USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Bolton > History of Bolton, 1738-1938 > Part 9
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by diligence and good behaviour, merits the approbation
of her
Friends and Instruct meas
Sucy Singer
THE REWARDS OF EDUCATION
Joseph Houghton to Thomas tipo
Boarding and teaching his 3 children
16 martes 2 1016 che west card. 84. 00
5 Writingbooks 50 Chemistry, 83 1:33. Brummer 50 quille 12 Spelling houte 1) .79
.84 .15
Fryville 3 bis 25. 483) AOhay
87.11
THE COST OF EDUCATION
THE EMERSON MEMORIAL SCHOOL
I27
SCHOOLS
recommended the Town to grant them their full proportion according to the Taxation."
The first School Committee was chosen in 1826. The members were the Reverend Isaac Allen, Nathaniel Longley, Oliver Barrett, Thomas Fry, Stephen Nurse, Jr., Amory Holman, and Silas Haynes, Jr. Their duty was "to hire teachers for the several schools, visit and examine same agreeable to the late law passed in the Legislature of the Commonwealth."
The thirties brought many changes. In 1832, the old brick schoolhouse was rebuilt, while in 1833, the East Center schoolhouse was moved. Action was taken in regard to placing a schoolhouse "near the south west corner of the burying ground." Captain Oliver Sawyer offered to give one half of the necessary land and five dollars for the removal. Mr. Daniel Sawyer was to find land for the other half for ten dollars.
Captain Oliver, who lived in the Kimmens house, had already given one plot of land on which a school had been placed. This is a square piece, diagonally opposite the Kimmens place. Why the school was to be moved from this site to one only a few rods away does not appear. However, it was moved and placed wholly on Captain Oliver's land nearly opposite Mrs. Burns' house. The Town evidently did not choose to pay Daniel Sawyer $10 for his land when Capt. Oliver would allow the use of a site free.
In 1835, all schools were put "on an equal footing," each to have ten weeks both winter and summer. The following year the term was lengthened two weeks. The appropria- tion, which had lessened since 1817, was increased in 1839, to $2800. The influence of Horace Mann, Secretary of the
I28
HISTORY OF BOLTON
State Board of Education, began to be felt, and acting upon legislation of 1838, besides "the visiting school Committee" - Reverend Isaac Allen, J. S. Davenport, Chas. H. Nurse, Oliver Barrett, Jr., Levi M. Powers, - "A Prudential Com." was chosen for the first time, Nathan Sawyer, Silas Nurse, Cephas Houghton, Nath'l Burgess, Stephen C. Pollard, Paul Whitcomb, Nathan Whitney.
This same year, at the direction of the selectmen, the schoolhouses were numbered with the following results : "Center became No. 1 ; the Pan, No. 2; Nourse (Hudson), No. 3; East, No. 4; the Green, No. 5; Ballville, No. 6; the Brick, No. 7; Fryville (Quakers), No. 8."
The town treasurer's books contain some interesting school items, such as the following :
December 16, 1823, paid Louisa Holman teaching and board, $23.34; Dec. 20, 1824, Achsah Moore, for seven weeks and board, $8.17; Feb. 5, 1826, Arad Brown, Center, teaching and boarding self, $65; Feb. 28, 1828, David Babcock in part, Friend's School, $10.76; Nov. 17, 1828, Amariah Wood, Sing- ing School, $20; Feb. 4, 1828, paid Abel Whetcomb for "Board- ing school dame last summer, $11.67"; Mar. 2, 1834, Assessor's certificate for Friends School money, $52.
The first money from the "State School Fund " was received March 5, 1836, and amounted to $43.86.
Bolton's first school report filed at the State House was dated April 6, 1840. To quote from Mr. Clay's report, "With reverent hands I have turned the manuscript pages of Bolton's first school report, ... signed by the small hand of Isaac Allen, the fine, clear, beautiful one of Chas. H. Nourse, and the business-like one of Oliver Barrett, Jr."
Mrs. Achsah Barrett Sawyer, in recalling events of this period, declared that
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SCHOOLS
her older brothers and sisters, (six of them), went to school from Long Hill to the sch. h. near the lime kiln; the younger children including herself attended one and one half miles, the school near the "burying ground" at "the Pan"; when snow became deep - and they had winter in those days - the little Achsah boarded at Mr. Joel Sawyer's and went to "the village school," which then stood on the north side of the road beyond Mr. Hurlbut's ; the railroad bed crossed its site; the house is the present storehouse west of Miss Newton's garden, and still contains the teacher's desk and some of the old seats. Mr. For- dyce Nourse of Lancaster was one of the teachers, and Mr. Nat'l Avery Newton was one of the last male teachers at "the Pan"; he was "an old schoolmaster" but not a Harvard graduate. Miss Lizzie Parker, daughter of Dr. Parker, was "a famous female teacher," and took great pains to teach us to sew ; sew- ing was commonly taught in the summer schools of 60 to 50 years ago, and is not "a modern fad."
