History of Cumberland Co., Maine, Part 45

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 780

USA > Maine > Cumberland County > History of Cumberland Co., Maine > Part 45

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).

" We may reasonably conclude," says Mr. Willis, " that two scheels conducted by male teachers were regularly kept on the Neck from about 1750, that Mr. Smith succeeded Mr. Wiswall, and that Mr. Webb followed Mr. Smith. In 1760, the time of which we are speak- ing, the number of families on the Neck was about 165, furnisbing, as we may fairly estimate, a population ef about 1000."

Besides the schools taught by male teachers, Mrs. Clark, who lived in Plumb Street, taught a school for smaller chil- dren. The severity of her discipline and the harshness of her manners were proverbial. There was also, in 1761, an 22

Irish teacher by the name of Richmond, whose manners and discipline of the same sort produced great indignation. He was, according to Mr. Smith, " a worthless fellow, by means of whom the peace of the neighborhood of the Neck was broken up and dreadful quarrelings occasioned." He was brought before Justice Enoch Freeman on a warrant, and bound over to appear before the Court of General Ses- sions, " to answer his being presented for setting up and keeping a school in Falmouth without the approbation of the selectmen." The selectmen, it seems, had turned him ont of town, but he had returned and persisted in teaching school in spite of them and their prohibition. A similar trouble occurred with another " old countryman" by the name of Lyon, who kept school in Fore Street, near Clay Cove, about the commencement of the Revolution. Of a very different class of teachers, however, were two gentle- men who taught in 1761, viz., David Wyer and Theophilus Bradbury. They were men who honored the highest call- ings to which their countrymen assigned them. Both of these gentlemen were then studying law, and were admitted to practice in the Common Pleas in 1762. Mr. Bradbury graduated at Harvard in 1757, and Mr. Wyer in 1758. Mr. Bradbury kept a school on Plumb Street, in a house which remained standing till within a quite recent date. They probably did not teach after their admission to the bar, as they were the only lawyers then in the county, and their professional duties immediately absorbed their whole attention.

In 1762 four school districts were formed in the First Parish, which included all of ancient Falmouth, except the districts of Purpooduck and New Casco. Two of the dis- triets were upon the Neck, the third embraced Capisic, Stroudwater, Saccarappa, and Deer Hill, and the fourth Back Cove and the rest of the parish not included in the other districts. On the same occasion it was voted that each district should draw money in proportion to the taxes it paid, provided a school were kept in it the whole year.

The districts on the Neck were divided by a line drawn across it " between Mr. Freeman's house and Mr. Waldo's," which was a little above where Judge Freeman lived at the time of his death. The upper district extended to " Round Marsh."

The only money raised for schools in 1763 was £20, which were wholly appropriated to the grammar school.

In 1764, Judge Freeman, then twenty-one years of age, kept a public school, and the next year a private school on the Neck. In 1769, Theophilus Parsons, afterwards the distinguished chief justice of Massachusetts, graduated at ITarvard College, and immediately came here to pursue his legal studies under the direction of Mr. Bradbury. While preparing for the bar he took charge of one of the public schools on the Neck, which he continued to teach till he was admitted to practice in July, 1774. He kept in a house which stood on King Street, at the intersection of Middle Street, and was removed, in 1774, to Congress Street, and became part of the residence of Jonathan Bryant. Judge Frothingham was also one of the teachers in the public school here, both before and after the Revo- lution. But, notwithstanding the distinguished character of some of the men who taught in the early schools, it

170

HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY, MAINE.

eannot be claimed that the standard of education was very exalted prior to the Revolution. Several college graduates had came to Falmouth, but only two of the natives of the town had gone out to receive a publie education prior to that period : these were John and Peter T. Smith, sons of the minister. They graduated at Harvard College, the former in 1745, and the latter in 1753. John became a physician, the other followed the profession of his father. At the beginning of the Revolution there were 13 persons upon the Neek who were liberally educated, and 6 of them were engaged in professional pursuits.

No important steps were taken for the advancement of education during the period of the Revolution, nor for some time after, till the country had in a measure recovered from the effects of the war. As the means of the people increased, it became an important consideration with them to raise the standard of education in the town And with this view, some of the influential citizens, foremost among whom was Judge Freeman, took measures to establish a higher grade of school than had before existed in the town.

THE ACADEMY.

