A modern history of Windham county, Connecticut : a Windham county treasure book, Volume I, Part 30

Author: Lincoln, Allen B
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke publ. co.
Number of Pages: 930

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Vol. 1-16

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY

The pastors at the time were Warrenville, Rev. C. B. Rockwell; Ashford Center, Rev. B. B. Hopkinson; Westford Hill, Rev. Charles C. Beaman; West- ford Village, none.

The delegates were Deacon Chaffee, W. C. Durkee, Deacon Byles, Deacon Trowbridge, R. Whiton, W. D. Bicknell, Silas Preston and Royal Chapman.

Funds for the work were raised by subscription and contribution, and about $100 worth of Bibles and Testaments were bought and either sold or given as seemed proper during a house to house canvass of the town.

The society has ever since held its annual meeting with one of the four churches of the town taking them in rotation. If the weather is suitable, this meeting is held in a grove in the parish of the church doing the entertaining. The outdoor session and the picnic dinner have caused the local name of the meeting to be shortened to "Bible Picnic"; and it has been from the first a popular social occasion. After twenty or thirty years the gathering took on an aspect of Old Home Day for many returned on that occasion to renew old associations. To accommodate these it was decided to hold the meeting on the third Wednesday in August each year instead of leaving the appointment to be settled yearly.

THE COMING OF THE FOREIGNERS

Soon after the Civil war it became evident that Ashford was decreasing in population. Attracted by better chances for business many of the younger people moved to railroad towns or to larger cities, leaving the old people alone on the farms.

Some of these farmers with long-accustomed habits of thrift and industry, were still laying up money. In the summer they peddled "garden truck" in Stafford Springs, starting early to deliver the produce in the cool of the morn- ing, driving the nine miles of up-hill and down, including the long sandy rise from Bishop's Brook toward Moose Meadow, which teamsters said was worse than any hill; and Burnham's mountain, where the considerate driver always got out and walked up. In the spring and winter the trip was varied by the change in produce to maple syrup, apples and potatoes, and in traveling con- ditions to mud, snow, ice or slush according to the season.

But by the end of the century most of this generation of farmers had died or had been induced to leave the old homesteads and live near their sons and daughters, with a purpose to "take life easier for the rest of their days.", Sometimes the farms were sold but there was not much demand for farms, and prices went down until a farm with good house and barn that probably cost $2,000 or $3,000 was offered for sale for $500, and often failed to sell at that ! Abandoned farms became more and more common, and the people who were left here began to worry about the future of Ashford, while some declared that "Ashford had no future."

However, a new century began. One, Mr. Horkey of European birth and New York business experience, moved into town, buying the Wenberg place near the Willington line, and set up a real estate agency. Farm after farm was sold, and the coming of the foreigners had begun. Some Bohemian families came first, then Poles, Russians, Hungarians, and those who simply called them- selves Slavs or Slovaks without referring to any particular locality.

When the term Czecho-Slovak began to be used, it was found to include a large part of the new comers. Before 1920 nearly one hundred Czecho-Slovak

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families were in Ashford or near its borders. Some of them came here from New York, but most of them from Pennsylvania and West Virginia, where they had come from Austria to work in the mines, thinking there would be the most money in that. Not many came directly from Austria to Connecticut unless they had friends already here.

Long before 1920 the desolate look of abandoned farms had vanished. Land that had been brush-covered for years was cleared, plowed and planted with corn, rye, wheat, potatoes, cabbages, and whatever else could be raised to eat or to sell, for the working rule was "not to buy what could be raised." At first most of the work was done by hand, the grain threshed with the old swing- ing flail, most of the mowing and planting done without machinery; but soon the men adopted labor-saving machines. Some were very successful in farm- ing and some considered it much harder to do farming here than in Austria. Many families came while their children were small, stayed six or eight years, sold their farms to other families who wanted to bring up their children in the country, and moved nearer town where the young people could earn more and have more social life. Meanwhile houses were repaired, land values increased, the schools were full of "new Americans" most of whom were good students and intensely loyal to America; and Ashford's future began to look more promising.

Many of these new comers, when their children had been to school a few years, began to use the English language in their homes, but their reading was mostly in their native language, the two leading papers being Slovak-in-America, daily and National Slovak News, a weekly. Most of them were Catholics and took some religious paper too.

