USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Walpole > A history of Walpole, New Hampshire, Volume I > Part 47
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"So, in the autumn of 1854 the high school was opened with a goodly number of
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scholars and with favorable omens. I was present on the first day of the term and se- cured the seat which I generally occupied as long as I was in the school. I remember distinctly an incident the first day.
"The new teacher was Galen A. Graves, a stranger in town. He was fully 6 feet tall, with a large frame, and gave the impression of great physical strength. As he was also of rather stern countenance, his appearance was calculated to strike with awe a scholar who saw him for the first time. . . . He devoted a good deal of time to drilling the school in reading. ... He had certain favorite selections which were repeated until they became indelibly impressed on our memories.
"For English grammar we studied Greene's ANALYSIS. The first year we had MANN'S & CHASE'S ARITHMETIC, an excellent book of reference, but too hard for young scholars. It was followed by Greenleaf's ALGEBRA. I continued the study of Latin under Mr. Graves, and the second year with a few other scholars began to read Virgil's AENEID, the twelve books of which kept us busy for two years at least.
"He was succeeded by Rev. Francis B. Knapp, a thoroughly educated and highly cultivated gentleman, but entirely unfit to rule over his refractory pupils. He could preach, and he did constantly in his school, but he couldn't make even the feeblest obey.
"After graduating from Harvard and its Divinity School, he had entered the min- istry at the same time as his brother Frederick, who achieved some reputation in life as a preacher and philanthropist, and quite a rivalry sprang up between the two. When Frank, as he was called, found himself worsted in the race, he retired from the ministry and settled here on his father's farm from which he emerged only for his rather brief service as a teacher.
"'Why did you leave the ministry?' asked a friend.
" "The fact is, you know,' replied Frank, 'that Fred and I started together, and he got so very much ahead of me that I gave up. You see, in the pulpit I could really preach a great deal better than Fred. I could do it much better than he until I got to the long prayer, where I found that though I could preach very well, I couldn't pray worth a damn.' (Josiah G. Bellows)
"In the fall of 1857 A. P. Richardson took charge of the school. Without apparent effort he governed the school by a combination of 'kindness and firmness so that no disorder was attempted or perhaps even thought of. I recall especially the thoroughness with which the various branches were taught. After two years on the AENEID he thought it best for us to take up Virgil's ECLOGUES. ... We were now far enough advanced to appreciate something of the beauty of the poetry which told of the pleas- ures of rural life. We also continued the study of the Greek Reader. I suspect that even then the teacher's thoughts were turning to the study of medicine, as he intro- duced an exercise in which the whole school recited the bones of the human body, repeating the names of each twice and concluding with the words 'and the phalanges'. The rivers of North America were also recited in the same manner, beginning with the coast of Maine and proceeding south."
The following scholars were remembered:
"Horace Perry and Brigham Phelps, later town officials in Walpole and Westminster, respectively.
"Theron Adams, good mind, exemplary character, lame, excelled at
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wicket, the favorite ball game that they played near the old apple tree, died of TB a few years after leaving school.
"Samuel Roy, a sturdy, broad-shouldered boy, good scholar, excelled at 'lil-lil' which they played on the level space between the schoolhouse and Buffum's fence, no one able to stop him from breaking through the line."
During the 1850's there were two terms, fall and winter, each 12 weeks for the High School, a week or two less for the Intermediate and Primary. The enrollment was roughly: High School 35-40, Intermediate 45-50, Primary 40-50. By 1860 the Primary and Intermediate were keeping three terms-summer, fall and winter-but not until the 1870's did the High School have three terms.
To enter the High School an applicant was examined in arithmetic, geography, grammar, spelling, defining and reading. However,' require- ments were lax, because it often happened that the overcrowding in the Intermediate had to be relieved by transferring some of the pupils to the High School. The Intermediate seemed to present the greatest test of a teacher's ability because he had as students not only those who had naturally progressed from the Primary, but also "accessions from the floating material in the district too old for the Primary but not suffi- ciently advanced for High School". Many were "not over scrupulous in their moral views nor over refined in their general deportment. They had been too long sovereigns at home". This school was often too much, par- ticularly for women teachers. A pupil ordinarily remained in the Primary and Intermediate four to six years.
There had been serious attempts at more careful grading, notably 1885-6. In 1894 a regular course of study was set up for the High School similar to other schools in the region. In June 1896 was held the first graduation from the full course.
