2025 Big E Exhibits

Carrie Osgood Exhibit

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This exhibit can be found in the North Center Schoolhouse.

Carrie B. Osgood

Carrie Osgood was one of the final teachers to teach at the North Center School before it shut down and combined with the South Center School. She was reported, along with the other teachers in Whately, to have a progressive style of teaching. Osgood was among 50 other women to graduate from Westfield Normal School (now Westfield State University), and proved skilled at her job. She advanced to becoming the principal of Center School in Whately after it was reported that she would take a position in another town.

Carrie Osgood completely dedicated her life to teaching. She decided not to marry, and focus on raising the standards for education in her school district. She helped to train new teachers in Whately, and ensured that her students had every opportunity to get the best education they could.

Carrie unfortunately died at a young age, below is her obituary, pulled from the Greenfield Gazette and Courier on December 7th, 1912, Greenfield Massachusetts:

"Miss Carrie B. Osgood, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Osgood of Oak street died suddenly at the Millers River hospital at Winchendon last week Friday, following an operation Miss Osgood was a native of Pelham, where she was born January 18, 1884. She came to Greenfield with her parents. … taught in the Greenfield public schools for several years and has taught in Whately and Winchendon. The body was brought to Greenfield Sunday and the funeral held Tuesday at the home of her parents 17 Oak street. Rev. C. Oscar Ford of the Methodist Church officiated. The burial was in the Green River cemetery. … she leaves several brothers and sisters."

These teachers were college educated, as teachers are now, however in the 1800's, it was not required for teachers to be college educated. Colleges that specifically educated teachers were called 'Normal' schools, and were not common until the 1830's. These were primarily founded in Massachusetts as a solution to widespread call for education system reform.

Salaries & Expenses

Schoolhouse at it's original location

Teachers salaries has been a hot topic for as long as teachers have been teaching. Below we are going to look at teacher salaries in the 1870's, compare moderns expenses to expenses of teachers in the 1870's. Due to the exhibits focus on Carrie Osgood, we will primarily be focusing on women teachers. The cost information is difficult to accurately adjust for inflation due to a lack of data, this is our best estimation.

1875-1876 School Year

The information below was pulled from town reports.

"'To Miss Alice I. Waite, 7$ Per Week, Total: $217.00"

This would be $6,308.76 adjusted with inflation

Total for Summer Term (10 Weeks): $70.00
Total for Fall Term (9 Weeks): $63.00
Total for Winter Term (12 Weeks): $84.00

2020-2021 School Year

Average Teacher Salary: $66,576

Let's Take A Look At the Expenses:

For women, becoming a teacher traditionally was meant to build up some extra money before they got married. Young women, often just out of the same school, would teach for a few years before they got married. Once they got married, the expectation was that they would stop teaching. Therefore, this was not entirely meant to be lived upon.

The second thing you must note is that there were no cars, insurance, phone, utility bills, or regular purchases of clothing. Clothing was limited to a few of a single item. Some women appear to have had their boarding paid separately from their wages- though, if this was not the case, we cannot assume that a portion of their wages did not go directly towards housing. While they still did have to worry about expenses, they did not have the same amount that we have today. We do also know that tax rates were significantly lower compared to today, which also means that the purchasing power stretched further

Timeline of Teachers at North Center School

1875-1876: Summer, Fall and Winter Term: Miss Alice I. Waite

1876-1877: Summer and Fall Term: Miss J.R. Whitman, Winter Term: Miss Sybil G. Brown

1879-1880: Spring Term: Miss Lizzie Hubbard, Fall and Winter Term: Miss Hastings

1882-1883: Spring Term, Fall and Winter Term: Miss Kate A. Chaffee

1883-1884: Spring Term: Miss Kate Chaffee, Fall Term: Miss Julie E. Matthews (Assisting in some manner: Mrs. Wells Dickinson), Winter Term: Miss Fannie Bennett

