Commemorative biographical record of Middlesex County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 84

Author: Beers (J.H.) & Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago : Beers
Number of Pages: 1502

USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > Commemorative biographical record of Middlesex County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families > Part 84

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Flowery June, When brooks send up a cheerful tune, And groves a joyous sound.

Mr. Hart was married June 23, 1828, to 1 Sally Maria Jones, of North Madison, eldest daughter of Joseph Jones and his wife, Lucy Austin, in the rural home where he formed her acquaintance when teaching the district school. He and his young bride came to the home of his father, where they resided until 1832. We append a poem written by himself,

and dedicated to his young wife on their wed- ding day.

AN ACROSTIC.

Sweet charmer of my youthful days,

Amiable, and lovely, in all thy ways,

Like the fair rose's blooming grace,

Love sits smiling in this face,

Young, lovely, innocent, and gay,

More beautiful than the flowers of May,

A bright and lovely gem.

Radiant as fair virtue's diadem,

Inspired with Christian love,

Aspiring to the joys of worlds above,

Hope sits smiling in this face,

A heart adorned with innocence and grace,

Rising as a blessing to thy friend Till death shall our union rend.

His house complete, starting life without means, but with a strong mind, good physique, and in the strength of his young manhood; imbued with the Puritan principles of the eld- er Stephen, whose memory he loved, and the patriotic devotion of his grandfather, Samuel; taught at his mother's knee to love God and his neighbor as himself, and the motto of her life, to so live as to never fear the face of man, he was well equipped for a life of use- fulness, and thus laid the foundation of a, Christian home. Teaching these guiding prin- ciples of his life, by his own example of honest industry, zealous action and Christian living, his influence was felt in the community, in the church, school and home. There his family . of nine children were born, and educated in the common schools, all reaching maturity and passing out into the active spheres of life. There father and mother spent their lives in happiness, serving beyond the allotted time of threescore and ten years, and their last looks on Nature were out on this beautiful valley of their love's young dream.

At this period (1830) the population of the State was 297,71I, of Durham I, II6, of New Haven 10, 180, and of Middletown 6,892. No railroads spanning the country, the farms furnished subsistence for the populous centers. As the eldest son in his home life, it had been Mr. Hart's duty to market the farm products and purchase the family supplies. Having an established reputation, he commenced the pur- chase of farm products, butter, eggs, chickens, etc., also calves, lambs, and beef cattle, which he slaughtered, making regular trips weekly to the before-mentioned cities and with the grow- ing demand for exchange in these products, for groceries and manufactured goods, he es-

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

tablished a country store which he carried on in addition to the home place. He followed those lines of traffic during his business life without financial success, because he trusted his fellowman to always act upon the princi- ple of the Golden Rule-his own business maxim.

Not realizing his own early ambitions for an education, Mr. Hart directed his efforts to- ward securing the best school advantages for his own district and town. He often filled the various positions connected therewith, always striving to raise the standard by procuring the most efficient teachers, introducing improved methods of interesting the children, and lengthening the school terms. He taught school a number of winters after he married. We have a record of his teaching in the Beach Corner District, Branford, in 1832, also in the West District, North Haven, and after that one or two terms in the Union School District, Southwest side of Durham. In this connec- tion it is interesting to review the school his- tory of the district, and his connection there- with.

In 1737 a school was established on the west side of Coginchaug swamp. We find among town records payment to Caleb Fowler in 1766, for keeping west side school, £5, 5s., Sd. The first record of the dividing of the town into school districts was approved by a meeting of the School Society, December 18, 1820. There were five districts :

North No. of children between 4 and 16 67

Quarry 66 64

Center 66 62

South 66 61

West Side 70

Wedworth Wadsworth, John Swatterell, Jesse Atwell, Richard Robinson, Timothy El- liott, committee to designate lines for the dis- tricts. At a meeting held October 28, 1822, it was voted : "That the South West School Dis- trict be divided into two School Districts by a line beginning at the East River on the cause- way and running Westerly to a point 20 rods South of the house where Frank Stanton now lives, thence a direct course to the North end of Pistapaug Pond."

