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Hundreds if not thousands of area students benefited in one way or another from Samuel Appleton’s foresight and generosity.Those of us who attended both Appleton Academy and Dartmouth College owe him doubly. Sam was The Man.

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Mrs O H Perry is mentioned in the Batcheller obit. The O H is for Oliver Hazard Perry, He operated a clothing store in Fitchburg. He was named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry who fought in the War of 1812.

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From History of New Ipswich 1735- 1914. " In 1794, by advice of a friend, Samuel Appleton removed to Boston and entered upon a quarter-century of eminently successful commercial activity in that city, accumulating a fortune reckoned among the largest of those earlier days and maintaining in all things a spotless reputation. He bequeathed $200,000 ,to " Scientific, literary, religious, and charitable purposes" at the discretion of his executors. He probably saved the life of New Ipswich Academy at the time of a serious crises and also gave later aid commemorated by its assumption of his name".

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It's a shame Appleton Academy folded. $200,000 in 1794 is $5,600,000 in today's dollar. Not sure how much he donated to the New Ipswich Academy, elite schools have not gone out of style, our politicians and the wealthy do not send their kids to public school.

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