USA > Massachusetts > Dukes County > Marthas Vineyard > The history of Martha's Vineyard, Dukes County, Massachusetts, Volume II > Part 30
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'Tisbury Records, 129. There were no school-houses at the first two named districts and the people resident therein were required to provide suitable "house- roome" during the sessions assigned to them.
?Town Records, 200.
3Ibid., 293. There were two persons of this name resident in West Tisbury at that time, Levi and Henry, and it is not possible to say which one served as teacher, but the latter is believed to be the one.
'Ibid., 226.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
neglect of her schools, and on several occasions after that the records disclose the same discreditable failure.1
In 1792 a redistricting of the town for school purposes was devised by a committee selected from the various sections. Four districts were laid out, substantially as follows: Ist, all residents south of the Old Mill brook, including a line drawn southeast from the turn of the brook in North Tisbury to the bounds of Edgartown; 2nd, all residents north of this brook to the Sound as far as Christiantown; 3rd, Chickemmoo; 4th, Homes Hole. The sum of £60 was raised "to Support a Lawful School in Tisbuary" and the committee above named was further directed to "devide the Monney already raised ...... according to the Number of Children in Each District Sett forth as above Males from Twenty one year old and under, and Females from Eighteen years old and under."2 In 1793 the school appropriation was increased to £70, and after this certain persons in each district were chosen to ar- range equitable divisions of these funds raised by taxation. This was probably the beginning of the office of school com- mittee in the town. In 1801 these persons were specifically chosen "to provide for and Superintend the Schools in the several School districts."3 After this time they were annually elected to attend to these duties.
The first school census of record, in 1821, shows that there were 255 children in attendance in the three districts now comprised in the bounds of West Tisbury. In 1825 the number was 262 and in 1835 it had fallen to 248 pupils, while in 1870 a further decrease to 124 shows the losses in the town's population. The annual appropriation at this period was $200, or less than one dollar for each child. In 1870 the amount spent averaged about $8.75 each, while in 1900 the total school expenses amounted to nearly $3,000 for sixty scholars, an average of $50 each pupil. This most credit- able record must demonstrate the gain in the last century in the estimation of the townsmen of the importance of their public school system.
1Indictments were presented against the town in 1783, 1792 and 1793 for these neglects. In 1787 the town refused to vote any money for schools (ibid., 248, 260, 285, 290). As late as 1810 the town was indicted for the failure to maintain a school (ibid., 353).
2Ibid., 286. These districts remained practically the same for the next twenty- five years.
'Ibid., 314.
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Annals of West Tisbury
DUKES COUNTY ACADEMY.
In 1797 a movement was started to establish an Academy in this county for the higher education of selected pupils, and Rev. Asarelah Morse, Edmund Cottle and Peter West were chosen in Tisbury "to Join the other Commites that are or may be Chosen in Dukes County for to Consult about the Establishment of an academy."1 Nothing definite resulted from this early effort, as far as known, but the seed thus sown bore fruit in the next century. During the term of David Look as Representative to the General Court (1830-1835), he secured from the State an appropriation of $3,000 for a County Academy to be located in this town.2 It was com- pleted about 1833, and was located on a commanding site next the Congregational church.3 The original building was sold about 1850 and became the dwelling house of the late Obed Nickerson.
Leavitt Thaxter was the first teacher and he was followed by Robert Coffin. The following list comprises the succes- sive pedagogues to the merging of the institution into the town school system: -
M. P. Spear, 1840; W. S. Butler, 1846; T. D. Blake, 1847; J. P. Washburn, 1848; Henry Baylies, 1850; F. N. Blake, 1852; Robert McGonigal, 1854; J. W. Allen, 1855; S. W. Matthews and G. B. Muzzey, 1856; Bartlett Mayhew, 1857; Atwood Severance, 1858; Henry M. Bishop, 1859; C. R. Parker, 1861; Simon W. Hathaway, 1862; J. G. Leavitt, 1863; I. N. Kidder, 1864; C. G. M. Dunham, 1865; N. C. Scoville, 1866; Wm. B. Allen, 1867; Moses C. Mitchell, 1869-72; J. T. Merrick, 1876; E. A. Daniels, 1877; G. H. Calver, 1879; F. E. Perham, 1880-2; P. R. Kendall, 1881; S. S. Sanborn, 1884; Addie Weeks, 1886; James Richmond, 1887; J. R. Flint, 1888; Mary C. Humphrey, 1889; Amy S. Rhodes, 1890; Ella W. Bay, 1891; Edna Merrill, 1892 and Lena B. Carlton, 1893.
