History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, 1622-1918, vol 1, Part 48

Author: Cook, Louis A. (Louis Atwood), 1847-1918, ed
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: New York; Chicago, The S.J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 644


USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, 1622-1918, vol 1 > Part 48


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In Cohasset the first reference to school matters bears date of March 31, 1721, when "John Farrow, Obediah Lincoln and Joseph Bate are chosen to take care concerning the school, and to take the money from Hingham, and to dispose of it as followeth: One third part of it to be paid to a school dame for teaching the children to read, and two-thirds of the money to be disposed of to teach the children to write and cipher."


On March 28, 1734, at a town meeting in Stoughton "it was put to vote whether ye town would build a School house and it past in ye affirmative, also voted to grant a tax of twenty Pounds to be laid out in building said House & that said School house should be set on ye Town's land near ye Meeting house." That was the first school house in what is now the Town of Canton.


In Dover the first precinct meetings (1748) were held in a school house "near the dwelling house of Joseph Chickering," hence it is probable that the first school was taught prior to that year, while the town was a parish of Dedham.


The first school in what is now Foxboro was taught in 1772, by Jeremiah Fisher, who received six shillings a week. He was succeeded by Lydia Morse, who taught for three shillings a week.


On May 20, 1778, the new Town of Franklin, which had been incorporated in March before, voted two hundred pounds for the support of schools. Schools were taught in Weymouth at an early date, but as late as the year 1800 the appropriation for school purposes was only about five hundred dollars. In the towns incorporated since the Revolution, the schools were established under the laws of the Commonwealth. During the Revolution the school funds in several


ADAMS ACADEMY, QUINCY


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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY


of the towns were diverted to military purposes to aid in bringing the War for Independence to a successful issue.


In the chapters relating to the several towns of the county are given statistics showing the status of the public schools in 1916, but it may be well to recapitu- late here the educational status of the county as a unit. At the close of the year 1916 there were 192 public school buildings, valued at over twenty millions of dollars; 1,146 teachers were employed during the school year of 1915-16, and the total amount expended by the various towns for educational purposes was $1,315,975.


ADAMS ACADEMY


In 1822 John Adams, ex-President of the United States, gave to the Town of Quincy, in trust, 21I acres of land and two tracts of cedar swamp (number of acres not stated), to found a classical school in his native town. One pro- vision of the gift was: "That all future rents and emoluments arising from said land be applied to the support of a school for the teaching of Greek and Latin languages, and any other languages, arts and sciences, which a majority of the ministers, magistrates, lawyers and physicians inhabiting in said town may advise. That as soon as the funds will be sufficient, a schoolmaster should be procured, learned in the Greek and Roman languages, and if thought advisable, the Hebrew," etc.


It was Mr. Adams' wish that the income should be allowed to accumulate until a sufficient amount was on hand to erect a suitable building for such a school as he had in contemplation. Four efforts were made by the trustees to erect a building before one met with success, viz : in 1832, 1846, 1850 and 1860. The building was commenced in 1861, on the site of the old Hancock residence, and was constructed of stone, with brick trimmings, according to the wish ex- pressed by Mr. Adams before his death. It was completed in 1871, at a cost of $28,868, and was opened in September, 1872, with W. R. Dimmock, LL.D., in charge. Twenty-three students were enrolled at the opening of the first term. Five years later the number of students was 150.


Mr. Adams' object was to found a school similar to the academies at Exeter, Andover, etc., to prepare boys for college. October 19th is observed by the school as "Founder's Day." Mr. Adams having been born on October 19, 1735.


BROOKLINE CLASSICAL SCHOOL


In 1823 the "Brookline Classical School" was incorporated by John Pierce, Richard Sullivan, Elisha Penniman, Thomas Griggs, Elijah Corey, Ebenezer Heath, Dr. Charles Wild, Augustus Aspinwall, and their "associates and suc- cessors." A building was erected on Boylston street, afterward sold to Doctor Shurtleff, and the school was opened with David H. Barlow as the first teacher. He was followed by Gideon F. Thayer. It was continued under the original incorporation until about 1837, when it passed into the hands of George B. Emerson, who conducted a school for boys with varying success for two or three years, when the institution was closed.