In February, 1794, they procured an act incorporating an academy, which was placed under the supervision of 15 trustees, and active measures were taken to raise funds for its support. In 1797 the General Court granted to the trustees half a township of land, provided a fund of $3000 should be formed. The fund was raised after eon- siderable effort, and the half township laid out on the east- ern boundary of the State, from which the trustees realized $4000 by its sale to Joseph E. Foxcroft, of New Glonces- ter. The academy was first opened under the instruction of Edward Payson, in 1803, in a two-story wooden build- ing, opposite the meeting-house of the Third Parish, on Congress Street. This was occupied till 1808, when the new academy building on the same street was finished. This building was of brick, and cost $7300. This school was for many years well conducted and liberally supported, and supplied a deficiency in the means of obtaining an education which had long been seriously felt.

We find in Mr. Willis' History of Portland, the follow- ing names of native inhabitants who received a liberal education up to 1831 : John Smith, H. C., 1745 ; Peter T. Smith, H. C., 1753; George Bradbury, II. C., 1789 ; S. D. Freeman, II. C., 1800; William Freeman, H. C., 1804; Isaac Foster Coffin, Bowdoin College, 1806; Charles S. Daveis, B. C., 1807 ; John Mussey, B. C., 1809; Na- thaniel Deering, II. C., 1810; John P. Boyd, John P. B. Storer, Charles Freeman, and George Freeman, B. C., 1812; John A. Douglass, B. C., 1814; George Jewett, H. C., 1816; George Chase, II. C., 1818; Edward T. In- graham, B. C., 1819; William Boyd, James F. Deering, Frederick A. Cobb, II. C., 1820; David H. Storer, B. C., 1822; William Cutter, B. C., 1824; John D. Kinsman, Stephen Longfellow, Henry W. Longfellow, and Edward D. Preble, B. C., 1825; William Paine, B. C., 1826; William H. Codman, William P. MeLellan, and John Owen, B. C., 1827 ; Edward F. Cutter, B. (1, 1828; John Q. Day, B. C., 1829; Francis Barbour, B. C., 1830; Ed- ward Il. Thomas, B. C., 1831. The following are the sons

of emigrants educated after their settlement here, viz .: John Wadsworth and James C. Jewett, H. C., 1800; Richard Cobb, B. C., 1806; Edward H. Cobb, B. C., 1810; William Willis, 11. C., 1813; Rufus K. Porter, B. C., 1813; Nathan Cummings and John Widgery, B. C., 1817 ; Grenville Mellen, HI. C., 1818; Winthrop G. Mars- ton, B. C., 1821; William P. Fessenden, B. C., 1824; Frederick Mellen and P. II. Greenleaf, B. C., 1825; John Rand, B. C., 1831.

The immense improvement made in the means of com- mon education during the first third of the present century was not without its effect in giving new tone and character to the schools of Portland. In 1831 there were 14 free schools in the city, containing 1545 pupils; 2 of these were on the islands in the harbor. In 1832 there were 11 school-houses in the town, 4 of briek and 7 of wood. There were at this time about as many private as public schools, and some of them were of a superior order of ex- cellence. The appropriations for school purposes increased from £30 in 1786 to $5000 in 1827 and $6000 in 1830. In 1848 we find another report showing that .at that date the number of schools supported at the publie charge was 20; the number of pupils belonging to them, 3000; and the average attendance, 2700. Among the public schools there was a high or elassical school, at which boys were prepared for college, 2 grammar schools for boys and 2 for girls, the 5 containing 1000 pupils. The others were pri- mary schools, taught principally by ladies. For the ac- commodation of these schools the city owned S fine brick buildings and 6 wooden buildings. A fine brick school- house was erected on Congress Street in 1848, at a cost of $11,876. At the same time there were in the city about 30 private schools, containing about 1000 scholars, an academy for classical instruction to boys, and several high schools or seminaries for young ladies. For some time previous to the incorporation of the city the monitorial system of teaching had been in vogue in Portland, each school being in charge of a single teacher. We give the following historical sketch of the Park Street and Brackett Street schools, recently consolidated in the Pine Street grammar school, from an address by C. F. Libby, Esq., at the dedieation of the new and elegant building of the latter in September, 1879 :

" In 1828 the brick building on Spring Street, now occupied by the Practice School, was erected for Master Jackson's school, at an ex- pense of about $2500. The committee of that year say that tho 'building was found to answer the highest expectations, being per- fectly commodious and sufficiently spacious to accommodate as largo a number as it will probably ever be desirable to collect in one schoot.' As the average number belonging to the school in that year was 190, it would seem that the number which it was desirable to collect in one seboel under the instruction of a single teacher had already been targely execeded, and in view of this fact it is not surprising to learn that grammar was not then included in the branches taught in that school.

