USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Mattapoisett > Mattapoisett and Old Rochester, Massachusetts : being a history of these towns and also in part of Marion and a portion of Wareham. > Part 21
USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Rochester > Mattapoisett and Old Rochester, Massachusetts : being a history of these towns and also in part of Marion and a portion of Wareham. > Part 21
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28
Bolles, Charles E., U.S.N.
Bourne, Edmund L., Acting Ensign, U.S.N.
Bourne, George W., Acting Master, U.S.N.
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Mattapoisett and Old Rochester
Bowman, Ebenezer H., U.S.N. Buck, Charles H., Acting Ensign, U.S.N. Burbank, Charles M., Co. D., 18th Mass. Reg. Butts, Joseph A., Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg.
Cannon, Fred J., Co. B., 3d Mass. Reg. H.A. Cannon, Thomes J., Acting Ensign, U.S.N. Carpenter, Wright, Co. D., 23d Mass. Reg. Carr, John P., Acting Master, U.S.N. Caswell, Elbridge G., Master's Mate, U.S.N. Clark, Elijah W., Acting Ensign, U.S.N. Clark, Freeman, Co. E., 18th Mass. Reg. Covert, Eugene S., Co. E., 18th Mass. Reg.
Cowell, William G., Acting Ensign, U.S.A. Crosby, E. Frank, Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg.
Crosby, William K., Co. C., 8th Vermont Reg., also 1st Lieut., 1st Louisiana Reg. Cushing, Edward L., U.S.N.
Davis, Lemuel LeB., U.S.N. Davis, Thomas R., U.S.N. Dennis, John, S., Acting Master, U.S.N.
Dexter, Albert M., Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg. Dexter, Benjamin 2d, U.S.N.
Dexter, Elisha L., Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg. Dexter, Francis E., U.S.N.
Dexter, George, Co. K., 8th California Reg.
Dexter, George H., Master's Mate, U.S.N. Dexter, Horace, U.S.N.
Dexter, James W., Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg.
Dexter, Thomas D., Co. E., 3d Mass. Reg.
Dexter, William C., Co. E., 58th Mass. Reg.
.
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Mattapoisett in the Civil War
Eaton, Solomon K., Ist Lieut., Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg. Ellis, Albert, U.S.N., also Co. F., 3d Reg. Mass. H.A. Ellis, Daniel S., Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg., also 23d Unat- tached Co., Mass. Vols.
Gallon, James, Co. E., 18th Mass. Reg. Gifford, Charles P., U.S.N.
Gifford, Jesse C., Co. D., 18th Mass. Reg.
Gifford, John L., Acting Vol. Lieut., U.S.N. Gifford, Robinson, U.S.N.
Gifford, William C., Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg., also Co. F., 3d Mass. Reg. H.A.
Goodspeed, Oliver J., Co. B., 3d Mass. Reg. H.A., also U.S.N.
Gorham, Albert H., U.S.N.
Graham, William H., Musician, 9th Mass. Reg.
Hammond, B. Frank, 23d Unattached Co. Mass. Vols. Hammond, George F., Acting Master, U.S.N. Hammond, James A., 23d Unattached Co. Mass. Vols. Hammond, John W., Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg. Hammond, Larnet H., Co. D., 18th Mass. Reg. Hammond, Roland, Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg.
Harris, William Jr., Co. B., 15th New Hampshire Reg.
Hayden, Benjamin F., Co. D., 18th Mass. Vols. Hayden, Charles H., Co. C., 29th Mass. Reg.
Hiller, Alpheus B., Co. D., 18th Mass. Reg., also Co. E., 32d Mass. Reg. Hiller, Ebenezer R., Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg. Holmes, Heman G., Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg., also Master's Mate, U.S.N.
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Howes, Woodbridge R., 1st Lieut., Co. D., 18th Mass. Reg., also Asst. Surgeon, 3d Mass. Reg.
Johnson, Thomas W., Acting Master, U.S.N. Jordan, Samuel R., 5th Battery, Light Art.
Keith, Albert, Acting Master, U.S.N.
Keith, Charles F., Acting Master, U.S.N.
King, James W., Co. D., 18th Mass. Reg., also 2d Lieut., Co. C., 32d Mass. Reg.
