USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Seymour > History of Seymour, Connecticut, with biographies and genealogies > Part 15
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At a meeting held Oct. 17th, 1805, the valuation of "good wood brought to the school-house" was estimated at "$2 a chord, the Master to be the judge of the size of the loads." Special committees were appointed to repair the school-house nearly every year from 1802 until 1812.
In 1810 John Ward was hired for the winter at $20 per month, he to be his own collector, and John T. Wheeler was appointed clerk. At an adjourned meeting, held Nov. 22nd, the last vote to repair was rescinded, and it was voted to have the school kept in Silas Baldwin's room until the first of May, 1811.
In October, 1811, Chester Jones was chosen clerk and another repair committee appointed. On the 9th of December it was "Voted that there should be 2 schools kept in sd District."
"Voted, 2nd, that Col. Ira Smith & Capt. Josiah Swift be a Committee for the south part of the District, & Amadeus Dibble & E. B. Johnson be a Committee for the north part, to employ teachers."
April 6th, 1812, it was "Voted that there should be two schools kept in the District, one Man school & one Woman school, & the Free Money be equally divided according to the time the school is kept." Stiles Johnson was elected a committee " to employ a school Dame."
On the 15th of the same month Levi Tomlinson, Esqr, Ira Smith, Josiah Swift, Elias Gilbert and Bradford Steele were appointed a committee to look for a place to build a school-house and to draw a plan. Several meetings were called and adjourned without transacting any business, except employing a male teacher in the south part of the district in the winter of 1812-13, and a teacher for three months in the winter of 1813-14.
On the 7th of March, 1814, at a school meeting held at the store of Jones & Keeney, it was "Voted that all needlework should be prohibited from school." At a meeting held the 25th of the same month the above vote was rescinded and declared "null & void." The name Humphreysville first appears on the record in 1814. The next winter it was voted to employ a female teacher and to divide the money equally between the two schools of the district.
The school-house first built on the location of the present Bell school- house was long owned as joint stock property, as shown in the following deed given June 1st, 1816 :
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Know Ye, That I, Newel Johnson of Derby, in New Haven County and State of Connecti- cut, for the the consideration of Ten Dollars received to my full satisfaction of John Wheeler, Newel Johnson, Elias Gilbert, Bradford Steele, John Humphreys, Jr., Genl. David Humphreys, Chester Jones, Seba Moulthrop, Stiles Johnson, Jesse Johnson, Edmund Steele, John Riggs, Silas Baldwin, Samuel B. Hine, Joseph Johnson, Josiah Swift &. Danl. Thompson, Do give, grant, bargain, sell and confirm unto the said Grantee, one certain piece or tract of land situated in said Derby at Humphreysville, containing about six acres of land, bounded Southerly on highway, Easterly and Northerly on sd Newel Johnson, Westerly on Seba Moulthrop. The said piece of land has a School-House erected thereon and divided into one hundred shares, and is owned by the above named Grantees in the following proportion, viz : to the said John Wheeler twenty nine shares ; Newel Johnson, thirteen; Elias Gilbert, thirteen shares; Bradford Steele, seven; John Humphreys, Junr, fire; Gen. David Humphreys, fire; Chester Jones, seven; Seba Moulthrop, four; Stiles Johnson, three ; Jesse Johnson, two; Edmund Steele, two; John Riggs, two; Silas Baldwin, two; Samuel B. Hine, two; Joseph Johnson, one; Josiah Swift, one; Daniel Thompson, one.
In October, 1815, Chester Jones was elected committee and Newel Johnson clerk.
"At a Legal Meeting of the Inhabitants of the 5th School District at the School House in Humphreysville, held Oct. 30th, 1816, Newel Johnson was appointed a special committee to obtain from Mr. Samuel Riggs his terms for teaching a winter school," apparently without success, as a few days later Bradford Steele and Johnathan Beement were added to the committee.
On the 10th of December it was voted to employ Isaac Rowe as teacher at $18 per month. April 13th, 1819, it was voted to employ Anna C. Martin as teacher for the summer, "provided she can be had on reasonable terms not to exceed one dollar and fifty cents per week."
