USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Great Barrington > History of Great Barrington, (Berkshire County,) Massachusetts > Part 30
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Further north on that road, and adjoining the Al- ford south line, Justin and Hugo Dewey purchased land in 1791, and apparently settled there at that time. The house of Justin Dewey stood where the farm-house of his grand-son, Justin Dewey, Esq., now does, and his brother Hugo resided in the house next north, still standing, in which his son Grotius afterwards lived. Justin and Hugo Dewey were notable characters, and in some respects remarkable men. Both were large and portly ; both were genial and sociable ; and a fondness for mirthfulness equally characterized both. They were brothers in every sense of the word. Liv- ing but a short distance apart they were almost con- stantly in each other's company. They tilled their farms and harvested their crops together. If they went to church they went together ; if they visited the vil- lage tavern it was together, and together they told their stories and sipped their mug of flip. Their lives were of that peaceful, unruffled nature which tends to . happiness and longevity, and which in their case won the esteem and respect of their townsmen. Justin Dewey died August 31, 1832, in his 82d year, and. Hugo died in his 81st year, April 17th, 1833.
CHAPTER XXIV.
EARLY SCHOOL HOUSES-SUPPORT OF SCHOOLS- FORMATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS-SELECT SCHOOLS-HIGH SCHOOL.
We have in a former chapter made mention of the appropriations by the town of Sheffield for the sup- port of schools in this place, while it constituted a part of that town, and of the existence of a very early school- house here, which was sold at auction for eighteen shillings in 1757. We have also chronicled the build- ing of a school-house, by the parish about the year 1748, and the erection of another, by the town in 1762. The school-house of 1748 was standing some time after the incorporation of the town, but had apparently dis- appeared before 1768. Its site is now unknown. The school house of 1762, stood near the site of the pres- ent Congregational church, and seems to have been in existence as late as 1781. This, so far as we have as- certained, was the only school-house built by the town, until within a very recent period.
In 1768, the town voted to remove this school- house, and also to build two others, and appointed a committee "to determine to what place in said town the present school-house shall be removed, and in what places the two school-houses yet to be built shall be sot." But we find no evidence that the house stand- ing was removed, or that the proposed new ones were built. Indeed, it is not at all probable that the vote, quoted, was carried into execution.
Referring, doubtless, to this school-house (of 1762), was an article in the warrant for a town meeting in October, 1779, "to see if the town will sell the school-
348
HISTORY OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
house in said town," the question upon which, being put, "passed in the negative." But in September, 1781, the town directed its selectmen to sell "the old school-house," at the appraisal of Samuel Pixley and Ezekiel Kellogg, and to apply the proceeds to the building of a town pound. As no further mention of this school-house is found in the records, we conclude that it was sold as ordered : though the selectmen, in May, 1783, were authorized to draw money from the town treasury and build a pound. This pound was built ; it stood on the south side of the way near the Bung Hill corner, close up to the foot of the mountain, and a little west and south from the present Bung Hill school-house.
At the same meeting-September 11th, 1781-at which the town voted to sell its school-house, a propo- sition of several individuals for building a school-house at their own expense, was considered, and under an article in the warrant "to see if the town inhabitants will grant liberty for a school-house to be set up on the town land near the old meeting-house in said town," it was "voted to grant liberty for building a school- house as within mentioned." These individuals soon after erected a school house, and, a little later, pro- posed to sell it to the town. But the town-August 29, 1785-by vote, refused "to buy the school-house in said town, belonging to certain persons, near the meeting-house." This school-house, described as a long building with two rooms, stood upon the east bank of the river, a short distance below the Great Bridge, where it did service as a school-house for about twenty years. It was purchased in 1801 by Major Dudley Woodworth and converted into a blacksmith's shop, and still later, it was removed some distance south on the old road east of the river, and transformed into a dwelling-house, by E. P. Woodworth, Esq., but was eventually destroyed by fire some forty years ago. The proprietors of this building, so far as we have as- certained, were : Doctor William Whiting, Walter Pyn- chon, Ensign John Burghardt, Hall Pixley, Doctor John Sibley, William Whiting 2d, Ezekiel Kellogg, Major Thomas Ingersoll, Justin, Hugo, and Benedict Dewey.
349
SCHOOL APPROPRIATIONS.
