USA > Maine > Franklin County > Farmington > The history of Farmington, Franklin County, Maine, 1776-1885 > Part 7
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HISTORY OF FARMINGTON.
superstructure on "Long's plan." The form of construction and weight of granite gave a strength and permanence to the structure which has withstood, with slight repairs, the "ice freshets" for more than half a century, thus demon- strating the wisdom of its projectors. Jonathan Swan and Sewall Gordon were the contractors for the stone-work, and Col. Thomas Lancaster of New Sharon, a skillful bridge architect, had charge of the superstructure. Chesterville unfortunately lost its portion of the bridge in the great freshet of October 4, 1869, by reason of its being swept from its foundation by Thomas Williams' saw-mill, which stood a short distance above.
The third bridge across the river was built in 1811, by voluntary subscriptions, and was known as the "Fairbanks'" bridge. The town incurred no expense in its erection or maintenance until 1813, when it "voted to accept the Joseph Fairbanks' bridge, and that it become town property ;" and at the same meeting seventy-five dollars were raised to repair the same. This bridge was carried away by the freshet of May, 1814, and rebuilt the next year at the expense of the town. In the great freshet of October 16, 1820, the west end was carried away, and it was again repaired. In the autumn of 1825 the structure became unsafe and measures were taken to rebuild. A contract was entered into between the town and Maj. John Russ, by which the latter agreed to erect and maintain for a period of ten years, a "good and sufficient" bridge across the river at this point for the sum of $890. The west end of the bridge was swept away by the freshet of May, 1832, and the river was considerably broadened by the washing away of its west bank. Maj. Russ, after consider- able delay, rebuilt to a point as far west as the bridge originally stood, and declined to do more-leaving a space of some sixty feet to be filled. The town voted to put Maj. Russ' bond in suit for the purpose of compelling what it regarded as a compliance with its terms and conditions, but after much controversy and delay the town concluded that in this case discretion might be the better part of valor, and filled the gap. It became necessary in 1838 to reconstruct
87
BRIDGES.
the Fairbanks' bridge at this point, and the town very wisely concluded to use split granite piers and abutments, and to erect a covered superstructure modeled upon "Long's plan." In pursuance of this plan, contracts were made with William Smith and Allen Bangs for building the east pier, with Warren Voter for building the center and west piers, and with Joseph Fairbanks for the superstructure. This bridge was finished and made passable in the autumn of 1838, and was regarded as a permanent structure; but time and freshets try all things. On the 26th of January, 1839, after extreme cold weather, occurred a storm of unusual severity, amounting to a hurricane and accompanied by a copious rain which carried off the snow causing a great freshet, breaking up the thick ice and doing much damage to buildings as well as bridges up and down the river. During the night suc- ceeding this storm, it is supposed the superstructure of the Fairbanks' bridge was blown up stream, and then breaking up and mingling with the ice, was carried down the river. The center and west piers, being relieved of their weight, soon yielded to the pressure of the ice and toppled over. This bridge had been erected at a cost of about $3,000, and a cheap one was built to replace it, in 1839, at an expense of $600,-the contractor, Joseph Fairbanks, being entitled to all the old material. In September, 1854, the town again voted to rebuild the center and west piers with split granite and a covered superstructure. A committee was appointed to superintend its erection. The stone-work was let to Charles A. McCrillis, and the wood-work to William H. Wyman. The bridge was again made passable in 1855, and withstood the great freshet of October 13th, of that year, with slight injury. Its cost was about $3,500, and it continued a safe and convenient structure, with occasional repairs upon the west end, until 1877. In the ice freshet of March 28, 1877, the center and west piers of the bridge were again under- mined and thrown down; the wood-work dropped into the angry current and was swept down the river. The town at once took the necessary steps to replace it, and the board of selectmen delegated Zina H. Greenwood, one of their
88
HISTORY OF FARMINGTON.
number and a skillful bridge architect, to superintend its erection. In building the piers, piling was first driven by steam-power into the bed of the river; upon this were placed heavy blocks of granite, brought from Knowlton's quarry, laid in cement and confined by iron dowels. The piers were surmounted by an iron superstructure. The cost of this bridge was $7,500. It was thoroughly built and gives promise of permanency.
