School-Aged Residents

     The maps shown below demonstrate the place of residence of school-aged residents in relation to schools in Willimantic on the year 1910. The bright red dots in the map represent a higher concentration or quantity of residents whereas the lighter ones represent less. As required by law, children ages 5-17 were required to attend school, for that reason data of residents who were of age 18 when the census was taken were not taken into account in the second map.

   The first map features the locations of the grade schools (kindergarten through eighth grade) as well as the locations of where students ages 5-13 lived, based off the census. From this, we can see how the schools on either side of town served the students in town, and how some students might have had to travel more than a mile to get to and from school. An observation that can be made is that there are more bright red clusters of residents ages 5-13 in the vicinity of the mills, right by where housing for mill workers is. More significant concentrations of younger students are also closer to Main Street in comparison to the northern up-hill areas of Willimantic.

Clusters and Commutes

  The second map features the location of the high school (ninth grade through twelfth grade) as well as the locations of where students ages 14-17 lived, based off the census. From this map we can see the only high school was located in the far west side of the city which raises the question of how commuting to school was for students who lived further away from this location. In addition, this map also raises questions in regards to the capacity of the high school to service all students ages 14-17 as the ratio of grade schools to high schools is 6:1.

  In comparing both maps, students who lived farther up north in Willimantic had the farthest commutes to school regardless of age. It can also be said the majority of grade school students had their school closer than most high school students had theirs, hence, the commute to school was relatively shorter for those who attended grade schools.

[Not included in the maps below is the Normal School, a higher education institution for the preparation of teachers]