H. Warren. 
 
 1879. Anna Bancroft, two terms; 
 
 Sarah F. Longley, one term. 
 1880-1891. Sarah F. Longley, thirty- 
 six terms. 
 
 1892. Dora L. Bailey taught in winter. 
 1892-3. Nannette J. May, three terms. 
 
 1893. M. Leola Wright, one term. 
 1893. Sarah F. Longley, one term. 
 1894-1907. Sarah F. Longley, forty- 
 two terms. 
 
 1908. Mary H. Kimball, two terms. 
 1908-1911. Sarah F. Longley, ten 
 terms. 
 
 John Farrar, who taught In the 
 winter of 1802-3, was born in Lincoln, 
 Mass., July 1, 1779, and graduated at 
 Harvard college in the class of 1803. 
 From 1805 to 1836, he was connected 
 with the college as tutor and instruc- 
 tor in Greek in the early years and 
 later held the chair of Hollis profes- 
 sor of mathematics and natural phil- 
 osophy. He also published a text 
 book on the elements of algebra. He 
 died on May 8, 1853. The following 
 is taken from a notice in the Chris- 
 tian Examiner for July 1853: 
 
 "Like other students of limited 
 means he kept school in some coun- 
 try town during the winter vaca- 
 tions; once at Groton, where he form- 
 ed a friendship with the elder member 
 of the family of Lawrence, which 
 lasted through their lives." 
 
 The following letter contributed to 
 this article by Dr. Samuel A. Green, 
 the historian of Groton and librarian 
 of the Massachusetts Historical soci- 
 ety, from his files, is so peculiarly 
 
 18 — 
 
of interest locally that It is inserted 
 here in complete form. It is acMress- 
 od to Deacon Samuel Farrar of Lin- 
 coln, and that person was undoubt- 
 edly iiis father, as is shown by tlie 
 customary respectful tone of letters 
 in those days to parents. 
 
 There were evidently other stu- 
 dent teachers in the party. The farm 
 referred to was the one known in 
 recent years as the Culver place, then 
 owned and occupied by Major Joseph 
 Moors, a soldier of the colonial and 
 revolutionary wars, who was born on 
 May 30, 1738. He was at the siege 
 of Louisburg in 17.^8, and commanded 
 a company under Col. William Pres- 
 cott at the battle of Bunker Hill. He 
 died on July 25, 1820. His son Ben- 
 jamin was born in 1793, and died at 
 Groton Center, August 16, 1853, after 
 ho sold the farm to Aaron Mason. 
 
 The Farrar letter Is as follows: 
 
 Groton, January 1, ISO.''.. 
 
 Dear Sir: After leaving you at Con- 
 cord we proceeded on our journey as 
 fast as the badness of the road would 
 permit us to travel and arrived at 
 Groton about 6 In the evening:. We 
 tarried at Mr. Hall's tavern near the 
 meeting house over night and the next 
 morning were conducted to our re- 
 spective districts. On the friday fol- 
 lowing I opened my school with about 
 twenty schollars. The number has 
 been increasing since so that now I 
 have about fifty. With respect to my 
 boarding place I have such an one as 
 I could wish. I live with one of the 
 first farmers in the County of Middle- 
 sex. Maj. Moors the gentleman's 
 name, keeps about forty head of cattle 
 besides sheep, horses, turkeys, hog.s. 
 etc., etc. He sometimes raises seven 
 or eight hundred bushels of rye, near- 
 ly as much corn and between ten 
 and fifteen thousand weight of hops. 
 His hops this last season brought him 
 in upwards of one thousand dollars, 
 but they cost him more labor to pre- 
 pare them for the market than to got 
 his hay. Last year they wero cut off 
 together with large fit-Ids of rye and 
 nnples in all probability for one hun- 
 drpd and fifty beryls of cyder, by a 
 most remarkable hall storm near the 
 first of .Tune. The hall stones were 
 many of them as large as partridge 
 eggs and fell In such quantities and 
 with such violence as to break all 
 the glass of the buildings faceing the 
 wind, and to cover the floors of houses 
 with soot and black hnll stones. The 
 Rtohm happened on Monday, when it 
 was very warm, and, altho' It lasted 
 but onTel hour and an half, the hall 
 stones were knee deep In a certain 
 tray fashion place near here on the 
 Friday following. Parson Write 
 
 fUev. rblneas Wright] of Boulton, 
 preaching hero the succeeding Sunday. 
 
 picked up hall stones In the road and 
 carried homo for a show. Orrhards 
 were so stripped and briilsod that they 
 havo borne but little since and large 
 dints In the buildings about here still 
 remain as monuments of this tremen- 
 dous storm. 
 
 I live, sir, with a very hospitable 
 and benevolent people. My accoinoda- 
 tlons are very good. I live about one 
 quarter of a mile from school and 
 about two miles from meeting. 
 
 Wo have today, sir, experienced a 
 very pleasant and agreeable com- 
 mencement of a new year. While it 
 reminds of the benevolence and the 
 contlnu<>d mercy of Providence, ought 
 It not to lead us to rellect on the 
 quick sticcesslon of years, on the short- 
 ness and the value of life, to consider 
 and to correct the errors of the past 
 year, and to fortify our minds with 
 such principles of virtue and piety, 
 as shall preserve us In the pleasant 
 and peaceful paths of wisdom. You, 
 sir. and the rest of the family wheth- 
 er at home or absent T mfost] cordial- 
 ly wish a happy new year, and many 
 yet to come. I acknowledge the debt 
 of gratitude. I feel a tender attach- 
 ment in the family. Every new scene 
 of life leads me to value more and 
 more highly those habits and prin- 
 ciples Imbibed in early youth, for 
 which I am Indebted to kind and 
 obliging Parents. I wish, sir. to hear 
 from home, particularly of the acci- 
 dent which .Tames lately met with, of 
 his health, of Samuel's, what doing, 
 etc., etc. My health, sir. God bo 
 praised, is good, and think not, sir, 
 that I am unconslous of the Important 
 blessing. 
 
 JOHN FARRAR. 
 
 One of the early teachers was 
 .Tosliua Green, the father of Hon. 
 Samuel A. Green, the historian of 
 Groton and the present librarian 
 of the Massachusetts Historical Gene- 
 alogical society, born on March Ti, 
 1830. Dr. Green the elder, was 
 born In Wendell, Mass., October 8, 
 1707. He attended the academies at 
 New Salem, Westfield and Milton, and 
 f::raduated at Harvard in the class of 
 1818, and took his M. D. degree at 
 the Harvard Medical school In 1821. 
 It was during his Harrard course 
 that he taught the school here for 
 one winter and boarded on Farmers' 
 row, in the family of Major Samuel 
 Lawrence, whose daughter Eliza, ho 
 married in January F>. 1824. 
 
 He began the practise of his profes- 
 sion In Sunderland in March 1823, 
 but returned to Groton In the spring 
 of 182.^^, whrro he continued in his 
 Iirnfession for many years. He rep- 
 resented the town In the legislature 
 in 1S36 and 1837, was a trustee of the 
 
 — 19 
 
academy from 1831 to 1867. He had 
 a fondness for genealogical research, 
 which his son has inherited to a 
 marked degree. In 1849, he was 
 chosen a corresponding member of 
 the New England Historical and 
 Genealogical society. After the death 
 of his wife he went to live with his 
 daughter in Morristown, N. J., where 
 he died on June 5, 1875. 
 
 Maria H. Nutting, or as she was 
 christened in Groton, Hannah Maria 
 Nutting, was an early teacher here 
 in about the year 1834. She was the 
 daughter of Joseph Danforth and Lu- 
 cinda Keep Nutting, and was born on 
 January 17, 1814. Entered Groton 
 academy in 1832, and after teaching 
 a few years in this vicinity, went to 
 Hudson, Ohio, where her uncle, Rufus 
 Nutting, of Groton, was one of the 
 first professors in Western Reserve 
 college, then located there and which 
 she attended. In 1839, she returned 
 east and was married on March 4, in 
 that year, to Rev. Nathan Stone Ben- 
 ham of Byron, N. Y., a missionary of 
 the A. B. C. F. M. As intending mis- 
 sionaries they were married at a pub- 
 lic service in the church at Groton by 
 Rev. Dudley Phelps, and sailed from 
 Boston in the ship Arno, July 6, 1839, 
 with other missionaries, for Singa- 
 pore, where they arrived on October 
 2:^ and located at Bangkok, Siam, on 
 March 1, 1840. 
 
 Mr. Benham was not long engaged 
 in the work before he was drowned 
 by the upsetting of a boat in April, 
 1840, and his widow returned to the 
 United States in May, 1840. She mar- 
 ried again in Dummerston, Vt., Dr. 
 Isaac Newton Knapp, November 17, 
 1845, and died at Clear Lake, Minne- 
 sota, on January 18, 1884. 
 
