USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Princeton > History of the town of Princeton in the county of Worcester and commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1759-1915, Volume I > Part 16
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1846 George F. Folger, Charles P. Skinner.
1847 George F. Folger, Charles P. Skinner.
1848 George F. Folger, William D. Cheever.
1849 William D. Cheever, George O. Skinner.
1850 Francis H. Smith, George O. Skinner.
1851 George O. Skinner, William D. Cheever, Joseph M. Stewart.
1852 Clark Meriam, Micah R. Ball, Mark Wilder.
1853 Soloman G. Burpee, Harlow Skinner.
1854 Solomon J. Burpee, B. Fay.
1855 Phinehas E. Gregory, Solomon J. Burpee.
1856 George E. Pratt, Phinehas E. Gregory. 1857 John Brooks, Jr., Nathan B. Howe.
1858 Nicholas R. Howe, Isaac F. Thompson. 1859 Oscar Howe, Nicholas R. Howe. 1860 Harlow Skinner, Nicholas R. Howe. 1861 Harlow Skinner, Jonas B. Brown.
1862 Harlow Skinner, Asa H. Goddard. 1863 Asa H. Goddard, Amos H. Keyes. 1864 Charles P. Skinner, Joseph Whitcomb.
1865 Abijah G. Thompson, George F. Folger, Addison Smith. 1866 William F. Ball, Abner G. Parker. 1867 Harlow Skinner, Abner G. Parker.
1868 Harlow Skinner, Abner G. Parker. 1869 Harlow Skinner, J. Anson Whitcomb. 1870 Harlow Skinner, William B. Goodnow.
1871 William B. Goodnow, Harlow Skinner.
1872 William B. Goodnow, Harlow Skinner.
1873 Harlow Skinner, D. Frank Smith.
1874 Harlow Skinner, David F. Smith.
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History of Princeton
1875 Emory W. Gill, William F. Ball.
1876 Harlow Skinner, Mark Wilder.
1877 Harlow Skinner, Samuel Hobbs.
1878 Harlow Skinner, Samuel Hobbs.
1879 George O. Skinner, George L. Bliss.
1880 George O. Skinner, William B. Goodnow.
188I George O. Skinner, John Brooks.
1882 George O. Skinner, John Brooks.
1883 George O. Skinner, P. C. Doolittle.
1884 George O. Skinner, P. C. Doolittle.
1885 George O. Skinner, P. C. Doolittle.
1886 George O. Skinner, Samuel J. Jewett.
1887 George O. Skinner, Eugene R. Buck.
1888 Eugene R. Buck, John E. Maley.
1889 John E. Maley, Artemas E. Pratt.
1890 Emory W. Gill, Artemas E. Pratt.
1891 Emory W. Gill, Eugene R. Buck.
1892 Emory W. Gill, Eugene R. Buck.
1893 Eugene R. Buck, Atwood B. Keyes, Thomas H. Skinner.
1894 John E. Maley, Levi Cushman, Thomas H. Skinner.
1895 John E. Maley, Levi Cushman, Thomas H. Skinner.
1896 Levi Cushman, Thomas H. Skinner, John E. Maley.
1897 Levi Cushman, Artemas A. Pratt, Charles A. Houghton.
1898 Levi Cushman, Eugene R. Buck, Thomas H. Skinner.
1899 Thomas H. Skinner, Eugene R. Buck, Frank B. Smith, Alex. St. George, Henry F. Keyes.
1900 Thomas H. Skinner, Eugene R. Buck, S. J. Jewett, Alex. St. George, C. A. Blanchard.
1901 W. B. Hubbard, E. R. Buck, G. A. Bigelow, F. L. Tuttle, Alex. St. George.
1902 W. B. Hubbard, E. R. Buck, G. A. Bigelow, F. L. Tuttle, Alex. St. George.
1903 E. R. Buck, F. L. Tuttle, G. A. Bigelow.
1904 J. H. Stimpson, G. A. Bigelow, T. H. Skinner.
1905 J. H. Stimson, T. H. Skinner.
1906 J. H. Stimson, T. H. Skinner.
1907 J. H. Stimson, T. H. Skinner.
1908 J. H. Stimson, T. H. Skinner.
1909 J. H. Stimson, T. H. Skinner.
1910 T. H. Skinner, Harry E. Murdock, D. A. Peeler, Fred R. Stevens.
19II T. H. Skinner, Fred R. Stevens, Prentice C. Doolittle, Albert J. Eveleth.
