Myra Burt Bridgman was born in Westhampton, Massachusetts, January 16, 1869, the youngest daughter of Abner Pomeroy Bridgman and Hannah Strong (Ludden) Bridgman. She attended the local one-room schoolhouse on Chesterfield Road in Westhampton, before her family's move to the village of Florence in the fall of 1881. She continued her education at the Florence High School (now Florence Grammar School) on Pine Street and was graduated from Westfield Normal School on January 27, 1888. At the graduation ceremonies, she presented a paper on Comenius. One month after her graduation, her father Abner died at the family home at 12 Pine Street in Florence.
On September 9, 1889, when she was twenty years old, Myra was hired by the city of Northampton to teach at the North Farms School, an ungraded one-room schoolhouse in the north part of Florence. Myra taught there for almost three years, but as the school had very few students (eight in 1891), it was closed in March of 1892 and it appears that Myra was unemployed in the spring term of that year. In the fall of 1892, she began to work as a substitute teacher at the red brick Pine Street School (still standing today and now a private residence). This school was located a short walk up Pine Street from the family's home.
In September of 1893, Myra was appointed to the permanent position of teacher at the Pine Street School. For the first year or two she taught first grade, but she was soon settled into the second grade classroom where she reigned for over thirty years. She was eventually appointed principal of the two-room school, but continued her classroom teaching until her retirement in June of 1928. For her last two years of teaching she taught grades three and four combined.
All three of Myra's sisters and their mother died within five years of each other (1918 to 1924), and for the next fifteen years Myra lived alone in the house at 12 Pine Street. It appears that she enjoyed gardening as a hobby, for in 1914 she was awarded a prize (a shrub) by the People's Institute in Northampton at their annual Carnegie Garden Awards ceremony.
In May of 1939, Myra sold the house on Pine Street and moved into the Lathrop Home on South Street in Northampton. Like two of her sisters before her, Myra developed cancer and died on November 27, 1939, at age seventy. She was the last of the family to be laid to rest in the Spring Grove Cemetery.
Family members remember her as being very kind and gentle and always smiling.
© 2013 James E. Bridgman
On September 9, 1889, when she was twenty years old, Myra was hired by the city of Northampton to teach at the North Farms School, an ungraded one-room schoolhouse in the north part of Florence. Myra taught there for almost three years, but as the school had very few students (eight in 1891), it was closed in March of 1892 and it appears that Myra was unemployed in the spring term of that year. In the fall of 1892, she began to work as a substitute teacher at the red brick Pine Street School (still standing today and now a private residence). This school was located a short walk up Pine Street from the family's home.
In September of 1893, Myra was appointed to the permanent position of teacher at the Pine Street School. For the first year or two she taught first grade, but she was soon settled into the second grade classroom where she reigned for over thirty years. She was eventually appointed principal of the two-room school, but continued her classroom teaching until her retirement in June of 1928. For her last two years of teaching she taught grades three and four combined.
All three of Myra's sisters and their mother died within five years of each other (1918 to 1924), and for the next fifteen years Myra lived alone in the house at 12 Pine Street. It appears that she enjoyed gardening as a hobby, for in 1914 she was awarded a prize (a shrub) by the People's Institute in Northampton at their annual Carnegie Garden Awards ceremony.
In May of 1939, Myra sold the house on Pine Street and moved into the Lathrop Home on South Street in Northampton. Like two of her sisters before her, Myra developed cancer and died on November 27, 1939, at age seventy. She was the last of the family to be laid to rest in the Spring Grove Cemetery.
Family members remember her as being very kind and gentle and always smiling.
