USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Milton > The history of Milton, Mass., 1640 to 1877 > Part 32
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The other landing-place is at the Lower Mills, or Milton village. The condition of this was but little better than that of
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HISTORY OF MILTON.
Gulliver's Landing. It had fallen into disuse and had gone to decay, and, being considered public property, had been made a place of deposit for all the rubbish of the village.
In this condition of things an act was obtained from the Legislature, putting it into the hands of commissioners, to be chosen annually, three from Dorchester and three from Milton, who were to have entire control of the landing-place, and to improve it as best they could without calling on the towns for money.
After years of labor the commissioners succeeded in putting the property into such condition as to meet all expenditures in repairs and betterments, and to accumulate quite a sum for contemplated improvements in new wharves ; and at this junc- ture another act was passed by the Legislature taking the landing-place out of the hands of the commissioners, and plac- ing it under the control of the town of Milton.
By the judicious and energetic management of the commis- sioners, the property which they had received as worthless, and almost a nuisance, was delivered up to the town in good condi- tion and yielding an annual income of $225, besides six shares of the Blue Hill National Bank, and a balance in cash of $5.41.
The estimated value of the town property, real and personal, by the appraisal of 1886, is $156,549.45.
VARIOUS TOWN VOTES.
Ladders -For as much as the Select men find by experience that divers houses are in danger to be burned, and the danger is many times greater for want of ladders near at hand, it is therefore ordered by the Select men that every householder within o' towne shall have a sufficient ladder that shall reach the top of his house stand at his dwelling house by the last day of the fifth month next, on penalty of ten shillings, and if any such per- son as aforesaid shall refuse or neglect to get a ladder as aforesaid, by the aforesaid time, every such person shall forfeit ten shillings to the town's use and five shillings for every month after. Milton, Feb. 24, 1670.
Whipped - At a Town Meeting in Milton the 8th of Decemb' 1673 Dinah Sylvester was whipped with 20 stripes Being appointed thereto by the County Court, in the presence of the Select men, and presently after Ed- ward Vose Constable did deliver her and her child to the Select men to be provided for.
Horses - At a Meeting of the Select men 18, 12, 1679 It was voted that all horses that go upon Common within our town be sufficiently fastened or shackeled by the first day of May on penalty of 28 6 a pees except colts under one year old, so that if any horses as aforesaid be taken in common within half a mile of any corn field within our town it shall be lawful for any inhabitant of our town to pound any such horses in the common pound.
Swine - At a meeting of the Select men 20: 12: 1679 It was ordered that all swine shall be sufficiently yoked, and also all swine that dow
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VARIOUS TOWN VOTES.
damnify pasture or meadow by routing, persous complaininge, the own- ers of the aforesaid swine shall ringe them sufficiently on penalty of six pence a swine for every time of so doing damage. The yoke shall be six inches about the neck and three inches below the lower ford.
Lanslet Perse shall be Hayward of the Pound in Milton.
Black Birds - 1740 March 10. Voted that from the first of April 1740 to the fifteenth day of June following, any person that belongs to the town of Milton shall kill any grown Crow Black Birds, shall have four pence a piece out of the Town Treasury as a reward for killing and destroying the Same, and for every Red winged or hen of the smaller size two pence a piece, they being killed in the Town of Milton and they bringing to the Town Treasurer the upper part of the head and bill of each bird so killed within the time above sª, and no reward shall be given for any after the time is Expired, nor for any that shall be killed before the time begins. Voted in the Affirmative.
Deer- 1740 March 10. - Joseph Hunt & Benjamin Crane were chosen to prosecute any person that should violate or break an Act or law of this Province entitled an Act or Law for the better preservation or increase of Deer, and to take care that the violators thereof be duly prosecuted and punished.
NEHEMIAH CLAP, Town Clerk.
Dogs - July 8, 1755. Voted that if any persons shall let their Dog or Dogs come to the Meeting House more than once on the Sabbath Days they shall pay one shilling or forfeit their dogs.
Geese -March 12, 1756. Voted that Geece be not sufferred to go at large from the first day of April next till the last day of October next Voted that four pence be paid by the owner of the Geece, for each Goose found going at large between the dates to the person finding the goose at large.
