USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Walpole > A history of Walpole, New Hampshire, Volume I > Part 46
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system of international cooperation, such as that proposed at the Dun- barton Oaks Conference, having police power to maintain the peace of the world." Yes 58, No 3. Also voted $3000 to buy Andrew Griffin land to enlarge cemetery. After a lively discussion in the budget meeting, finally recommended "that the town vote to raise and appropriate $10,- 000 for establishing of a surplus fund for building a school house." Favorable vote 58-37. Continued the next year, then the court ruled it out of order, and money was turned over to School District.
1946 Appointed committee to study making a swimming pool in Cold River area but finally gave up idea because of pollution.
1947 Voted $500 for new dishes, $300 for Town Hall, $200 for Russell Hall; North Walpole precinct to have garbage and rubbish collection.
1948 Voted $500 for kitchen equipment Russell Hall; selectmen's salaries to $500; four new street lights for Drewsville.
1949 Walpole Village District Nursing Association incorporated (Miss Mason had supported the Association, left $20,000 to Association, need for more formal organization). Miss Fannie Mason willed timberland to town. Passed over article for 200th Anniversary celebration. Voted $1500 for flashing light signals at Depot Crossing, railroad to pay balance; $3000 to install heating system Town Hall; $1500 to replenish books North Walpole library replacing books lost in fire; $4000 to replace so-called Smalley Bridge on River Road; to convey 24 acre tract to School District for High and Elementary Schools and playground. Margaret MacG. Sparhawk retired after serving as town clerk since 1923 (her records were exceptionally good). Voted $1000 to buy land to enlarge water supply.
1950 Zoning ordinance adopted for North Walpole. Voted $4000 to replace Wallace Warn Bridge foot of Tiffany Hill. Passed over article to build vault and town clerk's office at town hall. "Mr. Cray requested that all stand for one minute in respect and appreciation for the many things that the families of Ira, Oliver, Austin and Donald Hubbard had done for the town of Walpole."
1951 Voted $2500 for new bridge at the foot of March Hill; $640 for new safe for selectmen. E. Everett Rhodes retired after 10 years as town treasurer.
1952 Longest warrant, 28 articles. Warrants became much shorter when the commonly traveled roads had been black-topped, repair and maintenance not being matters requiring votes in town meeting. Adopted Social Security provisions for town employees. Voted $2500 to repair back walls of Village Bridge; $500 to purchase addition to the village ceme- tery, 4.84 acres north of Cemetery Road and east of Rt. 12; $5.00 to re-
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move or repair old brick shop on Turnpike Street; $500 for observance of 200th Anniversary. Rescinded vote discontinuing High Street, since houses were built there after the previous vote was taken, and there was need for the street.
1953 Voted $7,312 to buy Hough Payloader; $1700 to install heating system town garage. Increased town officers' salaries: Selectmen $500 to $750; Treasurer $125 to $250; Tax Collector $325 to $500; Town Clerk $125 to $250; Supervisors $25 to $50.
1954 Voted $100 for Civil Defense; $500 for recreation program (250 each village).
1955 Voted $500 for library equipment; $1500 for bringing Walpole History up to date, continued each year except 1961; to allow a portion of the Common to be used as a playground, to be restricted to area south of the sidewalk; $2500 added to $3000 which had been found inadequate for painting Village Bridge. The State took over before the money was expended.
1956 Voted to tar and improve new road to new development near North Walpole school.
1959 Voted $100 for Dutch elm disease control and shade tree protec- tion; $25 for opening and maintaining trails and old roads for forest fire protection, New Hampshire Forestry & Recreation Commission supply- ing matching funds.
1961 Voted $8500 for new addition to Bridge Memorial Library; turned down article for bronze plaque for World War II Memorial.
1962 Voted to discontinue old section of Rt. 12 from Cecil Patch's to Cold River Bridge; $3500 for preparation and writing of Town History.