The statutes in force in the early years of our par- ish and town organization, required that every town of fifty or more families " should be constantly provided of a schoolmaster, to teach children and youth to read and write," and towns of one hundred families were required to maintain a grammar school and employ " some discreet person of good conversation, well in- structed in the tongues, to keep such school." Under this last requirement, Sheffield, in 1752, made provis- ion for a grammar school to be kept four months in the Upper parish, five months in the middle part, and three months at the south end of the town ; and in the next year a similar school was provided for in the North parish.
The first appropriation for schooling, made by this town, was on the 16th of November, 1761, when £30 was raised "for the support and maintenance of a school, and it was voted "that the school, for the pres- ent, be kept in the school-house now built;" that is the house of 1748. From 1761 to '70, sums varying from £30 to £40, were annually raised for schooling, and in one of these years-1768-£50 was appropriated for this purpose. From 1771 to the Revolution the unwritten records afford no information as to the ac- tion taken in regard to schools, though we know from another source that £30 was voted in 1774. In 1771, the town refused to raise money for schools, and the school was apparently unkept. In consequence of this, the town was summoned to answer before the Court of Sessions-February, 1772-"for being unprovided with a school," and through its agent, David Inger- soll, Junior, Esq., made virtual confession, in the plea, " Will not contend with the King," whereupon it was fined £3, 6s., 8d., and costs. In 1776 the inhabitants voted not to raise money for schooling ; and during the war the subject of appropriations for this object was seldom acted upon. Still, schools were to some extent maintained by private enterprise.
The earlier votes of the town contemplated the sustaining of but one school and the employment of but one teacher. Thus, in 1763, a committee was ap- pointed "to direct in what places the school shall be
350
HISTORY OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
kept in said town." The school was kept in different localities. One teacher only was employed; and both school and teacher were transferred from neighbor- hood to neighborhood, at the discretion of the com- mittee. This was a common custom.
In 1762, measures were adopted by which any number of inhabitants in remote parts of the town, having fifteen or more children who would be accom- modated by a school kept in their vicinity, on applica- tion to the selectmen, might be permitted to expend the proportion of the school tax assessed upon them- selves, for employing a teacher, approved by the se- lectmen, to keep a school in their own neighborhood.
In 1770, Peter Burghardt, John Burghardt, Beriah Thomas, Peter Sharp, Moses Church, Garret Bur- ghardt, John Burghardt, 3d, Coonrod Burghardt, 3d, Coonrod Burghardt, Junior, Charles Parsons and Da- vid Crossman, residents of the west part of the town, were, by special vote, permitted to expend the money which they were assessed for schooling, in supporting a school amongst themselves. At the same time, the inhabitants of the Hoplands (now in Lee) were excused from the payment of school rates, as well as ministerial and highway taxes.
The early schools of the town were not of a high order ; reading, writing, spelling, and arithmetic-the rudiments only, were taught. The town had not at- tained to the dignity of a grammar school ; and in 1769 a proposition to hire a grammar school master was negatived. But there is some evidence that Mr. Gid- eon Bostwick, before 1770, and previous to his settle- ment as a missionary, was engaged here in teaching a school above the ordinary grade. The schools are sup- posed to have been kept at the dwellings of the inhab- itants in separate neighborhoods, as the different sec- tions of the town were not supplied with school-houses.
A memorandum is preserved, in the hand-writing of Captain Truman Wheeler, of subscriptions made in October, 1785-"towards building the school-house"- by Warham Lee, Elisha Blinn, Truman Wheeler, David Wainwright, John Burghardt, John Kellogg, Samuel Church, William Whiting, Junior, and Jacob Johnson
351
CENTER SCHOOL-HOUSE.
to the amount of £45, to which the names of Moses Hopkins, Thomas Baker, Ezra Kellogg, and Amos Olds are also appended, though without any sums subscribed. These subscriptions were doubtless for the building of the school-house in the Southern District, which, for many years, stood on the east side of the way a short distance south of the old Episcopal church, and which after the division of the town into school districts was long used by the Southern District. We have no doubt that this school-house was erected by the con- tributions of individuals, as the one near the bridge, a few years earlier, had been, and as the Center school- house, soon after, was.
