USA > Maine > Piscataquis County > Dover-Foxcroft > Old Foxcroft, Maine : traditions and memories, with family records > Part 12
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Dea. Carpenter heard of a mission teacher in Brunswick who would teach both week day and Sabbath school; and as the town was voting school appropriations each year, Miss Dorothy Giddings, a governess in the family of Prof. Appleton of Bowdoin College was brought in. But she soon proved herself not in sympathy or understanding of the
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ELIPHALET WASHBURN First Road Surveyor
REV. THOMAS WILLIAMS First Pastor, Congregational Church
CHARLES P. CHANDLER First Preceptor of Foxcroft Academy
JAMES S. HOLMES, ESQ. Founder of Foxcroft Academy Also First Attorney in Town
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OLD FOXCROFT
sturdy pioneer character in "old Foxcroft" and after one term, went to Brownville for further experiences.
Already, in 1814, had been erected, at a cost of $100.00, a building, twenty by twenty-five feet in size for the "purpose of schools, religious and town meetings." This building was located nearly on the site of Chas. E. Washburn's residence, corner of Main and Winter streets; but few were the families in that locality. I am unable to state that a school was often maintained there; but do recall that Esquire Holmes told me, that he taught in 1822 one term there of high school grade in anticipation of seeking a charter for an Academy. The building was sold at auction in 1823, when the Academy was leased for religious meetings.
In writing of that first school house of 1814, one sage has described it as "square", the floor raised at the back, making it very inconvenient if a pencil, apple or other round article were dropped because it would roll toward teacher or preacher. When one considers the fact that pencils were hardly known and apples, not at all, in old Foxcroft at the time, the assertion is a bit amusing. If the floor was raised at the back, it doubtless was because benches without back rests were used and for a long religious service, as was common in those days-it was for easier physical position; but as the building was also for town meet- ings, and town meetings at that era, were quite on a social scale, I doubt if the men would consider standing for hours on an incline plane! This is a suggestion, not a statement!
. The first school to be taught in Dist. 4 (later 5) was by Samuel Palmer of Sebec in the house of Noah Hersey on the road from the "Four Corners" to the Sebec line. It was a winter term, as the follow- ing points out:
"Foxcroft April 4 1825, Dr. to Samuel Palmer
To teaching a school three months 14 dollars per month.
Received pay by an order in full.
(signed) SAMUEL PALMER."
The following Dec. 13, 1825, a school meeting was called in Dist. #4 and it was
"voted to build a house 22 by 26 feet-10 feet posted-eight windows, 20 lites each,-one window 12 lites, also a poarch 6 by 8." "voted to raise 310.00 three hundred and ten dollars to build said house" "voted not to receive any schollars under four years of age in school."
signed "ASAPH HOWARD, Clerk" "Foxcroft Dr. to Maria Hammond
To teaching school two months in said town at one bushel of wheat per week
June 5th 1823 Received pay by order Maria Hammond
JOEL PRATT -- Treas
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OLD FOXCROFT
"To Thomas Wentworth, Daniel Buck and Nathaniel Bradbury as- sessors of Taxes in the Town of Foxcroft
The inhabitants of school District No 1 in the Town of Foxcroft met agreeably to notice by order of the Selectmen and voted to raise one hundred and seventy $170.00 dollars to purchase, finished and furnish a school house in Said District No 1 in sd Town. You are therefore requested to apportion and assess the above sum $170.00 on the polls and estates lying and belonging within said District No 1, and commit the same to the Collector of Taxes in said Town (with a warrant in due form of Law for collecting taxes) according to Law in such cases made and provided.
Foxcroft 30th December 1826
Clerk of
SYLVANUS LONGLEY sd District No. 1.
It may also be of interest to note the following report,
"The Trustees of the Ministerial and school fund Respectfully pre- sent the following statement In the hands of the Treasurer at the last anual Meeting in securities, two hundred and ninety one dollars and eighty nine cents.