" Of some of the arduous duties of a master in those days we get a glimpse when we learn, as recorded by Master Jackson, that in one year he made more than 11,000 quill pens for his pupils. One fact, re- corded by the committee in 1837, with reference to this school, and deemed worthy of commendation, was the formation of an 'anti- swearing society' by some of the pupils, which was 'attended with much good,' in the opinion of Mr. Jackson. The judicious conduct of these youths can be safely recommended for imitation in our schools, as wo have no reason to think that the prevalence of 'the re-

Photo, by Lamsou, Portland.

J. R.Lyman

SYLVANUS R. LYMAN was born in Fryeburg, Me., Dee. 27, 1806. His grandfather, Rev. Eliphalet Lyman, was a Congregational clergy- man of Woodstock, Conn., for many years, and died there. llis father, Eliphalet Lyman, graduated at Dartmouth College; studied medicine; was a practicing physician at Fryeburg for many years, subsequently at Danville, Vt., and later at Lancaster, N. II., where he died at the age of seventy-nine.

His mother was Abigail, granddaughter of Eleazer Wheelock, founder of Dartmouth College, and daughter of Prof. Sylvanus Ripley, of the same institution. She was also sister of Gen. Eleazer Ripley, prominent in the war of 1812-14, and who died in Louisiana; and also a sister of Ilon. James W. Ripley, of Fryeburg, once a member of Congress from the Oxford district. Their children were four sons and three daughters,-Mrs. John Crocker (deceased ) ; Sylvanus R .; Mrs. J. Philbrick, of Illinois ; James W .; Mrs. S. Rey- nolds, of Illinois (deceased) ; Charles P. (deceased) ; and Edward Huntington. His mother died, in 1837, in Louisiana.

Sylvanus Ripley Lyman, at the age of seven, went to live with his grandfather, Rev. Eliphalet Lyman, of Woodstock, where he remained until he was sixteen, attending school winters and working on the farm summers. Among his schoolmates was Henry C. Bowen, of Brooklyn. Ile then spent one year at school in Lancaster and Frye- burg Academy, intending to prepare for college. Circumstances which he could not control prevented, and, unaided pecuniarily, he began a husiness life. After one year's clerkship in Eaton, N. Il., in October, 1824, he came to Portland, where, first as a clerk for four years, and then in trade for himself as a dry-goods merchant. for eight years, he successfully carried on business.

Hle was elected captain of a company of State militia in 1829, and subsequently promoted to the rank of colonel, which office he resigned in 1833. Ile became a director of the Canal Bank, and in 1836 was elected its president. Confiding too much in the ability of a near relative as a financier, Mr. Lyman, in 1836, lost nearly his entire property. He, soon after taking np his residenee in Portland, began to he interested in local and State legislation, and was active as a member of the old Whig party. In 1835 he was elected to the Legis- lature, and by re-election was a representative from Portland for six

years in succession. ITe was again elected to the Legislature in 1855. llis long term as member made him conversant with State and national affairs, and gave him influence with the leaders of parties in other localities than Cumberland County. From 1835 to 1841 he was a member of the Whig State Committce, and from 1837 to 1840 chair- man of that body. in May, 1841, he was appointed postmaster of Portland by President Tyler, and in 1843, through the ageney of David Henshaw, of Boston, Secretary of the Navy, removed from office. Mr. Lyman, with that confidence in the justice of his case, and with that courage and persisteney characteristic of his whole life. appeared personally before President Tyler, and, upon the statement of the facts in the ease by him, was reinstated, holding office the remainder of the presidential teriu.