 Her brother. Rev. John W. Nutting, 
 of Auburndale, Fla., says of her: 
 
 "Her life was a checkered one, but 
 was wholly spent in humble service 
 to others. She was the good angel 
 for all the sick or destitute wherever 
 she lived. Through long assisting her 
 husband, in attending upon the sick, 
 she became so much of a physician 
 that her usefulness in the new 
 regions of her later life was very 
 great." 
 
 Clifford Belcher was born in Farm- 
 inc,ton, Me., March 31, 1819, and died 
 at Homeopathic hospital in Boston, 
 December 24, 1879. He was the son 
 
 of Clifford and Deborah Allen Belcher, 
 the father being of Stoughton and his 
 mother of Princeton. He taught this 
 school in 1836, and was one of those 
 student teachers for he was a gradu- 
 ate of Harvard college in the class 
 of 1837. 
 
 In the "Memorials of the Class of 
 1837, of Harvard University," is an 
 extended notice. He studied law and 
 began the practice of his profession 
 in New York city. Went to New Or- 
 leans about 1846, and is said to have 
 accumulated a large property which 
 was swept away at the time of the 
 civil war. He served one year as 
 major in the Confederate army. Judge 
 Holmes (who saw him in St. Louis, 
 about 1875) says: "His success in 
 his profession would seem to argue 
 ability, character, and knowledge of 
 the law, and I have no doubt he pos- 
 sessed all these in an eminent degree. 
 The civil law and practice of Louisi- 
 ana are quite different from the juris- 
 prudence of the other states, and re- 
 quire familiarity with the system 
 and much comprehensive learning, 
 and he appears to have been a com- 
 petent master of it." 
 
 Charles Dickson was a son of Wal- 
 ter Dickson 2nd, and was born at 
 the Groton homestead near No. 3 
 school on August 8, 1809. He fitted 
 for college at Groton academy and 
 went to Yale where he graduated in 
 the class of 1835. in the winter of 
 1840, he taught the school in District 
 No. 2. 
 
 In the spring of 1855, he moved with 
 his family to Kansas and was one of 
 those earnest eastern men who 
 sought to save Kansas for the group 
 of free states. His daughter Louisa, 
 afterwards married William Liver- 
 more and they were living about five 
 and one-half miles south of Lawrence 
 at the time of Quantrell's raid, during 
 the civil war, and Mr. Dickson's house 
 was burned. The Livermore house on 
 an adjoining claim was not burned. 
 
 After the destruction of Lawrence 
 the guerrillas returned to Missouri by 
 the road that passed the Livermore 
 farm and Mrs. Livermore, who is now 
 living in Shirley, tells how the fam- 
 ilies hid in the sugar cane and watch- 
 ed their destructive passage. Mr. 
 Dickson died at Quenemo, Osage 
 County, Kansas, July 5, 1881. 
 
 ^20 — 
 
Kuril ;il (.ruloii. Mil".. Mr. .nili.T 2s. IMT. I'i.-.l I •.■.■.iiil-tT :•. IM'I. 
 
Curtis Ltiwrence. lT!)!t— 1SS8. 
 
 No. 4. Nathiin Sawtell House. 
 
Mary Loring Brigham, daughter of 
 George Brigham, of Groton, was born 
 in that town on November 2, IS^li. 
 She was a half-sister of tlie late 
 George Dexter Brigham, for many 
 years the town clerk. She attended 
 Groton academy, entering in IbuG, and 
 in the spring of 1841, taught No. 2 
 school. She married Mr. Gardner 
 .Morse of New Haven, Conn., in De- 
 cember, 1843, and died on February 
 20, 1856. 
 
 Elizabeth Jacobs was born in 1813, 
 and taught in 1835. She died in Gro- 
 ton in the year 1899. 
 
 Cynthia S. Jacobs probably taught 
 in 1842. She was the daughter of 
 Sylvester and Cynthia Jacobs of Gro- 
 ton. and was born on the homestead 
 in 1815, and died In the year of 1842. 
 She was a sister of Elizabeth, who 
 also taught here, and Charles Jacobs, 
 who had particular charge of this 
 school as committee-man for years. 
 
 In the spring of 1847, Miss Harriet 
 Byron Harwood was the teacher. She 
 was the daughter of Nahum and So- 
 phia (Kimball) Harwood, and was 
 born in Littleton, Mass., October 6, 
 1822. She entered Groton academy 
 in 1840, and there prepared for teach- 
 ing. She also taught in Lancaster, 
 Mass., in 1848, and was married on 
 January 1, 1850, to John W. Mulliken 
 of Boxborough, and died in Charles- 
 town, Mass., June 5, 1853. She was 
 one of five brothers and sisters of 
 the family, of which Joseph A. Har- 
 wood of Littleton, and Nahum Har- 
 wood of Leominster, were members. 
 
 The records show that Deacon Cur- 
 tis Lawrence taught this school in 
 1847 and since his daughter went to 
 school to him at her first attendance 
 here we then have a verbal record of 
 an earlier charge over this school. 
 Mr. Lawrence in 1847 was a veteran 
 teacher in the schools of Groton dur- 
 ing the winter terms. 
 
 He was born in Groton April 26, 
 1799, at the old homestead on the 
 east road in the district and his sons 
 and daughters were pupils here and 
 some of them went on througli llie 
 academy and college. 
 
 His administration was marked by 
 great interest and improvement. The 
 school committee remarked in their 
 report that "Love and respect for 
 teacher were everywhere manifest." 
 
 •Mr. Lawrence also taught what was 
 called the grammar school at No. 12, 
 CJroton Junction, which some of the 
 larger boys of District No. 2 attended 
 winters. He was a remarkably tall 
 nian and kindliness lurked in the 
 eyes overshadowed by his long shag- 
 gy eyebrows. He was long a notice- 
 able person in tills vicinity and died 
 ill Groton February 23, 1888. His 
 lirst wife was Lucy Merriam, the 
 mother of his children and she died 
 November 18, 1846. 
 
 Susan Frances Lawrence, daughter 
 of Deacon Curtis Lawrence, is now 
 living in Groton in the home of her 
 son. She married Reuben Lewis on 
 November 8, 18G6, and has one son, 
 Frank D. I^ewis, and one daughter, 
 Susie E., wife of George S. Knapp. 
 Mrs. Lewis was born in Groton on 
 November 30, 1828, and is probably 
 both the oldest living pupil and 
 teacher of this school. 
 
 As a pupil in 1833 Mrs. Lewis re- 
 members the old fireplace which was 
 supposed to sulhciently heat the 
 building. After leaving the school as 
 a pupil she attended Groton Academy 
 and Appleton academy in New Ips- 
 wich, and one year at Mt. Holyoke 
 seminary and returned as a teacher 
 in the summer of 1849 and taught 
 several years elsewhere. 
 
 The following description of the 
 schoolroom in 1833, may interest some 
 of the present day scholars. Mrs. 
 Lewis says: 
 
 "I remember the schoolroom as it 
 was in those early days. The large 
 fire-place was in the middle of the 
 side opposite tlie door at which one 
 entered. The teacher's desk was in 
 the corner of the same side. On the 
 other sides were the seats for the 
 scholars with desks in front of them; 
 the boys on one side, the girls on the 
 other. There was a large space be- 
 tween them, where the scholars wont 
 out and stood in a line to read, spell, 
 etc. 
 
 "The word given out to spell, if 
 not spelled correctly by the one to 
 whom given, was passed on, the one 
 who spelled it right going above the 
 others. The one who was at the 
 head of the class wore a nitMial home 
 at night, in tlie morning returning 
 it and taking a place at the foot of 
 the class. The medal was a twenty- 
 five cent piece with a hole in it." 
 
 — 21 — 
 
This system of spelling down, or 
 spelling up, was quite in vogue about 
 forty years ago, and the description 
 given us by Mrs. Lewis shows that 
 it had continued from a much earlier 
 date. In those days the teacher must 
 have been considered when the desk 
 was located in the corner, comforta- 
 bly near the fire-place. 
 
 Lucy Maria Lawrence, a sister, was 
 a pupil here previous to her attend- 
 ance at Groton Academy in 1837. She 
 married Rev. William Wood on July 
 11, 1847, and they sailed in the same 
 month for Bombay as missionaries at 
 Satara mission in India. Two sons 
 were born there and after the death 
 of their mother in India they were 
 sent to Groton to their grandfather, 
 Deacon Curtis Lawrence and were 
 pupils at the district school in 1857. 
 