Thanks to Miss Lizzie Maynard music had become a part of the cur- riculum in the village schools following 1883. In 1897 an organ was pro- vided for the High School. Some teachers added physical exercise. In 1897, thanks to the generosity of Charles P. Howland of New York City, the lower room in the old Academy building was fitted up as a gym- nasium for use after school and three evenings a week.
In 1884 there was a new state law in regard to teaching physiology, if the districts asked for it, but the Superintending School Committee doubted if many of the teachers could even spell the word, much less pass an examination in the subject matter. Bookkeeping was considered im- portant.
The supervising committee were very critical of the performance of
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the pupils at the examinations on the closing day. They were very fussy about careful enunciation and pronunciation of the words in spelling, and decried haste. Tardiness was a cardinal sin, even worse than absence.
DISTRICT #2 NORTH WALPOLE
In 1771 a school house was supposed to have been built near Cold River, but there is neither record nor reference to indicate where, or if it was actually built.
In 1806 the district was to begin at Thomas Swan's, Israel Wightman's and include all the families on the Charlestown line of that road. In 1813 "all land lying west of Fairbank Farm and north of Atkinson line, now belonging to Jonathan Royce and his family, to be annexed to #2."
The first recorded school meeting was informally called in 1817 (?) at "Thaddeus Nichols' Mansion House Hotel". Apparently there was no school house, an order being drawn for sending the scholars to Bellows Falls to school. The first warrant March 22, 1817, was to "try the mind of the meeting whether they will build a school house", to raise money by subscription, and to continue to send the scholars to Bellows Falls. Schools had been held more or less in the homes.
June 2, 1819, it was voted to build the school house, and agreed on the point at the south end of Tucker's garden (south of Vilas Bridge 1962) and put up to bid: Levi Chapin frame set up $28.00; John Johnson 250 ft. common boards $1.25 and 300 ft. clean boards $3.00; John Blanchard 10,000 shingle nails, 2500 clapboards, 1000 board nails at cost. There seems to have been some discord and no progress made toward the build- ing until 1826, although school was maintained.
In 1820 Miss Martha Bates was paid $11.75 for teaching the summer school with children from the following families: J. Blanchard 2 (set off to #1 in 1821); J. Wightman 2; Z. Carpenter 3; N. Tucker 2; S. P. Spear 4; L. Chapin Sr. 1; J. Johnson 1; N. Chapin 2; S. Reed 4; Total 21.
In 1821 Miss Eliza Bates taught summer school in a "house near the bridge".
In December 1821 it was voted to examine the Bellows Falls claims, and have a woman teach school 12 weeks the coming winter. Miss Bates taught in Sampson Reed's house being paid $19. Mr. Gates taught four weeks in the winter of 1823. The next winter a public spirited citizen furnished room and firewood at $7.00 ($1.17 per week).
About 1828 a new school was built near the stone house. The highway then descended to the level of the brook, where there was a small wooden bridge. The raw sand bank in front of the school house furnished
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great sport for the pupils. There still being discord, within ten years the school was moved to the geographical center of the district near the foot of the hill below Tucker's. When the railroad was built 1848, the school house was pushed out into the highway. It was proposed to return it to its original site, but it was finally sold and removed to Bellows Falls. It burned there about 1899.
In 1850 school was kept in the ell of Holland Albee's house (built by Sylvanus Johnson) corner of Main and East Streets. The peculiar char- acter of the teacher made the school a farce.
About 1850 the stone school house was built, and later became the home of James Hennessey (NW #9).
1854
1864
1874
1884
1894
1904
No. Scholars
16
40
46
101
215
356
No. Schools
1
1
1
2
4
9
Wks. School
4
32
17
34
32
34
The preceding chart may give some idea of the rapid increase in the number of pupils at North Walpole and the problems involved in provid- ing adequate schools for them. In 1877 the board reported "They are mostly of Celtic origin and their language partakes strongly of the Celtic accent, but they are bright and active, and manifest a strong desire to learn." The school house was much too small and the children were herded in. In what school of normal healthy children would there not be dis- ciplinary problems under such circumstances? Committees were critical of whispering in other schools, but here they complained of a steady hum of voices. There was complaint that the parents refused to buy the books approved by the committee, and there was a great shortage of books.
In 1881 "it was deemed best to divide the school in this district into two departments. There were special difficulties at first, growing out of the fact that the two schools were kept at a distance from each other. These were happily overcome by the building, during the summer and autumn, of a new and substantial house, suitable for the accommodation of the two schools on the hill."