About 1850 a new building was erected and remained in use about twenty years, when it was found to be unsuited for the requirements of its growing patronage. After serving as an "annex" to its successor it was sold and now exists as a carriage house.
1Tisbury Records, 305.
2The grant was conditioned upon the contribution of a like amount by the citizens, which was done.
3The grave stone of David Look records the fact that "thro' his influence a grant of Three Thousand Dollars was obtained from the state." He died April 28, 1837 aged 70 years.
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In 1869-70, during the service of Moses C. Mitchell, and largely through his efforts, a new building was erected with funds in the treasury and added contributions of the citizens, and on Nov. 1, 1870 was ready for occupancy. The General Court, in April, 1871, appropriated $5,000 towards this new building, almost the last grant of this kind made by the legis- lature, and thus the academy fund was reimbursed.
Since 1894 the town and academy have merged their interests in educational matters. A grade equivalent to a High School curriculum is provided, in addition to the grammar and primary grades.
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
In the autumn of 1890 the late Professor Nathaniel S. Shaler proposed the establishment of a public library in the town, and Rev. Caleb L. Rotch canvassed this section of the Vine- yard for the purpose of obtaining financial aid in starting such an institution. Encouraging results were obtained, and on Dec. 29, 1890 a meeting of persons interested was held to perfect a temporary organization. Rev. Mr. Rotch was chosen president, with a secretary, treasurer, executive committee, and Dr. Lyman H. Luce as librarian. This meeting selected the name of "Dukes County Library Association," adopted a constitution and made arrangements for quarters in the Dukes County Academy. Books were purchased with the funds subscribed, many were donated by friends, and from this time until July, 1892 the library was operated in that building. Sanderson M. Mayhew succeeded Rev. Mr. Rotch as president in 1891 and in May, 1892, it was voted to purchase "Mitchell's School" for a library building. This was accom- plished by the aid of outside subscriptions, and the exterior and interior fitted up for the special purposes of a public library.1 The association in 1893 became incorporated under the name of "West Tisbury Free Public Library," and Everett Allen Davis was chosen its first president. At this time it had 1100 volumes and at the present time about 2500 have been ac- cumulated.
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
The Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Society, founded in 1858, has its headquarters in this town. The Hon. Leavitt Thaxter was its first president, and a fair was held that year,
1Up to May, 1895 there had been subscribed by friends the total of $1063, to found and maintain the library.
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the exhibits being displayed in the Academy. In 1859 the Agricultural hall was built, next the church lot and annual fairs have been held ever since in this large and commodious structure.
PATHS, HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES.
The layout of the first roads in town, the Mill road, the Scotchman's bridge and the road leading from Nashowakem- much to North Tisbury, is not of record. The earliest refer- ence to a road is found under date of 1699, when a way "of about 3 Rods broad" from the Old Mill brook to the Sound, was laid out, "between the Ministers Lot & Israel Luces
Lott to & for the generall use of those interested ... ... & to no other." This road had no real existence elsewhere and probably was never staked out. "Ways" and "Paths" were in existence and in common use, without legal acceptance by the town, from the earliest times. Their course changed at the convenience of the people in driving their carts through the woods and over the hills.1 Most of them were closed "by Gates and Bars" until within the last hundred years.2 Those roads which have some definite history are as follows :-
Mill Path. - The first road in town was the "path" leading from Edgartown to the Old Mill brook. It has already been described (vol. I, p. 460). It was the "great road" of the settlement and a part of the county system of highways.
School House Path. - Contemporary with the Mill path and a continuation of it from the brook to the Chilmark line, was this highway, now the south road. Both of these were old Indian trails.
Scotchman's Bridge Road. - This was the first highway mentioned in the records, as early as 1671, and was doubtless laid out when the home lots were plotted. It was originally the road midway of the lots running east and west the entire section.
Homes Hole Path. - This road led from the Mill path on the east side of the Old Mill brook to Homes Hole, follow- ing very nearly the present road over the plain. It is first
1An example of this is to be found in the following record of a layout in 1741: "both sd ways meet Each other at the old way that before Lead from sd Hametts house: the aforesd new way being Cleared of the wood that Grew upon itt by sd agents by Consent of the Owners of the Land."
2The map of Des Barres (1781), which was the best map of the Vineyard up to that date, shows but one road in West Tisbury, the way leading from Chilmark to the old church and on past the cemetery.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
mentioned in the records in 1700, but doubtless it was in existence long before that.
