USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Clinton > History of the origin of the town of Clinton, Massachusetts, 1653-1865 > Part 22
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Third, or High School-American School Reader, Green- leaf's National Arithmetic, Colburn's Mental, Morse's Geog- raphy, Wells' Grammar, Algebra, Geometry, Greek, Latin, French.
There was considerable difficulty in getting the scholars thoroughly graded, but the result in the end was so satisfac- tory that, while there had at first been in the High School thirty classes or recitations for thirty-six pupils, there were in 1849, but thirteen classes for forty-three pupils.
The Board of Overseers selected George Norman Bige- low to take charge of the Third School. During the five years which Mr. Bigelow taught in the village, he exerted a most important influence on the educational history of the community. He was born in Paxton in this county January 14, 1823. He was the son of Silas and Sophia Bigelow and was only distantly related to the family of H. N. and E. B. Big- elow. At an early age, he was left an orphan and was placed in the charge of an uncle in Holden. Here, he worked on
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GEORGE NORMAN BIGELOW.
the farm and attended the district school in the winter sea- son until his eighteenth year. After leaving Holden, he first at- tended the school taught by Josiah Bride in Berlin. He next entered the academy at Southbridge, then under the charge of A. P. Stone, late superintendent of schools in Springfield. Subsequently he fitted for college at the Manual Labor High School in Worcester, now the Worcester Academy. Nelson Wheeler was the principal. He never entered college on account of the lack of means, but devoted himself to teach- ing.
He came to Clintonville in 1847 through the influence of a friend residing here. An arrangement was made with the committee whereby he was to be employed to teach the Third, or High School, of the district during the winter term, and during the remainder of the year, was to have the use of the school-house on the corner of Walnut and Church Streets. free of charge, for a private school. He began the school in May and during the first term received such slight encour- agement that he found by actual reckoning at the end of the first month that, under existing conditions, when he had paid his board bill, his net receipts for the term of eleven weeks would amount to seventy-five cents. He was not daunted, however, and in his own opinion he never was more inter- ested in his work or taught more faithfully. His work was so appreciated that, during the next term, the school-room was crowded and he was obliged to find a place for the over- flow in the vestry of the Congregational Church. The aver- age attendance of the school kept during the winter was forty-two and the work of Mr. Bigelow received the most hearty endorsement from the committee in charge. Mr. Bigelow's advertisements for scholars frequently appeared in the Courant. His rates were three dollars a term for Eng- lish branches and four dollars per term for languages.
By a vote passed January 8, 1849, the building known as the Chapel, at the corner of Main and Water Streets, was leased by the district for the use of the Third School, while
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SCHOOLS IN DISTRICT NO. 10.
the building on Walnut Street was devoted to the Second School. We learn from the report of this year that Mr. Big- elow's salary was fifty dollars per month, while that of the lady teachers in the lower schools was eighteen dollars per month. At a town meeting held April 3, 1848, the matter of establishing two high schools, one for Clintonville and one for the central village, was discussed, but no action was taken, on account of the opposition of those living in the outlying districts. But on April 2, 1849, it was voted to establish two high schools. At a meeting held June 11th, the location of these schools was warmly discussed, and it was voted by a strong majority, that one of them should be located in Clintonville, and by a majority of only four, that another should be located at the center of the town.
In his "Reminiscences of School Days" delivered before the Alumni of the Clinton High School, June 29, 1883, Mr. Bigelow related many incidents which occurred while he was the teacher in charge. Through these, we may catch a glimpse of the inner life of the school. During one of the winter terms, when several tall young men were attending, who, although their early education had been somewhat neg- lected, were tolerably well grounded in their respective denominational views, the lesson touched upon our ministers abroad. The question was "What kind of a minister was Franklin?" The text-book answer was "A minister at a foreign court, or a minister plenipotentiary." The young man, after deliberating a moment, looked up to the ceiling and replied, "I am not quite sure, but I think he was a Bap- tist."
