USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Winchendon > History of the town of Winchendon (Worcester County, Mass.) from the grant of Ipswich Canada, in 1735, to the present time > Part 21
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At a meeting on the 7th of May, it was voted that a committee be appointed " to consider the subject of abolishing the school districts, or of re-districting the town, and report at an adjourned meeting." Many were by this time convinced that not more than nine districts were need- ed, and that all above that number, involved a needless waste of money. It was voted that the committee consist of the school committee, viz : .1. P. Marvin, E. S. Merrill, and George A. Litchfield, and one from each district, to be nominated by the chair. The following were cho- sen : Charles J. Rice, Luke Hale, H. O. Clark, N. D. White, Reuben Bemis, Paul Raymond, Jr., C. C. Alger, William L. Woodcock, Levi N. Parks and William Sibley.
This committee reported in favor of abolishing the districts, to a meet- ing held on the 11th of June. The number present was not large, and those who came together, were generally opposed to any change. The committee recommended that the town should buy the school-houses, and should divide the town, for the present, into nine sections, in which schools should be maintained. The plan was advocated by Rev. .. P. Marvin, and opposed by Messrs. Reuben Harris and Grover S. Whitney. The vote was nearly a unit in the negative. But the sub- ject was now fairly before the public. In the course of the ensuing winter, Mr. Northrop, the agent of the Board of Education, addressed the citizens on the general subject of education, on which occasion he spoke of the benefits which would flow from the abandonment of the districts, and from the town's resuming its ancient entire control of the schools.
At the annual meeting, March 4, 1867, the proposal was again brought forward. Mr. Orlando Mason moved that " we do abolish the school districts." The discussion was opened by the chairman of the school committee, and on the next day was continued by several speak- ers ; after which the motion was carried by the following vote : ycas, 77 ; nays, 29.
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HISTORY OF WINCHENDON.
This having been done, the school committee was enlarged to the number of twelve. Messrs. Marvin and Merrill held over ; Mr. Litch- field was re-elected; and the following gentlemen were added, viz : Messrs. Giles H. Whitney, Charles J. Rice, Nelson D. White, Will- iam Woodcock, Windsor N. White, George Gregory, Charles A. Loud. Ira Russell, M. D., and Rev. Charles Wheeler. The committee were then instructed to employ three persons from out of town, to appraise the property of the old school districts. They were further " to meet a committee of three from each of the school districts, to see what al- terations, repairs, or new houses, or changes of location, may be needed, if any, and the probable cost of the same, and report to an adjourned meeting." It was next voted, " that the Selectmen be requested to take possession of the school-houses and other property of the school districts, forthwith." The division of the school money was left to the school committee.
The town, on the first of April, voted to accept the report of the appraisers selected by the school committee to appraise the several school-houses in the town, which was as follows :
" We the undersigned, Appraisers, appointed under the direction of the town of Winchendon, to appraise the value of the school-houses, land, apparatus and other property owned and used for school purposes, do appraise the value of the school-houses, &c., in said districts.
No. 1.
1 2,
" 3,
4.
8, 9, 300. 4750. 10, 475. 000 .* 200. $80. 800. No. 7, 380. 175.
“: 5,
66 11,
200.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
GILMAN DAY, OHIO WHITNEY, JR., JOUN KING.
Winchendon.
SECTION 8 .- NEW SCHOOL HOUSE.
The same meeting, March 6, 1865, which raised the committee on districts, chose another committee, of five persons, to consider the pro- priety of erecting a new school-house, for the use of the town, to be lo-
* The house in this district is the property of the Nelson Manufacturing Co.
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HISTORY OF WINCHENDON.
cated in the Village. This matter was held in abeyance until the dist- ricts were abolished, except so far as obtaining a lot of land was con- cerned. In relation to this matter, the committee made a report on the 11th of June, 1866, as follows : in " regard to the expense of prepar- ing the E. Murdock, Jr. lot."
" Necessary ditches, 200 rods, $500
Taking out stones and roots, ploughing, leveling, and filling ditches, 1100 Manure, 200
Dig. cellar and wharfing, . 500
Underpinning, 200
Making road by C. W. Newman's,
200
Total, S2700
SETHI TUCKER.
WILLIAM BROWN, J. H. FAIRBANKS, BETHUEL ELLIS."