Interest on the same for one year ending the first day of January 1826 seventeen dollars and fifty one cents which has been appropriated for the benefit of schools. There has since been sold the following school lots, viz: Lot No 4 in the 5th range to Alden D. Dwinel on the 4th day of June 1825 for the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars. Lot No 6 in the 4th range to William Shaw on the 22 d day of June 1825 for the sum of two hundred and ninety five dollars and sixty cents. The total amount now in the hands of the Treasurer in securities is eight hundred and thirty seven dollars and fifty cents.
Foxcroft March 14 th 1826
Treasurer of THOMAS WENTWORTH { Ministerial and School Fund
In 1821, Eliphalet Washburn, Nathan Carpenter and Daniel Buck, having been elected by the town as a committee to divide the township into school districts reported,-
District #1, the village limits and west to the Guilford line, that is out Main St., #2, east of the village limits uncluding- the Chandler and Washburn neighbor hoods to Sebec line, #3 the Chamberlain neighbor- hood, #4 north of the village combining David Gilman and Four Corner neighborhoods, #5, the Gould and North Cant neighborhood and #6 the Wentworth and Gray neighborhoods. The school records for 1827 give the number of scholars as
#1 District. #2
47 scholars
34
#3&6" combined . 61
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OLD FOXCROFT
#4 District
45 scholars #5 66
19
#7
new
13
219
Total of 219 scholars. Cost of instruction for that year, $312.31
PETITION TO ORGANIZE DISTRICT NO. 7
"foxcroft January the 10nt 1827
we the under ciners feeling desirous to be orgenized into a school destric, therefore do request you the seleckmen of foxcroft to grant us a warrant so that we can act lawfully on the following articles
1. to chose a moderater
2. to se if the destric will build a school house
3. to se if the destric will raze money for that purpose
4. to act on any further bizness that may depend on said meetin.
JOHN STEDMAN . WM. MERRILL BENJAMIN HAMMOND
BELA HAMMMOND
JUSTUS HEARSEY CHARLES S. HAMMOND.
FOXCROFT Aug. 11, 1829.
To the assessors of Foxcroft
GENTLEMEN: At a meeting legally called and held Aug. 10, 1829 of the inhabitants on school district no. 4 qualified to vote in Town affairs, the following was passed, voted to raise one hundred and twenty five dollars to defray the expenses of removing, repairing and furnishing the school house.
THOMAS WILLIAMS Clerk of said District A true copy from the records
The town of Foxcroft Dr to J. S. Patten
for keeping school 4 weeks and one day at 7/ per week BENJ. HAMMOND Agt.
Aug 8th 1823 A statement of monies raised & expended in the town of Foxcroft
for the year 1813
Monies raised
expended
for schoolling .
125.00
64.78
for town charges
75.00
74.41
for town house.
100.00
100.00
for the year 1814
for schoolling.
125.00
126.94
for town charges
75.00
40.40
السمع
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OLD FOXCROFT
for the year 1815
for schoolling
150.00
82.18
for town charges
125.00
34.70
for the year 1816
for schooling
125.00
155.30
for town charges
25.00
36.13
As well as can be computed, it was probably in 1819 that a school house was erected in the old Chamberlain district or District #3. When the town house was sold, District #3 became for a time the town meeting location.
Again was Joel Pratt hired to erect a twenty by twenty-five foot building and, of course, on kind, generous Dea. Carpenter's land, about opposite the present Harrison Chandler homestead. When the town house was sold, town meetings were held in that school house, only for a short period however, as when the building at the Four Corners Dist. #4 was erected in 1825 it was deemed expedient to assemble in that school house, it being the "Center" of the town.
The Baptist Society of Foxcroft held their religious services there until union with the Dover church. The "Joel Pratt school house in the Chamberlain District " as it was designated, did duty, though under the carpenter's tools often and long; and a topic for semi-annual debate as whether to continue repairs or build a new house. When the vote was to build new, then, where ?. Some wished to remain on the old lot, others wanted a more central location, and, like the kind old husband who desired to sleep in cotton sheets, while his wife held out for linen, suggested they compromise and,-on linen! So kind Madame Cham- berlain said, "let us compromise on a piece of our pasture at the top of the hill, I will give it." And in 1849 the house was completed, the first teacher being none other than one of their girls who had made a name for herself as teacher, Janet Mayhew, later Mrs. Harrison Chan- dler; and she passed her life as gracious guardian of the school, in the next house on the same side of the road.