1912 T. H. Skinner, Fred R. Stevens, Prentice C. Doolittle, Albert J. Eveleth.
1913 T. H. Skinner, Fred R. Stevens, Prentice C. Doolittle, Fred R. Aldrich. 1914 T. H. Skinner, Fred R. Stevens, Prentice C. Doolittle.
1915 Prentice C. Doolittle, Fred R. Stevens, T. H. Skinner, Clifton Guy.
The last Town Meeting held in Princeton Feb. 1, 1915, was the 880th
199
Town Government
recorded meeting of the town including the meetings of the District of Prince Town.
Of those who served as Moderator at the Annual Town Meetings: John Whitney served for 16 years, John Dana 14. William Dodds served as Town Clerk for 31 years, Charles Russell for 26 years, David H. Gregory for 34 years.
CHAPTER IX
EDUCATION
Requirement. By the laws of the Colony and later of the Province of Massachusetts, the towns and districts were required to provide means for public instruction of the children. It was not often that a failure to make such provision was recorded, but occasionally the penalties for non-compliance with the law in not securing a schoolmaster were enforced.
But New England communities were generally made up of too intelligent a class of people to forego the advantages of educational facilities, if possible to be secured and ordinarily this subject was among the first, if not the very first to receive attention in connection with that other always recognized need, the settlement of a minister. Princeton at the date of its incorporation, with its thirty families scattered from the borders of Holden to Hubbards- ton and from Rutland to " No-town," had a more difficult problem to solve in providing for schools than in the ministerial question.
Its support of a stated ministry was a financial burden, and in the apparent need of great expenditures for opening up roads and getting the machinery of the town into running order, it seemingly could ill afford to expend money for any undertaking not positively demanded. If there was any delay in the matter of provision for schools, it may have been excusable, but the necessity was soon recognized and the preliminary steps taken.
First Schoolmaster. There is no evidence of the estab- lishment of a school in the district before 1764 when an appropriation of £6 was made for that object. To Mr. Samuel Woods has always, and doubtless with justice, been accorded the honor of being the first public school teacher in the town, but as he did not settle in Princeton
200
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Education
until 1762, it is quite safe to conclude that no public instruction was given in town until 1763 or 1764. It is quite probable, however, that he may have had some private pupils at his own house before the town made the appropriation of £6. With this small sum of money, the terms of schooling must have been limited to a few weeks, and the remuneration of the teachers anything but munifi- cent. But the rapidly increasing population demanded greater attention to the education of the children, and in 1766, the appropriation was more than doubled, £13-6-8 and in 1768 it was increased to £20.
The method of distributing this appropriation may be seen by the following warrant which is especially interest- ing as being the oldest paper among the town files. It is a school warrant to the tax payers of the northerly squadron in 1766.
" To Robert Keyes Jonas Harington Timothy Ruggles
Tille Lytteljohns Will™. Gibbs Timothy Mostmon
Abel Raye Jonas Keyes
Timoty Mostmon Jun. John Frost
Samuel Mostmon Abihal Bush
Elisha Wilder
Jonathan Powers
Edward Willson Timothy Billings
Benj" Willson
You are hereby ordered to procure a School master to the approbation of the Selectmen & to Improve to the use of Schooling what you are assessed in the School Rates & when you have so done you may have orders to draw the same out of the treasurry.
Princetown, January 13 ye 1766, the sum total of your School Rates 2-17-7-2.
Peter Goodenow Sadey Mason William Thomson Stephen Brigham -
Selectmen."
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History of Princeton
Of the seventeen persons above named, perhaps eight or ten only represented families embracing twenty children (the remainder being single men or non-residents) and the whole amount alloted to this district was the equivalent of less than $10.
