History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. I, Part 107

Author: L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts
Number of Pages: 700

USA > Massachusetts > History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. I > Part 107

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The majority of the voters favored such diversion of the funds, and had the co-operation of Mr. Peter Tilton, a former member of the school board, and Samuel Partrigg, an acting member. An appeal to the County Court, at Springfield, of which Mr. Tilton was one of the judges, resulted in the defeat of the measure, and Mr. Russell and his few supporterst were triumphant.

The decision of the court was commended by President Dudley .¿ An examination of the affairs of the school was

ordered by the president and council, and a visit by Mr. Pynchon for such purpose was made Nov. 18, 1686.

At a meeting which had been ordered for November 19th, "at sun a quarter of an hour high," a hearing of the case was had, Capt. Aaron Cooke and Mr. Joseph Hawley also being present.

The reasons given by the opposing parties at this meeting in support of their respective positions are voluminous. The following is the concluding language of Mr. Partrigg in the document presented by him : "The greater part of the chil- dren are such poor men's that they cannot pay anything towards schooling the children, much less to bring them up to Grammar learning, so that there is not one, that I know of now, that pretend to Grammar learning, except two that are brought up at their parents' particular charge ; the school having been so uncertain as (it) is we know, Grammar-school masters so hard to settle, that as soon as ever one is settled, one place or other calls them off; and so it hath been ever since the first, except with Mr. Watson, who, I understand, went away upon some difference betwixt him and our pastor. . . . I cannot see the difference as to the end (if that be, viz., English learning and writing), but this,-he that can teach grammar is surely better fitted to teach English than he that hath no grammar in him.

" But the ground of all this is: if no grammar, such poor helps as we have, when better cannot be obtained; that we (have) not half year's and whole year's vacancies under pre- tence of grammar schooling, and so schooling fail in a great measure. For I suppose it will be granted that the learning of any trade or seience is best insinuated by constancy in at- tendance to it.

" If we cannot have polishers for the stone, let the ruff- hewers set to it to prepare while polishers come."

Mr. Pynehon's report, signed also by Aaron Cooke and Joseph Hawley, requested that some action be taken " for quieting the hot and raised spirit of the people of lladley," and elicited an order early in December, which was signed by Edward Randolph as secretary, and required the dismissal of Mr. Partrigg from the school board, confirmed the power of the trustees as " foeffers of the grammar school," authorized the Hampshire County Court "to supply the place of Mr. Partrigg with some other meet person in Hadley," and " to find out and order some method for the payment of Mr. Bolt- wood's expenses upon the mill, that the mill, farm, and other lands given to the school may return to that publie use. The President and Council hereby declaring it to be beyond the power of the town of Hladley, or any other whatsoever, to divert any of the lands or estate of the said mill-stream, and the privileges thereof (which are legally determined to the said Grammar School), to any other use whatsoever. The President and Council judging the particular gifts in the town a good foundation for a Grammar School, both for themselves and the whole country, and that the Grammar School can be no otherwise interrupted, but to be a school hohlen by a master capable to instruet children and fit them for the uni- versity."

At a hearing before a court appointed at Northampton, that court ordered " those persons in Hadley who had taken the school estate into their hands for an English school to return it speedily to the former committee, the feoffers of the gram- mar school, viz., Mr. John Russell, Aaron Cooke, Joseph Kellogg, and Samuel Porter." Chileab Smith was substituted for Mr. Partrigg.

The town in a qualified manner, by a vote taken Aug. 29, 1687, submitted to the result, because of " their vote Aug. 23, 1686, wanting that formality in the seizure as might have

* The committee were Mr. Clark, Lieut. Smith, Wm. Allis, Nathaniel Dickin- son, Sr., and Andrew Warner. A note made by Mr. Tilton on the record says, " These two mendows are, one, the round neck of land, and the little long meadow that was reserved by the Indians in the first sale, and afterward purchased by itself."

+ This consisted of the grant from the town,-ahout 60 acres,-the house and lot given by Nathaniel Ward, with 14 acres of meadow, John Barnard's gift of 12 acres, Henry Clarke's gift of 1112 acres, and the mill. The latter had been rebuilt.

Mr. Russell was sustained by a small minority, viz. : Sammuel Gardner, John Ingram, Chileal, Smith, John Preston, Joseph Kellogg, Samuel -, Samuel Porter, Sr., Aaron Cooke, William Markham, Hezekiah Porter, and Widow Mary

¿ The letter of President Dudley begins as follows: "I lately received your very solicitous letter referring to your free school in Hadley, and am very sorry that, while your inclination and opinion is so good and well resolved, you should seem to stand, like Athanasins, contra totum mundum. But right is too strong

to suffer any compulsion or force long; it will break loose and prevail. In the mean time I am deeply sorry that the pious and charitable device of Mr. Hopkins should be in any manner prevented or allayed, or the occasion of a difference or misunderstanding in that good place."

