USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > A History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, vol 2 > Part 17
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While Attleboro is thus making substantial progress as a municipality, its population takes a commensurate pride in its homes and industries, both long established. Many of the most pleasing residences are built upon or near old foundations-descendants of many early comers yet remain. Yet. as in the history of all communities, the newcomer is establishing his home for his own generations, adding to the numbers in the skilled industry, and sharing in the problems of the growing city.
CHAPTER VII. THE PUBLIC SCHOOL INTERESTS
For the period of more than two centuries, Attleboro has maintained schools of the district and public systems, according to the usage of old New England settlements, wherever found. It may well be said of this city, as of all others of colonial origin, that along with the provision of means for religious worship, the opportunity for children to "read, write and cypher," and, within a very short period, to study higher branches.
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such as Latin, philosophy and history, was secured by the establishment of the beginnings of the public school system.
The first record in relation to schools here after the incorporation of the town, is that of March 6, 1716, and is as follows: "It was voted and agreed upon that Deacon Daggett should be schoolmaster." And at a town meeting in the latter part of that year, Josiah Jacques was hired as schoolmaster, the school then being kept in the south part of the town. It is evident that the schools were held at the homes of the residents for a century thereafter. Mr. Jacques received £20 for his services; and during 1717, Thomas Cathcart of Martha's Vineyard came here to teach, he receiv. ing £30. In 1718 town meeting decided that school should be kept seven months at a time in one quarter of the town, when H. Peck, Ensigns Whipple and Read, John Lovell and Samuel Day were appointed to divide the town into quarters for that purpose. No record has been found of any report of that committee; and it was not until 1737 that it is known that the town was actually divided into four districts, namely, northwest, south- west, northeast, southeast. George West was the schoolmaster in 1724, 1726, 1728 and 1732, and his wages varied from thirty to fifty pounds. In 1735-1736 the town voted not to hire a schoolmaster; but schoolmasters soon after that time were John Gratrax, Benjamin Ide, and John Robbins, Jr., later town clerk.
The first step towards the district system was that contained in the vote of the town on January 14, 1745, that the town be divided into five parts, and that the "Gore" be one part; and that the "school be kept in two places, six months each' in each part, during the next two years and six months." Another important action that occurred at this time was the result of the vote "to raise thirty pounds old tenor money to encourage ye keeping of women schools." And that is all that the records tell us of such schools.
In November, 1771, the town voted to choose a committee to divide the town into twelve parts, and appoint the places where the school should be kept, and so the committee decided to divide the town into twelve parts. Among the schoolmasters of that period were Elisha May, a friend of Washington, who kept school here in 1768. Ephraim Starkweather kept grammar school in 1769. He was a member of the Committee of Corre- spondence in Rehoboth at the beginning of the Revolution, and was a rep- resentative to the General Court in 1775 and 1778, and was senator from Rehoboth three years. Again, in 1787, the town meeting voted to divide the town into twenty parts; but before that vote could be acted upon, it was voted to let the quarters remain as they were, and to divide the school money among the quarters according to the number of children in the town from four to sixteen years old, this being the first time school money was apportioned according to the number of pupils in a district. The town was actually divided into twenty parts in 1789, an arrangement that continued until 1808, after which the town was districted into eighteen districts. The first record of a movement made to arrange for the building of a school- house was in 1804, when the town voted authority to the quarters to raise money to build houses, to select the places whereon to build, and to act upon any other matter that might be deemed beneficial to the districts and
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in accordance with law. The Old Town district first made use of the authority given; the district at the Falls followed suit, and after 1808, the usage became general, the town itself annually electing prudential commit- tees for the districts. Town school committees were active at this time, also. A text-book committee was chosen in 1804 to supervise the books used in the schools. In 1829, the prudential committee was elected by each district instead of by the town.
