USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Canton > History of the town of Canton, Norfolk County, Massachusetts > Part 12
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The old portion of this road, which went from the ancient stone bridge to Henry Bailey's, was discontinued in 1798; and it would appear that Gen. Nathan Crane laid claim to the ancient road on account of labor performed on the new. The town did not convey the disused road, but allowed him to erect two gates upon it, - one in the middle of a brook, so that there may be water on each side. Bailey also erected a gate upon it, near his house. In 1799 the Packeen road is described as the new way between Capt. George Jordan's and Colonel Crane's.
The portion of this road which was divided near the hill
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HISTORY OF CANTON.
by Captain Billings came out at Canton Corner through Wheeler's Lane, following what is now called the Dedham road. In 1728 it was described, and two years later laid out, as the road from Capt. John Vose's by William Billings's to Richard Bailey's. In 1760 the town was asked to con- firm a road by John Wentworth, Jr.'s Corner, where James T. Sumner lately resided, to Capt. John Billings's, by Wil- liam Wheeler's, to or near the country road at the Milton line.
This road also forked after crossing Pecunit Street, a few rods north of the Packeen road. One branch divided near the old Spurr homestead, crossed Pecunit Brook a little farther to the northward than the Packeen road, and skirting Pecu- nit meadows, came out through the land now owned by the heirs of Samuel Capen, about opposite the old Town-House. The old house now standing at Canton Corner, owned by Abel Everett's heirs, once stood on this road, and the cellar- hole on the borders of the meadow can still be seen.
It is related that this house was built by John Wentworth, Jr., for his daughter Mercy, who married Lemuel Stodder, so that she should not be too near him. Her husband died June 24, 1789, aged ninety-five. After his death she bought in 1791 an acre of land of Dr. Crosman, and moved the house to where it now stands. A part of the old Wheeler house was added; and a shop of one Gill was removed from Pleas- ant Street and attached to the other side.
The right-hand road from the Spurr homestead crossed Pecunit Brook and joined the road leading to William Bil- lings's from Henry Bailey's and Enos Crane's homesteads.
Two ancient roads now discontinued have given place to the present Pecunit Street. In 1799 it was known as the road by Benjamin Lewis's ; in 1814 as the road from Henry Bailey's to Jabez Cobb's.
Another road in 1768, probably forming a part of what is now Pecunit Street, left the homestead of Thomas Spurr, turned toward the east through land of Elijah Spurr and Zebediah Wentworth, and came out nearly halfway up "ye south side of Ridge Hill."
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ROADS AND WAYS.
The road now known as Chapman Street, running from Robert Draper's brick mill to the Revere schoolhouse, was formerly called "ye way to y" old Forge." It was laid out in 1729 " from the parting of the ways westward of Mr. John Vose's, leading by Mr. Goodwin's, and so along to ye south- west side of ye river by ye old forge." In 1733 the way be- tween the land of Rev. Samuel Dunbar and Dr. Pope was turned, and was known as Dunbar's Lane. In 1773 an article was inserted in the town warrant to see if the town would open a highway from Capt. John Billings's Corner to Everen- don's Bridge, two and one half rods wide. In 1812 it was probably laid out as it now is, and was called the road from "Wheatley's Factory to Stone's Corner."
The lane, now called Spring Lane, which leads to the Dunbar farm, was laid out in 1791, and was called Fisher's Lane.
The way leading from the Stone Factory Village to Wash- ington Street under the viaduct was called in 1786 Billings's Lane, after William Billings, 2d ; in 1790 "ye road from ye schoolhouse on Taunton road to ye old forge." In 1824 it was surveyed and widened.
The road now known as Randolph Street, from the corner to Farm Street, may have been laid out in answer to a peti- tion from the inhabitants in York in 1727. It appears as Fenno's road in 1754. Ten years later it runs from " Fenno's causeway to the country road near ye old School House," and mention is then made of its following "y" old trodden way."
To the left of Washington Street just south of the Crane schoolhouse, is a street now known as Bolivar. It took its name from the Bolivar Works, which stood on the spot now occupied by the shovel-works. These, in turn, took their name from Bolivar, President of Colombia. It was not opened to the public until 1792, when it was laid out to " Mashapog" Brook and a bridge built; thence it ran to what was called " ye old nursery," over Crane's Dam to Bea- ver Brook, until it came to a lane which led from Pine Street to Eliakim Pitcher's house. In 1827 the road was
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HISTORY OF CANTON.
surveyed and widened from Messinger's factory to Bailey Withington's.
