USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Peterborough > Historical sketches of Peterborough, New Hampshire : portraying events and data contributing to the history of the town > Part 4
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debate arose which was cut short by the moderator (Henry F. Cogswell) making a motion that he himself constitute said committee, whereupon he was duly chosen.
Aug. 24, 1850. this meeting was held at the academy, all previous meetings liav- ing been held in Col. French's Tavern; voted to raise funds by subscription to repair the academy.
Dec. 6, 1851, meeting was held in Edward S. Cutter's law office, as was also the meeting of Nov. 15, 1852, which ad- journed to Feb. 5, 1853, but no business of importance was transacted.
Dec. 26, 1853, meeting at E. S. Cutter's office and he was selected to procure a teacher; the standing committee were directed "to examine and fix the bounds of the lot on which the academy now stands according to the deed given by Gen. James Wilson and report thereon at the next meeting."
Dec. 4, 1854, annual meeting at Cutter's office; no report made by treasurer or standing committee.
Dec. 10, 1855, annual meeting held in the post office; special committee (T. K. Ames, Abial Sawyer, J. H. Ames) chosen to ascertain the bounds of academy lot and place a stake and stones at each corner; no treasurer's report.
Nov. 18, 1857, meeting at post office; Stephen P. Steele, the treasurer, having died (July 22, 1857) no report was made; committee on bounds of lot report that they had fixed bounds as instructed.
Nov, 17, 1858, meeting at post office ad- journed to Nov. 22, but no business ex- cept the election of officers was trans- acted.
Nov. 16, 1859, meeting at H. K. French's . hotel; election of officers; no treasurer's report presented.
Nov. 21, 1860, meeting at academy; election of officers; voted to sell the real estate of the corporation, (83 votes, all in the affirmative); adjourned to Dec. 1, on which latter date it was voted, (78 yes, 10 no), to authorize the treasurer (Wm. Follansbee) to sell at public auction the real estate belonging to the corporation
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The Peterborough Academy 1836-1903.
and convey the same by quitclaim deed, the sale to take place Dec. 22, 1860, and it was voted to give the grantors of the land on which the academy stands, viz: James and Robert Wilson, $100, provided the building is not used for the purpose of an academy. (3)
Feb. 7, 1861, meeting at Phoenix count- ing room; selected a committee (T. K. À mes, Albert Smith, J. H. Ames) to get individuals to take the stock offered for sale by D. B. Cutter and Frederick Liv- ingston on the following conditions: Cut- ter and Livingston to receive only what they paid for said shares and the balance received on sale of shares to be put into the treasury, sale of shares to be at their par value $10 each; voted to adjourn sale of real estate to May 15; adjourned to meet at academy, Saturday, May 11, at which latter date it was voted to adjourn to the next Monday, when another ad- journment was had to Wednesday, May 15 at the academy, when the committee on procuring stock reported that the stock offered by Livingston and Cutter was purchased, consequently the acad- emy was not sold at auction; adjourned to Saturday, May 25.
May 25, 1861, this adjourned meeting was the first reported on record book No. 2; voted not to sell academy; adjourned to June 1, at which adjourned meeting the committee on stock reported that they had sold 38 shares at $10 each, be- ing $380, paid Livingston and Cutter $116.0S and paid the standing committee $263.92; voted to repair academy.
June 11, 1861, voted to sell F. Living- ston a piece of land 12 feet in width, from the road to a point 15 feet east of said Livingston's barn, on the south side of the academy lot, reserving a right of way over the same; each stockholder wrote
on a piece of paper what he considered Mr. Livingston should pay for the piece of land, the highest was $75, the lowest $25, and the average $40.55, and it was voted to sell the same for $40; adjourned to Saturday next, when it was voted to sell for $40 the said piece of land, with- out reserving a right of way, to F. Liv- ingston; voted to reconsider the three previous votes; voted to sell to F. Liv- ingston for $20, a piece of land on the south side of the lot, 8 feet in width, commencing on highway and extending east to a point 15 feet east of said Living- ston's barn, thence south-eastwardly to the corner of said Livingston's barnyard as it now is, also the right to build a bank wall north of said piece of land so that the face of the wall shall be on the north line by said premises, reserving to the corporation the right to pass and re- pass over the east end of the premises for all purposes, that they may drive as heretofore, said Livingston to build a suitable bank-wall and the treasurer, Wm. Follansbee, be authorized to convey the same by quit-claim deed. (Deed dated July 27, 1861, Vol. 339, Page 185.)