1884-1885: Spring and Fall Term: Miss Mary S. Brown, Winter Term: Miss Margaret E. Robbins

1885-1886: Spring and Fall Term: Fannie Bennet, Winter Term: Ella M. Bailey

1886-1887: Spring, Fall, and Winter Term: Jennie L. Pease

1887-1888: Spring, Fall and Winter Term: Miss J. L. Pease

1888-1889: Spring, Fall and Winter Term: Miss Ella L. Orcutt, Winter Term (4 Weeks): Miss Jennie Higgins

1889-1890: Spring and Fall Term: Jennie L. Pease, Winter Term: Hattie A. Carl

1890-1891: Spring Term: Miss Hattie A. Carl, Fall and Winter Term: Miss Emma Kilby

1891-1892: Spring Term: Miss Grace H. Cook, Fall Term (2 Weeks): Miss Edna B. Averill, Unknown: Miss Lena Bemis

1892-1893: Spring, Fall and Winter (4 Weeks) Term: Miss Lena Bemis, Winter Term (9 Weeks): Miss Carrie Field

1894: Unkown

1895: 31 Weeks: Miss Lois Lyman

1896: 10 Weeks: Miss Lois Lyman, 23 Weeks: Miss Mary Gould

1897: 10 Weeks: Miss Mary Gould, 23 Weeks: Miss Florence B. Whiting

1898: 21 Weeks: Miss Florence Whiting, 12 Weeks: Miss Anna B. Flavin

1899: 34 Weeks: Miss Anna B. Flavin

1900: 24 Weeks: Miss Gertrude Mowry, Remaining Weeks: Miss Anna Flavin

1901: 34 Weeks: Miss Gertrude Mowry

1902: Spring, Fall, and Winter: Miss Gertrude Mowry

1903: Spring, Fall and Winter (Partial): Miss Gertrude Mowry, Winter (Partial): Miss Hattie Harris

1904: Spring Term: Miss Hattie Harris, Fall and Winter Term: Miss Carrie Osgood, Partial: Miss Catherine Scully

1905: Spring, Fall and Winter Term: Carrie Osgood

1906: Spring, Winter and Fall Term: Carrie Osgood, Assistant: Geneva Oatman (North and South Center Combined)

1907-1908: Spring, Fall and Winter Term: Carrie B. Osgood, Assistant: Mary A. Underwood and Geneva Oatman

1908-1909: Spring, Fall and Winter Term: Carrie B. Osgood, Assistant: Mary A. Underwood and Bessie Mirfield

1909-1910: Spring, Fall and Winter Term: Carrie Osgood, Assistant: Bessie Mirfield

1911: Spring, Fall, and Winter Term: Carrie Osgood, Assistant: Bessie Mirfield and Margeret Kennedy

1912: Spring, Fall, and Winter Term: Carrie Osgood, Assistant: Eva Grove

1913: Spring, Fall, and Winter Term: Eva L. Grove and Mary Hynes, Assistants Carrie Osgood and Bessie Mirfield

Though Carrie had passed away in 1912, the school records (similar to today) where for years 1912-1913, so we assume had Carrie had signed on to return for the 1913 school year in 1912 before she passed away in December in 1913. This is why the town records say that she was teaching in 1913.

Apothecary Exhibit

Reproduction Medicine Boxes

This exhibit can be found in the Dining Room of the Potter Mansion.

Brief History of Medicine:

While knowing what went on before the invention of comprehensible written language is difficult, many theories have been developed by scientists and anthropologists. One of the leading theories is that as early humans developed reasoning, they began the trial-and-error process of ingesting plants. Through this process, early humans learned which plants could cure them, and which plants would poison them. This would have been the earliest form of herbalism.

Earliest forms of medicine in civilization where heavily linked to spirituality and religion, as ancient peoples believed that illness was due to evil spirits, or falling out of favor with their gods.

