History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 54

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 54

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Another serial originally issued under the auspices of the Institute was " The American Naturalist, an Illustrated Journal of Natural History." This very meritorious magazine is still published. After its first volume it was published under the auspices of the Peabody Academy of Science for four years, and since that time it has been issued in New York and Phila- delphia. The original editors at its commencement in March, 1867, were A. S. Packard, Jr., E. S. Morse, A. Hyatt and F. W. Putnam.

Another serial, miniature in size, was begun in May, 1886, by the " Cuvier Natural History Club," under the name of "The Amateur Collector." The price is twenty-five cents a year and it appears

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monthly. The youthful naturalists who projected and have maintained this little enterprise design it chiefly to awaken an interest in natural history in the minds of young people.

We have now passed in rapid review the periodical literature of Salem, chiefly its newspapers, during the past century. The reader has observed, doubtless, that only a few of these many enterprises have been permanently successful. Most of the journals which we have named died in early infancy, only three of the whole number having survived a generation. The multiplication of newspapers during this period has been exceedingly rapid, and yet where one has suc- ceeded, perhaps fifty have failed. Often commenced merely as business speculations, rather than to meet the wants of the community, they have not been sus- tained by the public, because not needed.

When Mr. Hall issued his proposals for the publi- cation of a " Weekly Publick Paper " in this place, such a vehicle of information was greatly desired. Newspapers were few in number and confined to the large seaboard towns. They were looked for and read in the country with the deepest interest. The ap- pearance of the weekly sheet was an event of import- ance to people of all classes. Now they abound everywhere. Almost every considerable village in the country can boast its local print. Then, the expense attending the publication of a newspaper was very great. Paper was scarce and costly, and other ma- terials obtainable only by importation from the mother-country. The style of the papers, in respect to typographical appearance, was quite inferior. The old Essex Gazette is a curiosity of the printer's art, although it was in all respects a superior paper for those days.

press beside the wonderful rapidity of the lightning cylinder machines of the present day.

The ancient newspapers were of small dimensions, printed on large types, with clumsy presses and upon coarse paper. Such were the early prints of Salem. They were less various in their contents than those of our time, and were made up without much order or method. They were less full and minnte in respect to local and general information. But little effort was made to gather the countless fragments of news which now distend the columns of the public journal. In all these respects there has been a great improvement in the public prints. But in regard to honest industry and enterprise, public spirit, boldness and freedom of expression, patriotic and noble endeavor, we do not know that any superiority can be claimed for the modern journals. In these particulars the publishers of ante-Revolutionary times were generally worthy of the highest praise.

CHAPTER VI. SALEM-(Continued). EDUCATIONAL.

BY WINFIELD S. NEVINS.

THE public and private schools of Salem have ever occupied a high place among the educational institn- tions of the country. If Salem did not establish free schools as early as Virginia, it was, doubtless, becanse the settlement here was not as early. The first set- tlement in Virginia was made in 1607, and her first public school is believed to have been established in 1621, fourteen years later. The real settlement of the Massachusetts Bay colony was in 1628, when John Endicott and his fellow-voyagers came to Salem, al- though Conant and a few others had located here in 1626. In 1637, nine years after the coming of Endi- cott, John Fiske opened a public school in Salem. In Boston, in 1636, a petition was presented to the authorities asking for a free school. Whether it was established before 1642, at which time we find the first definite mention of it in the records, we know not positively ; probably it was. But to whomsoever shall ultimately be awarded the houor of establishing the "first free school," this is true: that while Salem maintained hers from 1637 down to 1887, in un- brokeu succession, the Governor of Virginia, in 1671, "thanked God there were no free schools, nor print- ing, and hoped they would not have any these hun- dred years," and long years thereafter the Old Do- minion taxed schoolmasters twenty shillings per head.