For years, that district and the "Four Corners" were choice plums for teachers outside the Village and commanded superior teachers, as well. A teacher rarely failed to secure a position if he or she could say, "Yes, I have taught in the Chamberlain district or the Four Corners."
REPORT SCHOOL DISTRICT-1828
The Committee chosen to new district the town into school districts have attended that service and respectfully submit the following report.
Dist. No. 1 includes all the lots from Guilford line to lot No. 14 inclu- sive in the 1st range, lots No. 17 and the south half of No. 16 in the 2rd range
Dist. No. 2 includes all the lots from No. 13 to No. 9 inclusive in the 1st range from No. 12 to No. 9 inclusive in the 2rd range, lots No. 9, 10, 11 and the south half of No. 14 in the 3rd range and the south half of No. 10 and 11 in the 4th range
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OLD FOXCROFT
Dist. No. 3 includes all the lots from No. 5 inclusive to Sebec line in the 1st and 2rd ranges and lots No. 3 and 4 in the 3rd range
Dist. No. 4 includes lots No. 13, 14, 15 and the north half of 10 in the 2rd range, the north half of No. 12 and all the lots west of it to Guilford line in the 4th and 5th ranges. For the accommodation of this district the Committee recom- mend that a road should be laid out on the line between lots 14 and 15 in the 4th range
Dist. No. 5 includes all the lots from No. 5 to No. 8 inclusive in the 3rd range, from No. 3 to No. 9 inclusive and the north half of No. 10 and 11 in the 4th range, from No. 3 to No. 11 inclusive in the 5th range, from No. 3 to No. 10 inclusive in the 6th and 7th ranges, No. 8, 9 and 10 in the 8th and 9th ranges
Dist. No. 6 includes No. A, 1 and 2 in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th ranges and No. A in the 8th range
Dist. No. 7 includes from No. 11 inclusive to Guilford line in the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th ranges
Dist. No. 8 includes all the lots from No. 7 inclusive to Sebec line in the 8th and 9th ranges except No. A in the 8th range
SALMON HOLMES THOMAS WENTWORTH JOSEPH CROOKER ASAPH HOWARD WM. PRATT
Committee
In Sept. 1832 the town warrant contained art 4, "to see if the town agree to purchase one or more apparatuses and Rase money for the same if necessary by order of the selectmen."
Among the teachers employed up to the above date were the names of Sarah S. Sprague, Betsey Mitchell, Mrs. Betsey Greenwood Dwinel, Sally J. Chamberlain, Sally Buck, Minerva Garland, Jane Thayer, Ruth Daggett, Maria Hammond, Dorothy Arnold, Wm. Goden, Geo. C. Campbell, Ira Allen, Samuel Palmer, Elisha Daggett, Richard K. Rice, Thatcher Blake, Jr., many of them Academy pupils.
In those early "first" years there were but two terms a year, the winter term usually of ten,-on rare occasions, eleven weeks, to the term, was kept by a "master, while the summer, also of ten weeks, was kept by a mistress.
The following will convey some interest and idea of the times,-
(1) "the Town of Foxcroft Dr. To Elisha L. Hammond for teaching School two months in the 1st District at. $17 per month
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110
OLD FOXCROFT
to be paid in corn or grain at the said Town price or cash $11. . .. 11
2
22
Jan. 2 1822 Attest
BENJa HEARSEY School Agent
Order given Feb. 6th 1822
(2) The town of Foxcroft Dr. to Emily Weston for school keeping in school District No. 7 from Aug. 24. to Oct. 5th four Dollars and ninety Six cents.
EMILY WESTON
Oct. 15, 1830 Approved ISAAC WESTON Agent
This sum being the amt due the district I.W.