Kinney, Jireh, Jr., Co., E., Ist Rhode Island Reg .; 2d Serg. Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg .; 2d Lieut., 23d Unat- tached Co. Mass. Vols.
Kinney, William H., U.S.N.
Lawson, Elias, Acting Ensign, U.S.N. Leavitt, Robert E., U.S.N., also Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg. LeBaron, Frederick L., Master's Mate, U.S.N. LeBaron, John A., Co. C., 71st Pennsylvania Reg. LeBaron, William H., U.S.N.
Leonard, Nahum Jr., Capt., 58th Mass. Reg. Lobré, Franklin A., Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg. Look, Gilbert A., Co. E., 2d Heavy Art. Luce, Shubael K., Acting Master, U.S.N.
Merrithew, Alexander C., U.S.N. Morse, Edward A., Master's Mate, U.S.N. Morse, Frederick L., 23d Unattached Co., Mass. Vols. Morse, George F., Acting Ensign, U.S.N. Morse, Theodore S., Master's Mate, U.S.N.
Nye, Charles H., Boatswain's Mate, U.S.N.
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Mattapoisett in the Civil War Nye, Mavro C., Master's Mate, U.S.N.
O'Connor, Daniel, Co. D., 58th Mass. Reg.
Paine, Francis M., Acting Master, U.S.N.
Peck, George G., Co. D., 7th Mass. Reg.
Peckham, William F., Co. F., 18th Mass. Reg., also Co. D., 1st Battery H.A.
Perchard, Clement H., Acting Ensign, U.S.N., also Co. A., 50th Mass. Reg.
Phelan, John E., 23d Unattached Co. Mass. Vols.
Pierce, George, Co. F., 29th Mass. Reg.
Purrington, Francis M., Co. E., 18th Mass. Reg., also Co. H., 32d Mass. Reg.
Purrington, Henry J., Musician, 19th Mass. Reg.
Purrington, John A., Musician, 19th Mass. Reg., also Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg.
Randall, Charles H., Co. G., 2d N. H. Reg. Randall, Elijah W., U.S.N.
Randall, Fayette E., Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg.
Randall, George W., Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg. Ransom, Sidney, U.S.N.
Ransom, Theodore S., Master's Mate, U.S.N.
Richmond, William L., Co. F., 19th Mass. Reg., also U.S.N.
Robinson, Benjamin F., Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg., also Master's Mate, U.S.N.
Rounseville, Job P., Acting Master, U.S.N.
Rounseville, William H., Co. K., 3d Mass. Reg.
Sherman, Noah, Hospital Nurse.
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Shurtleff, Henry A., 23d Unattached Co. Mass. Vols.
Simpson, Oscar, U.S.N.
Smith, James, A., Co. I., 13th Mass. Reg., also Co. H., 58th Mass. Reg.
Smith, John, U.S.N.
Snow, Allen W., Acting Ensign, U.S.N.
Snow, Charles F., Co. D., 22d Mass. Reg., also Co. L., 32d Mass. Reg.
Snow, Edward F., Co. D., 18th Mass. Reg.
Snow, Elisha, U.S.N.
Snow, George D., Co. D., 18th Mass. Reg.
Snow, Henry L., U.S.N., also Co. B., 3d Mass. H.A.
Snow, Silas W., Co. B., 3d Mass. Reg. H.A.
Sparrow, William E., Volunteer Surgeon.
Stone, Richard, U.S.N.
Sweat, William W., Volunteer Surgeon.
Tinkham, Charles H., Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg.
Tripp, Charles A., U.S.N. Tripp, Ebenezer, Co. G., 20th Mass. Reg. Tripp, Job. P., Co. D., 47th Mass. Reg.
Washburn, John M., Co. A., 60th Mass. Reg. Waterman, Sylvanus D., Co. I., 3d Mass. Reg. Weston, Lewis S., Co. E., 18th Mass. Reg. Wilbur, John E., Co. B., 3d Mass. Reg. Wilcox, George W., Co. D., 18th Mass. Reg. Wilcox, William S., 5th Battery Light Art. Wright, Henry M., 23d Unattached Co. Mass. Vols.