SCHOOLS
In 1768 it was voted to have three schools in town for the winter season and to raise £15 to support them. Joseph Barrett, John Marcy and Samuel Trott were chosen a committee to take care of the schools. In 1769 the town was divided into three districts, each to have the benefit of its own money. In 1770 Col. Bellows, John Marcy and Jonathan Hall were chosen a committee to appoint the places for building three school- houses, each district to build its own according as they pay their rates to the school. This same committee was to "Notify the People and See that the School Houses are built." According to AH 42-3 these were built 1) Where Josiah Bellows' house stood 1879, the building later moved to the west side of Washington Square, what was later the house of Moses Q. Watkins (#75). Ebenezer Swan taught here, the first male teacher in
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town; 2) Near Cold River, no indication where; 3) In the Valley, proba- bly south side of the road east of the old Robie house (#552). Wherever this school was, there were "rising 80" pupils.
In 1775 there were four districts: Hill, South, East, North. There seems to have been none on Carpenter Hill, for those living within two miles of the southeast corner of the town were allowed to have the money raised upon them for the use of a school to be laid out for that use among themselves. Those living in what later became #5 were allowed the same privilege in 1776. A school does not mean a schoolhouse.
In 1785 each district was empowered to choose a committee within the district to draw their proportion of school money and lay it out for schooling within the district and to settle with their own collectors. The number of collectors varied up to twelve.
In 1788 £15 was appropriated for singing in school, the committee to get a master and regulate.
In the early days the only textbooks were N. E. Primer, The Psalter, Dodworth's Spelling Book, and the New Testament.
In 1806 the bounds of eleven districts were described in the records in accordance with state law. These bounds continued through the years except for minor changes and the setting up of three additional districts. In 1834 thirteen districts are described with a list of the taxpayers in each district, an invaluable help in checking the homesteads of that period. (See appendix)
DISTRICT #1, WALPOLE VILLAGE
About 1807 a brick schoolhouse was erected on the northwest corner of what are now Westminster and Elm Streets where St. John's Church stands. It was a plain but substantial two-story building with three school rooms and a commodious hall for public exhibitions (second floor). On each end was a wooden woodshed containing also the sanitary arrange- ments.
Judge Bellows wrote: "One of the schoolrooms on the lower floor was intended merely for the primary grades and was filled with long, low benches on which the poor babes could sit while they studied their a-b-c's. I remember one other used for the higher classes which was fur- nished with desks made of pine wood with lids which shut down over the box in which the occupants kept their books, slates and other apparatus for study and also for play. Every desk showed the artistic marks of the jackknives of its succeeding occupants. What a noise arose whenever school began its daily session and when work was done, from the slam-
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ming down of the covers of those desks. Every child threw all his or her energy into the task for the preparation of closing up . . .
"During my brief period of attendance at this temple of learning Ellen Nichols kept the school. She was young and very attractive and had the usual number of beaux, among whom was the then village beau par excellence, Percy Bellows, brother of the late Dr. Henry W. Bellows, distinguished for his good looks and charming manners . . . One bright summer morning when we were all assembled for school we saw our teacher coming along the street accompanied by Percy, arrayed in fresh spring attire-white duck trousers predominating. When we saw them approach the most of the pupils took their seats according to the order of those days; but a dozen or so of the boys remained outside and climbed up into the top of the woodshed through which Miss Nichols was to enter her classroom. And at the very moment her gallant escort in his most courtly manner was saying goodbye at the door, we set up a loud yell that would have shamed the aborigines. You can imagine the con- sternation of the two and how the blushes mantled the cheeks of the school marm.
"I can remember nothing more of consequence . .. except that in some of the rooms the part occupied by the pupils was raised by a series of steps so that all were in full view of the teacher, and how bothersome those steps were for our short legs."
William G. Field, a lawyer residing in town, kept a select school here for several years between 1820 and 1831.
Henry Adams Bellows (later Chief Justice of New Hampshire) taught here after the death of his father in 1821. He lived with his mother in a modest house in Westminster and walked from there to school.
Thomas Sparhawk who came to Walpole 1769 is said to have followed his calling as a teacher for a time, probably before the erection of this building.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
The district schools were considered of not much account by the elite who sent their children for private instruction. The children started school almost as soon as they could be led by the hand by an older child, even at three years. Judge Josiah G. Bellows wrote thus of his early school experiences:
"My older brother led me one morning down the street to the Wells house (#112). There some 12 or 15 children, none over 10 or 12, were assembled, and we entered upon our studies under the charge of Miss Annie Alcott, herself a girl not over 16.
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Our schoolroom was the northeast chamber in the Wells house-rather a small room, identical in fact with the northeast chamber in my house (#96) for both were built on the same general plan.
