USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Whately > History of the town of Whately, Mass., including a narrative of leading events from the first planting of Hatfield, 1660-1871 : with family genealogies > Part 11
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Roads for general convenience were established carly. In 1776 a committee was appointed to view a road from Poplar hill road, beginning seven rods north of West Brook bridge, and running south-westerly to Dry Hill; and another committee to view a road running north-westerly from Poplar hill road, beginning at the north end of Noah Field's land, to Conway line. This last was laid out the next year. In 1779 the town voted, "That the road which leads from the Straits to Nathaniel Coleman's be an open road, with this restriction, that Benj. Scott, Jr. shall keep a good gate at Deerfield road ; another on
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Hopewell hill one month : another the whole of the year at the south side of his land in Hopewell." Mention is made Jan. 8, 1778, of a road laid across land of Abial Bragg and Oliver Graves. In 1779, a road was laid to Joseph Nash's, and the next year from JJoseph Nash's to Conway line. In 1780, the road east of Ebenezer Scott's land was discontinued. In 1783 a road was laid from Asa Sanderson's westerly to Williamsburg line. In 1785 a close road three rods wide was laid out from the River road, at a point eight rods north of Joshua Beldin's house to the Connecticut River, and near the same time Mr. B. opened a ferry across the river. A way was also laid out this year from Poplar hill road by the Elijah Sanderson place to Moses Munson's mill. A road was laid out the same year, from the road running west from John Smith's, northerly to Poplar hill road near Peter Train's house.
Of the roads laid in comparatively modern times, one from Chestnut Plain to the Island, between lands of Capt. Henry Stiles and Lt. John White, was established in 1810.
The highway from Dea. James Smith's mills down the valley by Capt. Seth Bardwell's, was laid out in 1824.
The road from the foot of Spruce hill, south-westerly to the Hiram Smith place, was laid out in 1834.
The road to South Deerfield from Gutter bridge, through Great Swamp was established in 1835 ; and the next year the way leading from the lane north, was re-located, and near the Swamp moved to the west.
The foregoing is an imperfect sketch of the highways of Whately. Some roads were established and opened, of which no record can be found ; in some cases the town ordered the sur- vey and location of a road, and afterwards reconsidered its action ; but in the mean time the road had been actually opened to travel. Thus the Records fail to furnish data for a complete history of our private and public highways.
These details may seem to be of trivial importance. But they were vital questions in their day. Individual and district pros- perity hinged on the establishment or refusal to locate a road ; on the adoption of this or that line ; and whether it was an open or a close way. And these details have in themselves a certain
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historie value. There is always a reason for locating a road. The reason may lie at the beginning or the end of the line: it may be a personal, or it may be a public reason ; the reason may be apparent, or it may be concealed. And a careful study of the subject never fails to educe some valuable facts, illustrative of sectional and general interests ; illustrative of wise forethought, or foolish afterthought. The name of a road is expressive, like the name of a town, or the baptismal name of a person. The direction of a road indicates the course of settlement, or the opening of a new industry, or outlet of a trade. And the gen- eral history of its highways, is the history, in outline, of the rise, and progress, and decay, of the industrial pursuits of a town.
CHAPTER X.
EDUCATION.
As the early action of this town on matters pertaining to edu- cation had reference only to the town's own interests, and was influenced by the varying circumstances of local growth and pros- perity, this chapter is necessarily made up largely of votes and incidents, often apparently trivial. But these incidents and votes are worth preserving ; because while they reveal the senti- ments and plans of each succeeding generation, and the conflict- ing interests of different sections, they also show that the public free school system is the one best adapted to our state of society, and best answers the demands of a growing people and a free government. Its flexibility is an advantage. Its voluntary character is an advantage. Its dependence on an annual vote of the citizens is an advantage. Even the suspension of the schools for a year, in case of great emergency, has its compensa- tions ; for then the father and mother are made to realize their personal responsibility for their children's welfare ; and are led to put forth efforts and make sacrifices which directly and indi- reetly promote true education, and which furnish an illustration of life's exigencies which benefits both parent and chill.
