Emily Greene Wetherbee (January 6, 1839 - August 28, 1897) was an American poet, author, and educator. Today, she is best remembered by the elementary/middle school named after her, The Emily G. Wetherbee School in Lawrence, MA. Emily G

Biography

Wetherbee was born in

Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...

, N.H. in 1839. She was the youngest of 8 children born to parents Isaac and Sophia (née Greene). She spent her early years in Charlestown, MA in the neighborhood of Bunker Hill. At age twelve she moved to

Lawrence, Massachusetts Lawrence is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Merrimack River. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and Nort ...

, where she graduated from Lawrence High School in 1856. She spent the rest of her life in Lawrence with the exception of some years she spent working in the Boston public schools.

Writer

Wetherbee was intimately connected with the literary and social life of Lawrence. She was published in the Boston newspapers “Journal”, “Transcript” and “Globe” as well as in the New England “Journal of Education”, “The American Institute of Instruction”, “Good Housekeeping” and “The Lawrence American”. She wrote humor under the ''nom de plume'' “Maria Green”. She spent ten years as the president o
Old Residents’ Association
a group dedicated “to collect and preserve facts relating to the history of Lawrence; to encourage social intercourse, local enterprise, and intellectual and moral culture”. Additional positions included president of the Lawrence Women's Club, vice president of Lawrence High School Alumni Association, staff member of the Lawrence American, and a member of the

New England Woman's Press Association The New England Woman's Press Association (NEWPA) was founded by six Boston newspaper women in 1885 and incorporated in 1890. By the turn of the century it had over 150 members. NEWPA sought not only to bring female colleagues together and further ...

Educator

Wetherbee initially taught in the Oak Street School in Lawrence and later accepted a position in Bowdoin Grammar School in Boston. She remained in Boston for seven years, before returning to Lawrence in 1870 where she taught Latin and English Literature at for over 25 years. She was the teacher of renowned poet

Robert Frost Robert Lee Frost (March26, 1874January29, 1963) was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in the United States. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloq ...

Death

She died at the Lawrence General Hospital from

peritonitis Peritonitis is inflammation of the localized or generalized peritoneum, the lining of the inner wall of the abdomen and cover of the abdominal organs. Symptoms may include severe pain, swelling of the abdomen, fever, or weight loss. One part or ...

on August 28, 1897. Upon her death, her friends complied many of her poems and wittings in a memorial book. She was buried in the

Bellevue Cemetery Bellevue Cemetery is a historic cemetery in Lawrence and Methuen, Massachusetts. Established in 1847 and owned by the city of Lawrence, it is the first and principal cemetery of the city and a notable example of a rural cemetery. In conjunctio ...

in the family plot of the Clarke family.The Emily G. Wetherbee School
on Newtown Street in Lawrence, MA was named in her honor.

References

External links

Poems and addresses of Emily Green Wetherbee : a memorial volume
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wetherbee, Emily Greene American women poets Writers from Lawrence, Massachusetts 1839 births 1897 deaths 19th-century American poets 19th-century American women writers Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century