Districts. At this date there were probably five dis- tricts or squadrons, the North, East, Centre, West and South, among which the whole appropriation was equitably divided to be "Seasonable schoold out by some Person suitably qualified."
But within three years, a radical change in the districts became necessary as a result of the continued increase in the number of the families, as well as of the children able to attend school, and a committee was appointed in district meeting to rearrange the bounds of the school districts.
The report of the committee, which was adopted, pro- viding for six "Squadrons " among which all the families were distributed, included :
1
Middle District
Moses Gill
Joseph Eveleth Jr.
Ephraim Woolson
George Parkhurst
William Foster
Jonathan Bullard (cornet)
Samuel Woods
Abner How
Amos Powers
Ebenezer Jones
Elisha Gale
Peter Goodnow
Paul Matthews
Jabez Stratton
Joel Rice
Isaac Stratton Joseph Haynes John Gleason
Joseph Norcross
Joseph Sargent
Timothy Fuller
James Mirick
Josiah Mirick
Isaac Jones
Caleb Mirick
Joseph Wooley
Meriam & Minots (pasture)
William Gibbs John Barker
Adonijah How
Job Brooks
John Jones (pasture)
Enoch Brooks
Thaddeus Bowman
Josiah Wetherbee
John Mirick
Samuel Hastings
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Education
Southerly District
1769
Ephraim Hartwell
Eager
Jacob Morse
Eliphalet How
Samuel Bailey
William Raymond
William Muzzy
Thomas Mason
Jonathan Smith
Matthew Farrow
Asa Harris
Benjamin Holden
George Smith (pasture)
Jonathan Smith
Joseph Gibbs
Charles Brooks
Aaron Brooks
Conant
Sadey Mason
Richard Cheever
Lieut. Robert Forbes (pasture)
Easterly District
1769
Silas Houghton
Charles Wyman
Joseph Abbot
Isaac Abbot
Warren Snow
Ichabod Standley
Oliver Dresser
Col. Elisha Jones
Allen
Joseph Phelps
Westerly District
Hartwell (Cornt)
Silas Plympton
William Thompson
William Skinner
Boaz Moore Seth Savage
Humphrey Moore
David Parker
Robert Rosier
Oliver Davis
Abraham Savage
Joseph Eveleth Morse
Nathan Smith
Robert Cowdin
Timothy Keyes
Uriah Newton John Jones
Northwesterly District
Isaac Thompson Stephen Brigham David Everett
Ebenezer Colburn
Aaron Perry Antipas How
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History of Princeton
Harwood
John Bartlett
Noah Norcross
Stephen Rolph
Philip Boyns
Daniel Sumner
Rev. Davis (pasture)
Isaac Norcross
Northeasterly District
Jonathan Powers
Benjamin Wilson
Tille Littlejohn
Timothy Mosman
Ephraim Osgood
Jonas Harrington
John Frost
Elisha Hobbs
James Robinson
Robert Keyes
Phineas Beaman
Elisha Wilder
Abijah Harrington
John Bowen
Phineas Gregory
Withern Edgel
Timothy Billings
William Mosman
Samuel Mosman
Stephen Harrington
Joel Houghton
Elisha Gregory
This list includes not only the residents, but all the owners of land at that date, each being required to pay his proportion of the school tax. Many of these proprietors never lived in town and very likely some never stepped foot within its borders. There were probably at this date not more than seventy-five or eighty families in the town.
A similar warrant of date Jan. 9, 1768 was issued to, -
Robert Cowdin
Joseph Eveleth
Boaz Moore
John Jones
Seth Savage
Soloman Parker
Oliver Davis
Ephraim Hartwell
Humphrey Moore
William Skinner
Charles Parmenter
William Thomson
Timothy Keyes
Robert Rozer
David Parker
Antony Clark
Abraham Savage
And another to, - Moses Baxter Charles Brooks
Paul Eager Robert Furbush
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Education
Jonathan Fisk
William Muzzy
Nathan Farrar
Sadey Mason
Joseph Gibbs
Thomas Mason
Widow Mary Graham
David Osgood
Eliphalet How
Belcher Richards
Benjamin Holden
Joseph ( )
Ezekiel How
George (Smith ?)