During the past fifty years the art of type-making has advanced rapidly, and wonderful improvements have been made in presses and other contrivances and materials employed in the printing business. The art of wood-cutting has been, we might almost say, dis- covered since the days when grotesque devices, clum- sily executed, figured so extensively at the head of the little colonial journals. The rude wood-cuts which then were supposed to adorn the public sheets are curious and amnsing exhibitions of the infancy of this delicate art, now so useful in elegant and cheap illustrations. If any one is interested to see the first difficult beginnings of the engraver's skill, he may find many singular specimeus in Thomas' "History of Printing," a valuable and rare work, now out of print. A few instances are also given in Mr. Buckingham's interesting Reminiscences of the newspaper press, to which work, as well as the former one, we are in- debted for some of the statements in this account. A comparison of the uncouth adornments of the papers of the Revolutionary period with the exquisite wood engravings in the monthly illustrated magazines now These early "free " schools were not, be it under- stood, as free as the schools of 1887, when not only published affords a contrast nearly as great as that exhibited by the toilsome operations of an old hand- : house and tuition are free, but also books, stationery

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and other supplies. The town of Salem in those days appears to have borne the larger part of the ex- pense of the master, and taxed the balance to the parents of such as could pay. A vote, passed Sep- tember 30, 1644, said : " If any poor body hath chil- dren or a childe to be put to school, and not able to pay for their schooling, that the town will pay it by a rate." John Fiske, the first schoolmaster, relin- quished the office in 1639, and was succeeded by Ed- ward Norris in 1640. Norris was evidently the only teacher in the town school for twenty years after. In 1670 Daniel Epes, Jr., was employed at a salary of £20 a year, and, also, "to have besides half'e-pay for all scollers of the towne, and whole pay from strangers." Mr. Norris was voted £10 as a sort of pension in 1671. In July, 1672, he resumed the mas- tership of the grammar school for one year. At the expiration of that time, and until his death, in 1684, he was voted an allowance each year from £10 to £15. Some time during Mr. Norris' teachership the school came to be called a grammar school, and so continued for several years. Latin and Greek were taught. Mr. Epes, in 1677, agreed with the select- men to teach English, Latin and Greek, and fit pupils for the university; also to teach them good manners and instruct them in the principles of the Christian religion. In 1768 tuition in the public schools was made free to all and ever since has been so.

This school has always been classed as the imme- diate predecessor of the present classical and high school. Perhaps this is the simplest way, although it might with just as good grace be said to be the pred- ecessor of our present grammar schools. However, adopting the customary division, we find no evidence that there was more than one school until 1712, when Nathaniel Higginson established a "school for read- ing, writing and cyphering, in the north end of the town-house." This school was for some time known as the writing school, but gradually assumed the name of English school, which it bore for many years. The other was known as the Latin or Gram- mar school, as the speaker or writer chose, as often one as the other, for nearly a century, the former name gradually superseding the latter. The English and Latin schools were united in 1743, and separated three years later.

During all this time and until about 1793 these schools appear to have been for boys exclusively. In the last-named year the town instructed its committee to "provide at the writing school, or elsewhere, for the tuition of girls in reading, writing and cypher- ing." In 1827 the town voted to have two high schools for girls. One was located in Beckford Street, and known as the West school, the other in Bath Street, and known as the East school. This was un- doubtedly the first time that females were provided with high school instruction. But to return to the boys' Latin, or grammar school, we find that its course of study in the eighteenth century comprised

the branches now commonly taught in the grammar schools, and, in addition, Latin and Greek. The dead languages seem to have been deemed of more import- ance than the English branches. In 1752 the com- mittee orders that all boys who go to the grammar school must study Latin as well as read, write and cipher. In 1809 the committee ordered that " Latin and Greek languages, Geography, English Grammar, the principles of Arithmetic, and writing be taught in the Grammar schools, but that one-half the time, at least, of each scholar be devoted to Latin and Greek, so that the other studies be subservient to the learned languages."

The Latin school was transferred to the new build- ing prepared for it on Broad Street on April 19, 1819. It began with a principal and Latin usher, and an assistant in the English department. The number of pupils reported as being in the school the following month was eighty-six, and one year later, May 4, 1820, one hundred and thirteen. The Eng- lish department was discontinued in a few years, and the school, under the principal and an assistant, was a classical school, fitting boys to enter the univer- sity. The school was divided in 1827, and Henry K. Oliver took charge of the English High school, as this portion was called. Mr. Oliver was appointed June 16, 1827. The school continued to increase in numbers and enlarge its curriculum until about 1839, when two recitation rooms were added and two as- sistants appointed.