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HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

been," referring to the mill. The court at Springfield replied, through the selectmen of Hadley, reprimanding the inhabitants for the tone of their vote, and saying : "Such a spirit we see breathing forth from you as will necessarily call for some fur- ther animadverting thereon if you do not retract some of your actings, which we earnestly desire you to overlook and rectify."

A settlement was effected with Mr. Boltwood by arbitration, April 26, 1688, and it was not long before a goodly peace set- tled upon the Hadley peninsula.

In the notice of " first things" in Hadley mention has been made of a private house used for school purposes in 1664 and of the first school-house erected, 1696. No record of any vote concerning educational matters in the town exists prior to April 25, 1665. There was then appropriated " £20 per annum for three years toward the maintenance of a schoolmaster to teach the children and to be a help to Mr. Russell, as occasion may require." The schools were not made free until 1697, and even then continued such only about two years, when, March 30, 1699, the town voted that one-half the expenses over and above what was paid by the " school estate" should be paid by scholars. This was to be the rule for twenty years. " The Hopkins School," says Mr. Judd, " was apparently the only public school in the old parish of Hadley for more than a century, except a school for boys and girls voted in 1760 for that year. It was the common town school."*

The following have been the teachers of Hadley Grammar- Hopkins-School so far as known :; Caleb Watson, 1666-73, a graduate of Harvard College in 1661. He removed from Had- ley to Hartford; John Younglove, from Ipswich, 1674-80; Samuel Russell, II. C., son of Rev. John, 1682-83; Samuel Partrigg, of Hadley, three months, 1685; Warham Mather, II. C., son of Rev. Eleazar, of Northampton, 1686-87 ; John Younglove, six months, 1688-89; Thomas Swan, H. C., six months, 1689-90; John Morse, II. C., 1693-94 ; Salmon Treat, H. C., 1694-95; Joseph Smith, H. C., son of Lient. Philip Smith, of Hadley, three quarters, 1695-96; John Hubbard, II. C., 1696-97; Joseph Smith, 1698-99; Samuel Meylen, Il. C., 1700-1; Mr. Ephraim (or Samuel) Woodbridge, H. C., 1701-2; Nathaniel Chauncey, Yale, three months, 1702-3; Samuel Ruggles, II. C., 1702, eight months, 1703-4; Samuel Mighill, H. C., 1705-6; Jonathan Marsh, II. C., 1706-7 ; John Partridge, II. C., 1707-8; Aaron Porter, Il. C., son of Samuel, of Hadley, six months, 1708-9; Daniel Boardman, Yale, eight months, 1709-10; John James, native of England, II. C., hon- orary degree, six months, 1710-11 ; Elisha Williams, H. C., son of Rev. William, of Hatfield, eleven months, 1711-12; Thos. Berry, H. C., six months, 1712-13; Stephen Williams, HI. C., son of Rev. John, of Deerfield, 1713-14; Ebenezer Gay, II. C., nine months, 1714-15; Nathaniel Mather, Yale, four months, 1715-16; " Mr. Chauncey's son," probably son of Rev. Isaac, 1716-18; Stephen Steel, Yale, 1718-19; Solomon Williams, II. C., son of Rev. William, of Hatfield, 1719-20; Hezekiah Kilburn, Yale, 1720-21 ; Daniel Dwight, Yale, son of Nathaniel, of Northampton, 1721-23 ; Benjamin Dickin- son, H. C., son of Nathaniel, of Ilatfield, lived in Hadley, 1723-24; Israel Chauncey, II. C., son of Rev. Isaae, 1724-25, burnt to death November, 1736; Josiah Pierce, H. C., a na- tive of Woburn, taught from March, 1743-55, and from 1760- 66; taught English branches, Latin, and Greek ; was paid a salary of $91, and had the use of 25 acres of meadow-landt.

* Deacon Eleazar Porter relates that during the girlhood of his mother- Amy Colt-few, if any, females attended the town school, and that the only school she attended was held in the open air under a sycamore-tree, standing near the street, in the home-lot of Dr. Hopkins. This tree was cut down by Mr. Porter, about the year 1869. In the body of it many nails were found, covered by a growth of twelve inches' thickness. Upon these, doubtless, were hung the bonnets and other " toggery."

+ As given by Mr. Juddl.

# The yearly pay of the teachers until 1725 did not exceed £40, and prior to 1709 was payable in produce, at the usual prices. Board was paid from their small salaries at the rate of 48, 8d. to 5s. per week.

