History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 126

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 818

USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men > Part 126

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

CIVIL LIST.

Representatives .- The Representatives for the town of Portland have been: Kellogg Strong, 1842; Erastus Brainerd, 1843; Archibald Kinney, 1844; Russell Pen- field, 1845, 1846; Alfred Hall, 1847, 1851, 1852, 1858; Joseph Hall, 1848, 1865; William H. Bartlett, 1849; Ed- ward C. Whitmore, 1850; Enoch Sage, 1853, 1854; Ralph Pelton, 1855; S. Nelson Hall, 1856; Samuel L. Warner, 1857; George Stancliff, 1859; Jonathan D. Child, 1860; Henry Gildersleeve, 1861; Asaph Strong, 1862, 1863; Henry H. Wells, 1864; R. S. Cornwall, 1866; George Cox, 1867; Daniel Strong, 1868 to 1870; William H. Beebe, 1871 to 1873, 1880; Evelyn White, 1874, 1875; David Crittenden, 1876; George H. Taylor, 1877, 1878; Nelson Pelton, 1879; Wellington S. Coe, 1881; John M. Penfield, 1883; Andrew Cornwall, 1884.

Town Clerks .- Sylvester Stocking served from 1841 till 1860, when Ebenezer White was appointed, but on his death, January 12th 1861, Henry Kilby was ap- pointed till the next town meeting. S. Gildersleeve was appointed January 29th 1861. He resigned January Ist 1864, and Joseph C. Gladwin was appointed till the next town meeting. Henry Kilby was appointed September 24th 1864; Joseph Gladwin was appointed October 2d 1865; William H. Bartlett was appointed October 1866, and has since held the office.

Evelyn White has served twelve terms as selectman,

507

PORTLAND-EDUCATION.

and Nelson Pelton fourteen. Want of space forbids a more complete list of selectmen.

SCHOOLS.

The town of Middletown, at a town meeting held January 9th 17072, made this grant of land to the inhabi- tants on the east side:

" Inasmuch as there is a parcell of pond, swamp, and bogga Land about thirty or fourty Acres lying on the east side of the grate River, called Pacowsett, which is not yet Layd out to any person; the town by vote do agree that the neighbors Inhabiting the East side the grate River may clere & improve the said Land until such time as they shall be in A capacity to maintain A schole or a minister, and then the said Land shall be sequestered, and Improved, & ye Income ther of shall be disposed of for such publique Use as the town by vote shall ord'r. Att the same meeting the vote above sayd was Interpreted by vote thus; that it is Intended and to be understood yt ye Land mentioned therein Is to be clered by the neighbors on the east side as sone as may be, and remain to the town's Use in Generall, untill they shall have eighter A schole or A minister on the East side setled and then the Income of the land to be and remain for the particular publique use & charg of the East side on the Acct above said."

In March 1711, this petition was addressed to the mother town across the river:

" March 13th 1711 this Day being warned and apointed for a town meeting to agree for the set- tlement of the town schooll for the proper Use and benefit of the whole town in generall; we on the east side of the great River being allso very sensable of the necesity of the upholding schooling and the benefit thereof and likewise the evil that doth ordinarily follow in the want therof, we do therefore propound these fol- lowing things on our own behalf :- being very willing to agree in the most equitable and peaceable way with our loving neighbours of the town on the west side of the great River on both sides of the ferry Vizt that Is In all times coming annually that we on the East side keep a schooll among our selves so much of the yeare as the money Raised of and from our selves shall amount unto, that is to say Raised on our grand List of Estates among our selves, and whether by country or town, and Likewise that we agree with our neighbourhood In a town way In voating and chusing committees that we may by no means hinder the settlement of a town schooll, or if it may please you best to desist, Either, but we think It a thing most Rationall, Loving neighbours, that our own money be Laid out upon our own children, and in charity we do believe and conclude that if your selves were in our sted you would desire the same, and If we were In your sted we should Readily grant, so we hope we shall not be looked on As those that Lay aside the best Rule but to prevent such an objection as this that we will thereby not keep a schooll nor pay to your neither which you may call your town or society schooll, to pre- vent yt which we never Intend, we desire that a com-

mittee may be chosen to Inspect the matter, and upon our failure we shall look on our selves liable to Suffer a compulsion to pay our just proportion to the town or so- ciety schooll or schoolls as we are accounted formerly to belong unto, not els at present, but hoping you will give just ground to subscrib our selves In token of Love and gratitude your Loving freinds neighbours and bretheren &c. who are here unto subscribd.

