USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Lancaster > Lawrence yesterday and today (1845-1918) a concise history of Lawrence Massachusetts - her industries and institutions; municipal statistics and a variety of information concerning the city > Part 9
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The first lockup was located near the corner of Turnpike ( Broad- way) and Common streets. In 1850 the selectmen discarded this lockup and established police headquarters in the basement of the Town (City) Hall. Cells were built in the arches supporting the vaults of the town clerk. At that time the chief of police had his office on the first floor of the hall where what is now the assessors' office. Some time later a public protest arose over the alleged un- sanitary arrangement of the cells in the Town Hall, and they were abandoned after a new lockup was built on Common street, near the corner of Jackson street. It was constructed of wood after the plan of a cottage house, and contained eight cells. For a time a small wooden lockup was also maintained on Elm street between Lawrence and White streets.
These facilities served until 1867 when a brick station was erected on the site of the present headquarters at the corner of Common and Lawrence streets. This building was built despite sturdy opposition, and for many years it was more than ample. In recent years, how- ever, it had far outgrown its usefulness, and in 1914 the building was razed, and the present modern structure was constructed, being finished for occupancy the following year. It contains the most modern equipment and appliances for police work. It has a well ventilated, well lighted cell room, with 42 cells. Besides, there are
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well arranged accommodations for both the administrative officers and the patrolmen. In the basement is a finely equipped emergency aid roon1.
The present District Court which occupies the second floor of the police station building, was established by an act of the Legislature in 1914. It has jurisdiction in civil cases from Lawrence, Methuen and the Andovers, and concurrent jurisdiction with the trial justices in criminal matters from the same district. It is the outgrowth of the Lawrence police court, instituted by legislative enactment in 1848. Prior to this, justice had been administered by Trial Justice Joseph Couch. The first judge of police court appointed was William Stevens who resigned in 1876 after serving 28 years, total blindness making his retirement necessary. He was succeeded in 1878 by Nathan W. Harmon, in the meantime Associate Justice William H. P. Wright having served. Ill health caused Judge Harmon to resign nine years later, and the late Hon. Andrew C. Stone was his successor. Judge Jeremiah J. Mahoney, the present presiding justice, was next in line, his appointment to succeed Judge Stone being made in 1905 by Governor Douglas.
The efficiency of the police department was greatly increased by the installation of the police signal system in 1894. This system has been perfected in many respects since its adoption and the police system generally has been modernized in accordance with the very latest ideas. The horse drawn patrol and ambulance was replaced in 1917 by automobile equipment.
There is the dark side of police annals that concerns crime, its commission and consequences, into which we do not intend to delve, as we do not think it is necessary for the completion of the aims of this book. It is not our intention to drag forth family skeletons or to hold up to the present generation scandals that should be best left forgotten. But, at the same time, we do not wish to leave the im- pression that Lawrence has been free from sensational happenings of this nature.
A complete sketch of the activities of the Lawrence Police Depart- ment, from the days of the old-fashioned lockups to the present with its well equipped system, would show that the city, although on the whole a peaceful, law-abiding community, has had its share of crime. In detection of crime and the protection of life and property, however, the police department of Lawrence has a record which will compare favorably with that of any other city in the country. Competent police chiefs and alert, capab'e inspectors and patrolmen have built up a service full of commendable achievement. There have been cases where criminals have escaped apprehension, but very few as compared to the number of successful prosecutions.
DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM
Probably no better illustration of the rapidity of the growth of Lawrence can be found than in the development of the public school system of the city. From the very beginning there has been a constant growth of the school plant, the demand for accommodations becoming larger and steadier as the population mounted ; the building up of the educational facilities has kept pace with the growth of the community, though the increase in the number of pupils in the last several years has been so extraordinary that it has been a most difficult problem to provide suitable accommodations.
The importance of the school system in municipal affairs may be noted in the amount appropriated each year for its maintenance, the appropriation being nearly a third of the entire sum apportioned for all city departments. Fortunately, the needs of the school department have usually had precedence over those of other departments, in the consideration of municipal governments.
One may comprehend the extent of the school plant of Lawrence in the following data, based on figures for the school year ended in 1917 :
Number of school buildings : Primary, 23; grammar, 8; high, 1. Total, 32. Besides these there are several portable school buildings and rented accommodations to take care of the overflow in the elementary grades.
Number of class rooms : Elementary, 258 ; high, 23. Total, 281.
Number of pupils in day schools: Elementary, 9,108; high, 1,117. Total, 10,225.
Number of teachers in day schools : Elementary, 316: high, 41. Total. 357. Number of pupils in evening schools : Elementary, 1,189 : high, 538. Total. 1,727. Number of teachers in evening schools : Elementary. 42 ; high, 30. Total, 72. Total cost of maintaining department, including evening schools : $411,991.13. Cost to the city per pupil for education a year : $42.10.