Nov. 20, 1861, annual meeting held at the old post office; officers elected and treasurer's report accepted.
Nov. 19, 1862, annual meeting held at academy ; officers elected; voted to hold annual meeting hereafter on third Wednesday of November; treasurer's re- port accepted.
Hereafter the meetings were held in the academy.
Nov. 18, 1863, voted that hereafter the academy be used for school purposes only.
Nothing was done except the election of officers and acceptance of treasurer's report at the annual meetings of 1864 and 1865.
Nov. 21, 1866, voted to repair the roof and other portions of the house, that no person be allowed to trespass on the grounds by using same for wood yard and other purposes and that John A. Bullard be requested to complete bank wall on north side of lot.
(3) It might be inferred from this vote and the one of Nov. 20, 1844, that conditions existed in the conveyance to the corporation qualifying future use and transfer of the property, such however is not the case; the deed given to the corporation by James and Robert Wilson, dated Feb. 17, 1844, is a full warranty containing no qualifications whatever and recites the same bounds as are given in the agreement to sell of June 11, 1836 (see foot note No. 1).
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Peterborough Historical Society Collections.
Nov. 20, 1867, voted to purchase for the corporation, shares that come into mark- et at a price to be left to the discretion of treasurer K. C. Scott (Jan. 20, 1868, S. P. Steele's 10 shares were purchased for $10.)
Nov. 18, 1868, report showed Wm. Moore teacher of spring term; fall term by Miss Mary Neville who was not satis- fied to pay half price for use of house; voted to prevent trespassing on the grounds.
Nov. 17, 1869, meeting held in H. K. French's hotel, adjourned for one week; owing to small number present, again adjourned for two weeks (Dec. S.) and notice given in the TRANSCRIPT that the question of sale of the academy would be considered, at which latter meeting it was reported that James E. Vose had taught the spring term, paying $6 rent, that he also taught the fall term, but owing to the large number of scholars attending district school the term was not a success and he was given the rent provided he put the house in usual repair ; the matter of damage done the north part of lot, through negligence of John A. Bullard in building bank wall, was left with the standing committee; voted to indefinitely postpone the article to sell.
Nov. 30 1870, met at hotel, adjourned to Dec. 5, but on account of annual meet- ing not having been called on the third Wednesday of November (the 16th), the subject of letting the town have the use of academy was dismissed after discus- sion; adjourned to Dec. 7, but nothing but electing old board of officers and ac- cepting treasurer's report was done.
April 12, 1871, a motion was made to lease academy and lot to the town for a high school for three years, provided the town will keep building in repair and re. turn same in as good condition at end of term; on this F. Livingston demanded a stock vote; much discussion was had up- on the right of voting on stock held by corporation; voted to sell at auction the eleven shares held by corporation, but this vote was reconsidered and the call for stock vote being withdrawn the motion
to lease passed unanimously; voted to arrange bell so it could not be turned over in ringing.
Dec. 6. 1871, met at academy, standing committee reported that as the academy and lot had been leased to the town they were relieved of their cares and had no report to make.
Nov. 20, 1872, met at academy, voted that the matter of altering the building for benefit of high school be left with the standing committee.
May 20, 1874 voted to extend lease to town, not exceeding two years, on such terms as committee thought advisable and they were instructed to make repairs and do something to beautify the grounds.
Nov. 26, 1874, standing committee re- ported that they had rented the academy to the town for two years, at $100 a year and agreed to spend that amount in re- pairs and fixing grounds; rendered bills for $208.87 expended, the high school was to put in glass broken by them and leave property in proper condition : voted to borrow $200 to liquidate expenses of repairs.
Nov, 22. 1876, voted to lease to town for two years more.
Nov. 27, 1878, voted to lease to town for another two years on such terms as the standing committee see fit.
July 30, 1880, voted not to sell the academy to school district No. 1 or to the town; voted to make necessary re- pairs.
Nov. 17, 1880, standing committee re- ported that they had rented the property as instructed by vote of annual meeting of 1878 at $100 per year; voted that it be rented for another two years on same terms.
Nov. 16, 1881, committee reported they had leased to the town for two years and had painted building ( $79.64) and built a new wood shed ($95) and graded grounds; voted that the town should repair any damages done at end of each term and lease until next annual meeting.
Nov. 21, 1883, voted to lease to town from this date until next annual meeting at same terms as heretofore and to make
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The Peterborough Academy, 1836-1903.
repairs including papering inside.
Nov. 19, 1884, voted to lease on tlie same conditions as voted at last annual meeting and make repairs.