In 1920 land was purchased and plans made to build a Catholic Church in Warrenville. A branch of the Lutheran organization held services at Moose Meadow and the Russian Baptists held religious services in the Westford churches or in their own homes.

During the first ten years of the century Ashford secured several modern improvements, the telephone, the R. F. D., a beginning of state roads and of. state supervision of schools.

In 1909 a branch of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union was formed in Warrenville. This was brought about largely through the efforts of Mrs. Roscoe Wright, a woman of strong purpose and great energy. She secured a band of thirty, which with the assistance of Mrs. Lisa K. Fuller of Scotland was organized May 23, 1909. This branch immediately took up the work of circulating temperance and anti-cigarette literature among the schools, solicit- ing subscribers to "The Young Crusader," and arranging speaking contests on temperance topics. When America entered the war, this society also took up Red Cross work, working in connection with the Willimantic branch of the "Soldiers' and Sailors' Union."

THE SCHOOLS

The change to modern methods in Ashford schools dates from 1909 when state supervision began. Before that several teachers took a course in the Normal schools and introduced newer methods, but in 1909 the schools began to be standardized, graded and made "more modern than the Normal schools." The "Connecticut Method of teaching beginners to read" was immediately in- troduced with its charts and building cards; time drills in arithmetic ; problems

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taught by steps; chart drills in history and geography; supplementary reading along these lines; and imitative composition, with much note book work; all followed as quickly as possible. Civics began to be emphasized, especially, for the schools were expected to train the new Americans to be good citizens. In- deed the whole trend of the movement was to train the pupil to be an efficient member of his community. The slogan of the preceding generation "a sound mind in a sound body" was no longer considered adequate expression of the chief end of education. Something less individual and more social was desired. Much emphasis was placed on drilling of facts. No longer was it thought nec- essary to teach a child to think, only to give him fact to think with ;- very many, very definite facts. The hazy state of mind, that was formerly tolerated as a natural phase in the growth of an idea, should be no longer permitted. All must be clear cut and capable of being expressed. In order to promote discriminating expression, special effort was made to increase the vocabulary of the child. This was the more necessary as the new Americans were apt to be satisfied with a very small number of English words. Questions by pupils were rather discouraged as offering too many possibilities to pupils not suffi- ciently prepared to recite, and also as reflecting on the teacher's method of presenting the lesson, which should be compact and complete, including in- troduction or connection with the preceding lesson and summary with fact for drill and followed by assignment of seat work connected with the lesson.

Several new studies were introduced, music, drawing, science, agriculture and sewing-one period a week being given to each. Leaflets issued by the state furnished material for most of these new studies. The children were started in home projects-gardens of their own, canning or sewing. Exhibits of their work were occasionally held.

During the war the sewing period was given up to Red Cross work of some kind, all the pupils in schools under state supervision being included in the Junior Red Cross, and the work thus accomplished in the schools of Ashford comprised 4 quilts, 46 handkerchiefs and substitutes, 316 towels, 5 layette bags filled, 114 property bags, 20 checker bags, 18 housewives, 476 splints, 30 splint straps, 30 triangular bandages, 7 fracture pillows, 1 dress, 1 blouse, 6 chemises, 4 petticoats, 20 face cloths, 2 scarfs, 5 knitted wool squares, 95 scrap-books, and an uncounted lot of gun wads.

In 1915 graduation exercises were established and diplomas given to those pupils who satisfactorily completed the eight grades. These exercises were held in Baker's Hall, Warrenville, all the schools meeting there.

Modern desks and slate blackboards were placed in the schools and improved methods of ventilation and heating were brought about. Teachers' meetings were held every month with demonstrations of approved methods of teaching.

HOMES-ASHFORD By James Warren Ingalls, M. D.

Tell us of the humble homes Mid scenes of daily toil, Where weary calloused hands Brought life from out a stubborn soil.

If one were to ask me what was the chief characteristic of the people of Windham County, my reply would be: Earnestness of purpose combined with

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practical common sense. This conclusion is reached after having spent my boyhood in Windham County and many years in various places outside of the county.