In 1849-50 he was alderman of the Fifth Ward, declining re-election in 1851. In 1839 he was the successful candidate against William Pitt Fessenden as a delegate at large to the National Convention that nominated William Henry Harrison for President of the United States. In 1860 he was a delegate to the ever-memorable Charleston Conven- tion, which was adjourned to Baltimore, marking the era of the split of the Democratic party, and the consequent success of the Republican party in the election of Abraham Lincoln. He was also a delegate to the Democratie National Convention in 1864. In 1860 his name was placed upon the National Democratic Committee from Maine, and as a mem- ber of which he was prominent in its councils for twelve consecutive years. In 1845, following his retirement as postmaster, he commenced business as a ship chandler on Fore Street, and has successfully carried on this business since, his place of trade now being on Com- mercial Street.

In 1830 he married Caroline, daughter of Deacon Thomas Beck, one of the founders of the Baptist Church in Portland. The children living of this marriage are Thomas Ripley Lyman, of New York, and Caroline, wife of Israel T. Dana, M.D., of Portland. Mrs. Lyman died in 1840.

For his second wife he married, in 1842, Christiana, daughter of Capt. Samuel Blanchard, of Portland. Their children are Helen, wife of Henry Littlefield, Abbie Ripley, Annie Wheelock. Elizabeth Dana, James Phillips, and Edward Wheelock (deeensed).

171

CITY OF PORTLAND.

volting and wicked custom of profane swearing among lads' bas entirely ceased in our day.

" The school continued in this building until 1841, when the brick school-house on Park Street was erected for its accommodation, 'being the best arranged and the best constructed.' as the committee say, 'of any building for a similar purpose ever erected by the city,-both a credit and an ornament to our city.' The school was then known by the name of ' Male Grammar School, No. I,' and was soon after placed on a better foundation by the employment of a female teacher as as- sistant. Mr. Jackson continued at the head until 1849, when he was obliged to ask leave of absence on account of ill health, and never retorned to the school, his death occorring a few months afterwards.

" Probably no teacher connected with our public schools has ever left a more honorable record than Master Jackson, who was identified with the growth of our school system hy long years of faithful and earnest service. He was followed by Manthano Pickering, who con- tinned in charge of the school until his death, in 1863. Under his efficient management the standard of the school steadily advanced ; as a thorough instructor and disciplinarian he had no superior among our teachers, and his labors will ever be held in grateful remembrance by the pupils who were under his charge.

" Mr. Eben Wentworth, who since 1855 had been principal of the intermediate school for boys, succeeded Mr. Pickering as principal of this school, and continued successfully to flll this position until 1869. when he was elected principal of the North School, and the present incumbent (Mr. Haines) was elected to fill his place. Mr. Went- worth was a teacher of rare judgment and large experience; under his wise management the North School was soon brought to a high state of proficiency and took a frout rank among our schools. Four years ago, in consequence of foipaired health, he resigned bis posi- tion and was appointed superintendent of the State Reform School, where he established many wise reforms and made the school, what the State intended it to be, a reformatury rather than a penal institu- tion. Ilis recent death has deprived the community of a useful citi- zen and a valuable public officer.

" The few changes in the teachers of this school doring this loug period of more than fifty years, is a marked feature of its history and has contributed largely to its usefulness and success, The caruest and faithful labors of the men who have administered its affairs will be long remembered by their numerous pupils, now numbered among our active and influential citizens, and their lives deserve more than the passing notice which we are able to give.

" The monitorial system of instruction, which was iu use both in the boys' and girls' schools of the higher grades fifty years ago, and which had been adopted from a desire of economy, could not long pre- vail in a community which demanded efficiency in its common-school system. We accordingly find that, soon after the incorporation of our city, a change was demanded in this respect. The interest in popular education was increasing with the advance in wealth and population, and schools in which reading, writing, and the simple rules of arith- metic only were taught no longer satisfied the more progressive spirit of the day. The girls' monitorial schools were the first to feel the influence of this change. As early as 1837, ten years before the change was made in the boys' school, female assistants were employed in these schools and their course of study was advanced to a higher grade. In this year a building was specially erected, at a cost of $4300, for the accommodation of the West Female Grammar School ou Spring Street, which is now used as the engine-house and ward room. It was described by the committee of that day as 'a tasteful and convenient brick edifice with a stone front.' Miss Jane Carruthers was then principal, with Miss Mary K. Farrington assistant. At the dedication of this building, Dec. 4, 1837 (one of the few school build- ings where I find any notice in the reports of a public dedication ) the Rev. Jason Whitmau, then pastor of the Second Unitarian society (Park Street), delivered an elaborate address, which was deemed worthy of publication by the committee and is printed with this re- port.

