USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Boxborough > Boxborough: a New England town and its people > Part 3
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16
34
Borborough : a New England Town and its People.
slight changes in the boundaries. Unsuccessful efforts have also been made, from time to time. as they have grown smaller. to reduce the number of schools to one or two.
No great difference is observable in the location of school- buildings. The greatest change seems to be in the Northeast or No. 3 District, whose building is now more centrally situated at the intersection of several roads. The Southeast or No. 4 house has also undergone a slight change of location. A vote was passed in 1790 to build a school-house or houses, and again in 1791 to build three houses, and the sum of forty-five pounds was granted for the purpose. It is probable that the South- west District, No. 1, had already reared their educational structure, as only three houses are spoken of at this juncture, for which the sum of forty-five pounds was to be equally divided, and as special provision was made that the First District should receive their part of the money. Reference is continually made to items of business in connection with the building of these school-houses until toward the close of the century, and it is probable that they were not all fully completed before that time.
In 1807 an appropriation was made by the town to build a school-house in the Northwest quarter, No. 2, in room of one burnt, and the next year the district itself voted a sum of money for the same purpose. There is no further record until 1843, when a house was built in No. 3 District. Separate schools for boys and girls are last mentioned in 1797. Beyond a few items, such as the condition of the schools, money appro- priated each year, committees chosen, questions concerning redistricting the town, or settlement of bounds requiring the occasional transfer of an estate, there is nothing more of interest until 1840. In 1813, '14, '16, 25, '29. "42, '66, and '77 various appropriations are made for singing-schools.
A hundred years ago $60 was the amount paid for building a school-house : now, twenty-five times that sum would, per- haps, be deemed no more than sufficient. The methods of teaching have greatly changed. also, since those early days. The essential elements have always been the " three R's - Reading,
35
Methods of Teaching and Reports.
'Riting and 'Rithmetic,"- but the methods of instruction in these branches have widely changed. We quote from the Centennial speech of Mr. George F. Conant, a former superin- tendent of our publie schools, upon this subject: "Reading then meant a drawling drill in the alphabet and its combina- tions. a-b, ab ; e-b, eb; o-b, ob. etc ; our children are now in- dueted at once into the reading of words, and led on, by easy gradations, through selections from the best masters of English prose and verse. Writing then involved a long preliminary struggle with pot-hooks and trammels ; now the child is taught to read and write script from the outset. Arithmetic was then a sealed science beyond the Rule of Three - even the master was not required to have explored farther; now a child of ten or twelve years is expected to have reached that ultimatum. Mental arithmetic was a thing unknown. Grammar was then a tedious task, encumbered with the six Latin cases, and num- berless unintelligible rules. Our boys and girls, with their ' Language Lessons,' half work, half play, little know what their fore-fathers endured. Perhaps none of our text-books have changed more than the geographies. This is strikingly apparent in a comparison of maps of the different dates. Central Asia was terra incognita. Africa consisted of a narrow strip along the shores, surrounding the great unknown ; as for Australia and the isles of the sea, they were not ; our own country west of the Ohio was an impenetrable forest and howl- ing wilderness." Modes of discipline have also changed, and the famous " birchen rod " is a thing of the past.
The first report of schools is recorded in 1840. Number of scholars, 92 in summer, 143 in winter. Length of schools: in summer, 11 months ; in winter. 10 3-4 months. "Number of teachers : in summer, 4 females : in winter, 4 males." Average wages per month, including board : females, $9.50 ; males, $24. The school year was divided into two terms at this time, but later, as the terms were lengthened, it became the custom to have three, which is the present arrangement. The schools have now grown considerably smaller. The district system, which had prevailed so long, was abolished February 28, 1867,
36
Boxborough : a New England Town and its People.
