USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > New Bedford > History of New Bedford and its vicinity, 1620-1892 > Part 57
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money and without price.'" Until the completion of the chapel, serv- ices had been held in the old town hall, the several ministers of the town officiating in turn. The first regular chaplain was Rev. Enoch Mudge, who began his labors April 27, 1832. He remained with the society twelve years, resigning in July, 1844, having been a most effi- cient servant and worthy chaplain. The duties of a chaplain embrace not only the conducting of religious worship in the chapel, but carry him down on the wharves, among the seamen, where he is watchful for a chance to bring some neglected sailor under the care and protection of the Bethel and its moral influences. The Rev. Moses How succeeded Mr. Mudge, rendering the society fifteen years of faithful service. In August, 1857, Capt. David Shepherd bequeathed to the society $500, but in consequence of difficulties incurred in litigation, only $400 of the amount was paid over. In January, 1851, Sarah Rotch Arnold pre- sented to the society the mansion of her late father, William Rotch, jr., for a " Mariner's Home." The need of such an institution had long been felt and the gift was generous and appropriate. Upon the death of Mrs. Arnold, in 1860, the society received from her a bequest of $10,- 000. Another legacy was that of Hon. Charles W. Morgan, in 1865, of $1,000 and another, that of Hon. James Arnold, of $6,000. In March, 1866, the Bethel was partially destroyed by fire, but the burnt portion was immediately rebuilt and the whole edifice thoroughly re- paired. It was reopened July 26, 1867, with appropriate ceremonies and a sermon by Rev. L. B. Bates. At one time the merchants of this port paid a voluntary tax to the society on their tonnage, but when the decline in shipping set in, this revenue became so small that the society was compelled to depend to a large extent upon contributions. The special object of the society has been the moral improvement of seamen, and as the fund for pecuniary and has been quite small, no effort was made to make the society a charitable institution until within the past few years. The presidents of the Port Society have been Samuel Rodman, jr., James Arnold, William H. Taylor, Joseph C. Delano, Thomas A. Greene, George Howland, jr., and Jireh Swift, jr. The secretaries have been Jonathan Tuttle, William H. Taylor, Joseph Rick- etson, James B. Congdon, F. A. Washburn, Edmund Rodman, L. T. Wilcox, and James Taylor. The treasurers have been James Tripp,
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John R. Thornton, Joseph S. Tillinghast, Thomas Pope, jr., Charles S. Randall, Jared Parkhurst, James B. Congdon, F. A. Washburn, Samuel H. Cook, and Nathan C. Hathaway. The chaplains of the Bethel have been Enoch Mudge, April 27, 1832, to July, 1844; Moses How, 1844 to 1859; James D. Butler, April 15, 1859 to 1863 ; Samuel Fox, 1863 to 1869; Rev. B. S. Batchelor, 1869 to 1870; James D. Butler, 1870 to January 3, 1889; E. Williams, 1889 to date. The officers of the society for 1891 are : President, Jireh Swift, jr .; vice-presidents, E. Rod- man, J. E. Stanton ; recording secretary, James Taylor ; corresponding secretary, Rev. E. Williams; treasurer, Nathan C. Hathaway ; with a board of managers.
The Ladies' Branch of the Port Society was formed June 12, 1833. Mrs. James Arnold was the first president, and Mrs. Thomas A. Greene the first secretary. The ladies have been of incalculable value to the society, From one fair held by them, in 1861, the magnificent sum of $1,800 was realized, of which one-half was applied to liquidate the debt upon the Bethel. This branch also maintained at one time a clothing store for seaman, which continued about four years. The members of the Ladies' Branch are principally engaged in going among the families of seamen to see where help and aid will do the most good. The offi- cers of the Ladies' Branch for 1891 are : President, Mrs. Abner R. Tucker ; vice president, Mrs. Gideon Allen, jr .; secretary, Miss Eliza- beth H. Swift; assistant secretary, Miss Clara G. Allen ; treasurer, Miss Mary K. Taber ; with a numerous board of directors.
