Samuel D Hanson School - Crescent Yearbook (Buxton, ME)

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.....U--....l......,..-.l.u.ls.-M -.l.....n-.N, ..-..........,.lii The Church of the Graduates For the past several years the graduations of the Buxton High School seniors have been held at the Con- gregational Church at Buxton Lower Cerner. This seems an ideal place for the last meeting of a class about to start out in the world. The church, with its historical background and old traditions,would give them encourage- ment and inspiration. ' Right after the French and Indian Wars, the people of the town had their first meeting and voted that there would be preaching, so that the inhabitants of the township would not be destitute of public worship of God. The first meetinghouse was built of logs. In 1760 it was voted to build a frame building on the present site'at Lower Corner, Ministers from churches in Bidde- ford, Wells, and Popperellboro assisted the people from Buxton in forming their church. The new church was to be a regular Congregational. For some years the church was without an underpinning and pulpit. Several ministers preached for them for a few months at a time the first ten years. Then a committee was ' chosen to ask Paul Coffin, son of Colonel Joseph Coffin, of Newbury, to settle among them and carry on the work of the ministry. He accepted the position and settled here. In doing so, he gave up a good career, because ' he had been well-educated in cultivated literary society. The little town, which he accepted as his own, boasted of only about thirty families, which had not a single educated parishioner. Reverend Paul Coffin preached here sixty years until his death on June 6, l82l.' Kate Douglas Wiggin, the famous Maine writer, attended this church. It was'this church which inspired her to write her famous story, nOld'Peabody Pewn. 'The Old Tory Hill Meetinghouse, with its historic past, which has stood on the little hill about 185 years still welcomes the young and old of Buxton. Beverly Harmon '46 Q 1? 95x f I I! ik . Q -Q' . '- V Rv ' A - C iw he Ctr 1 -1 , xf.4ik-,Q Q LJ 455, n. 1453 +? .f!?L4,. K' if :Q-f fs. A s1w?rf'f ,f . . . . ...........x.. . df Q-i .'f7 W 5 W--ii'- Tr 5.eg.fdj ' - 1 6?pgQ??qglXgJ .gylxv-fx a U '-:Erma li-it-E T-f?l-xli?35'- I . ,dWw,.Jn I Ii, iivmgiigggmnipqqp. L' ?i 557 ' L' ' ......-,5,4.I.-Q.4-.L,,,,,gfl. li f'gfv'9 ' A'

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JL. has the the -------v A -.-...---......--. .......-. .--.--Y - The first and greatest gift which Buxton High School received was made by Dr. Zenas Hanson, when he gave sum of five thousand dollars on the condition that high school be named after his brother, Samuel D. Hanson. This is the name by which it is known today. T The money was used for hiring teachers, furnishing ' school supplies, equipping a very modern laboratory, putting in electricity and furnishing the water supply. March 19,1950 disaster struck, when a fire broke out in the early morning. Having been discovered too late, everything was burned. Fifty thousand dollars was estim- ated to be the loss. The articles we lost can never be replaced. We lost the library, which was the finest of its size in Maine. Many reference and fiction books, the two cups won by the school in speaking contests, and the wonderfully equipped laboratory also were burned in the the fire. ' Since that fire, a new building has been built on same site, and is still called the Samuel D. Hanson High School. The cost of this building was 325,000. Our new building is a two story structure consisting of a cement basement in which are the laboratory and cafe- teria combined, and the boys' and girls' basements. The first floor has two classrooms, with large closets in ' each room, an office, and the trophy cabinet given by Mr. Isaac A. Clough, which contains many trophies. We have a wonderful movie projector and a large supply room. The second floor has the main assembly hall which seats sixty pupils. A stage is built into'the front of this room, which,when not used as a stage, ia a classroom.. There is also a library, containing many helpful and in- teresting books, and also we have upstairs a boys' cloak- room and a girls' cloakroom. The Alum i of our high school have been both faith- ful and generous in making it possible for tho school to be equipped with electric clocks.and boys' and girls' lockers and a pianos Recently an Agricultural Building has been added to the school. There is now an agricultural course for the boys. This building is located in the Bradbury Block. This new course has greatly benefited the citizens of B'L1.XtOI'1 o ' 4 We are proud of our school, and we know that it will prosper in the future as it has in the past. Gloria Fogg '48

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6.........,.r,-H- -. . ...,-l,ul,q.lr,, ,W Good Times at Buxton High The social activities and interests at Buxton have been and are varied. The public look forward to and turn out for the plays, which are'presented once or twice a'year. In past times three plays, consisting of one act, would be given in an evenirg ey the senior, junior and sophomore classes. The auditorium is the accepted place, in which the plays are held, but in those iimes'they would also be given at Groveville and West Buxton. Later in the year another dramatic skit would be given, which was termed as the senior play, as the proceeds benefited the senior class. This custom has been carried on until last year. Instead of the usual play, a minstrel show was presented. The great success onabled.us to play it twice. Another form of entertainment is the annual Public Speaking Contests, of which this yearfs contest will be the 52ndQ' The winners, who are chosen from the first contest, participate in the C.Y.C.L. Contest, as Buxton is a member of the Central York County League. Buxton has competed in this competition for thirteen years, making itself winner five different times. ' The musical programs of Buxton have been few, but have bonsisted of very good'material. Such was the Concert of Christmas Carols, presented at the auditor-' ium, December ll, 1952 under the direction of Mrs Hurd. Beginning in the year 1941, the combined glee clubs and orchestras of Buxton, Hollis, and Standish gave a May Concert, which continued for the next two years under the direction of Miss Abbie Harvey. As each year finishes, Baccalaureate Services are held at the Buxton Center Baptist Church and Graduation Exercises at the Tory Hill Church. The social life at Buxton now takes in a wider scope of recreation. The Freshman Picnic of former times has now been replaced by a Freshman Reception, held at'Buxton Grange Hall. Instead of the numerous parties, we find entertainment in our many dances. The outstanding dance of the year comes in May-the Junior Prom.' This has become an cccurince of the past two years. The one event which we observe from the former days is the Christmas Party. On the afternoon before Christmas vacation all students gather in the mainroom. Each class presents some kind of a comical dialogue, and then we turn to our tree, which holds a Wjoken present for all. ' As the years roll on, everyone finds more and more pleasure within the halls of Buxton High School. Joan Eaton '47