Value of school buildings and land, including new central Oliver grammar school : Estimated at $1,500,000.
In the list of class rooms are included the accommodations for the afternoon sessions at the High school, these sessions being neces- sary to provide for the great overflow in the day High school. It might be stated here that the city has appropriated $50,coo for the purchase of adjoining property west of the High school building, with the view of constructing a large addition to the present plant. It is expected that the near future will see the work of construction under way.
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The story of the development of the present system of public schools is interesting. In 1845, when the Essex Company commenced operations here, there were three one-story district school houses, two in the Methuen portion of the territory now included in the city area, and one south of the river, in the Andover section. They were crude affairs, uncomfortable and unattractive. One was located on Tower Hill, the second at the intersection of what are now Prospect and East Haverhill streets, and the third on the south side, near the intersection of the Lowell road and the Turnpike (South Broadway). There were summer and winter terms of a few weeks' duration. In 1846 the Essex Company erected a school house between Haverhill and Tremont streets, where a school was opened under the direction of the Methuen school committee, on November 7th, by Nathaniel Ambrose as teacher. He commenced with 25 scholars, but before the expiration of the first year the roll included 150 scholars.
When Lawrence was incorporated as a town the following were named a school committee : James D. Herrick, Dan Weed and William D. Lamb, M. D. To these men was intrusted the founding of the present school system. At their second meeting they voted that one male and five female teachers be employed, Mr. Ambrose as male teacher in the Essex Company's house, Miss Robinson for the Durant district, Miss Ford for the Tower Hill district, Miss Brown and Miss Abbott for the Free Will Baptist Vestry and Miss Odell on the south side of the river. During this year, a story and a half school house was built on Jackson street, where the Unitarian church now stands, and a similar one upon the Lowell road on the south side of the river.
Concerning the work of this original committee, the school commit- tee of 1848 had this record: "They erected the school house on the south side with a view to the future; and it will answer its purpose for an indefinite period. On this side (the North) of the river we were put in possession of the Prospect street, the Jackson street and the Haverhill street school houses, as property of the town ; and of the Hampshire street house, as the property of the Essex Company, rented by the town." All of these buildings contained a single room, with the exception of the Jackson street and Southside schools which were of two rooms each.
Early in the year 1848 the school committee, after consultation with Hon. Horace Mann and other distinguished educators, adopted a continuous system of public instruction wherein the primary school is introductory to the middle, the middle to the grammar, the grammar to the high, and the high to the college or the actual pursuits of life. And that plan is in vogue today, although much improved in the method of application.
The first grammar school on the north side (later named the Oliver) was opened in April, 1848, in the Jackson street house, and
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OLIVER (CENTRAL) SCHOOL
ALEXANDER B.BRUCE SCHOOL
LAWRENCE HIGH SCHOOL
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EMILY G. WETHERBEE SCHOOL
JOHN R.ROLLINS SCHOOL
- Photography by Silverthorne
A GROUP OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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was moved into the original Oliver school building upon its completion near the close of the same year. Another grammar school was established about the same time in the new Southside building. The Lawrence High school was organized January 31, 1849. On that day a class of seventeen members was admitted, without strict regard for qualification. Provisions were made for them in the front room of the lower floor of the old Oliver High school house, where the High school was located until the original High school build- ing was erected.
When Lawrence was created a city in 1853, the following were elected school committeemen : Hon. Charles S. Storrow, mayor and chairman ; Henry K. Oliver, James D. Herrick, William Stevens, Ivan Stevens, Enoch Pratt and L. W. Wright,-the mayor and one represent- ative from each ward. The new city was in possession of ten school buildings, including the Oliver, containing also the Oliver high school ; the Newbury street, the Oak street, the Amesbury street, the Cross street and the Prospect street schools. All of these buildings were located on the sites occupied by buildings of the same names today, and all during the past 64 years have been greatly remodelled, except the Oak street and the old Oliver grammar school buildings which were razed to make room for the new central Oliver grammar school. The other early-day school houses long ago proved inadequate and were abandoned. The original High school building, which after the opening of the new and more commodious structure on Lawrence street was used only as the headquarters of the school authorities and as an annex of the evening schools, was totally destroyed by fire December 6, 1910. The building had been constructed in 1867, and it was beautiful in architectural design.