At a meeting, on the 2d of July, 1866, the following gentlemen were appointed a committee, viz : Bethuel Ellis, William L. Woodcock, Will- iam Beaman, Orlando Mason, and George B. Raymond, to examine the Academy, fence and yard, and into the conditions on which the town came into possession of the same. Also, whether it is best to repair the Academy, or erect a new one, or build on any other site." On the 7th of July this committee made a report. In relation to the conditions of the gift of the Academy, they reported as follows :
" The town came in possession of the property in the following manner. In the last will and testament of the late Ephraim Murdock, Esq., is the fol- lowing item : 'I hereby order that the Academy building in said Winchendon, and the ground enclosed around said building, be used and occupied for a school, free of rent, so long as the town, or Trustees of said Academy, shall cause a good school to be kept therein, and the building, and fence around the enclosure, to be kept in good repair ; and upon the failure of the town of Win- chendon, or the Trustees of said Academy, to perform these conditions, then said Academy building and land to revert to my heirs. This clause to be con- strued reasonably ; a continued neglect in the particulars only to work a for- fciture.' "
The committee considered the house entirely inadequate for a High School, but did not agree on any special recommendation. Messrs. O.
New School House.
223
HISTORY OF WINCHENDON.
Mason, B. D. Whitney and G. B. Raymond were chosen a committee to examine and get up a plan for a High School building. On motion of Rev. George A. Litchfield, it was voted "that the town purchase three and three-quarters acres of land recently offered by E. Murdock, Jr., for $1000, for High School purposes." The meeting was then adjourned to August 4, at which time there were not persons enough present to warrant the clerk in calling the meeting to order, he, in the words of the Records, " considering the meeting dead for want of friends." At the annual meeting, March 5, 1867, the committee chosen by the town at a meeting held on the 15th day of November, 1866, to confer with. E. Murdock, Jr., in regard to giving a title to the property referred to by the vote of the town, July 20, 1866, reported in these words :
" They have had a conference with Capt. Murdock, as contemplated by vote of the town, and obtained from him the following proposition, to wit: 'that the town shall have a warranty deed of the land referred to by vote of the town, July 20, 1866, for school purposes, or for a public Common, and for no other, together with 1000 loads of gravel for filling up the same, for $1000; and when suitable High School buildings, or any other public school buildings are erected on the land ; or failing to erect such buildings, shall fit up such lands as a public Common, then all restrictions as to future use of the prop- erty, and all forfeiture on account of other use of the same shall be null and void.' ""
O. MASON, B. ELLIS, S. TUCKER.
Then, on motion of E. Butler, it was voted that the " Selectmen be authorized to take a deed of the land, and pay for the same." .It an adjourned meeting, April 15, it was voted to build the school-houses needed in the former districts No. 1 and 9, of brick, and finally the question of a new school-house in the Village was settled by authori- zing the building committee, viz : Nelson D. White, J. B. Sawyer, Charles A. Loud, John M. Forristall and Sidney Fairbank, to erect a building for school purposes, on the land purchased of E. Murdock, Jr., according to the plan which was presented. The same committee was authorized to erect a new school-house in Waterville, and another at the Centre.
SECTION 10 .- PROGRESS.
Such is a succinct account of the measures taken by the town for the
224
HISTORY OF WINCHENDON.
education of the children and youth within her borders, since the be- ginning of the century. It is an honorable record, showing that a deep interest has been felt, from year to year, throughout the whole period, in regard to the most important matter which can be acted upon by a town, in its municipal capacity. The advance in appropriations of money has more than kept pace with the growing number of scholars, and the increasing wealth of the town. The sum granted in the year 1800, was $266.66 ; in 1868, 83,800.00.
Has there been corresponding improvement in the schools ? In re- gard to all the material means and apparatus of education, there has been great advancement. The school-houses, poor as some of them are now, are vastly superior to those where the fathers and mothers of the town learned the rudiments of education. In place of the ancient benches extending round the room, so high that the feet of the younger scholars could not reach the floor, our children have convenient desks and seats, or chairs, graduated to their size. There has been an en- tire change, and a great improvement in school-books, maps and black- boards. These improvements the most unyielding sticklers for old times cannot deny.
But the question returns, are the schools better than they were ? Do our children receive a better education than did their predeces- sors ? The answer must be in the affirmative. The children attend school more weeks each year ; they attend to more branches of study; and they are more proficient, generally, in those to which they give their attention. Sixty or seventy years ago, besides reading, spelling and writing, arithmetic was the great study. By degrees, some few took up the study of geography, with the aid of Morse. At last, some more enterprising than the majority, ventured upon the intricacies of English grammar, under the lead of Alexander, and afterwards of Lindley Murray. But a few weeks devoted to these studies in the win- ter, could not enable the scholars to make much progress. "The first winter of this century," says Dr. Whiton, " that of 1800-1, an excel- lent school was taught at the Centre, by a son of Rev. Dr. Payson, of Rindge, EDWARD PAYSON, then a member of Cambridge College ; af- terwards the distinguished Rev. Dr. Payson, of Portland, a name known and honored on both sides the Atlantic. I think his school gave a new impulse to educational interests, and the next twenty years were years
225
HISTORY OF WINCHENDON.