CHAPTER XIII
MATTAPOISETT THE TOWN
THERE came a time when the inconvenience of administering the affairs of a large territory with two centers of population grew serious. It was felt most keenly when some three hundred or four hundred voters had to travel eight or nine miles either to the Town Hall in Rochester Center, or to Minister Robbins' meeting-house near the sea, to attend town meeting; and it gradually became a bitter fight of section against section as to where these meetings should be held. So there was little oppo- sition when in 1857 the adherents of the "meeting house," secured incorporation as a separate body. The name which the new town should bear was already long settled. As early as 1640, certain parties were granted lands in "Mattapoyst," and in 1674 the vicinity of the present village had become well known as "Mattapoisett." Ac- cording to a survey of Ansel Weeks, in September, 1857, the division line began at a stone post in the Fairhaven line, "thence E. 5º S. to road of Ellis's Mill, to the brook from Ellis's Mill to the Wolf Island Road, to Mattapoisett River, by the river to a stone post. From the post to Rock Bridge course E. 2º S., to Cedar Swamp, across the swamp to upland, to the Boat Rock road, to the Bear Swamp, across the Swamp to Towsers Neck, across Towsers Neck to Haskells Mill Swamp, across this Swamp
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to the Eben Snow old town road, to the Bonney road, to road from four corners to Anthony lot, to the Marion line."
The youthful town started on its new career under the most favorable auspices. In the first meeting the utmost harmony prevailed. The assembly was called by the warrant of Amittai B. Hammond, Justice of the Peace, directed to Rogers L. Barstow, a "principal citizen." It met in Purrington Hall, then recently erected on the former site of Eaton Hall, on Saturday, June 20, 1857, and proceeded to elect officers to conduct its affairs.
There were gathered within "Mattapoisett" a popu- lation of about seventeen hundred sturdy, industrious people. Farming was on the increase, but the whal- ing industry, with ship-building and the necessary ac- companying trades, was the principal occupation of the town. For a few years no busier community could be found. The apparent prosperity was, however, but tran- sient; a cloud appeared on the horizon, and the spirit of civil war was soon hovering over even the peaceful village by the sea. At the same time there became evident the sure and rapid decline of "whaling," which was in a few years to sound the knell of the entire mechanical industry of the town.
The rather serious-mindedness, but deep religious faith of the early settlers in this crisis is well shown by this paragraph from the report of the school committee in 1861:
"We would suggest that the present gloomy aspect of our political, commercial, and industrial affairs should impress our minds with the importance of a faithful dis- charge of duty to our children. If, then, the hope of trans- mitting to them political blessings is overcast, - if the
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wish to bequeath affluence seems doomed to disappoint- ment, - we should solicitously endeavor to prepare them for the future, by storing their minds with that true wisdom which holds 'length of days in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honor.'"
At the opening of the war, nearly fifty vessels engaged in the whale fishery were owned in whole or in part in Mattapoisett. The ravages of the Confederate cruisers only hastened the inevitable, and vacant wharves, unused ship-yards, and empty houses were the signs of a pros- perity that had departed.
Industrially the town never recovered from the blow. A few attempts were made to regain the lost ground. In 1880 the town voted "to exempt from taxation for five or ten years any partics who will start some manufacturing business in our town that will give employment to our citizens." And the next year the selectmen were author- ized "to expend not exceeding $75 in advertising the business facilities of the town, and exemption from taxa- tion." And the citizens contributed liberally from their private resources to erect and furnish a factory building. No permanent business, however, could be obtained.
The advent of the "summer resident" in the "seven- ties " was the beginning of a new era .. The accompanying increase in the real and personal property brought the valuation of the town, which had shrunk from $800,000, to $480,000 in 1865, to its highest mark in 1876. The tax rate, however, has always remained nearly stationary, ranging from $6 to $9.50 on $1000. During the height of ship-building some seventy-five yoke of cattle might have been seen engaged in the laborious work of moving heavy timber, spars, and other materials, and in 1861
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there were taxed fifty-five yoke of oxen and fifty-seven sheep.
Mattapoisett has been a good example of a true democ- racy, a real government "by the people." Its town meet- ings have always been well attended and the fullest dis- cussion of affairs has been the rule. And as always results from such interest, her finances and affairs have been ably managed.