The names of those who taught subsequent to the date last named, and prior to the incorporation of the academy in 1816, could not be obtained.

The old school in the street was probably the only one sus- tained within the town until after the Revolution, aside from such private schools as may have then existed, taught by " school-dames" and possibly by others. Jan. 7, 1788, £10 were appropriated "for schooling in those parts of the town which cannot be benefited by the school in the town street."

What was probably the second school-house erected in Had- ley was built in accordance with the following: April 15, 1788, " voted to build a school-house 38 feet long, 19 feet wide, and 10 feet in height; to build a chimney at each end; to build it as near the present school-house as conveniently may be, in the discretion of the committee." £80 were appropriated for the building.

August 13th, it was determined that the old house, " after taking out the brick and stones," should be removed to the middle lane, east of the pound ; and on September 12th de- cided that it should be sold. The new edifice was probably ocenpied, if not dedicated with a modern " flourish of trum- pets," before Jan. 15, 1789, for on that day it was voted " that the schoolmaster be directed to divide his scholars into two classes, mixing the great and small ones, and direct each class to attend the school every other day alternately, and in case one of a family did not attend on his day the other might come in his stead."

The first school committee consisted of Mr. John Russell, Jr., Lieut. Samuel Smith, Aaron Cooke, Jr., Nathaniel Dick- inson, Peter Tilton. The following were chosen as vacancies occurred : Philip Smith, 1680; Samuel Partrigg, 1682; Saml. Porter, 1685; Joseph Kellogg, 1686; Chileab Smith, 1687. Thomas Ilovey, Samuel Porter, Esq., Sergt. Joseph Smith, Deacon John Smith, and Chileab Smith were the committee in 1720.

THE HOPKINS ACADEMY

was established Feb. 14, 1816. The following is a portion of the act of incorporation :

" Whereas, it appears by the petition of Seth Smith and others, the committee of the Donation School in the town of Hadley, that a fund heretofore given for the support of snid school by the Hon. Edward Hopkins may be more conveni- ently and advantageonsly directed to the furtherance of the benevolent objects of the donor by establishing a body politic for the management of the same; therefore,

" SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and Honse of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That there be and hereby is established an academy in the town of Hadley, and county of Hampshire, upon the foundation of the Hopkins Donation School, to be known and called here- after by the name of Ilopkins Academy, and that Seth Smith, William Porter, William Dickinson, Jacob Smith, and Moses Porter, the committee of the Dona- tion School aforesaid, be, and they hereby are, incorporated into a body politic by the name of the Trustees of Hopkins Academy ; and they and their successors shall he and continue a body politic by the same name forever."

Two additional trustees were chosen by the corporators June 4, 1817, and two others on the 6th. The four were Rev. Dan Huntington, Rev. John Woodbridge, Rev. Dr. Joseph Lyman, D.D., of Ilatfield, and Isaac Bates, of Northampton. There were then nine trustees .¿

June 11, 1817, the board of trustees organized by choosing Dr. Joseph Lyman, President ; Rev. Dan Huntington, Secre- tary ; and Dr. William Porter, Treasurer.

An academy building, which was probably erected during 1816-17, was formally dedicated Dee. 9, 1817 ; on which occa- sion a sermon was preached by Rev. John Woodbridge from Deut. vi. 7: " And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children." This building was of brick; faced the south on Russell Street, about fifty rods east of West Street, occupying a portion of the old home-lot of Hadley's first pastor, Mr. Russell. The total cost of the structure, as reported Nov. 29,

¿ By act of June 9, 1821, the charter was amended, limiting the number of trustees to " not more than fifteen, nor less than five, at any time."

333

HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY.

1817, was $4954.90, a part of which was paid by subscriptions .* It stood with its length east and west, its roof sloping to the southward, and sustained a central bell-tower of modest pro- portions.

June 30, 1817, a code of by-laws was adopted, containing the following among other provisions :

" The instructors shall be persons of good moral character, of competent learning and abilities, firmly established in the faith of the Christian Religion, the doctrines and duties of which they shall inculcate as well by example as precept.

" Youth of both sexes who can read decently in a common English book with- out spelling, and write a joined hand, and are of good moral character, shall be entitled to admission. Malesstudying the Greek and Latin languages are exempt from tuition."

At the same date a prudential committee was appointed, consisting of Deacons Jacob Smith and William Dickinson, and Moses Porter, Esq.