Ephraim Hubbard
Jonathan (Bullard ?)
There were probably two other districts at that period making five in all.
The Schools were at first accommodated as they best could be in private houses conveniently located for the children of each district. The center school of which Mr. Woods had the charge, was held in his own house,1 where Mr. Nahum Wilder lived many years, near the corner of the present depot road and Calamint hill road. But even after the erection of school houses, we find occasional reference to schools being taught in private dwellings, as for instance, Samuel Davis', Thomas Mason's, Elisha Allen's, Silas Keyes', and Thomas Ramer's.
1797 School House in B. Moore's district be moved to spot already established by town (leased ?).
1798 School House in North district cost £75 ($250. so stated) (see town action).
1796 Feb. 15, petition to move house in Westerly plot to centre of plot by B. Moore, O. Davis, U. Newton, Asa Rice, J. Savage, Simon Davis.
In January, 1771, a vote was passed in district meeting giving liberty to each squadron to build its own school house, but upon reflection, this did not appear to meet the necessities of the case or comport with the dignity of the town, and in March following, it was " Voted that a School House be Built in Each Squadron of ye Town at ye Town Cost, & that a School House be Built in ye Middle Squadron twenty feet Square, & that one Hundred Dollars be allow'd for ye Building the same sª Money to be raised in
1 Now standing.
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History of Princeton
ye Middle Squadron, & ye other Squadrons to be assessed by ye Same proportion, for ye Building ye other School Houses," &c.
Centre District. On account of disagreement as to the best method of building or of assessing the expense, the plans were somewhat changed and the work delayed so that the majority of the houses were not completed until 1774. That in the centre district erected near the meeting- house, cost £33-6-8 or about $110 in our present currency. This building was burned in 1788 or 1789 and a new one erected before 1792 by " private munificence " Mr. Russell suggests. The size of this latter house was about 36 by 36 feet with a porch of about 10 by 12 feet. Town meetings were held in this building until 1842.
A new school house for this district having been erected on another spot in 1810 or 1811, the old building was not needed for that purpose and in 1816, the town voted to call it the Town House. Whether from the proverbial abuse by the average scholars, the poor construction or the effect of the climate, the building did not last many years.
School Houses. In 1794, the construction of new houses for each District was contemplated but they were not built until 1797 or 1798, at which time quite a number were erected. In some cases, the necessary land was given to the town by some public spirited citizen. A rough sketch of the interior arrangement of one of these buildings pre- served among the town papers will be of interest. It represents the school house of the northerly district school which stood at the easterly side of the Westminster road a little beyond the farm occupied many years by Israel Everett and now known as the Miller place. Its cost was about $250.1
Stoves. 1798 Town voted to allow a stove for north district on certain conditions but in 1807 it refused to
1 In showing this plan to one of the old residents who in his boyhood days passed many hours in the school, he quickly pointed to one corner of the plat- form and with brightened eye and a smile recalled the fact that from a hole in that spot, he once saw a mouse run out; a trifle indeed, but it had fixed itself upon his memory for nearly seventy years (see plan opposite page 215).
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Education
buy for other districts. In 1823 stoves were ordered for all districts not provided, which shows that the stove had been gradually making itself felt.
The stoves were first a box stove and afterwards an open stove each placed in centre of room. An open stove was like a fireplace made of iron similar to the Franklin open stoves only much larger.
The committee of one district were given "Liberty to set up a Stove in the School House instead of a Chimney provided the expense to the town does not exceed the Cost of a Chimney in Mr. Parker's School House." We do not learn whether a stove was then purchased, but in 1820 there was one there of sufficient size to receive a four foot stick of wood.
As late as 1807, the town refused to purchase stoves for several of the school buildings but their utility gradually gained the day until 1823 when all the districts not pre- viously provided with them, were supplied.
In 1799, the districts were numbered, the northerly becoming number one, northeasterly two, easterly three, southerly four, southwesterly five, westerly six, and north- westerly seven.
