USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Fairfield > This is Fairfield, 1639-1940 > Part 31
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In 1875 rather than naming just School Vis- itors these people were chosen to the "Board of School Visitors".
The following year $7500 was requested for schools. This amount was rejected and a sum of $7000 decided upon as it was in 1875.
School Districts at that time-1875-were:
Fairfield Bulkleys
Southport Jennings Woods
Mill Plain Toilsome Hill
Greenfield Hill Hoydens Hill
Holland Hill Hulls Farms
Banks North North
Banks South Burrs
Deerfield
The accounting of the School Fund for 1875 show how the Districts used their money.
1875
November 20-Mill Plain School District,
Supplies to school house .$ 79.15
Teachers wages 315.00
Janitors 15.00 $409.15
November 20-Southport School District,
Cleaning school house 9.50
Supplies furnished school house 208.79 Mr. Banks teacher's wages, 3 months 210.00
Miss Allis teacher's wages, 3 months 150.00
Miss Henshaw teacher's wages, 3 months 165.00
John Anderson, janitor 37.50 780.79
November 22-Middle School District (Fairfield) Teachers salaries, fall term 540.00 Mrs. Vanderbeck, janitor 16.50
Coal, $83.33; Incidentals,
$17.15
100.48
656.98
November 22-Toilsome Hill District, Imogene Johnson, teacher's sal. 105.00 Incidentals 11.52
116.52
November 23-H. B. Smith, serv- ices 5 days as school visitor .... 15.00
November 24-Deerfield School District,
Teachers wages
105.00
Incidentals
20.50
125.50
November 24-Hoyden's Hill School District, F. A. Smith, teacher's salary 90.00
November 26-Burr's District,
Adeline Alfred, teacher's salary 120.00
Incidentals
24.10
144.10
November 27-Banks South District, Sarah M. Smith, teacher's sal. 105.00 Incidentals 14.00
119.00
November 27-North School District, Augusta Hall, teacher's salary, 3 months 96.00
November 29-Holland Hill School District,
Shingling school house
35.00
12 months' interest
2.45
Teachers' wages
120.00
Incidentals
30.78
188.23
Nevember 29-Bulkley's School District, teacher's wages 105.00
December 11-Greenfield Centre School District,
Teacher's wages
150.00
Incidentals
28.81
178.81
December 23-Banks' North
School District, teacher's wages,
3 months
105.00
1876
January 6-Bulkley's School District, Incidentals
16.68
January 15-Fairfield Woods School District,
Incidentals
15.31
157
March 25-Fairfield-Middle School District, Teachers' wages, Mr. Whetmeyer, 4 months .. 400.00
Incidentals
3.00
123.00
Miss Paul
180.00
Miss Mayher
140.00
Janitor, Mrs. Vanderbeck,
16 weeks @ $2.50 40.00
Bills, M. V. Woodward
32.30
Incidentals
23.33
815.63
March 28-Mill Plain School District,
Teachers' wages, 4 months 420.00 Janitor's wages, 4 months . 20.00
Insurance, $13.50; Incidentals, $38.73 52.23
492.23
March 28-Holland Hill School District,
Teachers' wages 175.00
Incidentals, $15.95; Janitor, $14 29.95 204.95
March 29-Southport School District,
Teachers' wages, 4 months 700.00
Janitor's wages, 4 months 50.00
Incidentals
8.37
758.37
March 31-Banks' South District,
Teachers' wages, 4 months 140.00 Incidentals 16.25
156.25
March 29-Deerfield District, Teachers' wages, 4 months 140.00
March 29-Toilsome Hill District, Teachers' wages, 15 weeks 150.00
Incidentals
22.70
172.70
March 29-Burr's District,
Teachers' wages, 4 months 160.00
Incidentals 4.25
164.25
March 29-Fairfield Woods District,
Teachers' wages 180.00
Incidentals 34.50 214.50
March 29-Bulkley's District
Teachers' wages 140.00
Incidentals 16.70
156.70
March 29-Hoyden's Hill District,
Teachers' wages, 4 months 140.00 Incidentals 22.95 162.95
March 29-Greenfield Hill District,
Teachers' wages, 4 months 200.00
Incidentals 15.86 215.86
March 29-North School District,
Teachers' wages, 4 months 180.00 Incidentals 22.00 202.00
April 29-Banks' North District,
Teachers' wages, 4 months 140.00 Incidentals 21.15 161.15
May 1-Uriah Perry, Burr's District,
For repairs on building, etc. .... 13.00 For new floor 32.00 45.00
July 1-Fairfield Middle School District, Teachers' wages - A. P. Whitmeyer 300.00
Miss Paul 135.00 Miss Maher 105.00
Janitor
29.00
Incidentals 18.65
587.65
July 1-Burr's District, Teachers' wages 120.00
July 1-M. V. B. Dunham, Services as School Visitor ...