The present road across the river below the center of the town, was built about 1816, and a bridge at this point was built in 1818, at a cost of $2,000, one-fourth of the sum be- ing raised by private subscription. In common with other bridges, it suffered from the freshet of 1820, and was re- paired at the expense of the town. On account of the washing away of the east bank, it became necessary to lengthen it in 1827, when other repairs were also made. Owing to the constant travel upon this bridge and the fre- quent washing of the river banks by freshets, this bridge has been a constant expense to the town. It was entirely rebuilt in 1831, when stone abutments and a stone pier were erected and a fill made between the eastern abutment and the high bank. "Long's plan" was adopted for the superstructure, and the bridge gave promise of permanence. But March 26, 1841, it fell, by its own weight, no one being upon it at the time, although a team loaded with mill logs had passed over but a few minutes before. The same year, the bridge was restored at a cost of about $700, and with frequent repairs, served its purpose fairly until 1853, when the town con- tracted with Robinson A. Davis to build upon the double X work principle, a new covered superstructure, with two tracks. Mr. Davis completed his contract to the satisfaction of the town, and in the autumn of that year the bridge was opened for public travel. The great freshet of October 13th, 1855, threw down the east abutment and washed away the fill; the east span broke across the center pier and went down, leaving the west span standing, but in a precarious condition, as the pier was injured by the flood. The next year the east abutment and pier were rebuilt upon piling,
89
BRIDGES.
under the direction of Moses Chandler and David C. Morrill as a committee, and are regarded as permanent structures. Mr. Davis contracted for the wood-work upon the same model as the west span which was left in position. With ordinary repairs, this bridge stood until the great freshet of October 4th, 1869, when the west abutment was undermined and the superstructure, breaking across the pier as in 1855, the west span went down, and floated intact on to David Jennings' interval, twenty rods below. In this flood the filling between the east abutment and the high bank was carried away. Amidst the ruin and devastation caused by the freshet, grave doubts were expressed as to the propriety of building again upon the old site, but the travel at that time between the two villages was so great, and the public need so pressing, that the town decided to replace the bridge, and appointed Zina H. Greenwood and William S. Sewall as agents to superintend the work, at the same time instructing them to erect a wooden pier, between the stone pier and the west bank, by driving piling, and to cover with a super- structure, upon the low X work principle. The space be- tween the east abutment and bank, was filled partly by bridge work and partly by filling, Jacob C. Church being the con- tractor for the latter. The west abutment was reconstructed in a most permanent and thorough manner in 1871, with granite from Knowlton's quarry, at a cost of $2,000. The east span, erected in 1856, began to show signs of decay, and a contract was made in 1879, with R. W. Weld of Lisbon, for the sum of $1,700, to build the present structure, which has thus far proved satisfactory.
Besides the three bridges which the town maintains across the river, the three large tributary streams make necessary other important bridges. It supports three bridges across the Wilson stream (one in connection with Chester- ville), five across the Temple stream, and four across the Fairbanks Mill stream. Many of these were erected before the opening of the century, and like the river bridges, have been a constant source of care and expense to the towns- people.
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HISTORY OF FARMINGTON.
Few events in the history of the town lie between 1800 and 1810, save those already recorded. The remarkable Aurora Borealis of October 22, 1804, was viewed here with the same wonder which it excited over all this part of New England. The eclipse of June 16, 1806, was here very nearly total. The years were on the whole, fruitful years, although severe frosts in September, 1806, and also in 1808, seriously injured the corn. The town suffered from a singu- larly fatal visitation of dysentery in 1804. Between thirty and forty deaths are said to have occurred in consequence.
The population steadily increased during the decade, and the census of 1810 showed 1,639 inhabitants. Every lot of land in the limits of the town is said to have been taken at that time. The growth of the village was considerable. In addition to the meeting-house, Academy building, and bridges, several substantial dwellings had been erected, as well as a number of stores. The valuation had increased to $93,761.
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WESTERN STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.
CHAPTER V.
SCHOOLS.
Early Schools. - Wages. - Teachers. - First School-House. - Changes in School System after Separation. - School Districts. - Text-Books. - Academy. - Normal School. - Abbott Family School. - May School. - The Willows. - Graded Schools. - High School. - Public Funds.