However, by 1884 there was need of another room, and by 1885-6 the primary was kept in the basement of the Catholic Church. By 1889 there was need for another room, which was rented. There were two primaries, an intermediate and a grammar school.
In 1895 another school was established and again 1896, making two grammar, two intermediate and three primary. In 1901 further appro-
480
TUCKER TOLL BRIDGE AND R.R. BRIDGE about 1915
Tucker Toll Bridge Bello ws Falls Vi
WALKCYOUR HORSES.
TUCKER TOLL BRIDGE about 1905
CHESHIRE R.R. BRIDGE before 1899
(B. F. Lib.)
NORTH WALPOLE AND SULLIVAN R.R. BRIDGE before 1882 (B. F. Lib.)
BRIDGE OVER COLD RIVER about 1908
The three Bridges Drewsville N.H.
THE THREE BRIDGES IN DREWSVILLE about 1892 Two covered bridges and one open bridge
DEPOT HILL in 1870
BUILDING WESTMINSTER BRIDGE in 1870
WESTMINSTER BRIDGE after Flood of 1867
WESTMINSTER BRIDGE IN BUILDING, 1911, WITH FERRY
** *
NORTH WALPOLE AND LOG DRIVE
(B. F. Lib.)
(B. F. Lib.)
LOG PILES AT NORTH WALPOLE about 1910
LOG JAM AT CHESHIRE R.R. BRIDGE before 1899 (B. F. Lib.)
Bellows Falls Vi ..
OLD DAM AT NORTH WALPOLE before 1926
NORTH WALPOLE AND BRIDGE:
CHURCH STREET, NORTH WALPOLE, Nov. 1927
FTER FLOOD OF NOV. 1927
SULLIVAN R.R. BRIDGE, Flood of 1913
WESTMINSTER BRIDGE IN FLOOD
WALPOLE
WESTMORELAND
KEENE
ROUTE 12 AT COLD RIVER, Mar. 1936 Near Stone Bridge
HALE BRIDGE, FIRST OVER CONN .. 1785
(B. F. Lib.)
ABENAQUI MINERAL SPRING as it was 1880
C
BESIDE PECK'S DRUGSTORE, Hurricane of 1938
CATTLE FAIR OR AUCTION IN NORTH WALPOLE about 1910
Drews fille.
FISHER MILL DAM AT DREWSVILLE about 1920
COLD RIVER STOCKYARDS, 1872 (#589)
GRIFFIN TOBACCO FIELD about 1903 Where High School is today
TOBACCO BROUGHT TO BARN
BARN RAISING, Aug. 19, 1884
TOM AND DICK WITH HERB DRIVING Winners at Cheshire Co. Field Day
R.N.JOHNSON
R. N. JOHNSON'S FARM EQUIPMENT (#485)
BALL'S MEAT CART
PINNACLEVIEW FARM EQUIPMENT (#435)
T
THE OLD BLACKSMITH SHOP (#31) Also Town Jail 1888-1952
priation was made for enlargement at North Walpole. The old 1881 building was "enlarged to contain eight rooms, by an extension 45 x 45 feet on the south, with vestibule 12 x 35 on the front containing stairways and broad hallways through the center of the building, opening into the schoolrooms each side, and with an assembly hall for public school exercises in the third story. . .. This it is confidently hoped will supply the needs of that village for some years, although the rapid increase and frequent changes in population make the future very uncertain."
DISTRICT #3 VALLEY: In 1782 the northeast part of the town was set off as a district, from Col. Webber's (next south of #453) to Cold River, Stearns (next north of #455) to Alstead line. In 1789 it was voted to raise £46 to build a new school in the south part of the north district and hire men exempt from the levy. This was probably the "Square School House" which stood on the crossroad southerly of the old Quinton place (#553).
Sometime about 1800 the old Square Schoolhouse in the Valley was replaced. The new schoolhouse was at the crossroad north of Emerys, as shown on 1858 map.
In the early days this was probably a large school, in the 1850's still having as many as 40 scholars. In 1868-9 morale was at a low ebb during the winter term, although the summer school seemed to have been satis- factory. The committee reported "The school room on the day of exam- ination presented the appearance of having been under a military siege, the bombardment being so severe that it was only a question of time when the house would be razed. The teacher, deeming discretion the better part of valor, and to avoid broken bones and the effusion of blood, concluded to surrender to the insurgents, they being allowed to remain and carry off the spoils. ... The committee would say that they have been creditably informed much of the damage to the school was done in the night time when the teacher was not present." There was an unusually large number of boys twelve to twenty in the school at that time, and even a man teacher was unable to handle the situation, even though a woman had handled the summer school without difficulty.