Rattle Snakes - March 4, 1757. Voted that one shilling be allowed and paid out of the treasury of the town as a bounty for each Rattle Snake killed in the Town this year to the person that shall kill any Rattle Snake in this Town and bring the rattles and one inch of the Taile joyning to the rattles to either of the Select men of this town, who shall keep the rattles to them so brought.
Shire Town- March 10, 1760. Voted to Chuse a Committee to join with the Committees of other towns to petition the Great and General Court for a division of the County of Suffolk, Samuel Miller Esq. William Tucker and Mr Josiah How was chose a committee for that purpose.
Voted that this Committee do what they ean, that this Town of Milton be the Sheire Town.
Store- March 9, 1761. Voted to choose a Committee to agree with Mr Henry Stone of Stoughton about setting up a Store House on the south side of the Neponset River between the widow Jenkins house and the Great Bridge.
Sult Peter - Voted to take the article in the warrant relating to the manufacture of Salt Peter into consideration. Dr Samuel Gardner, Mr Josiah Vose and Mr Stephen Badcock were chosen a committee on this article - at a subsequent meeting the committee reported, that they think it advisable for the Town to Set up the works, and to employ such per- son or persons to carry it on as they shall think proper ; and recommend it to the inhabitants to encourage every private person that inclines to set it up.
Notices - The 21 of March, 1776. Surtain town orders was by the
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HISTORY OF MILTON.
Select mens order drawn out of this book to be posted up at the Meeting House - as namely
The first about the setting up of fence. - 2ª about Swine. - 3ª about hors- cese. - 4th about opening gats or bars set on ways. - 5th about anoyance of wais. 6th about sheep going with a keeper, and set up according to order.
Negro Slaves - Under the order passed Nov 19, 1754. That the Assessors of the several towns & districts within the Province send to the Secretaries office the exact number of the Negro Slaves both male & female sixteen years old and upwards that are within their towns & districts the following returns were made from Milton : -
MILTON, December 12, 1754.
We the subscribers Assessors in obedience to the within written order, have taken account of the Negro Slaves both male & female that are six- teen years old and upward, and find in the Town of Milton fifteen males and four females and no more that we know of.
NATHANIEL HOUGHTON, Assessors BENJA WADSWORTH, of
WILLIAM TUCKER, Milton.
Dog's Heads -" Voted to pay $2.00 a head for all dogs going at large and not being muzzled from Dec. 18, 1848, to Dec. 18, 1849." -In ac- cordance with this vote seventeen dogs' heads were brought to the Town Treasurer within the period limited, for which he paid a bounty of $34.00.
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SCHOOLS.
CHAPTER XI.
SCHOOLS.
O UR fathers were positively religious. The church and provisions for sustaining the gospel ministry received their first attention. Next came the education of the children and youth. So deeply were they impressed with the importance of education, for the best good of their children, and for the future well-being of the community and country they were building up around them, that this subject never failed to receive earnest consideration. In the public deliberations of the town, as appears from our records, the discussions regard- ing schools were of more frequent occurrence, and awakened a deeper interest than any other topic, except the church.
At first the privileges were very limited, by reason of the poverty of the people and the wide separation of families, and yet the opportunities of education, even then, fairly met the needs of the town.
A full and continuous narrative of the beginning and progress of the public and private schools of Milton through its long life of two hundred and twenty-five years would only suffice to meet the demands of this important subject on the historian ; while we are confined to single facts and individual cases scattered here and there through the years of the past, and are compelled to rest on general statements.
It would also be of the deepest interest to reproduce here a full roll of the noble men and women who have been engaged as teachers during the lapse of these centuries. We are able to present a perfect list of all our teachers for the last forty years, but when we go deeper into the past it is possible to glean only here and there a name from the multitudes who have dis- appeared. Our knowledge extends far enough, however, to make it evident that eminent and learned men and women have been among those whom we claim as Milton teachers.
SCHOOL LOT.
In the year 1670 the town of Milton petitioned the "fathers and brethren " of Dorchester for a tract of the common land
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HISTORY OF MILTON.
lying in Stoughton, for the benefit of the Milton schools. In 1706 the land was granted, and the "School Lot" of one hun- dred and fifty acres, situated in Stoughton, was set off to Milton. This proved to be a tract of unproductive land, yielding but slight income to the schools, and after holding it for seventy- five years it was sold by the town in 1782.