57.00 July 1-J. Fred. Jennings, Services as School Visitor ...
57.00
July 1-Southport School District, Teachers' wages -
Mr. Smith
210.00
Miss Allis
150.00
Miss Henshaw
165.00
Insurance
31.25
Janitor
37.50
S. B. Wakeman's bill
20.98
Incidentals
56.52
671.25
July 1-W. B. Meeker, Services as School Visitor 17.50
July 1-Rev. J. K. Lombard, Services as School Visitor ..
65.00
July 3-North School District, Teachers' wages, 12 weeks, at $8 96.00
Incidentals
4.71
100.71
July 3-Holland Hill District,
Teachers' wages 120.00
Incidentals
6.25
126.25
July 5-Fairfield Woods District,
Teachers' wages
90.00
94.90
July 6 Toilsome Hill District,
Teachers' wages, 3 months
at $45
135.00
July 7-Hoyden's Hill District, Teachers' wages, 3 months 90.00 Incidentals .75
90.75
July 8-Deerfield School District,
Teachers' wages, 3 months Incidentals 75.00 8.00
83.00
July 14-Greenfield Hill District,
Teachers' wages, 12 weeks 150.00
Incidentals
28.05
178.05
July 14-Mill Plain District,
Teachers wages - Wm. H. Everett, 3 months .. 210.00 Miss Ststot, 3 months 105.00
Janitor
15.00
Incidentals
7.93
337.93
July 15-Rev. Jos. Warren, Services as School Visitor, 16 days at $3 48.00
July 17-Banks' South District, Teachers' wages, 3 months, at $35.00 105.00
Incidentals
8.00
113.00
July 21-Bulkley's District,
Teachers' wages
105.00
Incidentals
5.00
110.00
158
Incidentals
17.29
152.29
Incidentals
4.90
August 7-Banks' North District,
Teachers' wages, 3 months, at $35
105.00
Incidentals, wood 2.00 107.00
August 7-Town of Westport,
Support of joint school for 1875, 1876 100.24
August 7-Samuel Morehouse,
Services as School Visitor ...
4.50
Total
$10,448.63
These school districts were used for other lines of demarcation as well-the Surveyors of High- ways were appointed for each school district in 1876. The Pound Keepers were appointed on the same basis in 1878.
Again in 1878, $7000 was budgeted for Schools, but this was rejected and only $6000 was allowed. However, we find that the follow- ing year it was necessary to vote an additional $600 to meet the deficiency in the school account.
The annual report of the School Visitors dated October 1, 1880 gives a fine picture of not only the financial status of the schools of the period but many other details of value.
TOWN OF FAIRFIELD SCHOOL VISITORS REPORT, OCTOBER 1, 1880
The School Visitors of the Town of Fairfield pre- sent their annual report:
The number of School Districts are fourteen. The number of departments and of teachers during the past year was eighteen.
The average monthly salary of male teachers was $45.60; that of female teachers was $34.74. The previous year these salaries were: Male, $49.65; females, $35.52. The accompanying table will show, for each district, the number of children last enum- erated, the average attendance for each term, the amounts received from the Town Treasury and the average cost of instruction for each child.
TABULAR STATEMENT
School Districts
Enum. Jan. 1
Aver. Attend. 1880 Fall Win. Sum.
Wages and Inci- dentals
Cost for each Child Enum.
Southport
208
101
110
70
$1,938.53
$ 9.49
Fairfield; Middle 163
80
85
64
1,543.72
9.61
Mill Plain
132
71
64
57
1,272.48
9.80
Greenfield
27
30
31
28
689.52
26.00
Holland Hill
57
23
29
14
390.49
7.05
Banks' North
19
13
15
11
338.35
18.42
Banks' South
20
14
14
14
347.43
17.95
Burr's
37
22
23
18
392.02
10.91
Bulkley's
39
21
17
15
331.15
8.78
Fairfield Woods ..
