USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Charlestown > History of Charlestown, New-Hampshire, the old No. 4 > Part 71
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In 1773, forty pounds were raised by the town to support their schools, but was differently divided. It was voted that the middle of the town have twenty-two pounds of the aforesaid sum and the two ends eighteen pounds, that is, nine pounds each, which sums are to be laid out in schooling the ensuing year. This year Simon Sartwell and Seth Walker were commit- tee to provide a school for the lower district-Lemuel Hastings and Enos Stephens for the middle district, and Elijah Grout and Peter Labaree for the upper distriet.
In 1774 the same amount was raised and an cast district was added, giv- ing the inhabitants four schools instead of three. The Committee for the year were John Church, Esq., and Enos Stevens for the middle district, Si- mon Sartwell and Seth Walker for the south; Elijah Grout and Samuel
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Wetherbe for the north; and Deacon Ebenezer Putnam and James Porter for the east.
In 1775 forty-five pounds were raised and divided as follows: The middle district had £ 21, the south £8, the north £12 and the east £4, which facts are interesting as showing the progress of population in different directions.
In 1776 I find no record of any provision for a school. In 1777 there was an appropriation of £ 45 for that object.
In 1778 one hundred pounds was raised for schools. Of this the middle district had £ 43, the north £ 29. the south £ 18 and the east £ 10.
In 1779 the town voted that they would not raise any money for the sup- port of a school or schools. A reason for this vote may be found in the high taxation to which the people were subjected in consequence of the Revolutionary War.
In 1780 # 45 were raised to be appropriated by the several districts and as the north district complained that they had not received their proportion, according to their taxes, a committee was appointed to look into the matter and see that it was properly adjusted.
In 1781, the same amount being raised, a complaint was entered against the middle district that they had appropriated in previous years more than their share, and the following persons, viz. Simeon Olcott, Esq., John Huh- bard, Elijah Grout, Joseph Wilson, Wm. Henry, James Porter and Seth Walker were appointed a committee to examine into the matter and make report to the town. Their report given at an adjourned meeting on the 23d of March, was as follows, viz. That the middle district relinquish their proportion of the forty-five pounds voted by said town this present month and that the proportion to the other districts be in the manner following: North District, £ 12-9-11, Next South, £ 15-10-2, South District, £ 9-15-6, East District, £ 4-7-6, South East, £2-16-4. So it appears that at this time the town was divided into six districts.
In 1782 sixty pounds were raised, and apportioned to the districts by the following persons, viz. John Hubbard, Elijah Gront, Elijah Parker, Noah Porter, Simon Sartwell. jr., and Wm. Henry, who were a committee for that purpose. It was apportioned as follows: North District, £ 9-13-0, Next Sontlı, £ 12-1-0, East District, £ 3-17-3, Middle District, £ 22-18-4, South- ern District, £ 3-18-1, South East, £ 7-12-4.
In 1783 the report of the committee gives the proportion of the distriets as follows: Lower District, £ 7-14-5, South East District, £ 4-11-1-1, North East District, £4-1-8-1, North District, £ 12-2-6-1, Beaver District, £ 12- 6-6, Meeting Honse District, £ 14-2-11.
In 1784 eighty pounds were raised and the same sum in 1785. In 1786 ninety pounds were raised. In 1787 the sum was reduced again to £ 80. In 1788 it was the same, and a new principle was adopted for appropriating the money, for the town voted that the school money be proportioned among the several districts in proportion to the number of children from four to twenty-one years of age.
In 1789 the same sum, £ 80 were raised and a new district was added, and the same plan of appropriating the money was continued. The appor- tionment was as follows: To Simon Sartwell, committee for the South
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District, £10-1-0, to Franeis W. Willard, for South East, £4-7-0, to Dr. Samuel Crosby, for Middle, £20-4-0, to Benjamin Labaree, for district north of Town Plot, £ 15-9-0, to Moses Wheeler, jr., for district south of Little Sugar River, £ 11-12-0, to Charles Bowen, for East District, £ 6-1-0, to John Converse, for North District, £ 12-6-0. Thus the schools in town in twenty years had increased from three to seven.
In 1790 another district was added, making eight in the town, and the sum of #80 was raised for schools. The committees of these distriets were as follows :-
South District, Samuel Willard, £ 10-8-9, Middle do., Dr. Samuel Crosby, £ 30-8-101, South East, Francis Willoughby Willard, £ 2-18-0, East Elisha White, £ 5-5-73, North of Middle, Benjamin Labarce, £ 13-9-11, South of Little Sugar River, Wm. Farwell £ 9-9-3, North West, Samuel Harper, £ 4-0-61, North East, Phillip Nichols, £ 3-12-3}.
The division of the money according to the number of children was dis- continued and was distributed according to assessment.
In 1791 the same amount was raised and distributed to the districts ac- cording to the number of children. It will be seen by comparing the amount distributed in 1789 and 1790 that the middle district lost by this ar- rangement, while some other districts gained.
The town raised # 80 for schools also in the years 1792 and 1793. In 1794 the sum was increased to £ 100, and was divided according to the children in the districts from four to twenty years of age. (See I Book, T. R., page 377). The same amount was also raised in 1795 and 1796, in which latter year the town was divided into nine districts.