© 2013 James E. Bridgman
Myra Burt Bridgman was born in Westhampton, Massachusetts, January 16, 1869, the youngest daughter of Abner Pomeroy Bridgman and Hannah Strong (Ludden) Bridgman. She attended the local one-room schoolhouse on Chesterfield Road in Westhampton, before her family's move to the village of Florence in the fall of 1881. She continued her education at the Florence High School (now Florence Grammar School) on Pine Street and was graduated from Westfield Normal School on January 27, 1888. At the graduation ceremonies, she presented a paper on Comenius. One month after her graduation, her father Abner died at the family home at 12 Pine Street in Florence.
On September 9, 1889, when she was twenty years old, Myra was hired by the city of Northampton to teach at the North Farms School, an ungraded one-room schoolhouse in the north part of Florence. Myra taught there for almost three years, but as the school had very few students (eight in 1891), it was closed in March of 1892 and it appears that Myra was unemployed in the spring term of that year. In the fall of 1892, she began to work as a substitute teacher at the red brick Pine Street School (still standing today and now a private residence). This school was located a short walk up Pine Street from the family's home.
In September of 1893, Myra was appointed to the permanent position of teacher at the Pine Street School. For the first year or two she taught first grade, but she was soon settled into the second grade classroom where she reigned for over thirty years. She was eventually appointed principal of the two-room school, but continued her classroom teaching until her retirement in June of 1928. For her last two years of teaching she taught grades three and four combined.
All three of Myra's sisters and their mother died within five years of each other (1918 to 1924), and for the next fifteen years Myra lived alone in the house at 12 Pine Street. It appears that she enjoyed gardening as a hobby, for in 1914 she was awarded a prize (a shrub) by the People's Institute in Northampton at their annual Carnegie Garden Awards ceremony.
In May of 1939, Myra sold the house on Pine Street and moved into the Lathrop Home on South Street in Northampton. Like two of her sisters before her, Myra developed cancer and died on November 27, 1939, at age seventy. She was the last of the family to be laid to rest in the Spring Grove Cemetery.
Family members remember her as being very kind and gentle and always smiling.
© 2013 James E. Bridgman
On September 9, 1889, when she was twenty years old, Myra was hired by the city of Northampton to teach at the North Farms School, an ungraded one-room schoolhouse in the north part of Florence. Myra taught there for almost three years, but as the school had very few students (eight in 1891), it was closed in March of 1892 and it appears that Myra was unemployed in the spring term of that year. In the fall of 1892, she began to work as a substitute teacher at the red brick Pine Street School (still standing today and now a private residence). This school was located a short walk up Pine Street from the family's home.
In September of 1893, Myra was appointed to the permanent position of teacher at the Pine Street School. For the first year or two she taught first grade, but she was soon settled into the second grade classroom where she reigned for over thirty years. She was eventually appointed principal of the two-room school, but continued her classroom teaching until her retirement in June of 1928. For her last two years of teaching she taught grades three and four combined.
All three of Myra's sisters and their mother died within five years of each other (1918 to 1924), and for the next fifteen years Myra lived alone in the house at 12 Pine Street. It appears that she enjoyed gardening as a hobby, for in 1914 she was awarded a prize (a shrub) by the People's Institute in Northampton at their annual Carnegie Garden Awards ceremony.
In May of 1939, Myra sold the house on Pine Street and moved into the Lathrop Home on South Street in Northampton. Like two of her sisters before her, Myra developed cancer and died on November 27, 1939, at age seventy. She was the last of the family to be laid to rest in the Spring Grove Cemetery.
Family members remember her as being very kind and gentle and always smiling.
© 2013 James E. Bridgman
Inscription
Abner P. Bridgman/Member/of Co. K/52 Reg. M.V.M./Died/Feb. 26 1889/Æ 57 yrs./
His Wife/Hannah S. Ludden/ Died/Oct. 1 1919/Æ 86 yrs.//
Henry Noble/Son of/A. P. & H. S. Bridgman/Died Mar. 12 1872/Æ 9 mos.//
Delia L. B./Wife of/J. H. Gilpin/1865 – 1918
Emily D./1859 – 1924
Myra B./1869-1939//
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