Mrs. Sawyer said of the Reverend Isaac Allen, who visited schools with a dignity becoming his office, that
he stood in the door, 'til the whole school rose and remained standing 'til he was seated, and rose when he retired; after a while the teachers always prepared for his examinations for they knew just what words he would put out to be spelled, and what questions he would ask; .. . once a week in summer we had to get a catechism lesson and woe to the child that didn't get it so he could recite it perfectly.
The School Committee was reduced, in 1841, to three members. These were the Reverend Isaac Allen, Caleb Nourse, and Nathaniel A. Newton.
Ever abreast of the times, educationally, Bolton became aware of the Normal School in its earliest days. The first students from the town who attended Bridgewater Nor- mal School during the winter of 1845-1846 were Rufus
130
HISTORY OF BOLTON
Sawyer, the teacher in "No. 3," and Amos Nourse, in "No. 4."
The first Normal School teacher employed by the town was Miss Mary Ann Parker of Billerica, who had attended Lexington Normal School, and "kept school" in "No. 5" during the summer of 1846. The following winter Daniel G. Walton, in "No. 3," was from the normal school at Bridgewater.
One feels that even the stoutest hearts might have quailed before the examinations of those days.
To the candidates for "certification," "approved," or to be "approbated" for winter schools, besides being orally exam- ined, were given a list of words to be written out and defined, abbreviations were to be appended, and a list of geographical questions answered in writing. The words were Ratiocination, Enthusiastic, Procrastination, Loquacious, Lithography, Lisp- ingly, Suspiciously, Irritate, Irretrievable, Phlegmatic, Pam- phlet, Depicted, Depreciation, Depose, Dispose, Dissolve.
By 1846, the employment of female teachers for the winter became a question. Finally, it was voted
to give any district the privilege of employing female teachers in the winter provided three-fourths of the district were wish- ing it.
One man is said to have preferred a male teacher as "school would be shorter and his boys could do more at home."
That the "female teacher" proved successful is attested by a report of 1862, which reads,
Miss Gibbs [teacher of "No. 3," with eighty-one pupils] had full authority to call to her aid some of the advanced pupils to assist in hearing recitations. The school was kept to its close, "as we think with profit to all." The experiment of a female teacher here, and also in No. I (Mary H. Stone), with the
131
SCHOOLS
accompanying results, ought to convince the most skeptical that there ARE female teachers who can both teach and gov- ern, in a style in no respect inferior to that of males.
When the question of an appropriation for a high school arose in 1847, the matter was "indefinitely postponed." Fortunately, the postponement was not indefinite, for the following year, September 11, 1848, the town was called upon to take action in regard to the will of Joseph Hough- ton. He bequeathed $12,000 and "eighty rods of land" to "a part of the Inhabitants of the Town of Bolton, the interest to be expended in the support of one school, to be kept near the center of said Bolton, in which such an aca- demic instruction shall be given as said Town shall decide to be most useful." Another clause stated that nine men "and their descendants" were to be "excluded from attend- ing said school for the term of 100 years" ! As Doctor Edes pointed out, this excluded some very promising students, whose fathers had been taxed for building the schoolhouse. The question was carried before the Supreme Court, which, after considering the whole matter, decided that the clauses of the will could not be maintained, and accordingly set them aside, thus opening the school as a free school, with- out invidious distinctions, to all properly qualified scholars, children of "inhabitants" of the town.
The town accepted the bequest, and appropriated $2400 to provide a schoolhouse. The Houghton School, named for its founder, held its first session in the Town House, October 29, 1849, with twenty-five pupils present. The journal, kept by the teacher and pupils, reveals that "the day was a warm Indian summer day, but the blasts of Autumn begin to howl. Monday, Dec. 3. The school assembled this morning for the first time in the new sch. h,
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HISTORY OF BOLTON
but had to return to the Town House, probably for a week longer, awaiting action as to 'the excluded.'"' The number of pupils had been increased to thirty-one, and a little later they numbered thirty-six. The text books used were Adams' and Colburn's Arithmetics, Mitchell's Geography, Day's Algebra, Ingersol's English Grammar, Latin Grammar, Virgil, Geometry, Comstock's Philosophy, Bookkeeping, His- tory, Exercises in Reading, Defining, Orthography.
