History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 77

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 77

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These laws making provision for territorial division of the town into school districts, making them bodies corporate, authorizing them to raise money to build school-houses and to contract with teachers, were characterized by Horace Mann, the distinguished first secretary of the Board of Education, as most per- nicious in their tendency. The same opinion has

1 The early inhabitants.

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

been entertained by all his successors. In regard to this matter, the present able incumbent of that office, Hon. Joseph White, expresses himself as follows in his report to the board in 1866: " It is no part of my purpose to refer to, much less to recapitulate the objections to the district system, that have been urged with great force and energy by my distinguished pre- decessors in office. I fully sympathize with all they felt and said on this topic. I have seen and expe- rienced, as they did, its unfortunate and depressing influence; and I content myself with saying that every day's observation gives strength to my convic- tion of its utter incompatibility with any high degree of success in the management of school affairs. Indeed, I have ceased to look for further progress where its influence is unbroken." The native town of the chairman of your School Committee was divided into legal " school districts," and, worse than that, in his school-days, though now it is different, the money raised for the support of schools was divided among the several districts, according to the valuation of the property within the respective districts. He was for tunate enough to live and to attend school in one of the most wealthy parts of the town, where the inhab- itants, without much effort, could erect a fine school- house, having a hall over the school-room surmounted by a belfry and bell. With their share of the school money, they could continue their school three or four months both summer and winter, while in the poorer districts in the outskirts of the town the inhabitants were obliged to make great sacrifices to build even a very inferior school-house, and their share of the school money would scarcely suffice to maintain a school six or eight weeks during each season. The inequality of such a system was very manifest, even to the comprehension of a boy. How much greater then must the injustice have appeared to his mind, when, in maturer years, he took up his residence in this town, where the municipal system has always existed. The comparison of course could but intensify his dislike of the " district system." Yet, at that time, the district system of managing school affairs prevailed very generally among the towns throughout the Commonwealth. Probably not more than a dozen towns in the whole State used the municipal system.

The Hon. David Wilder, in his " History of Leomin- ster," writes as follows: "It (the town) has never been divided into those little corporate bodies called school districts, in any legal sense of the word. But during a period of more than a hundred years the school system has been administered upon the plan so highly recommended by the late secretary of the Board of Education. The town, in its corporate capacity, has erected all the school-houses, raised all the money, hired the teachers by their selectmen or a committee, and paid them. There has never ex- isted in any one portion of the town any legal au- thority, except what has been temporarily conferred by the whole town, to take one single step or to per-

form one single act in relation to the public schools." Not only did the town repeatedly refuse to divide its territory into school districts, thus avoiding the evils of district corporations, but also, in several instances, anticipated the action of the General Court in requi- ring and making provision for a more systematic supervision of the public schools. For more than half a century-from 1747 to 1803-the schools were examined once a year, at the close of the winter term, by the clergyman and the selectmen. During that period the school-books were few, the Bible, Psalter and Dilworth's Spelling- Book being the prin- cipal ones. But soon afterwards the books used in the schools became too numerous, since almost every teacher would introduce new ones; the result was that scarcely any two schools in town had the same books. To remedy this evil and to provide for a bet- ter inspection of the schools, the town early in 1803 chose a School Committee, whose duty it should be to visit the winter schools at the beginning as well as the close of the term, to take the books into their own hands, to select the lessons and make a thorough examination of the several classes. The School Com- mittee were also anthorized to prescribe what books should be used in the several schools; hence they became uniform throughout the town. About the same time, registers, somewhat similar to those now required by law, were introduced. Thus the town anticipated, by nearly a quarter of a century, the action of the State in making provision for a better supervision of the public schools; for it was not till 1826 that the law was enacted making it obligatory on towns to choose a committee to superintend the schools. Such was the system established by the fathers for the management of their schools. And in the same just, eqnal and republican spirit have the school affairs of the town been administered to the present time, with such modifications as have been made necessary by the increasing population in the Centre and at the North Village during the last quarter of a century.