(3)
the town Foxcroft to Wm. Thayer Dr. 1838 March 24th to boarding school master six weeks in dis- trict No 7. $8.00
to finding wood six weeks 1.30
(4) Foxcroft Jan 16th 1839
Destrict No 1 Dr.
Miss Eliza ann Herring
instructing school ten weeks $8.5412
CHAS. S. HAMMOND Agt.
and for keeping the school house warm
(5)
Jan 29, 1839
Town of Foxcroft Dr. to Abel Turner
to 7 cords wood provided for School District No 1 at 4612 cents per cord . $3.2512
CHARLES S. HAMMOND A gt. (6) February 25, 1839 Allen Chandlers account for boarding school Mistress six weeks at five shillings per week $5.00
Approved by ZEBULON MURCH
School Agent Destrict No 7 .
(7) This is to surtify that Miss Mary Ham has taught school twelve weeks in School district No 4 at one dollar per week . 12
and hired her board with me at 73 cts. 8.76
20.76
Foxcroft Aug 31, 1832 BENJAMON T. BUCK Agent School District No 4
In
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OLD FOXCROFT
(8)
Foxcroft Apr. 13th 1838
To the Selectmen of the town of Foxcroft, this certifies that school district No 8 in sd town is indebted to Syria Bearce the Sum of two Dollars and 94 cents it being for furnishing seven cords of wood for sd district at 41 cents per cord
$2.94 JOHN PHILBRICK Agt of sd District for 1837
Recd pyt By order SYRIA BEARCE
And this was before the school house in District No. 8 was erected,
(9) Foxcroft April 13th 1838
To the Selectmen of the town of Foxcroft-this certifies that School district No 8 in sd town is indebted to Betsey Dwinel the sum of $3,25 it being for rent of house 13 weeks to keep school in at 25 cents per week.
JOHN PHILBRICK Agt of sd destrict for 1837
The Moses Townes evidently were not having school weeks enough, so must go to Sebec
(10) This may Certify that Moses Townes has paid three scholars schooling in sebec-one bushel wheat each
Approved of the above
SATO BLOOD School Agent
Account ELIPHALET WASHBURN 1.33 3 3.99
Computing the sum total, wheat at $1.33 per bushel evidently.
(11) 1837 Inhabitants of Foxcroft
To James S. Holmes Dr.
To visiting schools 14 days . . $7.50
To examining 16 instructors and instructresses. 8.00
15.50
SALMON HOLMES - Auditors
CYRUS HOLMES of
Accounts
(12)
Town of Foxcroft to Moses Swett Dr.
Foxcroft March 20th 1838
To visiting Miss Spragues
school twice $1.00
1.00
66
1.00
Miss Turner's
66
66 Miss Loring's
once
. 50
Mr. Moulton's
.50
Mr. Washburn's
66 twice 1.00
1
Miss Robinson's
Miss Chamberlain's
66 1.00
£
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OLD FOXCROFT
To visiting Mr. Crooker's school twice $1.00
Mrs. Dwinel's
once
. 75
Miss Carpenter's .75
" time spent in examining 2.50
11.00
Auditors
SALMON HOLMES SAMUEL CHAMBERLAIN of Accounts
At this time there seemed manifest much dissatisfaction as to the division of the town into school districts. Seven were then function- ing. Some had become congested, others felt that certain districts contained too much territory. I find several petitions of the following purport.
"To Messrs Caleb Prentiss, R. K. Rice and John Guilman, Selectmen of Foxcroft
We the subscribers wish to have you put an article in the town war- rant to see if the Town will set us off from school District No 2, into a district by ourselves.
WILLIAM PARSONS DAVID GUILMAN RUEBIN BRAWN
NATHANIEL SNOW
Foxcroft Feb. 18, 1839
LEONARD ROBINSON
ELLIS ROBINSON"
.
