USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Ashburnham > History of Ashburnham, Massachusetts : from the grant of Dorchester Canada to the present time 1734-1886 with a genealogical register of Ashburnham families > Part 24
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Among the singers in the second meeting-house on the old common, whose voices are still heard in the traditions of the choir, were Colonel Charles Barrett, Benjamin Barrett, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Stearns, Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Townsend, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hastings, the brothers John, James and Walter R. Adams, George Law- rence, Josiah White, Harvey M. Bancroft, Mrs. Benjamin Gibbs, a daughter of Reuben Rice, Mrs. James Russell, assisted by the violins of Colonel Charles Barrett and Jonas Rice, the clarionets of Walter R. Adams and Samuel Foster,
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the bugle of James Barrett and the bassoon of James Adams.
Several of these continued with the choir in the new meeting-house in the village, and from time to time were reenforced by Amos Taylor, Joseph Kibling, Colonel Joseph P. Rice, Colonel Francis J. Barrett, Colonel George H. Barrett, who entered the choir at an early age, Harvey M. Bancroft, Stephen A. Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Josiah E. White, Mrs. Sally (Thurston) Phillips, Mrs. Shepherd, David and Harvey Laws, Dr. and Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Josephine (Stearns) Tenny, Julia and Caroline Barrett, Mrs. Rebecca (Stearns) Walker, whose cultured voice led the choir several years, and the viols and violins of Deacon J. A. Conn, Harvey M. Bancroft, George H. Lowe, Stephen A. Miller, Horace Samson, the flute of J. E. White and the clarionet skilfully played by Captain A. A. Walker. In this choir Mrs. Julia Houston West began her public singing and C. C. Stearns, when a lad, accurately played the bass viol. The present choir, under the efficient direction of Colonel George H. Barrett, with Miss Augusta Ames organist, is well sustained by the leading voices of Miss Lizzie F. Barrett, Mrs. Georgie S. (Whitney) Greenwood, Mrs. Theresa (Rockwood) Litch and Homer T. Riee.
In the early service of the Methodist church sacred song was the voluntary praise of the congregation, rather than the skilled performance of a choir. In this style of music any failure of culture was fully compensated by fervor and ani- mation. Since the occupancy of the meeting-house in the central village a good choir has been quite generally sus- tained and very many acceptable singers and several cultured voices have participated in this feature of public worship. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Stearns, who had been teachers of music, were prominent in this choir many years and later
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their daughter, Mrs. Walker, was leader of the choir and leading soprano thirteen years. The strong and not untune- ful voice of Antipas Maynard is well remembered and his daughters have rendered efficient service. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hastings, Sawyer Rice, Lewis Sabin, Nathaniel F. Cutter, Sarah A. Cutter and many others, are often named in the traditions of the Methodist choir. At the present time Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Eaton are leading singers and Miss Mabel W. Tenney is organist.
CHAPTER XII.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
HOME EDUCATION. - FIRST APPROPRIATION FOR SCHOOLS. - FIRST SCHOOL- HOUSES. - DISTRICTS. - EIGHT DISTRICTS DEFINED. - A NEW DISTRICT. - THE TENTH DISTRICT. - NEW BOUNDARIES. - THE ELEVENTH DISTRICT. --- THE DISTRICT SYSTEM ABOLISHED. - SCHOOL-HOUSES. - TEXT-BOOKS. - TEACHERS. - APPROPRIATIONS. - SCHOOL LEGISLATION. - HIGH SCHOOLS. - PRUDENTIAL AFFAIRS. - SUPERVISION.
No sooner had a few families, at remote distances and connected by rude paths through the intervening wilderness, secured the stated ministrations of the gospel, than means were provided for the education of the young. During the early years of the settlement, in which there were no public schools, the young were not suffered to grow up in ignorance. The parents were generally people of intelligence and not a few of considerable culture. They personally attended to the education of their children and there were as many schools in the settlement as there were families. Whatever may have been the measure of instruction in the home circle the results are unmistakable. None grew up in ignorance, and the many evidences of a fair education, made known in the lives of those whose only schooling was at the fireside, are the substance of our knowledge of the instruction of that early period. A part of the children of the Winchester, Foster, Coolidge, Kibling, Whiteman and Coleman families were advanced youth when the first public school was estab- lished in this town ; yet, compared with the standard of their
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HISTORY OF ASHBURNHAM.
times, they were educated, intelligent men and women, and it is clearly evident that the education of the youth of that period was not neglected through a failure of public support. The date of the first entries found in the records on this subject is 1767. Compared with the schools of to-day it was a humble beginning : "Voted to Keep a School and voted Eight Pounds for ye school."
