USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1854-1857 > Part 2
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
Russell George H.
1 50
Stokes Richard 1 50
Robbins Daniel 15 93
1 50
Sinclare Robert 1 50
Sutton Thomas 1 50
Russell James S. 10 08
Stacy Nathan
1 50
Russell 2d. George C. 14 57
Scheirden Francis
1 50
Robbins Joshua
57 37
Setchell W. F. A.
10 08
Russell heirs of James
Shaw James
1 50
imp. by Moses Proc- tor
16 77
Rich Leonard 1 50
Soles William 3 84
Sweat William S. 2 28
Smith Rev. Samuel A. 4 82
Richardson Mark A. 5 40
Swan Harrison 1 50
Rutter George
Ruffley Henry 1 50
Swan 2d Charles 1 50
Stines James
1 50
Russell George C. 35 82
Russell George C. trus-
20
Squires John P. $29 68
Taylor William
$1 50
Sanders wid. Mary
2 34
Timothy - 1 50
Swan Henry
18 37
Teel George S. 18 27
Swan Samuel
17 49
Thaxter James
8 33
Schouler & Bro. Robert 52 46
Thorp Albert
1 50
Schwamp J. & C.
4 97
Tufts wid. Helen
1 95
Swain B. D.
3 45
Teel Joseph
27 14
Swan est. of Henry
14 92
Thorp Thomas
12 03
Scwamp Jacob
1 50
Tufts Capt. Benjamin
21 00
Swan Martha
3 12
Tufts Ephraim
84 56
Swan Timothy
48 46
Taft H. B.
9 69
Schouler John
72 77
Tufts Horatio
1 50
Swan Charles
1 50
Trask M. C.
5 21
Teel Albert 11 25
Teel Thomas H.
72 78
Teel Thomas R.
8 13
Tecl est. of B. C.
8 48
Storer Edward 13 89
Society Baptist
50 87
Stearns Leonard
33 97
Smith Edward
32 32
Smith James E. 1 50
Stearnes George 33 97
Smith Francis
6 96
Smith Joseph
5 01
Simpson Alonzo
13 20
Sheen John 2 87
Starkweather E. C.
15 93
Swan Stephen
55 47
Symmes Stephen
46 94
Symmes jr. Stephen
13 89
Schwamb Charles
2 67
Schwamp Peter
1 50
Shay Henry
1 50
Swan heirs of Gershom 17 75 Smith Rev. Samuel guar-
dian for E. P Smith 5 38
Do. for Sarah Smith 6 55
Do. for E. D Smith 7 09
T.
Tufts Charles H. 1 50
Toomey Cornelius 3 45
Trask Cooledge 1 50
Thorp Thomas E. 1 50
Toomey Michael 1 50
U.
Underwood Dr. Joseph 14 37 Underwood Napoleon 17 88
V.
Vaughn Michael
1 50
W.
Whittemore C. B. 5 40
Woods B. F. 10 09
Walker Edwin R. 6 18
Wallace W. J. 3 06
White Charles 1 50
Wyman James
14 27
Wellington Henry
1 50
Willey Hobbs
1 50
Walker C. A. 4 04
Whittemore Horatio F. 1 50
Whittemore wid. Sarah 57 33 Woodbridge James M. 2 48 Woods William T. 11 25
Woods Isaac 3 84
Wyman John P. 9 30
Wyman John & A. P. 58 51 Wyman heirs of S. imp.
by M. C. Kenney 5 85
Woodard George W.
1 50
Spear Joseph S.