So far as is recorded, the first private school in town was the Franklin school, established in 1802 "for the promotion of virtue and the instruction of youth of each sex in such languages and such branches of the arts and sciences as the said trustees may from time to time think expedient, and within the income and funds of said school to support." The first meeting in the new schoolhouse was held October 4, 1802. Peter Thacher was elected president, Joshua Bassett secretary, and Noah Blandin treasurer. In 1824 the building became the property of District No. 18. A classical school was kept in the early part of that century in the south part of the town; and between 1832 and 1836 a private school was kept in North Attleboro by Miss Lurinda Forbush. North Attleboro academy was founded in 1833 and a two-story building erected at the corner of Washington and Orne streets. The principals were: Isaac Perkins to 1845; John C. Boram to 1846; Henry F. Lane to about 1848; Rev. J. D. Pierce to 1850; Henry Rice to 1852, when the existence of the building as an academy came to a close. East Attleboro academy was opened in its new building in 1842. with John C. Dodge, Jonathan Crane, Jonathan Bliss, Samuel Carpenter, W. Blackinton, P. Savery, O. S. Balcom, John Daggett and J. W. Capron as its promoters. The teachers in this school were Zwinglius Grover, Rev. William M. Thayer, Philip C. Knapp, John C. Boram, Leonard Walker and James M. Bailey.
The year 1867 was a remarkable one in local school history, for in that year it was voted to establish high schools both at North and East Attle- boro, and that the sum of $3,000 be appropriated to their support, the high school then meeting in other schoolhouses. But in 1881 and 1882, the East and North high schoolhouses were erected at a cost of over $31,000. The high school principals of the East or the present Attleboro high school have been during the first five years as follows: Calvin G. Hill, William Wilkins, A. F. Wood, Jr .; 1872-1885, Joseph Osmond Tiffany; May to December. 1885, J. H. Lord; W. C. Hobbs, January, 1886, to June, 1890, with the exception of July, 1889, when C. E. Stevens was the principal; O. L. Bev- eridge, June, 1890, to October, 1894; Victor V. Thompson, October, 1894- June, 1895; Winifred S. Ross, September 1895 to January, 1897; Charles P. Barnes, January, 1897, to September, 1899; Wilbur D. Gilpatric, September, 1899, to June, 1908; Fred U. Ward, September, 1908, to June, 1910; Harry E. Pratt, September, 1910, to June, 1911 ; Hal R. Eaton, September 5, 1911, to June 25, 1915 ; William B. Alexander, September, 1915, to April 6, 1917; Charles J. Peterson, April 23, 1917, to April 11, 1919; James F. Smith, April 21, 1919. to November 24, 1920; Charles O. Dalrymple, January 3, 1921 -.
The school committee in 1883 recommended an appropriation for the salary of a superintendent of schools, and it was on January 1, 1883, also
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that the old district system was abolished in this State. The superintend- ents in this town and city have been: Francis E. Burnette, 1883; Andrew W. Edson, 1884; Henry W. Maxson, October, 1885; Joseph O. Tiffany, April, 1888; William Kelly, August, 1899; Lewis A. Fales, August, 1905. In 1908 Charles E. Bliss, twelve years chairman of the school board, retired. This year the school savings bank was introduced into Attleboro schools ; and the school paper, the "Blue Owl," was first published by high school pupils. The Robinson school building was burned January 15. Warren Parker was appointed attendance officer for all the schools. He had been truant officer for the schools in the centre since 1903.
With the opening of the new high school building in March, 1914, constructed at a cost of $175,000, a new era began in the educational life of the city. The first recommendation for a new high school building made by the school committee had been under the leadership of the chairman, Charles E. Bliss, in 1901. Hal. R. Eaton was the new principal at the opening of the building. Thereafter the eighth grades gathered in the old high school building, now known as the Bank street grammar school; and M. P. Dutton, principal of the Bliss school was appointed principal of the Bank street school. There were then 3372 school children in the twenty school buildings of the city, with ninety-one teachers. Two classes were started in the industrial school; and the penny savings, begun in 1907, then amounted to $27,158.11. The amount asked for the maintenance of the public schools at this time was $113,400. A class in American citizenship was started in 1916. One hundred and twenty-seven pupils were interested in having gardens at home, money prizes being offered by the Chamber of Commerce; and the "Attleboro Sun" offered a trip to the National Dairy show at Springfield for the six pupils having the best gardens. Mrs. O. C. Chatterton, forty-four years a teacher in the Attleboro public schools, died September 14, 1916.
