USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Gardner > History of the town of Gardner, Worcester County, Mass., from the incorporation, June 27, 1785, to the present time > Part 37
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44
In 1641, the income from Deer Island, in Boston Harbor, was appropriated for the support of a school. In New Haven, Conn., as early as 1642, it was "ordered that a free school should be set up," and that Mr. Davenport and the magistrates should " consider what yearly allowance was meet to be given to it, out of the common stock of the town, and also what rules and orders were meet to be observed in and about the same." The first school-master of New Haven, was the renowned Ezekiel Cheever, afterwards of Boston, to whom, with Corlet, of Cam- bridge, Cotton Mather accords the praise of saving New Eng- land from barbarism. He thus commemorates Cheever's long life and labors :-
"He lived, and to vast age no illness knew ; Till Time's scythe waiting for him rusty grew.
He lived and wrought; his labors were immense, But ne'er declined to preterperfect tense."
It was not, however, until 1647, that Massachusetts, during the administration of Governor Winthrop, of whom " to love
*Massachusetts Records, vol. 2, p. 6-7. +Snow's History of Boston, p. 348.
HISTORY OF GARDNER. 443
and be beloved was his soul's paradise," took action upon the question of public schools, in these remarkable words :-
" It being one chief project of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures, as in former times by keeping them in an unknown tongue, so, in these latter times, by persuading from the use of tongues, that so at least the true sense and meaning of the original might be clouded by false glosses of saint-seeming deceivers,-that learn- ing may not be buried in the grave of our fathers, in the church and commonwealth, the Lord assisting our endeavors ;-
" It is therefore ordered, that every township in this juris- diction, after the Lord hath increased them to the number of fifty householders, shall then forthwith appoint one within their town to teach all such children as shall resort to him, to write and read, whose wages shall be paid either by the parents or masters of such children, or by the inhabitants in general, by way of supply, as the major part of those that order the pru- dentials of the town shall appoint; provided, those that send their children be not oppressed by paying much more than they can have them taught for in other towns. And it is further ordered, that when any town shall increase to the number of one hundred families or householders, they shall set up a gram- mar school, the master thereof being able to instruct youth so far as they may be fitted, for the University ; provided, that if any town neglect the performance hereof above one year, that every such town shall pay five pounds to the next school, till they shall perform this order."*
It will now be seen, from what has been stated, that the subject of public instruction, out of which has come the com- mon school system of our land, the pride and glory of the nation, was early taken into consideration, by our Pilgrim Fathers and their immediate descendants. It will also be seen, that the great object which these worthy men had in view, pri- marily, was the religious instruction of their children. As
*Massachusetts Records, vol. 2, p. 203.
444
HISTORY OF GARDNER.
Palfrey says, " learning, after religion and social order, was the object nearest to the hearts of the New England Fathers. Rather, it should be said, they were persuaded that social order and a religious character could not subsist in the absence of mental culture." Hence it was, that they founded public schools, and provided for their maintenance, by enforced taxa- tion, and compulsory attendance. Nor should it be forgotten that we are to-day indebted, for our common school system, to men of liberal education, who had passed through the curric- ulum of Oxford and Cambridge, men of broad and fine culture, who like Harvard, Brewster, Hooker, Davenport and Stone, having, some of them, founded the college, proceeded after- ward to establish the high, the grammar and the common school.
For as President J. H. Seelye, of Amherst College says, " the historical fact has always been, that the higher has first descended upon and breathed its inspiration into the lower, before the latter has shown any impulse to improvement. In our processes of education, the higher schools have not grown out of the lower and do not rest upon theni, but the higher school is historically first, and the lower one is not its precursor, but its product ; there is no law of evolution by which the common school grows up into the college, for as an historical fact, the college is actually first, and gives birth to the common school. It is not by the lower education of the many, that we come to have the higher education of the few, but the exact converse of this, is the universal rule."
What Carlyle says of Protestantism in Europe, is true of the outcome of it, in America : " Protestantism is the grand root from which our whole subsequent European history branches out." Permeated and inspired by this conviction of the para- mount value and necessity of the universal diffusion of general knowledge, so early developed in the colonies of New England, the fathers, of this town, as we shall now see, began at once to make provision, according to their ability, for the instruction of their children.