18 27
Swan wid. Phebe
16 77
Snelling est. of Char- lotte 13 65
Tufts Henry 18 27
21
Wright Stephen E. $1 50
Word Samuel 1 50
Wyman Abner P. 16 32
Walton Edmond 4 23
Wilson James
1 50
Washburn C. L. 3 45
Whittemore wid. E. L. 3 65
Ward Willard 2 67
Wait wid. Cynthia 5 85
Wyman heirs of Sam'l 30 55
Wellington est. of Tim- othy 78 68
Wyman Joseph 56 12
Warren Marshall S. 1 50
Whittemore William A. 75 29
Winn Albert 72 19
Whitten J. W. 33 87
Woodbridge John R. . 3 84
Woodbridge Henry 1 50
Whitteridge Thomas 1 50
Whitten Robert 1 50
Walland Daniel 1 50
Watson James 1 50
Welch Thomas 1 50
Wiggins Joseph 1 50
Walton Joshua 1 50
Wheeler Daniel 1 50
Woodbury Charles T. 1 50
Woodbridge S. F. 84 80
Wellington J. O. 78 26
Winn Charles G. 98 12
Warner James 1 50
White Nathaniel 1 50
Woodbridge Samuel 3 45
Winn Albert, guardian for M. D. Frost,
35 10
Winn wid. S. 2 73
Whittemore Wm. H. 51 81
Whittemore Charles
13 20
2%
Winneck est.of Wm.B. $23 69 Whittemore Gershom 20 90 Whittemore Henry 33 09 Whittemore Henry trus- tee for Isaac Coffin 3 90
Whittemore Henry trus- tec for E. A. & H. C. Whittemore 60 06
Whittemore Henry C. 1 50 Whittemore wid. Re- becca 36 35
Wells Sarah 5 27
Winn Russell & Schou- ler 8 97
Whittemore est. of Jon- athan 78 59
Whittemore Francis H. 27 24 Whittemore est. of El- bridge 11 70
Wilson wid. Sally 1 56
Winn John 11 25
Wilson Horace 6 97
Winship Oliver 1 99
Wellington David K. 14 76
Wyman James M., 1 60
Whittemore Fessenden & 27 30
Whittemore heirs of
William
34 52
Wyman jr. Luke 14 76
Wyman Luke 35 82
Wyman wid. Mary 2 63
Wright est. of Joshua 7 80
Y.
Yoar Michael 3 06
Yates Charles 1 89
Yates wid. Almira 21 39
Yates est. of Joseph 15 60
LIST OF NON-RESIDENTS.
AS ASSESSED
For the Year 1855.
Wid. Francis Bowman $3 90
George Adams $9 39
Philander Ames 98
Heirs of John L. Sullivan 5 85 Jacob Handscomb 2 93
William Cotting 67 57
David Cooledge 1 56
C. W. Kingsley 8 78
Dr. Benjamin Cutter 13 26
Smith Lougee 53 24
Wid. Susan Hoffmaster 4 39
J. V. Fletcher 36 49
William Horne 1 56
Thomas Hutchinson 19 73 Est. of Stephen Robbins 16 77 Henry Wellington, jr. 16 39
Heirs of David and Jo- siah Kendall
2 15
Est. of Micajah Locke 17 00
Asa Locke 11 31
Michael Campbell
1 37
Phineas Lawrence 6 72
Joseph Dickson 3 51
Est. of Emerson Parks 7 80
Francis Russell guard'n
3 12
Wid. Abig'l Richardson 2 73
Francis Russell 3 42
Josiah Bright 1 17
Nathan Smith 6 34
William A. Russell 15 60
Jeremiah Russell 2 26
Levi Russell 12 29
James M. Fessenden 2 05
Widow Lydia Whitney
John R. Hagan 8 97
Reuben Reed 21 26
78
George Cutler
3 90
Isaac Sanderson
49
Silas Cutler
11 70
Frederick Tudor 126 85
Est. of James Brown
66 09
J. W. Converse . 29 64
Jefferson Cutter
14 82
William Marlborough 22 23
John S. Ellis
1 56
Thaddeus Fisk
53 63
S. Lynch 24 57
Moses A. Gatchell
9 75
Watson Goward
17 55
James L. Pitts
2 34
Joseph Palmer 1 95
M. C. Kenney
20 28
Mr. Glidden 4 68
Est. of James Brown
Earl W. Johnson 15 02 imp. by Edw. Brown 16 19 N. Packard, 39 00
Timothy Whittemore 15 60
Frederic Tudor, imp. by
Fisk Elbridge 8 19
John Swan, jr.