36
20
24
14
365.48
10.47
Toilsome Hill
25
20
20
20
336.45
13.92
Hoyden's
30
16
18
14
328.00
11.32
North
53
24
23
18
360.00
7.01
Deerfield
18
11
10
13
279.20
16.15
Total 864
In finding the averages in the last column, the cost of visiting is included.
The expenses of the public schools for the year have been as follows:
Paid to District Treasurers $8,912.82
Paid to School Visitors 211.00
Paid to Town of Westport, tuition 118.24
Paid to City of Bridgeport, tuition
8.70
Total expenditures
$9,250.76
The receipts have been:
From Town Treasury $6,130.82
From State
1,987.20
From Town Deposit Fund 387.02
From Easton, due
278.18
From Bridgeport, due
177.92
$8,961.14
There has been paid from the Town Treasury, for schools, $130.82, more than the appropriation, which was $6,000. As an offset to this let it be re- membered that in the last five years the sum of $1,578.83 has been returned to the town from unex- pended appropriations for schools. If for five suc- cessive years we have saved $300 a year of our ap- propriations, a deficit of less than half that sum should not occasion criticism.
The total cost of the schools, as compared with that of the previous year, was less by $399.51. This is by no means to be regarded as a matter for con- gratulation. The man who deprives his family of necessary food in order to save expense is regarded as neither economical nor humane. The town or district that practices a starvation policy upon its public schools is not a whit more worthy of honor than he. It is no economy to defer repairs upon a bridge until an accident results, followed by a suit for damages. No more is it economy to waste a child's time and ruin his habits of study by furnish- ing him a cheap and incompetent teacher. As a rule, poor pay will not command good teachers. As a rule, also, the average citizen does not know whether the quality of the work done in the public schools is good or bad, nor does he take any pains to find out. To limit one's interest in the matter to the question of cost is like employing an agent to man- age a valuable business, caring little, and knowing less, about his character and capacity, so that he can be hired for small wages.
It is in view of such considerations as these that the School Visitors advocate a liberal, though not a lavish expenditure, for the support of schools.
The Joint Board of Selectmen and School Visit- ors, after making due allowance for the claims of economy, have fixed upon $6,500 as the smallest appropriation which will maintain the public schools in anything like a respectable state of efficiency for the coming year.
The number of different scholars registered dur- ing the year was 810.
The number enumerated and the average attend- ance were a little higher than last year. Including amounts paid to other towns for tuition, and de- ducting amounts received from other towns for a like purpose, the average cost of our public schools for each child enumerated was $10.18.
In behalf of the Board,
James K. Lombard, Secretary.
159
466 483
370 $8,912.82 $10.18
On June 5, 1882, the record shows -
We the Selectmen of the Town of Fairfield do set off to the Toilsome Hill School District that por- tion of the old South District running along the western and southern boundary of Stratfield Parish to Ash Creek so called, it being that part of the old South District left after the remaining portion had been taken into Bridgeport.
Signed: A. P. Wakeman Samuel Pike J. B. Morehouse 1
Selectmen
1
On October 3, 1887 it was voted to change Toilsome Hill School District to the name Strat- field School District. At the same meeting a vote on the question of consolidation of schools was also taken. The results:
-in favor of such consolidation 126 -opposed to such consolidation 61
It was a year later before this question was brought before the citizens for further direction and consolidation made a real goal.
These articles from newspapers of the time help to further our viewing of school activities of the period -
1884 Middle School District - -
Dr. Garlick elected, school committee
William B. Glover, Treasurer Benjamin Betts, Clerk
Voted to hire two teachers, one at a salary of $70 a month and one at a salary of $40 a month. 1884 Officers of Mill Plain District School D. H. Sherwood, Committee and Treasurer
N. H. Sherwood, Clerk W. H. Smith, Collector
It was voted to paint the schoolhouse and fence and kalsomine the wall and put the building in proper shape.
The Mill Plain School picnic was held as usual on the last Friday afternoon of the term. By the num- ber of children present we should judge Mill Plain had the largest school census in Town.
A number of Mill Plain children took part in the exhibition at the Town Hall, on Monday evening last.
1884-Principal Purple closed the Brush Pasture School last Friday by a fine reception tendered to the scholars and their friends. It was a very pleas- ant affair.
The Greenfield Public School closed a week ago Friday, the popular and faithful Mr. Rose of Bridge- port inviting the children to a feast of good things spread beneath a tent at Mrs. Hubbell's. In the even- ing, children of larger growth including committee- men A. R. T. Nichols dropped in and enjoyed a most social time until 10 o'clock.