445
HISTORY OF GARDNER.
FIRST DIVISION OF THE TOWN INTO DISTRICTS.
In the warrant for the first annual town meeting, for March 7th, 1786, there was the following article :-
" To see if the town will grant money for schooling, and act anything relating to schools, as they shall think best when met." Upon this article, the town " Voted, To choose a committee of three to divide the town into four squadrons and make report at the adjournment of the meeting." At the adjourned meet- ing, March 14th, the town " Voted, To accept of the report of the school committee, which was to divide the town into four squadrons or districts, namely, South, West, North and East, giving the names of the families residing within the limits named by the committee." At a town meeting held April 3d, 1786, there was a vote " to divide one-half of the school money into four equal divisions ; and the rest of the money to be divided into the said divisions according to the number of scholars from twenty-one years of age, down to four years old. Each squadron to provide their own school-master, or mistress, and have liberty for to say how much shall be kept in a woman's school, they not exceeding more than one-half of the money, in a woman's school. Voted, To choose four persons, one in each squadron, to provide a school and to take the number of children in the several squadrons, namely : William Bickford, David Foster, Ebenezer Howe, Josiah Wheeler." At the annual meeting in the following year, 1787, the town " Voted, To lay the school money out in the same form and manner that it was laid out last year. Voted, To choose four committee-men to notify their squadrons and see how they will lay out the school money and provide masters and mistresses for the same." That this committee attended to their duty is evident, from the following record, of 1788, when the town, at its annual meet- ing, " Voted, To allow David Tainter's account, for keeping school two months, of six pounds. Voted, To allow Joshua Frost, for keeping school six weeks and three days, three pounds, eleven shillings and nine pence."
446
HISTORY OF GARDNER.
In 1789, the town " Voted, To allow Betsey Heywood's ac- count, for keeping school and for board." The record does not state the amount. Also, " Voted, To allow Elijah Wilder's account, for boarding the school-dame two weeks, six shillings. Voted, To allow Joel Wheeler's account, for boarding the school-master four weeks, sixteen shillings." Several facts ap- pear from these records, viz : That, in these early days, both male and female teachers were employed in the public schools ; that the school terms were very brief; the wages of teachers, compared with those of the present, were very low ; and that. board was correspondingly cheap.
In 1790, there was an article in the warrant, " To see if the town will have a school kept in the middle of the town." " Voted, To dismiss this article." In 1791, the town " Voted, To choose a committee-man in each squadron, to say how the money should be laid out." Up to this date, according to the Town Records, vol. 1st, page 252, there was but one school- house within the limits of the town, and this " so old and shat- tered, that it is not fit to keep school in, and schools kept in private houses, and very small too, are not convenient for the scholars." Hence it appears, that in the absence of school- houses, the schools were kept in private dwellings, as conven- ience offered.
In 1794, March 3d, there was an article in the warrant, " To see if the town would make any alterations in the school squad- rons and build school-houses as they see fit." "Voted, To make alterations, in the school squadrons. Voted, To have seven squadrons. Voted, To choose a committee to squadron the town out. Voted, To have seven men in the committee. Voted, That the committee appoint the places where the school- houses shall stand, and report at the adjournment of this meet- ing." This action indicates that there were no school-houses in town, up to this date. At the adjourned meeting the town voted thirty-six to twenty-three, to reconsider all this action.
It appears, from the above record, that the attempt made to redistrict the town, making seven school districts or squadrons,
447
HISTORY OF GARDNER.
instead of four, and to furnish the town with school-houses, proved a failure, up to 1794. In the following year, there was an article in the warrant, for the annual meeting, " To see if the town will make any alteration in the school squadrons, and build school-houses." Upon this article, the town " Voted, To build four school-houses. Voted, To have a committee to say where the school-houses shall stand. Voted, To have twelve men in the committee. Voted, That the committee be chosen by written votes. Voted, That the committee be divided into four parts, that is, three of the committee in each squadron."