For a period of fifty-seven years-from 1791 to 1848-the money raised for the support of schools was divided equally, or nearly so, among the schools in different parts of the town. Sometimes this equal division was made of all but seventy-five or one hundred dollars, and the balance was distributed at the discretion of the selectmen, or of a committee chosen for that purpose, or of the School Committee. And this equal division was just and equitable; for all the schools were what are now called "mixed schools," and the circumstances of all were very similar.

But in 1850 the number of families in town had increased to five hundred or more, and in order to meet the requisitions of the law it became necessary to establish a High School. Since that time the number of scholars in the Centre and North Village has increased so rapidly that, at the present time,

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LEOMINSTER.

besides the High School, with its two departments, three teachers and more than a hundred pupils, it requires the maintenance of three grammar and eight intermediate or primary schools to accommo- date them all, where formerly there were but two mixed schools. This concentration of the population and school children in the Centre Village made it practicable to make a proper and desirable classifica- tion of the scholars.

This grading of the schools constituted the first important innovation upon the old-time custom of supporting separate mixed schools in different parts of the town. In all schools where it is practicable, a proper classification of the scholars has now, for such a length of time, been proved to be so manifestly beneficial in its results, that it requires no argument to be offered in its favor. Its exemplification can be witnessed any day by all who will take the trouble to visit the graded schools. Of course, the establish- ment of the high and graded schools, in the Centre and North Village, rendered imperative some modifi- cation of the former method of distributing the school money. Still, the same principle is acted upon in giving, as far as practicable, an equal amount of money to all the common schools, with the intent that all shall enjoy equal school privi- leges.

The most important departure from the ancient method of managing school affairs lies in this, that since 1869 the town has entrusted the care of the school-houses and the selection of the teachers en- tirely to the School Committee, instead of another committee chosen for that purpose. In all towns not divided into school districts these duties devolved by law upon the School Committee; and not a single vote of the town, for the forty-four years subsequent to 1826, authorizing any other committee to select and hire the teachers, had any sanction of law, but was acquiesced in from deference to a long established custom.

Another innovation of recent origin consists in designating the several schools by means of numbers, which is equally as definite as the former method and avoids the use of the word " districts " as inap- plicable to towns not legally so divided, and also the word " wards," as not legitimate in the meaning for which it was used. But this change is not material. The spirit and animus of the ancient system remains; for the town, in its corporate capacity, still builds all the school-houses, takes care of and keeps them iu repair, divides the school money as equally as cir- cumstances allow among the several schools, and hires and contracts with all the teachers by a com- mittee chosen for that purpose. And though that committee may be the School Committee, they are none the less chosen officers of the town, and their continuance in office depends upon the will of its citizens.

The wisdom and excellence of the school system is

abundantly mauifested by the prosperity of our schools, and is further illustrated by the capability of expansion to any extent to meet the wants of an in- creasing population. And our reverent gratitude is due the fathers for the inheritance of a school system so nearly perfect in itself and so eminently adapted to our wants.

A brief review of the labors and sacrifices of the early inhabitants, in their endeavor to educate their children, may at least gratify curiosity if it does not excite admiration ; it may also serve to stimulate and guide to continued exertion and, by comparison, help to make our present burdens, though seeming griev- ous to some, appear after all not so very heavy.

The town was incorporated in 1740, having less than twenty families within its limits; these were scattered from Bee Hill to Chualoom Pond, and from Monoosuock Hills to Massapog Pond, there being only two houses in the Centre, with scarcely a carriage road to help the settlers through the almost unbroken forest in their communication with each other. Yet these hardy and devout men, before the year expired, voted to build a meeting-house, on which during the next year (1741) work was far advanced, that thereafter it was used on Sunday for divine service, though in a very unfinished state, having rough boards for an outside covering, loose planks for a floor, and no pews; and in it were held all town and parish meet- ings. This meeting-house, located at the northwest corner of the old cemetery, was not completed till 1753, twelve years after its foundations were laid.