 One was William Curtis Wood, who 
 went to li'ale and died in New Haven 
 in 1875, the other was Edward Ad- 
 dison Wood, who graduated at Har- 
 vard Medical school in 1869 and be- 
 came a successful physician and di d 
 July 18, 1886. 
 
 Edward Addison Lawrence, oldest 
 son of Curtis Lawrence, was a pupil 
 here before 1837, when he attended 
 Lawrence Academy. He was born 
 February 25, 1823, graduated at Dart- 
 mouth in 1843 and was a teacher for 
 many years. He was principal of Ap- 
 pleton academy at New Ipswich, N. 
 H., for a period of seven years, after- 
 wards a high school teacher, and he 
 also taught a select school for boys 
 at Wyoming, Pa., for several years. 
 He died in Orange, N. J., February 
 6, 1911, aged eighty-eight years. 
 
 The interest of the Curtis Lawrence 
 family has continued for over a cen- 
 tury in this school, through the fath- 
 er and son and daughters, and Mrs. 
 Lewis's husband, the late Reuben 
 Lewis, was one of the school com- 
 mittee for several years. 
 
 Samuel Cragln Wheeler, a son of 
 Artemas and Esther (Cragin) Wheel- 
 er, was born in Temple, N. H., April 
 27, 1820. After 1834, he was living 
 with his parents in Groton on the 
 road to the soapstone quarry at a 
 farm just northerly of the farm of 
 Deacon Isaiah Cragin, whose daugh- 
 ter Asenath he married, September 
 29, 1852. He entered a student at 
 Groton academy in 1838, and it was 
 probably at the close of his course 
 
 here that he taught the school at 
 District No. 2. John P. Hildreth of 
 Townsend sat under his instruction 
 for two terms after 1841, and without 
 much doubt he taught in the winters 
 of 1842 and 1843. He died In Gro- 
 ton on January 3, 1857. 
 
 Artemas Longley of Shirley was 
 the winter school master for the term 
 of 1848-49. He was born in Shirley 
 October 19, 1815, and married May 
 18, 1845, Elizabeth Barrett of Shirley. 
 Mr. Longley was a teacher of exper- 
 ience and a strict master of discipline 
 in the school. One old scholar re- 
 members how one daj' he called up an 
 unruly boy, took him and threw him 
 out of the window into a large snow 
 bank, saying "When you think you 
 can behave yourself you come in and 
 do so." He had no further trouble 
 with that boy. 
 
 Mr. Longley purchased a farm in 
 Groton, on the cross road, in 1852, 
 where his family now reside, and his 
 daughters have all been most suc- 
 cessful teachers, one of whom Sarah 
 H. is the present teacher. He died 
 at Groton, February 26, 1876. 
 
 Agnes Bancroft Pollard was em- 
 ployed as teacher for the spring terms 
 of 1850-51-53. She was a most ener- 
 getic teacher and in full control of 
 her school. She was born in Groton 
 on November 8, 1833, the youngest 
 child of Jacob and Betsey (Davis) 
 Pollard. She married, April 25, 1854, 
 Asa Stillman Lawrence of Groton, and 
 died on March 15, 1861. A son of 
 this union, William Asa Lawrence, is 
 a resident of Groton and one who 
 has always manifested a deep inter- 
 est in the public schools of his na- 
 tive town. 
 
 Hollis Carr was born in Stow, Mass., 
 June 12, 1825, and this school in Gro- 
 ton in 1850, was one of the early ones 
 taught by him. He also taught the 
 Ballard Hill school in Lancaster, 
 Mass., and in New Jersey and Phila- 
 delphia. 
 
 In 1862, he married Annie Parker 
 of Pepperell, who died several years 
 ago. Mr. Carr died on December 17, 
 1910, in Harvard, where he had been a 
 resident many years. A notice of him 
 appeared in Turner's Public Spirit 
 under date of December 24, from 
 which the following extract is taken: 
 
 "Mr. Carr was a man of unusual 
 education for his times, and during 
 
 — 22 — 
 
his younger days gained a reputation 
 as a succesBful" teacher in the sur- 
 rounding towns. He was of an ex- 
 ceedingly Itlndly disposition and was 
 universally liked by young and old." 
 
 Alden Ladd presided over the 
 s<;hool during the winter terms of 
 1852 and 1853. He was born at John- 
 son, Vt., in 1830, and came to Law- 
 rence academy in 1849, as a student. 
 His parents were Avery S. and Sally 
 (Cole) Ladd. He spent some time at 
 Windsor Hill, attending lectures in 
 the theological seminary, preparing 
 for the ministry. He became a preach- 
 er of the Congregational faith and 
 was pastor at Waterville, sixteen 
 years in Roxbury and six years in 
 Berlin and West Berlin, all in Ver- 
 mont. He married first Sarah Ed- 
 wards and secondly Mary Prentiss, 
 both of Roxbury. The last years of 
 his life were passed at West Ran- 
 dolph, Vt., where he died .July 1, 15^87. 
 
 At the close of Mr. Ladd's services 
 in Groton, Mr. Boutwell, for the 
 school committee, reported that they 
 believed female teachers could be em- 
 ployed all the year around to advant- 
 age in some cases. Some of the par- 
 ents had complained of the over strict 
 discipline and the harshness of his 
 corrective methods. 
 
 Miss Alma H. Willard was a lady 
 of fine scholarship. She was born in 
 1828, the daughter of Stedman and. 
 Mary Howard Willard, who lived on 
 the more recent John W. Tuttle farm. 
 The family came from Lancaster to 
 Groton in 1844, so that her attendance 
 here as a pupil was quite brief before 
 she went to the academy in 1845. After 
 leaving the academy she taught at 
 school No. 4 in Westford, and at No. 
 10 and 11 in Groton, and at this school 
 in 1852. She was much loved and 
 respected as a teacher on account of 
 her thoroughness and ability to con- 
 trol the children under her care. Her 
 two sisters, Almeda and Lydia, were 
 also fine teachers. She married 
 George Kendall of Ashby in 1864, 
 who died on April 18, 1893. She was 
 nearly blind In her later life and 
 died in March, 1904. 
 
 Miss Mary Elizabeth Andrews taught 
 the school in 1854, and boarded in the 
 family of John Hodgman. She was 
 In the next year a student at Law- 
 rence academy and had attended Ap- 
 pleton academy in New Ipswich, N. 
 
 H.. before teaching. The school at 
 No. 2 was her first experience as a 
 teacher and was followed by engage- 
 ments at the Harris Crossing school 
 in Shirley, called the southeast dis- 
 trict; tlnn at Shlrlfy village, and at 
 Groton Junction, where she labored 
 successfully for several years. She 
 was the daughter of Peter and Sarah 
 (.Miirston) Andrews of Shirley, and 
 was born on September 30, 1833, on 
 tlie farm where her brother Charles 
 now lives. She married In 1871, Al- 
 pheus A. Adams, a merchant of Ches- 
 ter, Vt., and died there In 1899. 
 
 In 1855, Mary P. Baker came from 
 Lowell, Mass., to teach this school. 
 She was the daughter of Stephen and 
 Sarah Curtis Baker, and was born 
 at Tunbridge, Vt.. .March 6, 182C. Her 
 mother died while the child was In 
 infancy, and at the age of thirteen, 
 she was deprived by death of her 
 father. She was always bright and 
 precocious as a child and could read 
 in tlie new testament at the age of 
 three years, and at the age of seven 
 was the last to remain standing at 
 a union spelling school. Her excel- 
 lent education was secured in Lowell 
 and she taught school in Tunbrldge, 
 Groton and Pepperell. She married 
 Joseph Whitney in Pepperell on No- 
 vember 20, 1856, and is now living 
 in Wells River, Vt.. and Is an invalid. 
 
 Frances O. Peabody, a daughter of 
 John and Abigail (Spaulding) Pea- 
 body, was born in Groton. Mass., Feb- 
 ruary 21, 1825. The home of her par- 
 ents was the present Bigelow place on 
 Main street, from which her brother 
 William moved to the farm on the 
 Ayer road, where he died on June 
 19, 1910. Frances, called Fannie in 
 those days, was one of a family of 
 six daughters and two sons, and of 
 the sons, William only grew to man- 
 hood. The daughters were Frances, 
 Elizabeth. Sarah, Mary Jane, Susan 
 and Abigail. The first four became 
 school teachers and taught In Gro- 
 ton and the surrounding towns. Their 
 early education was supplemented by 
 an attendance at Groton academy, and 
 Francos taught at No. 2 In the spring 
 of 1S55, and at other times at school 
 No. 3, Farmers' row, and at No. 9 
 in the Brown Ixiaf Hill district 
 
 Miss Peabody for several years was 
 matron in Dr. Brown's institution for 
 feeble minded children and youth at 
 
 — 2.3 
 
Barre, Mass., and filled the position 
 with marked success. She was never 
 married and died in Groton, March 19, 
 1907. 
 
