Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 15.

Mrs. Fannie Merritt Farmer, author of the ‘Boston Cooking School Book’ which was said to have had the largest circulation of any book in the Medford Public Library one year, ‘Chafing-dish Possibilities,’ Food and Cookery for the Sick and Convalescent and ‘What to Have for Dinner,’ is another high school graduate and proud of it, as Medford is of her.

Persis Hannah, a recent graduate, writes under the pen name of Ruth Cameron for one hundred and twenty newspapers each day, one of the widest audiences of any woman journalist. Some of these essays have been published by this syndicate in book form.

Ernest Bacheller has written two books used in Normal Art Schools—the ‘Principles of Design’ and ‘Design in Theory and Practice,’ with a personal directness and freshness of treatment unusual in text-books.

From the days of William Woodbridge and Susannah Rowson until now, Medford people have been writing text-books. Benjamin Franklin Tweed, principal in one of Medford's schools, and afterwards professor at Tufts College, wrote several text-books on English grammar and composition, and was editor of the Massachusetts Teacher. Ephraim Hunt, at one time superintendent of schools, published a ‘Geometry for Grammar Schools.’ Charles H. Morss, who held the same position, edited a ‘Book of Fables,’ by Horace E. Scudder, and the ‘Heroes of Asgard.’ He has written many papers, ‘Practicability of the Extension of High School Influence,’ ‘Development of the Public Schools of Medford’ and a ‘Memorial of Lorin Low Dame,’ and delivered many lectures.

George E. Davenport made a valuable collection of ferns, which he gave to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, where it is known as the Davenport Herbarium.