We see the earliest evidence of community-based medicine and medical practice in cuneiform signs and seals used by physicians from ancient Mesopotamia. This is further reflected in the Code of Hammurabi, laws written by a Babylonian king of the same name. The Code of Hammurabi also describes consequences faced by people improperly practicing medicine. Ancient Egypt also has the god of medicine Imhotep, who was a real physician in and chief advisor to King Djoser in the 3rd millennium BCE.

In places like Greece and Rome medicine evolved with philosophers and practitioners like Hippocrates and Aristotle. Ancient Greece medicinal practices took influence from other cultures such as: Babylonia, Egypt, India, and China. China's medicinal practice was first recorded in the 3rd millennium BCE; and is still known for its medicinal practice which focuses on herbalism, vegetable based, animal based, and mineral based remedies. India's medical practices go back as far as 2nd millennium BCE and evolved extensively over the centuries. Early Indian medicine relied heavily on herbs to cure illness.

Early forms of herbalism were often referred to as "Folk Medicine" or "domestic medicine" as it referred to the medicine everyday people would practice, especially in communities that were isolated or could not afford to pay for doctors.

Apothecary History

Apothecary Box

The word 'Apothecary' comes from the Latin word 'Apotheca' meaning storehouse or repository. Apothecas often stored wine, spices, and herbs.

European and London apothecaries started as small shops or street stalls selling wines, spices and herbs. Apothecaries were part of livery companies. In the 15 to 1600's apothecaries started becoming independent from the grocer and spice livery companies that they were a part of.

On December 6th, 1617, the apothecaries successfully petitioned for their own society, and 'The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London' was incorporated by royal charter.

"King James justified his decision in the House of Commons in 1624: "I myself did devise that corporation and do allow it. The grocers, who complain of it, are but merchants; the mystery of these apothecaries were belonging to apothecaries, wherein the grocers are unskillful; and therefore I think it is fitting they should be a corporation of themselves." - Society of Apothecaries, 2025

For a time after King James legitimized apothecary practice in 1617, a rise in Quack Medicine swept through England. Quack Medicine comes from the Dutch term 'quacksalver'. This refers to someone that brags about their ointments. A quack is someone who sells medicine to someone knowing it will not help them.

Apothecaries quickly grew in recognition and importance, and accreditation processes grew. The Society of Apothecaries had the power to allow or deny someone to practice as an apothecary. If someone was found to be practicing, and they weren't sanctioned by The Society of Apothecaries, they could find themselves in severe legal trouble. The Royal College of Physicians, founded in 1518, could also sue apothecaries if they believed they were practicing improperly, or if they believed someone was unqualified to practice.

This especially happened to women of the time who had taken over apothecary practices when their husbands died. Women such as: Susan Reeve Lyon, Anne Crosse, and a women referred to as Widow Wyncke all were preserved in history as apothecary women who had to fight to keep their practices.

To become an apothecary, someone had to go through a multi-year apprenticeship under someone who was already an accredited apothecary. This apprenticeship was intense in the sense that mixing and making medicines of the day was strenuous and laborious work.

In the 18th century as apothecaries became more widespread outside of major cities, and people trained in more medical fields, it was common for apothecaries to diagnose illnesses as well as provide treatment.

American Apothecaries:

Colonists from England settling in North American brought with them their medical practices, as well as seeds from medicinal plants from their own gardens. Early settlers depended on their own skills, seed stores, and shared knowledge from indigenous tribes to survive in harsh Northeastern lands.

In the 1700's people called 'medical men' were becoming commonplace in American towns. However, the boundaries between physicians, apothecaries, and surgeons were becoming blurred.

Physicians often had their own apothecary or 'druggist' shop attached their offices so they could dispense medicine as well as diagnose people. Medicine was also sold by wholesale druggists, and regular shopkeepers. Apothecary shops also started selling hygiene and personal care items normally found in a typical shopkeeper's store.