In the year 1892 a notable revolution was inaugurated in the architecture and construction of the school buildings of Lawrence. In that year the City Council authorized the erection of the John R. Rollins grammar school on Howard street, Prospect Hill. This hand- some brick building, completed in 1893, contains ten class rooms, a large hall, rooms for teachers and master, a library, and every modern convenience. Its lighting, heating and ventilation equipment is one of the best obtainable. Its approximate cost was $70,000. Other buildings followed, in general construction similar to the Rollins, the number of class rooms ranging from ten to sixteen. In 1895 the John K. Tarbox grammar school on Alder street was erected at an approx- imate cost of $60,000. A few years ago a large addition was made to this building, at an expense of $60,000. The Emily G. Wetherbee grammar school on Newton street was built in 1897 at an approximate cost of $95,000; the new High school in 1901, at a cost of about $250,000 ; the Alexander B. Bruce grammar school on Ames street, Tower Hill, in 1902, about $100,000; the Gilbert E. Hood grammar
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school on Park street, in 1905, about $150,000; the John Breen grammar school, in 1911, about $135,000.
In June, 1915, the construction of the new central (Oliver) grammar school was started, and the building was completed in the fall of 1917, at an estimated cost of $210,000. The structure is the last word in school house construction. It contains 36 class rooms, besides an assembly hall, four manual training and domestic science rooms, teachers' rooms, etc. It also contains a fine suite of offices for the school department. The building occupies the sites of the original Oliver grammar, Oak street and old High school buildings, and extends from Haverhill street to Oak street, with a frontage of 152 feet on Haverhill street.
The Packard school was named for Rev. George Packard, first rector of the Grace church; the Oliver for Gen. Henry K. Oliver, former mayor and superintendent of schools ; the Harrington for Rev. Henry F. Harrington, first pastor of the Unitarian church ; the Walton for George A. Walton, first principal of the Oliver school ; the Storrow for Hon. Charles S. Storrow, first mayor of the city; the Saunders for Hon. Daniel Saunders, known as the founder of the city; the Rollins for Hon. John R. Rollins, a member of the school board for 30 years ; the Tarbox for Hon. John K. Tarbox, another highly re- spected citizen ; the Hood for Gilbert E. Hood, donor of the Hood prizes and former superintendent of schools; the Bruce and the Breen for former mayors of the city, Hon. Alexander B. Bruce and Hon. John Breen. The other schools received their names from the streets on which they are located.
From its earliest inception the educational advancement of the city has kept pace with her material progress. Changes in courses of study and in methods of instruction have been made as the advan- tage became apparent, and the best features of the new education have been incorporated into the school system. Besides the regular subjects, music, drawing and sewing are taught in the various grades under the supervision of special teachers, and in connection with the work of the High school a four years' course in manual training is maintained.
Eight years constitute the elementary course of study, below the High school, the first three years of which are spent in the primary schools. The grammar grade course covers five years, though the first two grades of the course are commonly referred to as "middle" grades. In 1917 there were 511 graduates from the grammar schools, the largest number in the history of the city. Departmental work has been established in all the grammar schools, and here a firm foundation is laid for the higher education to come. Each school is under the control of an experienced master.
The High school curriculum is one of the broadest and strongest in the state. Courses in 27 distinct subjects are offered, the study of
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English and Literature being more than exceptionally prominent. It is probable that more thorough work in Literature is done in Lawrence than elsewhere in the state. Good training is also given in the sciences, languages and commercial subjects. besides the course in manual training. Promotion is by subject, pupils being classified ac- cording to their capacity, and four, five or even six years may be spent there before graduation. The great majority. however, complete the course in four years. The school has earned such an excellent reputation among the colleges that it has been accorded a place upon the privileged list by those colleges which accept certificates in lieu of examinations. In 1917 there were 164 graduates. Based on the figures for 1917, the High school costs about $60,oco a year for its maintenance. Of this amount the sum of $44,980 goes for salaries alone. The expenditure per pupil is $53.54 a year.
Occupying a unique place among the schools, and doing most vital work, is the Lawrence Practice school which since 1905 has occupied the Gilbert E. Hood school house. For many years prior to the establishment of the Normal school at Lowell, and for a few years subsequent to that, Lawrence maintained its own independent training school. To it graduates of our High school or other High schools were admitted after examination, and graduated for teaching after a course of a year and a half. In 1901 an agreement was reached between the city and the commonwealth, by which the Training school (as it was then called ) was incorporated into the State Nor- mal school system as a school for observation and practice. Under this agreement, graduates of our High school took a two years' course of academic work at Lowell, during which they spent one period of three months in practice teaching in the Hood school. After gradua- tion from Lowell, residents of Lawrence were entitled to take up a supplementary course of practice teaching, five months in duration, after which they became eligible to teach in the elementary schools of the city. In 1900 the term of undergraduate practice was eliminat- ed. Graduates of Massachusetts Normal schools are now required to spend a period of five months practice teaching in the Hood school before they are eligible to appointment.
In addition to the day schools, Lawrence has a great system of evening schools, one of the largest in the state. This valuable and now indispensable adjunct of the school department was first inau- gurated in the winter of 1859-60. A committee of the board of advice to the city missionary, consisting of Rev. George Packard and Hon. Charles S. Storrow, petitioned the City Council in 1859 for an appropriation to assist them in establishing an evening school. They reported that the city missionary would act as principal of the school, and that he was able to obtain teachers who would gratuitously and cheerfully give the necessary time for the instruction of the
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pupils. They proposed to use the cast off furniture of the regular school department and to secure some convenient room where the school could be held.
