USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Grafton > History of Grafton, Worcester county, Massachusetts, from its early settlement by the Indians in 1647 to the present time, 1879. Including the genealogies of seventy-nine of the older families > Part 19
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Rev. FRANCIS READ, the next pastor, was installed April 1, 1876, and dismissed April 1, 1878.
He is a native of Grafton, N. H., and was graduated from the Theological department of Bates College, Lewiston, Me., in the class of 1849. He has held pastorates in Ports- mouth, N. H., Farmington and Bath, Me., besides in other places. While pastor over this church some prosperity attended his labors, a number being added by baptism and by letter. A considerable interest was also maintained in the Sabbath-school. He removed to Lawrence, Mass., where he supplies the pulpit of a church of the same denomination.
Rev. ANDREW J. EASTMAN, Jr., the next pastor, and present incumbent, was installed May 19, 1878. He was born in East Parsonsfield, York County, Me., July 23, 1846, the son of Andrew J. and Sarah J. Eastman. He was fitted for college at New Hampton, N. H., and entered Bates College, Lewiston, Me., August, 1870, and was grad- uated in June, 1874. He entered the Theological Seminary, a department of Bates College, in August, 1874, and grad- uated in June, 1877. He was ordained to the ministry November 1st, 1877, at Steep Falls, Standish, Cumberland
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ST. PHILIP'S CHURCH.
County, Me., by the following council :- Rev. J. M. Bailey, Saco, Rev. C. S. Perkins, Portland, Rev. A. F. Hutchinson, Cape Elizabeth, Rev. W. J. Twort, Gorham, Rev. P. M. Hobson, Steep Falls, Rev. A. G. Hill, Topsham.
DEACONS.
Elected.
Orlando Russell
Jan. 14, 1843
Harford P. Danham
Jan. 14, 1843
Reuben Fuller .
.April, 1844
Benjamin Cragin
. April, 1844
Amos D. Johnson
April, 1845
George W. Cromb
Jan. 29, 1863
Elias Chase .
Jan. 1, 1870
Thomas Johnson
. Jan. 9,1871
Smith P. Chase
Jan. 6,1872
St. Philip's Church.
The mission .- Sketch of Rev. J. J. Power. - The church building .- Sketch of Rev. A. M. Baret, D. D.
In 1848 a small chapel (St. Philip's Church), about 25 by 40 feet, was built by subscription on a lot presented by Mr. Benchly to the few Catholics of Grafton. They were at that time attended by Rev. Father Sheridan, of Black- stone, who visited them occasionally during the year. In 1858, November 25th, the mission was annexed to St. Ann's Church of Worcester. The pastor, Rev. J. J. Power, con- tinued to visit it several times a year, and had charge of it until July 1st, 1869. During the ten years of his adminis- tration, the Catholic population having largely increased, he enlarged (Angust, 1866) the too small edifice to its present capacity of 620 seats, and attended the congregation about every month, and later about every two weeks.
Rev. J. J. POWER was born in Charlestown, Mass., in 1828. He attended the public schools of his native town, and began his collegiate course in Holy Cross College, in Worcester, from which institution he was graduated in 1851.
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HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
He continued his theological studies in Montreal, Canada, one year, and at Aix, in France. He was ordained in 1856.
In 1869, July 1st, Grafton mission was detached from St. Ann's, and joined with Millbury was made a parish nnder the pastorship of Rev. M. J. Doherty, who attended Graf- ton about every Sunday during the four months he had charge of it. In the month of October, 1869, the mission of Grafton was finally made a parish, to which the small mission of Upton, formerly attended from Milford, was added. The present Catholie population of the parish, in- cluding Grafton and Upton, is about 1,200, equally divided between Irish and Canadians.
The first resident pastor, the present incumbent, Rev. A. M. Baret, D. D., was appointed November 10th, 1869, by Bishop Williams, of Boston, to whose diocese Grafton and Upton then belonged. When Springfield diocese was created (1870) from a portion of Boston diocese, Grafton became a parish of the former.
Rev. Dr. BARET is a native of France. After a brilliant course of studies in his own country he went to Rome to complete his theological course, and there he received his degree of Doctor of Divinity. There also he was ordained, being attended on the occasion by two classmates, his friends, Louis Creglia di San Stephano and Henry Howard, who are to-day cardinals of the Catholic church. After a few years of professorship Doctor Baret was called to Paris by Cardinal Morlot, archbishop of Paris, and appointed a curate at the Church of La Madeleine, the leading and most fashionable church of Paris. In 1859, he accepted the in- vitation of Bishop Bacon, of Portland, Me., to accompany him to this country as secretary and chancellor of his diocese. Leaving the brilliant future then before him, hav- ing just been appointed to a higher situation in Paris, he came to America. But soon after he decided to give up his missionary labors, and was about to return to his native land when the good and great John B. Fitzpatrick, bishop of
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ST. PHILIP'S CHURCH.
