USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Templeton > The story of Templeton > Part 17
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However, in 1873, finances again were at a low ebb and the church edifice in poor condition. Business was stagnant, but the tide again turned in 1874, and the building was remodeled at a cost of $2000.00. Mrs. Alfred Peckham helped raise funds
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for a bell. The latter was placed by Robert McGown, Sr., and John Hunting.
One of the most active societies of the church has been the Ladies' Aid. They have not only assisted in the social life of the community but by hard work have raised money for a kitchen and other improvements. The Sunday school has grown under the leadership of various devoted members, the present superintendent (1946) being Robert Clogston; Mrs. Alice T. Wheeler is superintendent of the Primary De- partment.
Rev. Francis J. Hale became the minister in 1916 and was a much beloved pastor for nine years, supplying the Phillips- ton Chapel as well. Always optimistic, his preaching and contacts with those of other faiths, left a wide influence in the town. Mr. Hale died January 14, 1940, in East Templeton where his wife, Mrs. Hale, still carries on his helpful work, in cooperation with the Ladies Aid. His daughter, Mrs. Kenneth Mann has been the organist for several years.
In 1933, Rev. Fred M. Estes came to carry on the work and, again, extensive repairs were made under his leadership. A legacy from Miss Chestina B. Robbins did much to further this work and is known as the Chestina B. Robbins Memorial. Dr. Estes gave the altar in memory of his wife; the lectern was given by Mr. and Mrs. Clogston in memory of Mrs. Clogston's sister, Lillian G. Mann. Mr. and Mrs. Arthur G. Mann presented the gold cross in memory of Mrs. Mann's mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Pembroke Johnson; the read- ing lamp on the pulpit was given by Mr. and Mrs. Willis Armstrong in memory of their son, Harold; a lectern lamp by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pervier; two chancel chairs were the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harry A. Manton.
In 1900, a permanent parsonage was purchased on High Street where the present pastor, Rev. Wallace Hayes, lives (1946). The church is living proof of what can be accom-
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plished by a group of sincere and active people working for the cause of religion in a small community. Mrs. Hale, from whom most of these data were procured ended her fine history with these words:
"Lord, Thy church is praying yet, A hundred years the same; Unshaken as eternal hills, Immovable she stands."
MEMORIAL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
During the pastorate of Dr. Dexter, 1871-1875, at the Bap- tist Church in Baldwinville, several active members withdrew, holding services in private homes and Union Hall. Prayer meetings were held in a room over the office of Thompson, Perley and Waite.
They met on April 6, 1874, and voted "to take such measures under consideration as would bring their desires to that end and voted to organize a Congregational Society." A com- mittee was chosen to act with the pastor to draw up articles of Faith and Rules for church government. On May 13, 1874, it was voted to call an Ecclesiastical Council to examine and recognize the church. This Council was called and convened the first day of June, 1874, in the basement of the abandoned hat shop on the site of the Waite Chair Company, the only available place large enough. Churches from surrounding towns were invited, and Rev. Mr. Perry of the Tabernacle Church of Worcester preached the sermon. There were fifty- one charter members June 4, 1874.
The Parish was organized and the members of the first Parish Committee were: Daniel Thompson, Charles A. Perley, Amos D. Wiley, Willard Baker, O. D. Sawin, with Albert Bryant, clerk.
The services were held in Union Hall, where later the Fire
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Station was built. A small reed organ was donated by Mrs. Henry Smith. Church music was in charge of O. G. Davis, with Miss Lizzie Cady as organist and Abbie Thompson, assistant.
In May, 1875, a Sunday school was organized, with Charles A. Perley, superintendent. A "Ladies Society" was formed with Mrs. Sarah Thompson, its first president. This group of women were loyal and hard working in their efforts to keep the Society prospering. Strawberry festivals and suppers were often held with all the water brought from the neighboring hotel. To earn money for the church, they seated chairs, bound blankets for the mills and made quilts.
In 1877, Deacon Willard Baker built a chapel on the site of the house of the late Mrs. Mary Baker. Prayer meetings and work meetings were held there.
At a meeting of Church and Parish held March 14, 1881, it was decided to build a church edifice. A building com- mittee were the following: Charles A. Perley, O. D. Sawin, G. D. Fletcher, Willard Baker, A. D. Wiley, C. A. Smith, and Albert Bryant.