March 12th 1781 Edward H. Robbins, Capt. James Boies and Capt. Josiah Vose were chosen a committee with full power to sell the town's school lot, so called, lying in Stoughton, and to give a good deed or deeds to the pur- chasers in the name and behalf of the town.
GLIMPSES OF EARLIEST SCHOOLS.
Among the earliest records relating to schools we find the following : ----
March 4, 1669 Insign Ebenezer Tucker was chose scoole master for the west end of the town to teach children and youth to reed and write and he excepted the same. Thomas Vose was chosen scoole master for the East end of the town to teach children and youth to write, he excepting the same.
1702 May 25 The Select Men did indent and agree with Insign Ebenezer Clap to keep a writing school from this time till the public Town Meeting next March, and if but few came at any time, he does engage to sett them copies, but if at any time so many as 7 or 8 or more do come together, he will attend them and instruct them, and the said select men do Ingage in behalf of the town that he shall be paid for his so doing one penny for every copy in quarto, he bringing his account to the Select men.
THOMAS VOSE, Clark.
1711, March 10. " It was voted that there should be a school-house built."
The presumption is that this vote was not carried into effect, as seven years later two school-houses were built, at such points as would seem to accommodate all the people.
Milton the 17 December 1711 the Select men agreed with Mr Pamiter of Brantry to kepe scoole in Milton to instruct the children and youth to Read and Wright, and to begin the 18 of December Ensueing the date hereof and to continue to the 18 of March next ensuing, and for his so doing he is to have ten shillings per week for soporting himself unless he can be Dy- ated for less than four shillings per weke, then the said Pamiter is to abate so much of the ten shillings a week for his Dyat - and if he be wanting at any time, then he is to abate proporcionable out of his wages.
Entered by me EPHRAIM TUCKER, Town Clerk.
SCHOOL-HOUSES.
I can learn of only one school in Milton before the opening
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SCHOOLS.
of the eighteenth century which could be called a town school. Without doubt there were small schools in families and neigh- borhoods, kept in private houses, of which there was no record.
March 17, 1718. It was voted that there shall be two school-houses built for the use of the town. It was voted that the school-house that is to be built for the east end of the town, shall be built as near the Smiths Shop as may be with conveniency. Except land may be had be low Samuel Swifts house to sit it on. It was voted that the school-house that is to be built for the west end of the town shall be set on the land of Manasseh Tucker, near Mr. Higby's old house. It was voted that the School-houses that are to be built shall be 18 feet in length and 14 ft in width and six ft between joints. [At a subsequent meeting the same year these dimensions were changed to 20 ft. in length and 14 ft. in breadth.] It was voted that there shall be two committys to take care that the school-houses be built. Sirgant Whit Samuel Swift and John Badcock were chosen a comity to take care that the school-hous in the East end of the town be built. Lieut. Uos, Benjamin ffenno and Ebenezer Tucker were chose a comity to take care that the school-hous in the West End of the town be built. It was voted that the timber to build the school-houses shall be cut in the Church land, with Mr Thacher's consent. It was voted that the select men shall agree with Mr John Kinsley or som other to keep school al the year.
May 19. It was voted that the claw-boards and shingles that were provided to cover our meeting-house and not used shall be improved to cover our school-houses.
Up to this time it is supposed there had been but one school- house in Milton, located near the head of Churchill's lane. This, perhaps, was the first meeting-house utilized as a school- house after the building of the second meeting-house on the Robert Vose lot in 1671. The "smith's shop " was not far from this point on Milton Hill, and the new school-house was to be near the shop, unless land could be obtained below the house of Samuel Swift, which stood in the rear of Mr. Dudley's barn. Judge Sewall, in the account of the funeral of Rev. Peter Thacher, Dec. 22, 1727, says : "From thence went directly to the Hill, where is the smith's shop."
The school-house at the west end of the town was on Brush Hill, a little south of the house of Mr. William M. Ferry, quite near Brush Hill road.
Schools had been kept in both extremities of the town, but in such places as could be procured for the purpose, as appears from the following record : -
June 1712. Voted that there shall be a school kept in the East & West ends of the town as they shall agree about the place wher, and to be kept in equal shares one end with the other, and the charg to be provided by the town.
Again, in 1713 :- -
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HISTORY OF MILTON.