1 17
& Walter H. Russell 3 46 James Stearns
John Thayer 4 29.
$16 58 Rev. Mr. Green $1 95
L 1 56 Jacob Stearns 78
5 83 William Munroe
2 73
65 13 Oliver Winship 3 51
8 19
Aaron Locke
59
78 B. F. Allen
9 85.
Samuel .
19 50
Est. of Anna Tufts 1 17
Adolphus Davis
33 93
John Swan
2 15
Dr. G. H. Dadd
6 50
Thomas Dewer
78
Washington Jacobs
1 56
William White
78
P. D. Wallace
78 Daniel White
1 76
John W. Prentiss
98 Est. of J. C. Collins 78
Jonas Viles
4 29
E. R. Collins
1 56 98
Edward Riddle
3 51
Veasey Joseph A. 27 89
J. C. Chase
9 36
Est. of Preston Shepherd 9 75
The above is a true and correct copy of a list of Town, State, and County taxes for the Town of West Cambridge, assessed upon the Polls and Estates of the inhabitants of said Town, and also the non-residents, according to a valuation, as taken by subscribers on the first of May, A. D. 1855, and committed to Josiah H. Russell for collection for the current ยท year, with their warrant in due form of law.
THE AMOUNT OF TOWN VALUATION.
Real Estate,
$2.060.484
Personal Estate,
1.208.870
$3.269.354 which at 3 9-10 mills on the
dollar pays -
- $12.750 48
743 Polls
.
-
1.144 50
$13.864 98
Town Grant, 10.500 00
County Tax, 1.611 48
State Tax,
1.239 50
Overlayings,
514 00
$13.864 98
STEPHEN SYMMES, JR., WILLIAM DICKSON, J. O. WELLINGTON, West Cambridge, June 1855.
Assessors of the Town of W.Cambridge.
J. M. Baldwin
1 56
William Bullock
-
REPORT
OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE OF WEST CAMBRIDGE,
FOR 1854-5.
IN making up the Report of the School Committee for the past year, we shall aim to present to the inhabitants of the town as clear a statement as possible of the condition of the schools at the present time, and the progress that has been made. We shall endeavor to fill our report with what facts and statistics we have been able to gather, as evidence of the' manner in which the Committee, and those placed in charge as teachers of your children, have fulfilled their several duties.
We are perfectly aware that it is unnecessary at this day, to plead the cause of education. It is equally unnecessary to press upon your attention the great utility of our public schools. These matters you all understand and appreciate. You are willing to tax yourselves largely and freely for the education of the young ; you are willing and desirous to make education free and open to all, without cost to the child so that the son or daughter of the poorest man in the commu- nity may derive as much benefit from our public schools as the children of the wealthiest tax-payer among you. All you ask is, that the money raised for the support of schools shall be judiciously and properly expended, so as to produce the best and largest results. You ask of your Committee to report to you the manner in which the schools have been con- ducted, and the profit derived from the generous provisions
25
made by the town. In the following pages, according to the best of our ability, we give you the desired information, be- ginning with the
CENTRE DISTRICT.
At the commencement of last year, the charge of the Gram- mar School went into the hands of Mr. C. L. Washburn, a young man educated at one of our State Normal Schools for the profession of teaching. He came here with good recom- mendations as to character and success as a teacher, and your Committee believe they have not been disappointed in the choice made. When Mr. Washburn took the school, from a series of previous disasters and disappointments, it was in- a low and disordered condition. It had lost its confidence and courage. But we are happy to state that, through the skill, energy and industry of the present teacher, aided by a ready co-operation of his pupils, the school, in one short year, has risen, in many points of excellence, to a condition never enjoyed before.