July 1, 1884-Mr. W. Everett has been employed
as a teacher for the Mill Plain Public School. There is universal satisfaction, except among the children, but this is by no means a bad sign. Mr. Everett is a thorough disciplinarian, but he is also a kind man, and we have no doubt that after a few weeks the children will become as much attached to him as they were to Mr. Wilson-(James A. Wilson-li- censed to preach at Stratfield Baptist Church. Served 6 years as Principal of Mill Plain School).
From the Fairfield Advertiser, August 28, 1884
Calendar for the District Schools of Fairfield for 1884-85.
First or Fall term begins Monday, Sept. 1, 1884 and terminates Dec. 19, 1884-16 weeks.
Christmas-New Year vacation.
Second and Winter term begins Monday, Jan. 5, 1885 and terminates Mar. 27, 1885-12 weeks. Spring vacation of 1 week.
Third and Summer term begins Monday, April 6, 1885 and terminates Monday, June 25, 1885- - 12 weeks.
Summer vacation begins June 26th, 1885.
First and Fall term begins Monday, Sept. 7, 1885. By vote of the town, schools ordered to be kept forty weeks.
J. J. Jones, Secretary, Board of Visitors.
In 1799 a State law had been enacted to en- couraged communities to establish schools for higher learning. The law read:
Be it further enacted that any School Society shall have Liberty by a vote of 2/3 of the Inhabit- ants present in any legal meeting warned for the purpose to institute a School of a higher order for the common benefit of the Society, the object of which shall be to perfect the Youth admitted there- in in Reading, and Penmanship, to instruct them in the Rudiments of English Grammar, Composition, Arithmetic and Geography, or on particular desire in the Latin and Greek languages, also in the first principles of Religion and Morality, and in general to form them for usefulness in Society; And no pupil shall be admitted into said School except such as have passed through the ordinary Course of In- struction in the Common Schools, and shall have attained to such maturity in years and understand- ing as to be capable of Improvement in said school in the opinion of the Overseers, and shall by them or any of them be admitted therein; and if at any time it shall so happen that more pupils are ad- mitted than can be accommodated or in said School together, they shall be instructed in such course and order as to give all equal opportunity.
This was the first thought of a Public High School. Fairfield did not move in this direction immediately, but long before most towns had felt this need, a few of the residents of Fairfield thought this advisable.
In 1885 there was a move in the air in Fair- field to establish a high school and the Board of
160
SOME SHERMAN SCHOOL PUPILS ABOUT 1884
Some Sherman School Pupils about 1884
Edwin B. Smith, Principal, far right; A Maria Wakeman, teacher at right. Fred A. Burr, former First Selectman, fifth from left in top row. The building was later moved to Reef Road and became a home. Annex used as Fire House. Now-1960-an Office building. This was the Middle District School.
Wilson's Mill School-1899
**
Middle District School-Before 1890 Lillian Sherwood, primary teacher; Frank H. Baldwin, upper grade teacher and principal.
18 $3 Sherwood Banks as Is in a
Box26 Received Check 036 3199 of Town Ster Reecured letech
Farfecha LA 126,00
228.24 Julyte
:3424
John dichole." For word and cutting. Janitor 10 months, Cleaning School house, Gemmerating Scholars Perje. Chalk and Paper,
2000
10.00.
3,00
1.00
.70
60
frozen k.
30
2 bottles of
80
Hemdow-4 Share and putting caramel, 00
.25
Cleanniq télock. 50
1 box of Matcher, .8
Hookze ..
14
Inte Pencile + Taker.
30
7
12
Legal Pencile,
25
Justice Fees,
35-4.24
Pages form Banks North School Account Book-1893
with Banks South etchart District Fels as for bull four months Initionada Ban 12680 Aday Pure 18,90
Ilatte pencils
FAIRFIELD
WESTON
E
1867
DISTRICT Nº 10.
DISTRICT MAP
S
0
T
BANKSNORTH Store
School
HOYDENS
DEERFIELD
HILL
MurWINS Lar
a School
Store d
CRECONOOS BROOK
Wilsons Hight
ASTON
Highway
5. Shop
School
School
NORTH
GREENFIELD HILL PO.