Nov. 17, 1886, voted to lease as before, and Nov. 16, 1887, to lease as before and instructed standing committee to repair or rebuild south line fence.
April 5, 1889, special meeting to see if the corporation would give the bell on the building to the town to be placed on the new school building, but there were so few present the meeting was ad- journed to Apr. 16, at which latter date there were so few present no action was taken.
Aug. 21, 1889, voted to sell the bell to the town, the price to be left to the standing committee.
Nov. 20, 1889, committee reported they had sold the bell for $1 ; voted to repair the north roof and change the present stove for a safe one and that standing committee investigate cost of fitting the academy for small gatherings ; voted to cut the big pine tree and such others as might be thought expedient ; adjourned to Dec. 4, when $95 was reported as the cost for making changes ; voted that standing committee remove the seats and lay new floor and fix upon rent for small parties.
Nov. 19, 1890, committee reported that they had shingled house, changed stove, cut trees and rented house for evening meetings to W. C. T. Union.
Nov. 16, 1892, nothing was done except electing officers and accepting treasurer's report.
Nov. 15, 1893, there being no change in report of treasurer and no change in situation, no action was taken.
Nov. 21, 1894, adjourned to Dec. 5, when it was voted to sell the academy at auction, at such time as the standing committee think best and that the treas- urer be authorized to give a deed.
Nov. 20, 1895, committee reported that they had sold the academy, June 1, 1895, at auction to John H. Coffey of Lowell, Mass. for $6000, on condition of payment of cash when deed was given, but that he
had not paid the money or taken the deed.
Nov. 17, 1897, no action but election of officers and acceptance of treasurer's re- port.
Nov. 16, 1898, it was moved to rescind all votes heretofore passed to sell the property, except that authorizing the sale of the small strip deeded in July, 1861, but this was objected to on the ground that there was no article in the warrant to do this, hence the motion was withdrawn ; it was then moved " That the treasurer be authorized and instruct- ed, and he is hereby authorized and in- structed, to give to the town of Peter- borough a quitclaim deed of the real estate of this corporation, in the name of said Peterborough Academy, for the nominal sum of one dollar, with the fol- lowing conditions : Said town shall hold and keep the same forever for a park or memorial building, but they shall grant the free use of the same to Aaron F. Stevens Post No. 6, Department of New Hampshire, Grand Army of the Republic, and their branch organizations, as long as their organizations exist or shall de- sire to have it, and whenever said town shall refuse or neglect to hold said prop- erty in accordance with the above con- ditions and keep said buildings and ground in good repair and suitable con- dition, then the title to said property shall revert and the property shall be- come vested one half to the Committee of the Town Library for the use of the library and the other to town Board of Education for the use of the schools of said town." This was not voted on, the objection being raised that the motion contained conditions not in accord with the vote of acceptance of the town, March 8, 1898, and also that the meeting was not legal because the clerk had not been sworn ; adjourned for two weeks (Nov. 30, 1898,) but owing to the small number present it was again adjourned for an- other week (Dec. 7, 1898,) but as only three of the proprietors were present it was finally voted to adjourn without date.
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Peterborough Historical Society Collections.
Under the provisions of the statute for calling a corporation meeting when the officers had failed to call the annual meeting, a Justice of the Peace, on peti- tion of the owners of more than one- twentieth part of the capital stock, called a meeting (See notice in Peterborough Transcript, March 16, 1899,) at the acad- emy, April 8, 1899, which was adjourned to April 14th, at which latter date it was voted, (all the 42 votes being in the affirmative) "That this corporation sell, deed and convey its real estate situate on the east side of Grove street in Peter- borough, New Hampshire, including the buildings and all rights, privileges and appurtenances thereto belonging, to the said town of Peterborough, for and in consideration of the sum of one dollar, the same to be deeded to said town upon the terms and conditions (see copy of deed in foot-note) of a certain vote passed at the annual town meeting held in said town on the 8th day of March, 1898, and that William G. Livingston, the treasurer of this corporation, is hereby authorized and instructed to execute and deliver to said town of Peterborough a quitclaim deed of said real estate in the name of the Peterborough Academy," (4) and Wil- liam G. Livingston was also appointed
an agent to petition the supreme court to dissolve the corporation (a copy of this petition, which contains much historical data, can be found in the Peterborough Transcript of May 18, 1899). William G. Livingston was appointed by the court a Receiver of the corpora- tion property and on June 5, 1899, he was instructed to distribute to the stock- holders the balance in his hands of $1,068.61. (Notice to parties interested in distribution to appear at court, pub- lished in Peterborough Transcript of Nov. 20, 1902.) Dec. 8, 1902 a hearing was had at Nashua and the court ordered that the Receiver be allowed $102.61 for services, that $966 be distributed by him to the 138 shareholders, $7 each, that the corporation be dissolved, that the Re- ceiver report on April 1, 1903 the amount paid out with a list of unclaimed divi- dends, that he pay the amount of such unclaimed dividends into the state treas- ury and lodge the records books of the corporation with the Secretary of State as the statute provides.
