USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Windham > Windham in the past > Part 14
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We find nothing more on the old records concerning the town's poor until April 7, 1817. At a meeting held on that date, it was
"Voted, that the Poor be put up to vendue to be Struck off to the Lowest Bidder."
At the adjournment of the above meeting, on May 5, 1817, the town appears to have held a wholesale pauper auction, as follows :
"Voted, that Luce, a Negro girl, be put up to vendue, to be struck off to the lowest bidder, and was struck off to Dr. James Merrill, he being the lowest bidder, for thirty six dollars.
"Voted, that Abigail Triekey, a white woman. be put up to vendue, to be struck off to the lowest bidder, and was struck off to Jonathan Hanson, for sixty one dollars, he being the lowest bidder.
"Voted, that Thomas Barker and Family be put up to
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vendue, to be struck off to the lowest bidder, and was struck off to Timothy Hanson, for one hundred and fifty dollars, he being the lowest bidder."
At the adjournment of the annual meeting, May 4, 1818, the following votes were passed :
"Voted, that Luce, a Negro woman be put up to vandue, and struck off to the lowest bidder, and was struck off to Reuben Robinson for Forty nine dollars, he being the lowest bidder.
"Voted, that Abigail Trickey be put up at Vandue, and struck off to the lowest bidder and struck off to Timothy Hanson for Eighty dollars, he being the lowest bidder.
"Voted, that the Select-men purchase, or hire a piece of land for Wm. Young and family.
"Voted, that Thomas Barker & wife & five children be put up to vandue and struck off to the lowest bidder, and was struck off to Timothy Hanson, for one hundred and sixty nine dollars, he being the lowest bidder."
At a town meeting, held Nov. 2, 1818, it was
"Voted, that the Overseers of the Poor build John Mugford a house on the land said Mugford now lives on."
Also, "Voted, that the Selectmen repair John Chase's house and chimney."
Evidently the better part of the citizens were beginning to show signs of dissatisfaction with the manner in which the unfortunate poor were disposed of each year, and we find that, at the above meeting, it was
"Voted, that a committee to see what method is best for the support of the poor consist of five, with the Overseers of the poor.
"Voted, Timothy Hanson, Thomas Little, Nathan Goold, Esq., Nathan Pope and Abraham Anderson, be the above com- mittee."
At the adjournment, held May 3, 1819, the above committee reported as follows :
"That we have duly considered the subject, and are of the opinion, that it is best for the overseers of the poor, to put out, all or such part of the poor children in the Town that they can
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DIVISION OF LAND, INCORPORATION OF TOWN, ETC.
find suitable places for, so far as the interests of the Town re- quire it, and the Town to buy a farm for to place the remainder of the poor on under an Overseer if practicable, all of which we humbly submit.
TIMOTHY HANSON, Recorder.
"Voted, to accept the report of the Committee.
"Voted, to choose a Committee of Three to purchase a farm for to put the poor on under an Overseer.
"Voted, Capt. Thomas Little, Robert Estes and Nathan Goold, Esq., be the above Committee, and make report to the Selectmen and the Selectmen to call a Town meeting.
"Voted, that the Selectmen dispose of Thomas Barker and his family.
"Voted, that Luce, a Negro woman, be put up at Vandue and struck off to the Lowest bidder, and struck off to Robert Estes, for thirty Eight Dollars, he being the lowest bidder.
"Voted, that Abigail Trickey be put up to Vandue, and struek off to the lowest bidder, and was struck off to Thomas Millins, for Ninety Dollars, he being the lowest bidder.
"Voted, that the Selectmen put out the rest of the poor, to the best advantage for the Town."
The foregoing vote in regard to Thomas Barker and his family seems to have a sort of "off with his head" flavor about it; and, save that he turns up at the next annual meeting, we might be left to infer that the Selectmen fulfilled their instruc- tions to the bitter end.
At a meeting held in the Friends' Meeting-house April 10, 1820, it was
"Voted, to put Black Luce, up to vandue, to be struck off to the lowest bidder, and was struck off to John Mayberry for thirty Eight Dollars, he being the lowest bidder. Voted to refer Thomas Barker to a Committee."
So far as can be learned, this was the last time the paupers were "put up to Vandue," in Windham.
Shortly after this the farm near the Center was purchased; and, in the course of time, the old-fashioned farmhouse then standing on the premises was torn down, and the present large
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and commodious dwelling was erected in its stead. Here those who are unable to provide for themselves enjoy all the comforts of a well-ordered home, and the care which these unfortunates receive is highly creditable to the good old town.