The Orphan's Home .- This institution occupies a building owned by the society, on West French avenue at the corner of Cove street. The home originated in the bequest of Miss Eliza Grinnell, who died in 1842, leaving $1,000 toward prosecuting the work in which, with a few others, she had been engaged for some years, that of "relieving, edu- cating, and improving the condition of destitute children." A society was formed and incorporated in 1843, the funds at that time amounting to $2,866, and a hired house was used temporarily for a home. The society has at all times disclaimed sectarianism, and has accomplished much good. Orphans of both sexes and children without relations able to support them are admitted to the home. There are at present about thirty-two inmates. The officers for 1891 are : Miss Alice Preston,
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matron ; Miss Lillian F. Whiton, assistant matron ; Miss Helen Clifford, secretary ; Mrs. Wm. W. Crapo, treasurer; Mrs. Wm. J. Rotch, first directress ; Mrs. C. N. Swift, second directress ; Mrs. Frederick S. Allen, Miss Ellen Clifford, Miss Louise S. Cummings, Mrs. John A. Hawes, Miss Amelia Jones, Mrs. L. M. Kollock, Mrs. Eben Perry, Mrs. Otis N. Pierce, Mrs. Oliver Prescott, Miss Isabel M. Snow, Mrs. Walter Spooner, Mrs. Joshua C. Stone, Mrs. James D. Thompson, managers; Mrs. F. G. Callia, Mrs. I. D. Hall, honorary members; Thomas H. Knowles, auditor.
Union for Good Works .- This association was organized in 1870 at the instance of Rev. William J. Potter, in imitation of a similar organi- zation at Providence, R. I., and was incorporated in 1872. Its ob- ject is " to do good and grow better." The work of the union is divided in sections which include hospitality, education and benevo- lence. It cares for the poor and at the same time aids them to be self reliant and self-supporting by tiding over times of need. It provides sewing or other work for needy women, maintains a sales- room for the handiwork of the indigent or the gentlewoman in reduced circumstances. The association has a large reception room in the Hicks building on Purchase street, well stocked with the best papers, periodicals and magazines, besides books and parlor games. Through the winter season a series of popular entertainments are held which are of a high moral and intellectual order and of small cost. The funds of the mission come from admission fees and annual assessments, contributions, legacies, and the public entertainment receipts.
James Arnold, who died in 1868, left $100,000 in charge of three trustees, the income (amounting to $8,000) to be given to the deserving poor of New Bedford. The union receives annually about three- quarters of this fund for the exclusive purpose of charity. The union has done an incalculable amount of good and is deserving of its reputation for being one of the best and far reaching charitable institutions of its kind in the State. The officers are chosen annually. The present board consists of : S. Griffiths Morgans, president ; Joseph Buckminster, Mrs. Harriet A. Church, Mrs. Rebecca M. Frothingham, Albert W. Holmes, vice-presidents ; Miss Anna Lawton, secretary ; Frederick S. Allen, treasurer ; Miss Abby S. Tobey, matron ; Warren W. Sampson,
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superintendent of amusement rooms ; Thomas H. Knowles, John F. Swift, auditors.
Association for the Relief of Aged Women .- This bepelovent associa- tion was established by a number of the ladies of New Bedford in 1866 and organized under the general laws. Its object is " to furnish assistance and relief to respectable, aged American women, of New Bedford." The association distributes several thousand dollars annually among worthy persons in the city. Among the prominent benefactors have been James Arnold, Thomas Mandell, Matthew, Edward W. and Susan Howland, Edward C. Jones, Thomas Nye, jr., and others. The association is controlled by no religious sect. The officers for 1891 are: Mrs. Oliver Prescott, president; Mrs. Charles W. Clifford, vice- president ; Mrs. Henry T. Wood, treasurer ; Miss Louise S. Cummings, secretary.
St. Luke's Hospital .- This institution is located on the west side of Fourth street, between Madison and Russell streets. Several meetings were held early in 1884 to take steps toward establishing a new hospital, but an organization was not effected until April 12 of that year. A lot was purchased with a large, airy house already erected thereon, and the hospital was at once put in readiness to receive patients. Among those interested in the movement were Horatio Hathaway, Edward S. Taber, Charles W. Clifford, Mrs. Benjamin Anthony and others. A woman's board of management has general charge of the hospital work, which has been exceptionally successful. There is connected with the institution a training school for nurses, which graduates a class each year. The hospital contains fifteen beds. The officers for 1891 are: Horatio Hathaway, president; C. W. Plummer, treasurer ; Edward S. Taber, secretary ; Miss J. E. Whit- more, matron ; Drs. E. P. Abbe, G. de N. Hough, G. T. Hough, A. M. Pierce, C. D. Prescott, W. N. Swift, John T. Bullard, W. H. Taylor, secretary, visiting staff; Dr. J. J. B. Vermyn, ophthalmic surgeon.