" John Gill Senr., John Sledd, wiliam cornwell senr., Jonathan Warner, Samll Hall, Jonathan Smith, Ebenezer Smith, Shamgar barns, George Stocken, Thomas buck, Thomas wright, John Miller, Richard Jill, Richard Goodale, Ebenezer hurlburt, Francis smith, John Gill Junr., Ephraim Wilcock, Nathanell Savige."

The settlers were naturally anxious to establish a school as soon as possible, for, said a New England di- vine, even as early as 1690: " the Youth of this Country are very sharp and early ripe in their Capacities, above most in the world, and were the Benefits of a Religious and Ingenuous Education bestowed upon them, they would soon prove an Admirable People." The petition here quoted being granted by the town of Middletown, we find that,

" At a meeting of the inhabitants on the East side the River in Middletown April 1711 it was agreed that the scool should be kept four months in the summer and two months in the winter; it was also voted that the children from six years old to ten years old shal bare ther proportion in upholding the charge of the scool if they shall go or no; and if any go younger or older to pay; agreed that George Stocken and Ebenezer Smith shal be to consult the best way for ordering the scool and John Sleid and Ephraim Wilcock likewise chosen for the same work.

" At the same meeting it was agreed that if any per- son will send a child or children younger than six years old in the roum of those obliged to go it shall be ac- cepted."

January 20th 1712, it was

" Voted that the Scholl should be kept for the half year ensuing at two places, Viz at or about Thomas Buck's and at or about Francis Smith's, and Wm Corn- well Sr., John Gains should be a Comity with George Stocken to order the Schooll."

February 24th 1713-14, it was " ordered that the com- ity should have power to fix the school in two or three places." Yearly these " neighbours," when they met to appoint their " prudential committees," and consult for building a meeting house and settling a minister, they also appointed their school committee for the year, and the most influential and responsible men were put upon these committees. That they believed in "rotation in office " is proved by the fact that in 39 committees, ap- pointed from 1711 to 1750, there were 100 persons and 58 distinct names. Usually new men were elected each year; and two or three years elapsed before any of these same men were called upon to serve in the same capacity.

December 27th 1722, it " was granted to the naibours

508

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

on the back side of Womgog to have there part of money according to ther List to improve for the teaching ther children." This was the present Rose Hill District, and the first to be set off.

December 22d 1727 .- " Voted that the south farmers from John Penfields southward and eastward shall have their part of money to Instruct their children in learning, they improving the same with liberty for one year." The "south farmers " were the settlers of Middle Haddam and East Hampton.

February Ist 1741, they divided the town into three school districts:

" The Society, for the encourigment of scholing, Agrees by Major vote as followeth; Viz Ist that the society shall be divided into three parts and the first part to begin at the place where Mr. Cornwell's and Miller's grist mill now stands and extend eastward as far as the west side of the hil called Collinges hil, and from there both south- ward and westward to the great River; and the next part to contain all that part which lyes eastward of s'd first part, to the extent of the bounds of the society; and the third part to Contain all that which is northward of the fore said two parts to the extent of the society. 2d that for the futor there shall be eleven months school kept in this society yearly; that is six months of it by a good school master for reading and wrighting and five months by a good Mrs. for reading; and what is wanting more than we are to receive out of the town rate and coun- ty rate and by the General Assemblys donation and any other donation to enable the school committee as above said, the said term yearly, the remainder shall be raised yearly on the general list of the society and collected 3dly that the school Committee shall have their in- structions to order the school to be kept in each of the above said three parts one after another their propor- tionable part of the time according to their list of estate for the time being; and that where so ever the said school shall be kept it shall be a society school, and each one in the society shall have Liberty to send their chil- dren provided they answer a reasonable part about fier wood: and each of the above said parts shall have liberty to build a school house, and that there shall be one comite man in each of the above said parts yearly, Voted, to raise a rate of one penny on the pound to enable the committee to carry on the schools."