of advance." The next impulse was probably given in 1816, when the committee whose report has been copied at length in preceding pa- ges, entered on their labors. There was a rising interest in the im- provement of our schools years before the late Hon. Horace Mann was chosen Secretary of the Board of Education. Such men as the Hon. John G. Carter, of Lancaster, and his compeers, did much to awaken attention to the defects in our system of education, and thus the way was prepared for the mighty work accomplished by Mr. Mann and his successors. The schools of Winchendon participated in the general advancement.
The writer can speak from personal knowledge in regard to the schools in this town since the beginning of 1844. At that time the schools were good. They were under the care of excellent teachers. There were differences, of course ; some teachers were superior to oth- ers ; but generally they were worthy of their high vocation. Many of these are still held in grateful remembrance by their pupils, and in high esteem by the committee who visited their schools. The advance- ment since that time is due in part to some improvement in books and apparatus, as well as in the seats of the scholars in a majority of the school houses ; but the chief advancement is due to these four causes. First, the Normal Schools have increased the efficiency of teachers, not only those who have attended, but others ; secondly, more time is improved in attending school each year ; thirdly, several of our schools are graded, and thus made doubly valuable ; and lastly, the High School has been a great incentive to study and good behavior. The hope of being admit- ted there has been a stimulus felt in every district, and by hundreds of our youth. Thus all the schools have been improved, while the High School itself has been the means of giving many an excellent education, and preparing others for higher institutions of learning. The standard of education is higher than ever before ; and doubtless the schools in this town will partake of all improvements enjoyed by other places, in the generations to come.
NAMES OF HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS.
The names of the Principals and Assistants who have had charge of the High School since its opening in the year 1853, are here given, in the order of their service.
15
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HISTORY OF WINCHENDON.
PRINCIPALS.
ASSISTANTS.
1854, Mr. A. E. Upton.
1854, Miss Ellen R. Murdock.
1855, Mr. Wm. W. Godding,
Mr. J. J. Milson.
1855, Miss Ellen R. Murdock.
1856, Mr. D. C. Chamberlain,
Miss Lucy A. Rice,
Mr. Wm. W. Godding.
Mr. S. Hardy,
1857,
Mr. D. C. Chamberlain.
1858-65, Mr. D. C. Chamberlain.
1865-6, Mr. Frank Brackett.
1866, Mr. A. S. Howe.
1867,
Mr. J. F. Fielden.
Rev. Milan H. Hitchcock.
1867-8, Mr. John K. Browne.
1867-8, Miss Caroline E. Marvin.
SCHOOL BOOKS.
It may be a matter of interest to those who come after us, to know what books were used in the schools of this town, by the children of this generation. For their information, a list is here given.
ENGLISH BRANCHES .- The Bible; Webster's Dictionary ; Spelling, -Sargent's Pronouncing Speller ; Series of Readers,-Willson; Geog- raphy,-Guyot's for the High School, and Warren's for the other schools ; Arithmetic,-Greenleaf's Series; Grammar,-Wells ; His- tory,-Goodrich ; Physiology,-Cutter ; Natural Philosophy,-Loo- mis' Olmstead ; Mental Philosophy,-Watts and Abercrombie; Compo- sition,-Quackenboss; Physical Geography,-Fitch and Colton; Writ- ing Books,-Payson and Dunton ; Algebra,-Greenleaf ; Geometry, -Davies' Legendre ; Chemistry ; Surveying; Book-keeping; Drawing.
LATIN .- Grammar,-Andrews and Stoddard ; Lexicon,-Andrews; Lessons,-Andrews; Latin Reader,-Andrews; Cornelius Nepos; Vir- gil ; Cicero; Cæsar; Sallust.
GREEK .- Grammar,-Crosby ; Lexicon,-Donnegan ; Lessons,- Crosby ; Greek Reader ; Greek Testament ; Anabasis ; Iliad.
FRENCH .- Fasquelle's Course.
In conclusion, the reader who may desire a more full statement of the condition and progress of our schools, during the last twelve or fifteen years, can consult the printed Reports of the School Committee, depos- ited in the office of the town clerk, and prior to this date, the Reports as copied into the Records.
1856, Miss Mary E. Whitney,
Miss Ellen R. Murdock.
1864, Miss Anstriss Weston,
Miss Emily R. Pitkin.
1865, Miss Maria D. Newton.
1865-6, Miss Ursula E. Clark.