Ebenezer Fisher was appointed collector Nov. 20th, 1820, and it was voted that board be $1.25 per week. Smith & Sanford then kept the store on the southeast corner of Pearl and Hill streets. On the 4th of December, 1820, it was "Voted that there be a stove purchased for the benefit of the destrict and made up in the school bill." Until that time the school-room had been warmed by a fire in the large old-fashioned fire-place.
On the 12th of April, 1822, it was " Voted that Mr. Isaac Sperry be employed to teach this school for one year if he can be obtained for ten dollars per month," and "that the district hire the school-house of the proprietors at the rate of seven dollars a quarter."
From Nov. 9th, 1818, to Oct. 10th, 1825, Lyman Smith was clerk of the district, and during this time the book was kept with a neatness and precision seldom found in the old records.
At a meeting held Dec. 11th, 1822, David Beach was appointed district committee and Newel Johnson and Daniel White were appointed a committee to confer with the proprietors of the school-house for the purpose of seeing what the shares of the school-house can be purchased for. Provision was Inade for wood for the stove and fireplace.
In the fall of 1823 the price of board was fixed at eight (Yankee) shillings (81.33}) per week, and it was voted to hire Mr. Sperry, provided that not more than $15 per month should be paid. If any scholars came from out of the district, they were to pay two dollars per quarter. Ebenezer Fisher, committee.
On the 29th of March, 1824, it was voted to hire Isaac J. Sperry for a year at $15 per month, and that he have an assistant for six months at $5 per month. The school-house was hired as before.
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It was voted, Aug. 16th, to release Mr. Sperry, to hire Aaron Pierson in his place, and to continue Miss Tuttle as assistant teacher.
Oct. 12th, 1824, Russel Clark was elected committee ; David Beach, Jr., collector ; and Sheldon Tucker, treasurer. It was voted not to hire a teacher unless he will board with the district. The committee was instructed to hire Mr. Parsons (or Pierson) or Harlow P. Sage, wages not to exceed $15 per month. Dec. 6th it was voted to employ an assistant teacher.
April 12th, 1825, voted to hire Harlow P. Sage at $19 per month, he to board himself, provided that should any choose to board him at $1 per week, they might do so. An assistant to be hired if necessary.
Up to this time the business seems to have been wholly directed in dis- triet meetings, and the names most frequently ocenrring on the record are "Chusetown Destrict" and 5th School District of the school society, but at a meeting held Oct. 10th, 1825, Thomas Gilyard was "recommended to the School Society to be appointed committee," and Isaac Losee was elected asst. committee. Mr. Persons was to be hired. Wm. Humphreys, John De Forest and Ebenezer Fisher were "recommended to the School Society as visitors."
In the spring of 1826 the committee were authorized to employ Mr. Persons (Aaron C .? ) at $16 per month, and it was voted that each proprietor draw his rent from the treasurer.
Sept. 29th, 1826. Recommendations to school scoiety : Sheldon Tucker, committee ; John H. De Forest, Win. Humphrey, Ebenezer Fisher and John Wheeler, school visitors. Voted to give Mr. Persons the preference for teacher.
Sept. 27th, 1827. Ebenezer Fisher, district committee; Edmund Steele, school society's committee; Newel Johnson, clerk ; J. HI. De Forest, J. T. Wheeler and Wm. Humphreys recommended to school society as visitors. Voted to try to hire the lower story of the school-house for $18 per year.
April 8th, 1829, voted to give Mr. Hubbell the preference as teacher.
At a meeting held March 29th, 1830, it was voted to purchase from fifty to one hundred shares of the Bell school-house of the proprietors at one dollar per share. It was voted (April 15th) to rescind the previous motion and to purchase a lot and build a school-house. The latter vote was rescinded May 15th, and the former motion re-enacted. A tax of $200 was voted for the purchasing and repairing the school-house. Geo. Kirtland acted as moderator Oct. 17th, 1831. Apr. 16, '32, the Committee had permission to employ a teacher for each of the two rooms if they thought best.