Among the worthy charitable institutions that have been identified with New Bedford and its history, may be mentioned the Women's Reform and Relief Association, first organized in 1845, but not incor- porated until April, 1859, when a home was provided "for all the
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suffering and unfortunate class of women who are driven to the streets ;" also for females coming to the city as strangers and in need of a refuge while seeking employment ; the Dorcas Society, which was organized in 1831 by ladies of the Elm Street Methodist Episcopal Church, its object being to make and furnish clothing for the poor; and the Morn- ing Star Beneficial Society, incorporated in May 1864, for assisting the sick or disabled members of poor families.
Young Men's Christian Association .- To George Williams, a young man not quite twenty- one years of age, a clerk in the dry goods estab- lishment of Messrs. Hitchcock & Company, St. Paul's Churchyard, London, is given the credit of being the first who took steps towards the founding of the Young Men's Christian Association. This was in 1841, when he, together with eighty fellow clerks, first gathered for prayer and Bible study in the bed-rooms on the premises, after the work of the day was over. After many of these meetings had been held, a plan of organization was effected, and on June 6, 1844, after much prayer and exchange of thought, a Young Men's Christian Asso- ciation was formed, the first in the world. From that day to this, the progress and success of the association in every part of the civilized world has been wonderful. In 1890 there were in North America nearly 1,350 associations, with a membership of about 213,000, holding property to the value of nearly $12,000,000. There are in the world in the neighborhood of 5,000 of these associations. The first of these associations in the United States, was organized in Boston, Mass., De- cember 29, 1851. This was followed during the same year by organi- zations in New York, Buffalo, Washington, Baltimore, and New Bedford.
The New Bedford association existed but for a short time. It was succeeded by the Young Men's Christian Association of the County Street Church, formed April 30, 1867, the result of a meeting held in the vestry of the County Street M. E. Church, held April 21, 1867, of young men of that church " called to take into consideration the practi- cability of forming a society for the promotion of the cause of Christ." Leonard B. Ellis called the meeting to order, George M. Eddy, jr., was chosen chairman, and John L. Gibbs 2d, secretary pro; tem. A committee consisting of A. P. Akin, L. B. Ellis and Thomas E. Bow- man, appointed at the previous meeting to frame a constitution, made
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its report, which was received and the constitution adopted. At a meet- ing held May 6 the following officers were elected : President, James Taylor ; vice-presidents, L. B. Ellis, George M. Eddy ; corresponding secretary, Robert Taber; recording secretary, John L. Gibbs; treas- urer, Charles S. Kelley; standing committee, S. C. Hathaway, J. L. Roberts, A. P. Akin, W. Vincent, T. M. Gifford.
The founders of the association were James Taylor, Leonard B. Ellis, Savory C. Hathaway, Charles S. Kelley, Walter A. Vincent, Robert G. Bennett, Caleb L. Ellis, George M. Eddy, jr., James W. Macy, Nathan L. Paine, T. Merritt Gifford, Charles G. Ruberg, Llewellyn T. Smith, Nelson Bennett, John Woodward, Joseph Moody, John H. Rounds, Andrew Dunbar, John P. Caswell, E. Manchester, James C. Bradford, Frank H. Howland, A. P. Akin, Thoinas E. Bowman, J. Sanford Roberts, Robert Taber, John L. Gibbs 2d, John P. Ellis, John H. But- man and Moses Redwood.
In 1869 George B. Richmond was elected president and served until 1877. Others served as president in the following order : George A. Covell, jr., George M. Eddy, jr., Edward T. Tucker, Edmund Rodman, Fred A. Washburn, and Robert F. Raymond, the present incumbent. Charles S. Kelley served as treasurer ten years.
As many young men belonging to other churches desired to become members of the association, but who were debarred because of a clause in the constitution limiting the membership to those belonging to the County Street M. E. church, it was voted September 5, 1867, to elim- inate the clause and change the name to that of the Y. M. C. A. of New Bedford, and admit any young Christian man of this city as an active member on application.
In 1869 the rooms northwest corner of Union and Purchase streets, over C. H. & H. A. Lawton's drug store, were leased, though previous to taking possession the association occupied G. A. R. Hall over William T. Soule's store, Purchase street.
July 22, 1873, the rooms corner of Purchase and Union streets were damaged by fire, and the association occupied the rooms of the Union for Good Works during repairs.
