History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 37

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1464

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II > Part 37

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At the memorable election, November 6, 1888, the town voted for Presidential electors and Governor as follows: Republican electoral ticket, 501 ; Democratic, 315; Prohibition 41. The Republican candidate for Governor had 502 votes; Democratic, 315; Prohibition, 41. For Representative, Mr. J. D. Holbrook had 504 votes ; Mr. Raymond, 291; Mr. Lindsay, 32. There are in town about 980 votes.

CHAPTER CXXXV1. ATHOL-(Continued.)

EDUCATIONAL, AND ECCLESIASTICAL.

Public Schools-Early Provision for Them-Interest in Them Gradually Developed- Early School Committees-Branches Taught-Athol High School-Its Masters-Census of Scholars-Appropriations-Athol Town Library.

THE school-house was always found by the side of the church in the settlement of New England, for the fathers well knew that ignorance and barbarism go hand-in-hand the world over. As already noticed, one sixty-third part of the twenty-three thousand and forty acres of land embraced in the grant to the pro- prietors of "Pequoiag on Miller's River " was reserved and forever set apart "for the support of a School." Possibly six or eight years elapsed after 1735 before a school was opened. The records give no information concerning the location of the first school, but very early the proprietors appropriated money for its sup- port, and as the population increased new schools were opened. As new divisions of the common land in the township were made, the "School Right " was carefully looked after, until the several lots laid out for it were sold or leased, and the fund thus created was turned into the town treasury, the town assuming the support of the schools.

Whether the benefit accruing to the youth and children of the town from this source was small or great, the purpose manifested to educate the rising generation of the province was praiseworthy. The buildings early constructed on the two sides of the river for the first schools were doubtless built of logs, with seats and warming apparatus of the rudest kind; but boys and girls hungry for knowledge could and did there acquire an invaluable acquaintance with reading, spelling, writing and arithmetic-branches to which a common-school education in those days was chiefly confined. In 1792 ten pounds were appro- priated " for the use of a Singing-School." In 1770

the town "voted to appropriate the interest money coming by the sale of the ministerial and school rights of land (exclusive of Mr. James Humfrey's part of the interest) to the use of the schools."

In 1774 the school districts (or squadrons, as they were then called in all the region) were six in num- ber, and each of these seems to have been provided with a rudely constructed school-house and to have maintained a school during a part of the year. School- teachers were not then abundant, for the wages paid for such service were necessarily low, as was true of pvery avocation and so also was the cost of living. In 1792 the town appropriation for schools was eighty pounds. From decade to decade this sum was grad- ually increased until, in 1876, Athol was the sixth town in Worcester County in the amount of its ap- propriations for schools-the sum raised being $13.03 for each child between five and fifteen years of age ; the total amount being seven thousand dollars.

The early records give but little information concerning the supervision of the schools. As was true generally, the minister was expected to know something concerning the qualifications of the teachers and to be present at the closing examina- tions, which were by no means rigid. For eighty or ninety years the prudential committees, as they have been more recently called, seem to have provided the teachers and supervised the schools officially. In 1829 a town School Committee was chosen, consisting of Rev. Joseph Estabrook, Horatio Willard and Abel Sweetser, and from this date a marked and constantly increasing interest in the schools was developed. As late as 1850 a number of the district school-houses were very poor and inconvenient, but happily these have disappeared in the march of improvement. The oldest printed school report that has been obtained covers the year 1848-49. The town School Commit- tee at that time consisted of Rev. Richard M. Chip- man, Rev. S. F. Clark and Dr. George Hoyt. The wages of the teachers for the summer schools varied from eight dollars to $4.66, and for the winter schools from twenty-seven dollars to four dollars per month.

The names of the teachers are not given in this re- port. The schools are represented as having been in a fair condition, though the committee administered a rebuke to the town by asserting that " the relative position of Athol as to the proportion of money paid for schooling has been sinking from year to year."

Two years before Athol stood No. 8 in the county for its school appropriations, but when this report was issued it was No. 27, and there were one hundred and sixty towns in the State which were making larger relative appropriations. An improvement in this re- spect was soon manifest.

In 1856 the town had five hundred and thirty-six families, and was required by law to establish a High School. The location of a High School house cansed considerable excitement, as is often the case in the erection of public buildings.