It was voted to call it "Memorial Church" in memory of two devoted missionaries from Baldwinville, Miss Roseltha Norcross and Dr. William Goodell. Plans were soon agreed upon and drawn by Fuler & Delano of Worcester. M. M. Favor of Gardner was the builder, at a cost of $9000. It was dedicated June 28, 1883.
Contributions were generous, and Reverend Robert H. Has- kins secured donations from Sunday schools of surrounding towns to help pay for memorial windows. Reverend A. P. Marvin of Lancaster was the acting pastor and presided.
At the 50th anniversary of the church, held June 25, 1933, there were three living charter members: Miss Mattie Bell Raymond, Mrs. Alice A. Perley, Miss Mary H. Stowe, the
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latter being the only resident charter member, and her mem- bership remained on the roll until her death. Mrs. Perley and Miss Stowe were present at that anniversary.
In 1898, it was decided to install a pipe organ for which an addition was needed, together with a choir loft. The cost of the addition was $3150. and the organ, $1500. The church was re-dedicated December 21, 1898, the Reverend John W. Hird being pastor. During 1921, a new heater was installed, and the kitchen location changed.
This "Memorial Church" stands as a living tribute to the two missionaries above mentioned. Miss Roseltha A. Nor- cross was a sister of Mr. R. Z. Norcross who lived on Reservoir Street. She was educated in the common schools which in- cluded the "Portable Templeton High School" of that day. At fifteen she was teaching in Winchendon, but at the out- break of the Civil War, entered Mt. Holyoke College and graduated in 1866. The next year, she sailed for Turkey under the American Board of Foreign Missions. She lived only four years after her arrival there and was buried where she labored, in Syria - a woman of extraordinary life and character.
Also on Norcross Hill where she was born, lived a family named Goodell. One of the sons, William, was born Feb- ruary 14, 1792. He, too, grew up in the common schools but prepared for Dartmouth College at Phillips Academy. He graduated with honors from Dartmouth and later from Ando- ver Theological Seminary. The next year, he sailed for Turkey under the American Board, where he labored for forty years. It is interesting to note that a warm friend of Dr. Goodell was Capt. Asa Turner of Templeton who became a home missionary in America when his contemporary was in Turkey. He established churches in the frontier towns, his first a Presbyterian Church in Quincy, Ill. Later he became pastor of the First Congregational Church in Denmark, Iowa.
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He became such a power in the religious life of the West that a book known as Magown's "Life and Times of Asa Turner" has been widely read. It can be found in the Boynton Public Library. A recent letter from the present minister of his church in Denmark, Iowa, asks if Templeton knows of his wonderful and distinguished influence throughout the West. Asa Turner was the son of Lieut. Edward and Hannah Turner and was born in Templeton, July 24, 1768. One of his de- scendants in this town is Mrs. Beulah Manning Wolcott.
In the memorial windows to Miss Norcross and Dr. Goodell may be seen the star and Turkish crescent. On the top of Dr. Goodell's half of the window is an open Bible on which are the words in Turkish letters "The Word."
Dr. Goodell gave to the common people of Turkey, the Bible, translating it into Turko-Armenian language. His was a noble life which commanded the admiration of the best men in America and England.
Ministers of Memorial Church
J. Payson Broad
1874-1877
C. M. Temple
1878
Robert W. Haskins
1879-1881
John T. Crumrine
1881-1883
A. P. Maroin
1883-
M. Angelo Dougherty
1883-1885
Roswell Foster
1885-1889
J. W. Hird
1889-1903
Richard Peters
1903-1908
Luther M. Keniston
1908-1911
Henry A. Coolidge
1911-1915
Amasa C. Fay
1915-1919
Edmund L. Smiley
1919-1929
R. Russell Denison
1929-1931
Joseph L. Prigmore
1932-1946
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CATHOLIC CHURCH
St. Martin's Catholic Church, situated in the village of Otter River, has a long and interesting history. Much has been written concerning it by Miss Mary Kelley of that parish to whom we are indebted for authentic information.
For more than two centuries, following the landing of the Pilgrims, the Catholic Church found no home in North Cen- tral Massachusetts. However, there were many Catholics in Boston and other coast towns who, even during the Revolu- tion, had won renown in the land of their adoption. George Washington on St. Patrick's Day, in 1790, in an address to the Roman Catholics of the United States said, "We can never forget the patriotic part which you took in the accomplish- ment of our Revolution and the establishment of our govern- ment." Yet, the early Catholic settlers in the United States suffered much bigotry and persecution, unfortunately, in the little hill towns of Massachusetts of which Templeton was one.