In December 1747, the first money was raised "for schooling," and it was voted "that it should be schooled out, one-half on the north side of the river and the other half on the south side of the river." Of course the school must have been kept in private houses. The sum raised was about £10 or $40. In those days and uutil the Revolution £1 sterling was of about the same value as $4 in silver. In 1748 and 1749 the same sum (£10) was raised for schools. 1748 the town, at the March meeting, also voted " to build a school-house and set it at ye meeting-house in said town, 24 feet long, 18 feet wide and 7 feet stud." £20 was raised to pay the expense, but probably it was not built till the next year, 1749, because in December of the latter year the town raised £35 ($140) to pay for the school-house. So here, as else- where, the descendants of the Pilgrims planted the school-house hard by the meeting-house. First the church was organized and then schools were estab- lished for the formation of a religious and educated community. Some idea may be conceived of the difficulties in the way of the accomplishment of this undertaking, when it is borne in mind that the early settlers raised $40 for the support of a school and $140 for building a school-house; some years before they were able to finally complete their meeting- honse by clap-boarding and painting it, and by con- structing pews inside. Iu 1750 the town paid Jacob

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Peabody £6 2s. 6d. for keeping school at the school- house till the first of March. In 1751 and 1752 £10 were raised for schools each year and the town voted to choose a committee of three "to provid sum meat persons for winter and summer schooling, six weeks for a writing-school and the rest to be laide out for school dames." In 1753 it was voted to keep school three months, for what sum the record does not state, as the money for schools and town charges was raised in one snm together.

In 1754, £14 were raised for schools, of which sum £5 6s. 3d. were appropriated " to hire school dames and the remainder to be schooled ont in the winter."

In 1755, £8 were raised for a writing-school to be- gin October 1st.

In 1756, £13 68. 8d. were voted for the support of schools, to be expended for paying a master to keep a writing-school three months during the winter and the balance for " hiring school dames " as the select- men should direct. The schools taught by women were kept, one at the Centre in the school-house, the others in private houses, one at the northern, the other at southern part of the town. The amount of money raised for schools during the first ten years, 1747-57, varied from £10 to £13 68. 8d., or from about $40 to $56.

In 1757, £15 or $60 were raised, to be expended in three places at the discretion of the selectmen.

In 1758 no money was voted for schools.

In 1759, £16 were raised and it was voted " that all of it should be schooled out at the school-house" in the Centre.

During the second decade, 1757-67, the sum raised for schools gradually increased from £15 to £40, from $60 to $160; some years this amount was all expended at the school-house, in other years at three places, as the selectmen should think proper.

In 1765 one-half of the £40 was voted "to be schooled out" in keeping a grammar school at the school-house near the meeting-bouse, the other half " to be schooled out for a woman's school, as the select- men shall think proper." All scholars who could read by spelling out the words had the right to attend the grammar-school.

In 1766 it was voted that two-thirds of the £40 should be "schooled out" by a master and the re- maining one-third by "school dames in 3 places, as the selectmen should think proper."

Thus we see that for the first twenty years after the first money was raised for the support of schools, in 1747, there was but one school-house in town, and that was in the Centre, near the meeting-honse. For some years there was but one school kept, either win- ter or summer, and this was at the school-house; at other times, particularly in the latter half of the period, there were three schools during the summer teaching of needlework or orthography the record taught by women, one in the school-house at the Centre, one in the northern, the third in the southern part of the town in private houses. Truly the chil-

dren of that age were obliged to "seek knowledge under difficulties." Imagine, if you can, the boys in the winter, starting for school through the woods from Bee Hill, Carter Hill and Chualoom Pond, forcing their way through snowdrifts, with poor roads or no roads at all, to reach the school-house at the Centre two or three miles away. For the girls, living in remote parts of the town, it would seem impossible to attend school at all in the winter. Surely the opportunities for acquiring knowledge, enjoyed by the children of the town for the first forty or fifty years after its incorporation, must seem extremely meagre to the present generation, with all their abun- dant facilities. With truth may the youth of the present time say "onr lines are cast in pleasant places."