The town meetings, up to the time of the building of the Town Hall, were held in Purrington Hall, with a few exceptions such as the case when in 1863 "the meeting met in front of Barstow Hall, and not being able to find the key to the hall organized upon the sidewalks and adjourned to the store formerly occupied by L. Meigs & Co.," and again when in 1867 the meeting met in front of Purrington Hall and, for a similar reason, adjourned to the "sail loft," or an occasional meeting in the "Engine House." Barstow Hall was in the second story at the east end of what is now the "Mattapoisett House." Loring Meigs's store was burned and the town now owns its site, by purchase with the wharf property. The sail loft was in the storehouse building still standing at the head of Long Wharf, while the old engine house, which formerly stood on part of the present town hall lot, has, after serving as a church, engine house, town hall, and shop, become a tenement house on Baptist Street.
Perhaps the most memorable town meeting was that of April 3, 1865, when, just after acting on the eleventh article in the warrant, this entry appears on the clerk's records: "NEWS OF THE CAPTURE OF RICHMOND RE- CEIVED." At the same meeting, the fourteenth article, which related to "keeping full the town's proportion of
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the quota of volunteers called for from the Common- wealth," was passed, on account of the "news from Richmond."
In addition to furnishing volunteers, the town, in 1862, offered to open a hospital for sick and disabled soldiers, but it was not needed.
Amid the serious discussion of municipal affairs there was always present a sense of humor - on one occasion under an article "to see if the town will prohibit playing ball or passing, throwing and catching balls or kicking foot- balls within the following limits, viz .: from the house of the late Wilson Barstow on Main Street, within the limits of said Main Street to Mechanic Street," the vote was to make the limits "from Jarvis Ellis' to Wm. Richmonds" (the extreme north and south ends of the town).
How the voters should be notified was settled by directing, in 1867, that a copy of the articles in the warrant should be posted "upon the oak tree on the corner near Abraham Tinkhams (still used for the pur- pose), at the Town Mills, Cowins Mills, and at the Post Office."
Out of the twenty-one district schools in Rochester in 1857, ten came within the limits of the new town of Matta- poisett. There were at the time "academies " in the town, "second, we believe, to none in this Commonwealth." But the defective district school system was a constant source of trouble. Each district, through its "Prudential Committee," provided its schoolhouses and expended the money appropriated by the town for the support of the school as it saw fit. The office of the Prudential Com- mittee, including as it did the power of hiring teachers, having charge of the schoolhouse and the running of the
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school, carried with it considerable patronage, and was the cause of fierce, if limited, political struggles. As one committee on investigation remarked, "the chief quali- fication of a member of a Prudential Committee seems to have been not to have served the preceding year."
That the district schools did their work as thoroughly as they did, has been the wonder of later times. Perhaps the secret may be found in this statement from the school committee's report in 1857: "But few branches of study should be prosecuted at a given time. Not the quantity, but the quality of learning should be considered. Better to learn a little thoroughly, assuredly, than a great deal superficially and doubtfully."
The village districts were, in 1857, at once combined, and in the first school committee's report, the districts were defined as:
District No. 1. Mattapoisett Neck, where in that year there was no summer term, but for three months in the winter, fifteen scholars were taught by Mr. John W. Hammond, who "proved a competent teacher," so that the committee thought the school "would compare favor- ably with most any other district school in the town." It occupied rented quarters, having the year before been taught by Mrs. E. R. Beetle at her residence, and in 1855 in the "Upper Chamber" a building erected or used for a corn granary, and "illy adapted" for school pur- poses.
District No. 2. Hammondtown, with E. G. Caswell, Sr., Prudential Committee, had six months of "school." In the summer Miss Almira E. Denham taught eighteen scholars, and in the winter Noah Hammond had thirty- two. It was the first school either had taught, but was
WEST DISTRICT SCHOOLHOUSE, CHURCH STREET, MATTAPOISETT Formerly "The Olive Branch Schoolhouse "
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satisfactory to the committee, "and we think to the dis- trict."