by vote of the town. The Superintending School Committee first received pay for their services in 1842. Their recorded reports at this time are full of interest. We give a sentence from the report of 1842, earnest and to the point: "Young men can parse or analyze sentences with a great deal of skill when they leave school, but it is very rare that you can find one that has confidence enough in his own abilities to compose a piece of reasoning and recite it before an audience." One report, in 1846, so brief we beg leave to give it entire, is as follows: " Your committee would report that in their opinion the schools. with one or two exceptions. have been wisely and judiciously managed the past year." The annual report was first printed in 1853. In 1843 two school libraries were established, and the following year a sum of money was appropriated to carry on the good work. In 1842 the work of erecting school- buildings was again entered upon by the Northeast District, which event called forth the following from the School Com- mittee : " Your committee hail with joy the erection of a new school-house in town, after the lapse of about half a century, a period when a school-house might have some good claims to exemption from further service." Some time later the other districts followed suit, and from that time forward the houses have been rebuilt - Nos. 1 and 2 sometime from 1852 to 1857. No. 4 in 1868. and No. 3 in 1870 - or repaired as was thought necessary, until at the present time there is a comfortable school-building in each of the four quarters of the town. Only five of Boxborough's young men have received a college educa- tion. Two sons of Rev. Joseph Willard, the first pastor, graduated at Harvard in 1793 and 1809, Mr. J. Quincy Hayward at Amherst, in 1882, and Mr. Charles H. Conant. Dartmouth, 1871, bar in 1873. Mr. Conant has been a lawyer in Lowell for quite a number of years. Mr. D. Boutwell Veasie completed a college course at Worcester, Ohio, and afterwards studied law.
37
The Church and its Organization.
CHAPTER IV.
ECCLESIASTICAL - CHURCH ORGANIZED - FIRST PASTOR INSTALLATION - THE SERMON - MR. WILLARD - CON- TROVERSY - REV. AARON PICKET.
As stated in our opening paragraph, the old Harvard meeting- house was purchased in 1775. The old volume, which contains all the account that is left to us of these early days, bears on the fly-leaf this inscription : "Record Book. The Gift of Bennet Wood to the Society Building a Meeting- House in North-westerly part of Stow. Littleton, August 31, 1776." Religion was the primary cause of the union of the people on the outskirts of these three towns. They banded themselves together for convenience in public worship, and thus the "New Society " was formed, which afterwards became first the district and then the town. The religious phase of her history is the essential element of all her history ; for religion was the fundamental principle - the foundation - on which the town was built. For almost half a century the town and the parish were identical, and her history in this connection is not only valuable to us who now study it, but it is full of interest also. Our Puritan ancestors recognized then, as we do now, in what the true publie good consisted, and they sought to place on their hill, as their initial act, that in which all their thoughts and deeds should centre, - the church of the living God. The town meeting and the parish meeting were one for a long time, and for a still longer period. more than half a century even, after the separation of town and parish business, the town-meetings were held in the
38
Borborough : a New England Town and its People.
meeting-house. Questions concerning the church and church affairs were made the annual business of the town.
In the warrant for the second meeting, held in April, 1783. was this article : " To see if the Town will grant money to hire Preaching, or act anything Relating the same they shall think Proper or choose a committee to do so ;" and they voted to hire preaching, agreed upon the sum of forty pounds for that purpose, and chose a committee of three to hire it : viz., Bennet Wood, Oliver Taylor and Moses Whitcomb. September 22. 1783, we read this unique article in town warrant : "To see if the Town will Take any measures for to Regulate Singing on the Lord's Day or apoint Quiristers for the same." And they " voted to choose four Quiristers as followeth." Even seven years before, in 1776, the good people were not unmindful of this phase of public worship, for they "voted and chose Abel Fletcher, Abel Whitcomb and Jonathan Patch to tune the Psalms." In 1796 the town " voted that Dr. Belknap's Books should be used in the Congregation of Boxborough in the Room of Dr. Watt's Books." It seems the town voted also where a person should sit in church, for, the same year, it " voted and seated Ens. Samuel Wetherbee in the fore-seat below. and Samuel Draper in the fore-seat of the side gallery ;" in 1792, " Voted that the Dr. sit in the fore-seat of the front ;" apparently as a mark of respect to those gentlemen. Deacons seats were also provided. In 1798 the same authority " Voted that the Methodist preacher may preach in the meeting- house in said Boxborough on the week-days, during the town's pleasure, but not to molest or interrupt the Rev. Mr. Joseph Willard when he shall appoint any lecture or time to preach in said meeting-house at his pleasure." The town- meeting voted the taxes for the payment of the minister, for, a month later, that body "voted not to have the persons that have dogs taxed for their dogs polls, and voted to tax all persons to the minister's Rate agreeable to the Constitution." Sometimes a person wished to attend church out of town, and then he was released from his minister's rate in town upon bringing certificate from the clerk of the neighboring town,
39
The Church and its Organization.
stating that he worshipped with some other church, and paid his dues there. The town corporate evidenced in all her proceedings her desire to do everything according to righteous- ness and justice, and she was no less careful to bring her citizens up to the same standard.