The standard of Bolton's schools is revealed in the report of Reverend Richard S. Edes for 1850-1851. To quote :
In years gone by we have enjoyed the labors, as teachers, of such men as Fry, the elder, Sparks, Colburn, Noyes, Upham, Emerson, Geo. B. Felton, Chapin, and others, who afterwards distinguished themselves in some department of literature and science, or are now through their own exertions and merits in some honorable station in society; and they had, too, while sojourning amongst us as teachers, as we have had opportunity to hear one of the most distinguished of them say, scholars of whose power of mind and general attainments they thought highly.
One is reminded of the fable of the "Dog and the Bone" as he reads of the argument whether the addition to "No. 3" should be fourteen or fifteen feet. It was finally decided to "set aside all action thereto."
In 1860, the committee was increased to nine members, with three each for the terms of one, two, and three years, respectively ; but the next year it was voted that the members be reduced, as terms expired, to one to a class.
The first "grading" in Bolton occurred when "No. 3" schoolhouse was "fitted into two rooms," with Miss Mary Robie, of Townsend, teaching the primary grades, and Miss Esther D. Holden, of Bolton, the grammar. The
I33
SCHOOLS
same year, the old Baptist Meetinghouse was purchased, and remodeled. This, remodeled again, now serves as the Fire House.
The renumbering of the schools, at the order of the Selectmen, took place June 14, 1874, with the following results : - "No. I, Center ; No. 2, Friends' district ; No. 3, 'The Pan'; No. 4, East; No. 5, 'the Green'; No. 6, ' Ballville.'"'
Miss Caroline M. Newton, the first woman to be chosen, was made a member of the School Committee in 1878. It was voted in 1880 "to leave the whole management of the schools in the hands of the School Committee."
1892 brought another innovation. That year, in accord- ance with the Public Statutes of 1888, it was voted "to employ a Superintendent of Schools, and to unite with Southborough or any one or more of the eighteen towns named for this purpose." In April, a union was formed with Boylston, West Boylston, and Harvard. J. A. Pitman was elected District Superintendent. A course of study for all of the schools, the first Bolton had, was prepared by him and adopted by the committee.
Three years later, West Boylston withdrew from the Union, and at the same time Mr. Pitman resigned. A new district, consisting of Bolton, Boylston, Harvard, and Shirley, was formed, and Charles L. Clay was elected Superintendent.
As early as 1868, there had been talk of consolidating the schools, for at that time a vote "to join No. 5 & 7" was "reconsidered." Again in 1872, the vote "passed," to reduce the number of districts from seven to five, and the grant of $75 to convey pupils, was reconsidered. The next year, however, it was voted "to close No. 7 and it
I34
HISTORY OF BOLTON
staid closed." Actual consolidation first took place in 1896, and $300 was appropriated for the transportation of pupils.
During this transition period, the schools were literally moved to the center of the town, for not only were the members of the school transferred, but the buildings them- selves. "No. 3" was the first to make the change. This building was moved to the center, while the pupils from numbers 3, 4, and 5 were conveyed to this and to "No. I."
In 1897, it was voted to consolidate Numbers 6 and 2 with "No. I," and the year following these buildings were discontinued. In 1899, "No. 2" and "No. 5" buildings were moved to the village, and all pupils from outlying districts were conveyed. It is recorded of the year 1899, "the schools are well graded - Primary, Intermediate, Grammar, and Houghton. The singing school, with its teacher, Mrs. Carrie E. Tarbell of Hudson, transferred to the schoolrooms."
The years since 1900 have brought many changes. The most obvious of these is the fine, modern, brick building which stands on the site of the three one-room buildings. This was made possible by the generosity of Edward D. Emerson.
At the annual town meeting, held February 6, 1922, it was "Voted that the town accept as a memorial gift from Edward D. Emerson, a new schoolhouse, to be completed and situated as outlined by his architect, Mr. Luther C. Greenleaf, at this meeting; this building to take the place of the buildings now occupied by grades one to six. Under the following conditions: First. That the school shall bear the name of the donor. Second. That one of the present buildings be turned over to the donor when the
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SCHOOLS
new building becomes available for occupancy." A vote of thanks was extended to Mr. Emerson at this meeting.