1866, Mrs. A. S. Howe.
1867, Miss M. D. Newton.
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HISTORY OF WINCHENDON.
CHAPTER XV .- ROADS AND BRIDGES.
" And round and round, over valley and kill, Old roads winding as old roads will, Here to a ferry and there to a mill."
WHITTIER.
SECTION 1 .- THE ROADS BOUNDED AND STRAIGHTENED.
In continuing the history of Roads and Bridges in the town, it is not designed to give a minute account of every slight change and improve- ment, but such a general statement of facts as will enable the reader to learn the progress of the town in respect to local and through travel. Roads mark the progress of a people, and contribute greatly to their wealth and civilization ; and when good roads are completed, they are a rich legacy to succeeding generations.
Up to this time, the people had been opening bridle-paths and cart- roads from their own homes to their neighbors, and changing the loca- tion of them from time to time, as convenience required. The same process was pursued in the first year or two of this century. Thus a road was accepted for Charles Chase, April 6, 1801, extending from where Mr. Stephen Weston lives, northerly towards the State line. On the 4th of May it was voted to alter Robert Bradish's road, and also Lieut. Isaac Noyes' road. The time had now come for the adoption of some system of roads, and accordingly a committee was appointed " to ascertain the bounds of the roads in the town ; also to straighten said roads." The gentlemen chosen were Dea. Moses Hale, Lieut. Paul Raymond, and Capt. Thomas Graton. These men were well qual- ified for the work. Dea. Hale was a surveyor ; Lieut. Raymond had a talent for road and bridge making, and Capt. Graton had experience in the same fine.
On the 5th of January, 1802, the town accepted the road from Ste- phen Weston's to Joseph Robbins', thus opening a means of communi- cation from Robbinsville to Tallow Hill. At the same time, the town heard the Report of the committee chosen to ascertain the bounds of
228
HISTORY OF WINCHENDON.
the roads, and straighten them. Each road in the report was read and put to vote separately, and after the reading of them, their report was accepted by said town, excepting the last mentioned road, namely, the road from Col. Woodbury's to the county road leading from Esq. Cros- by's to Gardner. The substance of the report is given below ; partly in the language of the committee. By following this report carefully, the roads as they were in 1802 may be found on the map. The names of present inhabitants is sometimes substituted for those mentioned by the committee.
REPORT.
" The committee chosen by the town of Winchendon, to straighten and re- new the bounds of the roads in said town, have attended that service, and make the following report, which is submitted to the town for their consideration.
WINCHENDON, January 2, 1802.
1. A road from Ashburnham to Royalston, 7 13-32 miles from the Ash- burnham line near Isaac Stimson's house-by the Estey school-house, and the Common, and so on to Royalston.
2. A road from Templeton road near Eliphalet Goodridge, to the county road by Robert Bradish, 402 rods, or 1 mile and 82 rods.
3. A road from the southwest school-house, by Mr. C. C. Alger's, Capt. Alger's and M. M. Reed's to Templeton road, 960 rods, or 3 miles and 37 rods.
4. A road from a spot north of Jonathan Evans' house, by Isaac Grout's to the road near Timothy Hancock's. That is, from the Tyler Raymond place south to the new county road, 1 1-2 miles and 38 rods.
5. A road from the last mentioned road, beginning 3 rods south of Isaac Grout's, going by Lt. Benjamin Rice's, westerly to the road by C. C. Alger's, 222 rods, or 1-2 mile and 62 rods.
6. A road from the notch of the road south of the bridge on Mr. Whit- ney's mill pond to the south side of the Common, 457 rods, or 1 1-4 miles and 57 rods .*
* This must have been the distance by the original road from the mill to the south end of the Common. By three several surveys, in more recent times, the distance from the bridge to the meeting-house built in 1792, is just about a mile. This would make the distance from the mill to the south end of the Com- mon. about one mile and twenty rods. Whitney, in making up his map, followed the old survey, and gives the distance as one mile and one hundred and thir- ty-seven rods, nearly, as may be seen by applying his scale to his map, yet the present road had been in use at least thirty years before his map was pub- lished.
How can we account for the distance as given in the old surveys ? In this way. There are traces of old roads around and over the central hill, which
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HISTORY OF WINCHENDON.
7. A road from Major Sylvester's house by Dea. Samuel Prentice's to Daniel Farrar's, on the Royalston road, 1 7-8 miles and 32 rods.
8. A road from the above road, starting at Waterville, by Mr. Page's, to the bridge over Miller's river, 16 rods, and thence by Ezra Hyde's and Mr. Winch's to the Fitzwilliam road ; that is, the old road from Waterville to Win- chendon Village, 307 rods.