This committee made their report at the April meeting, upon which the town " Voted, Not to accept of the report of the committee, for placing school-houses, which is as follows, viz :-
" The committee chosen to pitch upon the spots to build school-houses, report as follows : That one be built at the crotch of the road, by Joel Wheeler's ; and one at the crotch of the road by Daniel Parline's ; and one, five and twenty rods from the corner, by Capt. Bickford's barn, towards Capt. Jackson's ; and one near to Joseph Payson's. Motion was made and sec- onded, to have five school-houses. Then voted to have five school-houses, and voted to set the fifth school-house at the crotch of the road by Jonathan Eager's."
At an adjourned meeting, May 6th, 1795, the town " Voted, To set one school-house at the crotch of the road, near Daniel Parline's. Voted, To set one school-house half way between Joseph Wright's lane, and Andrew Beard's house. Voted, To set one school-house at the corner of the road that comes from John Eaton's to the road from Daniel Child's to the Meeting- house. Voted, To set one school-house at the corner of the road between David Comee's and Joseph Payson's. Voted, To choose a committee to say how big the school-houses shall be, and make immediate report. Voted, To have three men in the committee."
Having adjourned this meeting. for half an hour. the town again met, and " Voted, To divide the town into four equal parts, and place a school-house in the centre of each quarter. Voted, To reconsider the vote for the fifth school-house, that is,
448
HISTORY OF GARDNER.
that school-house placed by Jonathan Eager's. Voted, To choose a committee to divide the town into four equal parts. Voted, To have a committee of five, to divide the town into four equal parts. Voted, To reconsider all former votes, re- specting school-houses, all up to the last vote, to divide the town into four equal parts, and for placing the school-houses in the centre of each quarter. Voted, That the committee for divid- ing the town into four equal parts, shall say where the centre of each quarter is, and say how big the school-houses shall be."
The town meeting was then adjourned, until four o'clock in the afternoon. Having then met, it was " Voted, To accept of the report of the committee for dividing the town into four parts and placing and saying how big the school-houses shall be." The committee reported as follows :-
" The committee chosen to squadron out the town, into four squadrons, beg leave to report as follows : The West school- house, to stand at the crotch of the road, by Daniel Parline's ; the North school-house, to stand in the centre, between Capt. Haynes' and Lieut. Edgell's, on the road ; the East school-house to stand in the centre, between Jonathan Whitcomb's and David Reed's and David Cohee's, on the county road, where it will best convene ; the South school-house, to stand in the centre, be- tween Westminster line and Templeton line, on the county road ; the said school-houses to be built twenty-eight by twenty- two, and ten feet post."
" Voted, To choose a committee to build school-houses and measure from the extreme parts, as reported by the committee chosen to divide the town into four squadrons. Voted, To have three committee-men in each squadron. Voted, That the com- mittee in each squadron shall notify the inhabitants in each squadron, after they have found the spots where the school- houses shall stand, to meet, in order for letting out all the ma- terials, by lots, for building the houses, to the lowest bidder ; also that all the committee shall notify all the inhabitants of the town, to meet at the Meeting-house, to vendue said stuff, they giving ten days' notice, at least, and said materials shall all be
449
HISTORY OF GARDNER.
delivered, at the several spots, where the school-houses are to be built, by the first day of April next."
This legislation, however, did not prove entirely satisfactory, for, on November 30th, the same year, the town " Voted, To make alterations in the school-houses. Voted, To set the South school-house at the corner of the wall, at Capt. Bickford's old barn, the west side of the road, as near the corner as is conven- ient. Voted, To move the North school-house to the north, over the causeway." That this question of school-houses was not yet settled, is evident, for, in the warrant for a town meet- ing to be held February 2d, 1796, there were the following articles :-
" To see if the town will make any alterations in any of the school-houses, to stand different from where they are now placed. To see if the town will build a school-house, on the common, near the Meeting-house." " Voted, To move the South school- house to the east end of the county road, at the crotch of the road, by Capt. Bickford's. Voted, To reconsider the last vote. Voted, To take in Ephraim Pratt's, from him to the Meeting- house, thence from the Meeting-house; to Simon Stone's, and take him into the south squadron, and place the school-house in the centre of the body of land, or the nearest convenient place to the centre. Voted, To reconsider the last vote. Voted, to set the South school-house at the east end of the county road."