Voted that there shall be a school master for the two winter quarters and proportioned as may be most convenient for the instruction of the youth of the town. Ephraim Tucker was appointed school master the same day.
PERIOD OF WARS.
At this time there were one hundred and seventy tax-payers, with a population of about five hundred. These two schools sufficed to meet the needs of the town for fifty years. During this period the inhabitants were involved in the French and Indian wars, affecting the remotest dependencies of England and France. The New England colonies took up the quarrel against the French settlement with all the earnestness of a per- sonal conflict, knowing that France was bent on their con- quest. Milton contributed her full quota, and sent some of her best men on the expeditions planned for these protracted cam- paigns. But little time or money was left for home interests or improvements, only sufficient to meet the bare necessities of the town and the family.
In 1763 a treaty was ratified at Paris that put an end to the intercolonial wars, and thence the course of history leads from bloody conflicts to peaceful pursuits.
NEW PROGRESS.
The population of Milton had inereased to seven hundred and fifty, prosperity had returned, and the thoughts of the people were turned to their own home interests.
Three school-houses were built about this time, as appears from the records : -
May 16, 1768. Voted to accept the report of the committee for school affairs so far as to build two school-houses : viz. one on Mr Isaac How's land opposite the burying place twenty feet by twenty-four ; for this a tract of land was conveyed to the Town by Isaac How May 13, 1769; the other on Widow Patience Vose's land where formerly stood a blacksmiths shop.
Voted to build a school-house in that part of the town called Scott's Woods sixteen by twenty. Voted to choose committees to build the school-houses. 1st for the east end of the town Mr Josiah How, Mr William Badcock and Mr Daniel Vose : 2d for the West End of the town, Ebenezer Tucker, Capt. Lemuel Bent, Lieut. Samuel Davenport: 3d for Scott's Woods Stephen Miller Esq. Deacon Benjamin Wadsworth and Mr. Joseph Houghton. Voted that the committee to build the school house at the west end of the town have power to move thirty rods from the above- mentioned spot in case they can have a piece of land given sufficient for the purpose. Voted that the Committees chosen to build the school houses let them out to such persons as will build them the cheapest, on Monday the 30th day of this instant May at three oclock in the afternoon at the house
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SCHOOLS.
of Mr William Badcock inn-holder in Milton. Voted that Grammar schools be kept in two of the above said houses.
School wood to be found in the following manner: each schollar at his or her entering one foot of wood, or one shilling and four pence L. money in cash between the first of November, and the last of April. Recorded by AMARIAH BLAKE Town Clerk.
The school-house for the east end of the town stood on the west side of Churchill's lane, opposite the cemetery, on the Hunt estate, a short distance north of the barn. This was burned down eleven years after it was built, as we learn from the following record : -
March 1. 1779 Voted to build a school house in the east end of the Town near the Liberty Pole similar to the one burned down opposite the burying ground.
March 24 1783 It was voted to rebuild the school house lately burned near the burying ground.
There is no record of its being rebuilt.
The house at the west end stood on a knoll, now covered with cedars, on the west side of Canton avenue, north of the house of the late John D. Bradlee. Subsequently this old school- house was moved to Brush Hill turnpike, near "Davenport's Pond," and was occupied by Josiah Cotton and his family, the faithful servants of Isaac Davenport, and for many years the only colored family in Milton.
The Scott's Woods school-house stood at the end of a lane nearly opposite Harland street and the residence of Mr. Kennedy. It was moved in 1852, and is now the dwelling- house of Luther A. Ford.
Thus, at this early period there were five school-houses lo- cated in the different points of the town, and affording opportu- nities for attending school, as to distance, nearly as good as now enjoyed.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
In 1785 the town was divided into school districts or wards.
Oct. 3, 1785 The East end of the town to form one district; the mect- ing house being the Center: north west Mr Thachers farm so called, and Mr Shepards ; South East from the Meeting house to Braintree line :
Second District - from Mr Boises to Pauls Bridge [Mattapan & Brush Hill]. Third District - from Mr Stephen Clapps to Mr William Daven- port's [From Meeting house to Canton line]. Fourth District - from Mr Reeds to Mr Seth Cranes including the farm which Mr Gay lives on [from Reeds Lane to Canton line - Scotts Woods.]
