Who Are These Children? A Waterford School Mystery to Solve

 Andy Dussault, who now lives in St. Johnsbury, has set us a mystery to solve. His father Albert Dussault (1909-1985) was about seven years old in the photo shown here of the students at the Graves School, the district school in Waterford closest to where the boy lived with his family. Albert marked himself in the photo -- but who are the other students?

To help a little, here's a class list for the Graves School for 1915-1916. The teacher was Lottie Hill, whose family held farmland around the school.

Eight years later, the 1923-1924 class list shows four Dussault siblings -- as well as children from the Blair, Lamontagne, Maguire, Mulliken, Pierce, Voyer, and Prue families.

Here are two more photographs taken at the Graves School, with thanks to Andy Dusssault.

In a second post today, we feature Albert Dussault's autobiography, packed with details about growing into his work and community in the 20th century.

[To browse this site for more Waterford, Vermont, stories, click here -- and you can look for specific topics, like schools or dams, by typing the topic into the white search box at top left.]

Waterford's Graves School, 1914–1924, via Albert and Andy Dussault

We appreciate very much these photos sent by Andy Dussault, now of St. Johnsbury. Andy's father Albert Peter Dussault (1909-1985) is one of the students in these photos of the Graves School, during the period 1914-1924 when he attended there.

Who are the other students? It would be terrific to figure this out!

The Graves School is no longer standing:  It was Waterford's District #6 school and stood about where Vermont Highway 18 now crosses Interstate 93 (southbound ramp), and was probably removed during the interstate highway construction.

In 1924, Albert Dussault began to attend St. Gabriel's School in St. Johnsbury. After driving horses and oxen and working in the woods as a youth, Albert discovered his heart's desire, driving trucks, which he continued in various ways until retirement. His autobiography tells of the many jobs and employers he worked with.

But for today -- consider the Graves School, where Lottie Hill taught. She was almost surely of the Hill family that had the nearby lands now part of the Gingue farm. Check back for more details as we put them together. And if you have even a guess at some of the other students, the Waterford Historical Society would really like to hear from you.