Greenfield High School - Evergreen / Exponent Yearbook (Greenfield, MA)

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6 THE EXPONENT mate friend of Alexander Hamilton. About twenty years after the ‘Gazette” was started, it was bought by Col. Ansel Phelps. He also had a bookstore and published books. A story relates that once when Col. Phelps was in Boston, he saw a ship just arrived from abroad. He went on board to get news for his paper, when suddenly the ship moved away from the wharf. Col. Phelps thought he was going to be taken across the Atlantic. Rushing to the captain he demanded to be put ashore. The cap¬ tain said they could not stop. Final¬ ly, however, he explained to the col¬ onel that the ship was merely chang¬ ing its position in the harbor. As soon as they were at the dock. Col. Phelps hastened away, not waiting to get his news. At this time, too, Peter Sprague and George Mark came to town. The former was a very eccentric shoe dealer, and devoted a great deal of his life to attempting to discover perpetual motion. He was exceed¬ ingly kind-hearted and was accus¬ tomed to leave a sum of money with his grocer to be given to the poor. Mr. Mark was called “The Count.” He was a very fine sign painter, and considered himself an artist along other lines as well, but it is said that his sense of perspective was not very highly developed, and the results were quite remarkable. Some of his ' paintings now belong to Judge Franklin G. Fessenden. Some years later Mr. Henry W. Clapp came to make his home in Greenfield. He built the first town hall that the town had, and also laid out Franklin street. Mr. Clapp will always be remembered in connection with St. James Church. He was a de¬ voted churchman, and provided the stone and most of the funds for the present church building. Mr. Clapp was always very active in town af¬ fairs. And now we have come to a con¬ sideration of Greenfield during the Civil War. One has but to visit our older cemeteries to find on slab and stone names of men who lived here, and who made the extreme sacrifice for home and country. William B. Washburn was active in getting men to enlist. He was connected with several of the banks. He was deeply interested in the library association, and gave the building on the corner of Franklin and Main streets. He had a brilliant political career—was elected three times as Governor of Massachusetts; served in the Nation¬ al House of Representatives and suc¬ ceeded Charles Sumner in the United States Senate. Another citizen of Greenfield of Civil War times was Charles Dev- ens, for whom the Devens House was named. He was a well-known lawyer, and a major-general in the Civil War. Camp Devens was named for this Greenfield citizen. Associated in law with Gen. Dev¬ ens was Wendell T. Davis. It is said that when Thackeray was in this country, he found Mr. Davis the best after-dinner speaker in America. Also associated with the Civil War were Rev. J. F. Moors of All Souls Church, and Rev. Peter J. Finch of St. James. Both these men were chaplains during some part of the Rebellion. When they came to Green¬ field they became at once interested in the whole town, not confining themselves merely to their own par¬ ishes. Everyone liked them both for their cordial, pleasant ways.. Mr. Moors and Mr. Finch were especially interested in school affairs, serving for many years on the school board, helping to bring about many of the present conditions. One reason that the schools of Greenfield have been excellent is that the townspeople have always been interested, and many have devoted a great deal of time to this cause: The fact that the town is honored by having as citizens a chief justice of the superior court, an associate justice of that court, and that the Attorney-General of the common¬ wealth but a few years past made his home amongst us, speaks well for the higher education and uplift in our community. Time alone prevents mention of scores of men and women, judges, bankers, authors, politicians and bus¬ iness men, many living at the present time, who have left their stamp and imprint upon the life and reputation of the town. So we see that Green¬ field has had a brilliant past, and she