In 1767 it was " voted to divide the town into three parts for schooling." It was also " voted that the town should pay the charge of building three new school-houses, one in each part of the town ; " and the town chose a committee of three in each third part of the town, to superintend the work, and raised £66 13s. 4d. to pay the expense of their construction. The town also raised £40 " to be schooled out this year," and " voted and chose Mr. Josiah Swan to be the school-mas- ter for the town for the ensuing year, and chose the select- men a committee to agree with him." These school- houses afforded all the accommodations for attending school that the children enjoyed for the next twenty- four years, or till 1792, though the population of the town in 1790 had reached the number of 1197, con- sisting of about two hundred families.

From 1768 to 1774, inclusive, the sum annually raised for schools varied from £33 6s. 8d. to £40, or from $133 to $160, except that in 1772 no provision at all was made for schools. Two-thirds of the school money were expended in paying for a master to keep a grammar school in the Centre, and the other one- third in hiring " school dames" to teach in the sum- mer. In those days Josiah Swan was a famous teacher of the grammar school and for several years was chosen in open town-meeting. Hon. David Wilder, in his " History of Leominster," says that "so heavy were the burdens of the inhabitants during the Revolution, that for several years they raised no money for schools." But the town records show that from 1774 to 1783 there was but one year, 1777, when there was no money raised for that purpose, though the amount in some years was small. In 1775, only £12 was raised, and the manner of its ex- penditure was defined by the following vote : " That all the money be laid out in women's schools and that the school dames IMPLOY THER HOOL TIME in teaching the children to READ, RIGHT AND SIFER AND NOTHING ELSE." Whether the prohibition was aimed at the

does not state. The town also voted " to choose a com- mittce of three in each third part of the town to plase the schools and provide school-dames."

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LEOMINSTER.

In 1776 £55 were voted "for twelve months school- ing, four months in the several parts of the town."

In 1778 it was voted that the £100 raised for schools " should be schooled out by men."

In 1779 £400 were raised, and it was voted "to have a grammar school six months and a woman's school six months."

In 1780 it was voted "to raise £2000 for schooling, the one-half to be schooled out by a man school, and the other half by a woman school."

The sums raised for schools during the last three years show the rapid depreciation of the old Con- tinental money.

In 1780 £40 (in silver money) was raised for schools, and from that year to 1790 the school money was gradually increased to £100 or about $333.33; as after the Revolution and until the use of Federal money, in 1799, £1 (Provincial) was equal to about $3.33}. During that period two-thirds of the money were usually expended for a "man school," sometimes called a Grammar School, and one-third for a " woman school," in the three differ- ent portions of the town. A part of the time the people residing in that part of the town (now called No. 7) received their proportional part of the money and spent it among themselves.

In 1791 £10 were raised for schools, and it was voted that three-fourths of it should be laid out in men's schools and one-fourth in women's schools. It was also voted to divide the town into seven different parts, to be called "wards," and to build seven school- houses, to be finished during the next year. For that purpose £210 at first, and afterwards £105 additional were raised. A joint committee, consisting of the selectmen and one man from each ward, were chosen to provide teachers.

From 1791 to 1796 the sum raised for schools was gradually increased from £100 to £165, and the amount was equally divided among the seven wards.

From 1797 to 1803, inclusive, the sum of $666 67 was raised, $600 being equally divided among six wards, No. 7 receiving $68.67.

In 1804 and 1805 $700 were raised each year, and were equally divided between the seven schools.

In 1806 a new ward, called No. 8, was established, and $250 were appropriated to build a new school- house.