Many sound and valuable improvements have been made. The Committee have been much gratified to witness the change that has taken place within the school-room in regard to order, promptitude and studious deportment. We wish we could speak as favorably of the out-door conduct of the members of this school. Complaints have reached us in regard to rude- ness on the part of the boys, while engaged in their sports and recreations around the building and in the streets. We are sorry for the reputation of the school to hear any such reports, and should not speak of them here, were it not with the hope of their immediate correction thereby. We regard the character as dearly as we do the reputation of the schol- ars; and arc of the opinion that no intellectual brilliancy, or attainments of scholarship, can excuse or compensate for rudeness to strangers, or the invasion of others' rights. This is an unpleasant matter to allude to in a report to be made public, and we trust the occasion for it will not occur again.
The school has been well attended during the year, and an
40
unusual interest manifested in the various studies pursued. Especially has great attention been paid to Geography and Arithmetic. The teacher has aimed to instruct by giving the plain and comprehensible principles on which a thorough knowledge of the subjects in hand are founded. After a pupil knows the principle of a thing, he can easily understand the facts : he can understand a rule in Arithmetic after he sees the principle and the reason for it. The principles of map- drawing have been taught, and the scholars, who have given their attention to it, have made remarkable progress, giving us, at the examination, some fine specimens of outline maps drawn upon the blackboard. In other branches, such as His- tory, Philosophy, Physiology, Book-keeping, Grammar, Punc- tuation, fair progress has been made. In Mental Arithmetic, the smaller classes were somewhat deficient. In the reading there is also some deficiency as to style and manner. There is a stiff declamatory tone - a want of flexibility of voice, man- ifested in the older scholars, that ought to be abandoned. But in these respects we have witnessed some improvement for the past year. We have only to add that the school has been well and ably taught, and is now in a prosperous and satisfac- tory condition.
The Primary School in this district has been in charge of Miss L. C. Tucker, a teacher of such well known abilities and success, as to need no praise at our hands. Her school comprises the usual studies of the primary department. It is the duty of the teachers in this department, to take children upon their first entrance, and fit them for the next grade. They are transferred to the Grammar School by qualification and not by age or size. Our standard of qualification for the upper school comprises Mental Arithmetic, Elementary Geography, Reading and Spelling plain English, and other little, but necessary subjects found in the spelling book. When these are gone through with in a thorough manner, and the children are able to take more advanced studies and go on with them in classes, we deem them fitted for removal to the Grammar School. We make this statement here, because some, who never visit the schools, complain of our method of
27
transference from one to the other. We are aware that, in this school in particular, quite a number of children were sent up a year ago, too young, and at an unusual time. We think it was an injury to the scholars thus transferred; but it was done by a former member of the board, without the concur- rence of his associates.
The school for the past year has gone on pleasantly and prosperously, and notwithstanding it was suspended a short time in the winter, on account of sickness, and for a number of weeks was thin in attendance, it passed a creditable and satisfactory examination. The school is in good hands, is advancing rapidly, and the parents have reason to rejoice that their children are under the management of one who takes so much pains, not only to instruct them properly, but to culti- vate within them amiable feelings and gentle manners.
NORTH-WEST DISTRICT.
The Grammar School in this part of the town has been under the tuition of the present incumbent, Mr. Silas Peabody. During the time Mr. Peabody has had charge of this school, it has gone on increasing every term, and every year, in inter- est and character. The district has been very fortunate in retaining his services for so long a time. He devotes his time and energies wholly to his profession, and we see the stamp of his mind and force of character in the conduct and ability of his pupils. This school, for the year past, has maintained a high rank, embracing studies and exercises scarcely inferior to those found in High Schools and Academies. One cause of its prosperity is, that the scholars in this district have remained in school until they are old enough to appreci- ate the worth and advantages of education, and able to go beyond the mere preliminaries of the District School. For thorough culture 'and solid attainments, we believe there are no scholars in town, whether educated at private schools or in the city, that are in advance of those in this district. This school, in fact, embraces nearly all the studies and branches found in a High School. At the annual examination, there
28
were classes which acquitted themselves with great credit in Ackley's Algebra, performing and explaining the most difficult examples ; in the study of Euclid, through the seventh book ; in Astronomy, in Natural Philosophy, in Greenleaf's Arithme- tic; in Geography, Physiology, Reading, Writing, and Mental Arithmetic. In Geography and Arithmetic this school excels. The pupils are thoroughly drilled in principles, and know all they pretend. The examination gave great satisfaction. The younger as well as the older scholars have had due share of attention, and so far as we can judge there has been no cause of complaint on the part of any member of the district.
