Essex County, Massachusetts - Chapter 30, 1888

Schools - West Parish School - Ladies' Seminary - Public Schools - High School - Principals - Cliftundale Library - Pree Public Library - William SiUton Lodge - Abouselt Division, S. of T. - Sutishine Lodge of Good Templars - Saugits Mutual Insurance Co. - Farms and Farmers.

Schools. - West Parish School. - The West Parish verj' early felt their need of school privileges for their children, and the people were not slow in providing them.

At first a school was opened in some private dwelling, as accommodations could be obtained, but not always in the same dwelling, and it was frequently changed to ditlerent parts of the parish. This arrangement obtained until 1775, when a small onestory building was built in the Centre, on the southeast end of the burying-ground. This building served for school uses until July 29, 1801, when it was sold for sixty-three d(jllars to Richard Shute, who removed it and added it to his house for a grocery-store, till its destruction by fire, in 1820.

In the year 1800 a great school-house fever prevailed in the West Parish. No less than five schoolhouses were petitioned for in 1801, - two of these to be at the " Centre," one at the " North End," one at " Boardman's End" and the other in the "South part," now East Saugus.

This school-house was standing until very recently, in the yard of William W. Boardman, and was used by him for many years as a shoe manufactory. Within a few years it has been torn down.

The parish encouraged the project, and voted the use of the parsonage, with land near by, for a school building, which was built in the spring of 1822.

Several young ladies of the seminary died, causing many of the pupils to be withdrawn and deterring others from coming, so that the school never recovered from the effects of this unfortunate sickness.

Mr. Emerson's poor health obliged him to leave, and in the autumn of 1824 he was succeeded by Rev. Hervey Wilbur, who also supplied the parish pulpit.

Public Schools. - Our town has always maintained good public schools. If they have not been fully up to the high standard of our neighboring cities, we have spent for them a much larger pi'oportion of our valuation. I notice in the last State report that of the thirty-five towns and cities in Essex County, Saugus is the eighth in the percentage of valuation expended for schools.

There are thirteen schools ; the two at North Saugus and Oaklandvale are mixed schools, but those in the other wards are arranged into three and four grades.

Our High School had its beginning in April, 1872. Since 1875 it has gathered in rooms fitted up for its use in the new Town Hall. It has a three years' course of study, including Latin and French.

It has had six principals since its commencement. Mrs. Frances H. Newhall served from 1872 to 1875 ; Mr. James B. Atwood a few mauths in 1875 ; Mr. F. W. Eveleth from October, 1875 to 1879. He was followed by Mr. Charles E. Lord for one year, then by Mr. C. H. Smart for two years, up to 1881.

Cliftondale Library. - About two years ago a library association was formed in Cliftondale, and is now in a prosperous condition. It has about seven hundred volumes.

The William Sutton Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons was instituted in 1866. Its lodgeroom is now in East Saugus, in Mr. Sisson's buikling, on Franklin Square. It now has seventy-five members.

The Abousett Division, No. 10, Sons op Temperance, was organized in 1850. It now has forty members, and holds its meetings at the Town Hall every fortnight.

Benjamin F. Newhall, Esq., was the originator of this company, and it was through his energy and regard for the public welfiire that the company has had so prosperous a career. The community at that time was poorly provided with insurance, its cost being so great from the heavy assessments of companies located in other States particularly.

In forming this company Mr. Newliall determined to provide purely mutual insurance, receiving no cash premium in advance, but only notes to be assessed sufficiently to pay the losses and expenses as they occur.

On the resignation of Edward Franker, in 1858, Hon. Harmon Hall was elected its second president and has continued to fill that office up to the present time.

By its prudent and conservative management it has not only provided insurance at a very small cost to its members, but at the same time has given them a strong and reliable company, which has earned for itself the confidence of the public.

These three farms form a portion of the original farm of Adam Hawkes, settled in 1634, and have continued down in an unbroken line from their ancestors.

E. W. Saunders, 38 acres tillage, 17 acres pasture. Mr. Saunders came herein 1850, cleared his land, built him an elegant residence and has laid out his grounds into lawns, tillage, shrubbery and forest, so as to resemble an English park, presenting to us an elegance of landscape rarely found.

The long avenue, shut in on either side by tall evergreen trees, is of wonderful beauty. Mr. Saunders has expended more than fifty thousand dollars on this place.