Due to America being a brand-new society, and a young nation of its own, there was little to no regulation within the medical profession. In America, a medical practitioner was free to call themselves whatever they wanted. American society also had a strong individualistic attitude and resisted attempts at standardization and regulation.

Standardization of the druggist trade (druggist is an early name for pharmacists) did not happen until the mid-1800's. This is when local and state pharmaceutical societies and schools came into existence.

Once regulations and standardization spread through North America in the 1800's we saw Apothecary shops and traveling physicians slowly disappear from American society and communities. By the early to mid 1900's apothecaries were primarily a thing of the past.

Women in Early Medicine

For much of history, women have been the holders of medical and herbal knowledge across many civilizations and cultures. This includes early America. Women from all cultural groups brought their medical knowledge to America, and it was a women named Elizabeth Gooking Greenleaf that is created as being the first true apothecary in colonial America.

Women across all historical civilizations, and early America, worked as midwives, healers, herbalists, and apothecaries. Ensuring their communities were strong, healthy, and taken care of. Unfortunately as regulations and academic medicine grew in the mid-1800s, male physicians who were able to receive accreditation pushed women out of the medical field. Women were not allowed to receive the level of formal education, or attend college, to be able to receive the level of accreditation required to continue practicing.

We did not see our first female doctor in America until 1849, a women named Elizabeth Blackwell was able to receive her doctorate. Her journey was difficult; she was rejected from as many as 10 medical schools before being accepted to Geneva Medical College (now SUNY Upstate Medical University) in New York.

Timeline of American Apothecaries & Pharmacology

1727- Elizabeth Gooking Greenleaf (1681-1762) - first women apothecary in colonial America, opened a shop in Boston with her husband.
1729- Chistopher Marshall , an Irish immigrant, opened an apothecary shop in Philadelphia. During the American Revolution, he supplied medicines to American troops under General George Washington.
1764- Benedict Arnold trained as an apothecary in Norwich Connecticut. He opened and operated a drugstore in New Haven CT in 1764
1808- "Massachusetts Pharmacopeia" was written and published by the Massachusetts Medical Society as a standardization guide for the preparation and distribution of medicine.
1820- The " Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America" was written as the first official collection of standardized medicine preparation methods for the United States. Eleven physicians met in Washington D.C to address the issue of standardized medicine and this culminated in them working together to write the book.
1821 - The first school of pharmacology was created. He Philadelphia school of Pharmacy
1823 - The second school of pharmacology was opened: Massachusetts College of Pharmacy
1840- Tensions between pharmacists and physicians rise as pharmacists being practicing patient care and writing their own prescriptions.
1860 Apothecary shops became more standardized in the stock they carried such as:

• Drugs and medicines
• Surgical supplies
• Artificial teeth and limbs
• Dyestuffs
• Essences
• Chemicals

1870-1930s Apothecaries and traveling physicians slowly start fading from popularity. Becoming more rare as more standards and laws of medical practice were passed; and there was easier access to physicians even in rural areas.

Artifact Information

Apothecary Box:

This 19th Century hard wood box contains dividers to hold medical vials. It can hold 120 vials and currently holds 81. This box would have been used by a traveling physician or apothecary. This type of box or traveling container was one of their most essential tools, as it carries all the medicines necessary to treat common ailments.

Vaseline:

This popular product was invented in 1860 by Robert Chesebrough, a chemist from New York. Vaseline was not patented until 1870. There are many interesting stories about Robert Chesebrough, including that he ate some of his Vaseline product very day to keep him in good health!

This jar on display is likely from the late 1880's - early 1900's

Sodium Acetate:

Sodium acetate is an organic salt used in small amounts in IV solutions to increase hydration as electrolytes. There is evidence that shows it was used to balance people's acids and correct electrolyte imbalance in the 19th century as well.

Hoods Liver Pills for Liver Ill's! :

The company C.I Hood & Co was founded in 1875 by Charles Ira Hood, an apothecary in Lowell, Massachusetts. He launched the business with a line of ready made medicines, building one of the world's largest laboratories for "family remedies" in Lowell.