"Our teacher was a very lovely and common sense girl and I presume did all she could to further our progress in the difficult fields then open to the youthful learner. I can't remember distinctly when I learned to read, although I must have learned my letters even before this, but I do recollect how in my earliest years of school I used to struggle with that page of meaningless syllables beginning: a-ab; i-ib; etc. The results of the teaching were just the same and quite as speedy as those of the present (1904) day, and what a young one really learned stuck.
"Miss Alcott's school did not last long, not more than a term, I think, and from there I went to three little schools. They must have been very much like the old dame schools, but I cannot recall the exact order in which they came.
"Marie Nichols kept school in a small building just in back of Mrs. Cota's bakery (#90) now forming the large part of Mrs. Fisher's house which stood on what is now High Street, a street then non-existent. Miss Nichols was rather a stern teacher. All I can remember of her is that every half hour or so during the day she used to take her ruler and march around and administer to almost every one of the pupils a slight ferruling. Although I was never punished in that way it must have done me good afterwards, for Miss Nichols' school was quite remarkable for its order and the rapid advancement of its pupils in learning.
"Mrs. Walton Mead should be remembered, for she kept a similar school in her little house now a two-story building standing on the south side of Middle Street (#179). I remember of this school only the fact that Thomas B. Peck, a year or so younger than I, and myself were the youngest pupils and sat upon a very low and small wooden bench which Mrs. Mead's husband, old Walton Mead, made for our special use.
"Then Miss Ann Weymouth and her school engaged me for a time. She kept school right at the foot of our hill in what is now Charlie Russell's house."
In the Cheshire Gazette 1825 there was this advertisement: "School for Young Ladies-Miss Wills-Will open a school in Walpole Village on the first Monday in May next, for instruction of Young Ladies. She will teach all the branches usually taught in schools of this kind including the useful and ornamental. Tuition $3 per quarter."
In 1798 John Hubbard was conducting a subscription school, adver- tised in the Museum.
WALPOLE ACADEMY
"Walpole Academy open for reception of scholars on April 18, 1825. The branches usually attended to in Academies will be taught. Tuition: Languages & higher branches of mathematics $4 per quarter, for other branches $3. No scholar will be received for a less term than half a quarter. Board may be had on reasonable terms, in respectable families. Wm. G. Field." The above appeared in the Cheshire Gazette.
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June 28, 1831 a charter was granted to Thomas Bellows, Abel Bellows, Nehemiah Giles et al. to establish Walpole Academy. There was a board of seven honorary trustees, but the active management was in the hands of an executive committee-Rev. Wm. A. Whitwell, Jacob N. Knapp (the leading spirit, having conducted a famous school in Brighton and Jamaica Plain before settling on his farm in Walpole), Abel Bellows, Josiah Bellows 3rd, Ebenezer Morse, Frederick Vose and Leonard Bisco.
In 1895 George M. Morse, son of Dr. Morse, recalled that Abel Bellows, Aaron P. Howland and Dr. Morse formed the active committee that pro- ceeded with construction of a building, the present Historical Society Building, on the site which they had obtained. "In digging for the cellar on a sandy knoll they came upon a wooden bin half full of a white sub- stance like white lead paint as sold in kegs. Since there was an embargo on all spirits from Great Britain during the War of 1812, Caleb Bellows conceived the idea of making whiskey from potatoes. He purchased a copper still (later in an outbuilding on the Nat Holland farm), bought several hundred bushels of potatoes, dug this pit, stored the potatoes until spring. The war was over before he put his scheme into operation. The price of whiskey dropped, he left the potatoes where they were. Only the starch was left, and the odor-the committee carried chloride of lime to disinfect and protect against the odor. The starch they carted away."
There seems to be no complete list of the principals of the academy, but we list here those who made sufficient impression to be remembered.
Charles H. Allen, who later became a doctor, practicing in Cambridge- port, was principal for three years, the first. Mrs. Lee was preceptress, and he was assisted by his sister Anne. Mrs. Burrill kept a boarding house on the opposite side of the street, well filled by girls from out of town. The men boarded in private homes. For some years what had been the Caleb Bellows homestead (#153), was kept as the academy boarding house. Horace Wells a student at this time later discovered anesthesia by inhalation of gas. Among the Walpole boys were Bill Robeson, Dana Watkins, Tom Seaver, Jim Mitchell, Warren Giles, John Morse, Hub Wilder, John Floyd, John Grant, George Morse.