At an adjourned meeting, March 9th, the town " Voted, To set the South school-house in the centre, between the Widow Wood's house and Jonas Brick's, on the county road. Voted, To set the South school-house where the new county road crosses the road from Elijah Simonds' to the Meeting-house." April 4th, 1796, " Voted, To raise two hundred and fifty pounds, to build school-houses." March 6th, 1797, the town " Voted, To provide a chair and table, for each school-house, in said town." Although there is no record made regarding the execution of the town's vote for building school-houses, yet it may be inferred, from the last vote, relating to furnishing these
57
450
HISTORY OF GARDNER.
school-houses, that they were built, in the places, and according to the plan above designated.
Subsequently, efforts were made to change these school- houses, but without success. That these school-houses were plain structures, and entirely innocent of paint, is evident from an article in the warrant for the March meeting of 1802 :-
"To see if the town will choose a committee, to see what repairs, if any, the school-houses need, and paint them with Spanish brown and lye." Whatever the school-houses needed, the town " Voted, To pass over this article." In 1807. there was an article in the town warrant " To see if the town will build a school-house in the middle of the town, or otherwise give the petitioners and others the privilege of building, on the common." The town " Voted, To dismiss the article."
As showing an increased interest, in the prosperity of their schools, the town, in 1809, " Voted, To choose a committee of four men to inspect the schools in said town, at the opening and close of said schools, for the year ensuing." Here was the be- ginning of that system of school visiting, which has been prac- ticed ever since. Although the town repeatedly refused to erect a school-house at the Centre, yet it may be inferred, from the records, that one was built by private funds, upon the com- mon, somewhere about the year 1814.
SECOND DISTRICTING OF THE TOWN.
In 1818, the town, at its April meeting, " Voted, To choose a committee to divide the town into school districts." The re- port of this committee was, " That the town be divided into six school districts, viz. :-
" That the East district include Joel Matthews, Samuel Fos- ter, John Miles, Jabez Fairbank, and all eastwardly of said line, including thirty families. One Sonth district, including Reuben Gates, David Reed, Moses Saunders, Widow Thiah Wood, Amasa Leland, David Perley, Thomas Baker, and all south and east of said line, including twenty-seven families. The South- erly district, to include Joseph Whitney, 2d, Asa Hill, William
451
HISTORY OF GARDNER.
Bickford, John Kemp, Sullivan Jackson, and on the Turnpike Road, to Templeton line, and all south and west of said line, including twenty-seven families. That the Northwesterly dis- triet include Simon Stone, Jonathan Eaton, Ezra Peniman, Allen Perley, Ezra Baker, Jacob Priest, James Coolidge, and all northerly and westwardly of said line, including twenty- three families. That the North district include Samuel Stone, James Coolidge, Jr., William Whitney, Benjamin Howe, Eli- jah Travis, Nathan Green, Jonathan Merriam, and all north- wardly and eastwardly of said line, including twenty-three families. All within said bounds, to make a middle district, including twenty-three families."
It will be seen by this report, that Gardner, in 1818, con- tained one hundred and fifty-three families. At the same meet- ing, the town " Voted, That each district shall build and sup- port their own school-houses. Voted, That each district shall have the privilege of placing their own school-houses, if they can agree, otherwise, the town shall place them." At the March meeting, in 1820, the town " Voted, That the school money be divided according to the number of families that shall be in each district, on the first Monday of May next. Voted, that the school committee divide the school money, if they can agree, if not, the selectmen shall divide it." This method of dividing the school money, was pursued till 1837, when the town " Voted, That six hundred dollars be laid out for school- ing ; that one-third of the money be divided according to the number of scholars in their respective districts, the scholars to be counted between the ages of four and twenty-one, the re- mainder to be divided into six equal parts ; that the school agents ascertain the number of scholars in their respective dis- tricts."