The old Center school-house of the Center District was erected by an association of villagers, formed De- cember, 15th, 1794. The gentlemen engaged in this enterprise entered into an agreement for purchasing of Captain Walter Pynchon one-half acre of land for a building site-the same on which the Center school house now stands-with a pass-way of twenty four feet in width from the highway to the premises, and to erect theron a building 44 by 25 feet on the ground, nine feet between floors, to contain rooms respective- ly 22 by 24 feet, 12 by 14 feet, and 9 by 10 feet, with a fire place in each; the land and house to be held in twenty-four shares, for the purposes of schooling only. The shares were fixed at £5 each, and the proprietors were permitted to pay two-thirds of their subscriptions in material and labor. Moses Hopkins, Samuel Whiting, and Stephen Sibley were appointed a building com- mittee, and Thomas Ives treasurer. An annual meet- ing of the proprietors was provided for, at which com- mittees were to be chosen for employing instructors, furnishing firewood, and making repairs; and for a fund for repairs, it was agreed that a charge of nine pence per quarter should be made for each scholar.
The proprietors, with the number of shares sub- scribed by each, were:
"Valter Pynchon,
4 shares, £20
Thomas Ives,
4
shares, 20
Moses Hopkins,
3 shares, 15
Ezra Kellogg,
2 shares, 10
352
HISTORY OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
Stephen Sibley,
2 shares,
10
Samuel Whiting,
2 shares,
10
John Whiting,
1 share,
William Whiting,
1 sbare,
5
Isaac Turner,
1
share,
5
Abraham K. Whiting,
1
share,
5
Aaron Olds,
1
share,
Samuel Hopkins,
1 share,
Simeon Cooper,
1
share,
5
24
£120
The land was, soon after, purchased at a cost of £13, and the building erected in 1795, though its in- ternal arrangement varied somewhat from the plan proposed. This eventually became the property of the Center District, and the building continued in use until 1850, when it was destroyed by fire. The present. Center school-house was erected nearly upon the site of the old one, in 1851.
No other school-houses are known to have been built in town prior to the year 1800, though it is not. improbable that others may have been erected in lo- calities remote from the village; and of those men- tioned, two only-the Center and Southern-were then in use. In 1782 and '83 the town refused to raise money for schooling, but in 1785 the sum of £100 was. raised and a committee appointed "to divide the town into districts for the purpose of schools." A vote was also passed giving to the inhabitants of each district, the sums which they might be assessed in raising the above sum. The committee above mentioned, divided the inhabitants into five, so called, districts. Similar
divisions were made in 1788, '94 and '97. But these were simply classifications of the inhabitants into- neighborhoods, made for the purpose of equitably ex- pending the money granted, and did not constitute school districts. In 1791 the inhabitants, perhaps with a tinge of irony to the proprietors of the school- house by the bridge, voted to raise forty shillings for schools, and that the same " be expended in the school- house near the Great Bridge." In 1792, and again in 1794, the town was indicted "for not keeping schools according to law," and perhaps with good effect.
From 1794 to 1800 an increased interest was mani-
353
SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
fested in schools, and in that period the annual appro- priations for their support varied from $300 to $500. The first division of the town into legally constituted, territorial school-districts was made in the year 1800, by Thomas Ives, David Wainwright, Zachariah Fair- child, David Dresser, and Jacob Van Deusen, a com- mittee appointed for that purpose. By their report, accepted November 3d, 1800, the number of districts. established was nine. These by changes and divisions. made in later years were increased to seventeen in number, but have since been reduced to thirteen.
Soon after the establishment of the districts, school- houses were erected in several localities. A school- house was built at the Bung Hill corner-where the present one stands-in 1801; another in the 1st West- ern district the same year ; in the 2d Western in 1804; and the 2d Eastern is known to have had a school- house on the corner, near the house of Elias F. Peck, in 1804.
The annual appropriations for the support of com- mon schools for the past ten years have varied from $4,500 to $5,500. The town has a small school fund -$960-arising from the sale of school lands, in the Upper Township, and from sums recovered from de- faulting tax collectors many years ago. It has also a surplus revenue fund of $4,127, resulting from the proceeds of sales of public lands. The income from these funds is annually devoted to the support of schools.
Select Schools.