Report of Committee: "We the Subscrib- ers being appointed a Committee by the School Society of Durham to designate a place for the MEddle West Side District to erect a school house and decide upon a spot it should be built

"Therefore we agreeable to notice met and examined the particular places of said District and have taken into view the situation of said District and being of the opinion that a union with the South West side School District would prove beneficial to both Districts and consid- ering that such a union was contemplated at the time the division was made and is still anticipated by a major part of both Districts taking this with other considerations into view we are of the opinion that the place where the old School House stood and has this day been removed from is the proper place for the new house to be built. We would therefore direct the new house to be built on or near where the old one stood. 1

"Dated at Durham on the 8th day of April, A. D. 1823. Daniel Bates, Luther Hall, Will- iam Lyman, Committee."

A school house had been built on the lot between Timothy Elliott and Elah Camp, and four months of school maintained for many years, jointly with the West District, two months in each district prior to the action of the School Society on December 18, 1820.

In this school house, thus located, the Hart boys of two generations received their edu- cation. To better accommodate the scattered families of the district, it was moved south be- tween the Thomas Cabin and Nathan Camp houses, on the east side of the main road near its junction with Poke Lane, and there, for several years more the join occupation con- tinued. In this school house, thus located, William A. Hart taught several winter's ; Ran- som Prout and Nancy Parmalee, now ( 1902) living, bear witness, having been pupils of his school. This school house was burned just prior to 1838, taking fire from an ash barrei which stood in the entry. David N. Camp says : "I was attending school at the time. The fire alarm was given carly in the evening. The neighbors, both men and women, quickly rallied, brought water in buckets, and supposed they had extinguished it, going home about nine o'clock. My mother, Mrs. Elah Camp, went into the school house after the fire and took her children's books home. The men laughed at hier, told her the fire was out. and there would be school again in a few days. Amother alarm, was sounded at two o'clock A. M., and all the books and furniture were burned."

The school house was a frame building.

865

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

warmed by a fireplace, smoked badly and was very cold and uncomfortable in winter. It was burned probably during the winter of 1837-38. Enos S. Camp kindly opened his doors to the District, and the school was continued in his house until a new building was provided.

After the destruction of the school house by fire, January 29, 1838, the School Society of Durham ordered the division of the West Side District, established in 1820, into two, called the Middle West Side, and the South West Side Districts, by the following de- scribed line :

Commencing at the Coginchaug river, on the New Haven turnpike, thence westerly to a point twenty rods south of the house occu- pied by Samuel Stevens, thence westerly to a point ten rods south of Timothy Coe's house, thence westerly to a point ten rods south of the house now occupied by Horace Lucas, thence in a due west direction to Wallingford.

At the same meeting Jeremiah B. Bailey was appointed district committee of the Middle West and Lucius Foot of the South West District.

The Connecticut School Fund was created by act of the Legislature in 1795. This fund was the proceeds from the Connecticut land, known as the "Western Reserve," in Ohio, the total amount being $1,200,000, the interest of which was to be appropriated to the support of schools in the State; and until 1820 divided among school societies, determined by their respective lists of polls and ratable estates, the wealthier societies receiving the greater propor- tion. After this time, under a new act, the basis of distribution was among all the chil- dren of the State, between four and sixteen years of age, in their respective school dis- tricts, and this just rule has since been fol- lowed. The distribution in 1826 was eighty- five cents for each enumerated child, and at the time of the building of the new school house, in 1838, it was $1.20 each. This edu- cational fund, which gave the South West School District from $50 to $70 per annum, an amount nearly sufficient to defray the expense of a four-months school, created new! interest in the common school and education generally.

Mr. Hart had commenced life a teacher. and had led the community in the advanced movements of giving the rising generation a good common-school education, and of not con- fining itself to the expenditure of the public

money, but to maintain a four or five months winter school, and at least three months in the summer, taxing the property for the mainte- nance of the same. The South West School District, so recently divided and made inde- pendent, being without a school building we find him foremost in securing a new one, as ap- pears from the records of the clerk of the school district.