It appears that the church was in an unfinished state at the time of the incorporation of the district. for. Oct. 27. 1783. it was voted .. to sell the Pue ground in the meeting-house below. and take the money to finish the house." It took several town-meetings to settle the business, but it was finally decided that " the persons that purchase the Pue ground build the pews on their own cost. and take them for their Seates for them- selves and families in the Meeting-house until they Sell or Dispose of the same." The ground-plan was for twenty-two pews, and when they were sold it was " voted that the first twenty-two highest payers have the first offer of the Pews as is Dignified and Prized according to their pay, and voted that the highest pew be offered unto the Highest Payer, giving him or them the choice of that or any other Pew they or he Likes Better at the Same Price, and if the first twenty-two highest Refuse to take the Pews, then they are to be offered to the next twenty-two highest payers, and so on in proportion till all have had the offer if Need be." Again, in 1786 and 1795, votes were passed " to seat meeting-house according to age and pay." These items would seem to show that deference to property is not confined to our own time, but was also a characteristic of bygone days.
The church was organized the 29th of April, 1784, and it was voted to have the house finished the following November. The 18th of that month the town " voted to concur with the church of Boxborough in giving Mr. Joseph Willard a call to settle with them as a Gospel Minister in sd town." They also discussed the subject of salary as to " what they should give the Rev. Mr. Willard for encouragement ;" voted "to think about it " and. finally, after various meetings to settle the busi- ness, Dec. 27, they voted " not to give Rev. Mr. Willard half- pay so long as he indureth his natural life. but to pay the Rev.
40
Boxborough : a New England Town and its People.
Mr. Joseph Willard £75 of money annually. in silver money. at six shillings, eight pence per ounce, and find twenty cords of wood for his fire annually, so long as the Rev. Mr. Willard shall supply the Pulpit in said town of Boxborough and no longer." The furnishing of the wood was let out to the lowest bidder annually. Another quaintly-worded article in warrant this year read as follows: " To see if the Town will Sell the two hind Seats Below on the men's and women's Side and Let them be cut up for Pews, and get the outside of the meeting- house Painted with the money."
They voted to install Mr. Willard, Nov. 2, 1785. Mr. Willard was born in Grafton, Mass., and graduated at Harvard College in 1765. He was called to Bedford,* April 19, 1769. where he served as pastor for nearly fourteen years. December 4, 1782, his connection with the society was dissolved at his own request, by the unanimous advice of a council, on account of the broken state of the society. He then received his call and was installed over the District of Boxborough. The follow- ing eight churches were invited to join in the installation services : Grafton, Harvard, first and second churches Reading, Stow, Northboro', Littleton, and Acton. Rev. Jonathan Newell. of Stow, offered the opening prayer; Rev. Caleb Prentice, of the first church in Reading, preached the sermon from 2 Cor .. 1st chapter and 24th verse. - "Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy." We quote from this sermon - which was printed at Worcester, in 1786, and a copy of which is in possession of Miss M. B. Priest of this town - the following extracts : -
" The great business of Gospel Ministers, is, to be helpers of the joy of their fellow-men, to promote their well-being and felicity, both in the present and future world. . . Every man has a natural, unalienable right, to think, judge, and believe for himself, in matters of religion. And every Christian is bound to maintain this right for himself, and to support others in the enjoyment of it. If one Christian usurps dominion over another's faith. he assumes a power that does not belong
* For " Bedford " read " Mendon."