Another apparent change is the use of motor busses, which have replaced the horsedrawn "barges." An impor- tant change in organization was the elimination of a Senior High School, and the creation of a Junior High School. As the Senior High School classes grew smaller, the cost per pupil became proportionately larger, until it seemed prohibitive.
Austin R. Paull, who was Superintendent at the time, was instrumental in working out the new plans. In June, 1917, the last class graduated from the Houghton High School, and in September, the members of the Sophomore, Junior, and Senior classes attended High School in neigh- boring towns. The Junior High School was put in opera- tion that same September, and as such, the Houghton School still functions.
Health has become an important factor in education. The first school physician, Doctor Irene Morse, of Clinton, was appointed in 1919. She was succeeded, in 1925, by Doctor Herbert Royal, of Harvard, who still serves. Mrs. Naomi Cunningham, the first school nurse, was appointed in October, 1923. At that time one half day a week was devoted to this work. Since our association with the Nashoba Health Unit, the schools have had the services of a nurse two days a week, as well as recourse to the many other facilities of the Unit.
The towns of Harvard, Pepperell, and Bolton formed a new Union in 1909, and elected Austin R. Paull Superin- tendent. When he resigned in 1918, Thomas E. Benner was chosen. Mr. Benner resigned after a short term, and was succeeded by George B. Clark in January, 1920.
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HISTORY OF BOLTON
When another change in the Union came, Mr. Clark remained in Pepperell, and Nathaniel N. Love was chosen by the terms of the towns composing the new Union. This was in 1924. He was succeeded in 1936 by Blynn E. Davis, who is Superintendent at the present time. The Union is now made up of Littleton, Harvard, Stow, Carlisle, and Bolton.
XIV
THE LIBRARY
Dreams, books, are each a world; and books, we know Are a substantial world, both pure and good.
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
WE have evidence that our citizens of the early days realized that "Reading maketh a full man." This is the earliest record of a library in Bolton :
At a Meeting of the proprietors belonging to Bolton, Stow, and Berlin, subscribers for a Proposed Library, at the House of Mr. Silas Holman in Bolton on Wednesday, March 9th, 1791
Chose Rev'd Jonat Newell, Mod and Nathl Longley Jr. Clerk for Said Meeting --- Voted to Choose a person in each Town to receve the Subscriptions for Sd Library and pay in the Same to the Treasurer
Chose Mr. Silas Holman for Bolton
Mr. Saml Gates for Stow
Dr. Benjn Nurse for Berlin
Voted the Committee of purchase be and as hereby empowered to send to Urope for the Library or purchase it else where as they shall find most for the Interest of the Society.
Other Committees are recorded and simple bylaws were made.
In May, 1800, the Stow Proprietors petitioned for a division, and in July, 1800, a request was made that rules and regulations for the Proprietors of the Social Library in Bolton be drawn up. This committee was appointed, and bylaws were adopted as explicit as those of a town. Meet-
I37
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HISTORY OF BOLTON
ings were called by posting a warrant. The following is a call for a meeting :
Worcester
January 3, 1801
In the Name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Pro- prietors of the Social Library in the Town of Bolton, are hereby Notified and warned to meet at the dwelling-house of Silas Holman, Innholder in said Bolton, on Monday the twelfth day of January Instant, at one o'clock in the After-noon to consider of, and transact any business Relative to the fourteenth Article of the Rules and by laws of said society that they may think proper when met.
Silas Holman (Clerk of Society)
order of the Committee appointed to call special meetings.
In these bylaws, Article 3 states :
A Librarian shall be annually chosen who shall take the Cus- tody of the Library and shall keep the same open for the delivery and receiving of Books in the first Wednesday in each month from one to Six o'clock in the afternoon. The first Wednesday in each month to be considered as a return term and any person keeping a book or Books more than four of said terms Shall pay twenty cents for every term he or she shall keep said book or Books over four terms. The Librarian to keep a full record of all violations and penalties and make due return to the Treasurer. And for his services he shall be entitled to receive forty cents for each term.
A collector was chosen annually to secure money from the proprietors of the Social Library in the Town of Bolton. The names of the negligents who remained in a state of delin- quency for four full terms were returned to the Librarian, and their rights were suspended until full payment was made. A committee on inspection met twice a year to
THE WHITNEY MEMORIAL LIBRARY
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THE LIBRARY
"inspect the State of the Library." When any book was returned "scrolled or otherways damaged the Librarian shall lay it before said Committee and the person who returned it in that condition shall be obliged to pay what said Committee set the damage at."