"Notice is hereby given to the legal voters of the South West School District, that there will be a school district meeting at the house of Lucius Foot, situated in said district, on mondy the 19th of Feb. 1838 at six o'clock P. M., for the purpose of appointing a Clerk and Treasurer for the above named district, also to take into consideration the necessity of building a school house for said district and of obtaining a location for said school house, also if necessary to lay a tax for the purpose of building said school house, and of purchas- ing suitable ground on which to erect said school house and furthermore to designate and determine upon a place at which notification for school district meetings shall be set up.

"Lucius Foot, School District Committee." Durham, Feb. 14, 1838.

The meeting above referred to was held, pursuant to notice, and William Augustus Hart was elected district clerk, and Elah Camp treasurer. It was voted that the maple tree on the road just south of Elah Camp's house be used as a sign-post where warnings shall be put up for school district meetings. Also, to build a school house sixteen by twenty feet for the use of the South West School District ; that said house be located at or within twelve rods of Poke Lane, so-called; and that William A. Hart, Lucius Foot and Merrick R. Coe be a committee to secure subscriptions of money and labor and material, and draft a plan for the same, and report to an adjourned meeting, February 22, 1838, at 6 P. M., at the house of W. R. Coe. Adjourned February 19; 1838.

At the adjourned meeting it was voted that Lucius Foot, Elah Camp and Edwin T. Coe be appointed a committee to superintend the building of the school house, and said com- mittee was empowered to take a deed, or lease, of Enos S. Camp, of the land on which to erect the school house. Adjourned to the 8th of March, at six o'clock P. M., to the house of Augustus Howd. There being no meet-

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ing, a call was made for a meeting at the house of Lucius Foot, at seven o'clock P. M., April 13, 1838.

Pursuant to notice a meeting was held at which it was voted that an adjournment be made to five o'clock A. M., April 14th, (next morning), at the west end of Poke Lane, for the purpose of locating the school house. At this meeting it was voted to pay Enos S. Camp seven dollars for a site on which to locate the school house, said location being on the north side of Poke Lane, on the corner at the inter- section of said lane with the turnpike. A dis- agreement arising about the location of the school house, former action was reconsidered, work was suspended on the building, and at a meeting held September 24, 1838, it was voted to sell the frame at public auction, Na than S. Camp auctioneer, and that the money be refunded to the contributors pro rata. At the sale it was purchased by William A. Hart for $17.50.

The school house was built during the year, under the name of the Benevolent Com- pany, by subscription, being located on the site purchased from Enos S. Camp, and rented to the school district for one year for one cent, and repairs. The school district voted at a meeting held January 16, 1839, to hire a sum on the credit of the district to furnish the house suitably for the use of the school. It was heated with an open Franklin stove, fur- nished with desks on three sides, benches in front, and two low benches with backs on either side, a desk and a chair. -

The vote making the maple tree a sign- post was rescinded April 2, 1839, and future notices ordered placed on the Benevolent Com- pany school house. This house was used for school purposes until October 1, 1878, when it was sold at auction for $25 to Chester H. Clark, and drawn by thirty-five yoke of oxen to liis farm in the West School District, where it still stands, in a good state of preservation, used for a farm building. There were among those who assisted in the moving some who were active in its building, and others to whom it was their Alma Mater. William T. D. Coe took charge of the transfer, assisted by Asa Fowler, Asahiel Nettleton, Henry Page, Bela Davis, James Bailey, Luzerne Elliott, Freder- ick L. Elliott, Samuel W. Loper and Frederick Parmalee. A collation of loaf cake was after- ward served by the ladies. Beside the public

road from South West Side to Durham Cen- ter this building stands today, a pleasant re- minder, to the few; remaining who therein were educated, of the efforts of parent, teach- er and pupil for the elevating and uplifting of the children and youth of the South West School District, among which none were more zealous in their behalf than William Augus- tus Hart.

Still sits the school house by the road, A ragged beggar sunning ;

Around it still the sumachs grow And blackberry vines are running. Within, the Master's desk is seen, Deep-scarred by raps official ;

The warping floor, the battered seats, The jack-knife-carved initial.