It was customary to have compositions and declamations on alternate weeks. As is usual, some of the pupils had a great aversion to declaiming before visitors. One day, dur- ing the period which was given to this exercise, some stran- gers entered the room. Now, if any one had a reasonable excuse and presented it in season, he might be released from speaking. Accordingly, the teacher was somewhat surprised
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GEORGE NORMAN BIGELOW.
when one young man responded, "Not prepared," when called upon to declaim. He seemed to have no suitable excuse, and when asked to repeat the piece he had declaimed a few weeks previously, he said that he had forgotten too much of it. Of course this was quite probable. When ques- tioned further he said that he would be willing to speak if he could remember anything. Then the teacher told him that, if he would recite the alphabet, he would not require anything more of him. The young man hesitated, but finally decided that it was best to comply, and performed his part in a very dignified manner.
Mr. Bigelow's management of the school was character- ized by amiability, united with firmness; his teaching, by his fidelity to his work, his thoroughness, and the ease with which he communicated knowledge. Many of our promi- nent citizens of to-day recall with a deep feeling of gratitude the influence he exerted upon them.
On resigning his position in Clinton in the summer of 1853, he went to Europe, where he studied two years at the University of Berlin and in Paris. He was pre-eminently suc- cessful in mastering the languages. In Greece, he traveled in company with his friend, Albert Harkness. On his return to America, he received the degree of Master of Arts from Brown University. In 1855, he became principal of the State Normal School at Framingham, where he remained cleven years. He then taught two years in Newburyport. He founded the Athenaeum Seminary, for young ladies, in Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1868. Here, he remained until his death, a period of nineteen years. He was twice married, to Frances Louise Babcock of Thetfort, Vt., November 25, 1856, and to Miss Fanny Whitcomb of Keene, N. H., December 6, 1866. He died on the 28th of August, 1887, at the age of sixty-four.
In the four schools of the two lower grades, we find the following teachers in 1847 and 1848: Dorcas E. Farnsworth, Sophia B. Green, Caroline S. Burdett, Frances R. Hoadley, Mary A. Fisher, Mary A. Willard, Mary A. Tolman and Har-
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SCHOOLS IN DISTRICT NO. 10.
riet Whitcomb. The latter was the only one who taught more than a single term. The average attendance in all the schools of the two lower grades was about one hundred and fifty, an increase of fifty per cent over that of the preceding year. Ezra Sawyer, Sidney Harris and H. N. Bigelow were on the prudential committee for this year. C. G. Stevens, A. S. Carleton, G. W. Burdett, G. M. Morse, J. D. Otterson, C. M. Bowers, J. C. Hoadley and A. H. Parker were on the board of overseers.
In the middle of the next year, 1848-9, the Second School was established, and put under the charge of Mary A. Fisher. The Second School took the building abandoned by the High School when it removed to the chapel. In the lower schools, Sophia B. Green, Mary A. Price and Ellen M. Ross taught one term each; Mary A. Tolman, Frances W. Willard, E. B. Wilder and Mary A. Boynton, two terms each. Only Mary A. Fisher and Harriet W. Whitcomb taught all four of the terms during which the schools were in session. The average attendance of the scholars was about fifty per cent of the number in the district within the school age. The prudential committee were the same for the year 1848-9, as during the preceding year; Rev. Wm. H. Corning, G. M. Morse, G. W. Burdett, Alanson Chace, C. M. Bowers, J. D. Otterson, N. A. Boynton, Gilbert Greene and H. A. Pollard constituted the board of overseers.
Rev. J. M. R. Eaton, 1846-7; C. G. Stevens, 1847-8-9; G. W. Burdett, 1848-9; G. M. Morse, 1848-9; Rev. C. M. Bow- ers, 1849, served on the general school committee of the town of Lancaster.
When Clinton was incorporated the property of the school district was made over to the town, which did not at first change the rules and regulations or the system of grad- ing adopted by the district in 1847.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE INCORPORATION OF CLINTON.
FOR half a century, District No. 10 had acted in school matters as a political unit, but, before the coming of the Bigelows, the village had been so slow in its development, and withal so poor and small, that no one among its citizens even anticipated that it would ever seek entire independence as a town. With the starting of the new industries, however, such a flood of young life was poured into the community, that higher ambitions were awakened and old restraints became irksome. Although there was not much bitterness of feel- ing between Clintonville and the rest of the town, yet there was that constant irritation that always accompanies enforced union in matters of appropriations, between a rapidly de- veloping village and one that is comparatively stationary. The people of Clintonville wanted improvements, of which the conservative farmers of other parts of the town did not realize the need, and for which they were therefore slow in appropriating money.