The grantees named their township New Marblehead, in honor of the parent town, where most of them belonged; and we find from the records that they held at least four plantation meetings before the incorporation, and that the territory was then called New Marblehead.
When, on June 11, 1762, the Great and General Court of the Province of Massachusetts passed an act incorporating said plantation, it received the name of Windham, though for what reason, or who suggested the name we do not know. Smith, in his town history, leaves us to infer that it was named from Wymondham, a town in Norfolk, Eng., but we have no means of knowing whether this is correct or not, so we leave the ques- tion for future historians to decide, and can only express our personal wish that our ancestors had retained the original name of New Marblehead.
Windham was the sixteenth town incorporated in the State of Maine and had. at that time, as we have seen, thirty-nine families then living here. These increased each year until 1860, in which year there were two thousand six hundred and thirty-five inhabitants in town.
The principal business of the inhabitants is that of farming. The land, for the most part, is exceedingly fertile and easily cultivated, the chief crops raised being hay in large quantities, corn, other grain of various kinds, potatoes, and other vegetables. In the central and easterly parts of the town are many apple orchards, which annually yield the owners good profits. Large numbers of neat cattle, including cows of high grade, are kept, and dairying is fast becoming an important branch of business among our farmers. Horses are numerous, and several pairs of fine oxen are now owned here. Sheep raising, which our farmers formerly considered a profitable business, has become almost a lost art, and but very few flocks are now to be found, where once they were kept in large numbers.
Windham has been very fortunate in never having suffered from sickness of a serious epidemie nature, the general health of the inhabitants having been uniformly good from the first ; and, as a people, they are contented and happy.
CHAPTER VII
SCHOOLS
One important condition imposed by the Great and General Court of Massachusetts on the Grantees of New Marblehead was that one right in the township should be disposed of for the use of the common schools; or, in other words, that one sixty- third part of the territory should be set aside for the above- named purpose. Accordingly, in the division of land, Home Lot No. 1 was drawn as the school lot; and, in each subsequent division of the common lands, this Lot No. 1 drew its propor- tional part.
These lots at that time were covered with a heavy growth of wood and timber, and being public property, but little interest was taken to preserve the growth from trespassers. One in- stance which we find recorded on the town books serves to illus- trate the little care our ancestors took of the town's property.
William Maxfield, one of the early settlers, became the owner of Home Lot No. 2, adjoining the school lot. This gentleman appears to have used somewhat original methods in his transac- tions, and his ideas of the eternal fitness of things were evidently of a vague and undefined nature, especially in regard to bound- ary lines. It is a fact that, when he built his house, it stood one- half on his own lot, and the other half on the school lot. By virtue of this novel "livery of seizen," he kept possession for several years without being called to account; and he also claimed the right to operate on the hundred-acre lot drawn for the schools in 1740. This he proceeded to do for some time.
At length the authorities, fearing that he might gain a possessory title to the entire township, ordered him to vacate the premises. This he refused to do, and so the matter rested for some years. Finding that he was likely to ruin the lot, the matter was brought before the town, at a meeting held on May 7, 1774, when it was
"Voted, that William Elder, Richard Dole, and David Barker be a Committee to Sue William Maxfield off the School Lot, if
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he refuses to give it up, and Likewise to Draw so much Money out of the Treasury as is needful to carry on the same."
This committee immediately notified Mr. Maxfield of the vote and informed him that they should at once proceed to enforce it according to law. Finding himself confronted by a probable law suit, after considerable bluster on his part, he finally concluded to vacate the disputed territory.
The committee reported their success to the town in 1775, and we hear nothing more in- regard to the lot until 1802, when a petition was presented to the General Court, on Feb. 24th of that year, and the following is the action taken thereon :
"Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
"In the House of Representatives, Feb. 24th, 1802.
"On the Petition of Ezra Brown and others, a Committee in behalf of the Inhabitants of the Town of Windham in the County of Cumberland, praying for Liberty to sell and dispose of their School Lands in said Town and appropriate the use thereof to public schools in said Town,
"Resolved, for reasons set forth in said Petition, that the prayer thereof be so far granted, that the Inhabitants of said Town of Windham, be and hereby are authorized to sell and dispose of the said School Lands, and that the net proceeds of the said sale be, and shall forever hereafter continue vested in some of the public funds of the United States, or of this Com- monwealth, or Mortgage of Real Estate, and the interest arising therefrom be applied towards the support of the public Schools.