At a meeting assembled a few months later and before any of the appropriation had been expended under an article, "To see where ye Town will keep their School, whether in ye middle of ye Town or Divide it into Quarters or Pass any votes on sd article," it was " Voted yt ye School Should be a moveing School, voted to leave it to ye Select men to make ye Quarters where ye school Shall be Cept, voted it to bee a free School." The term quarter was here employed in the sense of district or division and this use of the word per- mitted the selectmen to divide the town into an accommo- dating number of quarters, which was frequently done, with- out defiance of mathematical terms. During the early existence of the schools the town was divided into three districts, a school being maintained at the centre of the town, another at the Dutch farms and the third in the south part of the town. In 1774, in accordance with the existing arrange- ment of the districts, the town voted to build three school- houses. This action was promptly reconsidered, and an order was adopted that the town be divided into five quarters and that five school-houses be erected at the expense of the town. At this point there is found no reference to any new districts, but in some way there were seven in the following year. For several years, commencing with 1780, there were ten districts ; in 1786, there were nine ; in 1794 the number of districts was reduced to eight; but in 1801 a new ninth district was established in the southeast part of the town,
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including the estates of Joshua Billings, Reuben Billings, Reuben Rice, Jonathan Winchester, Thomas Gibson, Joseph Gibbs, Caleb Wilder, Jr., and Samuel Dunster.
Thus, at the close of the century, we find the town divided into nine districts, and in each, as will appear, there was a comfortable school-house. While the boundaries of these districts have been subject to frequent changes, and the tenth and eleventh districts have been created by a division of the seventh and first districts, the remaining numbers were bounded substantially as they exist at the present time. From the beginning changes in the boundaries of the dis- triets and requests of individuals to be transferred to an adjacent district have been a prolific source of legislation. In 1805, the subject of a general revision was referred to a committee of one from each district who reported the follow- ing year " that it is their unanimous opinion that a general rearrangement throughout the town cannot be advisable, but some alterations, in the southern part of the town, may be attended with good effect." This action did not pacify the town, and many petitions were renewed. In May, 1808, the whole subject was referred to a committee, consisting of Dr. Abraham Lowe, Captain Caleb Wilder, Captain George R. Cushing, Lieutenant John Adams, Mr. Timothy Crehore, Mr. Lemuel Stimson, Captain John Willard, Mr. Caleb Ward and Mr. William Merriam. On the twenty- ninth of November following the committee made a report dividing the town into eight districts, as follows :
DISTRICT NUMBER ONE. - To consist of Rev. John Cushing, Moses Tottingham, Abraham Lowe, Horatio Hale, David Cushing, David Cushing, Jr., Joseph Jewett, Grover Scollay, Wm. J. Lawrence, Ephraim Cobleigh, Fitch Crosby, Hosea Stone, widow Nancy Stone, Joseph Miller, widow Brooks, Luther Brooks, Sewell Brooks, Phinehas Stimson, Cyrus Fairbanks, Jacob Fair-
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HISTORY OF ASHBURNHAM.
banks, Oliver Samson, David Russell, Caleb Ward, Jr., Nathan Jones, Stephen Randall, Phinehas Randall, Jonas Randall, Joel Barrett, Oliver Marble, Oliver Marble, Jr., Thaddeus Brooks, Jonas Robbins, Shebuel Hobard, Deacon Jacob Harris, Ezekiel S. Metcalf (35).
DISTRICT NUMBER Two. - Oliver Green, Jesse Ellis, Jonathan Brooks, John Winter, David Wallis, William Ward, Henry Hall, Lemuel Whitney, Nicholas Whiteman, John Hall, David Taylor, Nathan Taylor, George R. Cushing, Jacob Willard, Jacob Con- stantine, Wait Broughton (16).
DISTRICT NUMBER THREE. - Lieutenant John Adams, Walter R. Adams, James Adams, John Adams, Jr., Thomas Russell, Isaac Hill, Ebenezer Adams, Isaac Reed, William Gates, John Hadley's place, widow Ruth Conn. James Cowee, Jabez Marble, Jonas Rice, Peter Polley, Asa Woods, Asa Sawin, Joshua Bil- lings, George Wilker, Josiah Fletcher (20).
DISTRICT NUMBER FOUR. - Reuben Rice, Jonathan Winchester, Joseph Gibbs, Thomas Gibson, William Merriam, Samuel Gates, Samuel Dunster, Nehemiah Maynard, Stephen Maynard, Thomas Hobart, Mrs. Sarah Earle, William Whitney, Samuel Whitney, Stephen Bemis, Deacon Sherebiah Hunt (15).