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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY


DEAN ACADEMY


At the annual session of the Universalist convention in October, 1864, a committee was appointed, with Rev. A. St. John Chambre, of Stoughton as chairman, "with full discretionary powers to establish a denominational school of the highest grade below colleges." The Town of Stoughton offered a site and $25,000, but this offer was outbid by Dr. Oliver Dean, of Franklin, who offered a tract of eight or nine acres of land, $10,000 for buildings, and $50,000 for a permanent fund.


Doctor Dean's offer was accepted and ground was broken for the building in August, 1866. The corner-stone was laid on May 16, 1867, and the structure was dedicated on May 28, 1868. Its cost was $154,000. It has a frontage of 220 feet and is 60 feet deep, with two wings, each 44 by 50 feet, all three stories in height. The school was opened, however, before the building was completed, in the vestry of the Universalist Church, the opening day being October 1, 1866. T. G. Senter was the first principal and forty-four students were enrolled.


On July 31, 1872, the academy building was destroyed by fire with a loss of nearly the entire contents. The school was then conducted in the Franklin House until the present building was completed and dedicated on June 24, 1874. The first term of school in the new academy was opened in September of that year. The Dean Academy has always sustained a high reputation as an educational institu- tion and it is now one of the "show places" of Franklin.


WOODWARD INSTITUTE


The school for girls and young women known as the Woodward Institute is located at Quincy. It was founded by Dr. Ebenezer Woodward, who died with- out issue in 1869 and left a fund for the establishment of such a school. Ten years later the fund amounted to nearly eighty thousand dollars. One of the provisions of the will of Doctor Woodward was that the minister of the Unitarian Church should be the perpetual chairman of the board of managers. The report of the treasurer of the Woodward fund for 1916 gives the value of the Institute grounds and building as $58,900, and the total fund as $364,112.76. The insti- tution employs twelve instructors.


WELLESLEY COLLEGE


Wellesley College was founded by Henry Fowle Durant. The corner-stone of the first building was laid by Mrs. Durant on August 18, 1871, and on Septem- ber 14th the corner-stone of the main building was laid. The school was opened on September 8, 1875, with about three hundred students and twenty-nine in- structors. Miss Ada J. Howard was the first president of the institution. In 1916 the college enrolled over fifteen hundred students and the faculty numbered nearly three hundred-almost as many as the number of students at the opening in 1875. The principal buildings of Wellesley are the Memorial Chapel, the Library, Music Hall, Billings Hall, Stone Hall, the Farnsworth Art Building, and the "Quadrangle." around which are arranged the new dormitories, the gym- nasium, the society houses and the heating and lighting plants. Then there are


COLLEGE HALL, WELLESLEY COLLEGE


MUSIC HALL, WELLESLEY COLLEGE


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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY


the "Cottages on the Hill," the whole representing an investment of several mil- lions of dollars.


THAYER ACADEMY


Gen. Sylvanus Thayer, of Braintree, died in 1873, and in his will left a fund of $200,000 "to establish a literary institution of a high grade," on condition that the town would give $20,000. In the event that Braintree refused to appropriate the required amount, then the Towns of Randolph and Holbrook were to be given the opportunity to secure the school by such an appropriation, and if neither of these towns accepted the offer, the academy was to go to Quincy. Braintree accepted the proposition, voted the $20,000 and appointed trustees in accordance with the terms of the will.


No movement toward establishment of the school was made for several years. In 1876 the trustees reported that the fund had reached $260,000, and work was then commenced on a building. The academy stands on a beautiful campus on Washington street, a short distance north of the town hall. The building cost $60,000 and the first term of school was opened on September 12, 1877.


WEYMOUTHI AND BRAINTREE ACADEMY


In the latter part of the year 1827 some of the citizens of Weymouth Landing took the first steps toward the establishment of an institution of learning to teach the higher branches. As a result of the agitation the Weymouth and Braintree Academy was incorporated on February 28, 1828, by Dr. Cotton Tufts, Noah Fifield, Joseph Loud and their associates. Capt. Warren Weston donated a site on the Weymouth and Braintree turnpike and a building was erected thereon. The school opened with a Mr. Gregg in charge and soon after a Mr. Goodell was employed as an assistant teacher. These teachers were succeeded in a few months by Samuel T. Worcester and Miss Mary F. R. Wales, who were married in the spring of 1830 and gave up teaching. Calvin E. Park and Miss Lucy M. Barstow then took charge of the school and are believed to be the last teachers employed by the original incorporators. A few terms of private school were then taught in the building by different persons, and in 1833 the building was sold and was con- verted into a double tenement. It was burned in 1844.