Meeting-House Way. - A path leading west from the School House path (South road), at a point where the Con- gregational meeting-house now stands, to the head of the home lots, existed before 1700 and has continued to the present day. It was a "way" used by residents of the Kephigon section to reach the first meeting-house.
The Back Road. - In 1726 there was a formal layout of the road bounding the west headline of the home lots. It began at the meeting-house way and extended to the Scotch- man's Bridge road. In 1741 this way continued northward to intersect in Middletown the road on the east side of the brook that led to Christiantown.
Pow-wow Hill Way. - Starting from the Homes Hole path, about sixty rods north of Scotchman's Bridge road, and running along parallel to the brook, a way two rods wide was laid out in 1700 to the present village of Middletown.
Lambert's Cove Road. - This was a way laid out in 1751 by the owners of land as a combination of the North Shore road from West Tisbury village, and it was provided that it should extend through Chickemmoo,"towards the North- east as may be best for Conveniancie of Said Road and as may be Leaste for Dammage on each Mans Land untill it comes to goe thro Saviges Line." It then intersected the Homes Hole path near its present junction. In 1770 there was a petition to the Court reciting the need of a road in this section to connect Tisbury and Homes Hole. It is probable that it had never been accepted.
THE U. S. GOVERNMENT SERVICES.
But one branch of the general government has a repre- sentation in the town, the Post Office Department. A mail service was doubtless in operation for a considerable time prior to the establishment of a local office here, and it is prob- able that it was served through the Homes Hole office until 1828, when it was established as an independent mail station. The first postmaster was Willard Luce, who was commis- sioned Jan. 25, 1828, and the office was designated as Tisbury. The next year it was changed to West Tisbury, and Mr. Luce continued in office for twenty-three years. He was succeeded in 1851 by William A. Mayhew for a short term, and in sequence
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Annals of West Tisbury
the office was held by Joseph B. Nickerson, Caroline W. Nickerson (his widow) and Mrs. Phebe L. Cleveland.
The office has been continued for over fifty years in its present location on the corner of the Edgartown and Vineyard Haven roads.
PHYSICIANS.
Rufus Spalding was the earliest practitioner of medicine in this town before 1800, and he lived in a house opposite the post office. Here was born his son, Rufus Paine Spalding, distinguished in later life as a member of Congress from Ohio and a judge of the Federal Court. Dr. Spalding removed to Homes Hole about 1805 and later to Connecticut. Dr. T. J. E. Gage came about 1837, remaining ten years, and a Dr. Philbrick about 1845, living opposite Agricultural hall, followed. Dr. W. H. Luce succeeded to the practice of Dr. Gage and remained here throughout his long life. His son, Dr. Lyman H. Luce, formerly in practice in Falmouth, took up his father's work and continued until 1892, when a mortal disease terminated his career. Dr. C. D. N. Fairchild came from Fairhaven about 1893 and still practices here. Dr. D. A. Cleaveland, until his death in 1903, had practised here at intervals, having been settled elsewhere for a considerable period of his professional career.
CEMETERIES.
In 1782 the town voted that James Athearn should "Examine the Records of this Town county or the Registree of Probate and See wt Land Said Town has Reserv'd for a Bureying Place." It is not known what he found, but besides a few private places of interment there are only two public enclosures in the town.
Old Cemetery. - The first burying place owned by the town was the "acker of Land" donated by James Allen in 1701, and with several subsequent enlargements it continues to be used for this purpose at the present day, a record of over two centuries.
Lambert's Cove .- There is a cemetery on the North Shore near the John Look place which has been used for public interments for more than a century. The oldest stones in it bear date of 1771, and the land was probably set apart for a burial place about that date, though there are no records of its acquisition by the town, nor is it known how it was dedicated to such uses.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
DIVISION OF THE TOWN.