Walpole Street was in 1733 the road leading from "y" bridge by ye old forge," through land of Timothy Jones, Joseph Hartwell, Jonathan Jordan, to Samuel Comings ; and the same year Hartwell and Jones desire liberty "to hang gates for passengers to open and shut as they pass on said way, for their recompense for damages they sustained by laying out said way." It is probable that the town did not grant this request, for the following year Timothy Jones sued the town for laying a way through his land, and recovered damages. In 1742 it was a portion of the road laid out from "ye country road near ye Roebuck Tavern to ye forge of Ebenezer Jones & Co." In 1756 Joseph Hartwell was allowed to put up two gates across the road leading from Everendon's mill. In 1840 it was designated as " the road leading from the Stone Factory by Thomas Kollick's to the Sharon line." From this road, before reaching the Walpole line, there is on the map of 1831 a well-defined outline of a road over Major's Island, laid out in 1798. It is described as running from the land of William Fisher in Pigeon Swamp to Rhod's Island in said swamp, thence to Squire Sumner's upland.
In old times a bridle-way led from Washington Street across the Massapoag Brook to Frog Island. It was laid out by the selectmen in 1768, from the house of John Pierce, which stood near the former residence of Arthur C. Kollock, and passing through the low land or clay meadow near Mr. Enos's, which he had purchased from Preserved Tucker in 1731, crossed the land of Benjamin Smith, and came to the road now known as Pine Street, near the house of Ephraim Smith.
There were a number of bridges across the Neponset, prin- cipally private, for the transporting of hay. The town was asked to repair Woodward's Bridge, which crossed the Ne- ponset in the common field meadows, " in order that our Dedham neighbors might get their hay with less inconven- ience." It is needless to record the answer to such a petition. Above this bridge was Fisher's, or Little Island Bridge, while
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ROADS AND WAYS.
below at the time of our incorporation were bridges bearing the names of Thayer, Holmes, Horse-shoe, and Swan. In later days Thorp's Bridge is mentioned.
In 1744 the bridges at Deacon Joseph Tucker's saw-mill at "y" old forge " were rebuilt.
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OLD MILESTONE.
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HISTORY OF CANTON.
CHAPTER VIII.
SCHOOLS.
TN May, 1719, it was voted by the town of Dorchester that £20 be added to the town rate for the keeping of a " Writing and reading school in the South Precinct, and the care of the school to be under the direction of the present selectmen."
In 1724 a committee was appointed by Dorchester and fully empowered to quit the town's right of purchase, and all their interest in the six thousand acres of land at Ponkapoag, to such of the inhabitants as they can agree with, one half the money to be given for the support of the school in the South Precinct. On the 16th of March Dorchester voted £25, to be paid out of the town's treasury, toward the keep- ing of a school in the South Precinct for the year ensuing, the place of keeping the school and the school-master to be determined upon by the selectmen.
In 1726 the dwellers in Ponkapoag had a reading and writ- ing school; and the town of Dorchester granted them £20 to assist them in keeping it. The children numbered about forty, and for want of a schoolhouse assembled at the house of Robert Redman. In 1760 the first schoolhouse at Pon- kapoag of which we have any knowledge was built. . The inhabitants hired a master upon their own responsibility, trusting to the precinct to allow them their share of the school money, which was done. This building was removed in 1799 to the Milton line, and converted to other purposes. On October 12 of the same year a new house was raised. This is still standing, but is now used as a dwelling-house, next north of the present schoolhouse.
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SCHOOLS.
In 1726 Isaac Royall, Nathaniel Hubbard, and William Crane were appointed by the town of Stoughton, soon after its incorporation, to ascertain what part of the income of the school farms lying within its limits, belonged to the town. The following year it was voted to raise £30 for the use of the schools.
In 1728 an article was inserted in the town warrant, "To consider and act upon the place or places where the town will have the school kept; " and in 1730, where said house shall be built; but nothing was done, and the school was "removed from place to place as formerly," until 1734, March 28, it was voted to build one schoolhouse, and that a tax of £20 be laid out in erecting it. This schoolhouse was built on land owned by the town near the meeting-house. An article was subse- quently inserted in the warrant to reconsider the vote, but it was unsuccessful. The building was erected under the charge of a committee consisting of Ensign Charles Wentworth, Lieut. William Billings, and Preserved Lyon, and completed in 1735. It was situated so near the meeting-house that in 1749 it was deemed expedient by the inhabitants to remove it "to prevent ye meeting house in ye first precinct being in- dangered by fire or otherwise; " and the precinct voted to remove the schoolhouse and provide land to set it on. This removal was from near the meeting-house, then standing, to what is now the Catholic Cemetery.