THE early settlers took a lively interest in the education of their children. As nearly all of them had immigrated from the older towns of Massachusetts, where the common school system had long been established, most of these parents were men and women of· considerable education, and even of considerable culture. They therefore personally guided the instruction of their own children during the early years of the town's history. These fireside schools, attended after the work of the day was over, formed a pleasant feature of their rural life. There is not known to have been an illiterate person among the early settlers, and it is doubtful whether at any time in the history of the town an adult native-born citizen could be found, unable to read a clause in the constitution and write his name.
Not long after the first settlement, home education of the children was supplemented by the employment of female teachers, and each settler was expected to yield a portion of his log-house, for a school-room, when it came his turn. Knitting and sewing were taught as a part of the regular system of instruction, a practice which prevailed for many years. The first school in town taught by a man, was opened
.
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HISTORY OF FARMINGTON.
in the winter of 1788-9, by Lemuel Perham, Jr., in a part of Robert Gower's log-house, on the farm now ( 1884) owned by Hiram Russ. Mr. Perham was from Dunstable, Mass., where he had previously taught school. The whole town at this time, may be said to have constituted one school district, and all scholars were at liberty to attend-and did very generally attend-each one contributing his proportion of the expense. This school drew a number of scholars from the west side of the river, and particularly from what is now West Farmington. Use was probably made of such text- books as Dilworth and Perry's Spelling Book, Perry's Dic- tionary, and Pike's Arithmetic. The study of grammar and geography had not been introduced at so early a period. The custom undoubtedly was, from this time until the incor- poration of the town, to employ girls in the summer and men in the winter to teach the youth in the several districts. The wages paid the teachers at this time, and they did not receive much more during the first forty years of the history of the town, were about seventy-five cents a week for women, and from ten to fifteen dollars a month for men, with "board round." Among the citizens of Farmington who were prom- inent as teachers previous to the end of the first quarter of the present century may be mentioned, Lemuel Perham, Supply Belcher, Thomas Wendell, Thomas D. Blake, Henry Cushman, Samuel Belcher, Francis Butler, Nathaniel Woods, Elihu Norton, Joseph Butterfield, Asa Butterfield, Asa Abbott, Hebron Mayhew, Nathan Mayhew, Daniel Davis, David Davis, John Allen, Benjamin Allen, Jedediah Thomas, William Brainerd, Josiah Brainerd, Moses Craig, and Joseph S. Craig.
The first framed school-house in Farmington was erected previous to 1800, on the dividing line between lots No. 45 and No. 46 on the east side of the river. Dr. Thomas D. Blake taught school in this house in the winter of 1799-1800, and one of his pupils told the writer that the first she knew of the death of President Washington was one morning when, upon the distribution of the copy-books, each pupil found set this copy : "Washington is dead."
SCHOOLS. 93
While no records in regard to public schools are to be found previous to the date of the incorporation of the town in 1794, yet it is apparent from what has been said, that the subject of education received early attention from the set- tlers. At the second town-meeting, held on the 22d of May, 1794, it was voted "to raise sixty pounds for the benefit of schooling;" and at the same meeting, Stephen Titcomb, Solomon Adams, Supply Belcher, Jason Cony, William Allen, Jotham Smith, Joseph Bradford, Moses Starling, Moses Chandler, and Reuben Lowell, were chosen to report the number and define the boundaries of the several school districts in town. This committee, at a meeting held on the first Monday of November, 1794, reported a recommendation to divide the town into ten school districts. This report was accepted by the town, but no record of it appears upon the books. The several school districts were not numbered until 1812, when they had increased to sixteen. It seems to have been the custom that each member of the committee received from the treasury of the town the amount assigned his district, which he expended as he saw fit.
After the separation of Maine from Massachusetts, many important laws and some salutary changes were adopted by the new government, several of which required correspond- ing changes in methods of doing town business. Some of these changes related to choosing school committees and agents; to the amount of school tax, and to the assessment of school-house taxes upon real estate.