Centre District Divided. Probably the greatest of site changes in the districts was that made in 1810 when the centre district was divided into two, and one house erected on the road from Dr. Wilson's to Rev. Mr. Murdock's near the Methodist meeting house (for many years occupied by Miss Sally Keyes) and the second near Mr. Mirick's on the " Hastings " road.
Necessarily, changes have been frequently made in the bounds of the districts. In 1838, there were ten districts with 223 houses in them, and in that year, several brick houses were erected, of these one or two only remain standing, one of these being in No. 2.
Care. The care of the schools and the engagement of teachers were entrusted for some years to one person selected by the inhabitants of each district, but this method was afterwards modified by having a " committee
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History of Princeton
man " appointed by the town for each district. The several districts were for many years described by the name of the committee or of some prominent man in them, thus the south was known as Holden's, the north as Keyes's, the west as Deacon Keyes's, the northwest as Brigham's and the east as Phelps's.
Instructions. In 1797, special instructions more closely defining the duties of the position were given to each of the committee that they might not go astray. The following is a copy.
" Mr. Pebody How, Sir, at a legal Meeting of the In- habitants of Princeton upon the 3d. day of April, 1797, You was appointed a Committee man to provide a School for the present year, to procure a School Master qualified as the Law directs for such term as the proportion of money will admit - and shall purchase upon such the best Terms you can a Sufficient supply of wood for the School, and shall cause the School house to be opened, seasonably giving Notice thereof to the district and at the opening of said School with the Selectmen & the revd Mr. Russell shall visit it and enquire into the regulations and Management thereof and before the same School shall be ended shall cause an open examination to take place under the Inspec- tion of said Selectmen & the Revd. Mr. Russell who are to be notified & requested by you to attend.
The proportion of Money the present year is £13-8-62.
Attest William Dodd Town Clerk."
Expenses. The original document bears the endorse- ment of Mr. How showing that Alexander Dwelly taught school for ten weeks at an expense of $27.50 for wages and $II.67 for board, leaving a balance of the appropriation of $5.58. The whole sum appointed by the town for schools that year was about $400. In 1804, no school master could be employed unless recommended by the selectmen of the town to which he belonged and approved by Rev. Mr. Murdock, thus practically making the minister the chair- man of the school committee.
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Education
These methods of superintending the schools were con- tinued until 1826 when a committee from the whole town was chosen in accordance with an Act of the Legis- lature.
Distinguishing Terms. There were changes in the meth- ods of teaching and the general character of the schools as the years went by. At the first, only the simpler forms of study received attention, but very soon higher grades of instruction were demanded, so that we find before 1785 a woman's school and a man's school provided for in each district, to the former one-fourth of the appropriation would be devoted and three-fourths to the latter, which came to be designated as a writing or reading school, or occasionally as " arithmetic school." This was before the day when it was thought competent for a woman to teach the higher courses of study. It appeared necessary and proper to have a man to manage the winter schools when all the big boys would be sure to attend and not infrequently make trouble. We find a record of complaint by one of the heads of families in the northerly district in 1794, because no reading and writing school had been provided, although a woman's school had been taught. The teachers and the committee of the old days did not escape the criticisms, suggestions and interference and the many perplexing questions that have in later days annoyed their successors. How familiar this example will be to many of the school teachers.
Mr. Dodds Sir. I do not mean to say what is best in your school, but I wish my boy taught the key and Punctua- tion before I purchase a third part for him and it may not be amiss for the rest of his Class to study the same, to prevent his being alone, so I remain
Yours Cyrus Cook. (1807)
Teachers. The files of the town papers disclose the names of a large proportion of the school teachers from
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History of Princeton
1780 to 1800. Many of these names are familiar as members of the families of the town, some occurring quite frequently while others appear only occasionally; but the Masons, the Everetts, the Miricks, the Brooks, the Davises and many others are well represented. The young girls just coming into womanhood and less frequently the boys emerging into manhood were installed in the responsible position of teaching as they have been in the later years of our history with the difference that the former never had the advantages of education beyond their own dis- trict schools. Here too, we see the names of wives and mothers, widows and elderly maidens and occasionally the autograph of some young man clearly indicates that he had served the town as teacher of a writing school.
