USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Ludlow > The history of Ludlow, Massachusetts > Part 16
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School Meetings .- In early spring each year the voters of the several
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districts, with the larger boys, gathered at the several schoolhouses to organize for the work of the year. A clerk was chosen, and, what was considered the main thing, a prudential committee, who was to hire the teachers and attend to the incidentals of school work. At those meetings more or less discussion arose, and it is likely that our elderly men of to-day who show so much oratory and parliamentary tactics in our town meeting took their first lessons in those district school meetings. There were many good things about the district system in those early days. The people felt that it was their school; they were responsible for the welfare of it. This feeling does not prevail to such an extent to-day.
Extracts from records kept by Elisha Fuller, clerk of District No. 10 .- Lucien Lyon Paper.
AAt a regular meeting of the male inhabitants of School district No. 10 qualified to vote in town affairs the following votes were taken on the Articles in the warrant for said meeting viz
11 Elisha A Fuller was chosen moderator.
Elisha A Fuller was chosen Clerk and Treasurer,
3d Voted to Buy the Shop and Land that sd shop stands on together with Land north as far as corner of stone wall at the Price agreed upon with M' Isaac Sheldon providing the district can have a good title and Elisha A Fuller is empowered to get such title for st district. Voted to adjourn to three weeks from this day at 6 O'clock PM
Ludlow, March 18th, 1833. Elisha A Fuller Clerk
At the Adjourned meeting Voted to Adjourn to the first Monday in May at 6 o'clock PM
Paid Austin Carver for the Schoolhouse and land 17 00
David Lyon for bords 1 20
Philip Willcott for stove and pipe 10 90
November 4th, 1833.
Noah Clark je to two & half days work on the Schoolhouse 2 75
Stephen Lyon to plastering the Schoolhouse 0 83
to mortar bought of Jincks
1 50
to 11 pounds of nailes 0 77
to four days work of myself and truble 4 00
to 60 feet of Bords. 4.5
Elisha A Fuller for 34 feet of Bords 50
39:96
To four lights of Glafs. 0):16
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HISTORY OF LUDLOW
Schoolhouses. - When the ten districts had been fairly established. measures were taken to erect schoolhouses in each. These buildings were always elling in shape, one story in height, and placed on the line of the highway with little or no reem for playground except the street. They contained one room, usually with windows on three sides; at the entrance a narrow vestibule, called the "entry," where the pupil- hung their wraps, and where fuel for the fire was kept in company with the ever desired water pail and dipper. At one side of the main room there was at first a fireplace, which could burn wood four feet in length. On the opposite side was a long desk fastened to the wall, in front of which was a long bench forming a seat for the older pupils. In front of this was another bench, lower and with no back, for the younger ones. When there was occasion for the older pupils to use the desk for writing or figuring, they were obliged to throw their feet over the bench and under the desk, thus facing the wall, with their backs to the teacher. The teacher's desk was a small stand or table. There were no other furnishings. No maps of pictures served their part in the education of this period. Visitors, who were few and far between, were obliged to sit on the benches or stand as they preferred.
Blackboards, commonly small, two by three feet in size, and made of boards painted black, were introduced about 1835, at which time stoves were also first furnished.
Fuel. It was the custom for families to furnish the fuel for the school in proportion to the number of pupils sent, and this wood must be supplied by each family while the teacher was one of its members. Green wood was the common fuel, so the schools were provided with that brought in sled lengths to be "worked up" by the large boys. A. this wood was often dumped into the snow, the fire which resulted was far From sufficient In the coldest weather ink froze in the rear of the room during school hours. A half circle of children was allowed to stand before the fire, and when they were barely thawed out, another took its place.
Equipment. The entire equipment for a pupil was furnished from the home. In cases where means were limited. books and supplies were often not secured until the term was nearly finished, and sometimes not at all. Pupils were obliged to borrow or "look over" as it was termed. Surely knowledge was pursued under difficulties, such as we cannot adequately picture to-day. Slates were in constant the ds
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paper was so rare and costly. Fortunate indeed was the family who possessed a reader, an arithmetic, a speller, and a geography, the full set of books, which was passed on from one to another in the family and sometimes through several generations. Writing books were made at home and of the coarsest paper. The copy was set each day by the teacher. All pens were made from goose quills, which were constantly in need of mending. Proud was the pupil who could make and mend his own pen. Papers written and signed by Bernis Hubbard, who taught in Ludlow previous to 1810, show penmanship which compares favor- ably with that of to-day.
