A Former Student Remembers When
Samuel Huntington was an important figure in the Revolutionary War period and early years of the United States. He was born in Scotland, Connecticut, one of nine surviving children in a prosperous family. Huntington studied with the Reverend Devotion in Scotland and became an attorney, but his place in history is secured by his service to his beloved Connecticut and the Young Republic.
It should be noted that Samuel Huntington was President of the Continental Congress on March 1, 1781, when the last state ratified the last articles of confederation, and our country became "The United States in Congress Assembled." In a sense it can be claimed that Samuel was the first president of the United States.
(source: Governor Samuel Huntington Trust, Inc. Scotland, Connecticut)
When my family and I moved from Greeneville to Norwichtown, I went to the Town Street School, second grade. Later this was to be known as the John Mason School. There were eight grades, and a larger school was needed to accommodate the areas of Yantic, Bean Hill and Town Street students. It was decided to use the old school, but limited to just four grades. So it was then that I came to Samuel Huntington School to complete the eighth grade.
Most all students walked both ways to and from school in all kinds of weather. There was, of course, no warm yellow bus for transportation. Books and lunches had to be carried along dirt paths since there were few sidewalks.
Construction of this school started in late 1927, and it was completed for the first classes of September 1928. The first class to graduate was June, 1929. I started the seventh grade in September 1929 with Miss Mabel Scott as my teacher. My eighth grade teacher was Miss Florence Bennett. During recess we had no teacher overseeing us. We brought clay marbles, not agates, which gave us games to play at recess, carrying them in cloth bags tied with a stout cord. We kicked football and had games of pass with the baseball.
I can still remember lunch times. We all brought our sandwiches of homemade bread, fruit and milk in a half pint glass jar. These were eaten at our desks. All desks had inkwells and blue fingers were common. I remember the nicely finished woodwork and the auditorium, a real luxury at that time. We had a nice woodworking shop under the direction of Walter Forschler. I saw him the other day still getting around. I still have three pieces of wooden furniture I made there.
You probably would not know some of the games we fellows played. There was Peggy, One Three, One One, Rally Over, Duck on the Rock, Fox and Geese, Mumbledy Peg, One O'Cat, Roll-A-Hoop, even skiiing with barrel staves. No boughten stuff!
Much water has passed under the bridge, and many, many changes have taken place since that time. To reflect about those days is just as unique as it will be for you when you look back and say: "I remember my first days at Samuel Huntington School." I DO!
Good luck to all -
Just an old alumus,
Milton Hyde
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