The school was mostly renamed in 1845. The Lat- in school was called the Fiske ; the Boys' High school the Bowditch ; the Girls' High school the Saltonstall. Nine years later the Fiske was merged in the Bow- ditch, and in 1856 the Bowditch and Saltonstall were united under the name of the Salem Classical and High school. To-day it is known as the Classical and High school. The course of study was divided, in 1882, into a four years' classical and a three years' English course. Thus we have traced, very briefly of necessity, the rise and growth of the first Salem public school until it has become one of the strong- est high schools in the country. In its long line of forty three masters, from John Fiske down, have been men of more than ordinary ability and some of more than local reputation.

The grammar schools as we know them now are generally considered as having had their origin in that writing school which Nathaniel Higginson opened on September 1, 1712, when the committee "agreed " with him "to keep a writing, cyphering and reading school in the north end of the town- house, which is now fitted up for a school, for one quarter of a year from this 1st day of September, and to be paid for the same seven pounds ten shillings in money." This school evidently filled the place now filled by the primary schools; and the grammar school work of the present day was combined with the curriculum of the Latin school in those days.

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The school which Mr. Higginson thus started appears to have given satisfaction, for on September 25, 1713, the committee agreed " that Mr. Nathaniel Higginson is desired to continue to keep the school till 25 December, and to be paid proportionally." On March 9, 1713, the committee is "agreed that Mr. Nathaniel Higginson be desired to keep the writing school for one quarter longer . . . at not exceeding ten pounds the quarter." On April 13th following, the committee "agrees ' that he shall keep the school for oue year from the preceding March for thirty-six pounds. His successor was John Swinnerton, who began his labors on January 2, 1716. Nathaniel Hig- ginson was the son of John and Sarah (Savage) Hig- ginson, the grandfather of Rev. Francis and great- grandfather of Rev. John Higginson, the first and sixth ministers of the First Church in Salem. He was born April 1, 1680, and died in 1720. He lived in a house that occupied the site of the present East Church, near the Common.

This school was knowu sometimes as the Writing school and sometimes as the English school, the former name gradually giving way to the latter, un- til it was finally dropped. It soon began to act as a feeder to the Latin school, for in July, 1717, the com- mittee voted that four boys be promoted from the Reading and Writing school to the Grammar school. We find no trace of more than one English school in the town proper previous to 1785. As early as 1700 the town granted money for schools at Ryall Side (Beverly), Middle Precinct (Peabody), the village (Danvers) and Will Hill (Middleton), where the in- struction was probably substantially that of the Eng- lish or Writing school. In 1785 three English schools were opened,-one in the centre of the town, Edward Norris, master; another in the eastern part of the town, with John Watson master and a third in the western end, with Isaac Hacker master. An Eng- lish school was opened in North Salem in 1807, and one in South Salem in 1819, the latter being first known as the South English school. This school was subsequently located on Ropes Street, and named the Brown school. In 1874 it was transferred to the new house on Hazel Street, and soon after called the Saltonstall Grammar school. Another English or Grammar school was established in the east part of the town, on Williams Street, in 1821. The High school for girls opened on Beckford Street, in 1827, subsequently became the Higginson Grammar school. In 1841 a new school was opened on Aborn Street, for both sexes, under charge of Charles Northend. Four years later it was named the Epes school. In 1876 the Higginson and Epes were nnited with the Hacker, on Dean Street, all under the name of Bowditch Grammar school. The Girls' High school, on East Street, in 1827, was the original of what is now the Bently school for girls, Grammar and Primary. The Centre school was, in 1841, united with the Williams Street and East Street schools as the Union school,

and located near Forrester Street. In 1845, when the general renaming of schools took place, this school received the name of Phillips' Grammar. The North English in North Salem became the Pickering.