We have seen how, in school affairs, District No. 10 hav- ing absorbed District No. 11, established a graded system of schools and had an organization differing from that of the other districts. We have seen, too, how, from 1846, the citi- zens supported a " High School" by private tuition during the greater portion of the year, until, in 1849, two high schools were voted by the town, after an exciting contest.
In the matter of building roads, although there was no fierce antagonism between the sections, yet there was con-
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THE INCORPORATION OF CLINTON.
siderable local irritation. Before 1838, the road from the "Old Common" to Boylston, the roads which are now Main and Water Streets, "the winding cart path" called Rigby Road, and the road to Boylston by the way of Deer's Horns had been the main public highways lying in the territory which is now Clinton. In 1838, the road had been built from what is now the Worsted Mill of the Bigelow Carpet Company to Pitts Mills, and, in 1844 and 1845, the location of this road had been altered after some discussion in town meeting, to the present course of Union, Mechanic, and Chestnut Streets. The bridge at the dam had been begun at the same time, by the town working in cooperation with the Lancas- ter Mills, but there had been none of that generous spirit shown by the town, which had characterized its dealings, when grants were made to John Prescott for establishing his corn and saw mills. The corporations were forced to do many things with private capital that might justly be ex- pected from the town, or be at the expense of waiting for its slow movements. The articles to build a road from Lancas- ter Mills to Harris Mills, repeatedly appeared in the war- rants for town meetings, and were either passed over, indefi- nitely postponed, or voted upon favorably and then recon- sidered, and even after the road had been finally voted on, the 7th of September, 1848, there was a lawsuit between the town and Sidney Harris upon the question of damages. The body of streets in what is now the center of Clinton, having been built by the citizens of the district, at their own expense, according to plans made by John C. Hoadley, at the instigation of H. N. Bigelow, were accepted July 29, 1848. This vote covered the acceptance of Prospect, Church, Union, Nelson, School, High, Walnut and Chestnut Streets. The road from Horace Jewett's to Bolton was voted Decem- ber 23, 1844. That from Harris Bridge to Berlin and Boyl- ston was accepted April 7, 1845. June 27, 1845, it was voted to lay out a road by Sandy Pond to Boylston. November S, 1847, it was voted to build a road from the East Village to
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REASONS FOR DIVISION.
Boylston. In the spring of 1848 there was much discussion in regard to a road from Clintonville to Sterling, to take the place of the old Rigby Road, but the people had to be satis- fied for the time being with the repair of the old road. No- vember 7, 1848, it was voted to build a road from Lancaster Mills Bridge to Boylston. With so many roads built in so short a time, it is no wonder that the people of the town should have felt that they were going too fast, and that they feared Clintonville would prove a mushroom growth, and that it might decline as rapidly as it had risen.
The old town house of Lancaster was all too small for the large numbers who were accustomed to attend town meetings, and in April, 1849, a vote was passed, especially through the influence of Clintonville, that a new one should be built. The expense of building was seven thousand and twenty-three dollars, and the debt incurred looked large to the more conservative part of the people of Lancaster.
Then there was the matter of a cemetery in Clintonville, which had been considerably agitated in the district, and in reference to which private enterprise had already taken the preliminary steps. There was also some discussion in re- gard to a fire company, although nothing of note had been done in this direction.
As regards town officers, we have seen that Clintonville had been fairly represented on the school committee. Sid- ney Harris was one of the selectmen in 1838, Nathan Bur- ditt from 1842 to 1845, Ezra Sawyer from 1846 to 1847, Levi Greene in 1848. Ezra Sawyer had also been sent to the General Court as the Whig candidate, in 1847 and 1848. In 1849, the election turned on the antagonism of the two sec- tions. Neither candidate having received enough votes to secure an election, it was voted, after several ballotings, to send no representative from the town for that year.
Enough has been said to show the relation existing be- tween Clintonville and the town as a whole, and it is easy to realize the feeling of impatience which a young and enthusi-
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THE INCORPORATION OF CLINTON.
astic community must have had, when held back and thwarted in its plans by its union with a naturally conservative people.