With the beginning of the century an increased interest in the education of children began to be mani- fested, and some schools of a higher order than the common schools of that period were established. The earliest of these of which we have knowledge was the school begun before the year 1797, and continued for several years, by Miss Betsey M. Bostwick, in the east room of the old Center school-house, where boys and misses were taught. Miss Bostwick was a daughter of the Rev. Gideon Bostwick, a lady of education and refinement and very highly esteemed. A few years later, the late William Sherwood-who died at the age of eighty-five, in 1871-commenced a select school in 23
354
HISTORY OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
the Center school house, which was continued for a number of years, and in which the fathers and mothers of many of the present generation, were taught in the higher branches of education.
Miss Sarah Kellogg, very early, began a school for boys and girls. This, in our first recollection of it, was kept in the east room of the old school house, from whence it was removed about 1832, to the former law office of William Cullen Bryant, where the Episco- pal church stands. From this sprang the young ladies boarding school-" The Rose Cottage Seminary," after- wards so long conducted by the Misses Sarah, Mary, and Nancy Kellogg. The old law office, removed a short distance, was attached to the dwelling of the Misses Kellogg, and with the addition of an upper story, served many years the purpose of a school house. This school was maintained by the Misses Kellogg un- til about 1853, when it was transferred to Mrs. Martha W. Allen, who removed it to her residence on Castle street hill. It was finally discontinued by the death of its principal in 1865.
About 1833, the necessity for a good school, above the ordinary grade, induced an effort on the part of a few villagers to establish one. To this end a large upper room was leased in the house of Miles Bartholo- mew-now of Dr. W. H. Parks-fitted up for the pur- pose, and the services of Mr. Erastus Rowley, of Rich- mond, secured as teacher. This school was maintained in the Bartholomew house for one or two years, and was then removed to the north front room of the Henderson house, where it was re-opened under the charge of Mr. Corydon S. Sperry of Berlin, Conn. But it was found difficult to support a competent teacher, and the school was abandoned in 1836.
Soon after this, the Rev. Sturgis Gilbert established a boarding and day school for both misses and boys. This was kept at his dwelling-house-the place lately David S. Draper's, at that time the Episcopal parson- age-and Mrs. Gilbert assisted him, as teacher for the young ladies. This school was sustained for several years. About 1839, E. W. Simmons began and con- tinued for two or three years a select school in the
355
ACADEMY-HIGH SCHOOL.
Centre school house, which was well patronized, and was carried on with some efficiency.
The Great Barrington Academy, erected in 1841, by an association of citizens, incorporated for that pur- pose, was first placed in charge of the late James Sedgwick, who continued as its principal for eight or nine years, but eventually removed to Alabama. It was afterwards superintended for several years by a number of different teachers, without proving very successful, and was finally converted into a dwelling- house, the same in which Wallace W. Langdon now resides. Mr. Sedgwick -- the former preceptor of the academy-returned from Alabama in 1854, and insti- tuted a boarding school for boys in the old Episcopal parsonage, and soon after erected the Sedgwick Insti- tute, in the south part of the village, to which he re- moved his school, which he continued to his decease in 1865. This institution which has since been con- ducted by several different proprietors, is now carried on by Mr. E. J. Van Lennep.
The High School.
Until 1868, the town had never maintained a school of higher grade than that of the ordinary common school. In that year-April 13th-it was voted to es- tablish and maintain a High School, and $2,000 was raised for the purpose. This school was soon after opened in the Center school-house, where it remained until the completion of the High School building, erect- ed in 1869, at a cost of about $15,000. From that time the principals of the school have been: William H. Blodget, spring term, 1868; George W. Todd, 1868-71 ; Charles C. Barton, 1871; E. C. Dudley, spring term of 1872; Harry H. Scott, 1872, to his decease in March, 1877; H. J. Chase, 1877-78; F. A. Hosmer, 1878, the present principal. For the support of the High School the town has, of late years, raised annual- ly, the sum of $3,000.
CHAPTER XXV.
EARLY INDUSTRIES-MERCHANTS-THE POST OFFICE -STAGES-TAVERNS-MAGISTRATES-LAW- YERS AND OTHER NOTABLES.