In 1729 generous Samuel Brown, in giving two hun- dred and forty pounds to the school fund, provided that one hundred and twenty ponnds should go to the Grammar school, sixty pounds to the English school, and sixty pounds to a Woman's school. His lan- guage would seem to indicate that while the two first named then existed, the other was to be established. He did not state what should be taught in the other two, but in the Woman's school the interest of the donation was "to be yearly improved for the learning of six very poor children their letters, and to spell and read, who may be sent to said school six or seven months." This was, undonbtedly, the founding of our primary school. But the records of the school com- mittee give no indication of the establishment of the school until March 26, 1773, when a vote was passed which would indicate quite clearly that no action had been taken previously. It read :

"The interest of said Brown's donation and legacy to a Woman's Reading School, being about eiglit pounds and four shillings per annum, be given to Mrs. Mary Gill, for which she is to teach nine poor boys to spell and read this year. This and to find them in firing during the winter, provided she admits but sixteen other schollars into her school." To this is appended in the records the following: " We, the subscribers, advise to the order. Asa Dun- bar, Wm. Brown, one of the Posterity of the Donor." It is evident that Mrs. Gill was already keeping a pri- vate school, and that this mouey was paid to her for teaching small poor children.

By the old town records, however, it appears that at a town-meeting on May 16, 1764, a vote was passed " that the School Committee be empowered to draw fifty dollars out of the Town Treasury and apply the same for the instruction of the poorest children of the town in reading at Women's School." On March 3, 1770, Timothy Pickering petitioned the selectmen to "Be pleased to insert a line in your warrant for the next Town-Meeting to know if the Town will take into their consideration their vote passed in May, 1764, respecting the schooling the poorest people's children at Women's School, etc." Whether this pe- tition means that no action had been taken on the vote of 1764, or whether we are to infer that the peti- tioners desired a repetition of that, we do not know. The records of the meetings of the school committee, not very full for those years, make not the least men- tion of this matter, nor do the accounts show any orders drawn to pay any one for the purposes speci- fied. But this omission may be due entirely to the incompleteness of the record.

Early the following month this entry was made: "The committee met the 8th inst. and agreed that the following-named Boys be put to the Charity

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School kept by Mrs. Gill, and there be taught for six months from the 10th inst." Then follow the names of ten boys.

On August 10th the committee "agreed that an order for two pounds, three shillings and six pence be drawn in favor of Mrs. Mary Gill, being one-quarter of a year's interest of Samuel Brown, Esq., his Dona- tion and Legacy." From this time on appears an order for the payment of Mrs. Gill every three months. The conclusion is irresistible that she was the first teacher of a free public woman's school, and that our primary schools date from April 10, 1773, and not from 1729, the year of Colonel Brown's donation.

Thus we have three independent schools of three distinct grades corresponding to our present high, grammar and primary.

Two years later, in Mr. Brown's will, leaving an additional one hundred and fifty pounds for the school fund, he speaks of the " Latin," " English " and "woman's" schools. In 1801 a notice about the schools mentions the grammar school, where all the higher branches were taught, including Latin and Greek, and three public schools for children of both sexes and not less than five years of age, where the alphabet, spelling and reading would be taught. Primary schools have continued as a separate de- partment of our educational institutions down to the present time, and are now deemed the foundation of our school system. During a portion of the past eighty years we have had "intermediate " schools for such as had passed the primaries, but could not be classed in the grammar schools. There are now eleven primary schools, and no intermediate existing, although the school committee in 1885 authorized the establishment of one when needed.

From 1807 to 1843 colored children were educated in separate schools most of the time. It is supposed that previons to that time they were not instructed at all by the town. Chloe Minn was the first teacher of a primary school for colored children. As early as 1830 a girl of color was admitted to the high school. Some opposition being manifested to this, and the le- gality of the act questioned, the committee took counsel of eminent legal lights, and was informed that the colored girl had as much right in the school as a white child. It is needless to say that the pres- ent generation sees, without thought of protest, black and white, native and foreign, educated together, not only in the same school, but side by side in the same class.