UNION TRAINING SCHOOL


The Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth Union Training School was established under the act of March 24, 1881, which provides that: "When three or more cities or towns in each of two or three counties, or in the case of Norfolk, Bristol, Barnstable and Plymouth counties, of four contiguous counties, so require, the county commissioners of such counties shall, at the expense of the same, establish a truant school at a convenient place therein," etc.


Several years passed after the passage of the act before any steps were taken toward the establishment of such an institution in any of the four counties desig- nated. In 1887 the commissioners of Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth counties


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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY


joined in a movement for such a school, and on November 21, 1887, the com- missioners of Norfolk County issued an order for purchase of the property for- merly occupied by the Consumptives' Home in the Town of Walpole. The deed was executed by the trustees of the Consumptives' Home the same day, the con- sideration being $11,207.59.


About two years were then spent in preparing the school for the reception of pupils. On November 26, 1889, Aaron R. Morse, of Franklin, was appointed master, and his wife, Sarah G. Morse, was appointed matron and teacher. In 1916 the real estate (land and buildings) belonging to the school was valued at $21.500 and the personal property at $4,000. The cost of maintaining the school for that year was $13,218.25, of which Norfolk County's appropriation was $4,100. The present superintendent of the school is James H. Craig.


AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL


The Norfolk County Agricultural School was established under the act of April 21, 1915, the principal provision of which is as follows: "At the next state election there shall be placed upon the official ballots for the County of Norfolk the following question: 'Shall the County of Norfolk authorize the county com- missioners to issue bonds of said county to an amount not exceeding $75,000 for the purpose of establishing an independent agricultural school?'"


It was further provided in the act that, in the event a majority of the voters decided in favor of establishing the school, the governor should, with the advice and consent of the council, appoint four residents of the county to act with the county commissioners as a board of trustees, the persons so appointed to serve without salary, but to be compensated for actual expenses in the performance of their duty. The governor appointed Ernest H. Gilbert, of Stoughton; Guy A. Ham, of Milton; Charles L. Merritt, of South Weymouth; and Patrick O'Loughlin, of Brookline, as the four trustees to act with the county commis- sioners-Evan F. Richardson, John F. Merrill and Everett M. Bowker.


On May 6, 1916, the board voted unanimously to purchase the Bullard and Ellis properties on Main street, North Walpole, as a site for the school. The sum of $75,000 authorized by the voters at the preceding election, was then bor- rowed for the purchase of real estate, buildings, live stock and equipment, and the further sum of $8,400 was appropriated for the maintenance of the institu- tion. Frederic W. Kingman was employed as director and the school was opened on October 9, 1916, with forty-two pupils enrolled. For the better accommoda- tion of pupils living in the eastern part of the county, the trustees have established a branch in connection with the Weymouth High School. This branch is under the charge of Charles W. Kemp, a graduate of the New Hampshire Agricultural College. In his first report Mr. Kingman states the object of the school "to pre- - pare its students in the most practical and scientific manner to become intelligent and efficient farmers."


The cost of maintenance the first year was $8,529.18, of which the United States Government contributed $750 and the Massachusetts Agricultural Col- lege $250, making the net cost to the county and state $7.529.18, one-half of which the state assumes. In their report for the year ending on Decem-


POMEROY HALL, WELLESLEY COLLEGE


LIBRARY, WELLESLEY COLLEGE


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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY


ber 31, 1916, the county commissioners give the value of the property owned by the school (including the cash balance) as $75,000.


MISCELLANEOUS


There were at different times other private schools in the county, but they perished without leaving much of their history behind them. In a number of the Catholic parishes are parochial schools, maintained by the church and taught by the sisters of some of the Catholic orders.


CHAPTER XLVI


NORFOLK COUNTY PRESS


THE COLUMBIAN MINERVA-EARLY DEDHAM NEWSPAPERS-QUINCY PATRIOT-THE AURORA-EARLY NEWSPAPERS OF FOXBORO-RANDOLPHI-STOUGHTON-WEY- MOUTH - BROOKLINE - FRANKLIN - NEEDHAM - WALPOLE - BRAINTREE - MILTON-NEWSPAPERS IN 1917-LIST ARRANGED BY TOWNS.