Industrial training is by no means new, for the boys and girls of the early days in Ludlow combined this with their mastery of the three R's. The mothers carded, spun, and dyed the thread for their children's clothing at home. The teacher at school guided them in the use of these homemade dyes. The children out their own stencils and made patterns upon bits of homespun for bibs, pockets, and stand covers. The boys whittled sticks and shuttles which the girls used in making yards of netting for trimming on valances and curtains. Each little miss wrought her own sampler, training her fingers so that the linen in her own chest was beautifully marked and numbered. Surely their training was wise and full of invention.
About 1830 the girls who were pupils in Miss Mary Newell's school were allowed to study fractions. This innovation was so radical that the fortunate girls made books in which every problem was recorded to be shown to doubting visitors.
The Teacher. The most important factor of all, the teacher, was usually the daughter of a member of the district, frequently a recent member of the school in which she taught. In winter it was sometimes the custom to employ men, as the oldest boys of the district attended then. At the beginning of the school year in May, the prudential committee of ten were sometimes obliged to present themselves at the house of some member of the committee, with their ten new candidates to be examined and approved. It is related that not infrequently did the candidates turn about and question their examiners.
Teachers' wages were $1.50, sometimes $2.00 per week, in addition to their "keep," which was provided by " boarding around." This was often a severe hardship, on account of the distance from the school, the accommodations offered, and the variation in the fare. This system,
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HISTORY OF LUDLOW
however, had its advantages also; it gave the teachers and parents and pupils an opportunity to become mutually acquainted, in a manner otherwise impossible. Families provided board in proportion to the number of children they sent to school.
Many are the reminiscences, pleasant or otherwise, which seem strange in this day of special training, that can be recalled concerning
Born in 1816
these carly teachers. The following is interesting from its very wide contrast.
Mary Newell's pupils may have lacked resource and diplomacy, but not for want of object lessons.
Miss Newell kept a wonderful chest in the girl's wardroom, and when visitors were seen hitching their horses, Miss Newell left the recitation room to its own devices, soon appearing in wonderful finery with hair newly arranged and a fresh black silk apron, all due to the contents of that mysterious box. One curious committeeman entered
. the
DR. J. W. HANNUM'S RESIDENCE NORTH STREET The right wing directly on the street is the original "Old Brick Schoolhouse." An old grocery store is next. The building at the extreme right was formerly "Winding Wave" School.
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the room too soon and began to search for the teacher. Guided doubtless by officious fingers pointing the way, he attempted to enter the girls' dressing room, but Miss Newell valiantly held the door until the proper time, then she came out resplendent in a new uniform and proceeded with her work calmly and without comment.
Perhaps it will not be amiss to mention the long terms of service as teachers of which one of the Ludlow families may well be proud; for it is doubtful whether there are any duplications in the school history che- where. John and Lucinda Miller's six daughters and son, William B. Miller, were principals and teachers for the total number of 89 yours. The nephews and nieces, grandchildren of John and Lucinda, taught in the aggregate, 73 years, making a total of 162 years. Two are teachers at the present time (1911).
About 1872, there arose a laudable desire for more weeks of schooling. Six months was then the length of the school year, except in the village. Owing to the special needs of the manufacturing community in the village, the length of the school year was fixed at forty weeks there, the outlying schools being in session thirty-two weeks. In 1907, the school year for the districts was lengthened to 34 weeks, the following year to 38, and in the next year, 1909, it was made 40 weeks to correspond with those in the village.
In 1882, it was voted to abolish the district system. Ludlow was among the first few towns to pursue this course; later all districts were abolished by state law. It is a pleasant fact to relate that since that time to the present day no protest has ever been made against raising the amount of money asked for by the committee.
Village Schools .-- The first village school began in the old red school- house on North Street with 40 pupils, all there were at that time, taught very successfully for seventeen years by Miss Eliza Goodwill. This schoolhouse was later purchased by Dr. J. W. Hannum and remodeled as a dwelling. Owing to the changes in the business of this district, many families came here to live. At one time there were 70 pupils in this one room, with all grades from the child learning to speak English to the pupil doing high school work.
In 1883, when the Ludlow Manufacturing Company began to creet new mills and tenement houses, and to bring in many large families with children of school age, the need of more room was at once apparent. The company built a six-room building at a cost of $30,000, which was
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HISTORY OF LUDLOW
rented to the town for many years at a low sum. A grammar school was started in the new building, which has since ( 1910) been given to the town in addition to the land upon which it stands.