The first Irish Catholics in the town settled in Otter River during 1837 but being small in number, Rev. Father Fitton, in charge of the Hartford, Connecticut Parish, made occa- sional visits here. It appears evident that few of these early families remained, for the first Catholic settler seems to have been Patrick O'Brien who came in 1847, and in 1851, Rev. Matthew Gibson, pastor of Worcester and Fitchburg, cele- brated mass in Patrick O'Brien's house, which still stands, owned for years by Mrs. Bridget Goulding. Father Fitton was a man of brilliant attainments and one of the first to preach Christianity to the Passamaquoddy Indians. Chris- topher Columbus Baldwin writes as of April 4, 1834, in Worcester, "I had a visit today from the Rev. James Fitton, a Catholic priest from Hartford, Connecticut. He told me he was the first native of Boston to preach the Catholic faith in
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New England, having been born in Boston, April 10, 1805. He is the editor of the Catholic Press in Hartford. His father was Abraham Fitton who came from County Lancaster, Eng- land, to Boston in 1790. On April 7, 1834, Father Fitton assembled the Catholics in Worcester and those from factories at Millbury, about sixty, besides women and children."
"I believe this to be the first Catholic sermon ever preached in Worcester. After service, a subscription was taken with a view to raising money for the erection of a chapel, and, in addition to this, another $100. was procured to defray Father Fitton's expenses from Hartford; thus enabling him to visit the Catholics in different places of Massachusetts and Connec- ticut, of which Otter River was one."
Father Fitton became the first pastor of the dedicated Christ Church of Worcester in 1841, only remaining two years, when he returned to Boston. "The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester owes its origin to Rev. James Fitton. He had estab- lished in the city at the church, over which he had charge, a primary and grammar grade of school; but this did not satisfy him as he desired the establishment of a more ad- vanced school for boys, partaking of a seminary for theolo- logical study. For this purpose, he purchased a farm of fifty or sixty acres on the north side of Boagachaoag or "Hill of Pleasant Springs," about one mile south of the town, between what was known as "Ward and Millbury Road", on the very spot where the famous John Eliot had gathered the Indians in his Wigwam Church to listen to his preaching." (Rev. Thomas J. Conaty, D. D.) The athletic field of Holy Cross College is named Fitton Field.
For several years it was uncertain where and when Mass would be sung and confessions heard in Otter River. They ranged from the little red school house to the home of William Sullivan, now occupied by his grandson, William O'Brien.
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Many couples were married from this same house before the church was dedicated. During this period, many Irish Cath- olic men and their families settled in or adjacent to Otter River, but the majority were young, unmarried men. In 1853, this energetic and devout group resolved to have a permanent place of worship. A meeting was called and a committee ap- pointed to collect money. The land on which the church stands was part of the Charles Church property. All the timber con- struction was cut off the Hosmer lot and was sawed out by an old fashioned "up-and-down" saw in the John and Edward Hosmer sawmill, now known as the Day Mill. Daniel Murphy drew the lumber with a yoke of oxen; about $500.00 was col- lected and, together with willing hands, a severely plain build- ing was erected with neither porch nor vestibule. The pews were purchased from the First Parish of Templeton Center for $95.00, having been removed during one of its restorations. Being the old box and high-backed type, they were cut down and somewhat modernized. In those days, $95. represented at least ninety-five days' work, and Martin Glasheen advanced the money. In 1854, the modest building was finished and dedicated by Rev. Matthew Gibson and called St. Martin's.
The church was raised to parochial dignity in January, 1864, and its first resident pastor was Rev. Thomas Bannon. The latter purchased the house just below the schoolhouse as his personal property. Mass was celebrated every second Sunday, alternate Sundays at the Missions of surrounding towns. Many times thirty or forty horses, with every style of vehicle, were at- tached to trees and fences and many of the faithful walked long distances. An organ was secured and a choir organized. Joseph Miller, followed by Etta Bunn, were the organists, both Protes- tants, who gave their services. The present organ is the fourth to be installed and Mrs. Helen Gammell is the organist. (1946)
During the pastorates of the many clergymen, various
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changes, repairs and additions for betterment have been made, including the parochial residence opposite the church. The last extensive changes were made through the efforts of Father Dolan who assumed the pastorate in 1916. Later, Father Fitzgibbon renovated and artistically transformed the interior. The seating capacity has been enlarged by building out the altar from the rear, the gift of Rev. John Conway of Win- chendon during the pastorate of Rev. Father Prendergast. Gradually other towns associated with the church were raised to parochial dignity. Through the united efforts of priests, members and friends of historic St. Martin's, its present edi- fice is a credit and memorial to all of them.