Samuel L. Felton was another principal, later a civil engineer and rail- road manager in Pennsylvania. He was a remarkable Greek scholar, brother of President Cornelius Felton of Harvard.
William M. Pritchard, remembered as a linguist, was later a well- known lawyer in New York City. Miles T. Gardner was another early principal, but there is only his name.
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The catalog for 1837 shows that pupils attended from Westminster, Rockingham, Windsor, Woodstock and Putney, Vermont; Swanzey, Jaf- frey, Alstead, Charlestown, Winchester, Keene and many other New Hampshire towns. It gives the names of 107 pupils, and states that 193 had attended during the year. Justus L. Janes was principal, his wife, Abigail E. Janes preceptress. Ann Bellows, daughter of Josiah, taught music. She later became the wife of Rev. Thomas Hill, President of Harvard College.
In 1837 the Academy is described as having "globes, and a very re- spectable chemical and philosophical apparatus". This equipment grad- ually disappeared, victim to the destructive tendencies of school boys. Subjects: Greek, Latin, French, Italian, Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, Astronomy, Botany, Grammar. They parsed Pope's "Essay on Man" and gave declamations. A lecture on phrenology was frowned upon by the clergymen.
Rev. Henry F. Harrington was next principal, assisted by his wife and sister. He was later for many years superintendent of the schools in New Bedford, Mass. He is remembered as a genial man, a fine reader and actor. His wife was lovely, with beautiful eyes, and the boys fell in love with her.
The first teacher one writer remembered "was a Mr. Farley, assisted by Miss Livermore. The two teachers boarded at our house when I was three years old. He later went south for his health and died of consump- tion."
John Nelson Bellows, older brother of Rev. Henry W. Bellows, was principal in 1844, and at some time there were John Nichols and John Goldsbury.
William Guild remembered in the late 1840's "Fisher M. Rice, a stern, severe man; Mr. Seagrave who made a lasting impression on my youthful mind from the fact that one leg being shorter than the other, he walked with one foot supported by an iron frame; and James M. Chase, then a student at Harvard. ... Though well qualified for teaching as far as education was concerned, he failed in discipline due to youth and inexperience. I remember visiting the school in his day and witnessing a rather unsuccessful attempt on his part to punish a refractory pupil as tall as and probably stronger than himself, by standing him in the corner of the school room. The name of the pupil was Frederick M. Holland."
Mr. Guild continued: "I attended the academy in 1851-2, I think, during the last year of its existence, before it was converted into a high school. The principal was Sullivan H. McCollester, since so well known as writer, preacher and lecturer. He had acquired the name of a successful teacher in District #4 (having taught there while he was still in college), and drew a large number of scholars from all parts of the town, many of them of mature years. I was the youngest scholar, being less than ten years old, and looked up with veneration to the older pupils who were pursuing such advanced
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studies as Latin and the higher mathematics. Mr. McCollester was assisted in teaching by his wife and by his brother, J. Q. A. McCollester, a fine, serious young man. He was also assisted at times by the older scholars who heard classes of the younger pupils recite in the upper hall. The school was kept in the lower hall, the seats and desks were of plain pine. Mr. McCollester was then a very young man. With no special pre- tension to profound scholarship, he was fortunate in the possession of great enthusiasm which he had the power of imparting in full measure to his pupils. To give variety to the exercises he occasionally took the school on an outdoor excursion, the scholars marching two by two in a long procession, and the older scholars acting as marshals. Once he took us into the ravine back of the schoolhouse to get a practical lesson in geology and mineralogy, and another time up the hill, I think to Holland's Woods. Although he allowed considerable liberty, he was a disciplinarian and his 'Be careful, boys' never failed to check any disorder. He will excuse me for saying that in those days he wore his hair quite long, and it was a wonder to the boys how he contrived to make it turn under so smoothly at the ends.
Judge Bellows' description may add something to Mr. Guild's. "I think on the whole this was the most notable of all my schools. Dr. McCollester won his D.D. by being president of some obscure western college and was at that time in the prime of his youth, and had but very recently graduated from Norwich University ... and the doctor came here wearing the uniform of the college blue.