DISTRICT NUMBER FIVE. - Reuben Townsend, widow Conn, Caleb Wilder, Jr., Captain Silas Whitney's place, Samuel Clark, Henry Gates, Ebenezer Munroe, Samuel Phillips, John Gates, Jona- than Samson, Stephen Corey, Deacon Elisha White, John Willard, Joshua Smith, Grover Scollay, Joseph Burgess, Ebenezer Burgess, Simeon Brooks, John Corey, Joseph Stone, Ezra Stone, Elial Bacon, Jonas Reed, Daniel Knight. Jonathan Haven, John Haven, Nathaniel Adams, James Haynes, Phinehas Taylor, Hezekiah Corey (30).
DISTRICT NUMBER SIX. - Timothy Crehore, Benjamin Angier, Joseph Merriam, Moses Sanderson, Timothy Crehore, Jr., Frederick Crosby, Adam Stone, J. Hayden, William Holbrook, Jonah Rice, Nathaniel Foster, David Clark, William Harris (13).
DISTRICT NUMBER SEVEN. - Samuel Cotting, Ithamer Fair- banks, James Weston, Colonel Francis Lane, Caleb Ward, Ezra
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Lawrence, Enos Jones, Joseph Fenno, Barnabas Baldwin, Abra- ham Cummings, Grant Houston, Moses Lawrence, Isaac Whit- more, Edmund Jones, Ebenezer B. Davis, widow Kezia Hobart, Captain Silas Willard (17).
DISTRICT NUMBER EIGHT. - Simon Willard, Amos Pierce, Daniel Benjamin, Daniel Benjamin, Jr., Nathan Jones' place, William Stearns, Jesse Stearns, Joshua Barton, James Stearns' place, Joseph Steele, Daniel McIntire, Ezra Hastings, Lemuel Stimson, Benjamin Lane, Josiah Lane, Captain Charles Hastings, Henry Willard (17).
At a previous meeting the same year, on the petition of several families residing in the vicinity of Rice pond, a new district had been created for their accommodation. Under the arrangement embraced in the report of the committee these families were restored to the first district and their new district was annulled as soon as organized. Immediately they renewed their solicitations for an independent district and were again successful. In May, 1810, after several hearings the town " Voted to grant the request of Jacob Harris and others, which is to set off the following persons as a school district by themselves, viz. : Jacob Harris, Shebuel Hobart, Oliver Marble, Ezekiel S. Metcalf, Charles Hastings, Joel Barrett, Thaddeus Brooks, John Winter, Jonas Randall, Josiah Lane, Oliver Marble, Jr., and Jonas Robbins."
These radical changes in the district organizations did not restore tranquillity. The continued petitions of individuals to be annexed to a contiguous district were sometimes granted but more generally denied. After several refusals the inhabitants of Lane Village were permitted to organize the tenth district, but the boundaries were not defined by the town until 1829. The vote of the town was as follows : "That Samuel Foster, Ezekiel Metcalf, Francis Lane, Henry Kibling, Henry Kibling, Jr., David Hadley, Caleb Ward,
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HISTORY OF ASHBURNHAM.
John Kibling, Francis Kibling, Richard W. Houghton, Elias Lane, Alvin Ward, Henry Gipson, Moses Lawrence, Ebenezer B. Davis, Charles Davis, John C. Davis, Joseph Davis and Humphrey Harris, together with their estates and all the non-resident lands lying within the limits (together with Joel Foster and his estate if he wishes), shall constitute school district Number Ten in the town of Ashburnham."
Again, in 1832 the boundaries of all the districts were definitely established and several changes were made. Many now living were attending school when this order of the town was executed. Those whose former relations were ruthlessly severed, who were thus compelled to attend school in new places, who trod no more the old familiar paths to the school- house, nor met the familiar faces of their former playmates, will even now recall the proceeding with vivid recollection.