In accordance with this decree of the court the Receiver paid dividends on the following number of shares :
Ezra M. Smith, Ex. of will of D. B. Cutter, I Jennie S. Scott, Ex. of will of Jas. Scott, 4
(4) The deed dated Apr. 20, 1899, given to the town for one dollar consideration by Wm. G. Liv- ingston, Treasurer, under the vote of the corpor- ation of Apr. 14, 1899, is recorded in Vol. 585, Page 480, Hillsborough County Registry of Deeds and recite the following bounds and conditions: "A certain piece or parcel of land with the buildings thereon, situate on the east side of Grove St, in said Peterboroughi known as the Peterborough Academy property, and bounded and described as follows: Commencing at the corner of the wall on Grove St. it being the northwest corner of the premises; thence running due east, until it strikes the river formerly called Goose Brook; thenice down said river to a stone with a hole drilled in it, near the corner of the premises; thence south- erly, about seventeen links, to the fence on the line between the premises and land of George F. Livingston; thence westerly, about twenty-one rods, on land of said Livingston, to Grove St .; thence northerly, on said street, to the place of beginning; intending to convey to the Town of Peterborough, the same premises conveyed to the Peterborough Academy, by James Wilson and Robert Wilson by deed dated Feburary 17, 1844, and recorded in Hillsborough County Registry of deeds Vol. 225, Page 168, reserving a small piece sold from the south side of the original Academy lot by said Peterborough Academy to Frederick Livingston, as conveyed by deed, dated July 27, 1861, and recorded in said Registry, Vol. 339, Page 185; and as a further consideration other
than as above named these premises are deeded by the Peterborough Academy to the Town of Peterborough, upon the consideration of the ex- ecution and performance of the terms and condi- tions of a certain vote passed at the Annual Town Meeting, held by said town of Peterborough, March 8, 1898, of which the following is a copy : Moved-'That the Town of Peterborough, accept of the Peterborough Academy Corporation, or of any other person the real estate now owned by the said Peterborough Academy Corporation, which is situate on Grove St. in Peterborough, New Hampshire, as a free and gratuitous gift; the same to be held and kept by the town forever for a Park and Memorial Building;" and the selectmen are hereby authorized and instructed to take a deed of the same in the name of the Town of Peterborough and that the free use and control of said property be granted to Aaron F. Stevens Post No. 6, Department of New Hamp- shire, Grand Army of the Republic, as long as that organization shall exist, upon the following terms and conditions : the said Aaron F. Stevens Post No. 6, Department of New Hampshire, Grand Army of the Republic to keep the Building and Grounds in good repair and suitable condi- tion at all times; keep the buildings insured for a reasonable amount in the name of the Town of Peterborough, without expense to the town, so long as said Aaron F. Stevens Post No. 6, Grand Army of the Republic, shall oceupy said proper- ty, under the foregoing terms and conditions."
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The Peterborough Academy 1836-1903.
Jennie S. Scott, shares of T. K. Ames, 9
" Wm. Wilson, 3
Lizzie C. Washburn, ad. on estate of Mrs. K. C. Scott,
I
Geo. F. Livingston, 24
Win. G. Livingston, 25
Geo. F. Livingston, et al., trustees, 24
M. L. Morrison,
8
Charles Scott,
I Mrs. S. H. Wilder, Ex. will of John Wilder, 2
George W. Marden,
I
Mrs. E. A. Miller, Ex. will of John R. Miller, I
Mrs. C. H. Kyes, legatee of W. S. Kyes, I
W. A. Farnsworth, for heirs of A. A. Farns- worth,
I
Martha Shedd, ad. on estate of Geo. Shedd, Henry M. Breed,
I
Ruth T. Field, for heir of Wm. Field, I
Mrs. J. B. Dane, for heirs of John B. Dane, I
Ellen R. Hodge, heir of R. H. Badger, I Abbie F. Hastings, { heirs of G. P. Felt and Annie J. Rogers, § Stephen Felt, 6
John C. Swallow, {
heirs of John Swallow, Jr.,
I
Ella S. Sanborn,
Maria E. Smith, heir of Samuel Edes, I
Geo. S. Gates, et al., heirs of Samuel Gates, 2
Augusta F. Smith, for heirs of Joseph H. Ames, 2 Timothy N. Hunt, 2
Geo. E. Fisk, ad. on estate of Wm. E. Baker, 1 Geo. G. McCoy, et al., heirs of Thos. McCoy, I
Hannah C. Dodge, for heirs of Gustavus A.