Mr. Hart's interest in the schools of Dur- ham was his life work, as his appended annual report as school visitor, made October, 1868, will attest, as follows :

"Mr. Moderator :

"So little is thought of the school visitor's report that we sometimes think the people if they listen to the reading do it as a matter of favor to the visitors and not as a subject in which they have any interest, under these cir- cumstances we shall be as brief as the import- ance of the object will allow.

"There has been divided & paid over to the Districts for the use of Schools in the Town the past year Eight Hundred & Eleven Dollars & Fifty one cts. $740 62-100 from the Town & School fund & from the Town deposit fund $170 89-100. The number of scholars re- turned is two hundred & forty five making Three Dollars thirty one & a fraction cents to a scholar.

"In regard to the state of the schools we would say of the winter schools that in the Cen- ter District we were being much disappointed in the character of the teacher & am sorry to say that the school proved almost a failure in the North District. We had a very well quali- fied amiable girl as teacher, but as the school had for a year or two been growing unruly she had not force enough to put the large boys through the course of sprouts they deserved and as nothing can be done without order but little benefit was derived from the school. The other schools we found in a fair condition ex- cept the South, which although they returned 25 scholars have had no school a part of their scholars have attended the Center School

e 1-

re se

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

& a part nowhere. Your Committee are of opinion that a school would be as Profitable as a certain other institution near by.

: "Of the Summer Schools your Committee are happy to say we find a decided improve- ment botli in studies & discipline although the attendance has been much smaller. Your Com- mittee are of opinion that the Common Schools in this town are not as good as they were sev- eral years ago and would call your attention to several particulars which need improve- ment.

"One great fault is irregularity of attend- ance of 245 scholars enumerated we find the av- erage attendance but 105 less than one half, many that pretend to attend school are so ir- regular in their attendance that they derive lit- tle benefit themselves derange the classes and embarrass the teacher. Whether this is owing to truancy on the part of the scholars, or self- ishness or inattention on the parents it is a ser- ious evil and means should be at once taken to correct it. It will be observed that by a law of the last Legislature all over Fifty Dollars of the money is to be divided on the attend- ance so that those schools which are most punctual will receive the most money.

"Another fault is the frequent changes of teachers if a teacher understands human na- ture, and all teachers should or they are not fit to teach, it takes them sometime to study the character of their pupils so as to know what motive will best rouse them to action, Longer still to unlearn them the errors of an incompe- tent teacher who has gone before by this time the term is half expired and but little time is left to bring a system to perfection the term closes then comes a change for some frivolous pretext some dislike or because the teacher wants a fair compensation for his labours he is dismissed a new one comes and the farce is played over again how much better would it be to employ a good teacher & keep them on year after year. Is not that the way Bankers Mer- chants & others do business?

"Another evil is parents seem to take so little interest, seldom if ever visiting the schools usually more ready to look after their Horses & Cattle than the education of their children.

"Another evil many of the schools as now. constituted are too small to be of interest the best scholars are taken out & sent to the acade- my a cheap teacher hired to manage the rest,

and the result is little interest with either schol- ars or teacher.

"Your Committee would recommend that as the Legislature in their wisdom; have made the schools free & we think very wisely too for the reason the property is benefited by hav- ing an educated community & as the property receives the benefit the property should pay the tax who would pay any more for a farm because it was a long distance from the church or school house, and as the Legislature have passed a law giving the towns the power to consolidate the Districts and as the Towns are now to raise the money your Committee would recommend the Town to take the matter into their own hands appoint without distinction of party a Committee from different parts of the Town who are most interested and best qualified to perform the office, as far as possi- ble reduce to a graded school system estab- lish schools when and where they are most needed for the accommodation of the greatest number do away with the academy in its place have a high school with a teacher competent to fit scholars for college the counting house or any other business department have the lower departments taught by regular perma- nent teachers who shall be well qualified for their post. The high school to be accessible to all as soon as they have arrived at a sufficient state of scholarship of which an examination should be necessary. The school to be a part of the common school system & be supported by the public money.