" This school, the early representative of the Brackett Street Gram- mar School. had formerly occupied a wooden building on State Street, and later a building on Spring Street, both of which have long since been removed. Its earliest principal mentioned in the reports was a Miss Kidder, who was in charge of the school in 1826. She re- signed in 1829, and Miss Charlotte Hale took her place, remaining at its head until 1836, when she resigned on account of ill health, and Miss Narcissa B. Mitchell was elected principal, but remained in

charge only a few months, when she gave place to Miss Carruthers, previously mentioned. Miss Carruthers died in 1838, and Miss Farrington became principal. Instead of employing an assistant teacher, the committee of that year tried the plan of using . four of the most advanced young ladies in the school, who were formerly monitors, as assistant pupils,' dividing the salary of the assistant teacher among them, 'the young ladies still pursuing their own studies, while cach of them took charge of a division of the school in certain branches.' This plan, however, was not satisfactory, and in 1840 a regular teacher was employed as assistant. From 1845 to 185I Miss Mary B. Giddings was principal of the school, having as her assistant Miss Rachael J. Symonds until 1819, when Miss An- gela A. Small, who had beco since 1845 a teacher in the Primary No. 6, was appointed in her place, and in 1851 was elected principal of the school, with a salary of $300. With Miss Small's assumption of the principalship, the school seems to have entered upon a very pros- perous course. She was a lady of rare gifts and accomplishments ns a teacher, and until her death, in 1870, was successively elected to re- sponsible positions in our public schools. Having been promoted to be principal of the Willis School for girls at the time of its establish- meat, in 1857, she remained in charge of that school until it was dis- contioued, when she was transferred to the Iligh School, where she held the position of mistress at the time of her death.

" In 1852 the building on Brackett Street, built in 1836 and occu- pied as a primary school, was burned,-being, it is said, the first school-house ever destroyed by fire in Portland. A larger school- house was immediately built upon the same let, containing upon the second floor rooms for a primary school, and in the third story rooms for a grammar school, under what was then 'the highest roof in the city.' To these rooms the school on Spring Street was immediately transferred, and has since been known as the Brackett Street Grammar School for girls. In 1857, Miss Lydia A. Harris, a teacher who had loog been connected with our public schools, and whose name is held in affectionate remembrance by the many pupils who passed under her instruction, became principal of the school and re- mained in charge of it until she resigned her position, in 1877, when she was succeeded by Miss Ellen C. Williams, who is now transferred, with her former pupils, to this school. Any notice of the Brackett Street Grammar School would be inadequate which failed to recognize the valuable services rendered to this school by Miss llarris. Her re- fiued influence, gentle manners, and earnest teaching were reflected in the minds of her pupils, and were potent influences in the success of the school.

"To-day we are about to bring together, under one management and one roof, these two schools whose independent existence I have briefly traced. The carly policy, which dictated the separate educa- tiou of the sexes, has given place to different views, more favorable, it is believed, to the interests of society. Modern life, with its sweep- ing current, bas leveled many prejudices. The peculiar notions that once prevailed as to the proper education of women, which were based upon their assomed inferiority in intellectual power and fitness for only a 'special sphere,' aro fast passing away. The same liberal spirit which recognizes their equality of right before the law would extend to them equal privileges in matters of education. We have learned to recognize that their intellectual needs and capacities are equal to those of men, and that the convent system-of bigh walls and light intellectoal diet, with a good deal of fancy work-is not pro- ductive of the best results, so far as the highest type of womanhood is concerned. We have found that the co-education of the sexes is consistent with a recognition of the special wants of each. and is at- teuded with mutual advantage. In making the change we are intru- ducing no innovation into our schools. Wo are but removing an anomaly which has long existed in the case of four grammar schools, and completing a system which was initiated years ago in the highest aod lowest grades.

" Were time permitted to me, it would be interesting to trace the growth of uur public-school system from its earliest history, and show the causes which have stimulated its rapid development within the last fifty years. As late as 1831 the private schools in this city had ucarly as many pupils as were included in all the public schools. and not until 1850 was there established a high school for the eduen- tion of girls, although such an institution had existed for boys ever since the independent existence of Maine as a State, and a special classical school for boys had been maintained since 1797. Now all this is changed. Private schools no longer monopolize the facilities

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.

History of Cumberland Co., Maine, Part 45

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford) Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 780

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 780