History of the town of Milford, Worcester county, Massachusetts, from its first settlement to 1881, Part 25

Author: Ballou, Adin, 1803-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Boston : Rand, Avery, & co.
Number of Pages: 1328

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Milford > History of the town of Milford, Worcester county, Massachusetts, from its first settlement to 1881 > Part 25

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" No. 2. To commence at Charles River at the south-west corner of No. 1; thence to the house of Lewis Johnson, including that; thence east of the houses of Amos B. Bridges and Benjamin Brown, to the fork of the

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HISTORY OF MILFORD.

road near the house of Samuel A. Vant; thence east to Charles River to the place of beginning.

" No. 3. To commence at Charles River, at the south-west corner of No. 1; thence to the house of the late Col. Godfrey, including that; thence to the house of Sumner Pond, including that; thence to the fork of the road near the house of Samuel A. Vant; thence on line of No. 2 to the place of begin- ning.

"No. 4. " To commence at Mendon line, at the road leading from the house of the late Hastings Daniels to Mendon; thence on said line to the county-road leading from Milford to Mendon; thence to the house of Lyman S. Clark, including that; thence to the house of Isaac Davenport, excluding that; thence to Charles River, at the south-west corner of No. 1; thence by the line of No. 3 to its western angle; thence westerly to the place of begin- ning.

" No. 5. To commence at the stone monument, at the south end of the new Town line between Milford and Holliston; thence on the lines of Hollis- ton, Medway, and Bellingham, to Charles River; thence northerly to the aforesaid Cobb orchard; thence on line of No. 1 to the north-east corner of that District; thence northerly to the place of beginning.

" No. 6. To commence at Mendon line, at the south-west corner of No. 4; thence on said line to Charles River; thence on said River to the south- west corner of No. 5; thence on line of No. 5 to the south-east corner of No. 1; thence on line of No. 1 to Charles River; thence on line of No. 4 to the place of beginning.

" No. 7. To commence at the bridge over Mill River, near the house of Ebenezer W. Wood; thence on the lines of Upton and Mendon to the south- west corner of No. 4; thence on line of No. 4 to the western angle of No. 3; thence to the house of Artemas Thayer, excluding that; thence to the house of John A. Clark, excluding that; thence to the house of Wid. Leland, including that; thence to the place of beginning.

" No. 8. To commence at the aforesaid bridge; thence by line of No. 7 to the house of John A. Clark, excluding that; thence to the house of Emery Sumner, including that; thence to the house of Aaron Partridge, including that; thence northerly to Mill River east of the buildings of Lyman P. Lowe; thence by said river to the place of beginning.

" No. 9. To commence at the stone monument in North Pond, at the north-west corner of Milford; thence easterly on Hopkinton line to a point north of the house of Abel Clark; thence south to a point east of the house of Wid. Trial Andrews; thence west to the west side of the house of the late Sylvester Wales, excluding that and the house of said Andrews; thence to the south-east corner of No. 8, excluding the house of John A. Clark; thence by line of No. 8 to Mill River; thence by said river and Upton line to the place of beginning.

" No. 10. To commence at the western angle of No. 3; thence by line of said District to its north-east corner; thence east on line of No. 2 to Charles River; thence by said river to north-west corner of No. 1; thence to the house of Abel Clark, including that; thence to the south-east corner of

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THE HOPEDALE OR TWELFTH DISTRICT.

No. 9; thence by line of No. 9 to the house of John A. Clark, including that; thence by line of No. 7 to the place of beginning .

" No. 11. To commence at north-east corner of No. 9; thence on Hop- kinton line to the north-west corner of Holliston; thence on Holliston line to north-west corner of No. 5; thence by line of No. 5 to north-east corner of No. 1; thence by line of No. 1 to Charles River; thence by line of No. 10 to the place of beginning." Accepted March 2, 1841. (Records, vol. iii., p. 310.)