One of the town's early industries contributed its share to the services of St. Martin's. Every farmer kept bees and a candle factory provided work for several men, making pure beeswax candles, and even after sperm oil and kerosene lamps became popular, this small factory continued to make candles for churches, shipping some of them to New York City. The factory was near the present Henshaw farm, and the old kettle was still there when Mr. Henshaw took possession.
Once in the early days, when Lord & Stone were in business in Otter River, one of their faithful men of many years had a great affection for his employers, but he was most anxious as to their being saved since they were not Catholics. He went to his priest asking if anything could be done to secure their safety hereafter. The understanding priest said, "Do not worry, William, the good God will take care of them."
As we end this chapter on the churches of Templeton, let us pray that his answer comes true. It is for us, descendants of these Christian founders, inspired by their faith and zeal, to keep religion our first concern; may we, as individuals, help bring about the day when with Robert Browning, we can truly sing, "All's right with the world."
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Education in Templeton by
CARRIE BISHOP PAINE
EARLY SCHOOLS OF TEMPLETON
I N the original division of lands in the township, one lot was reserved for schools. This school lot, No. 36, was in the southeasterly part of the town and included Cook's Pond.
There were no schools supported by grants of public money until after the incorporation of the town. In 1763, for the first time, a small sum of money was granted by the town for schools. In 1769, lot No. 36 was sold for about $187.00. This sum, together with money obtained from the sale of "pew ground" in the meeting house, was set apart as a school fund; but this money was later diverted to other uses.
In 1776, the school money was divided - each "squadron" or division of the township receiving an amount commen- surate with the number of children between four and sixteen years of age. In 1779, this age requirement was changed to between four and twenty-one years of age.
In early times, the town did not build or own the school- houses. Sometimes the one-room structure was built by the voluntary contributions of the people in that "squadron"; sometimes the school was conducted in a private home. In 1787, a town committee was chosen to appraise the value of the schoolhouses then existing and to purchase the same from their owners. In 1801, it was voted to grant each district $100.00 to build a schoolhouse, the town to own and keep it in repair. In 1789, the legislature enacted a law which per-
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r
mitted the townships to divide their territorial units into school districts; and in 1805, the "squadrons" were so renamed in Templeton.
For many years after - 1814 to 1869 - the schoolhouses were owned and kept in repair by the districts, each district raising the money by taxation.
There were nine districts in Templeton:
District
I Center
"
II South School
"
III Partridgeville
„
IV Baptist Common
" V Church Hill
"
VI
Factory Village (Otter River)
"
VII West Village - Bowkersville or
Brooksvillage
VIII Baldwinville
IX East Templeton
Previous to 1815, teachers were examined by the minister, Dr. Wellington, to ascertain as to their fitness; but after that date, a committee was chosen by the town to administer the schools. In 1826, towns were required to choose a committee of three members for this purpose. In 1857, the number of this committee was changed from three to a multiple of three.
For many years, the three ministers at the center of the town - Dr. Adams, Dr. Sabin and Dr. Bushnell - served as this committee.
"We have been given some very vivid pictures of these early schools by those who knew them firsthand. District No. 2 school was thus described by Mrs. Almira Parkhurst in her 85th year (1901):
"The old schoolhouse was situated about halfway between Fales Village and Partridgeville. All the scholars from both villages went to this school, with its large open fireplace
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where they used to burn four-foot wood. When the scholars entered the room, they were all required to make their obei- sance - that is, the boys to make a bow, the girls to make a curtsy. At the close of school, at night, they were told by the teacher that if they met anyone on the street, going home, to show their manners in the same way. In the winter, when the snow was very deep, my father used to carry us to school, sometimes on the ox sled, and we used to enjoy it very much. We had only two terms of school, summer and winter school. Most every family tried to show the teachers some respect by inviting them to their homes, but that custom was dropped long ago. Our District No. 2 - and it included both villages, Fales Village and Partridgeville - had a goodly number of scholars; and many from the old schoolhouse made very smart businessmen. Several went West a great many years ago and made for themselves a high mark in the world as regards property and influence. After the division of the district, they had schoolhouses built in both districts. The schools were divided somewhere about 1834."