Castor Oil:

In the 1800's to early 1900's it was used as a ‘miracle cure’ or ‘cure all’. It was both drank, and used on the skin like a lotion. Today we know castor oil for hair growth and skin care. Science has acknowledged it as an alternative to other modern laxatives.

Rich’s Crystalized Ginger:

E.C. Rich, Inc was a company founded around 1860 in New York, this product was sold as a sweet treat and a digestive aid. This was donated in 1990 by a local family in CT.

Week’s Cough-Bronchial Lozenges:

This product is a reproduction. A modern item made to look like an cough lozenge that would have existed in the 1800's. A true item like this would have been sold in metal container.

Week’s Soda Mint Tablets:

This product is a reproduction. A modern item made to look like a historical medicine tablet that would have existed in the 1800's. A true item like this would have been sold in metal container

Shoe Exhibit

Men's Lace-up Shoes

Do you know what a 19th century shoe was made of?

Taking much more time than a shoe made in an industrial factory today, the 19th century shoe was composed of a sole (layer between the foot and the ground) and an upper (material that extends across the top of the foot).

Early shoemakers, known as cobblers, built shoes at home through pounding and prepping the leather, cutting material for the upper, boring holes in both the upper and the sole, sewing them together, then affix the insole and an outer sole to one another. You can see an example of the bench they might have used in our exhibit!

The "Central Shop System" was created at the turn of the 18th century which separated the different stages of shoemaking in different houses before the shoe's components were combined. Think of it as an early form of an assembly line! While there were still independent cobblers that made the entire shoe, this "Central Shop System" was a factory spread across multiple homes.

The Revolutionary war necessitated the mass-production of shoes for the Continental Army, as well as an increase in leather tanning from livestock. The Civil War would necessitate further technological advances to keep up with the need for more shoes in the era of mechanization.

Women's Slippers, Boots, Men's Shoes

Massachusetts was the largest producer of shoes in the world through World War 1. This attracted and retained skilled cobblers and retained shoe machinery engineers. In fact, Lynn, MA became the undisputed shoe capital in the world with 234 factories putting out over a million pairs of shoes a day.

This extreme output was possible because immigrant Jan Matzeliger spent hours watching lasters work, realized he could mechanize their motions, and worked endlessly to create a lasting machine. He obtained a patent in 1883, and it wasn't an easy process- he had to learn English and since he had no formal training in science or mechanics, he was learning that at the same time too.

Matzeliger's invention was unveiled on May 29th, 1885. Factory production increased from 50 pairs a day to 750 pairs a day, and would steadily increase. However, shoe production waned in the 20th century, and Great Depression hit the industry hard. The last remaining shoe factory in Lynn burned to the ground in 1981 and 99% of shoes are sold in the US are now made overseas.

Artifact Information

Cobbler's Bench

Cobblers Bench:

This bench was used by cobblers or shoe makers to make a shoe start to finish. This would have been found in homes or cobblers shops. Not in a factor setting.

Men's Shoes:

These two types of black men's shoes come from similar time periods, however are much different style wise. Lace-up shoes did not become common until the late 18 to early 19 hundreds. Button up shoes where common from the mid 1800's through World War 1.

Women's Button-Up Boots:

These boots would have been worn by women from the 1870s through the early 1900's. This style was very common and considered very fashionable for the time.

Women's Crocheted Slippers:

These were popular from the 1890's-1940's.A notable figure in the history of crocheted slippers is First Lady Ida Saxton McKinley (1847–1907).

Due to her poor health, she often spent her time crocheting in her private quarters. It is estimated that she made over 4,000 pairs of wool slippers, often with bound cork soles, during her lifetime. She gave the slippers as gifts to friends, veterans, and orphans, or sold them at auction for charity. Her favorite style was a light blue slipper with a ribbon and elastic drawstring.