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The house was built in 1856, and ready for occu- pancy in the spring of 1857. Rev. John F. Norton, Dr. George D. Colony and Mr. C. B. Swan were then the acting School Committee. Mr. George A. Wheeler was the first master employed, and was followed by Mr. Farwell F. Fay. Mr. Fay was an excellent teacher. During the remainder of the year Mr. D. D. Leavitt, from Dartmouth College, was master of the school, and gave universal satisfaction. Mr. Leavitt was succeeded for two terms by Mr. Horace Toothaker, from the same college, who was also an excellent teacher. During the year following Mr. George B. Towle was master, and was succeeded by Mr. A. J. Lathrop, who was well known as the popular and successful principal of New Salem Academy.

The work of Mr. Lathrop for four terms in the High School was marked by great success. His suc- cessor was Mr. L. S. Burbank, whose service for two years was acceptable. Upon the resignation of Rev. John F. Norton, Dr. James P. Lynde became the chairman of the School Committee. After a little time Mr. H. F. Lane, of Templeton, taught the school successfully for two terms, being succeeded by Mr. Joel D. Miller, a native of Atthol, and for- merly a pupil in its High School, but for the last twenty years the successful master of the Leominster High School, and now also the editor and publisher - of the Leominster Enterprise. Mr. Sidney P. Smith, now a lawyer in Athol, was a successful master of the school for three years.

Mr. W. H. Terrill was master when the last report was issued. A very large majority of the twenty-five masters of the school were excellent teachers, and did much to mould the habits and expand the intel- lects of the youth of Athol.

Of the teachers in the grammar and other schools, much might be said, for this town has long followed the custom of retaining the services of the ahlest teachers as long as possible. When the last report was prepared by Messrs. A. J. Nye, L. B. Caswell and E. V. Wilson, committee, the schools were gene- rally in a good condition.

The graded system adopted in the larger schools in 1873 works admirably. Lately a new and well-fur- uished school-house has been erected on very nearly or exactly the spot where the first meeting-house was built ahout 1741, and near the granite monument dedicated by the town in 1859 to mark the locality of the ancient burying-ground.

With the growing interest in popular education and the larger number of youth and children to he educated, the appropriations made by the town for the support of schools have gradually increased. The master of the High School is now paid $1000 salary, and his assistant at the rate of $500 per annum. In the grammar schools the highest wages amount to $12.50, and the lowest to $11 per week. In the intermediate and advanced primary schools

nearly all the teachers receive $10 per week, and in the mixed schools nine teachers are paid $7, and fif- teen $6 per week. During the year ending March, 1888, thirty-two teachers received in wages the sum of $7408.45. The town appropriation for that year was $8000, and this was increased from other sources, so that the sum actually expended was $8837.12. To this there are to be added for repairs of school- honses $368.99; for books, $611.35, and for other supplies, $147.60, making a total (not including the cost of a new school-house) of $9965.06.

The number of children in town between five and fifteen years of age, May 1, 1887, was seven hundred and ninety, and during the year following the scholars in attendance numbered eight hundred and ninety- seven. Recently the School Committee has been giv- ing an unusual amount of attention to the sanitary condition of the school-houses, and from their report ind recommendations the most valuable improve- ments may be expected. Plainly the School Com- mittee is taking large and comprehensive views of the duties of the town respecting the education of its youth and children. Among those who served on the School Committee for a number of years, between 1850 and 1870, were Rev. S. F. Clark, Dr. George D. Colony, Dr. J. P. Lynde, L. W. Hopgood, Esq., Mr. Edwin Ellis, Rev. Lysander Fay and Rev. John F. Norton.

LIBRARIES .- Forty years ago a library, which was kept in the Depot Village, furnished not a little ex- cellent reading to the people of Athol ; but a larger organization being deemed necessary to meet the in- creasing wants of the growing population, "The Athol Library Association " was formed in December, 1878, with Hon. Charles Field as its president. Val- able donations of books were received from various quarters, and the library, though small at first, soon became an important factor in the intellectual and noral education of the people. But before five years had passed a strong public sentiment called for a Free Public Library, and at the town-meeting in April, 1882, a Library Committee was chosen cousist- ing of Hon. Charles Field, Rev. H. A. Blake, Rev. J. H. Cox, E. V. Wilson, Esq., and Mr. L. B. Caswell. Mr. Field was the chairman of this committee and Mr. Caswell its secretary and treasurer. The Athol Library Association now made over its library of one thousand aud sixty-three volumes to the new organ- ization, and the Free Public Library of Athol was established.

