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In Search for Meaning of Our Heritage: One Room Schools in Maine - Private Collections |
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Private Collection
Edie Hussey, daughter of Harriett Noyes (Ladd)
Harriett Ladd taught rural schools in the Dover-Foxcroft area from 1930s to 1970s. Harriett taught in four of the twelve districts, namely Bear Hill, Brookway, Norton Hill and South Dover.
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Harriett Noyes (Ladd) 1959 |
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Row 1 left to right - Chester Cooley, Dora (Chapman Jouhson, Mertie (Jones) Douglas - Teacher, Ada (Ayer) Warren, Mary (Ladd) Stierti, & Harry Ayer. Row 2 - Eva (Pratt), Ethel Ladd, & Gertrude Cooley. Row 3 Walden Paine, Mildred (Moore, Emma Paine, & Winnie Cooley. Row 4 - George Vague, Dana Noble, Roy Alan Ladd, Louis Cobb. Roy Alan Ladd is the husband of Harriett Noyes (Ladd). Picture was taken on Nov. 26, 1899. |
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Graduation invitation: Bear Hill School, Dover, Maine. June 6, 1913. Teacher: Florence E. Chandler |
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Newspaper clipping - Bear Hill School was closed on 11-19-1920 for a Thanksgiving program. |
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Bear Hill School, 1940 |
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Bear Hill School – Minuet Dance. L to R: Ruth (Last name unknown), Herbert Hard, Winnifred Faulkingham, Jennie Saulmer, Harold Pratt, Audrey Bryant, Dorothy Bryant, Donald Pratt, Annie Saulmer |
Bear Hill School - 1926 Left to right - Front row: Herbert Hurd, Donald Pratt, John Perkins, |
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Winnifred and Harold dressed for a school play in Mrs. Ladd's class. |
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Norton Hill School
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South Dover School (1939-1940) Back row L to R Durwood Vulner, Harvey (Tom) Sawyer, Alice Wheaton, Elsie Wheaton, Earl Harvey, Clifton Severence, and Unknown. Middle row L to R Alven Harvey, Floyd Stevens, Raymond Harvey, Arlene Severence, Geraldene Harvey, Albert Wheaton, Carrol Harvey. Front row Marilyn Butler |
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Harriett Noyes Ladd was posting for an enactment of teaching by the front porch of her home. |
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School unknown, around 1890 - 1905 |
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School unknown around 1930-1940 |
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The Chandler School - about 1898 Front row from left #5 Mary Meade Hewitt and #6 Gertrude Pearson Skiner. Middle row from left # 4 Harold Gray. Back row from left # 4 Marion Thayer Tibbetts |
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East Dover School Back row from left to right - Max McMair, Donald Egerley, Ralph Dow, Dorothy Roberts, Marion Doore, Marjorie Doore, Wilson Green, Isabelle Towne, Lilla Cole, Herman Egerley, Hester McMair, Catherine Roberts, Alice Dow, Elizabeth Cole, Elmer Dow, Evelyn Hemill. Front row from left to right - Harold Hamilton, Helen Dow, Stella Hall, Arlene Trefetharn, Donald Roberts |
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Dover-Foxcroft High School |  |
South Dover School today |
A brief history of Dover Foxcroft rural schools
The first class in Dover was taught by Betsy Mitchellin in the home of Eli Towne at East Dover . There were also two or more Dame Schools (small private classes for girls conducted in the home of a qualified person, often a widow) in East Dover. The first schoolhouse was build in 1813 near the Towne property. It was a town house used for school, religious, and town meetings. In 1863-64, a schoolhouse was built in East Dover Village. It was burned in 1914. Another was built that summer near the same spot. In 1921, a large room was added onto its front. This accommodated a growing population that included pupils who were bussed from country roads leading from Atkinson, South Dover, and Ira Doore Road. The first teacher in this improved building was Mrs. Hortense Chase Bigelow. At one time two teachers were employed. School records show that East Dover School was the last rural school to close in Dover Foxcroft, June 1954. Miss Alvada Wilson was the teacher. Pupils were transported to Dover Foxcroft Village Shools in the fall.
The largest school building was in Bear Hill. According to the late Frank A. Merrill, it could accommodate 100 pupils.
The first Dover rural school to close was in District # 2, Bradley neighborhood, Bangor Road in June, 1900. Miss Lena Farnham (Mrs. Ralph Harvey) was the teacher. There were only four "legal" age pupils, plus two youngsters whose "school age" birthdays were in April and May. The following fall, pupils were transported by privately owned "horse and buggy" to Dover Village School on Pleasant Street. This building accommodated children from kindergarten through high school.