A committee, consisting of George G. Parker, John Hall, Asa Woods, Elijah Brooks, Elisha White, Timothy Crehore, Jr., Enoch Whitmore, Jonas Willard, Charles Hastings, Elias Lane, - one from each district, -made the following recommendation which was adopted :
Your committee, appointed at the last March meeting to deter- mine and define the limits of the several school districts, having attended to that duty, would respectfully recommend that the several territories as hereafter bounded and described, with the in- habitants at any time residing thercon, should constitute different . districts in this town, to wit :
DISTRICT NUMBER ONE. - Beginning at the southeasterly cor- ner of William Whitney's farm and running northerly to the central point in the road between Reuben Townsend, Jr., and Mrs. Hunt ; thence northerly so as to cross the county road lead- ing through the village at the north end of Dr. Pierce's east wall near Thomas Hobart's land ; thence northerly to the junction of the Ashby road and the road leading to Emery Fairbanks'; thence
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northwesterly to a stake and stones on the west side of New Ipswich road north of Corey & Ross' mill; thence in the same direction to a stake and stones on the west side of the road between Jonas Robbins' and the said bank ; thence westerly to the south end of Meeting-house pond ; thence to the centre of the road fifty rods south of Ezekiel Metcalf ; thence northerly in the [line] of said road five rods north of Joel Foster's ; thence westerly so as to meet the county road at the east side of the French farm ; thence southeasterly to the junction of the roads leading by Oliver Sam- son's and Josiah Eaton's ; thence to a stake and stones on the north side of the road between Samuel Whitney's and Stephen Corey's at the division line between their farms ; thence south- easterly so as to cross the road leading by Joseph Harris' at the east end of his south wall near Captain Willard's land; thence north of Mr. Barrett's to the southwest corner of William Whit- ney's farm at the line of the town of Westminster ; thence on said town line to the bounds first mentioned.
DISTRICT NUMBER Two. - Beginning at Wilker's new road at the line of the town of Ashby ; thence running northerly on said Ashby line to the northwest corner of Elnathan Lawrence's farm ; thence southerly to the north end of Brooks' pond ; thence to the junction of the roads leading by Salmon Rice's and Joseph Dud- ley's ; thence southerly to the east side of Mount Hunger ; thence on District Number Three to the bounds first mentioned.
DISTRICT NUMBER THREE. - Beginning at the junction of the Ashby road and the road leading by Emery Fairbanks'; thence easterly to a pair of bars across a pathway leading to Nathaniel Cutter's ; thence easterly to the southeast corner of Joshua Bil- lings' farm ; thence north on the line of the town of Ashby to Wilker's new road ; thence westerly to the side of Mount Hunger ; thence westerly to the northwest corner of Stephen Lane's pasture ; thence southerly to the bounds first mentioned.
DISTRICT NUMBER FOUR. - Beginning at the southeast corner of William Whitney's farm; thence on District Number One to the central point in the road between Reuben Townsend, Jr., and Mrs. Hunt's ; thence northerly crossing the county road at the 22
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HISTORY OF ASHBURNHAM.
north end of Dr. Pierce's east wall to the junction of the Ashby road and the road leading to Emery Fairbanks'; thence easterly on District Number Three to a pair of bars across a passway leading to Nathaniel Cutter's ; thence easterly to the southeast corner of Joshua Billings' farm ; thence southerly and westerly on the line of the towns of Ashby, Fitchburg and Westminster to the bounds first mentioned.
DISTRICT NUMBER FIVE. - Beginning at the southwesterly corner of William Whitney's farm; thence northwesterly on the north side of William Barrell's and on District Number One to the junction of the roads leading by Oliver Samson's and Josiah Eaton's ; thence westerly so as to cross the turnpike leading to P. R. Merriam's at Sanderson's corner ; thence to the line of Gardner on the north side of Hezekiah Corey's farm ; thence southerly and . easterly on the town line of said Gardner and Westminster to the bounds first mentioned.
DISTRICT NUMBER SIX. - Beginning at the line of the town of Gardner on the north side of Hezekiah Corey's farm; thence easterly on District Number Five to Sanderson's corner ; thence on Districts Number Five and Number One to the county road leading from Ashburnham to Winchendon at the east side of the French farm, so-called; thence to the northeasterly corner of James Laws' land; thence westerly to the line of the town of Winchendon at the northwesterly corner of William Harris' farm ; thence on the town line of said Winchendon and Gardner to the bounds first mentioned.
DISTRICT NUMBER SEVEN. - Beginning at the line of the town of Winchendon at the northwest corner of William Harris' farm ; thence easterly on District Number Six to the northeast corner of James Laws' land; thence easterly to the southwest corner of Asa Tottingham's land; thence easterly to the southeast corner of William Houghton's land ; thence northerly to the northeast corner of said Houghton's land ; thence westerly to the southeast corner of Silas Willard's land ; thence north on Silas Willard, George Wood, Daniel Jones and Rial Cummings to the line of the State of New Hampshire ; thence westerly on said State line to
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the northwest corner of Ashburnham ; thence southerly on the line of the town of Winchendon to the bounds first mentioned.