In 1847 another district was set off, numbered the Twelfth. The community at Hopedale had developed a new and considerable popu- lation within the limits of the Fourth District, in a portion of it where, in 1841, there were but two dwelling-houses. It was not only incon- venient for their children to attend school in the schoolhouse of No. 4, on account of distance and lack of room there, but the community felt bound by their religious principles to educate their rising genera- tion apart from the existing public schools. For five years they sup- ported a school for them at their own expense ; but in the mean time, being fully taxed to maintain the town-schools, they deemed it just to receive back a part of their money for the education of their own children. They therefore asked for a territorial school district suited to their needs, at the same time promising to admit into their school, free ofcharge, the few children on their borders whose parents might desire it. After considerable delay, on account of objections made by certain citizens, their petition was almost unanimously granted by a vote passed Nov. 22, 1847. The boundaries of this new district were as follows : -

" Beginning at the south-easterly corner of the Hopedale estate, on the main road leading from Milford to Mendon; thence northerly with the fence which divides said estate from the lands of Sylvanus Adams, Newton Dan- iels, Stephen Cook and Daniell Scammell, till it strikes the old road leading from said Scammell's to Hopedale; thence north-easterly up said road to the easterly limits of Nathan Harris's estate; thence to the southern boundary of District No. 7; thence westerly with said boundary to Mendon line; thence southerly with said line to Post Lane, so called; thence easterly with said lane and the southern line of the Hopedale estate, by lands of Almon Harris and Nathaniel Bennett, to the main road first mentioned, a little east of the stone bridge over Mill River; and thence easterly to the place of beginning." (Records of the Town, 1847.)

All, or nearly all, these twelve districts were, first or last, legally organized with corporate powers, chose clerks, opened records, elected prudential committees, and managed their internal affairs to the extent allowed by the laws and votes of the Town for the time being ;

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HISTORY OF MILFORD.

but the rapid increase of population in Milford Centre, and the mareh of improvement in educational management, soon superindueed im- portant changes. The High School was established in 1850; gram- mar schools and grading soon followed wherever practicable, under new arrangements. At the annual March meeting in 1851, the Gen- eral School Committee were directed to investigate the subject of re-organizing the school districts, and grading the publie sehools. The artiele in the town-warrant, as referred to the committee, ran thus : -

" To see if the Town will take the management of the public schools in said Town, or act on a matter or thing concerning said schools, schoolhouses, or school districts in said Town, proper to be then and there acted on."

COMMITTEE'S REPORT.

"1st, That the present School Districts, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 10, be united and form one District, excepting so much of No. 4 as lies westerly of a straight line drawn from the south-east corner of District No. 12, near the bottom of the hill on the Mendon road, to the boundary of District No. 6, and intersecting a point forty rods south-west of Mr. Newell Nelson's house.

"2d, That the territory of No. 4, lying westerly of said line, be joined to and form a part of No. 12.

" 3d, That the Districts be numbered as follows: The new District com- posed of Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 10 (as hereinbefore described), shall be No. 1; the present No. 9 shall be No. 2; No. 11 shall be No. 3; No. 12 shall be No. 4; and the other Districts shall be numbered as they are.

"4th, That the Selectmen be authorized to rent to the new District, No. 1, the lower room of the High Schoolhouse, to be occupied by a gram- mar school of said District.

"5th, That the School Committee be instructed to grade the schools in such districts as they think proper, to establish the standard of admission to said schools, and to decide such other questions as may arise respecting the same.

"6th, That no children be allowed to attend the public schools who shall be under four years of age.

"7th, That the School Committee be authorized to expend for such apparatus as they may think necessary for the use of the High School, so much of the $1,500 raised for the support of said school as may not be required to defray its current expenses during the present year."

[The eighth recommendation, relating to appropriation of money, is deferred to another place. ] Report accepted and adopted by the Town, July 11, 1851.

Finally the history of our school districts ends with their entire abolition as corporate bodies. So much dissatisfaction still prevailed, that the Town, at a meeting held May 25, 1853, appointed a special

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SCHOOL DISTRICTS ABOLISHED.

committee to consider and report on the expediency of abolishing the districts. That committee consisted of Leander Holbrook, J. T. Woodbury, C. F. Chapin, Henry Chapin, A. J. Sumner, Nelson Park- hurst, and Adin Ballou. Their report culminated in the following

RESOLUTIONS (Draughted by Me).

" By the people of Milford, in legal town meeting assembled, April 3, 1854: Resolved, -

"1. That all the school districts now existing within the limits of said town ought to be, and hereby are, abolished.

"2. That all the duties heretofore devolving on said districts, relating to school houses and school affairs, ought to be, and hereby are, assumed by the Town.

"3. That the several schoolhouses and all other property belonging to the said districts respectively ought to be fairly appraised, and the certified valuation thereof placed on the town records, by the selectmen, within sixty days from the present date; and they are hereby instructed to act accord- ingly.