The efficient librarian of the Athol Library Asso- ciation, Mrs. E. F. Doane, was secured to take charge of the Free Library. The appropriation of the town for new books in 1882 was three hundred dollars. During the next year ten thousand and twenty books were delivered, and by purchase and gift the number of volumes was increased to one thousand four hun- dred and twenty.

The first ten volumes of the "Official Record of

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the War of the Rebellion " had been received from Hon. Amasa Norcross, of Fitchburg, before March, 1884.

A donation of six full volumes of the excellent journal The Athol Transcript was also received from its editor, Mr. W. I .. Hill. For the year ending March, 1885, the town appropriation for the library was five hundred dollars, and it was constantly becom- ing more and more popular and useful. During the following year Mr. L. B. Caswell was the chairman of the committee, and the appropriation for the purchase of new books was five hundred dollars. One year later Rev. C. P. Lombard was the chairman of the committee, and the library was increasing in size and value. At the date of the last report the library had been removed to a convenient building which had been leased for five years, and the town was continuing its appropriation of five hundred dollars annually for new books. Mrs. M. S. Doane was librarian.

ECCLESIASTICAL .- In the earlier part of this history will be found a somewhat detailed account of the action of the proprietors of the township relative to the building of the first and second meeting-houses, and the settlement of the first minister, Rev. James Humphrey, while later mention is made of the as- sumption of the support of the pastor by the new town of Athol, and of the location and building of the third meeting-house, which stood, as already stated, on the north end of the Common in the upper village.

Not long after the erection of this edifice dissensions began to arise in the church, though not at first affect- ing its relations to its pastor. He, however, was soon involved in the trouble, but the records contain no charge against him whatever. From time to time town-meetings were called for the purpose of effecting his dismission. These efforts took form as early as 1779, but the attachment of the people to their pastor was strong, and he was not willing to be dismissed until certain questions relating to the exemption of his estate from taxation, according to law, and the payment of his over-due salary, could be settled. Early in 1782 Mr. Humphrey's proposals for the settlement of difficulties were accepted by the town, and on February 13th of that year he was dismissed. Between five and six years now passed, during which the people were listening to various candidates for settlement, but in July of 1787 the church, by a unanimous vote, called to the pastorate Mr. Joseph Estabrook, a native of Lexington, and graduate of Harvard College. A month later the town voted to concur with the church in extending the call to Mr. Estabrook, offering him an annual salary of £75 in cash and twenty cords of good fire-wood each year, besides the gift of £200 as a settlement.

Something like this last-mentioned offer was com- mon in those days when a call was given to a minister.

The conditions of the call proving satisfactory, Mr. Estabrook was ordained November 21, 1787. His long pastorate of between forty-two and forty-three

years in Athol was peaceful. He was a man of great natural kindness, and his friendly disposition won and retained the hearts of his people. "Prudence was the one virtue above all others by which he en- dleavored to govern his ministerial conduct." "Mr. Estabrook would not himself preach upon doctrines which were warmly contested, nor did he wish others to do so in his pulpit."1 During the closing years of his ministry elements were smouldering which at length caused a disruption of the church and congre- gation, but, happily for him, he did not live to see it. It was a time of unrest in the churches, especially in Massachusetts, and divisions were taking place on every hand. To settle a successor to Mr. Esta- brook over the whole people of Athol was a delicate and difficult undertaking. As a matter of course, it is no part of the historian's duty in this place to de- cide upon the merits of the controversy that, about 1830, rent so many of the churches asunder. Mr. George J. Tillotson, from the Theological Seminary at New Haven, Conn., was soon engaged as a candi- date. He was a good scholar and an earnest preacher, but had adopted what were called the Orthodox views of religious doctrine and ministerial responsibility. The rupture occurred when the test of exchanging pulpits with ministers of what were called more liberal sentiments was applied.

A large part of the church seceeded, with the two deacons, Messrs. Elijah Goddard and Elijah Ballard, and organized what has since been known as the Evangelical Church of Athol.

