USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > North Bridgewater > History of North Bridgewater, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, from its first settlement to the present time, with family registers > Part 11
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118
HISTORY OF NORTH BRIDGEWATER.
ought to be kept alternately at the school house near Deacon Jonathan Carys, and the School house near William Shaws, unless the inhabitants of said wrick can agree on a more central place, which we judge to be at or be- tween Ames Packards, Josiah Packards, Josiah Eames, and Perez South- worths.
" All wich is submitted to Said parish for consederation and acceptance.
ISSACHAR SNELL, J ELEAZER SNOW,
DANIEL HOWARD,
Committee."
JESSE PERKINS,
LEMUEL PACKARD, J
A true record.
DANIEL CARY, Precinet Clerk.
Again, the grammar school did not suit all the people in the parish ; for, November 14, 1796, we find a meeting called " To see if some more advantageous method cannot be de- vised for the improvement of the Grammar School," at which it was "voted to postpone the subject to the next March meeting."
March 9, 1797. "Voted to choose a committee of one from each school District, to make some alteration in the . Grammar School Districts, and report at next fall meeting." Daniel Howard, Esq., Issachar Snell, Esq., Waldo Hayward, Capt. Lemuel Packard, Moses Cary, Capt. Zebedee Snell, Capt. Jesse Perkins, Jeremiah Thayer, Jr., Barnabas Curtis, Daniel Manley Jr., were the committee who made the follow- ing report November 13, 1797 : " The committee appointed to report a plan for keeping the Grammar School have agreed upon the following mode ; namely, -
" First, That Said School shall not be kept in a dwelling House. Sccond, That Said School be kept in each English district through the parish, pro- vided they Shall build School Houses and fit them with seats in the same manner the School house near the meeting house is and otherwise convenient in tho judgment of the Selectmen for the time being, and find sufficiency of Fire wood. Third, In case any district shall not comply with the forgoing conditions the school is to be keept in the next Distreet according to their turn. The school shall be keept first in Issachar Snells, 2d in Jesse Perkins, 3d Jonathan Carys, 4th Amzi Bretts, 5th William Shaws, 6th Ichabod Ed- Bons, 7th Charles Snells, 8th Ephraim Coles, 9th Daniel Manlys, 10th Capt.
119
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
Zebedee Snells -all of which is Submitted to the parish for consideration and acceptance.
" The above report was accepted and agreed to by the Parish.
" A trew record.
" DANIEL CARY, Parish Clerk."
Previous to the organization of the town in 1821, the North Parish had the charge of the school funds which were set apart by the town to them, and the precinct committee were the committee when no others were chosen especially for that purpose. The amount was assessed upon the inhab- itants according to their valuation. We find no systematic account of the amount appropriated yearly, or the manner in which it was spent, but presume it was well expended. The schools were usually from six to eight weeks in a year, and we should judge the people would make the most of their time. We have found occasionally separate amounts additional to that voted by the town to be assessed by the parish, as March 16, 1795. " Voted £15 for English School- ing." Also February 27, 1798. " Voted to raise two hun- dred dollars for the use of schooling." This above vote was reconsidered August 19, 1798. The precinct voted sums only when an extra outlay had been made, or a schoolhouse built. The first appropriations are from 1821 to 1825, inclu- sive, when the sum of six hundred and twenty-five dollars was voted. Early the next year, 1826, the State passed a general law, placing the entire care and superintendence of the public schools in a town in the hands of a committee which consisted of three, five, or seven persons, whose duty it was to examine into the qualifications of teachers, and to visit the several schools at the commencement and closing of them. Their duty was to provide books for those that fail to provide for themselves, under certain rules, and also to de- termine what books should be used in the schools.
120
HISTORY OF NORTH BRIDGEWATER.
The following is a list of the school committee from 1827 to 1864, inclusive, together with the years of their election : -
Eliab Whitman, 1827, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47.
Linus Howard, 1827, 29, 30, 31.
Dr. Nathan Perry, 1827.
Rev. D. Huntington, 1828, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47,
Dr. John S. Crafts, 1828, 29, 30.
Rev. John Goldsbury, 1828.
HIeman Packard, 1829, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34.
Albert Smith, 1829, 35, 38, 39.
Jesse Perkins, 1829, 30, 31, 32, 33, 36 37 39
Jabez Kingman, 1830.
Erastus Wales, 1832, 33.
Lucius Kingman, 1834, 35.
Zibeon Shaw, 1834, 35, 36, 37.
Joseph A. Rainsford, 1836, 37.
