Finishing the series of remembrances of Wareham’s schools has us taking a closer look at the early high school system. Did you know that dog license fees played an important historic role in school funding? Early documents show that the chemistry lab of the first high school (1867) was equipped with funds from the town’s dog license money. The first high school graduation took place in 1874 from the building rented from the Parker Mills Company.

After that building was destroyed by fire in 1889, land for a new high school on Marion Road was given by Gerard C. Tobey, “As a place for the education of children and youth, by mental culture, or by manual training, in free public schools, as said town may provide from time to time, until tides shall cease to ebb and flow in Wareham Harbor.” In 1897 enrollment fell from the original number of 65 students to only 45, thought to be due to the fact that many of the iron, stave and shipping mills had ceased operations causing workers to move to other areas.