 Charles O. Thompson, during the 
 winter of 1855-56, came from Dart- 
 mouth college and taught the school, 
 as others have done, resuming the 
 college work in the spring. Mr. 
 Thompson afterwards was president 
 of the school now known as the Wor- 
 cester Polytechnic institute at Wor- 
 cester, Mass., and became one of the 
 foremost educators of his time. The 
 older pupils at No. 2 will remember 
 the valuable instruction he gave them. 
 
 The following extract is taken from 
 a memorial to Charles O. Thompson, 
 prepared by a committee of the Terre 
 Haute Literary club, of which he was 
 a member, 
 
 "Charles Oliver Thompson, A. M., 
 Ph. D., was born September 25, 1835, 
 in East Windsor Hill, Connecticut, 
 where his father, William Thompson, 
 D. D., was then professor in the Con- 
 necticut Theological Seminary since 
 removed to Hartford in the same 
 state. He prepared for college under 
 Paul A. Chadbourne, and entered 
 Dartmouth in 1854. He was gradua- 
 ted in 1858, and received his degree 
 of Master of Arts in 1861. His own 
 college bestowed upon him the degree 
 of Doctor of Philosophy in 1879, and 
 Williams in 1880. Prom September, 
 1858, till November, 1864, he was prin- 
 cipal of Peacham academy in Ver- 
 mont. From 1864, till the opening 
 months of 1868, he was principal of 
 the Cotting high school of Arlington, 
 Mass. In February, 1868, he was 
 elected principal of the Worcester 
 Free Institute of Industrial Science. 
 After spending eight months in Eu- 
 rope, he assisted at the opening of 
 that school in November of the same 
 year. In April, 1882, he accepted the 
 presidency of the Rose Polytechnic 
 institute at Terre Haute. Beginning 
 with the following July, he spent an- 
 other eight months in Europe. March 
 7, 1883, he delivered his inaugural ad- 
 dress at the Rose Polytechnic, and 
 held the presidency of that institution 
 till his death, March 17, 1885. May 14, 
 1862, he married Miss Maria Goodrich, 
 daughter of Horace Goodrich, M. D., 
 at East Windsor Hill, Connecticut. 
 His widow and three children survive 
 him. 
 
 Miss Jane Elizabeth Davis was born 
 in Newburyport, Mass., January 26, 
 1834, the daughter of Nathaniel and 
 Lydia Knapp (Hills) Davis. Her 
 grandfather Davis built and lived in 
 the old Adolphus Holden house, now 
 in Ayer, on the Nashua river. The 
 present house was built about one 
 hundred years ago, but the original 
 house stood where the barn now is, 
 and was built by the maternal an- 
 cesteors of Mr. Davis, the Stones, who 
 were the original settlers of the farm. 
 Miss Davis, the subject of this sketch, 
 moved up to the Amos Farnsworth 
 farm in 1851, when a young lady of 
 seventeen, at that time of its pur- 
 chase by her father. Miss Davis 
 taught the school at No. 2 in 1856, and 
 this was her only experience at teach- 
 ing. In June, 1866, she married Al- 
 fred Pollard, who died in August, 
 1871. In November, 1872, she became 
 the wife of Asa Stillman Lawrence, 
 and died in her home in Groton in 
 October, 1888, leaving no children. A 
 sister, Sarah M. (Davis) Powers, is 
 now living in Leominster. 
 
 Earl Webster Westgate taught here 
 the winter term of 1856-57. He was 
 born in Plainfield, N. H., August 31, 
 1838, son of John and Betsey Ann 
 Westgate. While teaching he boarded 
 like many other teachers in the fam- 
 ily of John M. Gilson, near the school. 
 Since leaving Groton he has been en- 
 gaged in teaching and farming in 
 Kansas and now lives in Manhattan, 
 Kansas. He has been master of the 
 state grange from 1900 to 1906, and 
 representative for his county in the 
 state legislature for the years 1909- 
 10. He was married on August 21, 
 1861, to Julia Maria Porter, and No- 
 vember 11, 1905, to Lousia M. Cow- 
 ell, and has a son Porter and daugh- 
 ter Julia. He is an active, energetic 
 man in his county and state. 
 
 In the spring of 1857, Miss Amanda 
 Parsons came from East Gloucester, 
 Mass., to teach this school and while 
 in Groton boarded with her cousins, 
 the Harrimans, who lived on the old 
 Moors place near the school. Miss 
 Parsons had attended the public 
 schools in her native town and taken 
 a course at the Salem Normal school, 
 and was a fine scholar. She was the 
 daughter of Thomas L. and Matilda C. 
 Parsons, and was born at East Glou- 
 sester, December 14, 1836. Her father 
 
 — 24 — 
 
I'.iitlcr lliuli S,li,M,l. r.iiill 1^7(1. 
 
 N... III. .Inlin K. (,il-.in llcni-c. Itiiilt in IsTI - ISiininl in 1!h>J. 
 
Dr. Cecil F. 1". I'.aiu roll. 
 
was an old-time sea captain and the 
 homestead of her parents was her 
 home for years after her teaching ex- 
 perience at Grotou. She never mar- 
 ried and died at the old Parsons home 
 on April 19, 11)10. 
 
 Miss Mary p]lizabeth Graham was In 
 charge of this school In the summer 
 term of 1858. She was a graduate of 
 the State Normal school at Framing- 
 ham and had attended Lawrence acad- 
 emy. She was born in Lunenburg, 
 Mass., in December, 1839, the daugh- 
 ter of Ephraim Graham, who had been 
 a teacher in Fitchburg, Lunenburg 
 and Leominster. After leaving Gro- 
 ton. Miss Graham taught in East Wal- 
 pole, Westminster, North Leominster 
 and four years in Worcester. She 
 then married Henry L. Bates of Bos- 
 ton, and is living in Dorchester. 
 
 The scholars of the winter terms of 
 1858 and 1859, were favored in hav- 
 ing for their teacher, none other than 
 Cecil F. P. Bancroft, who here began 
 that profession which he made his life 
 work and in which he was preemi- 
 nently successful. Cecil Franklin 
 Patch Bancroft, Ph. D., Lit. D., Will- 
 iams; L. L. D., Yale; was born in 
 New Ipswich, N. H., November 25, 
 1839, and died at Audover, Mass., Oc- 
 tober 1, 1901. Mr. Bancroft was a 
 student at Dartmouth college and was 
 permitted to come to Groton to teach. 
 He still kept up his studies and grad- 
 uated at the college in the class of 
 1860. After graduation he was prin- 
 cipal of Appleton academy, Mt. Ver- 
 non, N. H., from 1860 to 1864; a theo- 
 logical student at Union Theological 
 seminary, Schenectady, N. Y., 1865-66, 
 and at Andover Theological seminary, 
 1865 to 1867. 
 
 He married on May 6, 1867, Miss 
 Frances Adelia Kittredge, a former 
 pupil and resident at Mt. Vernon, and 
 immediately they went to Chattanooga 
 to assume charge of "A loyal Chris- 
 tian New England school for i)Oor 
 whites," on Lookout Mountain. Here 
 they remained until the school was 
 closed in 1872. The years 1872-73, 
 were spent In travel and study In 
 Europe, and returning to America In 
 1873, Mr. Bancroft assumed the prln- 
 cipalship of Phillips academy at An- 
 dover, Mass. He labored here with 
 great success for twenty-eight years, 
 a beloved instructor and greatly la- 
 mented at his death, October 4, 1901. 
 
 Three generations of Mr. Bancroft's 
 ancestry lived in Groton in its early 
 settlement and his parents, Dtvicon 
 James Bancroft und his wife, Sarah 
 Kendall Bancroft, moved to New Ips- 
 wich, N. H., where the subject of lhl.s 
 sketch was born, p^urly in life h« 
 went to live with .Mr. and Mr». Patch 
 of Ashby, friends of his parents. They 
 had recently lost a little son by death 
 and Cecil seemed to All the aching 
 void in their hearts. He attended the 
 schools in Ashby and prepared for 
 college at Appleton academy In New 
 Ipswich. Here he formed a life-long 
 friendship with John Wesley Church- 
 ill, who was with him at Andover. 
 later in life, and was a noted teacher 
 of elocution and reader. 
 