To carry into effect the objects contemplated by the school law under the new State government, it became neces- sary to have the territorial limits of each school district exactly defined, and at a town-meeting in 1821, a committee consisting of Joseph Fairbanks, James Butterfield, and John Russ, was chosen to number and define the limits of the several districts. Upon the report of this committee, twenty-one districts were established, and numbered from one to twenty-one inclusive. These districts as thus estab- lished have, from time to time, been divided and subdivided until the present number reaches thirty-one. To define the
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HISTORY OF FARMINGTON.
exact territorial limits of each would require a most thorough and complete examination of the town records.
The separation of Maine from Massachusetts may be regarded as a new era in the cause of popular education. The efforts of the past had taken root for a more vigorous growth, and many changes took place which tended to give a new impetus to the cause. Many of the old text-books, such as Pike's Arithmetic, Alexander's Grammar, the Ameri- can Preceptor, Webster's Spelling Book, and Perry's Dic- tionary, had been supplanted by the introduction of Mur- ray's English Reader and Grammar, Kinne and Robinson's Arithmetic, and Walker's Dictionary, while geography was universally taught and made a part of the instruction in every school. Before the separation, a school committee was annually elected, made up usually of what is now termed school agents, whose duty it was to visit the schools. They seem also to have been clothed with general powers of supervision. The members of the committee, however, were selected with little regard to their qualifications to discharge the duties assigned them, and in practice amounted to very little. Under the new State government the law required towns to elect annually a superintending school committee, and the town has usually selected its most competent men for this position. Such are among the many causes which have tended rapidly to advance the cause of popular educa- tion during the last sixty years.
FARMINGTON ACADEMY.
Early in the present century a number of individuals, some of whom had been liberally educated, felt the impor- tance and necessity of providing a higher institution of learning, not only for the training of young men and women as teachers, but to furnish a preparatory school for students who might wish to enter college. The men of the period clearly foresaw that the establishment of an academy at Farmington would be of immense advantage to the rising generation, consequently they took measures to procure a charter from the General Court of Massachusetts, which was granted February 13, 1807.
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SCHOOLS.
This charter was the twelfth which had been granted for academies to be located in the District of Maine, and con- tained the usual provision for establishing a board of trus- tees, with powers of management, etc., and defined the pur- poses of the institution. Prominent among these were the promotion of piety and morality, and the instruction of youth in such languages, arts and sciences as the trustees might direct. The movement for establishing academies in the District of Maine commenced in the latter part of the last century, and continued with remarkable rapidity and persistence, bringing into existence, for the next sixty years, an average of one academy each year.
By a resolve of the General Court of Massachusetts, passed February 8, 1811, a grant was made to the trustees of Farmington Academy of a half township of land, to be selected from any of the unappropriated lands belonging to the State, and the land agent was authorized to lay out the same, subject to the usual reservation of four hundred and eighty acres. This resolve was in accordance with the fol- lowing petition of a committee of the trustees :
To the Honorable the Senate and Honorable House of Representa- tives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General Court assembled. A. D. 1810.
The petition of a committee of the Trustees of the Farmington Academy in behalf of the said Board of Trustees respectfully represent :
That the Honorable the Legislature in the month of February A. D. 1807 passed an act establishing an Academy in the town of Farmington in the county of Kennebec by the name of the Farm- ington Academy, for the purpose of promoting piety and virtue and for the education of youth in such of the languages and in such of the liberal arts as the Trustees should direct. That pre- vious to the passing said act a number of individuals in the town of Farmington and its vicinity anxious to afford the means of promoting piety and useful learning in this part of the Common- wealth, made voluntary subscriptions for the purpose of erecting an Academy building by means of which the Trustees have been
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HISTORY OF FARMINGTON.
enabled, although with difficulty, nearly to complete a handsome edifice for this purpose. Funds are now wanted for the support of suitable instructors, and the patronage of the Legislature is solic- ited. Your petitioners are sensible that the donations of individ- uals are inadequate to carry the good intentions of the legislature into effect; that the benefits anticipated in the establishment of the institution can never be realized without your assistance. We therefore beg that you would grant the said Trustees a township of land for the benefit of said institution; and that a lot of land in the town of Farmington containing three hundred and twenty acres, reserved by the Legislature in their grant of said town, for the future appropriation of the General Court may be granted to the said Trustees for the same purpose; and as in duty bound will ever pray.