The North Cant people too, were getting uneasy and wished to be set off from the "Center" district, also there were signs of secession in the Whittier and Chandler districts. At the March meeting a committee was therefore appointed to confer "relative to re-districting the school districts" and to report the next year, 1840. This would also mean the erection of new school houses. Such however met with approval and in 1844 the town had eleven school districts. If they were num- bered correctly I cannot find #9. As my basis for computation depends entirely upon teachers' reports for several years and my acquaintance with the location of the town people at that period I conclude that the Chandler district and Whittier district were in the throes of secession still; each neighborhood was increasing rapidly in scholastic material and but one school house in the woods midway between the two dis- tricts. The town had apportioned districts but whether the Chandler or Whittier district should have the new building was the bone of con- tention. If my memory serves me, the old school house on the hill over in the woods became the little "red school house" near Mr. Daniel Whittier's and thus #9 is accounted for !
The school district Revolutionary period in "old Foxcroft" was en- tirely verbal, let me hasten to add, though the "fireworks" were illu- minating and productive of great forensic ability. Dave Moulton
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OLD FOXCROFT
and young A. G. (Lebroke) were masterful logicians as well as budding orators and held their ground against the pedagogues, Elisha Daggett from Minot and Lyman Lee from Peacham, Vermont. Each was an excellent citizen and had each been serving a distinct township the ad- vance might have been more rapid!
The Superintending School Committee reports for that period are also illuminating.
"Dist. #1-Summer term kept by Miss Buck (Sally perhaps) had little interest manifested and improvement necessarily small.
Winter term kept by Mr. Washburn (Wm. probably) good attention and satisfactory improvement.
Dist. #2 Summer term by Miss Hooper, an unusual interest for this district and general satisfaction. The school on the whole made respectable improvement and passed off well at the close.
Winter term by Mr. Greely. This school at its commencement ap- . peared quite as well as we expected that it might, and we hoped espe- cially from the unfavorable circumstances under which Mr. G com- menced that he would make every effort in his power to render it use- ful. for a more particular account we introduce a petition to us from the district with copy of Mr. G's dismission by which you will doubt- less perceive that the school must necessarily have been to many schol- ars unprofitable.
Dist. #3 Summer term by Miss Lyford. Good order and attentive scholars and according to the best of our knowledge this school gave good satisfaction and at its close appeared unusually well.
Winter term by Mr. Bennett. Mr. B manifested but little confi- dence in himself in regard to his qualifications for teaching at his ex- amination and still less when visited in school. On the whole he did not obtain a legal certificate and had the committee been together at the time, he probably would not have received any.
We think this school was of little or no benefit to the scholars.
Dist. 4 Summer term Miss Mitchell. Miss M did not seem to possess sufficient energy and determination of purpose to control the unruly scholars committed to her care. Had some few scholars been seasonably removed we think the school might have been much more profitable to those who remained,-as it was the improvement was exceedingly small.
Winter term by Mr. Holmes (Freeland probably)
School appeared very well,-improvement good.
Dist. #5 Summer term by Miss Cushman (niece of Mrs. Wm. Thayer) This school was under good discipline and the interest mani- fested both by teacher and scholars was pleasing.
Winter term by Mr. Tucker (J. S.) We believe this school to have been well conducted and the appearance at its close was remarkably good.
Dist. 6 Visited by Mr. Walker and we know nothing of it.
Dist. 11 By the same.
Dist. No 6 Summer term by Miss Davis. A tolerable good School by an inexperienced teacher it being her first effort of the kind. Gave good Satisfaction-
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OLD FOXCROFT
Winter term by Mr. Lebroke this School was highly Satis- factory & we consider Mr B, to be one of the best teachers No. 11 S. term by Miss Arnold. Good order Scholars learned well. Miss A is a young teacher rather diffident but has all the elements by experience of making a Superior teacher
Winter term by Mr Hersy-School rather noisy-too much carelessness in reading & pronunciation-otherwise improvement tolerable for a School of only five weeks
No. 8. Summer term by Miss Daggett. A remarkable good School, good order & Satisfactory improvement
The School in Dis' No. 2 in now being kept by a female by permission of the Superintending committee.