From the settlement of Salem down to 1712 the ed- ucational interests of the town were controlled by the people themselves, either by direct vote or instruc- tions to the selectmen. In 1712 the citizens in town- meeting assembled chose Samuel Brown, Josiah Walcot, Stephen Sewall, John Higginson, Jr., and Walter Price to have charge of the schools. Commit- tees were chosen by the people every year thereafter, until Salem was incorporated as a city in 1836. Under

the charter, members of the school committee were chosen by the City Council until 1859, when the power was restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs. The mayor and president of the Common Council are, by the charter, made members of the board, the people electing three members from each of the six wards. The office of superintendent of schools was created in 1865, and Jonathan Kimball elected to the position. It was discontinued in 1872 and revived in 1873, when A. D. Small was elected superintendent. It was again discontinued in 1880, since when the schools have been supervised by sub- committees.

It is not proposed in a brief chapter like this to trace out all the sites occupied by school-houses during the past two hundred and fifty years. It is important, however, to learn something of the honses used by the earlier schools and of the spots where they stood. Of Mr. Fiske's school-house we know nothing. The church may have served the purpose, as it did for town-meetings. In 1655 the school was kept in the town-house, which then stood near what is now the southerly end of the railroad tunnel. A year later the town empowered a committee " to have the school-house repayred." Whether this indicates au independent house for school purposes, or has ref- erence to the room in the town-house used by the school, no one knows. In 1672 Daniel Andrews was voted pay for keeping school in his house.

About 1700, perhaps shortly before, grants of school money were made to the inhabitants "withont the bridge," also to those at Ryall Side, Middle Precinct, and the village. Just where their school-honses were lo- cated it is impossible to say. On June 16, 1712, the town voted "that the watch-house, adjoining the town- house, be for the future set apart and improved for a school-house . and that the same be re- paired and fitted conveniently for the use aforesaid." The watch-house stood beside the town-house ; most antiquarians say to the south of it ; but when, in 1712, the school committee "agrecd with Nathaniel Hig- ginson to keep a writing, ciphering and reading school," it was to be "in the north end of the town- house, which is now fitted up for a school." Of course this meant the watch-house, and the language indicates clearly that it was at the north end of the town-house, and not the south.1 This town-honse was the one which stood in the middle of what is now Washington Street, opposite the Brookhouse estate, on the corner of Lynde Street. The watch-house continued in use for some years, and the schools were kept in this street so long that it came to be known as "school-house lane."

In 1760 the town voted to erect a brick school- house, a great step forward in the march of educa-

1 Felt, in his " Annals of Salem," and other local historians locate this school " in the north end of the town," but the records of the school committee say "in tho north end of the town-house."

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tional progress. This building stood near where the previous school-house had. It was taken down in 1785 to make room for a new court-house, and quar- ters hired elsewhere for the schools. They were not long without a home, for on March 24th the town voted to build the Centre school-house, 24x36 feet, a portion of which was to be occupied by a library. This building was of wood, two stories high. The Latin school occupied rooms here. Other houses were undoubtedly soon built for the East and West schools. The next school-house built was probably that in North Salem, which was on the corner of North and School Streets. The High school now oc- cupies a fairly commodious building on Broad Street, where it has been located since 1856. For thirty- seven years previous it had occupied the neighboring building now used by the Oliver Primary school.

The largest school building in the city is the Bow- ditch, on Dean Street, built in 1870 at a cost of eighty- five thousand dollars, including land. The Phillips Grammar school, on Lower Essex Street, occupies an eight-room house, built in 1883 at a cost of thirty- three thousand and five hundred dollars. The Bently Grammar and Primary, on Essex Street, near the Phillips, was built in 1861 and enlarged in 1886. The four-room building in North Salem, occupied by the Pickering Grammar school, was built in 1862, at a cost of twenty thousand dollars. The Saltonstall, on Holly Street, South Salem, the only wooden gram- mar school-building, and built in 1874, cost sixteen thousand dollars. Of the primary school-houses .all are small and most of them are old, wooden four-room buildings. The Bertram is the only one of recent date.

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 54

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1 Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1538

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538