To know the world is as important as to know books. To acquire the habit of observing and thinking, and putting forth the energies to master difficulties, is as much a part of school duty as to recite lessons. The Puritan fathers had a broad and true conception of what education is; and among the earliest Aets passed, was one requiring the selectmen of towns to see to it that parents and masters train up their children " in learning, and labor, and other employments which may be profitable to the commonwealth." For the learning, and habits of industry,
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and knowledge of some profitable employment, here enjoined, not only fitted the child to become a useful member of the state, but at the same time fitted him for individual excellence and hap- piness. The proper aim of school instruction, as of all instruc- tion to children, is to fit them for efficient duty. There is need of knowledge, and need of culture ; need to learn the dangers of life, and how to shun them, as well as the best way to use its advantages. The child needs to get a true idea of his depen- dence on others for his happiness and influence, and to believe in and respect the rights of others, as well as to believe in his personal independence, and claim his own rights. He needs to have his wits sharpened early, if he is to be a successful competi- tor for position and power.
Our public schools, where all classes mingle, and where courses of study are adapted to the various capacities, and where restraint and liberty are wisely adjusted, and where parents and teachers co-operate -- as they do in every successful school-and home and school discipline supplement each other ;- our public schools, thus administered, furnish the best preparation for prac- tical life. Probably parochial, and patronage schools, and pri- vate tutors, would insure a higher standard of merely scientific attainment to particular classes in the community ; but the true education of the people is, beyond question, best promoted by our free school system.
The first year, the town made no provision for schools. The season was well advanced before the new order of things got fairly established, and there were no school houses. In 1772, at the annual meeting in March, it was voted, " to raise £13 68. 8d. for schooling ; and that the selectmen lay out the money in Chestnut Plain, Straits, and Poplar hill streets, said school money being proportioned to each street agreeably to what they respectively paid in the last year's rate." The schools in each street, for this and several succeeding years, were kept at private houses. A frame of a school-house was put up this year in Chestnut Plain street, directly south of the meeting-house, but it was not finished. Probably it remained unfit for use for sev- eral years, as in 1774, the question came before the town to see if any conveniences should be made in the meeting-house for schooling. The town voted in the negative-very wisely it
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would appear, as the meeting-house was quite as unfinished as the school-house. The sum of $13 Gs. 8d. appears to have been raised for schooling during each of the next three years, and the money was divided and expended as in 1772. In 1775 a school committee was chosen, viz. : Benjamin Smith, Joseph Scott, Joseph Belling, Jr., Thomas Crafts, Elisha Belding, Perez Bardwell, John Smith, Peter Train, Deacon Nathan Graves.
The pressure of the War now became severe ; and for several years no public money was raised for schooling, and it is not probable that any schools were maintained.
AN ENGLISH SCHOOL. - At a meeting, Dec. 1, 1777, the town " Voted, to accept the piece of land given by Reuben Bel- dling, deceased, for the use of schools in the town of Whately, upon conditions named in his will." In explanation of this vote, an extract from the will of Reuben Belding, of Hatfield, who died 1776, is here given.
" Furthermore, I give and beqneath to the inhabitants of the town of Whately, in the County of Hampshire, for the sole use and benefit of an English School to be kept there, as hereafter mentioned, the estate, here- after described, (the same to remain unalienable by the said town, ) viz. : that farm, or tract of land in said Whately, with the dwelling-house stand- ing thereon, in which Niles Coleman now lives, lying on the Island, so called, between the lands of Henry Stiles and Elisha Belding, and bounded west upon the Mill River, and extending thenes east two hundred rods, and carrying the width of seventeen rods the length aforesaid : And I hereby appoint and impower the selectmen of the said town of Whately for the time being forever hereafter to take the care and direction of the improve- ment of the said farm, and the issues and profits of the same, and the buildings thereon and appurtenances thereof to employ for the benefit of the said school. And this gift and bequest I make upon the following con- ditions and no otherwise, viz. : That the said school be kept in that street in the said town called the Chestnut Plain street, near where the present meeting-house stands, and that the same be set up within two years from the time of my deecase, and be not suffered at any time thereafter to cease or fail to be kept up and maintained for the term of six months in any future year : And in case such school as aforesaid shall not be set up at or near the said place in the said street, and within the time above limited, and be kept and maintained in manner as aforesaid, then it is my will that the said estate shall be and remain to my kinsmeu hereafter named and their heirs."