Moreover, those who cansidered the question of finances, believed that Clintonville would pay to the town in taxes in the coming years far more than it would receive back in ap- propriations, for it had only one-fifth of the area of the town, and a compact population can support its roads and schools much more cheaply than a scattered one. Besides, it had only two out of the ten bridges, which had always cost so much for repairs for damages from spring freshets, and only a small percentage of the paupers.
At a town meeting, November 7, 1848, the subject of dividing the town so that Clintonville should form a separate township was considered and referred to a committee to re- port at a future meeting. This committee consisted of Elias M. Stillwell, James G. Carter, John H. Shaw, Jacob Fisher, Horatio N. Bigelow, Ezra Sawyer, Sidney Harris, Charles G. Stevens and Jotham D. Otterson.
October 29, 1849, a meeting of the citizens of No. 10 School District was held in the vestry of the Congregational Church, for the purpose of considering the subject of a division of the town. H. N. Bigelow was made chairman, and G. M. Morse secretary. C. G. Stevens gave some of the reasons why Clintonville should become a town. The vote on the question, "Shall the town be divided?" was then called for. With the exception of one, all voted in the affirmative. The following committee, C. G. Stevens, Sid- ney Harris, J. B. Parker, H. N. Bigelow, and Alanson Chace were chosen to do all the business in connection with the division, the terms and line of separation being left to their discretion.
At a meeting of the citizens of Lancaster, held Novem- ber 12, 1849, a majority and a minority report from the com- mittee appointed in November of the previous year, were presented; both of these reports were "laid on the table.' The majority report, favored by all the Clintonville members,
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REPORT ON DIVISION.
C. G. Stevens, Sidney Harris, Ezra Sawyer, H. N. Bigelow and J. D. Otterson, was read by their chairman, C. G. Stevens. In as far as it contains the only official statement of the reasons for division, it is given in full in the main body of this text.
REPORT.
"After much time spent in discussion, the committee were of the opinion that the result of their deliberations should mainly depend upon the facts which they might find relating to the three questions, or propositions, to wit:
"First. How many citizens of Lancaster desire a division of the town?
"Second. What division line is desired? And
"Third. What terms of separation are proposed?
"In answer to these questions, your committee find, first, that the citizens of School District No. 10, or Clintonville,- a school district numbering within its limits more than twenty-seven hundred inhabitants, or, at least, one-third more than the whole of the remaining portion of the town ; a village containing taxable property to an amount nearly one-half larger than is to be found in the rest of the town,- a district numbering in May last, sixty-nine more ratable polls than were returned from the whole remaining part of the town,-are nearly unanimous in their desire for a division.
"Second. While those who desire a division do not insist upon any particular line of separation, they prefer one which shall commence on the westerly line of the town, at a town bound between Lancaster and Sterling on the Red Stone Road and near Eliphas Ballard's, and run from thence South 75 deg. 42 min. East to the easterly line of the town, striking the Bolton line at a point two hundred eighty-nine 56-100th rods from the town bound which is a corner of Bolton, Ber- lin, and Lancaster.
"While your committee could not but consider this a most natural line of division, separating the town, as it does,
19
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THE INCORPORATION OF CLINTON.
just at the point where the long, narrow tongue of land, which marks the southern portion of Lancaster, terminates; and from whence, proceeding northerly, the territory rapidly widens; they also believe this to be a favorable division line for other reasons.
"First; because the line itself running mostly through uncultivated and wooded lands, does not seriously injure any of the farms which it divides. Next; because it divides the town at such points as to leave to the south of it very few of the citizens save those dwelling within the limits of School District No. 10; and of those few, several desire to be asso- ciated with School District No. 10; and all are so situated that their business communication with Clintonville is more easy and natural than with Lancaster proper. And, because, while a more southerly line would sever District No. 10, and leave to the north of it citizens of Clintonville, and those whose associations must naturally be with that village; a more northerly line would not only divide farms badly, but would leave to the south of it many citizens whose business and other associations are, and must naturally be, with the old town.
"Your committee, therefore, are of the opinion that no line could be drawn from east to west across the town of Lancaster which would better favor the wishes of the citizens living in its vicinity, or would leave the portions of the town either side of it better fitted for separate townships, than the one proposed.