Activities in the schools in 1917 reflected the war conditions, from the raising of a flag on the Common, April 2, to the sale of Red Cross seals, December 14 to 21. An exhibition of garden products by the school chil- dren was held at the Bliss school, October 11, and Mayor Harold E. Sweet awarded prizes therefor at the high school, October 15. School clinics were begun on May 7 by Dr. George L. Wallace, of the State School at Wren- tham. The principal of the high school was Charles J. Peterson. Sixty of the public school teachers who had organized a reading club, were meet- ing once in two weeks to study some book along professional lines. Arrange- ments were made for John Laing Gibb, who came to Attleboro schools in 1902, to devote his whole time to teaching music in the schools, by means of the Richardson school fund. He had organized the high school orchestra. and many grammar school choruses; and through the war he had charge of the community chorus. Though manual training had been in vogue in the schools since 1910 under the direction of William F. Eastwood, and the teachers themselves had taught sewing since 1907, in 1919 the town voted to provide manual training for boys of the eighth grade, and to appoint a teacher of sewing for girls of grades five, six, seven and eight. Therefore, systematic instruction in physical training was begun in 1920 in the central schools by H. H. Reinhardt, physical director at the Y. M. C. A., and con- tinued two years. Later the work was extended to all schools, under the
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direction of Lester H. Purvere; and in 1922 the work was divided, with Ray Cooney in charge of the physical instruction at the grades and the track team at the high school, and a teacher at the high school in charge of sports and games.
It was on December 7, 1920, that the city took title from the Fidelity Trust Company in the Peck homestead property, North Main and Sanford streets, and as part of the same transaction purchased the reversionary interest in the Sanford street school lot, used since 1867 for school pur- poses, under a lease for ninety-nine years; and also all the outstanding shares of stock in the Academy building, erected in 1842 by the proprietors of the Attleboro Academy. The city now has absolute title to all this property.
The school census of 1920 was 4132, the high school enrollment that year being 462. The Continuation School was established that year in the Bank street school building, with eighth grade enrollment of 187. Milton P. Dutton was the director. The Hebronville Community Center was very popular and progressive. Captain Charles T. Crossman was appointed attendance officer in 1921.
The Joseph Finberg Educational Fund was established in 1921 for the benefit of graduates of the Attleboro High School. Each year a deserving graduate may be granted a loan from this fund to assist him in continuing his education in some higher institution of learning. In considering appli- cants, not oniy the scholarship, but the ability, intelligence and integrity of the applicant is reckoned.
The dates of the erection of the public school buildings in Attleboro. as compiled by Miss Alice Wetherell, secretary to the superintendent, are as follows: Sanford Street, the Academy, 1842; the Middle school, 1874; the grammar school, 1888; South Attleboro school, 1884; Hebronville school, 1884; Bank street school, 1882 -- enlarged 1903: Carpenter street school, 1894; Plat school, 1895; Capron school, 1896; Pleasant street school, 1898; Dodgeville school, 1900; Farmers' school, West street, 1901; Richardson school, 1901; Briggs Corner school, 1905; Washington school, 1908; Charles E. Bliss school, 1909; Tiffany school, 1911; High school, 1914.
In May, 1921, the Chamber of Commerce presented to the high school a bronze tablet inscribed with the names of the valedictorians of the gradu- ating classes since 1914, when the first class graduated from the new building.
The average membership in the schools in 1923 was 3628, the enroll- ment at the high school in September, 1922, having been 616. The number of teachers and supervisors in the twenty-four schools was 133, and the estimated expenses for the maintenance of the schools was $280,679. Even- ing schools are being conducted at the Tiffany and the high school build- ings, and school buildings in various parts of the city are in use for neigh- borhood meetings under the auspices of the Attleboro Community Fellow- ship. The Continuation School for unemployed minors between the ages of fourteen and sixteen years is a fixed institution, the enrollment for December, 1922, being 188; and the physical training department of the schools is making steady progress. The summer schools at Hebron and Dodgeville in 1922 had an average attendance of 155.
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Teachers' Association .- For more than twenty years the public school teachers of Attleboro have been increasingly active in their work and plans for the schools and their organization, and in 1923, with a membership of more than one hundred, their association is the one organization of the kind in this section of the county. The first meeting of the present associa- tion was held October 9, 1907, and the membership at that time was seventy-seven. The officers: President, Mrs. O. Cora Chatterton; secre- tary, Miss Mary E. McManus; treasurer, Miss Alice Macomber. Their constitution prepared at that time expressed the following sentiment of the association: "We, the teachers of Attleboro, cherishing a sense of the importance of cultivating a spirit of loyalty and benevolence among the members of our progressive organization, and being convinced that well- constituted societies are the best means of promoting the social life, and of lessening the suffering attendant upon sickness, for the furtherance of these objects, do constitute ourselves an association." In the early part of the century, in 1900 or thereabouts, a Teachers' Social Union was formed, their annual banquet having been held in February, 1903, and this doubtless was the nucleus of the present association.
CHAPTER VIII.