Until 1900 the schools at the village were all accommodated in the Ludlow Manufacturing Company's school building. This year there Was an average membership at the village of about 250 pupils, and a school was opened in Masonic Hall to accommodate an overflow class.
In 1901 an eight-room brick building was erected on Chestnut Street. This was a period of unprecedented growth in the history of the town, the membership in the village schools doubling in the six years following the completion of this building, so that it was found necessary to provide more room, and in 1907 another eight-room building was erected. This is a duplicate of the one built in 1901 and is located on Park Place, so that the two buildings are back to back. The accommo- dations thus furnished proved adequate for a short time only.
A fine new high school building, costing $43,000, was added in 1910, completing the group of four buildings in which every grade of school work from the first through the high is conducted. They are located on an elevation surrounded by beautiful grounds. The borders of Howers, the groups of well-trimmed shrubbery, and the neatly-kept lawns make a delightful picture.
There is probably no town in the state where the schools are more centralized and, consequently, better organized. It has been possible to evolve a most satisfactory graded system.
Grades. In the year 1890 1891 a course of study was adopted for the village schools. Prior to this time the five schools then existing were each made up of pupils of the same general attainment, but must necessarily have been brought together by a somewhat arbitrary classifi- cation. From this date, promotion from grade to grade is made to depend upon the completion of a definite amount of work each year, with satisfactory standing in the prescribed subjects. In 1894 the grading of the rural school- was begun.
It is the policy of the acting school committee of 1911 to transport all pupils in the rural districts above the fifth grade to the village schools. Thirty-one per cent of all the pupils enrolled in grades six to nine inclusive. at the village, are from the rural districts.
At the present writing 11911, the grades are distributed as follows: first and second grades in the primary building erected in 1907; the
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EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS
third, fourth, fifth, and seventh in the grammar building erected in 1901 ; the sixth and one division of the seventh occupying two rooms in the old high school building; and the eighth and ninth grades in the new high school building. The total enrollment for the month of November, 1911, is as follows: primary building, 295 pupils; grammar building, 248 pupils; old high school building, 78 pupils; new high school building, 101 pupils, 45 of whom are enrolled in the high school depart- ment. There are 58 pupils enrolled in the four district schools now
LUDLOW HIGH SCHOOL Dedicated September 23, 1910
open, making a total enrollment in the public schools of the town of 793 pupils.
Our High School .- The high school was organized in 1895 with 17 pupils, and now ( 1911) numbers 45. In the early years of its history there were frequent changes of teachers, which did not tend to rapid advance- ment in school work. For the last six years Mrs. Helen M. Gushce has been principal of the school. The good feeling among the pupils, the harmony between pupils and teachers, and the industry shown in their
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HISTORY OF LUDLOW
work speak well for the future of the town. It is an interesting fact that fully one half the pupils come from outside the village, mostly from farmers' homes, some from five miles away, making ten miles to travel every day.
The opening of the new high school building in September, 1910. marked an important step in the development of the town's school system. This building is the fourth modern brick structure to be erected in the quadrangle of land bounded by Chestnut Street, Park Place, Winsor Street, and the Ludlow Manufacturing Associates' Park. The new building located on the slight elevation, commanding a view of the park, constitutes one of the most attractive features of the village. and with the others forms a group of which any town or even city might well be proud. There are four large and two small class rooms, a teacher's room and principal's office on the first floor, and a science laboratory. commercial room, typewriting room, assembly hall, and a small class room on the second Boor. The basement, which is high and well lighted, is used for manual training and domestic science.
In the department of manual training, the work consists of wood- turning and bench-work carpentry, and is an elective course for high school boys, but is required for the pupils of the upper grammar grades. The shop is equipped with twelve individual benches, fully supplied with carpenters tools, three turning lathes, with turning tools, a band sal, and a grindstone. The lathes, saw, and grindstone are operated by a 10 horse power electric motor.
The domestic science laboratory is equipped with special tables to accommodate 16 pupils in a division, each pupil having an individual set of cooking utensils, a gas plate, locker, and cupboard space. The room contains a large cabinet gas range, hot water boiler and gas heater. a refrigerator, and sinks with hot and cold water. This course with serving is offered to all high school girls, as an elective, but is required in all the upper grammar grades.
Supervision District. When the law was passed requiring towns receiving state aid to employ expert superintendents, Ludlow in 1893. united with the towns of Wilbraham, Hampden. Longmeadow, and East Longmeadow to form a supervision district, and secured Miss Mary Poland as the first superintendent. With a change in district, Miss Poland was assigned to other towns. The district was reorganized in 1903, Ludlow uniting with the town of Agawam and Mr. Walter E.