Oct. 18th, 1836. Chester Jones, treasurer; Denzel Hitchcock, clerk ; Isaac Losee, asst. com .; Chas. Oatman, collector. Mr. Northrop was engaged to teach the winter school.
Mar. 7th, 1837. Thomas Ellis, moderator. Voted to divide the district and to run the line from the mouth of Bladen's Brook, and go south so far as to take in the house of Isaac White, and then a straight line to Woodbridge.
At a meeting held April 15th, 1837, it was voted "to run the line beginming at the bank south of the mouth of Bladen's Brook, so called, and run straight to Woodbridge line, ruming far enough south to take in the house of Sanmel R. Heacox," and "to apply to the school society's committee for division."
The following description of the District limits, from the minutes of the First School Society, was certified to by Almon Smith, Society's Clerk.
"Fourth District begins at the Dam across Naugatuck River, running up the east side of said river until you come to the brook emptying into said river, through the
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land formerly belonging to Henry Wooster; then an easterly coarse to Woodbridge line so as to take Isaac Blake and David Hotchkiss' dwelling-houses into the Fourth School District."
"Fifth District begins at the Henry Wooster Brook, so called, by Naugatuck River, running up northerly the east side of said river to Oxford line; then easterly by said Oxford line to Woodbridge line; then southerly by said Woodbridge line until it strikes the northerly line of the Fourth District ; then westerly by said Fourth District to the place of beginning at the mouth of the Henry Wooster Brook at the Naugatuck River."
"Voted, that the society divide the said Fifth District, and that the bounds commence on the Naugatuck River at a high bluff or bank about twenty rods south of the mouth of Bladen's Brook; from thence to run easterly to Woodbridge line, passing by the south side of the house of Samnel R. Hickcok; and the north part of the said Fifth School District shall constitute the Seventh District."
At a school meeting held Sept. 22d, 1840, it was voted "that a building committee be appointed and that they be instructed to make a contract for repairing the school-house by cutting it down to one story high, putting on new shingles and new pine clapboards, laying a new floor, painting the outside with two coats of good paint and making such other repairs as they shall deem necessary for a thorough repair in every respect." Bennet Wooster, George W. De Forest and Walter B. Clark were appointed committee on repairs.
At a meeting held Oct. 1st, 1841, it was voted to buy Harrison Tomlin- son's lot on the Promised Land, on west side of the highway, and build a good school-house thereon, and a 15c. tax was laid Dec. 10th. Feb. 7th, 1842, the tax was raised 5 cents. On the 15th of February it was voted not to sell or dispose of the old school-house.
On the 4th of September, 1842, it was voted "that the committee hire a room on the Falls known as the Conference Room for a school this winter," but the vote was rescinded the 11th. On the 10th of May, 1843, it was voted not to rent the upper story for a workshop, and the vote laying a tax of 20c. for building purposes were rescinded June 22nd; also, the vote fixing location of new school-house. The old school-house was cut down and repaired in the summer of 1843. In August the committee were directed to sell the old bell and pay the proceeds to the treasurer. In the summer of 1844 board was estimated at eight shillings ($1.33}) per week, and the following winter at $1.75 per week.
The school-house was appraised Jan. 13th, 1847, by Isaac J. Gilbert, Ephraim Birdsey and Wm. M. Hull, at $360, and at a school meeting, held Nov. 21st, it was voted that the 5th district pay to the 8th district $112.50 as their share of the district. The offer not being accepted by the district the matter was left to the society's committee, who named $175 as the amount to be paid. The new district was the one since known as District No. 8, and now as the Center sub-district, No. 6.
A meeting was held June 10th, 1852, for the purpose of uniting with the other districts in forming a union high school, without any successful action resulting.
DISTRICT COMMITTEES.
1838, Walter B. Clark.
1839, Walter B. Clark, Isaac Kinney aud Chester Jones.