Boston, entreated him and prevailed upon him to stay with him in Boston. After the death of Bishop Fitzpatrick (1866) his successor, Bishop Williams, sent Dr. Baret to Grafton.
Father Baret is a scholar of great merit, and has probably one of the finest and most extensive libraries of any priest in this country. His library numbers some 5,000 of the most valuable theological, philosophical and historical works. He is a great student, and lives among his books, having very little to do in his mission. And how it happened that he consented to be sent to Grafton, and is still kept there, is a mystery to his friends, who are legion, and shows his spirit of self-sacrifice and humility. It is a pity that a man of his great learning, fine talents and genial character, should not have been settled in a larger field.
EDUCATIONAL
CHAPTER SIXTH.
CONTENTS :
The first law establishing Public schools in America .- Ye school lot .- Proprietors' records. - Data from the first town records .- The school-houses in the Centre .-- School-houses at Keith Hill, Saun- dersville, New England Village, Brigham Hill, Farnumsville .- Rev. Aaron Hutchinson as a teacher .- Samuel Hall, Nathan Jones, Phin- eas Gleasou, Sally Leland, David Stone, Amos W. Stockwell and Newell Wedge, teachers .- The school districts. - Extracts from the school committee reports from 1844 to 1879 .- The High school .- Rev. Farrington McIntire's private school.
0 NE of the most interesting and important chapters in the history of Grafton, is that which relates to the free schools of the town, some details of which will now be given.
This town, like most of New England, has ever regarded the edneation of youth as of primary importance. When it was laid ont, a tract of land was set apart for the support of a school. This land was sold in 1783; and the proceeds formed a fund, which was held for that purpose. Before 1737, the school was kept in one place only, and that the centre of the town. During this year it was agreed to have it kept in five places ; and for a number of years after there was but one schoolmaster, who moved about from place to place, shedding light and dispensing knowledge, according to the wants and convenience of all. The system of sehiool districts was established in 1785; and its utility became
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HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
more apparent as the population increased, and the means of education enlarged. In 1739, the appropriation for the school was £40, old tenor. This, when compared with the appropriation of the present year,* appears a small sum. But when we consider that all the expenses of the school, except for the services of the instructor, were paid by con- tribution, we shall see that even so small a sum as this would do mueh towards promoting a knowledge of " read- ing, writing and cyphering,"-almost the only branches of edneation that the wisest pedagogue of the day taught.
The first law, establishing public schools in America, was passed by the General Court of Massachusetts on the 27th of October, 1647. The following is a copy of the pre- amble :--
"It being one of the chief projects of Satan to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures, as in former times keeping them in unknown tongues, so in these latter times, by persuading from the use of tongues, that so at least the true sense and meaning of the original might be clouded and corrupted by false glosses of deceivers; to the end that learning may not be buried in the graves of our forefathers, in church and Commonwealth; the Lord assisting our endeavors :-
It is therefore ordered by this Court, and authority thereof, that every township within this jurisdiction, after the Lord hath increased them to the number of fifty householders, shall forthwith appoint one within their towns to teach all such children, as shall resort to him, to write and read, whose wages shall be paid either by the parents or masters of such children, or by the inhabitants in general, by way of supply, as the major part of those that order the prudentials of the town shall appoint ; provided that those who send their children be not oppressed by paying much more than they can have them taught for in other towns."
This was the origin of the common school system, which has contributed so much to the prosperity and glory of New England, by rearing np a class of men fitted for all the active duties of life, not only within her own jurisdiction, but throughout the United States.
* $6,800.
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EDUCATIONAL.
YE SCHOOL LOT. -
May 15, 1728-9 .-* Laid out for ye schoole lot in Hassanamisco, wh. contains twenty acres and Is situated easterly from ye meeting-house lot, and bounded southerly by ye seventy-first lot, easterly by ye seventy-second lot, northerly by ye second part of ye ministers second upland lot, and westerly, party by common and partly by the twenty- second lot. The four angle marks are stakes and stones. Ye north line is G5 rod ; ye east, 53; ye south, 54 rod; and ye west line is 55 rod.
Surveyed by JAMES KEYES.