9. A road from Rindge line by Benjamin May's, now Daniel May's, to the Fitzwilliam road, not far from where Mr. Belknap now lives, 266 rods, or 6 furlongs, and 26 rods.
10. A road from the Templeton road a few rods north of Abel Wilder's barn, or a little west of the poor-house, by the Tuttle and Bigelow farms, to the county road from Winchendon to Gardner, 582 rods, or 1 3-4 miles and 22 rods.
11. A road from the before-mentioned road, going by Mr. Vose's, Nathan Knight's, and Thomas Greenwood's to the corner where Capt. Levi Greenwood formerly lived, 582 rods, or 1 3-4 miles and 22 rods.
meet the case, and which verify the remark made by the aged Mrs. Daniel Boynton before her death, that when she came to town, she " went to meet- ing over the top of the hill." About half way from the old Nichols tavern to the brow of the hill, at the north-east. corner of the cleared field north of the summit, the author has discovered the traces of an old road. It crosses the ditch on the west side of the present road. Passing from this point, across the field, in a southwesterly direction, to the bars in the middle of the west- ern boundary, the curious will find clear traces of an old traveled way, going past the clump of trees, on the east side, skirting the west side of the hill. and coming out just west of the yard of Mr. Josiah Dunn. Going back almost to the clump of trees, and facing the south, a branch road will be found tend- ing to the south-west, till it is lost in a field that is under cultivation. This last was probably a private road. Going back again near the clump of trees. aud faint traces will be found of a road reaching up the hill-side, just cast of the great boulder, and so on south by cast to a point about south-west from the new saloon on the summit; theuce extending cast over the hill to the blacksmith shop of Dea. John Cutter. By this road, or by that which reaches the Royalston road just west of Mr. Dunn's, the distance of the original sur- vey would be met. Again, starting from Dea. Cutter's shop, ascending the hill west a few rods, and very distinct traces of an old road will be seen run- uing in a northerly direction, in a direct line, to the wall. This side of the wall, repeated ploughings have obliterated the marks of the road, except pos- sibly in two or three places. This road is eight or ten rods east of the saloon, or observatory, and may be the one by which Mrs. Boynton went to meeting: "over the top of the hill ;" though the summit is a few feet higher. Itis said that this last road was made by Col. Adams, but it is probable that for his own convenience, he repaired an old road, then nearly obliterated by long disuse. My conjecture is that the first road went by the clump of trees to Mr. Dunn's. or the Day place, with a branch over the hill to the north end of the Common; that the second road went over the hill east of the saloon, and that the pres- eut is the third road, which is about a third of a mile shorter than the first.
The road starting west of the clump of trees, and going south-west, was probably for the convenience of Abner Curtice and others, living in that di- rection. These old roads are shown on the map by dotted lines.
230
HISTORY OF WINCHENDON.
12. A road from the east school-house to Samuel Sargent's land, [or Johns Estey's] 799 rods, or 2 1-2 miles.
13. A road running from the old Ashburnham road, by John Bemis', on the east side of the town, running south, to Gardner, 476 rods, or 1 mile and 156 rods
14. A road from the Fitzwilliam road, a little north of the John Gill bouse, almost due east to Asa Perley's, 81 røds.
15. A road for Amasa Brown and Amos Hale, beginning south of Royal- ston road by Warner's blacksmith's shop-the road by John Raymond's, 224 rods, or 1-2 mile and 64 rods.
16. A road from Templeton line, north of Jonesville-a few rods north of the house of Abijah Kendall-by Samuel Brown's, and Paul Raymond's, to Rev. Mr. Brown's barn, near the southwest corner of the Common, 1118 - rods, or 3 miles and 158 rods.
17. A road starting about 18 rods north from where the last mentioned road began, on the west side, and extending twelve rods westerly to Templeton line. .
18. A road from Royalston road, west of Esq. Crosby's, or Jarvis Winn's, northerly, across the river, to Matthew Knight's, and so on to William Tol- man's, 811 rods, or 21-2 miles and 31 rods.
19. A road from Joseph Adams' place, by Flavel Crosby's to 3 rods north of Dea. Moor's barn, near Samuel Woodbury's, 188 rods, or 1-2 mile and 28 rods.
20. A road for Capt. Jacob Wales, and others, beginning at the corner north of Capt. Alger's, thence west, by the house of Capt. Jacob Wales, to a spot about midway of the plain, thence south, by the Bowker house, thence west across the river to the county road leading from Royalston to Templeton near Joseph Day's house, a little south of the New Boston meeting-house, 588 rods, or 1 3-4 miles and 28 rods.
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