Isaac Eames, 1838.
Josiah W. Kingman 1838.
Rev. John Dwight, 1838.
Rev. Paul Couch, 1838, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58.
Rev. A. S. Dudley, 1845.
Adoniram Bisbee, 1848, 49, 50, 51, 52.
Rev. William Whiting, 1848, 49, 50.
Henry A. Ford, 1851, 52, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61.
Rev. Henry Baylies, 1853, 54.
Rev. A. B. Wheeler, 1854, 55.
Rev. Warren Goddard, 1853,
George T. Ryder, 1855. Charles C. Bixby, 1855.
Rev. Charles L. Mills, 1856, 57, 58, 59, 60.
Elbridge G. Ames, 1859, 60, 61, 62, 63.
Galen E. Pratt, 1860, 61, 62, 63.
Rev. Charles W. Wood, 1862, 63, 64.
Augustus F. Jones, 1864.
Rev. F. A. Crafts, 1864.
This committee were also required to make an annual re- port of the number of schools, scholars, amount appropriated, and such other details as was deemed of interest to the sec- retary of the commonwealth. From these reports, now on file in his office, from North Bridgewater, we find the follow-
121
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
ing reports, which we publish to exhibit at a glance the con- dition of the schools at different dates : -
Year. No. scholars attending school.
Amount appropriated.
No. schools in town.
1827
425
$800
11
1828.
425.
800
11
1829
550
800
11
1830
580
800
11
1831
593.
800
11
1832
569
800
1I
1:33
.669
800
11
1>34
650
1000
11
1535.
657
1000
11
1836
676.
1000
11
We see by the above returns that, prior to the year 1837, the amount annually appropriated for the support of the pub- lie schools in the town has not increased in proportion to the increase in the number of scholars. During this year a change was made in the laws regulating the schools through- out the commonwealth, by the organization of the " Board of Education " in June, 1837, and by which all the school com- mittees in the several towns were required to make a de- tailed report to them, annually, of the condition of the schools in their respective towns, which report was either to be read in open town meeting, or printed for circulation among the inhabitants. The effect of these reports has been of univer- sal advantage to the commonwealth, as by this system the experience of each town is laid open to the others, so that they may be benefited by another's experience. By it the several portions of the State are brought nearer each other, causing a spirit of emulation to pervade the entire commu- nity. It is this that has given the Old Bay State a name worthy of being handed down to future generations, and has made her so celebrated for her educational advantages.
The returns above named were usually made in March or April, and presented to the town for their approval. Be- low we present the reader with a copy of the returns from 16
122
HISTORY OF NORTH BRIDGEWATER.
1838, the year following the organization of the Board, to the year 1864, inclusive.
Year.
No. schools.
Amount appropriated by taxation.
No. scholars between 4 and 16.
1838
11
· $1000
704
1839. 13
1188.83
717
1840. 11
1200
701
1841 11
1500
678
1842.
11.
1500
713
1843.
11.
1500
739
1844
11
1761.56. 799
1845
13
1926.20 800
1846
13
1926.20 800
1847 13.
1630
790
1848
13
1630
817
1849
15
2000
891
No. scholars between 5 and 15.
1850
16
2000
802
1851.
16. 2000
867
1852.
16. 2600
905
1853
16.
2600
979
1854.
16.
3000
1043
1855.
18.
3000
1124
1856
19
3500
1135
1857
18
3500
1135
1858
19
3500
.
1191
1859.
19
3500
1174
1860
19
3500
1177
1861
20 3500
1263
1862 21.
3500
1271
1863
.21.
3500
1343
1864
21
3500
1302
NOTE. The reports in the several towns being made in the early part of the year, the figures opposite the dates above are, in fact, the record of the preceding year, as, in 1838, the return being for the year ending in March, it would be the record for 1837, and so on to the end of the list.
For eight years previous to 1864 the town of North Bridgewater has not expended as much money per scholar as most of the towns in the State. In that year the people with a commendable spirit added one thousand dollars to their appropriation, making it $4,500, which sum is di- vided among the several districts through the town; also
123
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
another appropriation of $1,200 for high school purposes, making a total of $5,700 for schools. To show how the town has been in past times, we will present to the reader a few figures for 1863 with an appropriation of $3,500. There are in the commonwealth three hundred and thirty-three towns. Of this number three hundred and six towns pay more for each scholar between the ages of five and fifteen than this town, while there are but twenty-six towns that do not pay as much. There are
Four that pay one dollar and over.
Fifty-one that pay two dollars and over.