Recorded Jan. 6, 1728.
March 18, 1729 .- t The school-house shall be twenty-one feet long and sixteen feet wide, and seven feet between joynts. Zernbhable Eager and John Hunt were chosen a committee to lay out the grounds, and let the school-house to be built.
December 28, 1736 .-¿ Voted to pay John Sherman, Phineas Rice, and the heirs of Samuel Biglo, deceased, the sum of twenty-eight pounds of money, or bills of credit, for building the school-house.
The following data was copied from the town records :-
1736 .- Voted to have a schoolmaster, and the following persons were chosen a committee to procure one : Nathaniel Sherman, Charles Brig- ham, Captain Willard. Chose Nehemiah How, Capt. James Leland and Ahner Stow, a committee to procure a schoolmaster for the year en- suing. Paid Nehemiah How four pounds, one shilling and eight pence for keeping school.
1737 .- Voted to move the school into five places, and Nathaniel Sher- man, Joseph Willard, Charles Brigham, Thomas Pratt and Phineas Hardy were chosen the committee to move the school. Voted to raise forty pounds for schooling.
1738 .- Paid Samuel Cooper three pounds and four shillings for keep- ing school.
1739 .- Paid James Whipple for keeping school.
1740 .- Voted this year to have the school " in the middle of the mid- dle of the town." Voted to have a standing school kept in the school- house for six months. Voted in September, of this year, to have a moving school till the next of March.
The school-house was erected in 1731, and the proprietors with the other English families acted in concert in support- ing the school. This building stood about where the dwell-
* Proprietors' Records. t Ibid. # Ibid.
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HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
ing-house of Charles H. Leland now stands, near the Bap- tist meeting-house horse-sheds. There are several persons now living who began their education in it, and played at recess on the walls of the old pound, near by. About this time the settlement continued to increase, and marks of in- dustry and civilization to become more apparent. This school-house was removed from the common about 1832, and was used by Mr. George Clapp as a carpenter's shop, and is . now the woodshed of Mr. John Whitney. Abont this time a new building was erected on North street, near the residence of Mrs, Drake, and after being used for a number of years as a school-house was moved farther up the street on land owned by Rufus E. Warren, nearly opposite his residence, and nsed as a currier's shop. The present briek sehool-house was built a short time before the other was moved.
The first school-house in the Keith Hill distriet was ereeted on land where the present building now stands, as was the case in the George Hill and Merriam districts.
The first school-house in the Saundersville distriet was built on an eminence on the road leading to this village, near the residence of Benjamin Heywood, by a Mr. Cun- ningham, and was known by the sobriquet of "Seience Hill." A few years ago the present school-house was built, and the old one was vacated.
The school-house at New England Village was first built on land opposite the residence of Jasper Putnam. This was vacated, and one built near the one now occupied.
The school-house on Brigham Hill was built on land owned by the Brigliam family, between their residence and the house of Timothy Sherman. When Hon. William Brigham came into possession of the property, the school- house was moved to its present site, near the foot of the hill.
Prior to 1800, a school-house stood on the road to Far- numsville, about half-way between the houses of Perley
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Goddard and Charles White. This building was built by persons who resided in the vicinity, for the purpose of hav- ing their children instrueted in " reading, writing and cypher- ing." This building was subsequently removed to Farnums- ville, on land nearly opposite the residence of Josiah Hall, to accommodate the scholars in that part of the distriet. When the brick school-house was built this was taken down.
Rev. Aaron Hutchinson, who was ordained pastor of the church here in 1750, not only united in himself the clergy- man and farmer, after the common custom of his time, but combined with his clerical and agricultural pursuits the office of teacher. Well authenticated tradition has handed down to us the ingenious expedient by which he managed so to economize time as to meet his multifarious engage- ments. His method was to teach Latin and Greek, and probably other branches, as he wrought in the field,-his pupils being required to follow him as he followed the plough. His classical attainments and strong memory enabled him thus to cultivate mind and mould at the same time. Both soils, we doubt not, were well tilled, though we may innocently conjecture that the master at the plough- handle would now and then be guilty of an ungrammatical apocope, as the share was canght with frequent jerks among the roots and rocks of the rough new country. None but an accomplished linguist, we are sure, could under such circumstances, have administered Greek to the student, and English to the cattle, in due proportion and proper order, without confusion.
* Samuel Hall, of Plainfield, in the State of Connectient, is to keep school in the town of Grafton, in the winter season, in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty- eight.
In 1797, Nathan Jones, Jr., taught school for nine weeks and three days in the Merriam district.
