Framingham State University - Dial Yearbook (Framingham, MA)

Page 16 text:

10 has given us is the group of Rugosa rose trees north of Normal Halli and in front of May Hall we have the Tartarean honey- suck e. As for the classes and the Practice School, they have done not a little towards beautifying our grounds. When Miss J. Angelina Smith taught in the Practice School one of her classes planted the linden tree on the plot in front of May Hall, and the same class also planted the Spiraea bush near Miss Roof's office window. The chestnut and beech trees in front of May Hall were planted by two classes graduated under Miss Hyde. just in front of Crocker Hall is a square of four trees with a fifth in the centre. The largest of the five trees is a Russian mulberry, given to the school by Mr. William Hurd. In this same group is a flowering dogwood, given by the class of IQO6, a white hawthorne, planted by the class of 1905, and a young beech, tree, planted by Mr. Whittemore. Southwest of Normal Hall is a blue spruce, con- tributed by the class of 1906, and a beautiful tulip tree, planted by Mr. Whittemore, who also planted the apple orchard beyond the street tennis court. The class of 1908 planted a Catalpa tree in front of May Hall as an addition to our already fine collec- tion of trees. Thus far I have not spoken of the vines, but they are in a class by themselves. Most of the Woodbine at Normal Hall was planted by Miss Hyde, and it is pleasing to note that some of it came from the woods of Framingham. Miss Johnson and Mr. Whittemore also planted some of the vines. At the south end of Crocker Hall is an Akebia from Maryland, presented to Miss Hyde by Miss Tatnall of the class of 1890. The creeping ivy on May Hall, of which we are all so proud, was planted by the class of 1890. That on the south end of May Hall and on Wells Hall was planted by Mr. Whittemore, as were also the crimson ramblers on the tennis court fence. Perhaps one would think that the planting of trees was tire- some and uninteresting work, but if I were to tell of some of the tree day exercises one might think differently. For instance, after the class of 1895 had planted their Cornell tree they saw the chance to have a little amusement. It was a beautiful june evening, and after study hour, the girls, dressed in sheets and pillow cases, joined hands around their tree, danced, sang songs, and then planted a border of violets by moonlight. VVhen the class of 1904 planted their tree, the program was very different. The class marched from the Hall singing a hymn and made a circle around the tree. A bottle with the names of all the girls in the class was planted with the tree, and a speech given by the president. Then the trowel was handed over to the Junior president. It is not always May was read by one of the girls, and then a song, written by two members of the class, finished the exercises.

Page 15 text:

9 Uur Trees and Shrubs I DOUBT if many of us have ever stopped to consider whence came the many beautiful trees with which our grounds are so .profusely studded. Can we for a minute imagine these grounds without the trees and shrubs which some kind hand has placed here for our enjoyment? Surely our beautiful evergreens, elms, and maples were not thirty or twenty years ago what they are to- day. Iam sure a great many of us would be surprised at the change that has taken place in the past fifty years on Normal Hill. When the Normal School was transferred to Framingham in 185 3, the site chosen was a large orchard on Bare Hill, now known as Normal Hill. We all love orchards as such, but there are very few people who would admire an orchard as a setting for a State institution of this kind. So from time to time the orchard trees gradually disappeared, until now the only remnant of the orchard is the large Baldwin apple tree in front of Crocker Hall. In my Search for a little knowledge concerning the present trees and shrubs on our grounds, I found that Miss Annie E. John- son, principal of the school from 1866 to 1875, and Miss Ellen Hyde, principal from 1875 to 1898, were the chief gardeners, while several classes from 1890 to the present day have con- tributed many valuable trees to the collection. The maple trees which are on the grounds were planted when the first school building was erected, as was also a fine cork bark elm given by George B. Emerson, author of Trees and Shrubs of Massachusetts, a very valuable book. This elm was destroyed when May Hall was erected, but in front of Wells Hall we have a new cork bark elm given by the class of 1904. The remaining elm trees on the grounds were planted by Miss Johnson. It is probable that the early budding plants were favorites of Miss johnson, for she also planted the horse chestnut tree in front of Crocker Hall, the sweet briar and honeysuckle at the south end of Crocker Hall, and the honeysuckle at the south end of Normal Hall. For the cluster of beautiful evergreens, the one green spot the whole year round, we are indebted to Miss Hyde. Around Normal Hall we find a great deal of her beautiful work. The crab apple tree, the lilacs behind Normal Hall, the hemlocks, the silvery birches, the barberry bushes, and the sweet scented pine- apple bush are all of Miss Hyde's selection. just at the south end of Normal Hall is a pink Deutzia given to Miss Hyde by Miss johnson's mother. Another beautiful cluster which Miss Hyde

Page 17 text:

11 john Keats has said: A thing of beauty is a joy forever Its loveliness increases, it will never Pass into nothingnessi' So it is with our trees and shrubs. They are always a source of enjoyment to us, and we are grateful to those whose love of the beautiful has led them to make our grounds so attractive. And let us hope that as the years roll on the graduates of our school will add their share and not forget that The trees That whisper round a temple become soon Dear as the temple's self. K. E. M. DQDQG Father Peirce's Bible WE do not say one of Father Peirce's Bibles, for he undoubted- ly had more than one, yet we speak as if he had but one. There is in the possession of the school a Bible, published in 1816. Please note the date. It is a copy of Collins' Stereotype edition and is illustrated. Turn over one page and you come up- on a blank white page. At the top is written with a pencil in a clear, bold hand- Cyrus Peirce. It is the handwriting of Father Peirce. As one turns over the pages, examining the illustrations with a great deal of interest, he comes upon pages near the middle of the book which mark distinctly a family Bible for there is the Family Record. On the tirst page are spaces given to Mar- riagesf' And on this page we find this record in ink - Cyrus Peirce and Harriet Coffin married April ISY, 1816, at Nantucket. Hence the significance of the date 1816. Turn over this page and the family record continues. Now, Births is the heading. And here we find the following record written in a beautiful hand, probably that of Mother Peirce, Cyrus Peirce born Aug. 15th, I79O,,, and, under it, Harriet Coffin born june 26th, I7Q4.H There is no further record. This Bible was presented to the School by the Hon. C. F. Stone of Waltham, who is the son of Elizabeth Brown Stone. She is a niece of Father Peirce. She graduated from the school, August, 1845. Her home is in Waltham, Mass. H. XV.