Published: June 14, 2008 04:00 am         

Milford students learn about town

MILFORD _ A Milford teacher has immersed her eighth-grade students in local history to give them a better picture of life in earlier times.

The weeklong project by social studies teacher Jennifer Button used local resources to give the 36 students a better understanding about such things as how historians gather information.

She discussed the project Friday after students did gravestone rubbings at the Milford Cemetery.

They also visited the Greater Milford Historical Association during the week, where local volunteers talked about a Civil War exhibit that profiles 40 Milford men from the 121st Volunteer Regiment. The group visited the association's nearby David Sayre Store and museum, which was a general store from 1830 to 1860.

Students said they got the message.

"I have a better idea about town history," said Danny Hoppe. Before this, "I didn't know anything about it."

The town was named "Suffrage" in 1796, after James Moore was jailed by Cooperstown judge William Cooper after failing to sell his vote, Hoppe said. It got its current name shortly after.

Miles Jahnke said he was interested to learn that the town was bigger then others in the early 1800s. Tim Borggreen said he was interested to learn that the lead bullets that were used during the Civil War could shatter bones.

Some of the Civil War soldiers are buried here, Button said, including George Teel and David Brown, whose tombstones students used to try and understand more about their lives.

"The grave rubbings show that it was not just a final resting place," she said. "You can use it to compare with census records."

Button said that from the feedback she has received she has received, she will do this project again.

"It puts things in perspective," she said. "It gives them a hands on feeling."

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On the Net:

Milford Civil War soldiers exhibition opens: www.thedailystar.com/local/local_story_144040131.html