In 1850 the village of Homes Hole had outgrown in pop- ulation the western section of Old Tisbury and was gradually developing at the expense of the smaller settlements in the rest of the town. The interests of these two portions of the town were not homogeneous - the one was a compact village with a maritime and manufacturing population, and the other was chiefly devoted to agriculture and fishing.1 Several miles
THE RUFUS SPALDING HOUSE. BIRTHPLACE OF HON. RUFUS PAINE SPALDING, M. C., (1798).
of "ragged plain" separated West Tisbury, Homes Hole and North Tisbury, and the inevitable jealousies and disagree- ments arose between the village and the town regarding im- provements to roads, school facilities and the proper balance of appropriations. This became more and more acute as the village of Homes Hole thrived and grew and demanded modern streets, sidewalks, fire protection, lighting, water supply and all the requirements of a compact settlement. The farmers of the western section were outnumbered in town meetings, and chafed under the load of enforced taxation for those things which they could not utilize. Each year these troubles became accentuated and would be temporarily composed under some form of truce between the two parties. It was a case of the
1In 1850 Homes Hole had 259 polls to 153 in the rest of the town.
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Annals of West Tisbury
offspring outstripping the parent, for the older men could remember the time when the "Hole" was an insignificant part of Tisbury town. They remembered, too, that Governor Mayhew in his original grant of West Chop to Tisbury in 1673, had in view its ultimate separation as a distinct corpor- ation. It was to be a part of Tisbury he wrote "until the said necke of Land be a particular township." Early in the decade of 1880-90, the farmers of West and North Tisbury began to agitate for this separation decreed by history and topog- raphy. Each year the subject was discussed with much spirit and considerable acrimony at times, as the people of the village of Vineyard Haven objected to a division. In 1890, after much political agitation, a petition was sent to the General Court by the people of West Tisbury asking for a division of the town, but it was referred to the next session. In 1891 the General Court enacted a permissive bill for di- vision, provided it should be accepted by a majority vote of the townsmen at either of two meetings called for the purpose at Vineyard Haven and Middletown.
At the first meeting, held in the former village, the pro- posal failed by a vote of 115 yes to 161 no; and at one of the largest town meetings ever held the second test vote, 150 yes to 204 no, resulted in its final rejection. The people of West Tisbury renewed the contest the next year, and it was decided by the General Court in favor of the petitioners without use of the referendum. It became a law April 28, 1892, when signed by the Governor, William E. Russell, and the new town of West Tisbury celebrated its victory by a torch-light procession and a jubilation meeting at Agricultural Hall.1
THE NEW TOWN AT THE PRESENT TIME.
The first town officers, elected May, 1892, were the fol- lowing: William J. Rotch, Horatio G. Norton, Edwin A. Luce, Selectmen; George H. Luce, Horatio G. Norton, Edwin A. Luce, Assessors; George G. Gifford, Clerk; San- derson M. Mayhew, Treasurer; Ulysses E. Mayhew, David Mayhew, Frank L. Look, School Committee; Richard Thomp- son, Walter G. Cottle, Constables; Henry H. Lovell, Auditor; James F. Cleaveland, Collector of Taxes; Henry L. Whiting, William J. Rotch, Cyrus Manter, Cemetery Committee.
'The leading spirit in this movement was William J. Rotch of West Tisbury and the satisfactory results which have followed the years of bickering between the two sections, justifies the wisdom of his contentions during the campaign.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
This village is now about two hundred and forty years old, and the town sixteen years in its independent standing. Its material progress and present prosperity, as indicated by the following statistics taken from the assessors' books, May I, 1908, shows in contrast to the lone mill of 1669 on the ancient stream of Taakemmy: Personal estate assessed, $155,373; real estate assessed, $379,414; total, $534,787. Total tax assessed, $2429.14, with about $700 additional, which is appropriated from other income. Acres of land, 12,821; dwelling houses, 190; horses, 125; cows, 164; neat cattle, 40; sheep, 685; fowl, 2589.
WASKOSIM'S ROCK
AN ANCIENT BOUND MARK OF WEST TISBURY AND CHILMARK.
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Annals of West Tisbury
CHRISTIANTOWN.
MANITOUWATTOOTAN, THE PRAYING TOWN. 1660.
The beginnings of Christiantown carry us back to the year 1659, when according to the evidence of Josias, the sachem, "there was only Known but four Praying Indians in my Sachimshipp Whose names was Pamick my uncle and Nonoussa and Tahquanum & Poxsin." In the winter of 1659-1660, continues the sachem, "I gave one mile square of land unto my uncle Pamick Nonoussa, Tachquanum & Poxsin of Taukemey to be a township for them."1 It is believed that Papamick, the well-known Indian of Takemmy is meant as the uncle of Josias, to whom the grant was made, as "Papamek's Field" was one of the bounds of this tract.2 This grant was laid out to these four Christianized natives for a "praying town," so-called, and the condition of the grant provided "That the Praying Indians should give Twenty Shillings every yeare to me Their Sachim," but it appears that in after years this ceased to be observed by the grantees, through death and removal.3 There was no formal record of this transaction, and it obtained a standing in the knowledge of men through common report, that this square mile of land at the North Shore, in the bounds of Takemmy, had been set apart for the sole use of these converts. This arrange- ment lasted for about a decade.