Kitchen Tools Exhibit

Rules to follow for 19th Century Cooking

Use good wood

Using wet or unseasoned wood can prevent the fire from catching properly or cooking as efficiently. Be sure to use dry, properly seasoned (aged) wood when open hearth cooking to ensure the best foundation for a fire.

Cook over hot coals rather than a blazing fire

A blazing fire seems appealing, but it won't be useful to cook over. The true heat necessary for cooking comes from the hot coals left after a blazing fire. You still want some flames, but the radiating heat of the coals will provide a true, even cooking fire.

Cooking tools have specific purposes for a reason

Just as in our modern kitchens, tools used in open hearth cooking have specific usages. Some can be multipurpose, but they were often designed with a specific purpose in mind.

Keep food preservation at the top of the brain

When open hearth cooking, it is imperative that the chef keeps in mind how this food will be preserved. Is it being eaten all in one sitting? If not, how will the remainder be kept edible?

Be mindful of where your fire is

When open hearth cooking, ensure that your fire isn't creeping out onto the hearth of the fireplace or catching on your clothing. Equally as dangerous can be making sure that your fire isn't so blazing that it burns the outside of your pans.

Home Department: 1928's Cooking

Organization: The Cooking School was based on a program run by Miss May E. Foley, Nutrition Specialist of Massachusetts Agricultural College.

"A great variety of demonstrations will be given in the kitchen of the Prescott House. There, experts in kitchen planning have concentrated the working area for new equipment in one end of the kitchen, leaving the open fireplace, old dresser and stone sink, for their picturesque qualities, in their original positions."

Home Department in 1928

The Home Department in 1928 focused on advancements in the home including gardening, cooking, a variety of handicrafts, home electrical equipment, and textile cleaning. While this was much of the same year after year, Storrowton Village Museum was in the middle of being expanded, and new buildings offered new spaces to offer exhibits.

1928's Cooking School featured Menu Making, Salad and Desserts, Everyday Dinners, Whole Wheat Bread and Muffins, Variety in Vegetable Cookery, The Last Word in Canning, When Neighbors Get Together, Wholesome Sweets, Quick Breads and their Variations, Pantry Meals, and Hearty Suppers and Oven Craft.

Future years would offer specific instructions in Electrical Equipment for the 20th Century Kitchen, Kitchen Appliances of Three Centuries Ago, Relatives of the Baking Powder Biscuit, and so much more. Companies including Kellogg Company, General Foods Corporation, the National Electric Light Association, and the Glenwood Range Company would be amongst individuals giving instructional talks.

Year Round Preparations

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Hand Cranked Ice Cream Make
- Today, ice cream is beloved by many- and is seen as very modern, since it needs to be kept frozen! But ice cream was being made long before the modern freezer- and wasn't purchased at a grocery store. Invented by an American woman named Nancy Johnson in 1843, the hand cranked ice cream maker introduced an efficient, reproducible method to achieve smoother, creamier textures- and made ice cream much easier to make at home!

Summer Kitchens

Today outdoor kitchens are thought of as a luxury but in the 19th century, they were a necessity for the families who could afford the addition. This space offered an opportunity to do cooking outside of the main home, which helped keep the house cool. These kitchens could have been attached or detached, and were very common from the roughly mid 19th century to the early 20th century.

Preservation

Preservation work was mostly being done in the summer when all of the fruits and vegetables were coming into season to prep for the winter months. This was the busiest time of year, trying to ensure that you had enough to last from the end of the harvest through till May, when the first plants of the season could be harvested.

Often times, the beginning of the winter could be seen as more plentiful than summer itself! Preservation methods have remained, at their heart, much of the same- though back then, pickling, smoking, salting, and drying were much more common than canning! Canning is the world most likely associate with "food preservation", but in the 1840s, that hadn't been invented in the way we know it today!

To lean more about Open hearth Cooking and Cooking in the 19th Century, come to The Big E and see a demonstration!