Other rooms occupied were the third floor of Waite's building, Will- iam street, and the Robeson building, where it remained until the
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property northwest corner of William and Sixth streets was purchased in 1889. They occupied the old dwelling-house thereon one year, until the association voted to build, when it removed to the dwelling-house nearly opposite on Sixth street.
The corner-stone of the present beautiful brick and stone structure at the northwest corner of Sixth and William streets was laid with appro- priate and impressive ceremonies on Monday, October 6, 1890. On this occasion many of the most prominent and influential citizens of New Bedford were present. Among those who spoke were the Hon. William W. Crapo; His Excellency, Governor Brackett ; Mayor Walter Clifford; Isaac B. Tompkins, jr., president of the Board of Trade ; Rev. E. S. Rousmaniere ; Rev. Alexander McKenzie, D. D., of Cambridge ; Charles Kelley, chairman of the construction committee, and others. Prayer was offered by Rev. Dr. G. T. Flanders. The building was com- pleted and occupied on Saturday, December 28, 1891.
In September, 1882, the association was incorporated under the name of the New Bedford Young Men's Christian Association, and a consti- tution and by-laws were adopted. Edmund Rodman was elected president ; Charles E. Hendrickson, secretary, and Charles W. Knight, treasurer.
In January, 1880, W. P. Webster assumed his duties as general sec- retary. He was the first to serve in that capacity for the association. He was succeeded by C. W. Harned, R. M. Armstrong, Everett B. Still- son, and W. E. Lougee, the present general secretary, who was elected February 1, 1886. He shows a most thorough interest in the work.
The association at present has a membership of over 600 and main- tains a library of more than 1,200 volumes, which is constantly being added to. The present officers are : President, Robert F. Raymond ; vice-president, Ray Greene Huling; treasurer, Edwin Emery ; clerk, Nathaniel W. Gifford; general secretary, Willis E. Lougee; physical director, William H. Kinnicutt.
The Ladies' Auxiliary, numbering 260, was formed in 1883, with Mrs. Hannah W. Smith as its first vice-president, and is a most valuable aid to the Young Men's Association, which is constantly the recipient of many valuable additions in the way of furnishing its rooms and otherwise. In fact, the Y. M. C. A. rooms are constantly cared for by
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the auxiliary. Mrs. Smith, on removing from the city, resigned, having served nearly a year. She was succeeded by the late Mrs. George W. Ellis, who served until her death, nearly five years, working indefati- gably, so long as her health would permit, in the interest of the auxil- iary, and to her unremitting efforts is largely due the success and results attained. Mrs. G. T. Sanford succeeded to the presidency in 1889, and has since served in that capacity. The present officers are : Presi- dent, Mrs. G. T. Sanford ; first vice-president, Mrs. Lot H. Gibbs ; sec- ond vice-president, Mrs. C. E. Hendrickson; secretary, Mrs. R. F. Raymond ; assistant secretary, Mrs. C. W. Knight; treasurer, Mrs. W. W. Barry.
St. Joseph's Hospital .- This institution is under the care of the Sis- ters of Mercy, but patients are admitted without regard to religious belief. The property was purchased by the Catholics under the adminis- tration of Father McMahon, of St. Lawrence Church, and cost when ready for opening about $30,000. It was opened in 1872, with six wards, but this number has been reduced to three. The hospital is pleasantly situated on Pleasant street, and is supported wholly by vol- untary offerings. The hospital staff for 1891 are as follows: Sister S. M. Nolasco, superior; Rev. Hugh J. Smyth, director ; S. W. Hayes, M. D., physician in charge.
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CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NEW BEDFORD.1
Means for the Maintenance of First Schools - " Pauper " Schools - Final Adoption of Free Schools - Establishment of the High School - Closing of the High School - Re-establishment of the High School - Grading of the Schools - School Visitors- Har- rington Training School - Evening Schools - The Sylvia Ann Howland Educational Fund - Review of Public Education - Cost of Public Schools - The Swain Free School - The Friend's Academy - The Aimwell School - The Free Public Library - The New Bedford Lyceum.