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Gushee was chosen to be the next superintendent. He is still in office (1911).
The following is a list of the graduates of Ludlow High School since its establishment, showing in addition the connection of a part of them with higher institutions,
GRADUATES OF HIGH SCHOOL SINCE ORGANIZATION
Bennett, AAddie F.
1899 Westfield Normal Simmons College
Bennett, Archer
Bennett, (. Ernest
Amherst College Cornell University
Booth, Hattie M.
1900
Dempsey, B. Francis Fuller, Henrietta E. Hubbard, Ida M. Streeter, Charles
Dickinson Hospital Mass. Agricultural College
Bennett, Nina M.
Burr, Julena E.
Jones, Lillian M.
Kyle, Grace Y.
Streeter, Cora E.
White, Clara V.
1902
White, Josephine E.
Jones, Arthur M.
Roberts, Lula M.
1903 Mass. Agricultural College Mt. Holyoke College
1904
Bartlett, Ruth M. Miller, Mary W. Munsing, Carrie J. Munsing, Robert H.
Simmons College
Bliss Electrical School 1905 Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Jones, Wilfred Miller, Oliver Nash, Elizabeth C.
1901 Emerson College of Oratory
Eastman College Westfield Normal
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HISTORY OF LUDLOW
Estoy, Bertha M.
Fuller, Ada B.
Patterson, Bertha Potter, Carl H. White, Emily
1906 Westfield Normal Bay Path Institute Westfieldl Normal
Lowell Textile School
Westfield Normal
1908
Bartlett, Katherine Henderson, Elizabeth
Johnson, Mabel
Jones, Pauline E.
Oberlin College
Mackintosh, William
Clark College University of Vermont
Munsing, Ruby L.
Clark College
Tourville, Bertram White, Gladys Whitney, Ira E.
Bliss Electrical School
1909
Adams, Carl Cochrane, Margaret
Gove, Eva L.
Westfield Normal Westfield Normal
Griswold, Verena
Howe, Francis
Bay Path Institute
Nelligan, Lillian A.
Paine, Blanche Paine, Ralph Perbam, John
Mass. Agricultural College Mass. Agricultural College
1910
Chapman, Isabelle Irwin, Vivian
Mt. Holyoke College
Jones, Etta L.
Oberlin College
Jones, Marion E.
Miller, Arthur L.
Miller, Edith R.
Oberlin College
Miller, Leila A.
Scannell, Ruth Smith College
The following inhabitants of Ludlow (names of all that could be obtained) have received diplomas from higher institutions of learning : -
Jennie E. Banister (now Fuller), Wilbraham Academy, 1862. Kes. Ephraim Chapin, Williams College, 1814.
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EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS
Rev. Joel Chapin, Dartmouth College.
Sumner Bodfish, West Point Military Academy.
Lucinda Damon, Wilbraham Academy.
William A. Fuller, Wilbraham Academy, 1867. llenry A. Hubbard, Union College, N. Y.
Rev. Dargo B. Jones, Miami University, Ohio.
Rev. Simeon Miller, Amherst College, 1840.
Dr. William B. Miller.
Matilda Munsing, Westfield Normal School, 1871.
Henrietta D. Parsons (now Howell), South Hadley Female Seminary.
Julia T. Parsons (now Bodfish), South Hadley Female Seminary.
Rev. Orrin Sikes, Union College, Maine.
John Stacy, Yale College. Elizabeth Swan, Westfield Normal School.
Rev. Alvin E. Todd, Yale College.
George T. Greenhalgh, Wilbraham Academy, 1884.
Emma J. Fuller, Wilbraham Academy.
Ada M. Alden, Wilbraham Academy, 1888.
Alice M. (Clark) Francis, Westfield Normal, 1891.
Martha G. Clark, Bridgewater State Normal, 1894.
Alice Davenport, Wilbraham Academy.
Clifford P. Clark, Wesleyan University, 1895.
Gertrude M. Lombard, Wilbraham Academy, 1896.
Mari A. (Ruxton) Birnie, Chauncey Hall School, 1897.
Fred N. Milles, Wilbraham Academy, 1898.
A. Leroy Halford, Amherst College, 1900.
Mary J. Ogilvie, Wilbraham Academy, 1901.
Edward J. Ruxton, Mass. Institute of Technology, 1904.
Douglas D. Ruxton, Dartmouth College, 1908.
Mary E. Clark, Westfield Normal School.