"4. That the taxable inhabitants residing within the territorial limits of the several abolished districts which have schoolhouses or other property sub- ject to appraisal ought, within seven years from the present date, to receive such a remission of their taxes as shall equitably reimburse to them the ap- praised value of said property; and the Town is hereby pledged to make all necessary provision accordingly.

"5. That all the corporate records and papers of the said abolished dis- tricts ought to be deposited in the Town Clerk's office for permanent preser- vation within sixty days from he present date ; and the Town Clerk is hereby instructed to collect and take charge of them accordingly.

" 6. That in abolishing the school districts, and assuming for itself the entire management of educational affairs, the Town ought to guarantee to all the exterior school localities a larger amount of schooling than they have heretofore enjoyed under the district system, so that the very smallest of them shall be provided with a good school for at least twenty-four weeks, of five days each, in every year, and the more populous of them in reasonable proportion; and the General School Committee are hereby permanently instructed to conduct their arrangements accordingly.

"7. That the declared wishes of the people in each school locality, respecting their own school affairs, ought to be complied with by the Town and by the General School Committee, so far as the same can be done with- out violating the laws of the Commonwealth, the rights of other localities, and the general educational welfare.

"8. That the foregoing Resolves, with their guaranties and pledges, shall be held sacred by the Town, and shall guide the proceedings of its offi- cers in all matters therein specified, until the same shall have been rescinded or changed in a legal town meeting, acting under an article in the warrant for that express purpose."

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HISTORY OF MILFORD.

The committee's report was received with general favor ; and the foregoing Resolves unanimously passed, April 3, 1854. (See Town Records, vol. iv., pp. 408, 409.) The proper town authorities forth- with assumed control of the affairs assigned to them; the existing schoolhouses were appraised ; and the new order of things became permanently established. And I believe that the town's management of our educational interests has given general satisfaction.

SCHOOLHOUSES AND EXPENDITURES.

I find no satisfactory evidence that there was a single schoolhouse on our territory at the time of the town's incorporation in 1780. My friend Alexander H. Allen, well versed in the records of Mendon, was confident that only two then existed in the whole mother-town, both of which were within the limits of its ancient seat. One was authorized to be built in the Easterly Precinct, not long after it was set off as such ; and in 1750 the Precinct voted to erect it. It was to be sixteen feet square, with seven-feet posts. But after ten years of fruitless endeavor, on the part of a few anxious friends of educa- tion, to get this vote actualized, the opposing majority rescinded it. So this projected grand temple of learning never graced the Precinct centre. It seems to be almost certain, that, previous to 1780, all our schools were kept in dwelling-houses, or in adjacent out-buildings extemporized for that purpose. Four such have been reported to me, and doubtless there were several others. The late Henry Chapin, of venerable age, just before his sudden death in 1876, mentioned two of them among the reminiscences handed down from his father, Adams Chapin, Esq. The latter was, in his day, a very intelligent and influential townsman. While yet in his early teens, he attended a school kept in an ancient domicil built by his grandfather, Seth Chapin, jun. It stood on a gentle swell of land, some forty rods or more south of what is now called Hopedale Corner, on the east side of the street. The foundation was obliterated several years since. One term of that school was memorable for having been taught by the celebrated Alexander Scammell, afterwards adjutant-general of Wash- ington's army. Adams Chapin always spoke of that school with the warmest enthusiasm, as affording him the finest scholastic privilege of his youth. The schoolroom was a rude concern, fitted up with plank seats on blocks, and writing-counters supported by empty barrels, with every thing else to match. But the teacher, oh, he was a paragon ! a star of the first magnitude, and almost worshipped by his pupils. He had been fitted for college by Parson Frost, perhaps had just entered Harvard U. (for this must have been between 1763

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EARLIEST SCHOOLHOUSES.