And we find, too, the names of men prominent in later life in various spheres of usefulness. Here Robert B. Thomas exercised his executive ability and gave scope to his intellect as a teacher, long before he thought of issuing " The Old Farmer's Almanac," which years after made its way into every farmer's kitchen there to bewilder by its wonderful prognostications of the weather. And here, too, Leonard Woods afterwards the renowned Doctor of Divinity spent at least one vacation before his graduation at Harvard in teaching a district school, for the modest remuneration of about three dollars a week. Others well known appear on the list, but whether it was Polly Cowdin or Molly Rolph or Mistress Rand, the dignified young Doctor Eldredge or the divinity student John Rolph, these names stand out today with interest and pleasure.
To the teachers of the later days, all honor is due, but to the earlier ones, there attaches a peculiar interest.
Boarding of Teachers. Coupled with these names upon the records, there are suggestions of the houses where the teachers during the school terms were boarded. There is no evidence of the method in vogue in some towns of " boarding around " a week here and a week there, but the teacher was accommodated for the term generally by one
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Education
family, and the town paid the bill which was always presented in good time. At one time, the questionable plan was adopted of letting out the boarding of teachers and supplying of wood to the lowest bidder, a proceed- ing not always calculated to enhance the comfort of the teacher. One instance is related of a teacher being boarded for seventy-five cents a week which included his washing.
Rev. Timothy Fuller while teaching the centre school in 1789 or inspecting it as he designated it, was paid one shilling nine pence or thirty cents a day and his dinners which John Gleason was glad to furnish at the rate of six pence each.
English and Classical Schools. In 1828, John Brooks Esq., fitted up a building near the present Wachusett House for the use of the town for an English and Classical School. He also purchased a valuable philosophical ap- paratus and agreed to contribute for three years the sum of $300 annually for the salary of the instructor. This school was maintained for several years with gratifying prosperity.
Miscellaneous Facts and Figures
Number of Residents
Dec. 1769 Middle. 36
Southerly
20
Easterly IO
Westerly
18
No. Westerly
14
No. Easterly.
21
119 residents
1775 Squadrons and Appropriations
Centre .
8.16. 7.3
Holden
3.12.10.3
R. Keyes
3.18. 6
Dea. Keyes
4. I. 9
Brigham
2.12.10.I
Phelps
1.17. 4.I
1775 Tilly Littlejohn, E. Hobbs, and A. Harrington for building a School House in their Squadron 15.11.2.I.
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History of Princeton
Expenses
1777 Centre. 9.10.9
Lt. Chas. Brooks
3.18.1.2
Joseph Phelps
1.13.1.3
S. Brigham
2.10.9
Dea. T. Keyes
3.16.8.2
Abijah Harrington
3.10.6.2
25 (some error in these figures)
1785 School kept in S. Davis' house
1786
T. Mason's house
I786
E. Allen's house
1786
" Silas Keyes' house
1797
T. Ramer's house
1789 Dodd's (Northerly). North
Parker's.
East
Watson's (Middle) Centre
Baxter's.
West
Brigham's.
N. W.
Holden's
South
1790-I Rev. John Rolph a teacher.
1793 Leonard Woods kept school 52} weeks at 3.14 .... 5.1.3. Paid his father.
SCHOOLS
Districts
1798-9
1799
180I
I
John Watson.
2
Jonas Beaman.
St. Mirick.
A. Meriam.
3
E. Keyes & E. Raymore. Jonas Smith.
S. Dadman.
A. Whitney.
5
John Parker.
S. Stratton.
I. Keyes.
6
C. Kilburn.
Silas Fay.
D. Hoyt.
7
U. Newton.
Josiah Davis.
Seth Savage, Jr.
8
Abner Brigham.
Antipas How.
1797 A. Merriam of Middle & Saml. Richardson, Widow Allen of Mr. How's annexed to A. Harrington's district, and school house ordered to be built in A. H.'s district on land given by him. Westerly by road to Westminster, Northerly by Jonas Beaman.
James Brown and Jessie Brown from Ebenezer Parker's district to How's and a house to be built on land of Mr. Ramer, 15 rods S. E. of brook on road between Ramer's house and How's mill.
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