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The tract of land above specified was Lot No. 21, in the second division of Commons. It appears that the town failed to take the necessary steps to carry out the provisions of the will ; and consequently the bequest was forfeited .*
In 1780, the town voted to build three school-houses ; and the next year voted to put off building the same. But about this time a school-house sixteen feet square was built in the Straits, on the corner south-westerly from the Zebina Bartlett place ; another was built on Poplar Hill road, by private individuals ; and there is some evidence that one was built on Spruce Hill, which was used for a time by the dwellers on Chestnut Plain street.
In 1782, Mary White, Jr., taught a school in Chestnut Plain street, but whether in a school house or private house, the record does not say. In 1784 the town raised £18, to be divided into three equal parts, £6 for each street, and Noah Bardwell, Josiah Allis and Thomas Sanderson were appointed a committee to lay it out. Zilpah Stiles was employed to teach in the Centre, nine- teen weeks. In 1785, £18 was granted, to be divided as in '84, and a school-master was employed for ten weeks, beginning June 11. The reasons for a summer term probably were, that the first school-houses had no fire places ; and it was inconven- ient for families to let their rooms during the cold season ; and the cost of fuel would subtract too much from the scant funds at the disposal of parents and committees. Mr. Backus was school-master in 1787. Miss Stiles was again employed in '89. She appears to have been a very useful person in the new town,
* The will of Renben Belding was dated November 27, 1775; probated September 3, 1776. Mention is made of his sisters, Eunice, wife of James Porter of Hatfield ; Dorothy, wife of Elisha Billing of Hardwick ; Submit, wife of David Scott of Whately ; Martha, wife of Warham Smith of Hadley. He also names his late wife's sisters, Mary, wife of Samuel May, Hannah, wife of Joseph Flowers, Susannah Pierce, all of Wethersfield ; niece, Mary, wife of Jona. Pierce of Hartford ; cousins, Samuel Belding and Silas Por- ter of llatfield. Ilis inventory amounted to £2,486 Is. Gd. He owned grist and saw mills on West Brook-the Isaac Frary privilege-before 1770, afterwards owned by his cousin Samuel Belding. Ile owned real estate in Hatfield, Whately, Hatfield Equivalent, and Ashfield. IIe bequeathed to the inhabitants of New Township No. 7, (Hawley, ) in the county of Hampshire, lot No. 115 in that township for the sole use and benefit of an English School to be kept there, etc.
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teaching school as occasion required, and at other times doing the tailoring and dress-making of the families, till her marriage with Peter Clark.
In 1789, the town voted "to appropriate the money raised for schooling to pay arrearages in Mr. Wells's salary."
December 6, 1790, the town voted to provide five school- houses for the use of the town ; that the house now built in the East district, which is sixteen feet square, be sufficient for that part of the town ; that the Chestnut Plain school-honse be 20X 16 feet ; that the Spruce Hill district school-house be 20X16 fect ; that the Poplar Hill school-house be 15×18 feet, and that the town will give the proprietors of the house now in that street, the sum of €11 10s ; that the Grass Hill school-house be 14×18 feet. The Straits school-house stood, as already described. The one in the Centre was directly south of the meeting-house. The one on Spruce Hill was about forty rods south of Levi Morton's, now the Rufus Dickinson place. The house for the Poplar Hill district was built on land of Lt. Noah Bardwell, about ten rods south of the West burying ground, on the west side of the road. (The old step-stone may now be seen, on the spot.) In . the same year £30 was appropriated for schooling, the money to be proportioned on the children in each district from eight to twenty- one years of age. The rule of apportioning the school money varied : in some years it was divided equally to each district ; sometimes, one-half on the scholar and one-half to a district. In 1827 the town voted to number the children on the first of May, from seven to twenty, and divide the money on the scholar.
After a school-house was built on Spruce Hill, Judith White sometimes kept there, and sometimes in the Centre. Other early teachers were Rebecca Baker, Electa Allis, Thomas Clark, Mr. Osgood, John Parmenter, Benj. Mather, Thomas Sanderson, Jun.
