Hopedale History October 15, 2018 No. 358 The Branch Library Hopedale in October <><><><><><><><><><> Ballot question No. 10 - Shall the Article of Amendment providing that Women shall be Eligible to Appointment as Notaries Public, submitted by the Constitutional Convention, be approved and ratified? Yes 163 No 113 Blanks 135 - Hopedale Town Report, 1918 The pupils of the Hopedale elementary schools were examined by the school physician, Dr. Weymouth, with the assistance of the school nurse, between the dates of September 29th and October 19th, 1925.
Number of pupils examined.................................................473 Number of pupils with defective (enlarged) tonsils..............162 Number of pupils having adenoids.......................................126 Number of pupils with hardened wax in ears................... .....52 Number of pupils having symptoms of pediculosis...............20
Conditions of pediculosis (lice) are reported improved as all have responded to treatment when requested by the nurse. Carroll H. Drown, Superintendent of Schools, 1925 <><><><><><><><><><> The South Hopedale Branch Library From time to time, when mention of the South Hopedale Branch Library has come up, I've been asked, "Where was that?" The answer is that it was in a number of places over the years, but always in a room of the home of a woman who had taken on the job of being the South Hopedale librarian. It would be open one afternoon each week, and would have books, circulated from time to time, from the Bancroft Library. Here's a report about it from 1922. Mrs. Smith has just finished twelve consecutive years of work in the Branch with the largest circulation in its existence, 4,040 volumes, and a total for the 12 years of 35,734 volumes. The Branch began in one of the lower rooms of Mrs. Smith's home in South Hopedale, the town furnishing a small bookcase 4 1/2 feet high by 27 inches wide and enough books and donated magazines to fill it, Mrs. Smith furnishing everything else, including her services as librarian, for no other remuneration than her love of books and a chance to satisfy it. With this deposit of rather less than 100 books and an exchange of from 15 to 20 from the main library each alternate week, 1925 volumes were circulated the first year. Before the end of the year, however, six magazine subscriptions were mailed directly to the Branch, and a very modest salary voted Mrs. Smith. Since that beginning, Mrs. Smith has doubled the size of the room, built in bookcases entirely around two sides for shelving the library books, installed a telephone, steam heat, and electricity. We have always appreciated the splendid results accomplished by our Branch Librarian, but perhaps a few items from a most interesting report, submitted by Mrs. Smith, summarizing the work of these twelve years may prove illuminating. Her family of several children has not escaped contagious disease or other illness but the circulation of books on Friday afternoon always goes on - even to the extent of 53 Fridays in 1920. When measles held sway, books brought directly from the main library in baskets were placed in the yard beside the road, and here - the weather man being kind - all exchanges were made until the house was fumigated. In the worst weather in winter, one of the sons sometimes delivers books on his sled. On one such trip a book inadvertently fell off - Jeffrey Farnol's Broad Highway, as it chanced - and was not missed until the boy reached home. Your capable Branch Librarian traced that book to Worcester and achieved its return, after two months absence, none the worse for its journey. Harriet Sornborger, Librarian, 1922
paragraph of what she wrote, followed by the names of the women who took on the job as South Hopedale librarian.
Smith, wife of Arthur F. W. Smith. They resided at 267 South Main Street. After having the library for five months, Mrs. Smith moved from town and Miss Angeline Dewing, who resided on Hartford Avenue just off South Main Street, took it over until 1904. After a short period of time with Miss Dewing, the branch was temporarily closed. It reopened in 1910, back in the home of Mrs. Smith. The other women who had the library in their homes were Adeline Caldwell, Constance Jones, Betty Butcher and Bess Thayer. The end came in 1977.
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The home of Connie Jones at 2 Mellen Street; one of several houses where the South Hopedale Library was located over the years. |
What could The Broad Highway possibly have to do with this page? Read the article on the South Hopedale Branch Library to find out. |