CENTRE
owens
Prash School
T
. S.Sh
GREAT
9891
School
Saw Mill
BUCKLEYS
HULLS
WOOD
is chool
FARMS
RIVER
TOILSOME
MIL
MILL
FAIRFIELD
HOLLAND
Ps&a Mill
School
HILL
Old Kings
School
Jem.
1 Mountain
School
Vloodys/ Grave
3
Mill, Cem.
Icem
FAIRFIELD
Nurser Ct
of North'85on
Cool &,
Bot.
Mallecole
Trotting Park
Iron Work
Ch.
Town Hall
School
Park Ch.
BLACK ROCK ROY
-
Beach
Grovers
-
Sand
air
feathers Id.
Fairfield
Beach
Light House
JENNINGS
Cem
s.s.
SOUTHPORT P. O .
GMINY
Sasso Hill
ch.
Highway
SOUTH
IDGEPC
0 Sider Mill
IStratfield Bapt Ch
os. Sh
"school
HILLSchod
CREEK
G&SMill
PLAIN
--
Slaughter House
OLD
R
SASKO
Park Packing Hous
CREEK
Black Rock
Eastern -- > Turnpike
R
JENNINGS
Cider Mu & Sorgham Mill
Samp Mortar
Rock
Sturdess
BROOK
Middle brook
BURRS
E
SSA Store
School
JaToll House
S. Mille Handle Fact
Buris : Highwave
qS.Shop
S. Shop
BANKS
SOUTH
Dal lawn
SOUTHPORT
MIDDLE
DIVISION
aide
4
Note: S.Sh. means Shoe Shop-S. and G. Mill means Saw Mill and Grist Mill.
N
Pequot School Southport District
Miss Kate Henshaw's class at Pequot School Southport-1892
Grace Purdy
May Mitchell
Eva Purdy
John Doxey
Ella Smith
Fred Sherwood
Sarah Woodward
Isaac Hawes
Mary Hawes May Malone
Harry Disbrow
Ida May Conwell
Charles Mitchell
Grace Donahue
Emeline Disbrow
William Burr and yoke of oxen. Notice pung which oxen are pulling used for hauling wood etc. in winter-about 1898
Birdcage-like gazebo or summer house on Brown Estate-first High School. Here the first students en- joyed their lunch on warm spring noon times.
C
Front entrance gates to Brown Estate-first High School-note gardens on either side of driveway.
Dwight School and School Bus-1897
First School-1725-on Green- field Green. (Later sold to Samuel Grant, shoemaker-about 1845, for his shoeshop)
Mill Plain School-Eva Wilson, teacher
--
Top row-Richard Cleary, Joe Black, Evelyn Black. Margaret Garrity, Tom Gar- rity. Mary Garrity, Florence Hull.
Second row-Alex Hull, William Flana- gan, Alice Bonney, Mary Cleary, Irene Bonney, Mary Smith. Amy Jennings, Louise Everett, Jennie Ferris, Mary Flanagan, Sadie Flanagan.
Wilson's Mill School (Hoyden's Hill Road )
Front row. l. to r .- Clinton Sherwood, Martha Lockwood, Walter Jennings, Maude Wilson, Mildred France, Ethel Wisner.
Second row-Clifford Jennings, Lcora Wilson, Nellie Wilson.
Teucher-lessie Lobdell.
Wilson's Mill School-1899
Front row-Mabel Sherwood, Marty Lockwood. Clinton Sherwood, Mora Fisher, Ida Wales, Minnie Goldstein, Stephen Wilson, David Wilson, Arthur Goldstein, Luella Tripp-with bicycle.
Second row-Jennie Carroll, Music Teacher, Willie Johnson, - Johnson, Dora Goldstein, Maud Wilson, Daisy Waldman, Leora Wilson.
Back row-Nellie Wilson, Ottmer Johnson, Fritz Peterson, Fred Lockwood, Ethel Wisner, Sarah Hopkins, Teacher.
For "Good Deeds" at School
LORD
WEEDS AND FLOWERS.
DEAR children, the flowers yon are busied abont,
AHL.
Will grow, though they toil not nor spin And while you are tending the garden without, You should think of the garden within The heart is by nature llke wilderness ground, Which yields neither flowers nor fruit : There, poisonous weeds and rank thistles abound,
Which only God's hand can uproot. Oh, seek that his Spirit this desolate place May make like a garden to bloom; There plant and there nurture the flowers of his grace, In beanty and lasting perfume.
