At the museum, we have many old documents and pictures, memoirs, and family trees, all of which give us insights into Rochester’s past. We also have many items that contribute to that insight. When we finally feel comfortable fully opening the museum, many of these items will be on display in our Curator’s Show, which is funded by the Rochester Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Many of these items are connected to families or individuals who have contributed to Rochester over their lifetimes.
One such individual is Samuel Corse, who is no doubt remembered by many residents today. Samuel was born in Rochester in 1888. He was educated in Rochester schools, attending both the Waterman School and a school in the town center. He then attended the Oliver Raymond School in North Easton for a year and a half before moving on to Tabor Academy, from which he graduated in 1906.
Following graduation, Corse began his career in the fields of surveying and civil engineering. In 1908-1909, he did surveying in the branch of construction engineering. From 1910-1914, he was inspector of construction engineering for work done in Providence for the New Haven Railroad and the Rhode Island Railroad. Later, he opened his own company with an office, first in New Bedford and then in his hometown of Rochester.
Surveying is the art of determining the shape and area of a piece of land, and it traces its origins to ancient Egypt. The basic fundamental of surveying is geometry, with angles and triangles being key to measurements. Surveying site work can be arduous, particularly when working on rough land and land thick with underbrush. Along with the surveying went chart and map-making. In his later years, Corse let his younger employees do the outside work while he focused on cartography.
Corse also spent many years giving back to his community. Elected to the School Committee, where he served 26 of his years there as chairman, he focused at first on building upkeep that had been neglected. During his time on the committee, he saw many changes. In 1932, the town appropriated $25,000 to be used to run the schools. At that time, there were 228 pupils in the Waterman, Stuart, and Center Schools. The average teacher salary was $1,162 per year. By 1953, four years before his retirement from the committee, $55,869 was appropriated and, there were 268 students. Later, Corse served on the first Zoning and Planning Committee, where his surveying knowledge was needed.
It’s interesting to think of all the changes that Sam Corse saw in his 75 years in Rochester. Sam Corse died in 1963 and is buried in Rochester’s Center Cemetery.
By Connie Eshbach