CHURCHES IN ATTLEBORO
Most of the varying expressions of religious beliefs are represented in Attleboro. The older church organizations are in the old town; but thirty- seven years after the call was first given a minister to the First Congre- gational church, or in 1743, the Second parish pastor took up his duties here. From that time onwards the various churches, Protestant and Cath- olic and Jewish, have arrived at the call of their increasing flocks. The following survey of the churches outlines their story in this section of the Attleboros, so far as response was made to the requests for information:
Congregational Churches .- The east parish was divided from the western section of the town April 7, 1743, because of the inconvenience to many of the parish in attending public worship at great distance from their homes. The first record of an attempt to build a meetinghouse in this part of the town was that of June 20, 1743, and Rev. Peter Thacher, not then ordained, commenced to preach here August 20, 1743. He was ordained and settled here November 30, 1748. One hundred and fifty pounds was appropriated for the meetinghouse begun in the autumn of 1743, but not completed for several years later. Mr. Thacher continued as pastor until October 26, 1784. He died September 13, 1785, in the seventieth year of his age. He was a native of Middleboro, and graduate of Harvard College. The pulpit was supplied by several ministers before the ordination of Rev. Ebenezer Lazell of Bridgewater, a graduate of Brown University, who preached his first sermon here November 21, 1792. He remained until Janu- ary 3, 1797, and was succeeded by Rev. Nathan Holman, graduate of Brown University in 1797. He was ordained here October 15, 1800, and he re-
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mained until May 22, 1821 ; he died at the age of seventy-five years, October 28, 1844. Rev. John Ferguson, a native of Scotland, succeeded Rev. Mr. Holman, and was ordained here February 27, 1822. His ministry at second Congregational Church was closed March 25, 1835, and he died at Whately, Mass., November 11, 1858. While he was pastor, a parsonage was built. The second meetinghouse was built in 1825. Rev. Jonathan Crane suc- ceeded Rev. Mr. Ferguson as pastor, being ordained October 30, 1836, his pastorate continuing until June 12, 1854.
Rev. Charles D. Lothrop was the next settled minister for this parish. A graduate of Amherst College and Andover Theological Seminary, he was installed as pastor December 14, 1854, and remained until April 29, 1857. There was no settled minister here for about nine years. Rev. Mr. Belden was the next pastor, who was here during the period of the Civil War. Rev. Francis N. Peloubet, graduate of Williams College and Bangor Theological Seminary, was pastor of the church from June 26, 1865, to October 19, 1871; Rev. Samuel Bell from December 18, 1872, to October 28, 1878; Rev. William A. Spalding from September 11, 1879, to No- vember 19, 1883. Rev. Walter Barton, graduate of Amherst College and the Connecticut Theological Institution, began his ministry here in March, 1884. He resigned in September, 1893. Rev. E. L. House was installed January 31. 1894, and concluded his pastorate December 21, 1898. Rev. Wilson S. Fritch was installed December 12, 1878, and his pastorate was brought to a close December 27, 1900. The pastorate of Rev. J. Lee Mitchell, Ph. D .. began April 21, 1901. The new church was dedicated May 22, 1904.
Bethany Chapel at South Attleboro had its organized beginning in a Sunday school that was begun in 1874 by Rev. John Whitehill, pastor of the First Congregational Church, assisted by members of his parish. On October 15, 1886, a society was organized as the Bethany Chapel Associa- tion, its president being William Coupé, who gave land for the parish ; William F. Shaw. vice-president : Damon A. White, secretary and treasurer ; and nine trustees. A chapel was built at a cost of $3,900, the value of both chapel and land being $5,000. The chapel dedication took place April 14, 1887. Rev. James C. Alvord was the pastor in 1922.