This school had its ups and downs, sometimes with a particularly in- spiring teacher such as Charles Fisher or J. W. Prentiss Jr. very good, but on the whole mediocre and small.
In 1880 the school house was rebuilt after having been in bad condi- tion for years. Modern benches were installed. Toward 1900 the pupils were transported to Drewsville part of the time and the last school held here was in 1901.
481
DISTRICT #4 RAMSAY HILL: In 1782 there was a school house on the west side of Ramsay Hill Road, at Jennisons' (Howland 1960) north line, but we have found no mention of it other than in the deeds. It may have been the "Hill" school, perhaps one of the three built by the early committee.
In 1801 Capt. Jennison and others were allowed to form themselves into a school district with a school house near the meeting house, actually at the foot of Ramsay Hill. In 1854 Appolos Gilmore's estate sold what- ever right it had in the school house lot here to the district.
In 1806 this district embraced the territory within these bounds: Leonard Harrington and Roger Walcott on Ramsay Hill (#451 and across the road); Dr. George Sparhawk (#442); John March (#412); Nathan Smith (#419); Alexander Watkins (#410); Eliphalet Fox and Oliver Sparhawk (Prospect at #200 and #162); Thomas Sparhawk hill farm (#420) and James Fuller (#422).
This was one of the large schools, having up to 40 pupils in the 1850's. For many years it was considered the best school outside the village, the greatest criticism being in 1877 when it sank almost to average tem- porarily. There seemed to be more ambition and interest here than in some of the districts, and it was noted that the older scholars assisted the teacher, rather than trying to make life difficult.
In 1881 extensive repairs were made and the old seats and benches were replaced with more modern equipment. School was last kept here 1898. The building was to have been sold at auction April 1901, but the dis- trict kept it, the residents to keep it in repair. It is now (1962) the resi- dence of Reginald Mack (#426).
DISTRICT #5: This district may have been set off when that part south of Great Brook was set off from the central district. A school house was built here 1790, probably another 1832 when Dr. Stephen Johnson sold land "with privilege of putting school house on premises". In 1864 Eli Graves sold to the district additional land adjoining for a woodhouse, to hold so long as school is kept "on premises on which said district recently built a schoolhouse". The school house stood on the east side of the Wat- kins Hill road south of Great Brook.
In 1806 the district included Moses Mead and Asahel Bundy on the Thompson Road; Aaron Hodskins and Aaron Hodskins Jr. on Kingsbury Road; John Graves (#317); Eliad Graves (#320); Calvin Eaton; Levi Fay on the old Fay Road to Derry Hill; Ephraim Drury (#415).
This was a large school in the 1850's, but shrank a great deal. It was not usually one of the best schools, due primarily to lack of parental
482
cooperation and interest. School was last held here in 1895, and by 1901 the building had been sold to George Chickering.
DISTRICT #6 MARCH HILL ROAD: This district was set off 1796. In 1802 the school house stood on the south side of the road 159 rods from the Alstead line (measured along the highway). In 1808 a new school house was built on the north side of the road opposite the end of the Fay Hill Road.
In 1806 this district included Joseph Bundy (Esdras Smith later, 1962 Von Lackum) place; Moses Fisher on Maple Grove Road; east on the March Hill Road to the Alstead line; and the places on Fay Hill.
This was not one of the larger schools, but it was one of the best in town, consistently good. Parental interest was exceptionally good. In this district the parents helped inadequate teachers, rather than making bad matters worse.
The school became small with other pupils brought in from Derry Hill in later years. School was last kept here 1901.
DISTRICT #7 DERRY HILL: This district was established 1795. The school house stood on the north side of the road along the top of the hill, be- tween Dickey's and Barnett's.
In 1806 the district included all of Derry Hill as far south as the old Scovill farm (not the south one), George Cochran's, Thomas Moor's, and on the west Capt. John Emery's.
Probably this was a good-sized school when the Emerys, Dickey, Moors, Barnetts, Marshes, Scovills and Cochrans were growing up; but when they had gone their way, it became a rather lonely place. Even in the 1850's there were less than a dozen pupils, and many times there would be only three in the school. The teacher had no disciplinary problems with the children so thinly spaced, but there was no inspiration. In the later years there were sometimes only three families represented-Pratts, Dinsmores, Marshes; sometimes only two.
This was the first district school to be discontinued; school kept last in 1885. In April 1894 Willis Dinsmore bought the school house for $10.50.