and '65). He was stately, handsome, commanding, sprightly, and genial. His instructions, methods, and discipline were never to be forgotten by those who enjoyed his inspiring drill. His admiring panegyrist got such a start under his tuition, that he himself was presently sought after as a schoolmaster, serving several years ac- ceptably in that vocation. At the age of fifteen he was invited to teach in the humble home of his uncle Moses Chapin, next dwelling- house north of our present asylum for the poor. The accommoda- tions were even ruder and poorer than where Scammell had taught. The house was small, low, and cramped : all its doors hung on wooden hinges. Some fifteen scholars had scanty room, and the family were squeezed into the closest quarters. But there was sun- shine on all faces, and the school was a pleasing success. Subse- quently young Chapin taught in a long, narrow abode that stood at the junction of what are now called Greene and Elm Sts., in its south-west corner. Fifty years ago it was occupied by the widow Lawrence. It was once owned, I think, by James Sumner, Esq. The schoolmaster used to tell, with pride, that there he taught the alphabet to his young cousin, Stephen Chapin, who was then an unlettered boy of eight years, but who afterwards graduated at H. U., became a distinguished Doctor of Divinity, and closed his eminent career as president of Columbian College at the national capital. In those days, or not long afterwards, Elijah Thayer rented a portion of his house, on the place lately owned by Justin E. Eames, as a district schoolroom. This is indicated by an item in an old Mendon treasurer's book, which shows that he was paid for such an accommo- dation.

The first mention of schoolhouses on our town records bears date Mar. 1, 1791 ; nearly eleven yrs. after the incorporation : "Voted to raise £240 [about $800] to build and repair schoolhouses in the Town of Milford, and each District to pay their own cost." This proves that there were some schoolhouses here in 1791; but how many, or where located, we can only guess : probably in two or three of the most populous districts, and those very cheap, ill-constructed edifices. How many were built or repaired in consequence of the above vote, does not appear. Subsequent entries imply that its results were meagre ; for, after several attempts to render it effective, a motion was made and carried at the May meeting of 1797: "To call the rate-bills out of the constable's hands, which were made for building and repairing schoolhouses." From this I infer that only a part, if any, of the money assessed was ever collected. From all I can learn, it is probable that the First or Middle District erected our

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HISTORY OF MILFORD.

earliest schoolhouse. It originally stood near the junction of Spruce and Congress Sts., now so called. But, some little time after the eight school districts were re-arranged into six, it was moved down to the west side of now Purchase St., a few rods north of the George Howe place. The re-arrangement was made, as elsewhere stated, in 1802. On Aug. 30 of that year it was " Voted to choose a Committee for the purpose of moving the schoolhouse in the Middle District, and to agree with Bear Hill District for their damage, or move their schoolhouse." In 1807 this matter was settled by paying the Middle District a hundred dollars, and Bear Hill fifty dollars. What became of the Middle District House, in the process of subse- quent changes, will be told in its place. As to the Bear Hill District, tradition says it had originally two inferior schoolhouses, - one near the Timothy Wiswall place, just west of the remaining cellar-hole, and the other in the ancient Elias Whitney neighborhood. Just how this was, is a little uncertain. Doubtless the extremes of the district, north and south, rendered it convenient to have its school kept alter- nately at these places. But that there were really two regular district schoolhouses, is improbable, as none of the records speak of more than one. It is likely, however, that two buildings were some- times used for greater convenience ; one of them being merely hired, or occupied by sufferance. Meantime North Purchase, South Milford, and the City districts, as also the Second, then so called, had each a schoolhouse of some sort, but doubtless all humble structures. The Second District became dissatisfied with theirs, and, having legally organized, April 2, 1800, " Voted to build a new schoolhouse in said district. Voted to build said schoolhouse twenty-four fcet long and twenty wide. Voted to raise £65 [or about $216.46], exclusive of what the old schoolhouse will fetch. Then chose Lt. Ephraim Chapin, Majr. Saml. Nelson, and Mr. Elihu Perry, a committee to superintend the building of the schoolhouse. Voted to build a brick chimney, set it at the end, and also to have an entry like the schoolhouse in the 1st District. Voted to leave it to the Committee to make the best use of the old schoolhouse, - either to sell it, or use it in building the new one. Voted to build a studded house. Voted not to put in the old windows. Voted to build a straight roof. Voted to plane the clapboards and color the house. Stephen Chapin to give a privilege of so much land in his pasture as shall be necessary for setting the schoolhouse and a yard for wood, etc. ; said privilege to be only for the use of a schoolhouse, - not for any other use. Voted to set the schoolhouse in Stephen Chapin's pasture, on or near a ledgy knoll by the road." At an adjournment in the autumn, probably after the

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NEW SCHOOLHOUSES.