The town was still responsible for the support of the minister of the ancient church, and in October, 1830, it voted unanimously to give Rev. Josiah Moore a call to become the pastor of the First Congrega- tional Church and Society of Athol, stipulating, however, that " he shall exchange ministerial labors with all the Congregational clergymen in the neigh- borhood who are of regular standing, and who will exchange with him." Rev. Mr. Moore was succeeded by Rev. Messrs. Linus H. Shaw, Stephen A. Barnard, Crawford Nightingale, E. J. Gerry, S. F. Clark, D. C. O'Daniels, Ira Bailey, W. S. Burton, S. R. Priest, E. P. Gibbs, W. C. Litchfield and Daniel H. Rogan.

At the first communion service of the ancient church after the separation, eight persons were present as members, the great majority having seceded to form the Evangelical Church.

The church edifice, which was erected in 1773, on the north end of the Common, in the upper village, was the meeting-house of the town for fifty-four years, when it was destroyed by fire, the work, as it has al- ways been supposed, of an incendiary.

The next year, 1828, the present edifice, known as the First Unitarian Church and Town Hall, was built at the cost of between five thousand and six thousand dollars.

1 See Rev. S F. Clark's Centennial Address, page 34.

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This building is one of a number of churches erected about the same time in the vicinity resembling one another in the general harmony and beauty of their proportions. Reference is here made especially to the Unitarian Churches in Petersham and Templeton, and to what is now the Town Hall in Fitzwilliam, N. H. Modern church architecture has not produced nobler structures in the country towns of New Eng- land.

In 1847 the Athol Church was remodeled and made substantially as it now is, the Town Hall occupying the upper story, and the First Congregational Church and Society the lower, as their house for religious worship. Mr. Samuel Sweetser donated the land upon which this edifice stands. This society is usually known as the First Unitarian Society.

Evangelical Church .- As already stated, a diver. gence in religious views occasioned in 1830 the with- drawing of the great majority of the ancient Congre- gational Church with the two deacons and the forma- tion of the Evangelical Church and Society in Athol. Articles of Faith were adopted by the new church in March, 1831. For about two years this organization worshipped in the Town House, but in 1833 erected a church edifice where their present house of worship stands. The original structure was vastly inferior to that which is now an ornament to the village. It had no vestry or rooms for Sabbath-school and social and religious gatherings, except a long, narrow, poorly- lighted room under its roof, which it was difficult to reach or to leave. :

From the first the congregation was large, and in 1859 had outgrown its church accommodations. In the year just named the edifice was substantially re- huilt. The building was raised about eight feet, giv- ing space for a commodious vestry and other necessary rooms; land was purchased and an addition was made to the rear end of the building, new pews were built, new windows were put in, and a new and beautifully proportioned spire erected. The original pews were private property and were appraised and accounted for in the sale of the new pews, which, though a part of the estate of their occupants, are subject to a possible an- nual tax. The singers were stationed, for a number of years, in the front gallery, at the back of the audi- ence, and as a large majority of the congregation were anxious to see as well as to hear them, the custom of rising and turning around in the pews prevailed longer than in most congregations. Later, the singers were stationed on the left of the pulpit, in front of the audience, and other changes made the rooms below much more pleasant and convenient.

In 1850 the membership of the Evangelical Church was 153; in 1860 it was 230, when it had become the largest church in the Worcester North Conference ; iu 1870 it was 206; in 1878, 282, and in 1888 it was still the largest in the Conference, numbering 278.

This church has had seven pastors, as follows : Rev. B. B. Beckwith, 1831-34; Rev. James F. Warner,

1835-37 ; Rev. Richard M. Chipman, 1839-51 ; Rev. John F. Norton, 1852-67 ; Rev. Temple Cutler, 1868-76 ; Rev. Henry A. Blake, 1876-82; Rev. Her- bert W. Stebbins, 1883-88.

Mr. Chipman, ordained in 1835, is still living in Bethlehem, Ct .; Mr. Norton resides in Natick, Mass .; Mr. Cutler is a pastor in Essex, Mass .; and Mr. Blake, recently a pastor in Providence, R. I., is just entering upon a new pastorate in Webster, Mass.