DISTRICT #8 CARPENTER HILL: During the earlier years of the settlement on Carpenter Hill the families were allowed their school money to get schooling where they would, and we have no record of when the first school house was built, except that in a deed recorded 1798 there is reference to the school house road. There are no records to indicate that
483
more than one school house was ever built, and some of the reports in- dicate that the building was getting old before its use was abandoned. It stood on the southwest corner of the County Road and the Patnode (1962) Road, only the old doorstone now remaining. The Patnode Road has been turned to come more directly into the County Road.
In 1806 this district included the Joseph Mason place (later Scovill) and every place south from there to the Westmoreland line, then west to include the Rapids and north to take in Christian Hollow and the south part of the Cochran Road.
This had probably been a fairly large school, and a good one, for in 1854 the committee reported that they had never seen a poor school here. In the 1850's there were at times close to thirty scholars, but the number was declining. In 1874 there were only eight scholars, half of whom came from Surry and Westmoreland. This created a problem, because they brought their own text books which were different from those used in Walpole.
In 1879 the committee reported (it would probably have been true in any district): "To control and bring into subjection the disturbing ele- ments which sometimes appear in school in the shape of boys who have transformed beef and pork into 175 lbs. of bone and muscle without im- proving the intellect, requires undaunted courage and an indomitable will on the part of the teacher." Not many of these boys attended summer school, but they were apt to be found in the winter schools. Most dis- tricts liked to have a male teacher in the winter, while a woman was all right in the summer, although some of the women teachers were equal to any situation, apparently, and some of the men had disciplinary prob- lems.
This school house was last used for school purposes in 1895. In April 1901 Haskell Towne bid it in for $15 for the Crehores.
DISTRICT #9 NORTH WENTWORTH ROAD: In 1781 a southwest district was set off. It may have included only the River Road or it may have included this area also. There was an early school house in the neighborhood of Galen Tiffany's place (#271) for in 1808 Benjamin Floyd, Eli Russell, John Martin, Jeduthan Russell and James Allen sold to Ariel Allen for $50 "the school house that belongs to our district".
In 1806 this district included on Wentworth Road from Josiah Gris- wold's (#297) north to Jonathan Hall Jr.'s (north of #282); on Rt. 12 from Jonathan Fletcher's (#273) north to include David Hall (#259).
In 1809 Henry Foster sold to the district for $3 a lot in the southwest
484
EFE
Howard S. andere 1962
Old No.9 School
corner of his farm, at the northwest corner of Sterling Graves' orchard, 46 feet on the road, 23 feet deep, for a school house. This was on the east side of Wentworth Road opposite Allen Holmes' (#291) place, now his garage. It was a brick building, but from reports was not very pleasant inside, cold and dingy.
This was a large school, over 40 scholars in the 1850's. Some teachers were successful here, but others had difficulty for various reasons, in some cases parental non-cooperation or open defiance. It was a common prac- tice to engage Dartmouth students to teach the winter term in the district schools. In 1874 this was the case in this district. The committee reported that he was a good teacher and kept a good school, but it was out of the question to compliment him because of an incident the last week "impressing the importance of always holding the passions in absolute sway". This excites one's curiosity as to what the awful incident could have been.
In 1790 Henry Foster had come to this district to teach school. "Susannah, daughter of Capt. Levi Hooper, was one of his pupils, of whom he became enamored, and afterwards married May 24, 1792".
By the 1880's the number of scholars here was about seven. Later the number was augmented by bringing here pupils from other district
485
schools. School was last kept here 1898. It was to have been auctioned off in 1901, but the residents reserved it for their use.
DISTRICT #10 SOUTH WENTWORTH ROAD: In 1785 a district was set off "from McNeal's south to the Westmoreland line", perhaps this district. In 1806 it included a very broad territory: On Wentworth Road from Capt. Titus (next south of #297) to the Westmoreland line; from Capt. Joseph Fay's on Watkins Hill crossroad on the east westerly to include Increase Blake and Capt. Benjamin Floyd (#276) on Rt. 12.
This was a very large school in the 1850's and at times was rated the best school outside the village, but at other times was broken up by feuding among the parents, undermining the work of the teacher. One of the outstanding teachers here was John L. Houghton.
The school house stood on the west side of the highway a very short distance south of the west end of the Blackwell (#301) crossroad. In 1876 a new and substantial house replaced the old unsightly and un- comfortable structure.
School was last kept here 1895. In 1901 the old seats were replaced with settees and it was used for community purposes. It burned.
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