Edna Snell

Edna Cory Snell was born in Tiverton in 1899, the daughter of Edward and Gertrude Cory. She married Frank H. Snell and they had two children, Frank Weston and Barbara. She attended a one-room schoolhouse (Number One) which stood near Manuel Cavaca’s garage on Main Road. She attended Rhode Island College of Education and taught in the Tiverton school system for many years.

Edna's first job was at a one-room schoolhouse on Neck Road. She taught all eight grades for $18.00 per week! She was a librarian at the Union Public Library for 38 years, and would walk to work from her home on Neck Road. In fact, the sidewalk along that route was built for her, and it ends at the library. Edna placed little red dots in the books she felt were inappropriate for children and they were not allowed to borrow those books. Edna was a long-time docent at the Chace-Cory House, home of the Tiverton Historical Society. Her ancestor, Capt. Andrew Cory purchased the circa 1730 house in 1816 and it remained in the possession of descendants of the Cory family until 1962. Edna passed away in 1997.