Dist. 7 Is now keeping by Mr. Gallison and school appears well Dist. #8 Four (4) weeks by Miss Daggett.
Dist. #10 Summer term by Miss Weston. We think for a young teacher she succeeded very well in her efforts to make the school profitable.
Winter term by Mr. Howard. "School appeared quite well and made very good progress.
O. B. WALKER
S. LAUGHTON
Superintending School Committee
Mch. 1844
B. B. VAUGHAN
of Foxcroft"
The charges filed against Mr. Greeley and the terms of dismissal, al- though phrased in most dignified English and based upon the 41st Sect. of Chapt. 17, Art. 3rd, provision 5th of the Revised Statutes of Maine, seemed to be none other than extreme laziness and shiftless- ness.
The following is a cutting from the reports of the Superintending School Committee for the years 1842 and 1843. These very interest- ing documents show that problems similar to those of today existed, and were recognized by the school officials of "Old Foxcroft."
"On the 5th day of May last the Committee met and organized and agreed upon and adopted the book to be used in the schools the year thus ensuing. Your Committee also thus fixed upon a time to meet and examine teachers for the summer schools agreeably to a vote of the town at the last annual town meeting, and gave notice in the Piscata- quis Herald of the time and place where the Committee would assemble for that purpose. At the time fixed (May 24) five individuals appeared and received certificates of qualification for teachers. But we are under the necessity of saying that if teachers giving better evidence of qualification for the station could have been had without great trouble and expense to the District, certificates would have been withheld in some instances. . . . The truth is, there is at this time, a great want of qualified teachers and few employed in that business come up freely to the requirements . . . for that responsible position. It is too the mis- taken notion, that because the school is small and none of the scholars far advanced that they do not need teachers possessing the qualifica-
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OLD FOXCROFT
tions required by law, but that most anyone, with quite inferior at- tainments will answer for them, and seem to give a preference to such because they will work for less wages. This is a great error. . . . Not that teachers here have been more deficient than in former years, or. than in other parts of the country; but if seasonable efforts were made by the respective school agents we think more competent teachers might be had.
Another great obstacle to the advancement of our schools is the great irregularity in the attendance of the scholars. The teachers for the year past were requested by the Committee to keep a list of the schol- ars attending, to note the studies or branches of learning pursued by each, and days which each scholar should be absent from school. . . Only three of the summer schools have returned the number of days of absence. But even these three furnish a very discouraging prospect. The average number of absences (comprising a period of 27 12 weeks) is one thirteenth of the whole, and what most astonishes the friends of the common schools, absences in District No. 5 exceeded one-fifth. This school was kept 1212 weeks by Miss Ruth Chamberlain and we know of no want of qualifications or exactions on her part which should occasion this astonishing negligence on the part of the parents to send, or the scholars to attend, the school.
The branches taught have been, in addition to reading and spelling, arithmetic, grammar, history, philosophy and algebra. The returns of six winter schools show that 150 have studied arithmetic, grammar 70, geography 66, philosophy 12, history 19, and algebra 1, to which should be added penmanship. . . . It is believed that penmanship as a daily exercise in our schools is a greater drawback upon other studies, than the attainment in that art will justify. "Nor can a teacher give proper instruction in that art while interrupted by those pursuing other studies and his attention divided by the various cares which the gov- ernment of a numerous school imposes. In some schools penmanship has been attended to but one-half day in the week, others offering it every day, or twice a day. Beginners in this art require the constant attention of the teacher, and this cannot be given in the common schools. When the rules for forming and proportioning the letters are once understood, practise only is necessary to a complete attainment of the art. This can be attended to as well without, as with, an instruc- tor. If a proportion of the school money were appropriated to a teacher in penmanship, to give one or two courses in each school dis- trict, or perhaps two or more school districts might join to take lessons, it would be a great improvement upon the present method. If this should be thought too favorable to the small district . . . he should be employed in the respective districts when the town schools were not in operation." Submitted by James S. Holmes, Elias Wells & Gilman Clark, Com.
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