Mrs. John Green gives her recollections of District No. 3: "My first recollection of its character came when I must have been about four years old. I was sent with two older cousins to the schoolhouse on Mine Hill, where I was placed on what was called 'one of the low seats'. The square-shaped building had a narrow entry, so styled, with a door opposite the entrance door which divided the rows of nails, designated on the right as 'the boys' side' and on the left, 'the girls' side'. Happily, it was a summer term, and I had only a sun- bonnet to take off, so it made small difference to me or to my cousins whether it was hung up or not. Miss Maria Cutting was the teacher. Perhaps I was small for my age, but I shall never forget my mortification at being called to her side and asked to read, 'ab, ib, ob'.
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"I had read many of the 'Rollo' books then distributed to children from a district library. I do not not know how this library was obtained, but I take pleasure in acknowledging my delight in all the books I read from it. Once in my child- hood, I remember that my father was librarian, and from the number of shelves the books occupied, I should presume there were about 30 volumes. Being 'only a girl', I was never permitted to attend one of these school meetings; but I re- member my father always went, and not infrequently carried with him pens, ink and papers, so I assume they were more or less formal. I remember hearing that somebody was se- lected to hire the teacher for the two terms, summer and winter. I loved all the teachers, male or female; but I hated the 'big boys', and my 'noonings' were intolerable. It was terrible to be a little girl when there were 16 or 18 boisterous boys about.
"In those days we carried our dinners in tin pails which were duly placed under the wooden seats (from which our young legs dangled in most unhygienic style) or were hung up with our sunbonnets and hats. The seats were ranged on either side of a central aisle which was about one-third the width of the building. The oldest scholars sat on the back seats that ran the whole length of the building next to the wall. The next oldest sat on the second tier, and the wee ones on the boards below, without support in front or at the sides. Sometimes, on warm summer afternoons, sleep overcame us; and we were laid out with the teacher's shawl for a pillow and slumbered until we rolled off to the floor when we shame- facedly picked ourselves up or wept aloud, sometimes re- fusing to be comforted.
"There were evenings of excitement when spelling matches were in vogue, and proud indeed was the youngster who spelled down his own father or the older scholars. To the
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schoolhouse we gleefully sped after supper, for the spelling bee, bringing with us candles and lanterns; trudging over the snow with the mercury well on to zero, never dreaming that it was anything but the greatest fun. What fun it was to break roads after a big snow that came in the night! We all rejoiced when we could go to school on the sled. To be sure, we sometimes had to thaw out one another's fingers, noses or ears, but it never fazed the victim. There was always snow enough to rub on the frozen member; and there were never any wild murmurings or martyrs' sighing. Then the visits of the school committee! How profound was our terror of the reverend gentleman who came with patriachal dignity and supreme authority. Light indeed was the heart when the fatal questions in arithmetic had been correctly answered, the geography questions calmly disposed of, and the reading commendably ended."
The following description is taken from Elizabeth Welling- ton Lord's "The Story of a New England Town":
"The little buildings were usually painted red. Seats were arranged on the sides of the room, built on a platform, with the desks against the wall and a form outside of them. The older scholars sat there with their faces turned toward the wall. Around these seats was another form on which the younger children sat. The teacher's desk was elevated and was reached by three or four steps. The room was warmed by a fireplace. There was no regular boy to attend the fire. Just before the close of school, at the end of the day, the teacher would ask some boy to volunteer to 'put on the fire' for the next day; and if no boy volunteered, the teacher ap- pointed someone. The boys cut the wood, and the girls took turns in doing the sweeping and dusting. When the scholars entered and went out, they made obeisance to the teacher, and they always rose when the minister or school committee en-
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tered. There were no blackboards, and slates, with their at- tached sponges, came at a later date. The pupils used unruled paper. The teacher's salary was small so, to eke it out, she was 'boarded around', as it was called, spending two weeks with one family, then two weeks with another. Reading, writing and arithmetic formed the basis of instruction.
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