Ashford like many other hill towns of New England was formerly peopled almost exclusively by descendants of the Puritans. Nearly all of the families owned the farms on which they lived. By hard work and strict economy they managed to obtain the necessaries of life, but not many luxuries. Now-a-days the great mass of people everywhere are bound to have the luxuries of life even if they are obliged to go without the necessaries. The extremes of property such as are seen in cities were practically unknown in rural communities. In Ashford, as in similar localities, the favorite themes for conversation were, of course, about the weather, the crops, politics and hard times, especially the latter. It is an old saying that the Yankees always keep talking about going to the poorhouse, but mighty few of them ever get there.

Sixty years ago labor-saving machinery was scarcely known on the farm. A few of the more enterprising farmers used horse rakes. But for a long time hay was raked by hand. Afternoons it was no unusual sight to see the "wimmen folks," like Maud Muller, out in the fields raking hay. Mowing machines began to be used on some of the larger farms between 1865-70.

Nearly every farmer kept sheep. This was a convenient way of having a meat supply. Unfortunately sheep have all gone to the dogs.

Although as children we did not have as many pictures and toys as the kiddies have at present, yet I think we all enjoyed life and had lots of fun in Ashford sixty years ago.

A sketch of Ashford would be incomplete without some brief reference to

THE LAST DAYS OF THE OLD CLARK HOTEL, ASHFORD

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Clark's Hotel which stood at the south end of the main street and on the high- way from Warrenville to Phenixville, and which for more than a century was under the management of succeeding generations of Clarks. Inasmuch as Ash- ford is about half way between Providence and Hartford, this tavern made a convenient stopping place for stages and travellers. The elder Clark was appointed postmaster during Washington's first administration. This quaint old hostelry crumbled in ruins about ten years ago.

SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL TEACHERS

The following "Regulations for Schools in Ashford," adopted almost a hundred years ago, conclusively show that the educators of those days were insistent not only upon the "three R's" but also were wise enough to include "morals and manners" as an important part of the curriculum.

REGULATIONS FOR SCHOOLS-FIRST SCHOOL SOCIETY, ASHFORD

As Learning and Virtue are the great supporters of domestick felicity, gov- ernment and religion, We the overseers of Schools in the 1st School Society in Ashford, appointed to superintend and direct the general instruction of the Scholars in literature, religion, morals, and manners, do adopt the follow- ing regulations for the government of Instructers and Scholars in sd Society.

66 That Cobbs Spelling-Book be used in the Schools the ensuing season and that such of the scholars as the Instructer shall judge qualified and capable be taught to read in Scotts Lessons, the American Preceptor, the Elements of Useful Knowledge, the English Reader or the Historical Reader and that they be taught to Spell in the lessons they read, and also that all the scholars able to read inteligibly, if their parents or guardians be of sufficient ability, be furnished with a Bible or Testament, and be taught to read them daily in the schools, and that Walkers pro- nunciation be regarded as the standard.

66 That each scholar who writes be provided with not less than three sheets of paper stiched into a Suitable cover and that all the writing-books be carefully preserved for the inspection of the school visitors.

That each scholar if the parent or Guardian be of sufficient ability, be furnished with a spelling-Book of the foregoing description, and that all the scholars of sufficient capacity be taught to spell at least twice in a day.

66 That the Instructers teach their scholars to pay due respect to their teachers and all others in school and elsewhere; that the Instructers use every proper and possible means in their power to inculcate piety and Virtue, and to suppress Vice and immorality among their scholars especially lying, profane swearing and quarrelling, and that they punish exemplary all who are guilty of these crimes while under their care.

66 It is highly recommended that a portion of the Holy Scriptures be read after the other exercises of the school and the whole be concluded with prayer.

That Murrays English Grammar be the grammar to be used in the schools. That Dabolls Arithmetick together with Adam's, Colburn's and Whites be recommended as the Arithmeticks to be used, in the Schools.

Voted That a publick examination be recommended.

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Voted That it be recommended to each instructer to visit the schools in this Society once during the winter for the mutual benefit of Instructers and Schools.

The above is a true copy of the regulations and votes of the School Visiters in the 1st School Society in Ashford by them adopted at a meeting of sd Visiters held Oct. 16, 1839.

Attest HORACE GAYLORD, Clerk.