The City Council gave them the munificent sum of Sioo. Quar- ters were secured in Odd Fellows hall which was then located at the south-westerly corner of Common and Hampshire streets. The room rent amounted to about $50, and that and the cost of supplies caused an expense of about $216 the first term, part of which was met by the aid of proceeds from several benefit entertainments. It was necessary to ask the City Council for $41 more to meet the deficit.
More than 200 scholars were taught that first winter, who from want or neglect of early privileges needed and desired the instruc- tion such as the school gave. The school, thus begun, prospered and increased greatly in attendance as the years went by, and the first quarters became so crowded in 1863 that a request was made for the use of a portion of the basement of the City Hall. A room, 25 feet wide and extending the length of the basement on the north side, was fitted up. With the exception of two or three small portions cut off from this room for other purposes, it is still in a condition similar to that as at first finished, and it is now occupied by the city grocery.
In May. 1870, the school committee took charge of the school and accommodations for the girls were provided in the Oliver grammar school building. The boys, for a time, remained in the old quarters in the basement of the City Hall. Later, the disturbances and inter- ruptions, in the use of this room for caucuses and elections and in connection with the performances in the hall, became so great that the school was not held there after the winter of 1876-77, accom- modations for the boys also being found in one of the school buildings.
The evening schools are now maintained three evenings in the week from October until March. During the term ended in 1917, there were employed 72 teachers, including a supervisor. The total expense, excluding costs of heating and lighting which are very con- siderable items, amounted to $16,950.54. The elementary evening schools in 1881 occupied eight rooms in the Oliver and Packard school buildings. The record does not give the number attending. The committee spent $1,700 for evening schools that year. In 1882 the evening High school had 18 pupils. Besides the High school, four other buildings are now occupied by the evening schools. During the school year ending in March, 1917, there were 1.727 pupils en- rolled, of which number 538 attended the evening High school. In 1916 there were 132 evening High school pupils awarded diplomas after completing the three years' course. In 1917 the four-year course went into effect and there was, consequently, no graduation this year.
The course of studies in the evening High school is nearly as good as that offered in the day school, there being little difference
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except in the amount of time given the various subjects. Many young men and women, who have been compelled to take up the task of earning a livelihood upon reaching the working age, avail them- selves of the opportunity afforded thereby for advanced education. In the High school building, but distinct in organization, are the ad- vanced evening grammar school classes, doing work parallel to that of the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades of the day schools. Pupils completing the work of the eighth grade class are given certificates of advancement and are entitled to entrance to the regular High school course. In the basement of the building, occupying the quarters of the manual training department, is located the evening drawing school. Here well filled classes of men are nightly at work during the evening school season. The courses, architectural and mechanical, are in charge of veteran instructors of the day High school.
A new and interesting feature of the evening school system is the Naturalization school, the first of its kind in the country. In January, 1914, this department was opened in the High school building, on Tuesday and Friday evenings, for men desiring to make prepara- tion to become naturalized citizens and for foreigners over 21 years of age wishing to learn the English language or to improve their knowl- edge of it by further study. The school was organized by Cornelius F. Sullivan, the master of the Oliver school, and he is assisted in the experiment by several experienced teachers. The success of the project thus far has been gratifying, and the school has come to be regarded as a permanent institution. It has proved of great assistance in the work of naturalization and has been an incentive to many aliens to become citizens. At the end of the term the certificates of naturalization are publicly awarded, with appropriate exercises, to those who have qualified therefor through the course of instruction offered by the school.
Lawrence was the first city to avail itself of the commonwealth's invitation to open an independent industrial evening school, half of the expense of maintenance to be paid from the state treasury. Under the management of a local board of trustees, a fine training is im- parted in mechanical, textile and domestic science subjects. During the term ending in May, 1917, there were over 1,500 pupils enrolled, and there were 54 instructors, including a principal. The city's share of the cost of maintenance was about $10,000. The evening trade extension work covers a wide field. It gives those employed during the day an opportunity of advancing themselves along their lines of work. While this school is wholly independent of the public school system, it may be properly included in the story of the educational opportunities which Lawrence so lavishly offers to every individual, young or old, who is ambitious to improve his mind or increase his earning power.
THE PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS
The parochial schools are regarded as a valuable aid in the ed- ucational work of the city. Excellent training is imparted in all the desirable educational subjects up to and including the grammar grades in all of these schools, while St. Mary's High School enables the girls to complete their education or preparation for college and advanced study, in an atmosphere whose religious influence helps greatly in the development of sound moral character.
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