Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 82, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 April 1920 — TOWN'S FIRST FREE SCHOOL [ARTICLE]

TOWN'S FIRST FREE SCHOOL

Dedham, Mata, Very Properly Celebrates Its Founding Nearly _ Three Centuries Ago. to celebration of the two hundred end seventy-fifth anniversary of the starting of a free public school In Pedfcatn. Mass., heid by many to have been the first one on the continent, the icboola of the town held special exerrmmm The free school commemo-

rated Was built In 1645, it having been voted by the citizens assembled In town meetings that sufficient taxes be raised to establish the school. There has bean free public Instruction in Dedham ever since. So fundamental arid all-important Is this early ftffep bf the Puritan fathers considered that the anniversaries are ever kept uppermost in the thought* at educators and other patriotic citi-

zens. to 1898 the commonwealth erected a tablet on the spot where this first school was located. In 1896, the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the school,.a big public celebration took place, with prominent men present And It Is expected that the same will occur In 1945. be three hundredth anniversary. — Christian Science Monitor. '