Boston Post Road- Blizzard of 1888. Note trolley tracks and trolley coming around the bend. Frederick A. Burr (later First Selectman) clears the snow while Mrs. Catherine Burr, mother of Mrs. George Polk looks on from sleigh.
The Red Cross Headquarters and Car during World War I- 1914-1918.
Bath houses-Fairfield Beach-1890. These bath houses were collapsable and folded up. They were taken to the beach via the horse and wagon and there remained for the individual family's use until the end of the summer.
-
Middle District School-October 1890
Front row, seated, l. to r .- W . Mckenzie, - Morgan, M. McGarry, E. Hewitt, A. Hewitt, - Granville, M. Schwartz, - Gran- ville, N. Smith, Harriet Knapp, George Peterson.
Second row-John McGarry, V. Bryant, M. Price, M. Cummings, - Leahy, M. McCaffrey, L. Burr, F. Wakeman, M. Bryant, L. Schwartz, - Morgan.
Third row-E. Seigel, Joseph Flint, W. Perry, E. Moore, W . Peterson, Charlie Seward, Howard Thomas.
Fourth row-E. Flanagan, C. Bryant, M. Sullivan, M. O'Hara, William Smith, - Sullivan, Jessie Pratt, James Hewitt, Fred Schwartz.
William Smith was the Principal.
Selectmen issued a call to get the feelings of the community. The warning for this special Town Meeting was as follows:
Warning is hereby given to the legal voters of Fairfield that a Special Town Meeting thereof will be held at the Town House in said Town on Mon- day the 17th day of August 1885 at 2:30 o'clock in the afternoon, for the purpose of considering the propriety and expediency of establishing in the Middle District of this Town, a school of higher grade with the special view of affording practical, business instruction to children of all Districts of the Town, and, if thought advisable so to do, to appropriate such sums of money as may be deemed necessary to the establishment of such a school in said District, also to do any other proper and neces- sary business in the premises.
Fairfield, August 3, 1885 Richard B. Jennings Albert Turney Francis Jelliff
Selectmen of the Town of Fairfield
At this meeting the following resolution was offered:
Resolved that the Joint Board of Selectmen and School Visitors be authorized and directed to estab- lish an advanced school for the use of pupil resi- dents of the Town over 14 years of age that pass an examination to the approval of the School Visitors and that they make an appropriation sufficient to pay the salaries of the teachers and contingent ex- penses.
That school was to have been in the Middle District, but the motion for its authorization was not passed.
At the same meeting a motion was made that the several School Committees in each School District report at the next annual Town Meeting their opinions regarding the proposed high school which upon motion was passed.
The Fairfield Advertiser reported the meeting in its August 20, 1885 issue -
The Special Town Meeting
On Monday afternoon the special town meeting which had been called for the purpose of consider- ing the establishment of a high school in a room in the Fairfield School House, assembled in the Town House at 2:30 p.m. A respectable number of our citizens were present. Mr. W. B. Glover was called to the chair. The matter in hand was quite thor- oughly discussed. Speeches were made by Messrs. J. J. Jones, O. B. Jennings, Samuel Morehouse, Isaac Jennings, J. T. MacAlpin and others. The senti- ments of the meeting were generally favorable to the project, but it was deemed advisable not to move too rapidly. As the success of the project required the cooperation of all of the districts of the Town, it was determined to request the district committees to investigate the matter in their several districts and secure the support of the citizens. No further action could be taken until such reports were received. The
matter was then laid over to the annual Town Meeting, at which time it is hoped definite action can be taken. The meeting then adjourned.
At the annual meeting on October 5, 1885, Mr. J. J. Jones called for reports if any, from the School Committees from the different school districts in regard to the proposed High School from the last Town Meeting. The only reporting School Visitor was Mr. J. T. MacAlpin from the Bulkley's District. The nature of his report was not recorded in the Town Meeting records so we shall not ever know his thoughts. We do know however that the proposed school of higher learn- ing did not at that time become a reality for we find it suggested several times in later years. For example in 1888 -
Upon motion of Mr. Adams, a high school be established in Fairfield Middle District. On motion, it was laid on the table.
Motion made by Mr. Adams that a Superintend- ent of Schools be appointed. On motion it, too, was laid on the table.
As we read over the newspapers of this period we find many references to schools and each one I believe tends to give us a better idea of edu- cation's role during the last quarter of the cen- tury just past. Several excerpts are included here:
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