W THEN New Bedford was incorporated as a separate town, in 1787, its inhabitants had already for seven years been living under a State constitution which created a warm interest in public education, as an effective means of diffusing among the body of the people the wisdom necessary for the preservation of popular rights and liberties. Moreover, long years before, under colonial government, the Massa- chusetts idea of maintaining by public money, raised by taxation, both elementary and secondary schools had been put in practice by their an- cestors of old Dartmouth. For we read in the Dartmouth town records as follows:
"Y" 23ª of ye month called March, 1734, voted that each village shall have free toleration to elect a school-master for each village, to be paid by a rate upon each vil- lage, if the said village see cause to elect one, & that village which shall clear the town of being fined for want of a grammar school-master, by procuring a lawful one, shall receive ten pounds to be paid by the whole town in general, and that every person or persons in each of sd villages shall have free access or liberty to send their children to sd master for benefit of the lattin tongue, but no other."
In the same year William Lake was elected " grammar schoolmaster " at £45 a year. The "grammar school" referred to was one in which Latin grammar was the principal study and which gave preparation for the university at Cambridge.
In view of these facts, remote and near, it was not strange that the good citizens of the new town in the first town meeting should vote
1 By Ray Greene Huling,
J.M. Benjamin
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"that there be one person employed as a town schoolmaster in this town." For the next eleven years a vote was annually passed, "that the selectmen appoint the schoolmasters of the town according to law." It does not appear who these early teachers were, or how generally their schools were attended, but the policy of the town in those days evidently was to give an opportunity of free education to "all orders of the people," as the constitution quite recently, and the statutes of the Commonwealth for a century and a half, had provided.
At the town meeting held in March, 1798, however, the public schools of the town were put upon a much narrower and less demo- cratic basis. Under an article of the warrant "to vote a sum of money for schooling poor children," a committee was appointed "to inquire into the number of poor children in said town necessary to send to school at the expense of the town." This committee, of which William Rotch, jr., was chairman, made their report in May, and the town's vote thereon was as follows :
" Voted, to accept the report of the committee who were chosen to report on the expediency of raising a sum of money to school the poor children in this town, and to raise two hundred dollars for this purpose.
" Voted. to choose a committee of eight persons to lay out the same sum on those most needy."
The same committee was then reappointed with a single exception. Under their management the town school, instead of remaining a com- mon source of education for all classes of youth, became a charity school, marking out its pupils as children of the indigent. The policy thus inaugurated continued to dominate the town's schools for more than a score of years. There was no public education except for the town's poor, and for these the appropriations ranged from $200 to $1,000 a year, averaging after 1812, when Fairhaven was set off, the sum of $470. As early as 1811 some citizens were alive to the un- wisdom and even the illegality of the town's course, for the town voted " that a plan be reported for regulating schools for the instruction of children in uniformity to the existing laws of the Commonwealth." But nothing came of the movement. The influential citizens of the town were not then in sympathy with free, popular education. Hence for ten years longer the stigma of a pauper school was to be attached to the free school of this community.
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In 1821, under the leadership of John Avery Parker, then the chair- man of the school committee, better counsels began to prevail. Recog- nizing their rights and duties respecting free schools under the laws of the State, the voters appointed a committee of ten " to inquire into the state of public schools in town," and on their recommendation divided the town into six districts. In the same year of reform, 1821, the citi - zens had voted " to purchase or otherwise procure a building in which to keep the town school." The plans for this building were not ap- proved until a year later, and the structure was not ready for use till April 23, 1823. Its cost with the lot, was $3,545.50.' This "town school " appears to have afforded a higher grade of instruction than that of the six district schools, and was doubtless intended to receive pupils from the whole town. There is one passage in the town records for 1824 that seems to show a high range of studies for an ungraded school, as all the schools doubtless then were. The record reads thus :
" Voted, that the town do dispence with the publick schools for the instruction of the Latin and Greek languages."
The action taken in 1821 succeeded in overturning the method of managing the public schools which treated them as charity schools But this success was not maintained without an occasional defeat at one point or another of the line of advance. An influential minority re- mained in favor of private education for those whose parents could af- ford to pay for it. When circumstances favored, this element made earnest resistance to the broadening of public education, once over- throwing the high school for eight years. But as prosperity flowed in upon the town, popular sentiment grew stronger and stronger in favor of a liberal provision for education. Appropriations increased from $1,200 in 1821 to $5,000 in 1831, $15,400 in 1841, and $21,225 in the last year under town government. And for more than half a cent- ury this community has been in hearty accord, so far as public action is concerned, with the Massachusetts idea, first positively asserted in 1647, and never generally abandoned, which aimed at universal educa- tion through the agency of free schools supported by taxation, and con- trolled by the civil authorities.
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