These men evidently regarded book learning as important yet they con- sidered character as of vastly, vastly greater importance. It may be added that a few years later Col. Horace Gaylord interested a number of his fellow townsmen in establishing Ashford Academy. The purpose of the institution was to supplement the instruction given in the district schools. Among some of the older scholars who later became well known, mention may be made of Rev. Theron Brown, a noted author and for many years on the editorial staff of The Youth's Companion.

Many Windham County people still remember Mr. Brown's poem entitled "The Epic of Windham," which he read at the Windham Bi-centennial. (This poem is published in full elsewhere in this volume.) Mr. Brown's last book bore the title of "Under the Mulberry Trees," and its story gives a good de- scription of the manners and customs of Ashford people seventy-five years ago. The book is in the Babcock Library and in many other libraries through- ont New England.

The old academy "points with pride" to the name of Judge Elisha Car- penter, associate justice of the Supreme Court of Connecticut. "As Judge of the Supreme Court he served a longer term than any other judge since the adoption of the Constitution of the State." In recognition of his services, Yale and Trinity gave him the honorary degree of A. M.

One of Rev. Theron Brown's classmates was Hon. Edwin A. Buck. He spent a few years in teaching and later engaged in the manufacture of glass in Westford. After becoming a resident of Willimantic he was elected state senator and subsequently state treasurer; also was appointed state bank com- missioner, with Henry M. Cleveland of Brooklyn as deputy.

Judge Davis A. Baker of Ashford was judge of probate fifteen years and town clerk thirty-five years, also county commissioner four years.

Edward Washburn Whitaker at the beginning of the Civil war enlisted as a private, in the First Regiment of Connecticut volunteers. At the close of the war he was brigadier-general. In 1867, General Whitaker organized the first Grand Army of the Republic Post in Connecticut.

One of General Whitaker's schoolmates, Charles L. Dean, became a very successful business man. At the age of twenty-one was a member of the firm of E. A. Buck & Company, glass manufacturers at Westford. At the age of thirty-five was aide, with rank of colonel on Governor Andrews' staff. About 1885, Mr. Dean moved to Malden, Mass., where he was mayor of Malden six years, and state senator four terms.

The following is a partial list of the Ashford Academy boys who served in the Union army :

William Adams, Enoch Bolles, Edmund Backus, Capt. Dyer Clark, Lieut. Aaron Dutton, Charles H. Gaylord, Horace Gaylord, John D. Gaylord, Palmer S. Richards, Capt. Charles Simmons, John Simmons, William Simmons, Lieut. Daniel Whittaker, Genl. Edward Whittaker.

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Mr. John D. Gaylord, after his discharge from the army, taught three terms at the academy viz. : 1865, 1866, and 1868. In later years Mr. Gaylord took pleasure in noting the successful careers of his former pupils. (The later years of his life were passed in Los Angeles, Cal., where he died in January, 1920.) Edward E. Gaylord graduated with high honors at Yale. Subsequently he became a skillful physician. Rev. John P. Trowbridge is a Congregationalist minister at Interlaken, Mass., who contributes the story of Eastford to this volume.

The Bryant and Stratton Commercial School of Providence, R. I., in its Fifty-seventh Year-Book, 1918-1919, has this introductory statement concerning one of the Ashford Academy boys who "made good" in after years :

"For a period of over forty years the late Theodore B. Stowell, A. M., labored to make the Bryant & Stratton Business College one of the best schools for the training of young business men and women in the United States. The experience gained through these long years of service in the field of commercial education has been built into the present institution which stands as a tribute to this great commercial educator.

"With advancing years the task of directing such a large and progressive school required greater force and energy than one who had labored so long could be expected to put into the work. In full realization of this fact, Mr. Stowell welcomed the oportunity in 1916 to unite the Bryant & Stratton Busi- ness College and the Rhode Island Commercial School under the leadership of Mr. Harry Loeb Jacobs who had made the latter school a leader among the schools of New England. At the time of consolidation, Mr. Stowell was made President Emeritus of the new school."

Joel H. Reed became a lawyer, locating at Stafford; was state's attorney for Tolland County, was elected judge of the Connecticut Superior Court in 1903, and retired in 1919 by the age limit.