Ninety-nine that pay three dollars and a fraction.
Ninety-two
four
Thirty-six
five
66
Nineteen
six
66
Ten
seven
Eleven
eight
66
Four 66 66 ninc
One
ten
One
twelve
Two
fourteen “
66
nineteen “ " and is the highest town in the State. One
North Bridgewater pays $2.606 per scholar.
East Bridgewater
3.369 “
West Bridgewater 66 3.518
Bridgewater 66 3.597 “
In comparison with the other towns in Plymouth County, while this town stands second in point of population, fifth in valuation, fourth in the number of her schools, yet she pays the smallest sum per scholar of any town in the county. We think, however, that the public sentiment has begun to change in regard to the great importance of keeping up the schools, and the additional sum appropriated in 1864 will give a new impulse to the cause of popular education. Sep- tember 5, 1864, a new high school was opened in the build- ing formerly occupied by Mr. S. D. Hunt for school purposes; and judging by the appearance of the school at the end of
124
HISTORY OF NORTH BRIDGEWATER.
the first term, it will be a valuable addition to the educa- tional department of the town.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
During the first settlement of the North Parish, there was but one school district, and that included the entire parish. Only one teacher was required and that was usually the minister of the parish, or some person sufficiently " larned " to teach the young to " Read, Wright, and Sifer," which at that time was all that was deemed necessary for common business pursuits, except those intending to enter some pro- fessional calling.
As the different portions of the precinct became settled, movable schools were held in private dwellings, mechanic shops, and cornhouses, or such places as could be best and most easily procured. The minds of the people were occu- pied in agricultural pursuits, clearing land, and providing for the support of their families, and such other matters as were necessary for subsistence. They were like all people in new places : they had not an abundance of money or means to do with as at the present day, and he was lucky who could be spared from labor long enough to get even six weeks' schooling in a year.
In 1751, the people saw the necessity of a division of the school funds, and for the purpose of dividing the time equally and accommodating all portions of the precinct, voted to di- vide the parish into three school districts, or "Ricks." Again, in 1784, the parish was divided into four districts, or " Ricks," and the school was kept in the two westerly dis- tricts, which were west of the present Main Street, the first year, and the two easterly districts to have it the next year. Again, in 1795, the two northerly districts were divided into three districts, making five in the parish. In 1794, a system of choosing a district " committee man" to look after the
CENTRE SCHOOLHOUSE. (District No. 1.)
NORTH CENTRE SCHOOLHOUSE. (District No. 12.)
125
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
schools in the several districts was adopted, which served to give new interest in school matters. In 1797, a committee of one from cach district were appointed to rearrange the " keeping of the School." This committee reported against keeping schools in private houses, and in favor of having schools kept in order around the town, provided each dis- trict would furnish a schoolhouse and find fuel. Various changes were made in the division of the territory till, at the present time, there are fourteen school districts in the town.
No. 1, OR "CENTRE."
The first house erected in this district was near the old church ; the next was situated just south of the present lio- tel and on the spot where Kingman's brick block now stands. The third was located on School Street, cast of the hotel and near the present new house. The present building was erected in 1847, and is a neat, roomy building, two stories in height, with a cupola and bell, and is painted white, with green blinds, and enclosed with a substantial fence.
NO 2, OR HOWARD.
This district comprises the northerly portion of the town, near Stoughton line. The first house erected in this part of the town was built previous to 1795, and was removed in 1860 to give place for a new and larger edifice. The pres- ent building was erected during the years 1860 and 1861, under the direction of Lucien B. Keith, Charles S. Johnson, Nahum Battles, Willard Howard, and Henry Howard as building committee, and who were the trustees in behalf of the district. The building is fifty by thirty-three feet, with twenty-three feet posts. The contractor and master- builder was John F. Beal, of Stoughton, who performed his part in a faithful and workmanlike manner. The school- room is thirty-five by forty-two feet, withi seats for eighty
126
HISTORY OF NORTH BRIDGEWATER.
scholars, which are of the modern style, furnished by Mr. W. G. Shattuck, of Boston. Around the outside of the room are seats for sixty scholars more. The rooms are well furnished with blackboards. There is a large room in the second story, well adapted for public gatherings of any kind, furnished with settees. There is also a retiring room in the house, fifteen feet square, with seats for those wishing to remain during intermission. In the entry is a large amount of wardrobe hooks and iron sinks for the use of the pupils. The arrangement of the house is excellent, and the interior as well as exterior appearance reflects great credit upon the building committee. The house was dedicated March 20, 1861, with the following exercises: Voluntary ; Invoca- cation, by Rev. N. B. Blanchard; Singing, by the children ; Remarks, by Galen E. Pratt, of the school committee ; Ad- dress, by Mr. Farwell, the teacher at that time; Finale, Singing, under the direction of Robert Sumner, of Stough- ton.
