Maggie Stillman was the teacher at the Brentwood School in March 1888.She lived with the Hall family.Percy,Gilbert,and Mildred Hall were among her students.One morning.a major blizzard struck the village.That day,Henry Hall went to the schoolhouse and built a fire.Maggie and the three Hall youngsters were the only ones to show up for class.Henry went back to the school about 11 am to report that the storm had become too severe.He said the school should close,and he would take everyone home.Maggie agreed,and they all left the school yard via the east gate.They passed through a wooded area and came out on the square on which the Ottiwell buildings stood.

They tried to cross an open field to the northwest corner of the block.By now,the storm was so thick they couldn't see anything except the falling snow.The group ended up going around in a semi-circle,coming out at the Ottiwell barn just across the street from the Shutt residence and a little south of it.They followed the trees on the Shutt and Codman properties ,which helped them reach home safely.As a result of the storm,there was no train service to and from New York for ten days.