house had been nearly or quite completed, "Voted to raise twenty- six dollars to pay for building the schoolhouse." Ephraim Chapin, moderator, Adams Chapin, clerk. (Town Records, vol. ii., p. 46.) 1 I have given these proceedings as a sample of school-district action respecting schoolhouses in those days and downward. This is the oldest record of the kind I have been able to find. Probably the first generation of schoolhouses were built with comparatively informal preparations. The one above voted stood on the ledgy knoll at the present junction of Adin with Main St., in the northerly corner. It was burnt down after midnight, in the early morning of Nov. 13, 1831. Mr. William A. Phipps of Hopkinton had just commenced teaching the . winter term of the school. In 1832, at the cost of over five hundred dollars, the District built its successor, at the junction of Prospect with Main St., in the southerly corner. This was somewhat larger than its predecessor, painted yellow, and ornamented on its easterly end with the picture of a clock-dial, the hands indicating nine A.M. precisely. Hence it was familiarly called sometimes " the yellow," and sometimes " the nine-o'clock," schoolhouse. Later, under a dif- ferent arrangement of districts, it was moved down the hill to a lot of land between Main and Thayer Sts : this was in 1854. Subsequently it was superseded by a much more commodious structure in the same vicinity, now in use. The " nine-o'clock house " is still standing, just south of Mann's Boot Manufactory, metamorphosed into a small family tenement. Burnt, with said factory, May 18, 1881.

The North Purchase District, according to tradition, had first a little schoolhouse that stood on the old road, now Tyler St., above Eben. Next, it built one that stood near the Methodist meeting- house, above the John Cheney place, on the east side of the road. I taught school in that house two winters, 1824-25 and 1828-29. It was of the then common fashion, perhaps thirty by twenty-five feet in dimension, posts of tolerable height, with a small porch, and a chimney at the north end. It had an an ample open fireplace for heating-purposes, which in cold weather consumed enormous sup- plies of wood, sometimes half roasting the nearest sitters, and leav- ing the most distant to shiver, except when permitted, under a " please, sir," request, to take their turns for a warming. That house would seat, in the style of those days, seventy-five or eighty pupils. I have tried in vain to learn the date of its erection, proba- bly between 1800 and 1810. It was burnt about Dec. 20, 1830. The District took early action for building a new house on land

1 I have been told, on good authority, that the old schoolhouse above referred to stood on what is now called Cortland St., in the valley towards South Main St.

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HISTORY OF MILFORD.

offered by Josiah Ball on the east side of the road, abont twenty-five rods northerly of Haven St. junction. They voted to build of brick, thirty-one by twenty-four feet, and completed it in 1832 at a cost of about five hundred and twenty-four dollars. It is still in use for the convenience of N. Purchase Primary School. The present commodious grammar schoolhouse in that neighborhood was erected by the Town in 1864, at a total cost of $2,607.13.

The Bear Hill District, concerning which I have already said that tradition credited it with two old-time schoolhouses, is recorded to have built a new one in 1820. At a legal meeting May 13, 1820, Jacob Hayward, moderator, Arial Bragg, clerk, " Voted to build a schoolhouse, and to raise three hundred and forty dollars for that purpose, including the note of fifty dollars " given by the Town pursuant to the indemnity vote of 1807 on account of re-arranging the districts. That house was large enough to accommodate at least sixty scholars, and was located, by an outside committee chosen by the district, on the west side of now Beaver St., a few rods south- wardly from the Jacob Hayward place. I taught school in it during the winter of 1825-26. It was superseded in 1859 by two nice houses in the northerly and southerly sections of the district; being itself sold and removed or demolished.

The City District, so called, held on to its original schoolhouse rather tenaciously. It stood on the old Upton road, now Asylum St., about midway between the terminus of that street, near a famous large rock. Some of the inhabitants wanted a new house in 1821; but it was finally decided, in legal meetings, to repair the old one. This was done by raising the little structure fifteen inches, adding a porch eight feet square, and rejuvenating it thoroughly inside and out at a cost of a hundred and sixty-six dollars. Thus it was made to last, with incidental repairs, till 1845, when the present house on West St. was erected by the District at a cost of five hundred dollars or thereabouts.

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History of the town of Milford, Worcester county, Massachusetts, from its first settlement to 1881, Part 25

Author: Ballou, Adin, 1803-1890 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Boston : Rand, Avery, & co. Number of Pages: 1328

Author: Ballou, Adin, 1803-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Boston : Rand, Avery, & co.
Number of Pages: 1328