The first newspaper in Norfolk County was the Columbian Minerva, which was located at Dedham. Concerning this paper Herman Mann, in his Annals of Dedham, says: "Columbian Minerva commenced in October, 1796. In Decem- ber, 1797, the printing establishment was purchased by Herman Mann, Sr., who then became the proprietor and editor of the paper. It was discontinued Septem- ber 4, 1804, when its editor in his valedictory address to the patrons of the paper remarks-'Few persons of the present day are willing to labor, either with hands or head, without compensation, and, generally, what is called a handsome profit. While I am ready, and do, from my heart, lament my inabilities as an editor to make it (the Minerva) of the utmost utility-I have to deplore the want of en- couragement to bring every latent spark of genius into its best exercise.'"


It is not definitely known who were the founders of the Minerva, but the credit has been given to Nathaniel and Benjamin Heaton. In the Minerva of June 12, 1800, was the following obituary notice: "Died, at Wrentham, Mr. Benjamin Heaton, formerly one of the editors of the Minerva," and the author of the Annals of Dedham thinks it probable that Herman Mann purchased the paper from the Heatons.


After the suspension of the Minerva in September, 1804, the county was without a newspaper for about seven months. On May 14, 1805, Herman Mann again ventured into the field with the Norfolk Repository. It was published reg- ularly every week until September 17, 1805, when the "post-rider" suddenly absconded with a considerable portion of the funds belonging to the establish- ment and the publication of the Repository was "unavoidably suspended." It was revived on March 25, 1806, and was then published in an eight page quarto form until 1811.


Jabez Chickering started the Dedham Gazette, with Theron Metcalf as editor. On January 1, 1819, the outfit was purchased by Herman Mann, Jr., and William H. Mann, who continued the publication for about six months, when the Gazette gave up the ghost for want of adequate support, the owners devoting their time and attention to job printing.


The next newspaper in the county was the Village Register, the first number of which appeared on June 9, 1820. Asa Gowen was the proprietor and the paper was printed by the Mann Brothers. On September 15, 1820, Mr. Gowen sold


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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY


the Register to Jonathan H. Cobb, who published it for about a year. Barnum Field was then the proprietor until October 18, 1822, when he sold to the Mann Brothers. The paper was discontinued in November, 1829.


About a month after the last number of the Village Register was issued, John B. Derby started the Norfolk County Republican, which was printed by the Manns. It lasted only one year.


On the last day of the year 1830 the Dedham Patriot made its appearance, published by H. & W. H. Mann. The latter soon afterward sold his interest to John B. Tolman, and the paper was published by Mann & Tolman until August 26, 1831, when Herman Mann became the sole proprietor. By this time the pop- ulation of the county had grown so that a local newspaper received better support, and the Patriot met with better success than any of its predecessors. On January 1, 1836, the establishment passed into the hands of S. C. & E. Mann, who em- ployed John S. Houghton as editor. In October following the name was changed to Dedham Patriot and Canton Gazette. Other changes in ownership and name followed until in June, 1842, when it was called the Norfolk County American. Edward L. Keyes came into possession in May, 1844, and two years later the plant was removed to Roxbury.


In 1831 L. Powers began the publication of the Independent Politician and Workingmen's Advocate, the first number appearing on New Year's day. Joseph H. Wilder was the editor. The following fall Ebenezer Fish purchased the paper, and in July, 1832, the name was changed to Norfolk Advertiser and Inde- pendent Politician. On April 2, 1836, it appeared simply as the Norfolk Adver- tiser. Elbridge G. Robinson became the proprietor on August 1, 1837, and on February 1, 1839, the name was changed to the Norfolk Democrat-or rather the Advertiser was discontinued and the Democrat commenced. In 1854 it was consolidated with the Dedham Gazette, then published in Hyde Park by Henry O. Hildreth.


On January 1, 1837, the Quincy Patriot entered the journalistic field. It was a small sheet, 20 by 30 inches, four pages, and was started by John A. Green and Edward A. Osborne. The latter remained with the paper only about three months, when Mr. Green became the proprietor and continued at the head of the paper until July 1, 1851, when he disposed of it to Gideon F. Thayer and George White, who increased the size of the sheet to 22 by 32 inches. Two years later the paper was repurchased by Mr. Green, who conducted it until his death in 1861. George W. Prescott then formed a partnership with Mrs. Green, under the firm name of Green & Prescott, which lasted for over a quarter of a century. The Patriot (now the Patriot-Ledger) is the oldest paper in Norfolk County. It is an independent paper and is published every afternoon except Sunday, with George T. Magee as editor and the George W. Prescott Company, publishers. The Wednesday and Saturday editions are issued as a semi-weekly.