In 1903, the voters of Dover voted to expand their free high school money to send their children to Foxcroft Academy. This money would pay tuition for any eligible Dover students. Because of the increased attendance at the academy, an expansion of rooms was needed. Through the generous gift of Mr. and Mrs. Josiah B. Mayo, a beautiful new structure was added. It was completed and dedicated in June, 1905. Many Dover high school students took the advantage of this fine opportunity offered at Foxcroft Academy. Thus, education in Dover was provided from kindergarten to high school as in Foxcroft.
In 1922, Dover and Foxcroft were united as one town, Dover Foxcroft.
School taxes and schoolhouses
School districts were organized by early settlers in scattered part of the towns. Lots were secured by a school committee of a district and records were kept by the district clerk. The clerk could certify to the town assessor that the distict had voted to raise money to purchase a lot to build a schoolhouse. Then the taxpayers of the district would be assessed for that amount.
It is interesting to note that the assessment could be paid in grain: wheat at a $1.00, rye at $.80, and corn $0.75 a bushel, repectively.
Wages and boarding for teachers
Typical wages in 1882 for a female teacher was $2.00 per week and boarding $1.50. It was voted in some districts that "each family should board the teacher according to the number of their children in school."
Admissions and grade distribution
In the early days, there were usually two terms in a school year. Students were taught by a master for about ten to eleven weeks during the first term. In the summer term, they were taught by a mistress. In some district, it was voted scholars should be admitted in school to a master at the age of four, and to a mistress at three years of age. There were no grades in the one room schools. Children advanced according to at their own ability. The students purchased their own textbooks.
School activities and visits
In the early rural schools, Students started the day's program by repeating the Lord's prayer in unison, followed by a salute to the flag of the United States of America and a patriotic song. Usually a poem or a portion of a continued story was read by the teacher. Reading, (w)riting, and (a)rithmetic, the three "R's were the most fundamental subjects taught to children.
Parents visited the school fequently. The superintendent of school often spent half aday in a one room school observing classes and conversing with both teacher and pupils.
Christmas and Halloween programs were organized to entertain proud parents and neighbors. In some districts in the 1920's, box socials were held in the evening at the school house. Money from these was used for "extra", i.e., a "talking machine" with records, a new wall picture, or maybe a volumn or volumns of reference books.
In the early 1940s, one school had a project of making a flag of a particular pattern. The stars represented "boys" from that district who had been or were in a war for their country. After the flag was made, a ceremony was held. A goodly number of parents, relatives and the superintendent attended the outdoor program and unveiling of the flag.
Memorial Day was observed in one school by teacher and pupils together. Carrying flags, they marched to the nearby cemetary where they honored deceased veterans in the district who had been former pupils of their school. A short but appropriate program of poems and songs was given at the outside entrance followed by "taps" from an older student.
The rural school district of South Dover included pupils from Norton Hill in the early 1940's. The parents in these districts organized a P.T.A. Such an organization is a national and state wide organization the purposes of which is to unite parents and teachers for a mutual understanding of worthwhile goals in the dvelopment of any public school. The goals are to be locally decided in order to fit the individual school. This PTA was formed in South Dover in 1945-46, while Mrs. Harriett N. Ladd was the teacher there. Projects and services the P.T.A. did for the schools were as follows. Through the winter months, parents planned a rotated program of furnishing and delivering a "hot dish" to supplement the traditional "dinner pail". Desks were fastened to gliders for easy class grouping. A small room between the entries was transformed to a reading room with bookshelves installed for reference or fiction books. Bright drapes were hung at the window. A telephone was installed in case of an emergency at school or home. All these and many other gestures were thoughtful and helpful.
Schools in operation between 1813-1954
Bear Hill, Bradley, Brockkway, Dover South Mills, East Dover, Gilman (Dexter Road), Gilman (Foxcroft), Gray, Lee, Gould (Parson's Landing Road), Steadman's Landing Road, Foxcroft Center, Greely's Landing Road, Macomber, Norton Hill, South Dover, West Dover, Dow (Atkinson Road), and Doore (Ira Doore Road).
Salute to our one room school teachers
This is a list of the Doverfoxcroft rural teachers. We honor them for their contributions to educate our young in the past. This is not a complete list. If you know of any other, please let us know.
Mary Averill, Kate Bunker, Hattie Dearth, Harriet Doore, Merice Douglas, Nellie Downs, Ida Folsom, Ella Getchell, Ausutus W. Gilman, Susie Gould, Mabel Gerry Hall, Lena Farnham Harvey, Mertie Jones, Myra Marsh, Janet Mayhew, Ross Merrill, Nellie Hesketh Nason, Thelma Nichols, Ida Hall Rich, Lucy Rockwell, Edith B. Sanborn, and Sarah Sprague.
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Special thanks to Mrs. Edie Hussey, daughter of Harriett Ladd, who has furnished photographes and information to make this section of the website possible.