1840, Amos Smith, Bennet Wooster and Sharon Y. Beach.
1841, Jeremiah Durand, Sharon Y. Beach.
1842, Thomas Cochran, Daniel White and John W. Bassett.
. 1843, B. Wooster. (G. F. DeForest, clerk. 1844, Ezekiel Gilbert. 16 ..
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1845, Daniel White. (W. B.Clark, clerk.) 1846, A. J. Steele. (H. Tomlinson, clerk.) 1847, David B. Clark. (S.Y. Beach, elerk.) 1848, Smith Clark. (H. B. Mnuson, elerk.) 1849, Medad K. Theker. (J. B. Steele, “ 1850-51, Thomas Stoddard.
1852-3, Joseph Chipman. (L. Sharpe,
1854, William S. Mallory. 1855, Stephen H. Culver. 1856, E. F. Bassett.
collector.)
1857, David Beach. (II. B. Beecher, elerk 1858, H. B. Beecher. 1857 to 1859.) 1859, Edwin Smith. (L. Sharpe, collector 1860-61, John Davis. 1858 to 1861.) 1862, J. W. Bassett. 1863, Henry P. Davis. 1864, J. Armstrong. 1865-7, W. E. Hendryx. 1868, A. W. Lonnsbury.
TEACHERS.
1843, Mr. Lnm, two terms. 1844, Miss Lindley, summer term.
1846, Mr. Stuart, two terms. 1852, Miss Chatfield from Quaker farms. 1855, Leverett Mallory, Fred'k Durand. 1857, Leverett Mallory. 1859, Miss Wilcox, summer term. 1863, Ellen M. Clark.
April, 1864, to Mar., 1865, Mary Tomlinson, April to Sept., 1867, Mary Tomlinson. Jan. to April, 1869, Ella Davis. April, 1869, to April, 1870, Lydia Payne. April, 1870, to July, 1873, M. A. Hotchkiss. Sept., 1873, to July, 1874, Emma J. Downs. Sept., 1874, to Dec., 1875, M. A. Hotchkiss. Jan., 1876, to 1878, Lottie E. Bootli.
CENTER SCHOOL, No. 6.
This was set off from No. 5 in 1847. A "select school" had been kept by Mrs. Hodge in a building which stood near where the south end of the pin-shop now is. The building was taken for the district school and removed above the cotton factory, to where the wool-room of Kalmia Mills now is, then to where Second street terminates, above Maple street, and when the car- shops were built it was removed to its present location.
TEACHERS.
1852, Charles W. Sharpe. 1867, Miss Coltinghanı. 1869 to July, 1875, Jessie C. Perkins. Sept., 1875, to 1878, Maria M. Tucker.
SECOND INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL.
Established in September, 1878. Arthur L. Candee, teacher.
FIRST INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL.
TEACHERS. April, 1869, to April, 1870, Mary A. Swift. April to July, 1870, Cornelia A. Chatfield. Sept., 1870, to July, 1872, H. A. Woodford. Sept., 1872, to July, 1873, E. J. Downs. Sept., 1873, to April, 1875, Sarah M. Riggs. April to Dec., 1875, Clara F. Abbott. Jan., 1876, to 1878, Emma S. Tomlinson.
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THE HIGH SCHOOL.
Humphreysville Academy, established in 1849, during its continuance, satisfied the demand for a school of higher grade, and perhaps for this reason the IHigh School Association, incorporated in 1851, failed of its purpose. The Humphreysville Academy was very popular under the direction of Geo. B. Glendining, and deservedly so. He was an efficient instructor, and drew many pupils from neighboring towns as well as from distant cities. In 1853 he removed to a larger town towards New York and was succeeded by Fred- erick Durand, who taught two years in Union Hall. Mr. Gay, a graduate of Yale, came in August, 1855, but continued only a few months. The subject of a Union High School was agitated, but the meetings called to con- sider the subject were no avail until after the passage of a law authorizing the establishment of such a school by the town, independent of school societies and school districts. The school was permanently established in 1864. Martha J. Morris was employed as assistant from September, 1867, to De- cember, 1868. Since then no assistant has been employed in the High School, but the establishment of the two intermediate departments has prac- tically made a high school of three grades, and only a new and commodious school building is especially needed to place Seymour in the first rank as regards the facilities for common school education.