" In answer to the last question, your committee find that the citizens of Clintonville desire a division upon any equit- able terms, and are ready, and earnestly wish to co-operate with the citizens of the old town in a submission to referees, or in any other measures that may be deemed best, to ascer- tain and arrange suitable terms upon which the separation shall be consummated. Your committee are of opinion that the foregoing facts and statements, when considered in con- nection with the local position of Clintonville, constitute
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REPORT ON DIVISION.
reasons fully sufficient in themselves to justify a report in favor of a division of the town; but they feel that they shall not have performed the duty assigned them to the accept- ance of their fellow townsmen unless they present to the town, or at least allude in their report to the reasons or causes which move the citizens of Clintonville, and with whom in these views your committee heartily coincide, to desire a separation at any place or upon any terms.
"The committee do not propose, however, to do more than barely allude to these reasons, because, first, they have already been widely disseminated by individual discussion, and, also, because they will probably be presented to the town in another form, better and more fully than could be done in any report of any reasonable length. They are, in brief, as follows:
"Clintonville is a manufacturing village. Lancaster proper is an agricultural town, with only such branches of the mechanic arts as are ordinarily to be found in country towns.
"From this difference in occupation arise different views and feelings,-distinct, separate, individual wants, and inter- ests entirely diverse. On this account, alone, the inhabitants of Lancaster and Clintonville have little or nothing in com- mon.
They cannot think alike, and they have no natural sympathy with and for each other. And this difference of thought and feeling and consequent interest ever has and ever must exist between agricultural and manufacturing towns. The population of Lancaster is comparatively scat- tered; that of Clintonville, nine-tenths of her population liv- ing within the limits of one mile square. This difference again creates different wants and separate interests, among which the regulation and management of the public schools stand conspicuous.
" Clintonville, could she, as a separate town, impose taxes upon her own citizens and property, for educational purposes, could receive and fully enjoy the benefits of a school system
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THE INCORPORATION OF CLINTON.
believed to be the best ever devised, but which owing to the widely scattered population, would be at least of doubtful utility to the rest of the town.
"The subject of our public schools has already been pro- ductive of much contention and excited feeling among the citizens of different parts of the town, and this, your commit- tee believe, will only cease when a separation shall have been made. The location of the public buildings, and the holding of meetings for the transaction of town business at Lancas- ter Center are reasons of importance which favor a division.
"Because, first, Clintonville from the density of its popu- lation is peculiarly adapted to receive benefit from public lectures, and meetings upon matters of common interest. They have no public hall, and probably never can have one until they shall be able to tax themselves and their property for its cost. The location of the Town Hall at a distance of three miles from the village, completely deprives them of the privilege of its daily use, and of all real enjoyment of it. And, because, from the nature of their occupation, attend- ance upon town meetings held at Lancaster Center, subjects the voters from Clintonville to an actual monied tax, in addi- tion to the loss of time.
"Comparatively few of the voters living in Lancaster proper at a distance from the Town Hall, but have their horses and carriages or other means of conveyance, and can attend town meetings without expense, save loss of time, while voters living in Clintonville, almost to a man, must pay money for the means of getting to town meetings or must remain at home. And this monied tax, coming upon a class of our fellow citizens who must labor constantly for their bread, and whose earnings will not suffice for more than the necessities and comforts of life, is in itself a heavy bur- den and one only to be removed by a division of the town, or a removal of the public buildings and town meetings to Clintonville.
"There are now in School District No. 10 over three hun-
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MINORITY REPORT.
dred voters. The expense to cach attendance upon a single town meeting cannot be estimated at less than twenty-five cents, and the number of town meetings, judging from the last two years, not less than six during the year, thereby showing an annual tax upon the voters of Clintonville, pro- vided they attend the meetings, of over four hundred and fifty dollars, all which would be saved to them by a division of the town, such as they desire. But the committee will not add to the length of this report by alluding to other causes which actuate those who desire the town to be divided. And, in conclusion, they can only say that they have endeav- ored to give to the whole subject such careful and candid consideration as its importance, and their duty to their fel- low townsmen demanded, and that they are decidedly of the opinion that for the good and permanent interests of the whole of the inhabitants of Lancaster and Clintonville, this town should be divided.
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