EVENING SCHOOL
In the fall of 1905 the Ludlow Manufacturing . Associates started a free evening school for the benefit of their non-English speaking employees, and, while this school was in the nature of an experiment, it proved so successful that it has been continued each year.
During the first year the school was held in the high school building, but this not being well suited for the purpose, the town school authorities gave the use of the grammar school buikling. The regular teachers in the town schools have been employed, and the grammar school principal has been in charge of the school since the beginning. Miss Cole and her associates have been very successful in arousing the
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HISTORY OF LUDLOW
ambition and keeping the interest of the pupils. The results obtained have been gratifying.
This school has differed from the public evening schools as conducted by cities and large towns, in that no one is compelled to attend, and, strange as it may seem, the attendance has averaged much higher than in the usual evening school. Probably this is due to the fact that those who enter do so voluntarily, having an earnest desire to learn. After once entering, satisfactory attendance is insisted upon, and pupils who do not attend regularly are not allowed to continue. In some years the attendance has averaged over 90' ,, and during the entire period it has ranged from 85'; to 90' ..
The total number of pupils enrolled during 1905 1906 was 52, divided into three classes, practically all non-English speaking, while in 1910-1911 there were 128 pupils enrolled, and six classes were conducted. In 1908- 1909 advanced classes were formed, and have been continued, many pupils returning each year, being desirous of learning more than the mere rudiments of the English language.
The town school authorities have manifested great interest in the work of this school, and it seems to fulfill a definite need in the com- munity.
TI. OPEN AIR VACATION SCHOOL
Believing that something might be done to keep the children off the streets during the long summer vacation, the Recreation Association in 1900 instituted an open-air school on Recreation Park. They erected a large tent with permanent roof and open sides, furnished with seats and tables for drawing and other industrial work. For amusements, there are a merry-go-round, swings of various kinds, toboggan slides, teeter boards in abundance, and, the greatest joy of all, a concrete wading pool several square rods in areas, supplied with running water a foot in depth.
In the morning the younger children assemble for kindergarten work and games. The more advanced pupils receive physical training in the afternoon. Marching, dancing, games, and swimming three times per week are included in the schedule. The largest boys have one side of the park reserved for their special use.
Children of school age are admitted to the school. It is the custom at the close of the term to give an exhibition of the work accomplished.
MIRERI A. GOVF
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
ELMER 11. CARVER
FRANK N. MOORE
ASSESSORE
CHARLES P. JONES
CHARLES B. BINNI. 11
ARTHUR D RING
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EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS
School COMMITTEE
Rev. E. B. Wright.
1 Chauncey L. Buell, 27
E. T. Parsons,
13 Rev. George Prentice. 1
Charles Aklen,
8 Warren D. Fuller, 3
Joseph Miller, 2d.
1 George R. Clark, 3
Rev. D. R. Austin,
) Rev. W. J. Pomfret,
Rev. Salmon Hull,
J. Osmyn Kendall, 1
15
Harmon Booth,
) Adin Whitney, 5
Dr. A. B. Alden,
7 Rev. A. Gardner,
1
Alva Sikes,
1 Rev. I. E. Crocker. 1
Nathaniel Chapin,
1 Rev. C. L. Cushman,
Abner Cady,
1 Rev. Alfred Noon,
1
George Booth,
18 Rev. N. H. Martin,
7
Rev. A. Sanderson,
> Rev. Timothy Lyman,
4
Albert Clark,
1 Dr. J. W. Hannum, 3
Rev. J. W. Dadmun,
1 Rev. A. C. Godfrey,
1
Dr. William B. Miller,
5 James Haviland.
()
Rev. J. W. Tuck,
4 Charles B. Bennett,
14
Theodore Sikes,
1
George A. Birnie,
J. H. Wilcox,
1 Albert H. Halford, 5
Gilbert Pillsbury,
14 Edward E. Chapman, 10
E. C. Eaton,
1 Mrs. Alexander C. Birnie,
Rev. Franklin Fisk.
1 Albert A. Gove. 10
Elisha T. Parsons,
7
Frank N. Moore,
Dr. Robert Wood.
) Elmer H. Carver, 1
Extracts from the school reports for the years 1879 to 1911 inclusive, showing the steady development and progress of the school system of Ludlow.
1879
The Ludlow Company fitted up a room in the church vestry, at their expense, for overflow, making two schools at the village.
1880
Enrollment at Jenksville, 100 pupils in two schools. Outlying schools: Number 1, Number 2, Number 3, Number 5, Number 6, Number 7, Number 8, Number 9, Number 10.
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