"School Faculty 54 Years Ago"

Members of the teaching staff of Middletown schools posed for this picture in 1884 in celebration of the opening of the new Benton Avenue grade school--the pride of H.R. Sanford, superintendent of schools. With the aid of Miss Bernetta Cooper who retired in 1923 after having served as a teacher in Middletown Schools for fifty-one years, Miss Harriet Little and Mrs. I.D. Osterhout, retired teachers, a majority of those in the picture were identified. Seated in the front row are Miss Fannie Corwin, Miss Igo and Miss Darby. (The fourth was not identified). In the second row left to right are Helen Dorrance (now Mrs. Samuel Park), Florence Dennison, Mary L. Burroughs, Minnie Wickham, Katie Sease (Mrs. Osterhout, owner of the picture), Isabelle McBurney, Dr. J.B. Hulett (substituting for Miss cooper) and Ira L. Case. in the third row are Mr. Sanford, Eva Brett (now Mrs. Moses Vail), Addie Boyd, Rebecca Worcester, Ella Wickham and Hattie Bull (now Mrs. Hattie Matthews). Only three could be identified in the top row. Second from the right is Miss Baird, fourth, Libbie Corwin, and last Miss King.

Names as typed, corresponding to numbers on photograph: