Sarah's Letter

Recalling School Days 82 Years Later...
Sarah Bigelow Parker Buxton was born December 21, 1832. She lived to be 94 years old. On December 11, 1922 (when she was almost 90) she wrote a letter to her granddaughter describing her memories of attending a one-room school in Nashua, NH.  That little granddaughter kept the letter and when she was an elderly lady herself, Agnes Barker gave a copy to Nashua's District #1 Schoolhouse living history program in 2009. It is a cherished memory of what it was like to attend such a school in 1840 when "Grandmother" Sarah Buxton was only seven. Here are her memories:

"I used to attend school in a small red schoolhouse heated by a wood stove. Boys took turns in attending the fires. There was no janitor in those days and no steam-heated room. Girls were expected to do their share of sweeping and keeping the room tidy.

A large wooden bucket held water for scholars and 'twas quite nice to be given the pleasure of passing the tin dipper around so each scholar could have a drink from the same dipper. Germs hadn't made their appearance at that time.

The girls, most of them, had a good warm winter dress made of what was called *Linsey Woolsey and we wore them through the term. They were made good and long, no bare knees, long sleeves and high neck, and were very proud if we could have a new print dress to wear Examination Day when the Committee Men were expected to be present. 

Some of the Committee Men would tell us he thought we had made very commendable progress, and if we had done well we were given a little card to take home called a "Reward of Merit" with the name of the scholar and saying he or she merits the praise of the teacher and they were proud of them.

​We had desks at which two could sit and the underside had a shelf for our books and perhaps some other things not expected to be there. We often had "spelling schools" and would have two sides compete with each other to choose the best spellers until all were "spelled down." Sometimes we had candy pulls*, not often, but we had no dancing or frolics* as they do today.

​There were big snowstorms in those days and farmers had to "break out" the road with a big sled and oxen so we could go to school.

We had not done much about Christmas except to just wish a "Merry Christmas" and be the first to say it! I used to skip up to the scuttle door* on our roof to the big farmhouse and open it so as to see my seat-mate before she saw me! We had no Christmas tree or presents.

We had a schoolmistress in the summer and a schoolmaster in the winter. Some were very good ones and did much training in correct reading. I read one piece in my old reader so many times I remembered it all these years later. I think I can repeat it to you even today!

Indeed times have changed. No doubt. I behaved very correctly! Do you doubt it?"

Note: Our thanks to Sarah Bigelow Parker Buxton and Agnes Barker, both long passed from our world.
 
​*Linsey Woolsey-A coarse, woven fabric of wool and cotton or of wool and linen. The name is a combination of linen and wool.
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*A candy pull was a party at which taffy or molasses candy was made.

* A frolic was  a light-hearted, fun, often silly activity. To frolic is to cavort, romp, or run around — to have fun.

*A scuttle door is a small access point, often covered by a hatch or panel, that allows entry to a scuttle attic, which is a space in the ceiling leading to an attic. It is typically used for storage or maintenance and is common in older homes.

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