* Joseph Bruce's old papers.
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HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
In 1804, Phinehas Gleason, of Westborough, taught school in the Merriam district for nine weeks.
Mrs. Dea Joseph Merriam (Sally Leland) taught school in this town from 1806 to 1812, when she was married.
In 1819, the schoolmaster of the town was David Stone, a graduate of Union College, New York, whe bearded with Josph Bruce. He afterwards went west and died there. He is said to have been an inveterate smoker.
Amos W. Stockwell taught school in the George Hill district in 1828, and was employed by Jonathan Brooks, the prudential committee, who managed the affairs of that district.
In 1851, Mr. Newell Wedge kept a seleet private school in Saundersville, through the liberality of Mr. Esek Sann- ders, who gave the use of his school-house for the purpose. The school had been previously and was subsequently kept in Wilkinsonville.
The school was composed of scholars from Sutton, Wilkinsonville and Saundersville. Miss Augusta M. Taft, Miss Emma Mcclellan and Mrs. Martha Webb were mem- bers of this school, who have distinguished themselves as teachers.
The school districts in the town of Grafton, are bounded as follows :- Beginning with the centre or school district No. 1, where the Central Manufacturing Company take the water from Perley Goddard's pond near to Perley God- dard's mill, being a bound of school district No. 7, and running in a direct line southerly to the cross in the Mill- bury and Cold Spring-brook roads a little sonth westerly of the Rev. Otis Converse's house, thenee southeasterly by Leland or No. 2 school district to the end of a wall on the east side of the road leading from the centre of Grafton to Peter Farnum's, being the division wall between Joseph Bruce and land of the late Joseph Whipple, deceased, and one of the bounds of the Farnnm school district, or No. 6 district, thence easterly on said division wall by said No. 6 school
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district to a brook a bound of No. 6 school district, and the Read or No. 5 to Upton between Joseph Bruce's and the late John Warren's land by school district No. 5, thence northeasterly in a direct line to a point thirty rods due north of Samuel Prentice's house, these two last lines by the Read or No. 5 school district, and is a bound of the Merriam or No. 8 school district, thence northerly in a direct line by the school district No. 8 to the northeast corner of Charles Aldrich's barn, a bonnd of school district No. 8, and a corner of the Farm school district or school district No. 4, thence westerly in a direct line by school district No. 4 to a ledge of rocks north of said Aldrich's dwelling-house in the road the top of said rocks has recently been blowu off, thence westerly in a direct line by said district No. 4 to the bridge over the brook in the road a little north of the dwelling-honse of the late Abner Temple, deceased, thence down the thread of said brook to the line of John Wheeler's land, and is the dividing line between the said Wheeler and said Temple, deceased, and is also a bound of the New England Village or No. 9 school district, thenee south westerly in a direct line by the school district No. 9 to a large rock on the land of Jonathan Wheeler, Esq., at the eastern edge of Perley Goddard's Mill Pond by what was once called the fordway westerly from Joseph Dispeau's dwelling-house, being a bound of No. 9 and the Brigham Hill or No. 7 school district, thence turning and running sontherly by said district No. 7 in a direct line over a part of said pond to the bound first mentioned.
The Leland or No. 2 school district is bounded as follows: -Beginning at the corners of land of Joseph Bruce, and the late Joseph Whipple, deceased, on the easterly side of the County road leading from the centre of Grafton to Northbridge through the Farnum Village, and running by school district No. 1 in a direct line northwesterly to the cross of the Millbury and Cold Spring-brook roads a little southwesterly of the Rev. Otis Converse's dwelling-house,
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HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
thence by the school district No. 7 in a direct line westerly to a point on the line between the towns of Millbury and Grafton, thirty rods north of the road leading from Grafton to Millbury by Charles Daniels' house, thence southerly on the said town line and the line between Sutton and Grafton, crossing the Blackstone River and Canal to the southwest corner of Grafton, thence easterly on said Sutton line to the Blackstone River, thenee on the threads of said river and the Little river by the Farnum or No. 6 school district northerly to the line between Joel Sibley and Samuel Leland's land at the corner of the district No. 6, thenee easterly to the bound first mentioned.