41
Installation Sermon and Mr. Willard.
to him, and may with propriety be addressed after this manner - Who made thee to be a ruler and judge over others in this matter ? Who art thou that judgest another man's servant ? To his own master he standeth or falleth, to whom alone he is accountable. Ministers must preach the Word, more especially the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which reveals the mind and will of the Lord, and points out to men the path of duty and way to happiness. We must instruct our hearers in that useful branch of science, the true knowledge of them- selves - the end of their existence - their mortal and immortal nature - and their relation to a future, eternal world.
The terrours of the law must be thundered forth, to engage sinners to repentance and to bring them to Christ. . An
essential part of Ministerial duty consists, in preaching Christ as a Saviour to men. We must proclaim to men the glad tidings of salvation by the Son of God. the Mediator of the new covenant, and make known the mercy and grace of God to sinners, through Jesus Christ, teaching them the way to obtain forgiveness of sin and eternal life, through the Son of God."
Rev. Eben Grosvenor offered prayer; Rev. Eliab Stone, of the second church in Reading, gave the charge to the pastor ; Rev. Peter Whitney, of Northborough, gave the charge to the people, and Rev. Moses Adams, of Acton, offered the closing prayer. The whole number of persons belonging to the church at its organization, and admitted afterward during Mr. Willard's pastorate, was 144; number of persons baptized. 265; number of marriages, 109; number of deaths, 188. After a pastorate of nearly forty years, by request of the people, in December, 1823, Mr. Willard resigned his position as pastor of the church. when just at the close of his eighty-second year. He resided at the parsonage, the house now owned and occupied by Mr. Jerome Priest, until his death. in September, 1828.
We know but little of him who closed his earthly career here more than sixty years ago. We are informed that he fitted a great many young men for college, that he was himself a graduate of Harvard, and we judge that he was a man of
42
Boxborough : a New England Town and its People.
education and culture, -a faithful worker, leading and direct- ing the newly-organized church, revered, loved and trusted by them for upwards of half a century, and that his labors, though expended among these country hills, were not in vain.
In 1815 the question of building a new meeting-house or of repairing the old began to agitate the people. During the next three years many meetings were held, at which various measures were suggested, voted upon, and then reconsidered. At length, in May, 1816, a vote was passed "to leave it to a committee to determine whether the town shall repair old meeting-house or build a new one, and if in the opinion of said committee the Town shall build a new Meeting-house, they shall appoint the place where to set it." And they chose Augustus Tower. Esq. of Stow, John Robins, Esq. of Acton, and Jonathan Sawyer, a committee for that purpose. The hill on which the old church stood was quite a little distance west of the centre, and so the people of the east part of the town wished not only to build a new house, but to have it placed nearer the actual centre. According to the records, the con- troversy grew stronger, for the said committee having performed their duty and brought in the report "that in their opinion it would not be for the interest of the town to repair the old, but to build new, and on spot southerly of Mr. Phinehas Wether- bee's dwelling-house " - a site quite near the actual centre - it was voted " not to accept the report " and " not to reconsider the last vote to repair." At a November meeting a petition was presented, signed by twenty-three residents of the east part of the town, asking, "First, for a new meeting-house ; second, that it be placed on or near site appointed by the com- mittee of reference : and if not, third, to see if the town will vote that the subscribers be discharged from Boxborough that they may go to the original Towns from which they were taken." The town was not ready as a whole to yield the ground on the question of a new meeting-house, nor did they wish to lose any of their citizens, so they voted " to pass over the article." Efforts were made from time to time to bring about a better state of feeling between the parties. but the new
43
Rev. Aaron Picket.
house was not built until years after (in 1836), neither were there repairs made to any extent.
After Mr. Willard's resignation, when the Rev. Aaron Pieket eame to be their next minister, the manner of proced- ure was changed. The amendment to the Constitution discon- meeting Church and State was not passed until November, 1833, but the town-meeting no longer granted the minister's salary, or auctioned off his twenty cords of wood to the lowest bidder. Mr. Picket came in 1826 upon a vote of the town "to hire him for one year after the money that is already raised is expended to preach for them in Boxborough, provided he will stay and they can get money enough to pay him." A division similar to that which occurred in so many churches at about that time was imminent now. In 1828 they "voted to let each denomination have the meeting-house their proportionable part of the time according to the valuation," and they chose a committee. in which each denomination was represented, “to lay out the money." But from later records it seems probable that the money was raised not by assessment, but by sub- scription.