Rev. Dan Huntingtont and Miss S. Williston, of Easthamp- ton, were the first instructors, appointed Nov. 29, 1817. The following as principals, so far as can be ascertained from the records, have succeeded Mr. Huntington. The dates of appoint- ment are approximate: Worthington Smith, 1820; John A. Nash, May, 1826; George Nichols, November, 1827; Mr. - Russell, about November. 1830; Lewis Sabin, August, 1831; Mr. - Stearns, 1837 or 1838; Theodore L. Wright, probably January, 1840; Henry K. Edson, 1844; Marshall Henshaw, 1849; Lucius D. Chapin, February (?), 1851 ; Charles V. Spear, in 1851-52; Mr. - Buck, May, 1852; Reuben Benjamin, November, 1852, two years; Jesse R. Davenport, November, 1854, to May, 1867; Charles H. Chandler, 1867, two years ; Ilerbert Cook, fall of 1869; George H. White, 1870 to 1873; W. G. Mitchell, 1873; W. W. Mitchell, 1874 to 1878; Edward Ayres, 1878, and now serving (March, 1879).

The office of president of the board of trustees has been filled by the following persons : Rev. Joseph Lyman, D.D., 1817-27; Rev. Nathan Perkins, Jr., 1828-34; Rev. John Brown, D.D., 1835-38 ; Rev. David L. Hunn, 1839-40; Rev. Joseph D. Condit, 1841; Rev. John Woodbridge, 1842-58 ; Rev. Warren H. Beaman, 1859-64; Rev. Rowland Ayres, 1865, who is still in office.

By the report of Dec. 4, 1878, the amount of the school- fund in the hands of the trustees was $30,630.28, of which $19,650 was in real estate, consisting chiefly of meadow-lands.

The academy building; was burned in 1860, but was not re- placed. The town, after the introduction of the system of graded schools, erected in 1865 the present high-school build- ing, in which the trustees of the Hopkins fund maintain an advanced or high-school department, the court having granted permission. The present building, a modern structure, stands at the southwest corner of Russell and Central Streets.

PRESENT SCHOOLS.

The town is divided into ten school districts, containing eleven school buildings, in which thirteen schools are con- ducted. These are distributed as follows : at Hadley village, one high school building, in which, besides the higher branches supported by the Hopkins fund, are taught one intermediate and one grammar-school; and two brick and two wooden structures, each of which contains a primary department ; at North Hadley a large school-house, erected in 1863 or '64,

containing a primary, an intermediate, and a grammar de- partment ; at Hockanum, Fort River, Hart's Brook, Plain- ville, and Russellville, buildings, one in each hamlet, each containing one primary or mixed school. The school-house at Russellville was burned during the winter of 1877-78, but is to be replaced. Those at Hockanum and Fort River are of brick, and the one at Plainville has two stories.

The number of children in the town between the ages of five and fifteen May 1, 1878, was 450; average attendance for the year 1878-79, about 370. Number of teachers, 13. Re- ceived for same school year from town, $2750; State school fund, $198.21. Total, $2948.21. Expended for instruction, $2602; janitors and fuel, $248.88 Total, $2850.88. School committee for 1878-79, Rev. Rowland Ayres, George Dickin- son, C. E. Lamson. Present committee, Rev. Rowland Ayres, Rev. John W. Lane, George Dickinson.

ECCLESIASTICAL.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

The circumstances attending the "planting" of the town of Hadley, and the plan of its organization and government, warrant the affirmation that the town itself practically consti- tuted the first church, and that all the inhabitants were mem- -bers thereof. All lived and moved under the fostering care and mysterious protection of the sanctuary, and died and were buried beneath the shadow of its altar in the wilderness. There must have been some formal gathering of members who constituted the church proper ; and there were probably articles of faith and covenant subscribed, and a church policy instituted. Of these no record remains. The church organi- zation was undoubtedly the second in the old county of Hamp- shire, and formed a year or more earlier than the church at Northampton, or about 1660.

Where to live and how to live were questions hardly sepa- rable in the minds of the grave worthies of ancient Hadley, who so soon after their arrival set about providing "a place of public worship."

The church records were burned in 1766, but those of the town disclose that on the 12th of December, 1661, the follow- ing action was taken :

" The towo have ordered that they will build and erect a meeting-house, to he a place of public worship, whose figure is (in length and breadth) 45 feet in length, and 24 feet in breadth, with Leantors on both sides, which shall enlarge the whole to 36 in breadth.

"The town have ordered that the meeting-house abovesaid, when prepared, shall be situated and set up in the common street, betwixt Mr. Terry's house and Richard Montague's, in the most convenient place, as the committee chosen by the towo shall determine.

" The town having ordered Mr. Russell, Mr. Goodwin, Goodman Lewis, Good- man Warner, Goodman Dickinson, Goodman Meekios, aod Goodman Allis a committee for the aforesaid occasions."