In 1785, Simeon Morton, Lieut. Noah Bardwell, Capt. Phin. Frary, John White, Joel Wait, 2d, were chosen school com- mittee. In 1798, the town voted to reduce the number of school districts from five to four.
1799. Voted £50 to build a school-house in Chestnut Plain street, 30×24 feet. And as this was the first large and finished school-house in town, and was evidently looked upon as a model
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house of the day, it may be well to give the specifications :- Contracted with Benjamin Scott, for £42 17s, to build the new school-house, to be rough-boarded and clap-boarded, and shingled, and a chimney built, and a hearth laid, the house to be glazed and window shutters on the outside, and the outside door hung. As is often the case when men begin to be extravagant, the money first appropriated proved insufficient to fully carry out the idea, and later in the year a committee consisting of John White, William Mather and Solo. Adkins, was appointed, who sold the finishing of the house to Luther White, the lowest bidder, for $67. This house stood on the east side of the street, a little way south of the meeting-house. And now another per- plexity arose. The people living on the outskirts had consented to be taxed heavily for the large and comfortable Centre school- house, with a fire-place ; and now, as they thought, it would be no more than just that they should be allowed to use it as a " noon room" on the Sabbath, where they could warm them- selves and chat away the intermission. But the town voted Nay. Nor was this all. The dwellers on Spruce Hill became jealous, and in 1801 a vote was carried in town meeting " to move the school-house on Spruce Hill to the guide-board near Nathan Wait's, and add four feet to the length, and put it in as good repair as the school-house near the meeting-house."
Previous to this last vote, however, and about the time when the new centre school-house was completed, having got three school-houses more comfortable than the rest, a vote was passed "to divide the town into three school districts, the lines to be, Mill River, between the East and Centre districts, and a line running north and south between Elijah Allis's and Daniel Al- lis's, and between Maj. Phin. Frary's and Reuben Graves's, - giving Joseph Crafts, Daniel Allis, and Reuben Graves liberty to choose which district they shall belong to." This vote was not at once carried into full-even if it was into partial, effect. In 1801, the town voted to build a school-house in the north- west district, 26×22 feet, and finish it in imitation of the one in the Centre district, "only twenty lights in a window." The next year, the town voted to buy the old school-house near Josiah Brown's for a work-house.
No new movements in relation to schools or school-houses
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appear on the records for the next ten years. In 1811 the school- house in the Straits was replaced, on the old spot, by a new one 18×24 feet, at a cost of one hundred dollars. This house had two fire places, one at each end of the room. The same year, the middle district was divided, and two new school-houses built, each 20×21 feet ; one where the north centre house now stands, the other near Stiles's corner. And in 1813 school- houses were built in the south-west and north-west districts.
As early as 1824 the families living in Canterbury moved to secure a new school-house for their accommodation ; but the town negatived the plan. And in 1827, the families living south of Sugar Loaf united and built by subscription a house just on . the north line of J. C. Sanderson's land, (near where the witch left his print in the ground when he jumped from Sugar Loaf.) The next year the town voted to allow the Canterbury families their portion of the school money, and also to move the Straits school-house to the corner of the proprietor's highway. In 1829, the town voted that the inhabitants of the east district have liberty to build a house for a select school on the land owned by the town where the old school-house formerly stood.
A special effort on behalf of the schools appears to have been made this year, the result of which was the adoption by the town in 1830 of the following rules : -
Resolved, 1. That the boys have the privilege of attending the schools in the summer, till they are ten years old, and the winter school when they are seven years old.
Resolved, 2. That the girls have the privilege of attending the summer schools till they are thirteen years old, and the win- ter schools when they are ten years old.
Resolved, 3. That the south-west district and the east district shall be permitted to send scholars to the several schools at an advanced ratio of age, provided that the prudential committee of the district and the superintending committee shall judge that the increase of scholars will not injure the school.
Resolved, 4. That one-third of the money which each district shall draw from the town, be apportioned for the benefit of the small scholars, and the remainder for the large scholars in winter.
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Voted, That the school money be divided, the one-half on the district, and the other half on the scholar, the ensuing year.