44
Boxborough : a New England Town and its People.
CHAPTER V.
SEPARATION - NEW SOCIETY - REV. JAMES R. CUSHING - NEW CHURCH - PASTORS - THE FIRST PARISH - METH- ODIST CHURCH - STATISTICS - CENTENNIAL - TOWN OFFICERS.
THE separation came at last in 1829, when the church desired to call the Rev. James R. Cushing of the Theological Seminary. Bangor. Me., to the pastorate, to which action the parish raised opposition. The ground of difference was in religious belief. And so, May 20, the church met and voted "That having failed to secure the concurrence of the 1st Parish in inviting Mr. Cushing to become our Religious Teacher we proceed to take the steps prescribed by law to form a New Society whose members will coneur with us in taking the necessary measures to secure to this church the pastoral labors of Mr. Cushing." Immediately the society, called the " Evangelical Congrega- tional Society in the District of Boxborough," was legally formed. and having "concurred " with the church, a call was at once extended to Mr. Cushing ; and the "solemnities " of ordination were performed under an ancient elm near the old meeting-house, Aug. 12, 1829. They built their church on its present site. at the junction of the highways, where the Stow road crosses the old turn-pike. a little south-east of the centre. near which a comfortable parsonage now stands, a point con- venient of access from all parts of the town. It was " dedicated to the worship of God " Feb. 6, 1833. A sketch of those who have been connected with the church as pastors may not be uninteresting. Mr. Cushing was dismissed at his own request,
45
Pastors.
to become agent for the American Bible and Tract Society. June 12. 1833. He was one of the Superintending School Committee for three years.
Jan. 13, 1834. the church and society voted unanimously to give Rev. Joseph Warren Cross a call to the pastorate. Mr. Cross accepted the call and was ordained the first day of the following October. This connection of pastor and people was dissolved Nov. 13. 1839, by his own request. He served on the School Board in 1838. He is still living -at the advanced age of eighty-in West Boylston, Mass. He retired from the ministry a number of years ago. During his stay in Boxborough he taught a private school in a building erected for the purpose, nearly opposite the new church, and which was also used as a vestry. The building is now a part of Mr. Hayden's barn.
Rev. James D. Farnsworth accepted the pastoral care of the church Nov. 28, 1841, and was installed Jan. 6. 1842. This connection was severed in 1847. He was a member of the Superintending School Committee in 1842 and 1844, served as one of the assessors for two consecutive years and was active in all that pertained to the well-being of the town.
A part of the time from 1847 to 1851 the church was supplied by Rev. Mr. Crossman, a young Wesleyan divine. who, in connection with his pulpit duties. performed those of teacher in No. 4 District for two consecutive winters. Rev. Mr. Gannett preached in 1851-52, and Rev. Leonard Luce became the acting pastor from 1853 to 1858. During his ' ministrations the greatest revival the church has ever known was enjoyed. He died in Westford a number of years ago at the ripe age of eighty-five years.
Rev. James H. Fitts, a young man and a native of New Hampshire, commenced his labors as acting pastor of the church Sept. 5, 1858, and continued his connection with it for nearly four years ; then, having received a call to the church in West Boylston, Mass., he preached his farewell sermon July 27. 1862, and accepted the callato that place.
46
Boxborough : a New England Town and its People.
Rev. George N. Marden was ordained to the pastoral office Oct. 2. 1862, and dissolved his relationship with the church in April, 1865. He was a fine scholar, as his sermons testified. He is now connected with a college at Colorado Springs. Col.
The following November Rev. Amos Holbrook, of Milford. Mass., commenced his labors as acting pastor and closed them Sept. 1. 1868, He had neither seminary education nor theo- logical training, but he was a well-educated man, having held the position of principal of a school in Milford previous to his pastorate in Boxborough. It was during his stay. and owing partly to his influence, that the present parsonage was built.
Feb. 11, 1869, Rev. Daniel MeClenning came, but removed to Hanover, N. H., Apr. 30, 1873. Socially he was a perfect gentleman and very agreeable in manner, but his style of preaching was censorious and severe. He was of Scotch ances- try and his birth-place was in Littleton. He died five or six years ago.
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.