DISTRICT NUMBER EIGHT. - Beginning at the northwest corner of Captain T. Stearns' farm at the line of New Hampshire ; thence westerly on Rial Cummings, Daniel Jones, George Wood and Silas Willard to the southeast corner of Silas Willard's farm ; thence on District Number Seven to the southeast corner of William Houghton's land ; thence southeasterly to the northwest corner of Lewis Willard's farm ; thence to the southeast corner of said Lewis Willard's farm; thence easterly to land of Charles Hastings ; thence to the northwest corner of said Hastings' land ; thence southeasterly to land of Oliver Marble or Oliver Green ; thence easterly to land of Jesse Ellis ; thence north to the State line at land of Elnathan Lawrence ; thence on said State line to the bounds first mentioned.
DISTRICT NUMBER NINE. - Beginning at the junction of the Ashby road and the road leading to Emery Fairbanks' ; thence westerly on District Number One to the south end of Meeting- house pond ; thence northerly on District Number Ten to John Lane's land ; thence easterly to Jesse Ellis' land ; thence southerly to the north end of Brooks' pond ; thence on District Number Two to the cast side of Mount Hunger; thence westerly to the northwest corner of Stephen Lane's pasture; thence on District Number Three to the bounds first mentioned.
DISTRICT NUMBER TEN. - Beginning in the centre of the road five rods north of Joel Foster's ; thence westerly to the south- westerly corner of Captain Francis Lane's farm; thence to the northwest corner of Caleb Ward's land; thence easterly and northerly on the pond to the northwest corner of Jacob Ward's farm ; thence easterly to the northwest corner of Lewis Willard's farm ; from thence to the southeast corner of said Lewis Willard's farm ; thence south to the Meeting-house pond; thence south on the west side of said pond to the south end ; thence westerly and northerly on District Number One to the bounds first mentioned.
Few changes in the boundaries of these districts are noted until 1850, when, by the division of the first district, the
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eleventh was organized. This measure was warmly debated and was carried by a small majority and at best it must be regarded as a measure of doubtful expediency.
Under the provisions of the recent school laws of the State, with which all are presumed to be familiar, several attempts to vacate the district system were defeated by a majority of the town. In the mean time the measure was fully debated and was met with accumulating support. In 1878 the school district system was abolished and the appraisal of the houses and other school property was referred to the select- men. Since then the employment of the teachers and the prudential affairs of the schools have devolved upon the committee of supervision. For half a century, under the school code of 1827, the districts were organized corpora- tions, assuming and exercising the control of their prudential affairs. Previous to that date the town, in the choice of the prudential and superintending committees and in building school-houses, maintained a control over the schools which was renewed in 1878 when the district system was abolished. In the early history of the schools the town chose two com- mittees instead of one, yet in theory, and so far as the source of anthority is concerned, the ancient and the modern sys- tems, separated by fifty years, are practically the same.
Very little information of the first school-houses is found in the records, and in some instances the action of the town appears contradictory. In 1782 it was ordered "that each school quarter build school-houses by themselves if they are willing to have houses and that each quarter assess them- selves for that purpose." Within three months from the foregoing vote the town " granted one hundred and twenty pounds to be laid out in building school-houses and voted that cach quarter draw their proportion of it," and at the same meeting permission was granted to build a school-house
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on the common. In 1786 sixty pounds and in 1793 seventy- five pounds was "granted to finish the school-houses." In 1799 the town appropriated seventy-five dollars "towards building a school-house in Lient. John Adams' ward in room of the one lately burned." Three years later it was voted to give Joseph Gibbs' school district fifty dollars towards building a school-house. This vote is connected with the reorganization of a ninth district which subsequently became known as the fourth district. At this date the districts were not numbered and were distinguished by the name of some prominent citizen. In 1809, when many of the school-houses were found too small or in need of repair, the town asserted its independence of continued responsibility in the premises in a declaration that "each school district should build its own school-house."
It is apparent from the records and confirmed by tradition that a school-house was built on the northwest part of the common at the close of the Revolution. In 1809 a new house was built on the common north of land of Moses Tottingham and east of the highway leading south from the old meeting- house. It was removed, to the village in 1818. The site then selected has been occupied to the present time. At an early date there was a school-house at the foot of the Charles Lawrence hill, but changes in the boundaries of the districts joined the families in that vicinity to the second and the eighth districts. A school-house, which was burned in 1810, stood many years on the ledges, east of the residence of Warren E. Marble and not far from the house of Nathan and Oliver Taylor, and a second building was erected on the same site. This was removed sixty or more years ago and stood several years across the road from its present location. The flowage of the meadow caused the last removal. It has been repaired frequently and is yet a comfortable school-
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house. In the third district, after the first house was burned another was built near the residence of Newell Marble which was succeeded by a brick house which proved too heavy for the moist ground on which it stood, and was replaced by the present frame building about forty years ago.
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