Methodist Episcopal Churches .- On November 24, 1865, writes Fred- erick Lincoln, historian of this church, Dr. D. H. Ela, then pastor of the M. E. Church in Pawtucket, and James Davis, a prominent layman of the same church, established a meeting at Attleboro. A hall was hired, and on November 26, 1865, Rev. D. H. Ela preached the first sermon, and this service gave so much encouragement that Union Hall was hired for future meetings. Among the first members who formed this church were Ezra Arnold and daughter, E. D. Parmenter and Emily Dean, later his wife. Freeman Robbins and wife, Delia Pierce, Eliza A. Clark, Harriet A. Engley, and Ellen M. Morrison. Rev. Mr. Ela continued to preach here, and was greatly aided in his missionary work by Rev. Isaac J. Lansing, then a young man fitting for the ministry ; also by James Davis, Daniel B. Ingra- ham, and other members of the church at Pawtucket. On Sunday, Decem- ber 3, 1865, a Sunday school of forty members was formed, with James Davis as superintendent and Ezra Arnold as assistant. At the expiration
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of four months, Mr. Arnold left the State, and Freeman Robbins was chosen in his place. The pulpit was supplied every Sabbath until the next conference, by Rev. Isaac J. Lansing. December 6, prayer meeting was held at Union Hall, and on the 16th the first class meeting convened at Freeman Robbins' house, with thirteen present. March 11, 1866, a formal organiza- tion was made with nineteen members, and the church was called "Davis Centenary M. E. Church." At the conference held in Bristol in March, 1866, Attleboro applied for a minister, and Alexander Anderson became by appointment the regular pastor. Ground was broken for the church in October, 1866, and November 26 the cornerstone was laid. The vestry was occupied on the first Sabbath in June, 1867, and on February 23, 1869, the church was dedicated, Rev. Mark Trafton, D. D., preaching the sermon. The church was built at a cost of $17,000, seven thousand of which was provided for, leaving a debt of some $10,000. The building was completed in a little less than three years from the date of the laying of the cornerstone, the congregation worshiping a part of the time in the vestry.
In May, 1873, Rev. E. D. Hall, together with Mr. and Mrs. Freeman Robbins and Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Luther, formed a mission at Lane's Station, since called Chartley. There a Sunday school was formed, and Mr. Robbins was chosen superintendent. A church was shortly afterwards organized, with nine members. During the pastorate there of Rev. J. C. Gowan, a chapel was built at a cost of $1,500, and dedicated February 3, 1876, free of debt.
At the Centenary Church the ladies of the society began the Home Mission April 27, 1866, and the society called the Gleaners, organized for the purpose of providing money for the church organ, raised $1,650. During the pastorate of Rev. J. A. L. Rich, the debt upon the church was removed, and many former pastors were present at the jubilee reunion November 20 and 21, 1883. About a month after the church had been freed from debt. the church building was totally destroyed by fire. The people rallied undis- mayed, under the leadership of Rev. Mr. Rich, and the new building was completed in March, 1885, at à cost of about $25,000, Bishop Foss preaching the dedicatory sermon. The parsonage was built during the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Povey. The annual conference was entertained here in the spring of 1883. Rev. V. V. Sawyer was the pastor in 1923.
April 4, 1875, is the date of the organization of the Hebronville Metho- dist Episcopal church, in Hebron Hall, the headquarters for a number of years. The church was dedicated April 5, 1883, the cost of the edifice being $12,000. The first pastor was Rev. John Q. Adams, 1875. Rev. Samuel F. Maine was the pastor in 1922.
The African M. E. Church was established in 1871, in which year a committee consisting of Isaac R. Johnson, John Williams and Israel Jack- son purchased land of Dr. J. M. Solomon where the first church building was erected. The building was burned and a new church building has since been built. The first pastor was Rev. R. H. G. Dyson. Rev. Jeffrey B. Wallace was pastor in 1922.
Murray Universalist Church .- The Universalist doctrine had its adher- ents and well-wishers in the town of Attleboro, all through the early part of the last century, but no positive move was made to establish a Uni-
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versalist church in this part of the town until the year 1875. It was on June 19 that year, that the Murray Universalist parish was organized, due to the activity of Charles E. Hayward, the first services under the direction of this society being held at Union Hall. The second important step was taken on December 16, 1875, when the upper part of the Edwin J. Horton building on North Main street was dedicated as Murray Chapel, and there- services were held for nearly a decade. Rev. Franklin C. Flint officiated as the first pastor of the society in the chapel, from November, 1875, until his death, which took place March 23, 1876. He was succeeded from Sep- tember, 1876, to July, 1878, by Rev. Alphonso E. White. Rev. Thomas W. Illman, who was ordained at Saugus near Lynn, in 1876, began to officiate here October 1, 1878, and it was while he was here that two events of special importance took place, namely, the purchase in May, 1881, of the lot on South Main street for $2,000, and the incorporation of the society May 11 as the Murray Universalist Society, in honor of Rev. John Murray, founder of the denomination in this country. Mr. Illman remained as pas- tor until May 1, 1884, and he was succeeded September 14, 1884, by Rev. Hiram E. Philbrook.
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