"In 1765 this house was called " ye old School House," and five years later was deemed unfit for service, and sold. In 1771 a new building was erected on the land near the en- trance to the Catholic Cemetery, on the westerly side of Ran- dolph road, at or near the place where the old schoolhouse stood. It was a small red building. It is on the map of 1785, then called the grammar school; and Mr. Samuel Chandler, who attended it, said it was in his day the only school in town where grammar was taught. This building lasted until 1809, when there was raised, at the junction of the streets directly in the rear of the Eliot trough, the frame of the hip-roof building, where some of us made our first at- tempts to mount "the hill of science." The architect of this
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HISTORY OF CANTON.
building was Samuel Carroll; but the work was done by Thomas Crane, the third of that name. This house in its turn, remodelled and removed a few rods farther south, an- swered its purpose until it was sold to James Draper and George Frederic Sumner, and moved to their factory, on the Deacon Everett homestead, Aug. 20, 1867.
In place of this schoolhouse was erected a two-story build- ing, 30 by 14 feet, with a projection 20 by 14. The building was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies in June, 1867. This school has received from the committee the name of Eliot. On Jan. 5, 1882, the town voted to remove this build- ing to a location near the hall of the First Congregational Parish.
In 1734 William Royall, then fresh from Harvard College, presented a petition to the General Court, in behalf of the town, that some of the province lands might be granted for the support and maintenance of the school.
On Sept. 29, 1740, it was voted that £60 be allowed for the school. The school was called a moving school, because it was kept first in one part of the town, then in another. This year the school was kept in York for the first time, and the next year at Curtis Corner, now East Stoughton. The di- vision of the town into precincts required some change in the division of the school money; and it was decided, in 1744, that each precinct should receive such proportion as it pays to the province in taxes. The following year the town was asked to build a schoolhouse for each of the second and third precincts, but decided not to do so.
In 1747 the division of the school lands in which Dor- chester and Stoughton were interested, the farm commonly called Waldo's farm, situated near Bridgewater, was appor- tioned, Stoughton receiving ninety acres on the southerly end of the farm, being forty-four one hundredth and fifteenths of the whole. The reservation was made that in case iron ore was discovered in any part of the whole farm, it should be applied for the use of the schools in both the towns. The committee on the part of Stoughton consisted of William Royall, Benjamin Johnson, Silas Crane, and Simeon Stearns.
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SCHOOLS.
The ninety acres of land which had become Stoughton's share of the Waldo farm was wild and unimproved, and fre- quently trespassed upon ; no income had been received from it, and the town had been at some expense on account of it. A committee, consisting of Joseph Hewins, Elkanah Billings, and Theophilus Curtis, was appointed in 1761 to petition the General Court for leave to sell it for the most it would bring, the money to be for the use of the schools in Stoughton for- ever, and not to be converted to any other use. The petition was granted, and the proceeds of the sale were £345.
In 1755 640 was appropriated for the use of the school, and it was decided to establish a school where grammar should be taught. This school was soon in operation at Canton Corner under the charge of William Royall, and was continued for some years, but subsequently became a "moving" grammar school.
In 1758 the town voted that 650 be appropriated for the schools, and the selectmen divided the money as follows: to the first precinct, £20 16s. 6d .; to the second, £17 4s. 8d .; to the third, £11 18s. Iod.
In 1759 the town refused to build a schoolhouse in the third precinct, but allowed the inhabitants of that precinct what they had paid toward building the schoolhouse in the first precinct, to enable them to build one themselves.
On April 24, 1761, a petition was presented to the town at May meeting to divide the school money so that the follow- ing "parts" shall receive their proportion; namely, first, all on the north side of "Poncapog" brook; second, all on the east side of Fenno's causeway to the precinct line of the third precinct; third, the part beginning at Lieut. William Billings "ye 2d," from thence to Mr. Nathaniel Leonard's, and all on the westerly side of " Mashapog " brook to the precinct lines.
In 1761 the town was presented before the court of General Sessions for not maintaining a grammar school for two years. It was fined £40, and borrowed the money of Seth Puffer. The town was again indicted in 1784 for not keeping a school. The grammar school was kept by Elijah Dunbar. He began to teach in Canton in 1760, and taught with greater or less
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HISTORY OF CANTON.