"It is also further Resolved, that the Town Clerk, of said Windham shall Procure of the Secretary an attested copy of these resolves and enter the same at full length on the Records of the said Town of Windham, in order that the sale and appro- priation aforesaid may be known and the application thereof be better secured in future.
"Sent up for concurrence.
"In Senate, Feb. 26, 1802.
EDWARD ROBBINS, Speaker.
Read and Coneurred. DAVID COBB, President.
-
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"Feb. 27th, 1802. Approved.
CALEB STRONG.
"A true Copy attest.
JOHN AVERY, Secretary.
"RICHARD DOLE, Town Clerk."
In accordance with the above action of the General Court, the lands were sold to the town for two thousand four hundred and forty dollars, at six per cent. annual interest, which is now divided each year among the common schools of Windham.
At just what time a school was established in this town, we have no means of knowing. An old tradition asserts that Mrs. Mary Chute, wife of Thomas Chute, the first settler, gathered the few children belonging to the settlement into her own house, where she instructed them in the rudiments of an English education. If this is true, and we see no reason to doubt it, then to Mrs. Chute belongs the honor of establishing the first school in Windham.
Thomas L. Smith, on page 81 of his history of the town, says, "Samuel Webb taught the first school in the town in 1743." We think he is mistaken in the date, as considerable documentary evidence exists to prove that Mr. Webb did not settle here until 1744, and we find nothing on the old Propri- etors' records or those of the town to show that a school was kept by any one at that date.
The first record we find in regard to the matter is, on Oct. 7, 1765, when, at a town meeting, it was
"Voted, that a school be kept in said Town of Windham till the next annual meeting.
"Voted, that twenty-six pounds be allowed to pay a School Master till March meeting next."
No mention is made of who the master was, but, without doubt, it was Mr. Webb, as it is a well-authenticated fact that he was the principal, if not the only school teacher in this town for several years.
At a meeting held in the old Province Fort, on March 26, 1766,
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"Voted, that twenty pounds be allowed to pay a School Master this year."
This was probably Mr. Webb's last term of school in town, as, in a short time, he moved to Deer Isle, Me., where he died Feb. 15, 1785. He was born at Redriffe, near London, Eng., on Christmas Day, 1696, and came to this country in 1713. He was the ancestor of all bearing the name in this vicinity.
Who succeeded Mr. Webb as the town's school master we do not know. However, the records show that each year money was voted for the support of schools, but the names of the teachers are nowhere recorded.
At a town meeting, on March 26, 1767,
"Voted, that thirty pounds be Raised for the support of a school or schools the ensuing year.
"Voted, that those people that live upon the Hundred acre Lotts, and have not had any Benefit of the Money raised for two years past, for the support of a school or schools shall have their Proper Proportion of said Money, which shall this present year be Raised for the use aforesaid, to be laid out for a school amongst their scholars."
Up to this time, but one school was kept in the township, and it is said that, for lack of better quarters, one of the flankers of the old fort was used as a schoolroom. As the population increased, it was found necessary to find better accommodations, hence the foregoing vote.
At the same meeting it was
"Voted, to hire a schoolhouse this Present year.
"Voted, that Abraham Anderson, Caleb Graffam and Thomas Mayberry be a Committee to lay out a Proper Place to Build a School House or School Houses in Said Town."
This committee reported at the annual town meeting, on Mar. 30, 1768, and the lot they had laid out was, in the language of their report, "In the Road, on the hill between Thomas May- berry's and Thomas Trott's."
Nothing more seems to have been done about the matter for two years; when, at a meeting held Oct. 11, 1770, it was
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SCHOOLS
"Voted, two hundred Pounds old tenor for to Build a School House.
"Voted, that Micah Walker, Hugh Crague and Thomas Trott be a Committee to Build the School House as far as the money already voted will go.
"Voted, twenty shillings per day for working on the afore- mentioned School House.
RICHARD MAYBERRY, Town Clerk."
According to the above vote, the schoolhouse was erected and partly finished in the fall of 1770; and, at the annual town meeting held according to adjournment from Mar. 28 to May 23, 1771, it was
"Voted, that there shall be money enough assessed to sup- port a School the whole of the Present year, at fifteen Pounds. old tenor Per month, and four dollars Per month for board."
At a meeting held in the meeting-house, Dec. 25, 1772, it was
"Voted, that Mr. Richard Dole shall finish shingling and put Collars Round the Chimney and Clabboard the whole of the School-house, and that the said Dole shall provide stuff to do said work with, and do said work within three weeks from this 25th day of December 1772, and that said Dole shall be paid twenty Pounds old tenor for the above mentioned labor."