The " grist mill " here mentioned was on the site now occupied by Cox's mill. "Collinges hil" is just west, so by this division the first district extended from Cox's mill and the granite quarry to the river, both south and west, including the larger part of Portland; the second district included Middle Haddam and East Hampton; and the third all the northern part of the (then) society. They now vote to have the school kept eleven months in the year instead of six as had been done. By act of As- sembly every town or ecclesiastical society having 70 families must keep a school 11 months in the year, and those with less than 70 families six months. Notice that the schools in these three districts did not hold their sessions simultaneously, but " one after another their pro-

portionable part of the time;" which would of course shorten the period of schooling in each district, the chil- dren in some districts having only perhaps two months schooling during the year, others four or five.

December 19th 1752; it was "agreed that the north- ward part of the Inhabitants in the neck part of this society shall have Liberty to build a school house & draw pro- portionable part of school money." This, of course, was the present District No. I.

In 1748, a tax of four pence on the pound was laid; in 1749, six pence; in 1754, it was raised to 12d., probably to build the school houses in the different districts. After this the rate was one penny on the pound.

November 29th 1757, " Agreed that the necessary fier- wood for the use of the school should be provided by parents and masters according to the poles which are sent to school, whoever shall neglect to provide it shall be added to the penny rate." The question of "fier- wood " seems to have been a troublesome one; many votes were passed to compel those sending children to provide the wood.

In 1772, the committee were instructed to provide the wood and " raise a rate on ye poles of ye children that go to ye s'd schools." At first the wood was hauled to the school house door by each one sending children; but the tax for firewood was kept up till within the memory of many now living.

In 1765, "Capt David Sage, Dea Joseph White, and Lieut Samll Hall were chosen a committee to receive the Donations for the use of the school & particularly what is due to the school from the sale of Norfolk land." This was the General Assembly's grant of moneys from the sale of seven townships (Norfolk, Goshen, Canaan, Cornwall, Kent, Salisbury, and Sharon) in what is now Litchfield county, for the support of schools. This grant was made in 1733, and has been referred to as the " General Assembly's Donation."

November 7th 1768, it was voted that the Southwest School District "shall for ye time being keep their school half of ye time at ye old school house and ye other half of ye time at Pacowsett, until ye money raised by Rate and ye Donation & county money be expended." The "old school house" stood near where the Gildersleeve school now stands, and it was thought too far to send the children from " Pacowsett."

" Voted also to divide ye northeast District in two parts or Districts; Viz ye north District to come as far south as ye south side of Mr. Jonathan Welles land, that is to say to ye south side of his lott from east to west, and ye other part to extend south to their old bounds."

This was dividing the district next to Glastonbury from No. 5 (Up City).

" Voted that ye southeast district of school shall be divided into three parts, those that line on ye short lotts: to be one entier District & those on ye north on ye long lotts to run south to ye south side of Mr. Stewart's lotts, so far south as an east and west line of his lott; & ye other part to begin at ye south line of sd Stewart lott and to extend south to ye extent of their old bounds on ye Long lotts.

509

PORTLAND-EDUCATION.

" 23d Nov. 1784. Voted that the northeast corner of s'd Society shall be made a distinct school district to ex- tend from the east bounds of s'd Society by a north and south line so far west as to include the house in wh. Solomon Chapman now dwels & from Glastonbury Line south ward two miles." This was a readjustment of the boundaries of District No. 7.

The Ist of November 1791, Captain Joseph Sage and Lieutenant Nicholas Ames were chosen to receive and distribute to the several schools, the " forty shillings on every thousand pounds of the grand Levy, from the State Treasurer." This was the State tax.

The last committee mentioned in the records of the First Society, appointed in 1794, were: Joseph Willcox, Welles Diggins, Jonathan Pelton, Luther Goodrich, Richard Brown, and Abel Strickland; Joseph Blague jr., Nicholas Ames, and John Ellsworth were appointed a special committee. The schools now passed from the care of the church or ecclesiastical society into that of the school society. In May 1795, an act was passed, which recognized the ecclesiastical societies in a distinct capacity as " school societies," and in May 1798, the school societies were invested with the powers, and sub- jected to the duties, which the former laws had given to, and required of, towns and ecclesiastical societies, rela- tive to the same objects, and from this date they are known in law as school societies. Their territorial limits were sometimes co-extensive with a town, sometimes in .- cluded only part of a town, and sometimes embraced parts of two or more towns. This paragraph from the Act of 1795, quoted on the first page of the school so- ciety's record, sets forth the standing and duties of the school societies:

" That all the Inhabitants living within the limits of the located societies who have or may have a right to vote in Town meetings shall meet, some time in the month of October annually, in the way and manner pre- scribed in the Statute entitled an Act for forming, order- ing, and regulating societies, and being so met shall ex- ercise the powers given in and by said Act in organizing themselves, and in appointing the necessary officers as therein directed for the year ensuing; and may transact any other business on the subject of schooling in Gen- erall and touching the monies hereby appropriated to their use in particular, according to Law, and shall have power to adjourn from time to time as they shall think proper."