For some reason, not much progress was made in building the edifice. It seems to have been framed in 1665, and com- pleted Jan. 12, 1670 .¿ Seats were voted in 1668. The place chosen as a site, near the north end of the street, was possibly for the accommodation of the people west of the river. These experienced much difficulty in attending the services on the east side, and their application to be made a separate society, with a minister of their own, may have been the prime cause of the delay in building.

Those east of the river opposed the severance of the religious bonds, whereupon the " west inhabitants" appealed to the General Court, May 3, 1667, stating, among other things,-

"First, your petitioners, together with their families, within the bouods of Hadley towa, upon the west side of the river, commonly called by the game of Connecticut river, where we for the most part have lived about 6 years, have at- tended on God's erdioances on the other side of the river, at the appointed sea- sons that we conld or durst pass over the river, the passing being very difficult and dangerous, both in suoimer and winter, which thing hath proved, and is an oppressive burden for us to bear, which, if by any lawful meaus it may be avoided,

¿ At this date the two deacons, the two elders, and Mr. Henry Clarke, were chosen to order the "seating" of the coogregation. One hundred and twenty- eight adults paid each 3s. 3d. toward the cost of making the seats.

* By act of June 12, 1820, the State granted to the institutico half a township of land in Maioe, on condition that ten families should be settled thereon within five years. The cost of the building was io part paid from this source.

+ Dec. 8, 1818, Mr. Iluotington was continned at $500 per annum, salary ; Giles C. Kellogg, assistant, at $20 per month, and board; Miss Sophia Mosely, assistant, at $12 per month, aod hoard.

# This building was three stories high, and by a recent local anthority is thus further described : " The lower floor was divided by a spacious hall into two large rooms for the separate use of males and females, and the two departments were under the care of gentlemen and ladies respectively. The second floor contained four rooms for chemical experimcots, recitations, etc. The third floor was a hall of the size of the building, a stage at one end, with the appurtenances for exhi- bitions. Here, also, were the examinations at the end of the term, aod the weekly declamations, reading of compositions, etc."

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HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

we should be glad and thankful to this honored court to ease us therein, con- ceiving it to be a palpable breach of the Sabbath ; although it be a maxim in law : nemo debet esse judex in propria causa, yet hy the Word of God to us, it is evidently plain to be a breach of the Sabbath: Ex. xxxv. 2; Levit. xxiii. 3; yet many times we are forced to it, for we must come at the instant of time, be the season how it will. Sometimes we come in considerable numbers in rainy weather, and are forced to stay till we can empty our canoes, that are half full of water, and before we can get to the meeting-house* are wet to the skin. At other times, in winter seasons, we are forced to cut and work them out of the ice, till our shirts he wet upon our backs. At other times, the winds are high and waters rough, the current stroug, and the waves ready to swallow us; our vessels tossed up and down so that our women and children do sereech, and are so affrighted that they are made unfit for ordinances, and cannot hear so as to profit by them, by reason of their anguish of spirit ; and when they return, some of them are more fit for their beds than for family dnties and God's services, which they ought to attend.

"In brevity and verity, our difficulties and dangers that wo undergo are to us extreme and intolerable; oftentimes some of us have fallen into the river through the ice, and had they not had better help than themselves, they had been drowned. Sometimes we have been obliged to carry others when they have broken in to the knees, as they have carried them out; and that none hitherto hath been lost, their lives are to be attributed to the care and mercy of God. ... Further, when we do go over the river, we leave our relatives and estates lying on the outside of the Colony, joining to the wilderness, to be a prey to the heathen, when they see their opportunity."+

The meeting-house, as constructed, did not conform to the proportions named in the original vote, but was fashioned ac- cording as the new commi.tee thought proper. Just what it was, in size and shape, is not known ; but Mr. Judd says, " They appear to have rejected the leantos and to have made the upper part as wide as the lower. There was doubtless a turret, or place for a bell, rising from the centre of the roof, as in most early New England meeting-houses. Galleries on the north and south sides were voted Jan. 9, 1699, and a gal- lery, which must have been on one end, is referred to as partly built. This vote shows that the ends of the house were east and west, and that the pulpit was at one end, apparently at the west end. There is no reason to suppose that the length exceeded the breadth. Some seats had to be altered to make a ' more commodious passage up into the galleries.' The seats were probably long seats, like others of that age, holding five or six persons each. They were to be built ' with boards and rails.' "

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History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. I, Part 107

Author: L.H. Everts & Co Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts Number of Pages: 700

Author: L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts
Number of Pages: 700