Voted that the Grammar School shall be kept six months at the east end of the town; three months on Brush Hill and three months in Middle
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HISTORY OF MILTON.
Street. [Canton Avenue.] That Scotts Woods draw an equal proportion of money according to their taxes, provided the same is expended in keep- ing school, and shall be free from the expense of a Grammar School, but may have the privilege of sending latin scholars to the West end of the town and no others; that Brush Hill draw twenty seven pounds from the Town Treasurer to build a School house and Middle Street the same sum for the same purpose.
At all the grammar schools " Masters " were employed, com- petent to give instruction in Latin and fit boys for college. All other schools were commonly taught by "Dames." It is presumed that new school-houses were built at the above date for Brush Hill and Canton avenue, or Middle street, and in the locations before occupied, as money was appropriated to this purpose, which, in those days, was done only under stress of necessity, and as no further move was made for building school-houses in the west end of the town until 1812, when the " Old Brick " was built.
March 9 1812 Voted that the two west wards be united in one, on pe- tition of Oliver Houghton. Voted to grant the west district one hundred dollars towards building a school house in said ward.
These school-houses were all provided with teachers, - " masters " in the winter, and " dames" in the summer; and before the close of the last century the school terms occupied nearly as much of the year as our schools do at the present time.
May 9, 1791. Voted to provide a suitable school master qualified agree- able to law to keep school at the east end of the town ten months in the year, and also to provide a womans school six months in the year in the East end at such places as the select men shall think proper: and also to provide a school master of like description at the west end of the town for the term of six months, and two woman schools at the west end for the term of five months, and also to provide a schoolmaster of like description for the term of four months, and a woinans school for the term of six months at Scott's Woods; a new school house to be built at the east end of the town, and the school house at Scott's Woods to be repaired.
About this time, and in accordance with the above vote, the school-house was built on the east side of Adams street, near the residence of Col. O. W. Peabody, on a lot given for the purpose by Abel Alline in 1793. In this school several eminent and successful teachers were employed in the early part of this century.
SCHOOL APPROPRIATIONS.
The money appropriated for the support of schools in the last century was not often made a matter of record.
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SCHOOLS.
In 1795 it was divided among the district as follows: East Ward, £56 1s .; Brush Hill, &20 7s .; Middle street, £23 8s. The East was allowed £7, the other wards £3 each, for wood. Money not expended by the following June was to be returned into the town treasury. For several years prior to 1800 $500 seems to have been the annual appropriation for educational purposes.
SOME OF THE TEACHERS.
The masters in the west end of the town taught three months in the house on Middle street, the children from Brush Hill attending ; then the same teacher took the Brush Hill school for three months, and was followed to that school by the Middle-street pupils. Thus these sections had a master's school for the entire winter. In the summer there was a woman's school in each house. The teachers in this district generally boarded with Capt. Thomas Vose, who lived on the south-west corner of Atherton street and Canton avenue. At his decease, March 20, 1760, his daughter, Hannah Vose, continued to furnish a home for them. She had a large round-about chair handed down from her father, called the "Master's Chair," on which they were accustomed to carve their names; and, as changes were frequent, the wood-work of the chair was com- pletely covered with the names or initials of different masters. Some of our citizens remember of having seen on this chair the names of Roger Sherman, Ward Cotton, Dr. Peter Adams, and other prominent men who in former years were teachers in Milton. Roger Sherman was in Milton about 1738-40, before he was twenty-one years of age. While here, besides "teach- ing the young ideas how to shoot," he used his spare time as " cordwainer," and, according to custom, went from house to house with his kit of tools, tarrying long enough to make and mend the shoes of the family. He was shoemaker for the family of Capt. Vose, the father of Hannah. In later years, after he became famous in political life, he revisited Milton and the scenes of his youthful days, and sought out his early friends.
Dr. Jeremy Belknap taught school in Milton two years. Dr. Lemuel Hayward kept grammar school in Milton 1769-71. Deacon Jason Houghton, of Milton, everywhere known as Master Houghton, taught the Scott's Woods school for twenty-eight years. Sarah Glover was teacher of the Middle street school for nineteen consecutive summers. She kept a record of the christenings, marriages, and deaths in Milton from about 1774 to 1814, which should be preserved for its accuracy and fulness.
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