The George Hill No. 3 school district is bounded as follows :- Beginning on the town's line between Grafton and Upton where the old county road leading from Upton to Sutton erosses the line, thence northwesterly by the Farnum or No. 6 school district in a direct line to a point thirty rods southeast of the house where Ebenezer Burril now lives, thence by school district No. 5 or the Read dis- triet in a direct line to the northeast corner of Royal Keith's land near Joseph Knox's dwelling-house, thence by said district northerly to a spring on the easterly side of the road leading from Joseph Prentice's to Jeremiah Flagg's on the line between Joseph Prentice and Jeremiah Flagg's land, thenee southeasterly by the school distriet No. 8 to an old mill dam between Thaddeus Read's and Moses Rockwood's land, thenee by said distriet in a direet line northeasterly to the forks of the roads leading from the late Jonathan Stow's dwelling-house to Jeremiah Flagg's and to Upton line, thence due east by said district to Upton line, thenee on said town line southerly to the first mentioned bound.
The Farm or No. 4 school district is bounded as follows : -Beginning at the centre of the road leading from Grafton to Westborough near Russell Fay's, thence southwesterly by the Merriam or No. 8 school district in a direct line to the northeast corner of Charles Aldrich's barn, thence by
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EDUCATIONAL.
the school district No. 1 in a direct line northierly to a ledge of rocks in the road a few rods north of Charles Aldrich's house, a part of which has recently been blown off, thence by said distriet No. 1 westerly in a direct line to a bridge over the brook in the road north of the late Abner Temple's dwelling house, thence by said district on the thread of said brook to the division line of land between the said Abner Temple and John Wheeler, thence by the school district No. 9 northerly in a direct line to the forks of the roads between Elijah Brooks' and Moses Adams', thence by said distriet northeasterly in a direct line to the town road east of Daniel Cutler's dwelling-house, thenee on said road by said district to Shrewsbury line, tlience by Shrewsbury and Westboronghi town lines to the said bound first mentioned.
The Read or No. 5 school district is bounded as follows : -Beginning thirty rods due north of Samuel Prentice's dwelling-house, thence by school distriet No. 1 in a direct line southwesterly to the southerly side of the County road leading from Grafton to Upton to a point between Joseph Bruce's and the late John Warren's land on said road, thence by said district southwesterly to where the brook crosses the line between land of Joseph Brnce and the late Joseph Whipple, thence by school district No. 6 southeasterly in a direct line to an old cellar formerly occupied by Isaac New- man, thence southerly on said school district No. 6 to a point thirty rods sontheast of the honse where Ebenezer Burril now lives, thence by the school district No. 3 in a direct line to the northeast corner of Royal Keith's land near Joseph Knox's house, thence northerly to a spring at the northwest corner of the school district No. 3, thence by school district No. 8 in a direct line to the bound first men- tioned.
The school district No. 6 or Farnum's is bounded as fol- lows :- Beginning at the corner of land of Joseph Bruce and the late Joseph Whipple, on the east side of the road leading from Grafton to Northbridge and running by the
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HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
school distret No. 1 in a direct line easterly -to where the Bruce Brook crosses the line between Joseph Bruce and the late Joseph Whipple's land, thence southeasterly by the school district No. 5 to an old cellar formerly occupied by Isaac Newman, thence by said district No. 5 southerly in a direct line to a point thirty rods southeast of the house where Ebenezer Burril now lives, thence by school district No. 3 southerly in a direct line to Upton line, thence southerly and westerly on Upton and Northbridge town lines to the Blackstone River, thence northerly on the Blackstone and Little rivers by school district No. 2 to the line between Samuel Leland's and Joel Sibley's land, thence northeasterly in a direct line to the first mentioned bounds.
The Brigham Hill or No. 7 school district is bounded as follows :- Beginning at a large rock on Jonathan Wheeler's land at the edge of Perley Goddard's Mill Pond, a bound of district No. 1, and running in a direct line by school district No. 9, northwesterly to a stone bridge a few rods southwesterly of the late Col. Jonathan Wheeler's dwelling- house, thence northwesterly by district No. 9 to a heap of stones in a wall on the east side of the road leading from Joshua Harrington to the New England Village, so-called, and was the southeast corner bound of Moses Adams' pasture and also the ancient bound of the Flint Farm so- called, known as the great white oak tree, thence by district No. 9 due west to Millbury town line, thence southerly on the said town line to a point thirty rods northerly of the road leading from Grafton to Millbury being northwest corner of school district No. 2, thence easterly by district No. 2 in a direct line to the cross of the Cold Spring-brook and Millbury roads a little sonthwest of the Rev. Otis Con- verse's dwelling-house, thence northerly by school district No. 1 in a direct line to where the Central Manufacturing Company takes the water from Perley Goddard's Mill Pond near the said Goddard's mill, thence by said district No. 1 in a direct line to the bounds first mentioned.
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