NO. 3 IS "WEST SHARES, OR NORTHWEST BRIDGEWATER."
This district is provided with a small, neat schoolhouse, situated upon the road leading from the centre village to Stoughton. It consists of a one-story building, painted white, with green blinds.
NO. 4 IS "TILDEN."
This building is situated on the Boston and Taunton Turn- pike, and near the road leading from Easton to North Bridgewater Village, and near to the shoe manufactory of HI. T. Marshall; it is a small building, similar to that at the West Shares.
NO. 5 IS THE "AMES" DISTRICT.
Situated on the road leading to Easton from the Centre Village, and near the residence of the late Dr. Fiske Ames.
NO. 6, OR CAMII'ELLO DISTRICT,
The first schoolhouse in this village was one of the first
127
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
in the town; was erected previous to 1784. This was sold at auction, and removed by Major Nathan Hayward to the north part of the town, in 1842, and a new one erected by Bela Keith, twenty-cight by eighteen feet, at an expense of about five hundred dollars, one story in height, painted white. In 1854 this house was raised, and one story added, and in 1862 a new house was built by Otis Cobb, costing four hundred and fifty dollars, situated south of the old building. The time is not far distant when these two build- ings must give place to one large and more commodious building.
NO. 7, OR "COPELAND."
There have been three houses in this district. The first was built about 1800. The present neat and tidy house was erected in 1852; is a one-story building, painted and blinded, and is an ornament to that portion of the town, when compared to the old red schoolhouse of ancient days. This district is situated about one mile east from the village of Campello, on the east side of Salisbury River, and the bounds of which extend to West Bridgewater line.
NO. 8, OR "SHAW'S."
This district was one of the early formed, the old house being built previous to 1794. The present house was erected in 1843, costing about five hundred dollars, one story high and painted; is located on or near the same spot that the old house stood, which is near to what is called " Shaw's Corner."
NO. 9, OR "CARY HILL."
This is one of the oldest districts in town, a house having been built previous to 1794. It is situated in the north-east part of the town, upon a high spot of land called "Cary Hill." First house burned in March, 1840, rebuilt by Marcus Packard, in July, same year, costing four hundred and twen- ty-five dollars.
.
128
HISTORY OF NORTH BRIDGEWATER.
NO. 10 IS THE "FIELD DISTRICT."
The school in this district is situated on a prominent height of land, on the south side of Prospect Street, between the houses of John Field, and the late Joseph Brett. They have a new house erected within a short time.
NO. 11, OR "SPRAGUE'S."
This portion of the town has had two schoolhouses. The first was built about 1800; the second was built in 1852, under the care of Chandler Sprague, Esq., and is a neat, two- story building, with a cupola containing a bell, the whole painted white, with green blinds, and is located in a very sightly position.
NO. 12, OR "NORTII WING."
This is a comparatively new district. It was formed of a portion of the Centre District, being set apart from them in 1846. At first a large, two-story house was erected, but of late it has increased in numbers to such an extent that in a few years a second house was erected for the primary department, and both are well filled with pupils.
NO. 13, OR "SOUTH WING."
This, like the North Wing District, is also a new district, they having been set off by themselves at the same time the Centre was divided, and the North Wing taken from them, in 1846. A new schoolhouse was erected near the residence of Mr. Sumner A. Hayward, on the east side of Main Street, and has quite a large school.
NO. 14, OR "SNOW'S."
This district comprises the territory between West Shares and Tilden Districts. The house is situated near the First Methodist Church, on the turnpike, and has been erected but a few years.
SCHOOLHOUSE AT "SPRAGUES," OR FACTORY VILLAGE. (District No. 11. Erected 1852.)
129
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
ADELPHIAN ACADEMY.