Districts Nos. 3 and 4 were united and comprised the village west of Barstow Street. About fifty pupils had school for seven and one-half months with Miss Buretta W. Hammond as principal and Miss Olivia H. Freeman, assistant, in the summer; and Miss Abby P. LeBaron and Miss Mary E. Davis in charge in the winter. "The school, though a large one, was very quiet."
Districts Nos. 5, 6, and 7 were also consolidated and included the easterly portion of the village and as far east as "Thomas Dexter's corner." This was in the summer divided into an "Intermediate Department" in charge of Miss Olivia R. Look; and a "Primary School" taught by Miss Mary E. Davis, "whose demeanor was char- acterized by mildness and affability." For the winter term, "Mr. Henry Taylor gave his whole attention to the school, and gave general satisfaction."
District No. 8, "Pine Islands," maintained less than six months of school. Miss Mary Hammond taught twenty-four pupils in the summer, and Mr. George Cush- man had forty-two for the winter term.
District No. 9, "Aucoot," with Isaac Hiller, Prudential Committee, and Miss Salome E. Bates and Miss Priscilla Sparrow, teachers, had five and one-half months of school, with nine scholars in the summer and seventeen in the winter.
District No. 10, "Tinkhamtown " and "Randalltown," included all north of Captain Hoxie's and James Purring- ton's, and with Thomas Randall, Prudential Committee, had six and one-half months of school for twenty-eight scholars, with Miss Mary K. Clark as teacher. "In No.
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10," the committee reported, "although there are two places where children go to school, at neither is there any- thing that resembles a decent schoolhouse. . .. The citizens of this district understand economy too well to repair these old buildings, and there being no immediate prospect of agreeing on the location of a new one, it seems a most auspicious time to unite with number 2, - although this district has evidently the next poorest schoolhouse in the town."
The faults lay with the system, for as the committee reported, the town that year appropriated $1524, "which is all that the most zealous friends of common schools can ask so far as money is concerned." They complain that "the town committee have not been heretofore con- sidered of much consequence in connection with the schools," and congratulate the town that "schools have been kept two terms in all the districts but one, which has not been the case for many years."
In 1862 another consolidation was brought about by joining districts 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, thus bringing together all the village districts, and in 1867 the town, after repeated at- tempts, voted to abolish school districts. The income of a bequest of Abner Pease, in favor of districts Nos. 8 and 9, enabled a school to be kept for an additional seven weeks in schoolhouse No. 3 in 1869.
From this time the common schools of Mattapoisett passed through only the customary evolution, until in 1899 the new building, a gift of Mr. Henry H. Rogers (who received a part of his early education in the private school, kept by Mr. Woodbridge Howes, in Eaton Hall) was opened, and all grades above the sixth were brought under its roof.
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As a result of a desire of those inhabitants of Rochester, living within the limits of Mattapoisett, to secure for their children the benefits of a higher education than could be obtained in the district schools, some public-spirited parties secured control of a large interest in the old Con- gregational meeting-house. And in 1854, James Barstow, B. F. Hammond, A. B. Hammond, Seth Freeman, Wm. B. Rogers, John Atsatt, Loring Meigs, Arvin Cannon, Leonard Hammond, Matthew Mayhew, Nathan Crosby, Andrew Southworth, Benjamin Barstow, Nathan'l A. Crosby, John A. Le Baron, Cynthia Dexter, Nathan'l Clark, Alice Sparrow, Deborah F. Howes, W. Barstow, Bethuel Landers, Jabez Goodspeed, Judith C. Rogers, H. M. Cannon, Martha O. Young, Priscilla A. Southworth, Priscilla N. Hammond, Peleg Pearce, Isaiah Sears, Benjamin Bacon, Leonard Dexter, all of Mattapoisett in the Town of Rochester; and Lazarus LeBaron, of North Turner, County of Oxford, State of Maine, Yeomen, "In consider- ation of our desire to promote the cause of education," conveyed unto Loring Meigs, Henry Barstow, and Abner Harlow, "who have been appointed a committee by the subscribers of the Stock in the property hereinafter, con- veyed to receive the title to the same," all their interest in and to the Old Congregational Meeting-House, so called; "It is hereby understood that said Meeting-House shall be fitted up in a manner suitable to be occupied as a place where instruction may be given to youth, and said building shall be used for such purposes."