In 1832, it was voted to divide the town into three districts for the benefit of large scholars, to be called the East Section, the Middle Section, and the West Section. And the minor arrangements under this division appear to have been left to the discretion of the school committee. In 1833, the East district was divided, and a school-house built south of the Elijah Allis place. The six districts, into which the town was then divided, remain substantially unchanged to the present day.
SELECT OR HIGH SCHOOL .- The question was several times agitated of erecting a building near the meeting-house, for a school of higher grade. In 1829 the people of the east part made a move to get such a building there ; and the town so far favored the plan as to give them leave to erect a school-house on the town's land, at Bartlett's corner. In 1831, the matter of building a Town house came up, and the town voted to raise one hundred and fifty dollars, to be given by the town, together with the town land lying near Justin Morton's barn, to the pro- prietors of a school-house,-provided they have a hall in said building sufficiently large to do all the town business in. The scheme did not succeed.
In the winter of 1838, several citizens associated, and raised the requisite funds ; and the next season built a Select School House on West Lane. A school was kept here in the fall and winter of 1839-40, by Addison Ballard, of Framingham, then a member of Williams College. This school was maintained for a single term, annually, with a good deal of interest, for a num- ber of years. The building was sold and converted into a dwel- ling house, about 1854.
In 1871 the Town Hall was raised up sufficiently for a second story, and enlarged by the addition of twelve feet to the length. The lower story is divided, and finished, for the uses of a Select School, a Town Library, and Town offices.
CHAPTER XI.
WILATELY IN THE WARS .- THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, 1754-1763: THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION, 1775-1783 : THE SHAYS' REBELLION, 1786-7: THE WAR OF 1812-14: THIE REBELLION OF 1861-65.
ALTHOUGH the war of 1754 antedates the incorporation of the town, yet as permanent settlements had been made, and these families are identified with its social and civil life, and their indi- vidual acts illustrate its public history, there is an evident pro- priety that the War Records of the time should be included in the annals of Whately. These earlier struggles against the encroachments of the French, were a preparation for the later struggle for Colonial Independence. The private soldier received a training which fitted him for the post of command. And thus the discipline of the camp, and the smell of gunpowder were not new experiences to the Minute Men of '75.
As will be seen, several of the men whose record is given, were at the time of their enlistment, inhabitants of other and distant towns ; some saw the lands on which they afterwards settled for the first time, when marching to and from the scene of warfare northward and westward ; and some were then, and con- tinued to be citizens of Deerfield, till the south part of that town, on which they were located, was annexed to Whately in 1810.
The ages of these soldiers varied greatly ; and in some cases father and son were members of the same company. Ebenezer Bardwell, Sen., was fifty ; Gaius Crafts was thirty ; Joseph Sanderson, Jr., was eighteen. Some were out in a single cam- paign ; others took part in nearly every expedition during the seven years of active warfare.
Although the list may be incomplete, yet even this brief record will help do justice to the memory of many brave men,
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who gave the flower of their youth to their country ; and some of whom, through the neglect or inability of the Government, failed to receive a proper return for their sacrifices of time, and money, and health.
The scope of this work does not include a history of the causes and progress of these wars ; it does not even include an extended account of any single campaign. Indeed, so far as the French war is concerned, our account will be confined to a bare record of the names of those who were at the time, or afterwards became inhabitants of Whately ; and a list of the expeditions in which each soldier served.
Abraham Parker. In Capt. Israel Williams's Company, August, 1754 to March, 1755.
llenry Stiles. In Capt. Ephraim Williams's Company at Fort Massachu- setts, Sept. 23, 1754. In Capt. Israel Williams's Company, Dec. 11, 1755 to March 10, 1756. In Capt. John Burke's Company, expedition to Crown Point, March 29 to Dec. 30, 1756. Sergeant in Capt. Isaac Wyman's Company, Dec. 25, 1756 to Jan. 26, 1757. Sergeant in Capt. John Burke's Company, expedition to Fort William Henry, Feb. 12 to Nov. 4, 1757.
Richard Carey. In Capt. Elijah Williams's Company, 1755. In Capt. John Burke's Company, March 2 to April 1, 1757.
Philip Smith. In Capt. Elijah Williams's Company, 1755. In Capt. William Lyman's Company, Sept. 10 to Dec. 30, 1756.
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