Alton H. Sherman graduated at Yale in 1878; for a number of years was principal of the Newark High School. Later he was superintendent of public schools in Orange, N. J.

Albert A. Spaulding soon after leaving the academy was employed as a clerk in a dry goods store. Now Mr. Spaulding is one of the leading merchants of Worcester, Mass.

Merritt Eugene Gallup, of Pomfret, has achieved success as a builder and contractor.

About fifty years ago Capt. Lucius Bicknell Richards was the dean of the school-masters in Ashford and vicinity. His broad high forehead reminded us of the pictures of Daniel Webster. Then, too, his extensive vocabulary from the big dictionary and his stentorian voice caused our youthful minds to regard the "old Cap'n" as a counterpart of the immortal Daniel. When Captain Richards was a youth, he was ambitious to become a lawyer. This desire led him to be more studious than many of his companions. But his father met with financial losses and therefore the young man saw that it was his duty to stay on the farm and care for his parents.

Mr. Nelson Hammond was one of Captain Richards' younger contemporaries. Of Mr. Hammond it can be truly said that he was a diamond in the rough. His career as a schoolmaster extended over a period of nearly half a century. - He surpassed the average as an instructor in arithmetic. When the boys be- came listless and lazy, a condition which of course frequently occurred, Mr.

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Hammond's exhortation was, "Wake up boys, now a little more hard study, hard study does the business." Mr. Hammond, when arguing any question, had the happy faculty, like Lincoln, of clinching his argument with some apt and forcible illustration.

One day, while at the blacksmith shop, there was a sort of a general dis- cussion about the "bloated bondholders," or those who held some of the seven- thirty bonds issued by the United States Government at the close of the Civil war. Mr. Bugbee, the blacksmith, and others held that the seven-thirty loan was in direct opposition to the great fundamental principles of the Constitu- tion and that taxes in years to come would be something terrible. Mr. Ham- mond conceded that taxes might be higher but he contended that the govern- ment on account of the war was compelled to raise immediately vast sums of money to pay expenses. In order to meet the emergency and prevent national bankruptcy, the seven-thirty loan was an absolute necessity. Mr. Hammond illustrated his reasoning by saying, "Well, now look here; Mr. Bugbee, just suppose that my lumber wagon should start a going lickety-split down an awful steep hill and I saw that the only way to save the thing from being all smashed to pieces would be for me to grab a bean pole or something or other and jam it in between the spokes as quick as I could. Now, of course, I might break a few spokes out of the wheel but wouldn't that be a great deal better than let- ting the whole wagon go to smash?" The blacksmith exclaimed "b'gosh, I guess you are right."

SCHOOLS-ASHFORD

Recently, much has been said regarding the insufficient pay of teachers. Inadequate compensation is not a new evil under the sun. Up to the time of the Civil war, men teachers were paid from $10.00 to $12.00 a month. During the war pay was advanced to $15.00 or $16.00 a month. At the same period, schoolma'ams enjoyed the munificent salary of $2.00 per week for the summer term. It is generally believed that those young ladies did not have the slightest trouble in finding many ways in which to spend their hard earned money.

For good and sufficient reasons, the time honored plan of having the teacher "broad around the district" was gradually abandoned years ago. However, it can be said in favor of the custom that it gave the schoolmaster an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the parents and thus secure their good will and help in all things pertaining to the progress and welfare of their children.

The writer of this article can affirm that one of the most enjoyable winters of his life was spent in teaching school and being received as a guest in the various pleasant homes of Westford Hill.

The boys and girls who attended the South District School have made good in various ways. Were we asked who had particularly made good, mention would be made of Merritt Eugene Gallup of Pomfret, Albert Nelson Hammond of Woodstock Valley, Elmer Kenerson of New London and then we would all take off our hats and give three cheers for John Dady of Putnam.

As my memory recalls the teachers at the South District more than half a century ago, there comes before me the faces of the patient men and young women who did their best to help us become useful citizens. Their influence will never be forgotten.

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A modern history of Windham county, Connecticut : a Windham county treasure book, Volume I, Part 30

Author: Lincoln, Allen B Publication date: 1920 Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke publ. co. Number of Pages: 930

Author: Lincoln, Allen B
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke publ. co.
Number of Pages: 930