The record then begins with:

" Agreeable to the Spirit and intention of the above recited Act of Assembly, the Inhabitants of the first loca- ted Society in Chatham met on the last Thursday of Oct., A. D., 1795, at 3 o'clock afternoon, at the meeting house in said society, being Warned by a special War- rent Signed by a justice of the peace together with three of the principal Inhabitants of said Society, Lieut David Robertson was chosen Moderator; Joseph Blague Jun'r was appointed clerk; the usual tax of one penny on the pound was voted; Capt. Nicholas Ames, Joseph Blague Jun'r, and John Ellsworth were appointed a committee

to Superintend, Order, and Direct the affairs of the school throughout the Society. James Stanclift, Samuel Will- cox, Elisha Shepard, Seth Strictland, Samuel Butler, and Amos Goodrich were appointed school committee-men and collectors in the school Districts in which they sev- erally belong. It was voted that the wood expended by the several schools should be paid for by a tax on the polls attending to said schools."

Joseph Blague was granted, "six shillings lawful money for the purchase of a book of records for this Society."

The next year, 1796, the tax of one penny on the pound was changed to " five mills on a dollar."

The meeting of February 6th 1799, chose " Rev'd Cyprian Strong, Rev'd Smith Miles, Doctor Moses Bart- litt, Doct. Ebenezer Sage, Joseph Blague Jun'r, Capt. Daniel Stewart, and Mr. Nathaniel Cornwell as Over- seers or Visitors of the schools." This was in accord- ance with the Act of 1798-9. The duties were about the same as those of the present acting visitors.

It was voted not to levy the usual tax of five mills "if the interest arising from the sale of the Western Re- serve lands should be a sum equal to the whole amount of said tax."

November 4th 1800, Seth Overton, Hezekiah Good- rich, and Enoch Sage were appointed to " set a stake for the place of setting a school House in the penfield district, (so called)."

In 1801, it was voted that the district committee should cause every master to be examined by two or more of the visitors before he should be employed as an instructor. In 1803, the Northeast District was divided by annexing four families to the adjoining district of Glastonbury, and others to the adjoining district in Chatham. January Ist 1805, a committee was chosen to affix a place to build a school house in the North Neck District.

Doctor Isaac Smith and Doctor Isaac Conklin were added in 1807 to the school visitors formerly appointed, and in 1812, Rev. Eber L. Clark was chosen in the place of Rev. Dr. Strong, deceased. Jesse Hall, Samuel Hall, David Stocking, and Abner Sage were also chosen school visitors with those already appointed.

It was also voted at this meeting that "the interest arising from the sale of the land which was granted by the town of Middletown in the year 17072 to the Inhabi- tants of the east side of the river for the use of schools, or minister, be applied the present year for the use of the public schools." This is the grant of land at "Pacowsett" mentioned at the beginning of the history of schools.

In the year 1815, the three eastern districts were "an- nexed into one," and " stake was set on the north side of a stone wall 50 or 60 rods westerley on the road that leads from Zebulon l'enfields' to Capt David Smith's." This stood west of the present building, half way to Mrs. Alexander's. In 1817, an examining committee of 17 members was appointed for " examining and inspecting the schools." It included most of the former school

510

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

visitors. It is impossible, for want of space, to give all their names.

In 1826, the committee for examining and visiting the schools consisted of Rev. Smith Miles, Rev. Hervey Talcott, Sylvester Stocking, Job H. Payne, David Crit- tenden, and Archibald Kinney.

October 5th 1830, upon petition of Penfield Hill School District, a committee was appointed " to designate a spot in s'd district to remove or build a school house that will enable them to receive the donation given to s'd Dis't by Mr. John Stewart deceased; " they established the site for said school house on the east side of the highway, between the dwelling house of Zebulon Penfield and the dwelling house of Daniel Shepard Esq. This was the present school house, a substantial and handsome brick building.

