The following poem was written about the former Enfield School, which once stood in the present-day Village of Esmond.
Esmond was originally named Allenville. In the latter 1800s the name was changed to Enfield, and in 1906 the name was changed to Esmond.
The school mentioned in the poem stood on Esmond Street across from Maple Avenue.
The author of the poem, and the date it was written, are unknown.
ENFIELD SCHOOL
My husband went to Enfield School
In eighteen ninety three,
He was then just eight years old,
And husky as could be.
He wore when the warm weather came,
Overalls, cap, and shirt.
He wore neither shoes nor stockings,
Just traveled in the dirt.
He paid for his books and supplies,
That time it was the rule,
For the first two years he went there,
It was a District School.
In the corner of each entry,
For of course there was no sink,
Was a water pail and dipper,
For the kids to get a drink.
A stove with a great long chimney,
Was heat for the little school,
If children got refactory,
The teacher used the rule.
Two children sat together,
At a desk long enough for two,
Slates were used, and paper too,
For whatever they had to do.
They had a chart for beginners,
In days of long ago,
With the alphabet and numbers,
For the little ones to know.
If the teacher was too busy,
She sure had enough to do,
The older boys took over then,
And felt important too.
At times when nature made demands,
They’d leave blackboards and chalk,
With the teacher’s kind permission,
Go out and take a walk.
At times the boys from nearby farms,
Before the Spring vacation,
Would come to school for the winter months,
To get some education.
Now some of the boys went barefoot,
Their toes were pretty rough,
One boy whose name was Elton,
Really got quite tough.
He would stick a pin into his toe,
Just under the outer skin,
And when the teacher’s back was turned,
Jab a boy in the shin.
Teachers there had fifty or more,
And taught without a sigh,
If teachers had to do it now,
They’d just lie down and die.
Author Unknown