 .Mr. Bancroft was present at the 
 centennial celebration of Lawrence 
 academy at Groton in 1893, and re- 
 ferred to the fact that he was "ex- 
 amined" by the late George S. Bout- 
 well, when he applied to teach dis- 
 trict school No. 2. One of his pupils 
 at this school states that she always 
 remembered the impressive manner in 
 which their teacher conducted the re- 
 (luired religious service at the open- 
 ing of school and how on the last day 
 of his teaching here he was greatly 
 surprised when presented with a bible 
 by his scholars. 
 
 His son, Cecil K. Bancroft, of An- 
 dover, informs me in writing: "I 
 have before me a bible, 'Presented by 
 liis piipils of District No. 2, In Gro- 
 ton, Mass., February, 1859.'" 
 
 His services here were most ef!1- 
 cient and brought out from the school 
 committee the terse and fitting en- 
 dorsement: "The school was in every 
 respect a good one." 
 
 He was a close companion at Dart- 
 mouth of George A. Bruce and George 
 A. Marden, who both came from 
 Mt. Vernon, N. H., and this undoubt- 
 edly led to his going there to teach. 
 Mr. Bruce afterwards taught at Dis- 
 trict No. 2, and George A. Marden was 
 for years the editorial head of the 
 Lowell Journal and Courier, and 
 treiusurer and receiver general of the 
 commonwealth of Massachusetts. 
 
 As principal at Appleton academy, 
 Mt. Vernon, Mr. Bancroft had the 
 able as.sistance, im j»receptes3, of his 
 accomplished sister, who also taught 
 the summer term for two years here 
 at No. 2. 
 
 — '2b — 
 
The following extract as tributes 
 from friends are taken from an obit- 
 uary notice of him in the Andover 
 Townsman of October 1, 1901: 
 
 "His early success as a teacher 
 forecast his life work, although in 
 the meantime he made full prepara- 
 tion for the gospel ministry." 
 
 "Thousands of young men who have 
 gone out into the larger educational 
 fields, or into business life from the 
 great school, whose head. Dr. Ban- 
 croft so long was, will ever tell by 
 the influence of their lives, by the 
 high standards they will raise, and 
 through the strong characteristics 
 they will ever show, that the founda- 
 tions were laid by a master hand in 
 the building of young manhood." 
 
 "All those that taught with him 
 and a large proportion of his pupils 
 are grateful that they were privileged 
 to hear the morning petitions offered 
 in the school chapel. Those prayers 
 were gracious messages of peace and 
 strength, and enabled many to es- 
 tablish their ways against evil and 
 live a life that was true and service- 
 able." 
 
 "But I cannot forbear adding that 
 the boy was father to the man, the 
 young teacher was the prophecy of 
 the mature education, for the same 
 genial, cheery, kindly, unselfish heart, 
 that won and blessed all who came 
 under its influence in earlier days, 
 is the sufficient secret of the success, 
 which has crowned his twenty-eight 
 years of tireless service in Andover, 
 and makes the whole town, as well 
 as the hosts of his scattered pupils 
 sincerely mourn his death." 
 
 Susan F. Bancroft was a successful 
 teacher here in the summer terms of 
 1859-60-61. She was born in New Ips- 
 wich, N. H., October 25, 1836, the 
 daughter of James and Sarah W. 
 Kendall Bancroft. She married Al- 
 bert Conant of Boston, June, 1867, and 
 died in Charlestown on January 28, 
 1885. 
 
 The following is an extract from an 
 obituary notice of her in 1885: 
 
 "At an early age she attended the 
 common schools of her town and then 
 entered New Ipswich Appleton acad- 
 emy where she pursued her studies, 
 attained a high rank as a scholar and 
 commenced the development of those 
 noble traits of womanly character 
 which became so conspicuous in her 
 
 after life. At the age of sixteen she 
 began to teach the "District school," 
 first in the town of Nelson, and, sub- 
 sequently, in New Ipswich, Rindge 
 and Wilton. In the autumn of 1860, 
 she became preceptress of Appleton 
 academy, now McCollom institute, in 
 Mt. Vernon, where she remained four 
 years, the academy during that time 
 being under the charge of her brother. 
 Rev. Cecil F. P. Bancroft, Ph. D., now 
 principal of Phillips academy, An- 
 dover, Mass. She again taught pub- 
 lic schools in Mt. Vernon, Amherst, 
 and also in Randolph and Charles- 
 town, Mass. She was devoted to her 
 chosen profession and never seemed 
 to be more happy than when engaged 
 in imparting instruction. She was 
 always at ease in the schoolroom and 
 made it attractive for her pupils. With 
 them her rule was love and her word 
 was law which they kindly and cheer- 
 fully obeyed. She had a thorough 
 knowledge of her subjects and the 
 wonderful art of making her scholars 
 to understand them. Of her it can 
 be truly said, she was apt to teach." 
 
 Rufus Livermore. who taught this 
 school in the winter of 1860, was born 
 in Groton on November 1, 1839, son 
 of Daniel and Abigail (Trask) Liver- 
 more. He fitted for college at Law- 
 rence academy and studied for a while 
 at Williams college. He then attend- 
 ed the Albany Law school and was 
 admitted to the bar of New York state. 
 While familiarizing himself with the 
 Massachusetts legal code and teach- 
 ing, the war broke out and he was 
 one of the first to enlist and as a 
 member of (Groton) Company B, 6th 
 regiment, was in the bloody march 
 through Baltimore, April 19, 1861. He 
 returned to Groton and assisted in 
 securing further enlistments and final- 
 ly went again to the war in the Third 
 Rhode Island cavalry. On January 
 22, 1863, he was married to Martha 
 Elizabeth Todd. 
 
 After the war he lived for a while 
 at the Lewis Blood place on Washing- 
 ton street, Groton Junction, now Ayer. 
 After this brief residence here, he 
 moved to Orange, and became closely 
 identified with the concern which 
 eventually became the Rodney Hunt 
 Machine Company, of which he was 
 secretary and director. He became 
 one of the most prominent and re- 
 spected citizens of the town. He was 
 
 — 26 
 
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Dr. r>L'iiJamiii Hull llnrtw t'll. J>oru r\'l)riiary 27, iSiJ— Died December 0, rj04. 
 
a representative to the state legisla- 
 ture in 1879, and a state senator for 
 the years 1883 and 1SS4. 
 
 Mr. Livermore diod in Orange, July 
 8, 1891. after a short illness. Ho was 
 closely connected with many local 
 organizations, was an active, earnest 
 member of the Congregational church, 
 a superintendent and teacher in the 
 Sunday school, and active in all work 
 which promoted tiie welfare of the 
 community. 
 
 One of his associates has fittingly 
 said: 
 
 "Mr. Livermore was a man for 
 whom I felt the highest respect. It 
 was not necessary to know him a 
 long time and to watch his course 
 through a series of years in order to 
 be assured of his sterling character. 
 He was one of the few men whose 
 every act was impressed with inti- 
 mate integrity and honor." 
 
 George Anson Bruce, in the winter 
 of 1861, became the teacher. It is 
 interesting to note that Cecil F. P. 
 Bancroft, a former to;icher, was then 
 teaching at l\lt. Vernon, N. H., the 
 place of birth of Mr. Bruce, where 
 he was born on November 19, 1839. 
 His parents were Nathaniel and Lucy 
 (Butterfield) Bruce. He graduated at 
 Dartmouth in the class of 1861, and 
 after leaving school No. 2, served in 
 Thirteenth N. H. Volunteers in the 
 war of the rebellion. He was admit- 
 ted to the bar of Middlesex county in 
 Massachusetts in April, 1866. He was 
 a member of the New Hampshire legis- 
 lature, and in 1882-3-4, in the Massa- 
 chusetts senate, being president in 
 the last named year. He moved to 
 Somerville in 1874, and was mayor 
 of tliat city for three years. He mar- 
 ried on .January 26, 1870, Clara Moors 
 Hall, daughter of Joseph Fletcher and 
 Sarah (Longley) Hall of Groton. 
 
 Julia Maria Page was the teacher 
 in the spring of 1862, and was born 
 in Shirley on August 12. 1844. She 
 was the daughter of George and Abi- 
 gail (Gibson) Page. Slie had tlie ben- 
 efit of the instruction at Shirley Cen- 
 ter of Charles Goodrich, who taught 
 advanced scholars in the lower room 
 of the town house, whero she and her 
 brother Walter both attended. She 
 was also taught privately by Mary 
 Longloy, a sister of tiio late Melvln 
 W. Longley. This school at Groton 
 
 was her first, and she taught later 
 at Shirley village and Sliirlt-y Cen- 
 ter. She married Tliomas L. Hazea 
 of Shirley on November 17, 1867, and 
 died on September 6, 1883. Their 
 daugliter, Mabel G. Hazen, born on 
 July 27, 1872, wa« a graduate of 
 Fitchburg high school, Smith <-ollege, 
 and took a course at P.ridgewater as 
 preparation for teacher. Like her 
 mother, she has been a successful 
 teacher. 
 
 Emma Caroline Hartwell. daugliter 
 of Benjamin F. and Emma Whitman 
 Hartwell, was born in Acton, .Mass., 
 May 20, 1843, and with her brother 
 Benjamin came with tlieir parents to 
 Groton, the place of birth of the fath- 
 er, when quite young. She graduated 
 at Lawrence academy and became a 
 teacher. She taught this scliool in the 
 summer and winter of 1863. and in 
 the summer of 1864. She afterwards 
 went to Galiopolis, Ohio where she 
 taugiit for several y«'ars and wliere she 
 was married to .M. V. B. Ktnnedy. The 
 family afterward moved to Zanes- 
 ville. Ohio, where .Mr. Kennedy died. 
 She now resides witli her only son in 
 the last named city. 
 
 The school committee were pleased 
 to say in tiieir rei)ort for 1863-64: 
 
 "The summer and winter terms 
 were taught by Miss Emma C. Hart- 
 well of tills town, wlio possesses ad- 
 mirable (lualities for a teacher"; and 
 in the next report for 1864-65: "She is 
 a thorough scholar and insists upon 
 thoroughness on the part of her pu- 
 pils." 
 
 Benjamin Hall Hartwell. who taught 
 in the winter of 1S64. had been a pupil 
 with his brother Harris in the same 
 school. This was his first experience 
 in the profession which he later gave 
 up for that of a physician. He was 
 born in Acton, Mass., February 27. 
 1845. and came to Groton with his 
 parents in 1847. to the "community" 
 location. He graduated at I>awrence 
 academy and after his season of teach- 
 ing here, taught the school at Sandy 
 Iiond. now in Ayer, and then the high 
 scliool at Groton Center. Educational 
 interest lost a good teacher and the 
 medical profession gained an eminent- 
 ly successful practitioner. He be- 
 came a re«ld»'nt of (he present town 
 of Ayor In 1869, and was closely Iden- 
 tifit'd with Its schools and other pub- 
 lic institutions. He died at Ayer on 
 
 — 27 
 
December 6, 1904, much lamented and 
 long to be remembered. 
 
 Miss Lizzie S. Jaquith, the teacher 
 for the summer of 1865, was born in 
 Ashby, Mass., and attended the dis- 
 trict schools and the high school in 
 that town. From the high school she 
 came to teach the school in this dis- 
 trict. After leaving Groton she taught 
 in Ashby, Ashburnham, New Ipswich, 
 Milford district schools until her 
 marriage in 1876, to Erastus O. Wheel- 
 er of Ashby. She died in 1880. A 
 sister resides in Fitchburg, and a 
 son in Pomfret, Vt. 
 
 Maria Catherine Wright, the eldest 
 daughter of Deacon Alva Wright, 
 taught in the winter of 1865. She was 
 born in Groton, August 18, 1842; was 
 a pupil at No. 2, and entered Law- 
 rence academy in 1854. With some 
 other ambitious young ladies in 1858, 
 she was examined at the old brick 
 schoolhouse opposite the academy for 
 a position as teacher and at that early 
 age of sixteen began to teach in 
 Groton. At various times she taught 
 first at No. 14, at the paper mill; at 
 No. 11, Sandy pond; also, in Dun- 
 stable and South Lancaster. She also 
 taught in the academy at Mt. Vernon, 
 N. H., taking the place there of Miss 
 Susan F. Bancroft, who had previous- 
 ly been a teacher at our school at 
 No. 2. In 1867, she went as a teacher 
 in a large school for freedmen, the 
 Lincoln school at Memphis, Tenn., lo- 
 cated in surroundings especially try- 
 ing for our eastern girls accustomed 
 to good roads, sidewalks and well- 
 kept grounds. In 1877, she married 
 Shelby H. Sawyer, whom she sur- 
 vives and she makes her home in 
 Groton. 
 
 In this place it may be said that 
 the Wright girls had a fine reputation 
 for punctuality and scholarly appli- 
 cation, and at one of the examinations 
 when they were pupils, the committee 
 after looking over the register, wished 
 to see those Wright sisters. 
 
 "Where are they; let them stand 
 up." They had not been absent or 
 tardy during the long, severe winter 
 term. 
 
 Fannie E. Wright, the teacher for 
 the spring of 1866, was one of the 
 three daughters of Alva and Fanny 
 G. (Woods) Wright, who all taught 
 this school at different times. She 
 was born in Groton, December 10, 
 
 1846, and attended this school as a 
 pupil and also at Lawrence academy. 
 She was married in 1868, to Burton 
 W. Potter, esq., who had also attended 
 the academy. She also taught in the 
 north and east schools of Groton. 
 Since her marriage she has held many 
 positions of usefulness in the church. 
 Woman's club, and patriotic organiza- 
 tions of Worcester, where she now 
 resides. 
 
 James Calvin Carter Parker came to 
 this school in the winter of 1866, as 
 a teacher, but did not make an ex- 
 tensive stay. This may have been a 
 hard school for Mr. Parker, but at any 
 rate he failed to arouse the interest 
 of his pupils. He was born in Shir- 
 ley on July 19, 1846, the son of Dr. 
 James Otis and Martha Lincoln Carter 
 Parker. After seven months' mili- 
 tary service in the Second Massachu- 
 setts cavalry in 1865, he attended 
 Lawrence academy, being enrolled in 
 1866. He also taught at East Shir- 
 ley. He was a direct descendant of 
 Captain James Parker, an early set- 
 tler of Groton, and his father was a 
 graduate of old Groton academy in 
 1820, and Amherst college in 1834, and 
 was a well-known physician at Shir- 
 ley. The son died recently, January 
 27, 1911, at his home in Shirley. 
 
 Miss Cynthia A. Goodnow, a teach- 
 er in the spring of 1868, was born in 
 Boston, the daughter of Asa and Cyn- 
 thia Hamilton Goodnow, June 27, 1849. 
 In her early life, with a sister, Mary 
 A., now wife of Leonard Stone of Rox- 
 bury, she came to Littleton, after the 
 death of their mother, to make her 
 home in the family of a cousin, Mrs. 
 Mary J. Priest, and for about ten 
 years Littleton was their home. Dur- 
 ing these years she attended Law- 
 rence academy at Groton, being en- 
 rolled at that institution with her sis- 
 ter in 1865, during that time taking 
 private lessons also of Miss Clarissa 
 Butler. She graduated at Salem Nor- 
 mal school on January 23, 1868, and 
 was one of the essayists. After the 
 period of teaching in Groton, she went 
 to Brookline, Mass., to make a home 
 for her father, and died there on Feb- 
 ruary 10, 1877. 
 
 The teacher for the spring term of 
 1869, was Miss Rebecca Arabella 
 Prescott of Westford, Mass. She was 
 the daughter of Levi and Rebecca 
 Fletcher Prescott, and was born in 
 
 28 
 
Westford in October, 1848. Wliile 
 teaching this school she boarded in 
 the family oP John M. Gilson, as sev- 
 eral teachers have done. Miss Pres- 
 cott attended the i)ublic schools of 
 her native town and received private 
 instruction preparatory to hor taking 
 up the profession, which she followed 
 at Littleton, Westford, Sandy pond, 
 Granitf'ville and Bridgewater. N. II. 
 She died in Westford on August 13, 
 1881. 
 
 Miss Genio A. Hunt came from Ver- 
 mont to teach the school in the spring 
 of 1870. She was born in Fairfax, 
 Vt., on April 21, 1847, daughter of 
 Heman and Julia Safford Hunt. While 
 in Groton, she boarded at the Ephra- 
 ini Sawtelle house. Vermont had 
 more claims on her services and she 
 returned there after the term of 
 teaching here. Since then she has 
 taught in Vermont, Wisconsin, Ne- 
 braska, California and is now teach- 
 ing a course in manual arts at Brig- 
 ham academy at Bakersfield, Vt. 
 
 Sarah Jane Wright, better known 
 to her pupils as Miss Jennie Wright, 
 taught several terms, beginning in 
 1870. She was born in Groton on 
 October 24, 1848, the daughter of 
 Deacon Alva and Fanny Gilson 
 Wright. She was also for some years 
 a pupil here, beginning with Miss 
 Alma Willard and ending with her 
 own sister, Maria C. Wright, as teach- 
 er. Besides teaching here, she also 
 taught other schools in Groton, Gran- 
 itevllle and Worcester. Miss Wright 
 married on December 24, 1873, Josiah 
 K. Proctor, and they now live at Wyn- 
 cote. Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia. 
 