Mr. Peabody, during the winter term, has had the assist- ance of two of his older pupils, Miss Locke, and Miss Farmer, and the classes in their care have been well instructed.
The Primary School was commenced by Miss Adeline A. Foster, but by her resignation, about the middle of the first term, it passed, by the election of the Committee, into the care of Miss Mary C. Hill, a young lady belonging in the dis- trict, who had had some experience in teaching. The school here is quite large, and has always been rather difficult to manage and govern. It is probably the most difficult in some respects of any school in town. There is a large number of bright and amiable children in this district, whose parents take all necessary pains to make them what they ought to be at home and in school; but there are many others, who do not seem to manifest much domestic care or training; conse- quently they make trouble, and cause the teacher much anxiety and labor.
Owing to the size of this department and the cause above mentioned, the Committee, at different times during the year, have taken occasion to send into the Grammar School quite a number of Miss Hill's scholars, and some of them perhaps a little deficient in qualification. This has more nearly equal- ized the two departments, and has proved beneficial both to those taken out and those left behind.
Miss Hill is a young teacher, but is earnest, industrious and
29
anxious to instruct and improve her pupils. We believe she has spared no pains to discharge her duty. She possesses many excellent qualities for a teacher. Her amiable disposi- tion, combined with little more firmness and experience, will, we believe, make her perfectly successful in her profession. Considering the fact of so recent a change of teachers, which almost always retards a school's progress for the time being ; and also that the numbers have been large and the scholars young, the examination, at the close, was very creditable, and more than met the expectations of the Committee.
SOUTH DISTRICT.
The Grammar School has been under the care of Mr. C. J. Frost. This school has numbered about the same as in former years, but has not had in attendance so many large and advanced scholars. Consequently, there has been some falling off in the higher branches of study. But still the school has sustained a high rank, embracing classes in French, Latin, Algebra, Geometry, Physiology, Philosophy, Arithmetic, Geo- graphy, Grammar and History. All these branches have been pursued with credit to the pupils. They have mastered their text-books so far as they have gone. They have, perhaps, been confined too closely to the text-books, and have not made themselves so familiar as they ought with general principles. They have not learned to apply their book- knowledge to practical and general subjects - are unable to illustrate cleary, and explain the principles on which the conclusions in the book are founded.
This was found to be the case in Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, and some one or two other branches. In Reading, the school has improved; in Mental Arithmetic also. The compositions read at the examinations were also very credit- able, some of them evincing a degree of excellence hardly to be expected in scholars so young.
At the close of the examination, Mr. Frost, who has been the teacher here for eleven years, with much feeling gave the Committee his resignation, having that day been appointed to
30
the High School at Concord. Both scholars and parents part with Mr. Frost with deep regret. He has labored diligently in his profession, has done much good in the district, is a man of high and pure aims, and we wish him success and happiness in his new field of labor.
The Primary School is still taught by Miss A. A. Douglas. Previous reports have spoken of Miss Douglas' qualifications as a teacher, and we have only to say that her success the past year justifies all that has been said.
The district is fortunate in enjoying her services for so long a time. Her school presents a good appearance -is well taught, and the teacher takes much pains to instil into the minds of her pupils principles of virtue, amiability and self- respect. The whole district is fortunately situated in this respect; being remote from a thick settled village, and those influences which tend to attract the mind from study, the children escape many temptations which surround others, and plunge them into folly and indiscretion.