"Many other suggestions might be added but when these are acted upon & the public sufficiently aroused to the importance of our common schools from whence come those fer- tilizing streams which tend to promote our Liberty & happiness as a free people Then will a more intelligent Committee add further & more important suggestions all of which is

"Respectfully submitted,

"WM. A. HART, "J. W. SESSIONS."

Mr. Hart long served the town as a school visitor, having a wide acquaintance among the prominent teachers and educators of his time. He was elected a school visitor in 1842, and continued to act in that capacity during most of the years of his active life, serving continu- ously from 1863 to 1878.

Next to his home the church stood para- mount. On January 6, 1833, Mr. Hart and

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

his wife united, on profession of faith, with the Church of Christ in Durham, Rev. Henry Gleason, pastor; Seth Seward, Samuel New- ton and Abner Newton, deacons. They wor- shiped in the old church of their fathers, the corner stone of which was laid in 1735. The sounding board and hour glass, small boys steated on the pulpit stairs, the deacons' seat under the pulpit, facing the congregation, square box pews, one seat with back to the pulpit, were familiar objects to them,

The corner stone for the new church, the third in the history of the town, was laid July 17, 1835, on the site of the present Town Hall. Its size was 60 feet by 40. The address was made by Rev. David Smith, D. D.

The Hart pew was seldom empty on Sun- day, and as the family increased the old one- horse wagon was not able to provide room for all, the older boys making the four miles on foot. By vote of the town, December 5, 1718, it was decided that all persons being inhabitants of the town may have "libertie" to build stables for horses on the meeting house green, under direction of the select- men. Here the Hart family team, under the historic horse shed, found shelter on Sundays for half a century, and thither the men and boys went after the morning service and Sun- day-School to eat their lunch, perchance review the teaching of the morning, more often in- dulging in gossip of the day, the prospects of the season and the politics of the country. At 1:30 P. M. the bell summoned all again to the church, another sermon and service of an hour and a half, and they arrived home about four o'clock, following with an hour's evening prayer-meeting in the school house at 7:30 P. M. Sunday was the most active day of the week, and the Sunday-school and prayer- meetings found Mr. Hart among their most active workers and participants. Later in life the writer has often seen him taking long walks alone, with his lantern, across the moun- tains and fields to attend prayer-meetings at the house of some invalid church member un- able to attend service. As a speaker he was clear, concise, forcible, and his Bible stories and applications of truth were full of interest. In prayer he was earnest, devout and uplift- ing, ftill of the power of the Holy Spirit. He was an ardent supporter of Mr. Gleason, dur- ing whose ministry, seven years, 136 united with the church; Mr. Gleason died at his post

of duty, beloved by all his people. Until April 28, 1841, there was no settled minister, when Rev. Charles Lewis Mills was installed; he was dismissed in September, 1845. In 1844 Wolcott P. Stone was elected deacon, and in 1846 Gaylord Newton.

This new church edifice was destroyed by fire November 28, 1844, Thanksgiving Day .. A service had been held in the church at II A. M., as was the custom, and while seated at Thanksgiving dinner in the old home, about. 3 P. M., the writer remembers they were noti- fied the church was in ashes. The society voted to rebuild on the old site. Contracts were made for the building of a new church edifice, money was subscribed, timber from the farms in all parts of the town furnished, a day for the raising appointed, the ladies had raising cake prepared, tables to be set under the trees on the green, the sills were laid on the old founda- tions, and securely pinned, when, the afternoon before the event, a meeting of the Ecclesiastical. Society was called and voted that the frame be. moved to the north part of the town, as per copy of the existing record, viz. :

SPECIAL SOCIETIES MEETING, OCT. 17, 1846.

Dea. Samuel Newton, Moderator.

WHEREAS a certain agreement was entered into on' the 12th day of inst. Oct., A. D. 1846, by certain indi- viduals, members of the First Ecclesiastical Society of Durham, as a basis of settlement of the difficulties which exist among them and which is as follows :

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Commemorative biographical record of Middlesex County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 84

Author: Beers (J.H.) & Co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1903 Publisher: Chicago : Beers Number of Pages: 1502

Author: Beers (J.H.) & Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago : Beers
Number of Pages: 1502