Who was Marada Adams?

Marada F. Adams was born in 1845 in Houlton, Maine.
Without the benefit of formal education she started
teaching in rural schools near her home. She came to
Portland in 1878 to teach in the North School, thus
beginning 50 years of service on Munjoy Hill. Marada
Adams transferred to the Shailer School where she
later became principal. In 1898 she was named
principal of the Emerson School District, which
included the newly built Emerson Grammar school as
well as the Shailer and Monument Street Schools. She
continued in that capacity until her retirement in
1935. In that year, Ripley's Believe It or Not cited
Miss Marada Adams as the oldest active teacher in the
United States. She had taught for 72 consecutive years
and retired from teaching at the age of 89. Naming our
school after Marada Adams is in recognition of her
long service to education and Munjoy Hill. [from the
old Adams School website]