 She recalls many amusing incidents 
 as pupil and teacher. At one time a 
 boy was given this sentence to read: 
 "Why do you not take better care of 
 your king?" taken from a bible story. 
 
 In a halting manner the boy read: 
 "W-h-why d-do y-o-you n-o-t-not 
 tak-take a b-e-basket and c-a-r-carry 
 you-your k-i-n-g-king?" 
 
 Mr. Andrews, one of the committee, 
 was once questioning a class in gram- 
 mar and called upon this same lad 
 who had tried "to carry a king in a 
 basket," and asked him to give the 
 plural of scissors: "Shears sir," he 
 replied, and of sheo]), "Sheeps sir." 
 
 A small boy failed to recognize his 
 own name when he began to spell it: 
 
 S-t-o-p — h-e-n, until told that It was 
 really "Stephen." 
 
 Miss Lucy Maria Hill was well- 
 known in the di.strict when she came 
 to teach the school in the fall of 1872. 
 She lived with hor parents, Hmry and 
 Abigail CofTin Hill, upon Farnifrs" 
 row, nearer Groton, and liad attended 
 the academy in 1864, when her sister 
 also attended. She also attended Ab- 
 bott academy in Andovor, .Mass She 
 was born in Bradford, -Mass., Decem- 
 ber 15, 1849; married Frederick 
 Fosdick, son of Rev. David Fos- 
 dick, a neighbor, April 24. 1873, and 
 resided in Fitchburg until her death 
 on December 8, 1908. Mr. Fosdick 
 has held many positions of trust in 
 that city, having been elected mayor 
 several times. 
 
 Mrs. Ellen M. Torrey, as a teacher 
 of Moors school, will always be re- 
 membered as one of the most suc- 
 cessful teachers Groton ever had, 
 though her work was confined to the 
 district schools. She is the daughter 
 of the late Samuel and Clarissa 
 (Hartwell) Williams, and was born 
 in Groton on Chicopee row in 1846. 
 She married first. Rev. Watson Wil- 
 lard Torrey, a son of Willard Torrey, 
 of the T'hicopee row neighborhood, 
 and secondly, Sumner R. .Mason. He 
 was a son of Rev. S. R. !\Iason, D. D., 
 of Cambridge, Mass., who was killed 
 in a railroad wreck near Boston, sev- 
 eral years ago. The .Mason family, 
 after his death, came to Groton in 
 1875, and purchased the old Levi 
 Stone farm below the school. She 
 attended school at No. 7 in her young 
 days, and was enrolled at Lawrence 
 academy in 1857. During her years 
 of teaching she kept school in Con- 
 necticut, Iowa, Harvard, Weymouth 
 and four different schools in Groton, 
 besides giving private instructions in 
 Newton. 
 
 Mrs. Mason says: "The motto, 'Not 
 how much but how well,' which I 
 tried to impress on the minds of my 
 beloved pupils of .Moors school has 
 in the main been my own." Her 
 own children have gone out into the 
 world earnest exponents of their 
 mother's belief and two have been 
 teachers in Groton and Pepperell. 
 
 Mrs. Mason will have the sympathy 
 of all her old pupils in the loss of her 
 husband. Sumner R. Mason, who died 
 on August 5, 1911. 
 
 — 29 — 
 
The following is a tribute from a 
 former pupil to her old teacher: 
 
 "Mrs. Ellen M. Torrey, under whose 
 guidance I was fortunate enough to 
 be, was far above the average coun- 
 try school teacher. Her sunny nature 
 and rare womanliness made us all 
 love her. She developed the best in 
 each one and held up high ideals 
 which left an impression upon our 
 after lives." 
 
 The teacher for 1877-8. was Miss 
 Clara F. Woods of Ayer, a graduate 
 of the high school there in 1876, and 
 the class secretary. Miss Woods was 
 the daughter of Moses W. and Caro- 
 line L. Woods, and was born in Shir- 
 ley, Mass., December 5, 1859. She 
 was a successful teacher here and 
 afterwards went to Wellesley college, 
 and then taught in Needham, Natick 
 and Ayer. She married in April, 1882 
 George H. Hill of Ayer, where she 
 now resides. 
 
 In 1892, for two terms, Miss Nancy 
 Jane May of Groton, was in charge 
 of the school. She was the daughter 
 of George and Mary May, and was 
 born in Groton on June 14, 1873. She 
 taught also the Willard and Chaplin 
 schools in Groton, the Coolidge and 
 Hosmer schools in Watertown, and 
 was a teacher at the Elliot school in 
 Boston just previous to her death, 
 which occurred in that city on Jan- 
 uary 17, 1907. She was a graduate 
 of the Groton high school, class of 
 1890, and attended the State Normal 
 school at Framingham. 
 
 In the spring of 1893, the school 
 was taught by Miss Martha Leola 
 Wright, daughter of Henry T. and 
 Martha A. Wright of Groton. She was 
 born in Ayer, Mass., July 30, 1872, 
 and this was her first school, taken 
 up after two years at Smith college, 
 Northampton. She had previously 
 completed a four-years' course at 
 Vermont academy, Saxton River, Vt. 
 After a successful term here, she re- 
 turned to Smith college and completed 
 the course in 1895. She has since 
 taught in Ware, Mass., and at present 
 is a teacher of history in the North- 
 ampton high school. As a pleasant 
 accompaniment to the work, she trav- 
 eled in 1905, in France, Italy and 
 Greece. 
 
 Miss Mary A. Kimball, a well-known 
 and successful teacher in Groton 
 Center at the present time, presided 
 
 over the school for two terms in 1908, 
 while Miss Longley was in California. 
 Miss Kimball was born in Alfred, 
 Me., the daughter of Alden B. and 
 Caroline C. Kimball. She is a gradu- 
 ate of the Alfred high school and the 
 normal school at Gorham, Me. She 
 taught in Maine, and in Massachu- 
 setts in the towns of Danvers, Bev- 
 erly and Lynn, and in this vicinity 
 in Townsend and Pepperell. 
 
 Miss Anna Bancroft, who taught in 
 1879, was one of the four daughters 
 of the late Edmund Dana and Mary 
 P. M. Bancroft. She was born in 
 Shirley, Mass., November 21, 1854, 
 and her home was at Ayer for many 
 years. She graduated at Lawrence 
 academy in the class of 1872, and 
 taught school ten years in this state 
 previous to her marriage to Charles 
 H. Richardson of Groton and Wash- 
 ington, D. C, October 10, 1883. Mr. 
 Richardson had been a pupil at this 
 same school nineteen years before. 
 As a teacher she was universally 
 loved by her pupils and was alto- 
 gether successful. Since her hus- 
 band's death, Mrs. Richardson has 
 resided at Washington, holding a po- 
 sition in the dead letter office. 
 
 The long continued service of Miss 
 Sarah H. Longley as teacher of this 
 school, is one that is quite noticeable 
 and which meets with universal ap- 
 probation on the part of pupils and 
 parents. Thirty complete school 
 years at one little brick schoolhouse 
 is a record to be proud of, and the 
 teacher can see her pupils grow into 
 useful men and women while still 
 keeping guard over the moral and 
 intellectual welfare of those who are 
 to follow from the same neighborhood 
 school. Miss Longley came to this 
 school well equipped with a normal 
 school training and is considered one 
 of Groton's best teachers, who are 
 always needed in tne rural district 
 schools. 
 
 A list of pupils who have taught 
 school: 
 
 Evans, Harrison D.. Peterboro, Mason. 
 Hillsboro, Wilton and Sharon in 
 New Hampshire: also, in Illinois, 
 and in West Townsend and Chelms- 
 ford, Mass. 
 
 Oilson, Mary Emeline, Groton. 
 
 Hartwell, Benjamin H., No. 2-11-Gro- 
 ton high. 
 
 Hennisan, Kate, in Groton at Trow- 
 bridge, Butler Intermediate and 
 
 — 30 
 
Miniiil L. (.r:i\r-. I'.i.ni mI dr.. I. in. M:i>«., .Iiil\ l». I>t' 
 
Xu. o.s. IlMckett House. 
 
 'riic (icrri>li Sturo. ITs;!— iss"). 'r('iii|Mir;ir\ <^)u;irliT- nl (;nitiiii Iliiih Sdmol. 
 
Tarbcll schools; in Hohlen and at 
 Belmont echool, Maldon, Mass.. 
 since 1S92. 
 
 Kcycs, Lizzie, Acton. 
 
 Keating, Susie. Maynard and Everett. 
 
 Keating. Mary J., Croton. 
 
 Lawrence. Curtis. No. 2 and No. 12. 
 
 Lawrence. Edward Addison. Apploton 
 academy. New Ipswich. N. 11. 
 