regularity until the close of the century. In 1766 he began, on the 25th of November, at Ingraham's Corner, and con- tinued until Jan. 3, 1767, boarding at Seth Pierce's. On Jan- uary 5 the school was begun at York, where Mr. Dunbar taught four weeks, boarding at Samuel Tucker's. On Febru- ary 4 he went to Curtis's Corner, now East Stoughton, and taught four weeks. March 9 he taught the Corner school, and continued fourteen weeks. He then went to Ponkapoag, and taught the Blue Hill Branch, beginning on July 6, six weeks. September 7 he went to Stoughton Village, and taught until Jan. 4, 1768, boarding at Mr. Capen's; then at Dry Pond three weeks, where he boarded with Mr. Aaron Gay. He seems to have boarded at one place in all the districts except when at Ponkapoag. Here the custom of " boarding round " prevailed; and the manner in which he was disposed of in the month of August has been preserved :
" August 1. Dine at Col Doty's ; sup and lodge there. 3. Board at Kenney's. 4. Dine at David Lyons. 5. Dine at Mr. Crane's. 7. Lodge at Sam Davenports. 8. Dine at John Davenports. 10. Lodge at Col Doty's with Daniel Leonard. 12. Drink tea at Mr. Stone's. 15. Dine at Ben Bussey's. 24. Fine fiddling at Mr. Crane's. 25. Dine at Mr. Spares. 26. Dine at Robert Redmans. 27. Dine at Jo Billings' ; lodge at Mr. Davenports. 28. Dine at Col Doty's; tea at Mr. Redmans; singing. 29. Finish school at Blue Hills. 31. Singing meeting at George Blackmans."
In 1767 the report of the committee appointed to consult and find out proper places for two schoolhouses in the first, and one in the second precinct, was not accepted by the town. But the following year the town thought better of it, and granted money to the Canton Centre Branch to erect a schoolhouse, and also voted to appropriate £20 of the school money to build a schoolhouse in the second precinct. Jona- than Capen gave the land for the building, which stood on the corner near the residence of James Atherton, in Stough- ton. In 1795 the building was purchased by Samuel Osgood for £10 Ios. He placed it as an addition to his house, and it so remains at this writing, being the property of Thomas Swan and others.
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SCHOOLS.
In 1772 the inhabitants living south of the present Sherman schoolhouse to the precinct line desired to have their money for school purposes separate. They were Joseph Esty, Elea- zar May, Jr., Theodore May, Mather Withington, Bailey Withington, Abijah Upham, Samuel Morse, Eliakim Pitcher, John Clark, Reuben Hayward, Rufus Hayward, Ephraim Smith, Moses and Aaron Wentworth. In 1778 there were sixty children between the Stoughton line and the poor-farm. In 1796 the first schoolhouse was erected in what was at first the Ragged Row Branch, afterward District No. 5. The present building was erected in 1853, and has been named, in honor of its location near the early home of Roger Sherman, the Sherman School.
In 1760 the inhabitants on the southeasterly side of Fenno's Causeway, including the Farms, York, and Indian Lane, were allowed what they had paid of the sum that was raised in the precinct for the use of schools. Their schoolhouse was used until 1797. It was in this schoolhouse that John Sherman taught in 1794 and 1795. He was the son of Roger, and is said to have been a captain in the Revolutionary War. He married Nancy, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Dana) Tucker, of Milton, and died Aug. 7, 1802. She was born Sept. 22, 1762, and died Dec. 7, 1858, aged ninety-seven years. She resided for many years on the corner of Washington and Sas- samon streets. She was in receipt of a pension for her hus- band's services in the war. Both are buried in the Canton Cemetery.
The town voted to join with Dorchester in selling the school land in Wrentham; and on July 4, 1771, the General Court empowered the town of Stoughton to sell the eight hundred acres of land which had been laid out and appropri- ated in 1657, the money to be applied for the benefit of free schools in Dorchester, Stoughton, and Stoughtonham. On the 5th of November, 1772, the land was sold to Dr. Timo- thy Stevens for the sum of £284 13s. 4d., Dorchester receiv- ing £175 15s., and Stoughton £108 18s. 4d .; the bond for the latter sum was deposited in the hands of the town treas- urer by the committee, - Benjamin Gill, Elijah Dunbar, and
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HISTORY OF CANTON.
Thomas Crane. In one week Stevens sold five sixths of it for more than three times the amount paid for the whole.
When White's farm was sold in 1791, and the sum of £1332 95. 10d. was received, of which £371 8s. 7d. belonged to our town, it would appear that this money was diverted from the original educational purposes for which it was de- signed, as the following vote of the town shows: -
" In ye present embarrassed situation of ye town, it is judged ex- pedient for ye town to make use of ye school money to pay their debts, on interest ; but at the same time it is hereby declared that ye town will by no means alienate ye fund, but will again raise and re- fund ye money, which shall be applied to ye use of ye schools, agree- able to ye design of ye donor."