The Quincy Aurora was started by Charles Clapp on January 1, 1843, and continued for about three years, and the Quincy Free Press, started in 1878, has also gone to join the "innumerable caravan."


J. E. & Edson Carpenter ran a paper called the Salmagundi Journal at Fox- boro from November, 1849. to January, 1850. The Country Times, another Fox- boro newspaper, was published by Henry C. Buffum from April 12, 1856, to April 5, 1857. In the latter year the Home Library was issued for about six


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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY


months, under the editorship of John Littlefield. The Foxboro Journal was edited by Robert W. Carpenter and published by James M. Stewart from Febru- ary, 1873, to September, 1878.


In March, 1873, the Foxboro Times was started by E. W. Clarke, R. W. Carpenter and others and ran with varying success until 1884, when it was suc- ceeded by the Reporter, which is now published as an independent newspaper every Saturday by J. H. Alden, with G. M. Barron as editor.


Randolph's first newspaper-the Transcript and Advertiser-began its exist- ence on March 14, 1857, with Samuel P. Brown as editor and proprietor. It was discontinued in August, 1862, but was revived until October, 1863, when it was again discontinued. On January 7, 1865, it was again resuscitated and the following October Mr. Brown sold the establishment to Joseph Jones, who kept it but a short time. After several changes in ownership, D. H. Huxford became the proprietor in March, 1873, when the name was changed to the East Norfolk Register. Mr. Huxford continued to publish the paper for several years, when he became interested in other enterprises and it was discontinued.


The Stoughton Sentinel, now the second oldest paper in the county, was launched on November 10, 1860, by William H. Jewell. The first number was printed in the Town of Canton. At that time the country was in a state of tur- moil over the question of secession. Mr. Jewell took the position that the South- ern States ought to be allowed to withdraw in peace from the Union. A senti- ment of that kind was not popular in Massachusetts and the Sentinel was soon forced to suspend for want of patronage. William W. & C. A. Wood then pur- chased the outfit and on November 7, 1863, the first number of the Sentinel under the new management came from the press. In October, 1864, when the call came for volunteers for one hundred days, both the editors enlisted and the Sentinel was suspended during the time they were in the service. In September, 1865, it was again suspended for a short time, when Pratt & Hasty purchased the paper and resumed publication, printing it in Randolph. In September, 1882. L. W. Standish took charge of the editorial department and later became the owner. He is still the editor and proprietor and the Sentinel is issued every Saturday as a Republican newspaper.


In 1867 C. G. Easterbrook began the publication of the Weymouth Gazette. Mr. Easterbrook's success induced others to enter the newspaper field and the Courier was started in 1876, in East Weymouth, by Jones & Company. It lasted only about a year, and in 1877 the Weymouth Advance was launched by C. F. David. Its office was in East Weymouth and it was continued for about two years. A paper called the Transcript was consolidated with the Gazette, and the Gazette and Transcript is now published every Friday as an independent news- paper under the editorial management of Frank F. Prescott, the Gazette & Transcript Publishing Company being the publishers.


Bradford Kingman issued the first number of the Brookline Transcript on October 15, 1870. The last number of this paper was dated May 31, 1873. On July 4, 1873, Dr. N. C. Towle started the Brookline Independent. It was pub- lished by a club, which had a special object in view, and lived but a short time.


The first newspaper in Franklin was the Register, which was started in Octo- ber, 1872, by James M. Stewart, who continued its publication until his removal from the town in 1881. Three years before the suspension of the Register, R. E.


E


NORWOOD PRESS. NORWOOD


Bismpton Urras.


PLIMPTON PRESS. NORWOOD


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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY


Capron began the publication of the Franklin Sentinel. In 1883 it passed into the hands of Houston & Lincoln, who greatly improved the appearance and con- tents of the paper. The Sentinel has maintained its existence through various ups and downs and is now published on Tuesdays and Fridays by Carl B. Johnson.


The Needham Chronicle has a history somewhat different from any other newspaper in the county. It was established in 1874 by George W. Southworth, who is still the editor and proprietor. When first started it bore the name of Needham Chronicle and Wellesley Advertiser. Mr. Southworth was a journalist of some experience, which doubtless accounts for the successful career of the Chronicle. When the Town of Wellesley was incorporated in 1881, the words "and Wellesley Advertiser" were dropped from the heading and a separate edi- tion was published under that name for some time. The Chronicle is now issued every Saturday.




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