The same year the Southwest District and Pacausett were divided. The stake for the Pacausett school house being set on lands of Guy Cooper, and the other on land belonging to Joel Hall, the present Pacausett school house. The last mentioned was the second building in the Southwest District, now Second District. It stood where the Edwards' block now stands.

The final establishment of the several districts as they are at present-with a few unimportant changes hereaf- ter noted-was made October 3d 1832, "Doctor Isaac Smith being moderator, Rev. William Jarvis, Rev. Har- vey Talcott, Job H. Payne, Joseph Goodrich, Erastus Strong, Archibald Kinney, and David Cornwell, school visitors, and Doctor Isaac Smith, Jesse Hall, and Daniel Russel, school societys' committee; " it was voted "that the several school districts shall hereafter be known as follows:

" Whites' school district as No. 1, or First District.

"South or Neck school district as No. 2, or Second District.

" Meadow school district as No. 3, or Third District.

" Penfield Hill school district as No. 4, or Fourth Dis- trict.

"City or North school district as No. 5, or Fifth Dis- trict.

" Pacausett school district as No. 6, or Sixth District.

" New City (to Glastonbury) school district as No. 7, or Seventh District."

The boundaries of these districts are defined in the school society's record, but it would require too much space to mention in detail. They are the same that now stand except in a few unimportant details. No. 7, which became in the final adjustment the last numbered, though tradition holds that the first school house in Portland stood within its bounds-two years ago in March was set back to Up City, No. 5.

In 1856, school societies were abolished by the State, and their property and obligations passed to the towns. The town elected its first board of school visitors, Octo- ber 6th 1856, in conformity to the act of the General As- , sembly just mentioned. The following gentlemen com- posed this board: Samuel M. Emery, Hervey Talcott, S. G. W. Rankin, M. Parsons, Hiram A. Penfield, Alfred

Hall, Ebenezer B. White, Joseph E. Goodrich, and James F. Buck. They held their first meeting, October 13th 1856, when the Rev. Hervey Talcott, having been a school visitor for a period of over 40 years, declined acting as such any longer. Henry Gildersleeve was chosen to fill the vacancy occasioned by his resignation, until the next annual meeting of the town. January 28th 1857, they examined and corrected the returns of the enumeration of children, jointly with the selectmen, and divided the amount raised by the one per cent. tax among the different districts. They examined into and reported the condition of the schools of the town. They reported that there had been expended on the schools: $1, 145.25, State fund; $287.52, town deposit fund; $665.88, town tax; $1,465.94, tax on the time of attend- ance. District No. 2 also received $7.00 tuition of schol- ars from other districts, and Penfield Hill District $30 from local fund. The report was signed by Samuel M. Emery and S. G. W. Rankin, and at their suggestion a vote was passed by the town regretting the retirement of the Rev. Mr. Talcott, and thanking him for his long, able, and efficient service as school visitor. There were then (1857), in District No. 1, 126 scholars; No. 2, 393; No. 3, 52; No. 4, 58; No. 5, 38; No. 6, 118; No. 7, 33. September 7th 1866, it was proposed to consolidate the school districts and make one union district, which was rejected by a majority vote.

There are seven schools in Portland, some of these consisting of several departments. They are managed by a board of nine school visitors, two of whom are elected annually.

The present board consists of: president, George B. Cleveland; secretary, J. S. Bayne; visitors, C. H. White, C. A. Sears, F. D. Harriman, H. C. Markham, W. S. Strickland, Albert Hale, and Asaph Hale. The board annually assigns the duties of visiting the schools of the town to one or more of their number, of whom the secre- tary shall always be one, who shall visit such schools at least twice during each term, at which visit the school house and out-buildings, school register, and library shall be examined, and the studies, discipline, mode of teach- ing, and general condition of the school investigated. The acting visitors are: Dr. C. A. Sears, Mr. Asaph Hale, and Rev. J. S. Bayne. The committee for the examin- ing of teachers consists of Rev. F. D. Harriman, and Rev. J. S. Bayne. The district committee for the hiring of teachers and the more particular oversight of each are: No. 1, Asaph Strong, Titus Hale, Allen Butler; No. 2, John H. Hall, C. E. Hammond, Frank Brainerd; No. 3, William E. Kelsey; No. 4, Lyman Payne; No. 5, William N. Simpson; No. 6, H. C. Markham, and W. H. Ingersoll.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 126

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 818

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 818