In 1790 the modern "school committee" was foreshadowed when this year the town appointed Hon. Elijah Dunbar, Peter Adams, Esq., Mr. Joseph Bemis, George Crosman, Esq., and Capt. Samuel Talbot, a committee to join with the selectmen and ministers in visiting the schools.
In 1794 a committee of sixteen was chosen to confer on some method for the more equal distribution of learning; and shortly afterward sixteen more gentlemen were added to the committee, and their report was ordered to be posted up in public places in order that the inhabitants of the town might all read and understand it. £140 was voted this year for schools; and a committee of three in each branch was chosen to consult as to the manner of building school- houses, in order that they might all be built on a similar plan. The following were the branches, or districts, which were recommended by the committee on schooling: in the First Parish, six branches; namely : -
" Blue Hill to remain as usual, i. e. all north-east of Ponkapoag Brook; York, to take all above the causeway by D. Tucker's, and to include Philip Whiting, Amariah Oliver, and Seth Wentworth. Up- ham's, to take from John Morse's to Esq. Crosman's brook, all to ye Southard ; Bailey's, to take in all West of Ponkapoag Brook, Israel Bailey, Nathaniel Shepard, and John Taunt to be ye southerly bounds ; Centre, to take all north of Pequit Brook and to Ponkapoag Brook, and then to extend to ye bounds of ye other branches."
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SCHOOLS.
The following gentlemen were chosen a committee of the several branches : -
Centre, First Parish, Elijah Dunbar, Esq., Nathaniel Fisher, Capt. Wm. Bent; Blue Hill, Col. Nathan Crane, Redman Spurr, Capt. Abner Crane; Ingraham's, Elijah Crane, Jacob Shepard, James Endicott, Esq .; Upham's, Col. B. Gill, Lieut. Sam. Capen, Capt. Nathan Gill; Bailey's, Henry Bailey, Lieut. Edw. Downes, Capt. George Jordan; York, Deacon Benj. Tucker, Capt. John Tucker, Lieut. Elisha Hawes.
In 1797, the districts were designated as follows: -
No. I, Centre Branch; No. 2, Blue Hill Branch; No. 3, Ingraham's Branch; No. 4, York Branch; No. 5, Ragged Row Branch; No. 6, Bailey's Branch. In 1814 the names remained the same except that Ingraham's was changed to Kinsley's. Soon after the districts were numbered.
The residents at Packeen petitioned in 1774 for a separate school; and in 1783 those composing the neighborhood again desired to be set off. They consisted of the families of the following persons: Henry Crane, Richard Bailey, Preserved Lyon, Joseph, Joseph, Jr., and John Aspinwall, Roger and Isaac Billings, Israel Bailey, William Crane, 2d, Joseph Thompson, John and Levi Taunt, Mary Spurr, and Ezekiel Fisher.
This school, known as Bailey's Branch, or No. 6, but com- monly called the Packeen School, was situated in Pecunit valley, almost upon the margin of Pecunit Brook, in that part of Canton now called Packeen. The school was in operation about 1796, and continued till 1832. The children were then distributed between Canton Centre and Ponkapoag. The original building is said to have been disposed of by the prudential committee for two pairs of boots. It was built by Henry Withington in 1806; and about 1838 it was moved to the Centre, and was for many years a woodshed attached to the house of the late James Draper.
The distinguished mathematician, Warren Colburn, who was born March 1, 1793, and died at Lowell, Sept. 13, 1833, taught school in Canton in 1818. He had previously learned to weave of Captain Willianis, a Norwegian, who lived here
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HISTORY OF CANTON.
in 1811. Colburn was taxed here in 1812. He married one of his pupils, Miss Temperance C. Horton.
In 1822 the town chose the following committee to go with the ministers and selectmen of the town to examine the several schools according to law: Thomas Tolman, Thomas French, Adam Kinsley, Charles Tucker, Ezra Dickerman, and Abel Farrington; in 1823 Thomas French, Joseph Downes, Elijah Endicott, Simeon Tucker, Samuel Chandler, and Sam- uel Taunt; in 1824 Thomas Tolman, Joel Lewis, Elisha Crane, Jeremiah Tucker, Samuel Chandler, and Samuel Taunt.
Two years after, May 1, 1826, it was voted that the school committee consist of a chairman, who should be chosen at large, and six others, one from each school district; and Deacon Ezra Tilden, Thomas French, Simeon Tucker, Zach- ariah Tucker, John Gay, and Samuel Taunt, were chosen, with Rev. Benjamin Huntoon as chairman. Six hundred dollars was raised for schools, and fifty dollars for the purchase of books. This year it was voted to discontinue grammar schools for instruction in the Latin and Greek languages.
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