It is in evidence that Mr. Dole fulfilled his part of the con- traet, and that the house was finally finished in December, 1772. It stood in the Main Road, nearly in the center of the original home lots, and was the first schoolhouse erected in the township.
While we do not know positively who taught the first term of school in the new building, it was doubtless either Benjamin Moody or John Patterson, as we find on the old town records that, at a meeting held Oct. 13, 1774, it was
"Voted, that thirty-five Pounds Lawfull Money be Raised to pay Mr. Benjamin Moody for his keeping a school in this town in the year 1772, and Mr. John Patterson, for keeping a school in this town in the year 1773."
Also, on the church book is the following entry, under admis- sions to the Windham church: "June 23, 1771. Benjamin
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WINDHAM IN THE PAST
Moody of Newbury now residing here as a School Master."
Mr. Moody probably taught here several years previous to this entry and may have succeeded Mr. Webb.
John Patterson was a native of Ireland, and is said to have been a good teacher, although somewhat peppery in disposition and very severe in discipline. How long he remained here, or whither he went, we are unable to say, neither do we know who succeeded him in the pedagogieal office. Possibly, however, it may have been Thomas Kennard, better known as "Master Ken- nard."
He was born in the north of Ireland, about 1734. At just what time he came here we do not know, but he was employed as the town's schoolmaster for a long term of years. He was greatly beloved by his pupils, some of whom were living sinee the writer can remember, and they all united in saying that Master Kennard was the best teacher of their boyhood. He died here in 1818; unmarried ; aged 84 years. His remains were in- terred on the farm formerly owned by the late J. J. Bodge near Little Falls Village, but no stone marks the spot.
The only female teacher of that early period of our town's history was Miss Mary (or as it was frequently written, Molly) Legarde. It is said that she came here from Boston about the year 1785 and taught school for some time, but nothing positive is known of her antecedents. Her intention of marriage with Reuben Hill of Gray was entered on the Windham town records on December 4, 1790, and her residence was given as Windham. From the Gray records we learn that she was married to Mr. Hill by Rev. Samuel Perley on December 23, 1790.
At a town meeting held in the Block House, Oct. 26, 1778, it was
Voted, To Build a School House at Gambo, in Proportion to what they paid towards Building the Town's School House."
This was accordingly done, previous to 1780, and, so far as we can learn, it was the second schoolhouse in town. It stood on the spot where the present one now (1910) stands, the land being at that time owned by Joseph Winslow.
Until 1789, the entire township formed one school district; but, owing to the increasing population, it was found necessary
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SCHOOLS
to take some action in the matter of schools, and the Selectmen laid out six districts, as follows, viz. :
"One Division to extend from Inkhorn Brook, and to take in James Pray & from the corner by Mr. Smith's to Falmouth line.
"2d Do. to extend from said Pray's to Joseph Swett's on the main road on the road by Ezra Brown's to John Gallison's, and on the road to John Swett's.
"3d District, to Extend from Joseph Swett's to Enoch Graffam's, and from the Widow Bolton's to Gambo Mills & from Joseph Winslow's Corner as far as John Rand's.
"4th Do, to Extend from John Rand's to the County Roade by Willm Proctor's and from Elijah Hanson's Corner to Gershom Rogers'.
"5th Do, To Extend from Israel Hodgdon's on the County Roade to Falmouth line, and from the Northerly corner of No. 62 in the first Division by Jonathan Hanson's to the County Roade.
"6th Do, To Extend from the westerly corner of No. 12, in the 2d Division to the line between this town and Gray.
"Windham November 7th, 1789.
"DAVID PURINTON, PAUL LITTLE, Selectmen. JOSEPH HOOPER, A. OSGOOD, Town Clerk."
This report of their officers was accepted by the town, and the six districts remained as they were laid out for several years.
In 1793, the town voted 70 pounds for a school, and, at the same time,
"Voted, to choose a School Committee to District the Town in proper order."
Also, "Voted, that Abraham Anderson, Mr. Paul Little, Lemuel Jones, Winslow Hall. Thomas Crague, Elijah Kennard, and David Purinton, be a School Committee to District the Town, and to take charge of the School and Regulate it."
It does not appear that these gentlemen took any action
.