From 1806 to 1836, a period of thirty years, a sum varying from $800 to $900 was appropriated for schools, $800 being equally divided among the eight wards, and the amount exceeding $800 being allotted to the different schools at the discretion of the selectmen.

From 1837 to 1848, inclusive, $1200 were annually raised for schools. During this period the population in the Centre had increased so much that two or three schools were required to accommodate the children ; and another ward, No. 10, was established, com- prising a part of Wards 3 and 4, and in 1845 a new

school-house was erected for the convenience of the increasing number of scholars at the North Village. The money raised during this time was divided as equally as practicable, generally at the recommenda- tion of a committee consisting of the School Commit- tee, or some member thereof, and one citizen from each school ward, who was nominated by the inhab- itants of the same and approved by the town. And this method of dividing the school money was con- tinned till 1853, since which time it has been dis- tributed according to the recommendation of the School Committee in their annual report, or expended, as of late years, at their sole discretion.

In 1849 $1500 were raised for schools; in 1850, 81900; in 1851 and 1852, $2150. On account of the establishment of the High School in 1850, and of the rapid increase of the town in population and wealth during the last twenty-five years, the sum of money voted for schools has greatly increased. In 1855 the amount was $2976.36; in 1860, $3323.67; in 1865, $3979.96; in 1870, $6600; and in 1875, $8750. Of this last sum, $350 were expended for teaching vocal music, $300 for a free evening school, and $200 for a free school for industrial drawing.

The following table will show the population, valu- ation, amount of money raised for schools, and its percentage of the whole valuation of the taxable property of the town, expressed as so many mills and hundredths of mills on a dollar for the years named in the first column :

Year.

Population.

Valuation.

Amount raised for schools.

Per cent. of valuation.I

1763

743

1776

990

1790

1197

$103,698

$333.33

8.003-21

1800

1495

119,223

666.67

.005-68

1810

1584

137,299

S00.00

.005-82

1820

1791

414,895

900.00

.002-17

1830

1861

449,247

900.00

.002-00

1840

2069

836,061

1200.00

.001-13

1850

3121

1,495,155

1900.00

.001-27

1860

3522

1,728,997

3323.67

.001-92

1870

3894

2,749,594

6600.00

.002-40

1875

5201

3,938,507

8750.00

.002-22

1880

5776

3,747,885

9350.00

.002-49

1885

5297

3,797,471

13,000.00

.002-18

The table explains itself. It appears from it that we are not expending more for school purposes, ac- cording to our means, than our predecessors. It shows that for the last fifty years the percentage which the school money bears to the whole taxable property of the town has varied but little. And from the history of the town we have learned that for fifty years previons to the beginning of the present cen- tury the inhabitants were obliged to sacrifice all the luxuries and many of the comforts of life to pay their taxes at all. The wonder is how they could raise money enough to pay their minister and school- teachers even the small pittance which the latter re- ceived.

1 Equivalent to mills and hundredths of mills.

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

From the time when the foregoing sketch closes (March, 1876) to the spring of 1883 there was very little change more than usually comes in the regular course of school work, where both committee and teachers are anxious for the best results. It was the habit of the committee to invite the leading educa- tors of the State to visit the town, examine the schools and address the teachers. In this way, and by frequent attendance at educational meetings else- where, a full knowledge of the best methods was in the possession of the teachers. At no time was there lack of energy or life in the work.

During all the last part of his service, as chairman of the School Board, it was the custom of Dr. Field to include in his annual report a discussion of some interesting and timely educational topic. Many of these papers show the most careful study and thought. They are of permanent value, and, no doubt, had much influence in keeping up the general feeling of interest in matters of education. The following is interesting as a sample of what these papers con- tained. He was writing of the general subject of edu- cation :

" The need of a good education being universally conceded, it becomes at once the duty of parents, teachers and supervisors of schools to consider the best means of securing that amount of knowledge which the public good ought to require of each indi- vidual and the most efficient methods of acquiring that knowledge. It is a subject of vital interest to the Commonwealth."

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 77

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