[93] with his grandson and namesake, who is peacefully passing his days as Somerville's oldest (native) citizen, in the home of his ancestors on Elm street, should not be missed by those who have any veneration for the past services of a noteworthy family. The college on our borders, we trust, will add lustre to the name of Tufts when all of that race are dead and gone. What can Somerville do to honor those who so carefully guarded the domestic interests of this little community in days that were fraught with great deeds, but marked, as well, with an Arcadian simplicity?
During all the years which we have been considering the name of not a single teacher for the Milk Row school appears upon the records. Again, there is no evidence that the town of Charlestown had as yet incurred the expense of building a schoolhouse for this section. To judge from the records, there was never a time, after 1736, when there was no building. Perhaps its erection dated from the days when Isaac Royal was making his munificent gifts to the school without the Neck. The following are some of the brief references to a structure which stood probably where a later schoolhouse was built, on a corner of the present cemetery lot, Somerville avenue. After January, 1790, the school districts were designated by numbers, that in Charlestown proper being No. 1, and ours at Milk Row No. 2:—
February 11, 1783, to pay Samuel Tufts £ 9 10s for repairs at the schoolhouse.
February 24, 1785, to allow Timothy Tufts, Esq., order for repairs of schoolhouse, £ 5 3s.
February 7, 1791, Timothy Tufts, Esq., bill for repairing school without the Neck, 7s.
July 3, 1792, Joseph Adams' bill for repairing school No. 2, £ 2 4s 7d.
[To be continued.]