EZEKIEL PORTER. CHURCH BRAINERD. BENJAMIN ABBOTT.
The resolve reads as follows :
Resolve granting ten thousand and twenty acres of land to Farmington Academy.
Resolved that there be and hereby is granted for the use and benefit of said Academy ten thousand and twenty acres of land out of any of the unappropriated lands of this Commonwealth in the district of Maine except the ten townships on the Penobscot River purchased of the Indians and excepting also the land con- tracted to be sold to Jackson and Flynt, and which contract is now rescinded. Said ten thousand and twenty acres to be laid out under the direction of the Commonwealth's agents upon the sub- ject of eastern lands.
Provided however that the agents aforesaid shall not proceed to lay out and assign the same until said trustees shall lodge in the Secretary's office a certified list of the subscriptions and dona- tions made and secured to said Academy and which shall amount to the sum of three thousand dollars exclusive of the expenses necessarily incurred in erecting and furnishing the buildings neces- sary for the accommodation of said Academy within two years from the passing of this resolve.
February 8th, 1811.
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SCHOOLS.
In 1822, the trustees, through a committee, selected the southern half of township No. 5, in the fifth range, west of Bingham's Kennebec purchase, in the County of Oxford, containing ten thousand and twenty acres, subject to the reservations aforesaid, and the same was conveyed by the land agent to the trustees. This half township was surveyed in 1826, by Capt. Mann, Lemuel Perham, Allen H. Brainerd, and Enos S. Thompson, accompanied by a large corps of assistants.
By agreement, the creditors of the institution took the amount of their claims in land, at thirty-five cents an acre- that being the surveyors' appraisal-and the residue was sold at auction, at from twenty-four to thirty cents an acre. The amount added to the endowment fund of the Academy, by the sale of its land grant, was about fifteen hundred dollars.
Previous to embarking in the enterprise, subscriptions had been solicited ; and, considering the limited means of the people, liberal contributions were made to aid in the erection of the building and for the endowment of the institution. Individuals eminent as friends and patrons of education in this and the adjacent towns, were elected as members of the board of trustees. The first meeting named in the charter, was held April 14, 1807, and was organized by the choice of William Reed, of Strong, as president; Nathan Cutler, Esq., secretary ; and Dea. Church Brainerd, treasurer. In 1808, the trustees took the necessary steps toward erecting an edifice. During the year, the frame which constitutes the L to the present Normal building was raised, and within the next three years was so nearly completed as to be ready for occupancy.
The following report of the treasurer, approximates very nearly to the amount originally subscribed in aid of the Academy, together with the names of the subscribers :
FARMINGTON, May ye 12, A. D. 18II.
I hereby certify that there is now in my hands for the institu- tion known by the name of the Farmington Academy (besides what has been expended for said buildings) in subscriptions and
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HISTORY OF FARMINGTON.
which has been paid and not expended or is in notes of hand to the amount of what is set against each man's name, viz :
Oliver Bailey, $ 74.00
Henry Cushman, $ 50.00
Eliphalet Bailey,
78.59
Moses Chandler,
77.00
Jonathan Ballard,
50.00
Henry Davis, 43.00
William Allen,
42.00
H. V. Chamberlain, 50.00
Edward Butler, 50.00
Thomas Flint, 100.00
Ebenezer C. Butler, 52.80
Joseph Fairbanks, 58.52
Benjamin Butler,
64.00
Jesse Gould, 37.84
Solomon Butler,
42.00
John Flint,
100.00
Benjamin Butler, Jr., 32.00
John Holley,
50.00
William Brackley,
50.00
Benjamin Heath,
33.00
Enoch Craig,
42.00
Nathaniel Hersey,
50.00
John Cottle,
42.00
James Hersey,
50.00
Richard Clark,
42.80
John Read, 42.00
John Heath,
42.00
Timothy Smith, 61.13
Marchant Holley,
50.00
Joseph S. Smith,
150.00
Thomas Hiscock,
26.43
Ebenezer Taylor,
100.00
Daniel L. Kersey,
42.00
Thomas Wendell,
82.00
Timothy Johnson,
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