The first mention we have, in the records, of money received from the state, for the benefit of schools, was in 1838, when the town " Voted, That the money, we received from the state, be divided according to the number of scholars." In March, 1839, the town first " Voted, That the school agents be author-
452
HISTORY OF GARDNER.
ized to hire teachers for their respective districts." In 1840, the town " Voted, To divide two-thirds of the money ($700) raised for schooling, equally among the several school districts. The remaining one-third, to be divided among the districts, according to the number of scholars which they contain, from four to sixteen years of age."
In 1844, the town " Voted, To divide one-half of the school money ($700) equally among the districts, and the other half according to the number of scholars, reckoning them as the state does." In 1850, the town " Voted, To raise nine hundred dollars for the support of schools, the ensuing year, and that one-fourth of the sum be divided equally among the districts, and the remaining three-fourths in proportion to the number of scholars." March 23d, 1850, the question was before the town " To see if the town will assist the West school district, in repairing their school-house." Upon this question, the town " Voted, That if the tax in the West school district for repair- ing their school-house, at their estimate, of four hundred and seventy-five dollars, exceed the average of the Centre, South- west and Southeast school district tax, for building their school- houses, that the town pay the balance above that average, provided it does not exceed the sum of one hundred dollars."
In May, 1851, the town " Voted, That George and Sumner Baker have the privilege of drawing their share of the school money, per scholar, pro rata, from the Southeast school district in this town, and paying the same in Westminster." March 6th, 1854, the town " Voted, That the school committee procure six hundred copies of their school report, to be distributed among the families of the town, at the expense of the town." This is the first instance on record, of printed school reports. At the same meeting, the town " Voted, To raise twelve hundred dollars for the support of schools, the ensuing year, and to divide the same, one-third equally among the districts in town and the remainder in proportion to the number of scholars. Voted, To raise one hundred dollars in addition to the above, to be put in the hands of the school committee, to be divided as they think proper, among the districts."
453
HISTORY OF GARDNER.
In 1857, a committee, of one from cach district, was chosen, " To establish the lines between the several school districts, according to the records, and report at an adjourned meeting." This committee attended to their duty, and their report may be found recorded in Town Records, vol. 5, page 70-79, which is too extended for insertion in this chapter.
At the March meeting, 1861, the town " Voted, To raise eighteen hundred dollars for the support of schools, the ensuing year, to be placed in the hands of the school committee, to be divided at their discretion." However, at the April meceting, the town reconsidered the above vote, and " Voted, To raise nine hundred dollars, for the same purpose, instead of eighteen hun- dred dollars." In explanation of this great reduction in the school appropriation, it should be stated, that this was a year of great financial prostration in this town, occasioned by the burning of the Heywoods' Chair Factories, which occurred January 5th, of this year.
ABOLISHIMENT OF THE DISTRICT SYSTEM AND THE IN- AUGURATION OF GRADED SCHOOLS.
Acting in accordance with the provisions of the General Statutes of 1869 there was an article in the town warrant for this year, " To see what measures the town will take for the appraisal of the school-houses, and other property belonging to the several School Districts, in the town, act or transact any- thing relating thereto." "Voted, That the selectmen be instructed to appoint three appraisers, from some other town, to appraise the property belonging to the several School Districts, and re- port said appraisals to an adjourned March meeting." The following is the report of the committee to appraise the School District property :-
The undersigned. a committee chosen to appraise the several school-houses, in the town of Gardner, would respect- fully submit the following as their appraisal of said land, furni- ture, etc., exclusive of wood :-
454
HISTORY OF GARDNER.
In Distriet No. 1, the sum of $10,666
In District No. 2, the sum of. 2,550
In District No. 3, the sum of. 5,150
In District No. 4, the sum of. 500
In District No. 5, the sum of. 475
In District No. 6, the sum of. 417
Making a total of. $19,758
SIDNEY FAIRBANKS, Committee
BETHUEL ELLIS, of
GEORGE B. RAYMOND, Appraisal.
Gardner, April 20th, 1869.
The sum of this appraisal, the town voted to raise, in addi- tion to the regular appropriation, for this year. Thus the graded system, now in successful operation, in this town, was inaugurated.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.