I Forbush,
M. L. Morrison, in trust for Chas. G. Cheney estate,
I
129
The Receiver paid the $7 dividend on each of the above 129 shares, amounting to $903, and paid the $63 dividend due on the following 9 original shares (for which heirs could not be found) into the state treasury : John Steele, 2
Moody Davis, 2
Ashley Loring, I
Thomas Payson, I
Joseph Jewett, I
James Jewett, I
Abial Abbot, I
-
9
This accounted for the $966 mentioned in the decree of the court and the Re- ceiver having thus complied with the order, the affairs of the Peterborough Academy corporation were closed.
The books and papers lodged at Con- cord with the Secretary of State are: three books of records of meetings, one book of transfers of stock, the treasurer's
book, the deed from James and Robert Wilson of Feb. 17, 1844, a package of transferred certificates, a package of re- ceipts, notices, reports and other miscel- laneous papers.
[Chas. Wilder and Jas. F. Brennan were chosen at the town meeting of March 8, 1898, a commit- tee to raise $300 by subscription for repairing and improving the property; $308 was so raised (see Peterborough TRANSCRIPT of Mar. 17, 1898, for names of donors) and the committee made their report at the March meeting, 1899. The interior of the academy building has been finished into a convenient Grand Army Hall, preserving the ap- pearance of the exterior, the grounds graded and beautified, two large cannon and piles of shells, given by the national government, were placed in prominent positions and the soldiers' monu- ment, which was dedicated in Putnam Grove, June 17, 1870, was, on April 15, 1902, under au- thority of a vote of the town at the March meet- ing, removed to a sightly location directly in front of the building].
PRINCIPALS, ASSISTANT TEACHERS
AND SESSIONS.
Upon the completion of the foregoing synopsis of records of the Peterborough Academy, taken from the corporation books, it was found to be incomplete, in that it gave little or no information of one of the most interesting historical features of this old educational institu- tion, namely, the principals and assistants who had charge during the several years of its existence. To publish the article without this would certainly be unsatis- factory. Great difficulty was experienced, however, in getting the facts; the only instances, strange as it may appear, of the names of principals or teachers being given in these corporation records, was a mere mention of Nathan Ballard, and in later years a simple reference to William Moore, Miss Mary Neville and James E. Vose. The academy had no connection whatever with the town or district sys- tem of schools, hence the town or school ' records or reports contained nothing to aid; this condition rendered the attempt to obtain the names and dates appear, at first, well nigh hopeless. No persons who had been students were found whose memory went back to the early days of the academy with sufficient clearness to enable them to state with certainty the names of principals or the order of suc- cession, and those who attempted to give
I
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Peterborough Historical Society Collections.
them were uncertain and in many cases conflicting and erroneous; only a few could be absolutely certain as to the terms they attended, and their attempts to give the names of their teachers was with mystifying doubt; hence, all these sources of information were found to be of only little real value. At the date of writing this article (Nov. 2, 1903), there were living of the twenty-five former principals only eight: Isaac J. Cutter, Henry H. Kimball, Riley B. Hatch, Charles H. Goulding, Sylvester B. Par- tridge, Martin H. Fisk, John L. Hildreth and William Moore; from these gentle - men some reliable information was ob- tained, but of the terms only when they had charge, hence, this was only frag- mentary ; finally, a last resort was had to the somewhat incomplete Peterborough Transcript files, and each weekly issue, obtainable, of the thirty-three years, from 1837 to 1870, was diligently searched as the only reliable source of information remaining in addition to what was given by former principals, relatives of de- ceased principals, published histories and college records
The extent of the work this search entailed can be appreciated only by those who have attempted similar investiga- tion, but the satisfaction of finally work- ing out this interesting feature of the history of the old academy was a suffi- cient reward. It is doubtful if any other person will ever give the time required to revise this list, but the care with which it has been prepared assures the compiler that it contains few if any errors, al- though some minor details may be need- ed-which it is feared can never be sup- plied-to render it complete in every par- ticular.
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