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THE EXPONENT 5 men are of no country ; they belong to mankind r’ Most fitting are these lines of tribute and inspiration, in¬ scribed beneath the bust of John Adams in the old meeting-house at Quincy: ‘From lives thus spent, thy earthly duties learn; From fancy ' s dreams to active duty turn; Let freedom, friendship, faith thy soul engage. And serve, like them, thy coun¬ try and thy age.” Edwin M. Clapp. ESSAY AND VALEDICTORY GLIMPSES OF GREENFIELD When we think of the great cities of the United States, of the millions of people scattered over the coun¬ try, and most of all when we look nearer, at our own large, rapidly growing town, the fact that but three hundred years have passed since the landing of the Pilgrims, and since the first settlements in this part of the United States were made seems scarcely possible. Although it is not my purpose to give a detailed account of the history of our town, I feel that the story of a town and that of its people are one. If we could look backward over the life of Greenfield, we should find many men worth knowing, some of whom attained distinction in civil and political life even beyond the bound¬ aries of our township and common¬ wealth. I can only skip along, nam¬ ing a few to emphasize what our splendid environment and the inter¬ est taken in the education of our people has done to put Greenfield in the limelight and to make her known as a town which has contained and still harbors men and women of brains, ambition and energy. But our neighbors always see us from a different angle than the world at large does, so I should like to try to show you these people as their neighbors saw them. Though it may surprise some of us a great deal, the truth is that Greenfield used to belong to Deer¬ field. Some of the Deerfield people were attracted by the land near the rivers farther north, and gradually a new settlement was formed near the Green river. The first man to set¬ tle here was Nathaniel Brooks who came in 1686. Another early settler was Joseph Petty, from whom Petty’s Plain takes its name. We can im¬ agine him with a group of fellow- pioneers seated around the fire in Aaron Denio’s tavern. The story is told that one day Denio asked his wife what was in the kettle for din¬ ner. She merely said, ' ‘Water.” He seized the kettle, and running up a hill back of the house threw the ket¬ tle down, exclaiming that she could have her old water. As the meat and vegetables rolled out and all went tumbling down hill. Landlord Denio probably realized that he had satis¬ fied his curiosity but had lost his dinner. Soon after these people had built their houses, the question of school¬ ing was considered. I imagine some of us would like to have been liv¬ ing here then, for people thought that children had had enough educa¬ tion when they were 10 years old. However, they were expected to help at home. Another early consideration of the Greenfield people was having a meeting-house. This was built as soon as possible, and Mr. Edward Billings was the first minister. In reply to the call to settle in Green¬ field, Mr. Billings said he would ac¬ cept, “though there be some circum¬ stances attending my settlement among you that are far from being pleasing.” What was the matter with Greenfield? As the settlement grew, the in¬ habitants wanted to be a separate town, not part of Deerfield. Many and bitter were the discussions, but at last the petition was granted, and the town of Greenfield was incor¬ porated in 1753. A little later, in 1792, the first paper of Greenfield began to be pub¬ lished. Thomas Dickman came to start this paper, which was known as the “Impartial Intelligencer” and later the Greenfield Gazette.” Mr. Dickman was the town’s first post¬ master, and he also kept a book¬ store. One of the promoters of the “Impartial Intelligencer” was Wil¬ liam Coleman. He later went to New York, where he became the law partner of Aaron Burr, and an inti-

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THE EXPONENT 7 is just as proud of all her citizens today as she is of those of former days. Let us hope that the citizens of the future will be as worthy of remembrance. We of the class of 1920 wish to tell you people of Greenfield how much we appreciate your interest in us. We feel that during our school years you have been watching us and helping us. It always pleases young people to feel that their fathers and mothers and friends are vitally con¬ cerned in school affairs. And we thank you for coming here to-night, at a time that means so much to us. To you teachers we owe a great debt of gratitude for your patient, helpful work. You have not been simply teachers, but you have proven yourselves friends as well. Underclassmen, as we leave high school, you are coming on to fill our places. We have tried to be worthy of Greenfield High School. Will not you also try to uphold her honor? My Classmates, for the last four years we have been in high school. During that period our thoughts have ever been anticipating the time which to-night is realized. We have had many good times together, and we owe a great deal to dear old Green¬ field. Now no longer are we high school pupils. We are young men and women. And this is a time when men and women with pluck and abil¬ ity and stick-to-itiveness are wanted. Our country needs citizens anxious to work for her. Shall we not, each and every one of us, do our very best to fill our place? Now, as we go on into life, let us not forget our school, but always keep a place in our hearts for our own G. H. S. And let us carry with us those words that mean so much in whatever we do, “Loyalty, Honor. Scholarshin.” Ellen E. Pierce, ’20. CLASS SONG The Crimson and the Gold Tune: “The Orange and the Black.” I We are gathered now together At the end of four long years; We have had our fun and pleasure We have shared our doubts and fears. Now has come the time of parting May our hearts in mem’ry fold Loving thoughts of 1920 And the crimson and the gold. Chorus Here’s to dear old 1920! When time our fate unfolds, May we always stand together For the crimson and the gold! II G. H. S. we hate to leave you. Our friends and classmates true. As we journey on life’s pathway We will often think of you. Though our paths may be divided Pleasant mem’ries we will hold Of our days in Greenfield High School ’Neath the crimson and the gold. NORMA FOSTER.’ PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS OF WELCOME As president of the Class of 1920, I extend a hearty welcome to the parents and friends of its members, gathered for our class day exercises which precede the momentous oc¬ casion, better known as Graduation. The benefit which we have gained from the four years of study will be given an opportunity to reveal itself in the immediate future. The years to come will afford to the high school graduate more opportunities than any period before and the successful com¬ pletion of our four years of study only gives to the members of the Class of 1920 a firm foundation for the life work of each. We owe to the mothers and the fathers a debt which we can never repay, but we can show our apprecia¬ tion by making an overwhelming suc¬ cess of our life work. To the faculty and teachers our gratitude for their teaching can be shown by the constant use of the principles taught. Looking back over our high school course each can find flaws in what he has done and in the way he has done it. The next step in life gives to each a field of practice for what¬ ever knowledge he has. But wher¬ ever we go and whatever we do, there will always remain in the minds of each in the Class of 1920, three words which the Greenfield High School has impressed upon us—Honor, Loyalty and Scholarship.