Article 7 says :
A Committee shall be annually chosen to make choice of and purchase such Books as the funds of the society will admit of, Provided no Book shall be introduced into said Library that shall tend to corrupt the morals of Society and no Books shall be admitted by donation or otherways without the approbation of said Committee.
An auditing committee was appointed, to make an audit as exact as that of town affairs. The officers were under strict injunction to attend to their duties faithfully and if they failed in their duties, except in case of sickness or extreme emergency, were subject to a fine not exceeding three dollars or less than fifty cents. Each proprietor was at liberty at all times to sell or transfer his or her rights to some other person, providing such person was willing to comply with the rules of the Society. A person wishing to become a proprietor paid $2.50, which was considered the value of one Library share. Each proprietor paid forty cents annually to the collector, so new books could be added. The proprietors could not take books valued at more than $3.00 from the Library at any one time nor take any volume more than twice in succession.
The Stow proprietors were granted their request for a division, and, in March, 1801, the Berlin proprietors asked leave to withdraw. Apparently there was considerable hard feeling over Berlin's claims, but they were finally settled in the summer of 1801, and the last record of the Proprietors
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HISTORY OF BOLTON
of the Social Library in Bolton is the notice of the adjourn- ment until the annual meeting to be held November 3, 1802.
What happened to the Social Library between then and 1859 is not recorded, but it is evident that interest in a Library never died out because the first catalogue of books in the Town Library of Bolton, printed April, 1867, says in an introductory note, "The Town Library was estab- lished in 1859. The first appropriation of money for the purpose was one hundred dollars, the greater part of which was expended in the purchase of books. The 'Ladies Social Library,' the books of the 'Historical Association,' and those of the first 'Agricultural Association,' were about the same time donated, and, also, those of the first, fourth, fifth, and sixth School Districts. Certain works heretofore kept in the Town Clerk's office were likewise, by vote, placed in the Library."
It also notes that "the total appropriations for the sup- port and increase of the Library" from 1859 to 1867, were three hundred and eighty-six dollars, and it comments, "Ex- perience has amply demonstrated that, never has the Town invested money in a worthier object, or for one which yielded a better return."
Another catalogue printed in 1871 tells of rearranging and cataloguing the books and speaks of the need of ade- quate quarters for the housing of the books. At this time they were housed in the present Selectmen's room in the Town House.
In 1869, the town voted to instruct the School Com- mittee, until otherwise directed, to expend each year for books for the Town Library the amount received from the County Treasurer as return taxes on dogs.
I4I
THE LIBRARY
In June, 1903, the cornerstone for the Library building was laid. The new building was given by the Misses Anna E. and Emma Whitney of Lancaster in memory of their father, the late Captain Joseph Whitney, long a resident of Bolton. The architect was the son of a former Bolton minister. The building is made of Bolton field stone and is unusually attractive in its setting of wide lawns.
The Library has one endowment from Doctor George A. Bacon's estate and Miss Lucy Bowen left a sum of money, the interest from which must be used to purchase magazines. It is supported mainly by town appropria- tion, plus the "dog tax."
There are, at present, over 6000 books in the Library and many magazines are on the reading table. Some articles of value, either because of age or association, are kept in the building. A very fine collection of the native flowers of Bolton, made by Miss Ella Barrett, may be found here.
During the many years since 1859 there have been several librarians, but no history of the Bolton Library would be complete without mention of Miss Fidelia Newton, who for forty years so ably and kindly took charge, not only of the circulation department but, with her wise judgment, supervised the choice of new books and laid the foundation for the library of the future.
XV
OLD HOUSES
He who loves an old house
Never loves in vain.
How can an old house,
Used to sun and rain,
To lilac and to larkspur
And tall trees above,
Ever fail to answer
The heart that gives it love !
ISABEL FISKE CONANT
THE WHITCOMB-MENTZER HOUSE
IN the east part of the town stands an ancient house, said to be the oldest in Bolton. This house is now the property of Raymond Mentzer, having been in the family since 1875. The boyhood home of General John Whitcomb, it was built by some member of the Whitcomb family, reputedly in 1680. It must have been among the first to be built in the resettlement after the massacre.
An ell has "rifle windows" high up under the eaves, and was doubtless used as a garrison. Behind the house are the old lime quarry and kilns, which represent one of New England's oldest industries.
The house itself is most interesting. It contains huge fireplaces, with the old cranes and brick oven. Above one fireplace are pine paneled doors, surmounted by hand- carved molding which is matched by the mantlemolding. One room is entirely pine-sheathed, with time-darkened beams through the ceiling, all hand-hewn.
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