TEACHERS.
1864 to July, 1866, Miss Hermance. Sept., 1866, to July, 1867, Frederick Durand. Sept., 1867, to Dec., 1868, Prof. A. F. Reynolds. Jan. to April, 1869, Martha J. Morris. April, 1869, to April, 1870, Celia A. Stanley. April to July, 1870, Miss S. A. Atwater. Sept., 1870, to July, 1871, Mrs. Lottie E. Bigelow. Sept., 1871, to July, 1872, Lucy S. Merwin. Sept. to Dec., 1872, Mary R. Deery. Jan., 1873, to July, 1874, Arthur Kilgore. Sept., 1874, to April, 1875, Frank H. Brewer. April, 1875, to July, 1878, William II. Warner. Sept., 1878, Rev. C. W. Sharpe.
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Great Hill M. E. Church.
HIS is one of the oldest Methodist societies in Connecticut and at one time ranked highest in strength and numbers in the Derby Circuit, which then included the towns of the Naugatuck Valley as far as Wa- terbury. Rev. Ileman Bangs, who was presiding elder abont sixty years ago, said Great Hill was his main stay, and Rev. Elijah Woolsey, cirenit preacher in 1814, in his book called "The Lights and Shadows of the Itinerancy," gives space to incidents of his experience on Great Hill. It had been an old Presbyterian parish, the church standing near the Davis place. Abner Smith was the pastor of the Presbyterian Society in 1814 and for many years preceding, but moved west soon after, and the pulpit was by general consent occupied by Methodist clergymen. From the time when Rev. Jesse Lee proclaimed the "Glad Tidings" through the valley of the Nangatuek, service was held here by his successors from time to time, and a prosperous church grew up. For a number of years, between 1810 and 1820, Cyrus Botsford was chorister and was considered an excellent music teacher. The choirs in those days were large and some humorous anecdotes are told of corrections made by Mr. B. when discordant notes were heard, when his words were more emphatic than appropriate to the place. Mr. B. was four times married and had seventeen children. Capt. Isaac Bassett and wife, grand parents of Capt. Elliott Bassett, were among the first Methodists on the Hill. The late Judson English was closely identified with the Great Hill church for half a century. The eccentric George L. Fuller, pastor in 1845 and 1846, is still remembered by many residents of the Hill. Fearless and untiring in his Master's service, he labored with great success and many were the anecdotes told of his labors. At one time in a revival meeting he preached from the parable of the swine, (Matt., viii: 30-32), and afterward passed around among the congregation urging them to repentance. A young man, T -- W-, replied to hiu very discourteously that there was no need of it, since, according to the sermon, all the devils were drowned. The eccentric clergyman knelt in prayer and remembered the young man as follows : "Oh Lord, we read in Thy blessed word that the swine rushed down into the sea and were drowned; but oh, Lord, one hog swam ashore, and here he is right before us. Drive the devil out of him and make a man of him," ete. It is said that if the logic was not convincing, the whole-souled earnestness of the preacher was, and apparently the prayer was answered. A man, at whose house a prayer-meeting was to be held one Saturday evening, sent an invita- tion to a neighbor, a staunch Presbyterian, to attend. Ile sent back word that he wished to be excused as he "kept Saturday night," but he soon began to attend the meetings and continued to be a regular attendant for more than thirty years. XAnson Gillette was the first class-leader, over sixty-five years ago. The present church edifice was built by subscription in 1853-4. Ahnost the only preaching on the hill for the forty years preceding had been by the Methodists, to whom the old Presbyterian church had been given up. The church was dedicated on Wednesday, October 25th, 1854. The subscriptions that day were $580, leaving a debt of only $300, which has since been paid. Though the society is smaller now by reason of the draught upon it by the flourishing manufacturing centers around, yet considerable improvements have been made in and about the church in the past few years, and the services of the sanctuary are well sustained.