When Thomas Mayhew, the elder, on July 1, 1668, gave permission to William Pabodie and his partners "to buy what they cann uppon this Island within the compass of the bounds of Takemmy, of the indian sachims, the right owners," the rank and file among the natives did not relish the idea of their sachem selling territory, which belonged to them, to a new lot of "pale-faces." Already the eastern half of the Island had been alienated by Tequanomin to the settlers of Great Harbour, and when the prospectors for a new town- ship came to the fertile meadows of Takemmy, in 1668, and began to negotiate with Keteanummin, alias Josias, the sachem, for the purchase of that land, the discontent was openly ex- pressed. It came to the knowledge of Mayhew, and it was
1Dukes Deeds, I, 357.
2Experience Mayhew calls one of the Indians Pockqsimme (Indian Converts, 73). 3Dukes Deeds, IV, 173. The date of the agreement was February 23, 1658, probably 1658-9.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
determined to appease them in some way. The land desired by Pabodie and his associates was known to them as being valuable, and they would not derive any benefit from the sale of it by the sachem. However, Josias sold to Pabodie the tract known as the First Purchase on Aug. 2, 1669, as else- where described, and was negotiating with the buyers for the sale of more territory. There were constant quarrels between the sachem and the angry braves of Takemmy, and Mayhew called a general meeting of the natives to hold a "pow-wow" over the matter. It was held early in March, 1669-70 and one of the earliest settlers of Tisbury has left on record his recollections of the matter. The deponent is Joseph Daggett, who, as a young man, was a witness of the proceedings. He was able to understand the native language and frequently acted as interpreter for the town. His evidence is as follows :-
The Testimony of Joseph Daged aged 51 years or there abouts testifieth & Saith, that about 28 or 29 years agoe [1670-1671] I was at a Meeting of the Indians at Tacamy and there was a great quarrell between the Indians and Josias commonly called Sachim for that he the sd Josias had Sould so much land to the purchasers of Tisbury in so in so much that mr Thomas Mayhew Esqr deced who was then present had very much adoe to quiet the Indians untill at length sd Josias did agree to and oblige him Self that he would Sell no more land with out the Consent and approbation of a Certain number of Indians who were then named & Confirmd as Trustees for and in behalfe of the sd Indians: 1
This agreement, made at that time, is as follows: -
It is absolutely agreed by us Thomas Mayhew, Kiteanumin, Tichpit, Teequinom(in) Papamick and Joseph, and wee doe hereby promise for our heirs and successors that all the lands in Takemmy that is not sold unto the English shall remain unsold for the use of the Indians of Takemmy and their heirs forever; except the said Thomas Mayhew, Kiteanumin, Tichpit, Teequinomin, Papamick and Joseph their heirs successors doe all and everie one of them consent to the sale thereof of any part of the same.
This agreement was made with the consent and approbation of most of the inhabitants at a meeting held the 15th day of March (1669-1670).
Further it is agreed that noe person that buyeth any land except it be of all the aforenamed trustees shall enjoy the same; and whosoever shall presume to sell land without the consent of the trustees, shall be liable to be fined att the will of the major part of the trustees.
Witness our hands the day and year above written:"
1Superior Judicial Court Mss., No. 3834. The date of this deposition is March 3, 1698-9.
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Annals of West Tisbury
Further the old custom about elwifes is to bee observed.
THOMAS MAYHEW
KITEANUMIN his mark
This is an absolute agreement Witness
TICHPIT his mark
TEEQUINOM his mark
THOMAS MAYHEW
PAPAMICK his mark
JOSEPH
his mark
This is to testify that Keteanummin hath noe power to sell any more land; but hath made a publique promise that all the land unsold is to remain for the Indians of Takemmy forever, except he hath sold not half already: yet not then may he sell till one half be sold.
Witness my hand this 29th (March) 1669. He doth not by this exclude himself.
THOMAS MAYHEW1
The last codicil, if it may be so termed, attached to this agreement by Mayhew is thus explained, in part, by Joseph Daggett, in the same deposition. He states that when the agreement about the trusteeships and the powers under which they held these relations to the Indians and to "each- other was Concluded and Effected," he says: -
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