Miss Douglas' department comprises the usual studies of the Primary school. The children have made good progress, and passed a very excellent examination in almost every branch. The classes in Reading and Geography did remarka- bly well. The school is in good and competent hands, and we believe fully meets the wants and expectations of the parents, as it does the approbation of the Committee.
EAST DISTRICT.
We have now but one school more to report, and that is the Primary School in this district, now under the charge of Miss S. M. Chase. The first term of the year was kept by Miss H. C. Robinson, the former teacher. She resigned, and Miss Harriett S. Hill was elected to fill the vacancy. Miss Hill remained as teacher but one term, during which time the school was prosperous, and her labors perfectly satisfactory to all.
But, for reasons relating to her own interests, she resigned in the fall, leaving the school, for the second time in the year,
31
without an instructor. Miss S. M. Chase, the present incumbent, was elected to the situation.
Of course it is to be expected that the school has suffered some disadvantage from such a succession of changes. Some- times changes occur that are beneficial -as when a school passes from the hands of a poor, into those of a good teacher. But frequent changes from one teacher to another of equal ability and fitness, cannot be otherwise than deleterious to the progress of the school. It has been the peculiar lot of this district to suffer in this particular. But we trust their day of suffering is about over, and that henceforth they will enjoy the benefits of a competent and constant teacher. Miss Chase is well qualified for her situation, and possesses those natural gifts which enable her to win the love, and command the respect of her pupils. She is earnest in the discharge of her duties, and we think is fully entitled to the confidence and cordiality of the district.
We have thus given you a brief outline of the condition of our several schools. Under the existing system we believe they have been as prosperous and as well conducted the past, as any year previous. We have had good and faithful teach- ers; the attendance has been pretty constant and punctual, and there seems to have been a desire on the part of the pupils of the several schools to advance and improve all they could. Quite a number who have been members of these schools felt that this would be their last year as scholars, and they have labored accordingly. They have left school but with the feeling that their education and knowledge are not at all inferior to that of others of their age, acquired at - private and more fashionable institutions. Our school system is not very perfect in this town, - our school houses are not the most commodious, yet the children of our common schools are as well educated, and as far advanced, as most any others in the Commonwealth. There are but few towns in the State that pay more per scholar than we do. We are the 15th on the list out of 328 towns paying for the education of each child $7.25 per year, exclusive of private funds.
32
which if added to the amount raised by tax, would place us about the 5th town in the state. We believe that, with this liberal expenditure, we ought to have better accomodation for our schools, for some of them at least. About $500 were expended last year in the North-West District to remodel and repair the Grammar School-room. It is now a pleasant and beautiful room. But the Primary School-rooms in that and all the other districts need the same. The young children need easy seats and a pleasant room, as much as the older ones, and even more so.
There is another matter to which we must call your atten- tion and that is, the subject of Intermediate Schools. We nced certainly two Intermediate Schools; one in the Cen- tre and the other in the North-West District. In one of these schools an assistant is employed all the time; in the other, during the winter term only; but there are chil- dren enough in both departments to employ a third teacher all the time.
These school-rooms are all unfit for an assistant; there are no suitable apartments for recitation. The classes must be taken into a little dressing-room or closet where they are cramped and stifled. What we need, is a third room of suffi- cient dimensions for an intermediate department. It would cost no more for teaching than it does now - the only expense would be the building or fitting-up of a new room, and we think the Town ought to consider this matter and have it at- tended to immediately. Towns around us have done the same long ago, and we should not hesitate any longer to follow their example, and thus increase the facilities of learning, and save our own schools from further trouble in this matter.
One year ago the School Committee asked for more money to spend for schools, and the sum of $300 additional was freely granted. That sum was used to increase the pay of the teachers, both male and female. This we believed to be but an act of justice to them; and we still believe that the compensation of the female teachers is too small. They do not receive a fair proportion of wages for the work they do. We hope sometime to be able to pay such prices to all our
33
teachers, as to prevent their being called away by the more generous offers of other towns.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.