The building was promptly fitted up and a private school successfully opened. In 1857 the "Mattapoisett Academy," then conducted by Mr. and Mrs. Orange H. Spoor and Miss Lucy B. Washburn, had enrolled 133
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pupils, including 36 from other towns and 7 from other states. Its catalogue showed English, Classical, and Teachers' Departments, with special courses in "Music, Pencilling and Crayoning, Monochromatic and other ornamental branches." It was "partially supplied with chemical and philosophical apparatus," and had "a spa- cious gallery fitted up for the especial accommodation of visitors, who can call at any time without interrupting the school." The trustees then were Loring Meigs, Maj. Rogers L. Barstow, and Capt. Samuel Sturtevant, Jr. Arvin Cannon was treasurer, and Solomon K. Eaton sec- retary.
In 1860, in order to straighten out the title, the property was conveyed to John T. Atsatt, by Loring Meigs, Henry Barstow, Abner Harlow, Rowland Howland, Arvin Can- non, James LeBaron, Solomon K. Eaton, Matthew May- hew, Samuel Sturtevant, Jr., Wilson Barstow, executor to estate of Z. M. Barstow, Joseph Hudson, Samuel Sturtevant, Jr., Rogers L. Barstow, Cynthia Dexter, Josiah Holmes, Jr., Jonathan H. Holmes, Dennis S. Boodry, Nathan'l A. Crosby, John Dexter, Nathan Crosby, James Cannon, Martin Hall, Lemuel LeBaron, Wm. L. Bourne, Ebenezer Jones, Barton Taber, and George Purrington, Jr., "in consideration of $1725." In this deed the property is described as " a certain lot of land with the buildings thereon, and also the fixtures therein, consisting of Pieoano, Seets, Desks, Bell, Philosophical Aparatus, etc., and known as the Mattapoisett Academy."
The private institution was successfully maintained until the stress of war times came on, and its then instructor, George G. Harriman, took charge in 1862 of the village Grammar School. Capt. Zaccheus M. Barstow, having
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left property to the town valued at nearly $9000, and provided that upon the winding up of the Lyceum that the income of his gift " be applied to the purposes of edu- cation in higher branches than are taught in primary English Schools," his trustees purchased from the pro- prietors the Academy building for $1450 out of the in- come, and in 1872 it was turned over to the town, "in trust as a part of the Barstow School Trust Fund." The Barstow School was opened (as a result of the legacy above referred to) in December, 1871, and Mr. Charles Smith, "with a registry of forty-six scholars, successfully operated during a term of three months."
The town the next year made an appropriation in aid of the "Barstow School," and has continued to do so to the present time. The school was transferred in 1899 to the new village building, and beginning with this year (1906-07) its scholars have the privilege of attending, without cost, the new High School in Fairhaven.
The year 1881 witnessed the birth of the "Free Public Library" in Mattapoisett. The beginning was certainly humble. At the annual meeting that year, the town voted that the "dog fund" should go to its aid, but this amount of $56.96 did not become available until the close of the year. Isaiah P. Atsatt at the same meeting, agreed to furnish a room and librarian for two years, and "Capt. Charles Bryant kindly volunteered a lecture on Alaska," the net proceeds of which, $7.20, were the only "available assets" of the first trustees. The Selectmen's office over" Atsatt's store " was used for a short time. Then an unused room in the upper story of the "Primary" schoolhouse was fitted with a few shelves and a high desk in a section railed off. "Col. Geo. M. Barnard, Jr., pre-
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House," and the "Harris House" later the Gammons house near J. L. Stackpole's cottage, which at present is the Nye house on Baptist street, was also proposcd; but no action was taken until in 1866 the "Joseph Hiller Farm" was purchased and fitted up as an almshouse, After a few years however, the number of inmates began to de- crease and the "poor house" is now hardly more than a name. The Rebellion forced the dependent relatives of many soldiers and sailors to seek aid toward their support, and in 1866 the town paid from the treasury the largest sum ever required for its poor. Of late years these expenses have been rapidly growing less. Addi- tional purchases of land have added to the almshouse farm, and it is now a very valuable property, with its shore frontage on Aucoot Cove.
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