At the beginning of the present century a large part of the township was still covered with the original forest. Fine tracts of white pine timber existed in various sections, particularly in the vicinity of Seekonk and Long Pond, though not confined to any locality. The plain lands in the west and north parts of the town abounded in yellow pine. At an earlier period, in clearing up the lands, vast quantities of timber were cut and burned upon the ground. Lumber was plenty and cheap. Saw mills were numerous. It is said that in 1818, there were no less than fourteen saw mills in town, and all in running order. Columbia county, N. Y., furnished the principal market for lumber, staves and heading ; but the supply was always in excess of the demand. The nearest point of water communica- tion was on the Hudson River, beyond Claverack-the old Claverack Landing, near Hudson-and the outlet for South Berkshire produce was in this direction to the New York market; for New York was at a very early period the market for the surplus production of the farmers of this region. Singular as it may seem, in 1764-5 Captain Truman Wheeler transported boards from this town to Claverack, which were thence shipped by vessels to New York. And before the Revolution fat cattle were driven from here to the New York market.
The abundance of wood, and consequently of ashes, gave rise to the manufacture of potash, which was long one of the staple products of the town. There were
357
EARLY INDUSTRIES.
here several small establishments for the manufacture of this article. One of these, owned about 1790 by Moses Hopkins, Esq., stood in the door-yard, north of the house of Ralph Taylor; another of the same or earlier date, belonged to Doctor William Whiting and was located on Castle street ; Colonel Elijah Dwight, too, was engaged in the same manufacture, and is sup- posed to have had his works on the south side of the school-house lane, where the building-afterwards used for a hay press-is still remembered.
In 1770, Doctor William Whiting, by special vote of the town, was permitted to erect works for the man- ufacture of earthenware, within the limits of the high- way opposite his dwelling-house-the Doctor C. T. Collins place. No tradition of these works is pre- served; but it is evident, from the books of Doctor Whiting, that he had large quantities of earthen ware, and dealt in it extensively in that year ; and he is also known to have had a "potter" named Gray, in his em- ploy. We have no doubt that the pottery was built and operated ; but it was perhaps an enterprise which did not succeed.
The production of wool and flax were important branches of agriculture, and before the innovations of machinery, and the substitution of cotton for flax, these were spun and woven into fabrics in the households of the inhabitants. The hetchels, cards, and spinning wheels were in constant employ, and many families were provided with looms for the weaving of both wool and flax. The woolen fabric, fulled and finished at the fulling mill, furnished the clothing for men and boys ; and "homespun" was the dress of nearly all classes at the beginning of this century. By the introduction of the carding machine a great change in the labor of pre- paring wool for the spinning was effected. The first machine of this kind, is said to have been set up here by Booth & Gibbs. Thomas Ives and Dudley Wood- worth erected a building and put in wool carding ma- chinery at their works in Water street, in or about the year 1803. This was in operation until about 1837. The first fulling mill of the town was on the Green River, where the Kellogg grist-mill stands. Here Dan-
358
HISTORY OF GREAT BARRINGTON.
iel Rathbun established the business of fulling and cloth dressing as early as 1760. These works were operated by Major John Kellogg during and after the Revolution, and still later for many years by his son, the late John Kellogg.
Shoemakers itinerated from house to house carry- ing the bench and kit of tools on their backs, and sit- ting down for a week or more in the farmer's kitchen, provided his family with a six months supply of shoes. This was called "whipping the cat." The trades of shoe making and tanning were in some degree identi- cal ; the shoe-maker in some instances carrying on tan- ning on a small scale. Such was the case with "Wise" Isaac Van Deusen, who, 1785-1800, occupying the Misses Kellogg house, had his shop just north of the brook in Mrs. McLean's door-yard, and his tan-vats in rear of the Frederick Lawrence house in the hollow. Samuel Riley, too, whom we have mentioned, united tanning with shoe-making on the Doctor W. H. Parks place. Robert Kilborn and Major Samuel Rosseter were tanners on a more extended scale, both for home consumption and the New York market. The latter connected with tanning the manufacture of "stock shoes "-men's brogans.
At a later day Caspar Hollenbeck erected a tannery at the foot of Monument Mountain ; having first served an apprenticeship under Major Rosseter. Charles W. Hopkins-also an apprentice of Major Rosseter-in connection with Deacon Allen Henderson, had a tan- nery as early as 1809, above the bridge, near the resi- dence of James H. Beckwith. He afterwards-later than 1820-built, and for many years carried on tan- works where the factory stands in Water street ; and Deacon Henderson, removing to the Henderson house, with his shop in the basement, became the principal saddler of the town.
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