About the middle of August, 1844, two young men, brotli- ers, who had just finished their collegiate studies, came into town, entire strangers, without letters of introduction, or money, and opened a school in a building owned by Major Nathan Hayward, south of the hotel and quite near the " Old Unitarian Church." They commenced with thirty students, September 4, 1844, and steadily increased in numbers as fol- lows : the first term they had forty-six students ; second term, fifty ; third term, ninety-six; fourth term, sixty-nine; fifth term, one hundred and twenty-one. The second year the building proved inadequate to their wants, and the church above named was procured for the same purpose. The school continued in favor and was doing well, when a meet- ing was held to consider the propriety of erecting a suitable building for the permanent establishing of the academy. Three thousand dollars were agreed upon as the amount needed to accomplish the object. Failing to get enough subscribed, the project was abandoned for a time. Strug- gling against adverse circumstances, and after much thought and many solicitations to go elsewhere, they concluded to remain at North Bridgewater, and to make that town a permanent home. A small hillock of about four acres, a short distance north of the railroad depot, was purchased, which they called Montello, upon which they erected build- ings suitable for their purpose, involving an expenditure of nearly ten thousand dollars. The friends of the enterprise made them a dedicatory visit soon after the completion of the buildings, and presented them with a valuable bell for the academy building. In the spring of 1847, an Act of In- corporation was granted to the proprietors with corporate powers. The following is a copy of theAct :-
" Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by Authority of the Same as follows : -
17
130
HISTORY OF NORTH BRIDGEWATER.
" Silas L. Loomis, L. F. C. Loomis, Nathan Jones, and their associates and successors are hereby made a corporation by the name of the Adelphian Academy, to be established in the town of North Bridgewater in the county of Plymouth, with all the powers and privileges, and subject to all the du- ties, restrictions, and liabilities, set forth in the forty-fourth chapter of the Revised Statutes."
This corporation had permission to hold real estate to the amount of fifteen thousand dollars, and personal estate to the amount of ten thousand dollars, to be exclusively devoted to the purposes of education.
Approved March 11, 1847.
The following were elected officers of the institution: Jo seph Sylvester, President; L. C. Loomis, Secretary ; S. L Loomis, Treasurer. Hon. Jesse Perkins, L. C. Loomis, Jo- siah W. Kingman, Edwin H. Kingman, David Cobb, New- ton Shaw, Silas L. Loomis, George Clark, Caleb Copeland, Franklin Ames, Isaac Eames, Trustees.
This institution continued to increase in numbers, until a high school was thought of being established in the town, which the Messrs. Loomis supposed might injure their school, when they concluded to close it as soon as it might be done without too great a sacrifice. Thus the academy was brought to a close, in 1854, after a term of ten years from its commencement. During this time they had gathered a library of over one thousand volumes and a cabinet of over ten thousand specimens. The follow- ing are among those that had taught in that institution : -
Prof. Silas L. Loomis, A. M., M. D., now surgeon in the U. S. Army, Prof. L. C. Loomis, A. M., M. D., now president of the Wesleyan Female College, Wilmington, Delaware, J. E. Marsh, A. M., M. D., now surgeon in the U. S. Army, Rev. Horace C. Atwater, A. M., Hon. Isaac Atwater, A. M., Chief Justice of Iowa, Rev. J. H. Burr, A. M., Rev. Daniel Steele, A. M., J. Mason Everett, E. A. Kingsbury, Maximilian Hall, B. A. Tidd, Miss Emma L. Loomis, Miss Susan T. Howard,
131
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
Otis S. Moulton, Annie E. Belcher, S. M. Saunders, Emery Seaman, O. W. Winchester, A. B., Mrs. Mary A. Winches- ter.
The building formerly used as an academy has since been removed, to the corner of Centre and Montello Streets, near the railroad depot, and is used as a manufactory. It was a three-story building, painted white, with green blinds, and crowned with a cupola for a bell.
NORTH BRIDGEWATER ACADEMY.
This institution was founded by Mr. Sereno D. Hunt, who came from Concord, Mass., where he had been keeping a high school for eight years. It commenced in the middle of May, 1855. He first purchased the building previously used as a house of worship by the " New Jerusalem Society " at an expense of two thousand dollars, and remodelled it into a well- arranged and comfortable schoolroom, and fitted it with mod- ern desks and chairs, of the most approved kind, sufficient for ninety-six scholars, at an additional expense of upwards of three thousand dollars. The first term commenced with sev- enty-five scholars; the second term had over one hundred scholars; and the average of attendance for the first five years was seventy-five scholars per term. After the break- ing out of the rebellion, for the last four years of its exist- ence, it had an average of over sixty pupils, and the last two terms were larger than for several terms previous. Owing to a large proportion of the students belonging in the town, it was thought the establishment of a high school there would tend to diminish or interfere with the success of the institution. It was therefore brought to a close at the end of its thirty-seventh term.
There were connected with the school philosophical and chemical apparatus, a cabinet of minerals, shells, etc., and a small but choice library. The principal, Mr. S. D. Hunt,
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