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PAPER MAKING IN SEYMOUR.
HE first to establish the manufacture of paper in this place was General Humphreys. He built the first paper mill in 1805, but soon sold it to Worrull & Hudson. At this time the paper was made by hand. An engine for preparing the pulp was in use, but from this it was dipped out into fine sieves, the size the sheet of paper was to be made, shaken about to pack the fiber, a felt or flannel laid on, and the paper tipped out on it. 125 sheets were so piled up, making, with the felts, a pile about 15 inches high. This was pressed in a screw press, then taken out of the felts and hung on poles to dry, then pressed in 12 ream bunches. The next day the sheets were "stripped" or separated and pressed in the dry press. Writing paper was laid sheet by sheet between press boards with occasional iron plates and pressed again. In 1816 Worrull & Hudson sold out to Ebenezer Fisher and Henry LeForge. In 1817 Samuel Roselle, afterwards a partner, came to the place and commenced work in the paper mill.
The mill was raised a story in 1825, and paper then first made altogether by machinery. The mill was sold to the Humphreysville Manufacturing Company January 27th, 1831. This company commenced the manufacture of paper in May, 1831, with but four employees-Chester Jones, Wm. Bates, Jane Patchen and Lois Thompson, but during the month the number was increased to 16, and afterward to 18. The 16th of April, 1832, they com- menced running night and day. They were then making paper for the New Haven Palladium and other papers. Not only news but tissue and colored papers were produced. It is evident that the circulation of the papers was not very large from the fact that 500 pounds of paper was considered a good day's work at the time they were supplying several printing offices besides making other kinds of paper.
The establishment was taken by George L. Hodge, Sharon Y. Beach and Samuel Roselle August 17th, 1843, under the firm name of Hodge & Co., this partnership continuing two years.
In 1845 the Humphreysville Manufacturing Company, by their special agent, Timothy Dwight, sold the paper mill with a five years' lease of the water to Ezekiel Gilbert, Sharon Y. Beach and Samuel Roselle, who carried on the business five years under the firm name of Gilbert, Beach & Co. The water lease expired in 1850, and as the Humphreysville Manufacturing Com- pany declined all offers for a renewal, Mr. Beach bought out the other two partners, pulled down the mill, and put it up again in "Blueville," on Bladen's- Brook, about a mile east of the old location, where it has since remained. Among the numerous publications for which Mr. B. has furnished more or less paper is Barber's History of Connecticut, New Haven Palladium, Regis- ter, Journal and Courier, the Waterbury American, and the Seymour Record.
In February and March of 1859 a large addition was built to the mill. In September of 1860 the wooden flume was taken out and an iron one put in. New machinery has been added from time to time, engines, boilers, cal- enders, &c., reservoirs built on the hill near by to insure a full supply of pure water, so much needed in the manufacture of paper, and other improvements made, until Mr. B. has about $20,000 invested in the business, making a large mill, furnished with the most approved machinery and turning out large quantities of superior colored papers, that having been made a specialty of the mill for a number of years past.
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The first mill on the site of Smith's paper mill was built in 1831 under the direction of John Riggs for John S. Moshier. The machinery was de- signed and built by Cyrus Lee, millwright, in whose employ were Smith Botsford and Sheldon Hurd. Mr. Moshier purchased the land from the Capt. Merrick farm, onee owned by Rev. Jesse Johnson, including the upper mill site, now occupied by the rubber mill. Newel Johnson purchased the latter and paid Moshier in work on the paper mill. Johnson built a small dam near the upper end of the present rubber mill dam, and built a small machine shop. The paper mill was completed and commeneed running in the spring of 1832. William Bates was employed as superintendent and Samuel Bassett run the paper machine. John Bodge was also employed in the mill, and so continued until his death in 1868, a period of thirty-nine years. At this time the wages paid for work in paper mills varied from one dollar for sixteen hours' work to five shillings for twelve hours.
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