Considering its pecuniary means, the contributions of the Evangelical Church for benevolent objects have been liberal, reaching, in 1871, the sum of $1,653.66.

When it was organized in 1831 its deacons were Messrs. Elijah Goddard and Elijah Ballard. Other deacons have served this church as follows : William Cutting and Samuel Sweetser were elected deacons in 1834. Later, this office was filled by Samuel Clapp, James I. Goulding, Goodell Goddard, Joab Kendall, Edwin Ellis and J. Sumner Parmenter, all of whom are dead. The deacons more recently elected are Lewis Thorpe, Frank C. Parmenter, Ira Y. Kendall, Frederick Allen, Samuel S. Tower and Elbridge E. Spaulding.

The Baptist Church .- Whitney, in his "History of Worcester County," published in 1793, says under the head of Royalston: "There were nine or ten families of the Baptist denomination among the first settlers. At what time they were embodied into the church state is not known to us. A Mr. Elisha Rich was their teacher, but he was never ordained among them. He was succeeded by Mr. Whitman Jacobs, who was installed December 13, 1770. He lived in Athol, to which town a part of his society belongs, and there he now resides."

The same historian, under the head of Athol, fur- nishes this information : "There are about ten fami- lies of Anabaptists in this town; nor any stated teacher of this denomination in the place."

On the ancient records of Athol we find a num- ber of certificates similar to the one here copied :

We, the Subscribers, Being chosen a Committee by the Society of the people called antipedo-baptist, who meet together for religious worship on the Lord's day in Royalston and Athol, to exhibit a list or lists of the names of such persons as Do belong to said Society or Congregation, do certify that Martin Morton Dos frequently and usually, when able, attend with us in our Meeting for religious worship on the Lord's day, and we do verily believe is, with respect to the ordinance of Baptism, of the same religious sentiments with us. Dated August the 31, 1774. WHITMAN JACOBS, Elder. SIMEON CHAMBERLAIN, ELIPHALET MOOR. Committee.1

Upon the same page are certificates to the same effect and couched in similar language, respecting the religious belief of twelve other persons.

To understand this matter it is to he remembered

1 The terms " Antipedo-baptist " and " Anabaptist " long since disap- peared from the reports of the Baptist denomination, the former signi- fying a person opposed to infant or child baptism, while the latter de- noted such as maintain the doctrine that those baptized in infancy should be rebaptized on making a public profession of religion.

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that at that time all those who did not in this manner "sign off" from the Congregational Church were liable to taxation for its support, church and State being practically united in a considerable part of New England.

From the printed "Historical Sketch" of the Baptist Church in Athol the facts that follow are gleaned. In 1810 the families of this denomination living in Athol were constituted a branch of the Bap- tist Church of Templeton, and three years later the members of this branch church-twenty-twoin number -- were recognized as an independent church by a coun- cil. For seven years religious services were main- tained, chiefly by the deacons, when one of these, Deacon Briggs, was ordained to the pastoral office October 4, 1820. This pastorate continued thirteen years. In 1828 or '29 the first house of worship was erected in the Upper Village, the same as is now owned and occupied by the Roman Catholic de- nomination. After a season of considerable trial the second house of worship was erected where the Baptist Church now stands, in the Lower Village. Since the change of location the growth of the church has been constant and healthy, if not rapid. Two hundred and twelve names are found upon the printed list of members for 1888.

From the list of pastors it appears that Rev. Mr. Briggs was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Merriam for six and one-half years. Then followed Rev. D. H. Stod- dard, for seven years; Rev. Ambrose Day, for two years; Rev. J. Glazier, for two years ; Rev. O. Tracy, for one year ; Rev. Charles Farrar, for three years; ' Rev. D. Reid, for a little time; Rev. Charles Ayer, for one year and a half; Rev. G. L. Hunt, for three years ; Rev. J. C. Emery, for two years; Rev. E. M. Bartlett, for four years; and Rev. J. H. Cox, for six years. Rev. Horace F. Brown, the present pastor, began his work in Athol September, 1887.

In 1886 the church edifice was thoroughly renovated, new pews having been put in and a new and valuable organ furnished. The repairs cost $3,363.85, the organ $1750 and the furnishing $242.56, making a total of $5,356.41. The church was re- opened for worship October 1, 1886.

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 37

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1464

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1464