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WINDHAM IN THE PAST
whatever in regard to the vote, and so we find that, at a town meeting held on April 2, 1798, it was
"Voted, that Abraham Anderson, Paul Little, Esq., Joshua Roberts, Winslow Hall, Benjamin Morrill, Stephen Robertson, and David Purinton be a Committee to District the town into Proper Districts according to the 19th artiele in the warrant.
"Also Voted, to raise 100 pounds for a school this year.
"Voted, to build a School-house in cach Distriet," for which purpose they voted to raise one thousand dollars.
They also voted, "that the said School-houses be built by the first of October next."
The following is the division of the town into school districts made by the committee, according to their report of April 2, 1798 :
"First District, To begin on the first road from Presumpseot River, at Inkhorn Brook, and to Extend on sd Road as far as James Pray's, including Amos and Ebenezer Hawkes' families, and Peter Morrill and William and James and John Mayberry, and from John Chute's to Benjamin Bodge's.
"Second Distriet, To begin at Dr. James Paines and to Extend on the main Road to where William Knight formerly Dwelt, and from Barker's Shop up that road as far as John Gallison's and from Joseph Chesley's round that Road as far as John Swett's including Thomas Barker, Jun's place and Jona- than Stevens, Sarah Rea and John Knight and Isaae Clark.
"Third District, Beginning at Thomas Crague's and to Extend on the main road, over Pleasant River as far as Isaac Cobb's place and from James Boulton's to Gambo, and from Joseph Winslow's to John Rand's.
"Fourth Distriet, Beginning at Capt. Thomas Chute's and Roland Rand's and to Extend as far as Benjamin Means', and from Elijah Hanson's to William Proetor's.
"Fifth District, Beginning at Joshua Lowell's and Extend to Daniel Pettingill's and on the County Road up as far as Nicholas Anthoine's, and from Ichabod Hanson, Jr's, as far as Samuel Dolley's.
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SCHOOLS
"Sixth District, Beginning on the County Road at Obadiah Goold's and to Extend as far as Edward Anderson's, and from Obadiah Goold's to Lewis Anderson's including Elijah Varney and Samuel Waterhouse.
"Seventh, Beginning at Stephen Hutchinson's and to Ex- tend as far as Joseph Allen's and from Jonathan Varney's to Silas Elder's, including Ezra Hanson and Jonah Austin.
"Eighth District, Beginning at Gershom Manchester's, and to Extend by Winslow's Mill to the line of Gray, and from the mouth of the Road that leads by John Knight's to Gray line and on the Road by Varney's as far as William Legrow's in- cluding Joshua Wilson, Josiah Mayberry and Jedediah Elliott.
"DAVID PURINTON, ABRAHAM ANDERSON, PAUL LITTLE, EsQ., JOSHUA ROBERTS, Committee." STEPHEN ROBERTSON, BENJAMIN MORRILL,
So far as we can learn, these schoolhouses were built accord- ing to the vote, and nothing of importance relating to school affairs appears on the records for several years. Each year, money was voted, sometimes liberally, and, at others, more spar- ingly. For instance, in April, 1802, it was voted to raise $150, and the next year it was voted to raise $1000 for the support of schools. At this last meeting. it was
"Voted, that the School Committee shall divide the School Districts or make such Regulations as they think proper."
On April 6, 1807, $1000 was voted for the schools; and in 1808, $500 for the same purpose. At the same time, it was
"Voted, that Col. Thomas Chute, Abraham Anderson and Ezra Brown be a committee to take care," (or, as the clerk records it) " (Kear) of the School money this year."
The following report appears on the town records, relating to the districts :
"Windham April 25, 1808.
"Your Committee appointed to make alterations in the School Districts Report as follows,
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WINDHAM IN THE PAST
"Ninth District, beginning at John Lunt's and from thence by Capt. Trott's to the Road leading to Peter Morrill's, and from thence to Falmouth line, with their building their own school house.
"Tenth District, beginning at Robert M. Mayberry's and from thence by Tate & Johnson's Store to Samuel Tukey's and from Tate & Johnson's Store to John Trickey's, including William Mayberry. Daniel Purinton, Moses Mayberry, Noah J. Senter and Benjamin Waterhouse, with their Building their own School House.
"Eleventh District, beginning at Pleasant River and from thence by Enoch Graffam's to Benjamin Loveitt's including William Mayberry 3d and Joseph Knight, with their building their own school house.
"Twelvth District, beginning at William Elder's and from thence by William Fields' to Otis Baker's including John Man- chester, Richard Mayberry, Aaron Hunscom and Jonah Austin, with their building their own School house.
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