"What an eye he had; and what a wonderful trick he possessed when he wished to be especially impressive-that of rolling the pupils of his eyes back out of sight so that nothing appeared but a white and glistening mass. The air trembled when rolling those eyes back he bellowed out: 'Carful, boys, carful.' Why he murdered the King's English in his pronunciation of that word I can hardly see, for ordinarily he spoke the language with accuracy and precision. . "
During the regimes of James and Harrington the Walpole Lyceum had meetings at the old Academy, discussing affairs of the nation with great animation. Also during the last years of the Academy there were discus- sions that aroused so much interest that many of the citizens attended and some of them took part.
Judge Bellows also recalled the Lyceums: "We had a very flourishing, one in the village, although the talkers were mostly from the hills. The feeling between the street and the country was then most intense and the villagers were looked down upon and hated as the representatives of the aristocratic class. Our village doctor, Dr. Morse, thoroughly sympathized with the hill dwellers and at one of the Lyceum meetings favored the audience with a long satirical poem on Walpole and its inhabitants .... "
Some of the students were remembered as outstanding. Mr. Guild wrote in 1895: " ... One of the oldest scholars was Edward Darby, then perhaps thirty years old. He came a long distance from the Valley, and was, perhaps, the leading spirit among the scholars. There were also the Mellishes from the Valley, bright young men, and a grave young man named Gilbert from the southeast part of the town, who was looked up to by the younger scholars because he was studying Virgil.
"There were the three Fishers, Andrew J., Charles and David, and Foster Watkins who was a good speaker; and William Johnson who was later at Bellows Falls, who heard the younger children recite in the upper hall. Many others might be mentioned,
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but I must not forget Edwin Guild and John L. Hubbard, then as now studious and thoughtful.
"Also remembered were Henry R. Brown, son of Jacob Brown, who had a facility for composition and who in later life devoted himself to lecturing and literary work; and John Cole, an excellent scholar and son of a retired sea captain who carried on a store in the village."
HIGH SCHOOL
The following is a summary of material from the Walpole Gazette Feb. 21, 1895, March 28, 1895 and May 16, 1895, the last by John L. Hubbard.
"We always admired the appearance of the Academy as it stands on its little eminence overlooking the village, with its tall columns, its belfry and cupola, so different from the school architecture of the present day. It seems to typify the generous and elevated views of the men of two generations ago. . ."
"The establishments of high schools in New Hampshire dates from the passage of the Somersworth Act June 19, 1848. By an amendment passed July 8, 1850, the act was extended to include all districts in the state. The men who established Walpole Academy had passed, or were passing, from the stage and something was needed to take its place. Accordingly an act of the legislature was secured June 30, 1853, by which School Dis- trict #1 in Walpole was allowed to purchase the Academy Lot for the purpose of a lot for a high school and their other schools. At a meeting held Sept. 5, 1853, the Academy Corporation voted to sell their lot (which of course included the Academy building) to District #1 for the nominal sum of $300. On completion of the transaction the cor- poration passed out of existence.
"The school was not to be remodelled until the following summer. For a time a school was kept in the lower Academy hall for the larger scholars, some 40-50 in the class, the other two schools still at the brick schoolhouse. Too many came to this school, some had to be sent back. When the roll was called others would answer 'gone to the brick.'
"This school was kept by Rev. O. S. Morris who at the time was pastor of the Methodist Society. He had some talent, but it did not lie in the direction of teaching.
"After the purchase of the Academy lot the District erected the new schoolhouse for the primary and intermediate schools on the rear of the lot and fitted up the Academy building for the high school. In the lower hall of the Academy the floor was laid on an incline similar to the brick school and the old town hall, and the desks were clumsy affairs, evidently the work of the village carpenter, and were carved with names of successive generations of school boys who found the soft pine easy material for their jackknives.
"All this was changed. The old desks were removed and the floor levelled, but the lower hall was no longer used for a school room. The upper hall was fitted for this purpose and was furnished with desks of hard wood and chairs of the most approved design. They were similar to those now (1895) in use except that each desk had two compartments and two chairs and was used by two scholars, thus arranged in pairs (friends could arrange to sit together). Books of reference including Smith's CLASSICAL DICTIONARIES and also a terrestrial and celestial globe were purchased for the use of the scholars.
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