 Lawrence. Susan F., No. 2. 
 
 Pollard. Agnes B., No. 2. 
 
 Richardson, Mary Kliza, Westford 
 
 Richardson, Rufus B., Yale, Now Hav- 
 en; Bloomlngton, Indiana; Dart- 
 mouth. 
 
 Richardson, Charles H., Ayor. 
 
 Richarfffin. Edward A., Groton. 
 
 Stone. Emma. Westford, Shirley and 
 Tyngsboro. 
 
 Torrey, Llnette W.. Groton. 
 
 Tuttle Lena W.. Bolton, Littleton, 
 Groton. Bradford. N. H.. Green- 
 field. N. H., Boscawen. N. H. 
 
 Willnrd, Alma H., No. 2. 
 
 Wright, Sarah J., Groton, Westford, 
 Worcester. 
 
 Wright, Maria C.. Groton, Dunstable. 
 Now Hampshire. Tennessee. 
 
 Wright. Fannie E.. Groton. 3 schools. 
 
 Walt. Charles H., Kansas. 
 
 Weber, Elinor May. Goshen. Mass., 
 Salisbury, N. H.. Plalnfleld. Mass. 
 
 There were four pupils at No. 2 in 
 about the same period, who were 
 close neighbors and chums and kept 
 up the acquaintance in after years as 
 they went on to the high school or 
 academy and on to still higher edu- 
 cational institutions. 
 
 Benjamin H. Hartwell took a course 
 of lectures at the medical school at 
 Dartmouth and at Jefforson Medical 
 college at Philadelphia, where he 
 graduated in tSfiS. He became a 
 skilled physician as has been stated 
 elsewhere. 
 
 His only brother, Harris- C. Hart- 
 well, went to Harvard and graduated 
 in the class of 1Rfi!>. He located as 
 a lawyer in Fitchhurg. where he died 
 in 1S91, in the very midst of a suc- 
 cessful career. 
 
 Samuel L. Graves went to Amherst 
 college, where he graduated in the 
 class of 1870. He also located as a 
 lawyer in Fitchburg, where he has 
 filled many important positions of 
 trust. 
 
 Rufus B. Richardson went to Yale, 
 where he graduated in ISfiO. and after- 
 wards taught there and held profes- 
 sorship chairs at Indiana State uni- 
 versity and Dartmouth college, and 
 became a noted student of Grecian 
 antiquities. 
 
 The names of the one-time pupils 
 who have had a milit.ary service and 
 their enrollment Is here given: 
 
 Brown, Daniel, war of rebellion. 
 Brown, William, war of rebellion. 
 Dickson. Ihnry A.. Co. B, 6th Massa- 
 chusetts regiment; Co. E. 33r<l 
 Mas.sachusotts regiment 
 I'ickson, Walt<r E.. Co. D. 5th Massa- 
 chusetts regiment. 
 Donlon. Michael. Co. D, 20th Massachu- 
 setts regiment; Co. L. 2na U. S. 
 cavalry. ,,,, 
 
 Donlon, Patrick. U. S. railway military 
 
 department. 
 Duron. George B.. Co. B. 26th Massa- 
 chusetts regiment. 
 Duren, Charles, .57th and 59th Massa- 
 chusetts regiments. 
 Evans. Harrison D., 13th N. H. regi- 
 ment. 
 Farnsworth. George H.. Co. B. 6tn 
 
 Massachusetts regiment. 
 Gllson. George Herman. 26th Massa- 
 chusetts regiment. 
 Gllson. Sumner. Co. B. 6th Massachu- 
 setts regiment. „„ ^ », 
 Hackott. Michael. Co. B, 33rd Massa- 
 chusetts regiment. 
 Hartwell, John S., 14th N. H. regiment 
 Kondall. George E.. Co. B. 26th Mass- 
 achusetts regiment. 
 Messer. Abbott M., Co. B, 26th Massa- 
 chusetts regiment. 
 Richardson. Rufua B.. Co. B, 6th Mass- 
 achusetts regiment. 
 Richardson. Alfred A.. Co. B. 6th Mass- 
 achusetts regiment. 
 Proctor, Sanford. U. S. navy, eight and 
 
 one-half years. 
 Mason. Joseph, cadet at U. S. naval 
 
 academy, Annapolis. 
 Coding. John W.. cadet at IT. S. mili- 
 tary academy. West Point. 
 Bcrquist. Oscar W.. Spanish-American 
 war. 1S98. 
 
 To this list may be added the 
 teachers: 
 
 Bruce, George Anson. 13th N. H. volun- 
 
 Banoroft.' Cecil F. P.. Christian com- 
 mission. 1864-65. 
 
 Llvermore. Rufus, Co. B. 6th Massachu- 
 setts regiment. 
 
 Parker. James C. C. 2nd Massachusetts 
 cavalry. 
 
 Michael Hackett, one of the pupila 
 in 1860, just before the war, was the 
 son of John and Mary Hackett. and 
 came to America when a small boy 
 He died in Manchester. N. H., May 11 
 1911. aged sixty-eight years. It is 
 related that he was such a zealous 
 soldier boy that he went off to tht 
 rendezvous without informing his 
 pnrents and that his mother, with a 
 younger infant brother in her arms 
 went to the camp and begged for th< 
 return of her boy home. The recruit 
 ing olTlcer was more willing than th< 
 lioy, who was really under age. bu 
 tlio'boy Informed his mother that I' 
 was no use to take him home for h< 
 
 — 31 — 
 
would enlist again. She finally gave 
 her consent and he went away to the 
 war in Company B, 33rd Massachu- 
 setts regiment and served four years, 
 and at the close of the rebellion en- 
 listed in the regular army for a three- 
 year service. Mr. Hackett used to say 
 that he had been, during his military 
 service, in every state In the union, 
 except Vermont. He was a brave 
 soldier and a general favorite with 
 officers and men. He was an active 
 member of Louis Bell Post No. 3, G. 
 A. R., at Manchester. He is survived 
 by a widow, one son and five daugh- 
 ters. 
 
 Henry A. Dickson, a pupil for a 
 short period in about 1842, was one 
 of those patriotic citizens, who in 
 April, 1861, responded to the first call 
 for troops, and marched to the de- 
 fence of the national capital. After 
 serving in Company B, "Old Sixth," 
 for three months, he enlisted in Com- 
 pany E, 33rd Massachusetts regiment 
 for three years. Mr. Dickson lives in 
 Fitchburg and was the commander of 
 E. V. Sumner Post 19. G. A. R., for 
 the past year. 
 
 In closing this school narrative I 
 am aware that the subject is of more 
 particular interest to those families 
 which have had representatives in 
 the school as pupils or teachers, than 
 to the general reader. The work has 
 been undertaken with a purpose to 
 preserve the fugitive facts, less easily 
 obtainable as the years pass by. The 
 reminiscences of old pupils of school 
 life here bring out many almost for- 
 gotten facts in the home life of the 
 inhabitants of the district. To some 
 extent this account is supplementary 
 to "The story of a Neighborhood," 
 which was published in the spring 
 of 1911. 
 
 Some of the old pupils recall their 
 attendance at the high school in the 
 upper part of the Gerrish building at 
 Groton Center, just before the new 
 high school was erected in 1870. 
 
 The present generation of scholars 
 will be interested to learn something 
 of the school life of those earlier ones, 
 who trudged over these same country 
 roads, in sunshine and in storm and 
 sat within the same walls to secure 
 the instruction which would fit them 
 for whatever station in life. 
 
 The old homes have undergone 
 transformations from time to time, 
 with here an addition and there an 
 entirely new house, but in many cases 
 the general form of the buildings is 
 the same as when erected. 
 
 The views of houses shown here- 
 with may be identified as the homes 
 of the pupils by referring to the num- 
 bered list of the homes of parents in 
 the forward part of this narrative. 
 
 At the "Community" on the hill, 
 fires and removals near the Groton 
 Episcopal school have caused many 
 of the old houses to disappear and 
 have changed the entire neighborhood, 
 but on the east road very few changes 
 have been made in the homes, and 
 with one exception, fire has not placed 
 its effacing hand in that part of the 
 old district. 
 
 Not to the same extent as formerly 
 do the families continue on at the 
 old homesteads, generation after gen- 
 eration, but the present occupants may 
 see in imagination the sacrifices and 
 hopes of former owners for the suc- 
 cess of the children who were brought 
 up beneath the old roof-trees and 
 were pupils at Old Number Two 
 School. 
 
 ■32 — 
 
 Huntley S. Turner, Printer, Ayer 
 
Die 18 m\ 
 
 LIBRPRY OF CONGRESS 
 
 014 079 023