NH's One-Room Rural Schools: The Romance & the Reality
Presenter: Stephen Taylor
Tonight: Thursday, September 29 at 6:30 p.m.
Lecture at New Ipswich Historical Society (23 Main Street)
A century ago hundreds of one-room schools dotted NH’s landscape and were the backbone of primary education for generations of children. (It is thought that New Ipswich once had 13 school houses, some of which are still standing, including the Historical Society.) Revered in literature and lore, they were beset with problems, chief among them financing and wide disparities among taxing districts to support local education. Teacher preparation and quality, curriculum, discipline, student achievement and community involvement in the educational process were also major concerns. Farmer, writer, reporter, and longtime scholar of the state's rural history and culture, Stephen Taylor explores the lasting legacies of the one-room school and how they echo today. He was also the founding executive director of the NH Humanities Council and served 25 years as Commissioner of Agriculture.
On this day - September 29, 1897
William Jurian Kaula diary
I did some great hustling today and accomplished a very satisfactory piece of business - an alliance with Cartwright. As Hazard will be unable to keep his agreements and carry out the plans that we had made for the coming winter I broke all previous arrangements with him - with his consent, of course, and went to visit Cartwright last evening at Cruset's restaurant. We met early again this morning and went hunting after a studio in the Latin Quartier. After inspecting about a half-dozen we finally found one at No. 9 Rue Campagne Premiere . It is located in a building that is entirely made up of studioes [sic] for artists - about fifty studioes I think in all. It is not a large studio and the price is very reasonable - 500 francs a year. Cartwright is now quite happy as he has been unsettled since last winter as he wanted a companion to share a studio with him this season. Not for the sake of friendship, but to divide the expense. He will take possession next week and keep house until I arrive. The Weyeth's loaned him their furniture when they left their apartment last spring. I will have to buy much necessary furniture for my own use and we will each pay for half of the other furnishings.
I met Hazard at noon and started across the city with him to the bankers. Meanwhile he tried to persuade me to remain with him in Paris for the rest of the week. As I came to Paris mainly for his sake I find that the trip was more or less expensive and as Hazard always promises to pay my expenses for the small "favors," I am rather careful about how much I spend as he never pays anything. The quarters at Rue St. Didier are not at all cheap and besides Hazard is not as sick as he would make me believe. So we parted and I am afraid that I gave him to understand that he was an awful bother anyhow. "Many fellows" said Dr. Heine to him "would be glad to have the chance to be in Paris and you have no business to think of going home - if you were at home the doctor might send you over here for your health and the change."
There is a tremendous fête in progress which centers at the Place St. Denfert Rochereau around the great bronze lion at Belfort. Here is the greatest assortment of merry-go-rounds that I ever saw - and much more gorgeous than the ones I saw at the fête last spring. Last evening the square was a scene of uproar of steam organs and a blaze of light. There was a mile of booths of the usual variety that took in the neighboring streets. There is so much room in the streets of Paris that these fêtes do not interfere much with the ordinary traffic - besides they are only held in those parts of the city where there is not much business. How the residents of the vicinity can stand the tumult and din that goes on day and night is more than I can say. At home it would not be tolerated by the people but the French fêtes are in no way similiar [sic] to our own and the people enjoy this without complaint. The police have no difficulties with such immense crowds as there are no fights and drunken men are so rare that they seldom are a source of trouble.
On this day - September 29, 1908
James Roger diary entry -
29th (Tuesday)
Heavy showers with thunder during the night. Clear cool day with westerly to northerly wind. David ploughed corn patch in orchard and finished picking Baldwins in orchard. I raked weeds together and helped to pick apples. E.O. Marshall and Mrs. Fabraham called to see about fixing the Marshall’s lot. Reception tonight in Baptist Church to greet their new minister.
New Ipswich School Board Report -1888
Some thoughts about the importance of Education as written in the New Ipswich School Board Report 1888.
Fellow Citizens:
We feel that the brief outline, that we desire to present to you of the work done by us, and our teachers, in the Public Schools, during the past year, will hardly suffice to render our duties to you and the work complete, without a few thoughts bearing upon its imperative needs and demands, as seen in the light of future years. The education of the young in this community, to an enthusiast in the work, (and each of us ought to be,) is an eminently important and practical work. Manifestly true does this appear, if we note the spirit of the age, and the character of the race to which we belong. The age in which we live is active and energetic, but delights in results easily secured. Superior intelligence, knowledge that can be turned to a practical use, is always in demand. The Anglo-Saxon mind excels all others in its desire and ability to do this. What shall we teach the young, asked an old sage? What the most he needed to know the most was the apt reply. What then do our children and youth aim to do or wish to become in life? As the proverb is, “Like father like son,” surely this is a question that concerns the parent, as well as the child to ask. Whatever they do in life, let the little folks con their studies thoroughly and faithfully, you say; they will need all the knowledge they can get. This is admitted.