In 1797 £ 100 was assessed for the support of schools. In 1793 the same sum was again raised and the town voted, " That there be a separate school district made on the east line of the town, east of Jabez brook, so called." The School Committee were Asahel Hunt, John Hodgkins, Benj. Clark, Samuel Crosby, Joshua Baldwin, William Bond, Benjamin Labaree, Jonathan Grout, Samuel Perry and William Rhodes. In 1799 five hun Ired dollars were raised for the support of schools and it was voted " That if any school district in the town shall not lay out their proportion of money in schooling within fourteen months from this date (March 12th, 1799) it shall forfeit said sum to the use of the town to be laid out in school- ing. The following persons were allowed to draw their proportion of school money, viz. Timothy Putnam, jr., Edward Richards and Wm. Mc- Clintock, jr., and lay out the same in schooling where it would be most to their advantage. The Committee were Asahel Hunt, Samuel Walker, Benj. Clark, John Hubbard, Wm. Osgood, Walter Bingham, Timothy IIol- den, David Hubbard, Shalor Towner and Roswell Hunt.
In 1800 the same amount was raised and the Committee were Asahiel Hunt, Elisha Putnam, Aaron Dean, Benj. Clark, Timothy West, Benjamin Labarce, Nathan Allen, Asa Nichols, John Grow and David De Camp. It was voted " that all the families between Col. Asahel Hunt's and the south line of the town have the advantage of their proportion of the school mon- ey which is to be laid out in schooling." In 1801 seven hundred dollars were raised for the support of schools. In 1802 six hundred dollars were raised
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for the support of schools. In 1803 six hundred dollars-voted to refer all disputes in the several school districts to the selectmen. In 1801 six hun- dred dollars were raised, and the following Committee appointed: Moses Willard Hastings, Abraham Boynton, David De Camp, Frederic A. Sumner, (Aaron Dean for the Academy District) Timothy West, Benjamin Labaree, Nathan Allen, Asa Nichols and William Rhodes. In 1805 seven hundred dollars raised for schools, and the following persons were appointed Com- mittees : Asahel Hunt, Asahel C. Porter, Benjamin Clark, (John Willard, for the Academy District) Timothy West, Samuel Pollard, William Ham- lin, David De Camp, Luoman Huntley, Phillips Nichols and Amos Johnson, by which we see that the districts had been increased to eleven.
In 1807, seven hundred dollars were raised, and the Committee were Sam- uel Bellows, Uriah Searl, F. A. Sumner, Roswell Hunt for the Academy District, Samuel Pollard, Charles Bowen, Samuel S. West, David Parker, Joseph Willson, Benjamin Harper and James Willard.
This year Frederic A. Sumner, Benjamin Labaree and Jesse Healey were appointed a Committee to fix the bounds of the several districts and number the same and make a report at the Annual meeting of the town.
REPORT.
State of New Hampshire S To the town of Charlestown,
Cheshire Ss. in said County.
The Report of the committee appointed at the last annual meeting for the purpose of fixing the bounds and numbering the several school districts in said town report as follows, to wit.
No. 1. Bounded west, on Connecticut River; South, on Walpole; North line running so far east as to include Samuel Bellows farm, thence north- wardly, including Col. Asahel Hunt's farm, Moses W. Hastings, Jabe Wal- ker, Roswell Hunt, John Willard and Oliver Hastings meadow farms, thence westwardly to said River.
No. 2. Bounded west, on said River; south, on No. 1; east, on the top of Stone Bridge hill; north, on Charlestown turnpike to the main road, thence west to said River.
No. 3. West, on said River; South on No. 2; east, to the top of Stone Bridge hill; thence north, so as to include Oliver Hall's farm to Mill Brook, thence westwardly so as to include Oliver Hall's Mill farm and maj. Jona. Baker's Farm to the River.
No. 4. Bounded West, on said River, South, on No. 3, so far as to in- clude Henry Allen's and Jason Wetherbe's farm; thence north, including Ben. Labaree, Nath'l Baker, and to Jona. Grout's North line, thence west on said Grout, to said River including Huse Lulls farm.
No. 5. Bounded west on said River, South on No. 4, running east to Unity line, thence north on said Unity to Little Sugar River, thence west on said River to Shubel Griswold's mill priviledge, thence north across said River to the north line of Nathan Allen's land, thence west to the bounds begun at.
No. 6. Bounded west on said River, south on No. 5 so far as to include the farms on the second road running to Claremont, thence west to said River.
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No. 7. Bounded north on said Claremont, west on No. 6, south on No. 5 and east on Unity Line.
No. 8. Bounded west on No. 4, North on No. 5, east on Unity and Ac- worth, south including John Hubbard's farm, Levi Brown's, Charles Bow- en's, William Bond, John C. Chamberlain and Timothy West's farm to Acworth line.
No. 9. Bounded north on No, 8, East on Acworth, South on Langdon running west so far as to include Joshua Baldwin and Obadiah Shumway, thence north to No. 8.
No. 10. Bounded, west on No. 9, North on No. 8, west on No. 2 and No. 1. to the road leading from Moses W. Hastings, East to Langdon line, thence on said Langdon line to the hounds begun at.
No. 11. Bounded north on No. 10, East on Langdon, South on Walpole and West on No. 1.
All which is humbly submitted.
By Benj. Labaree, F. A. Sumner, Jesse Healy,
Committee.
Dr. Joseph Roby, Benjamin Labaree and Roswell Hunt being appointed a committee to take into consideration the necessary alterations in these districts recommend that Dr. Oliver Hastings' and Capt. John Willard's farms, together with Sylvanus Hastings be taken from Distriet No. one and put to No. two, (2 B. T. R. page 130.) Their report was made May 4th, 1809,
From this time to 1819 the town raised annually and appropriated to schools eight hundred dollars. In 1819 the School Districts were revised according to the following report of a committee consisting of Frederic A. Sumner, Enos Stevens, John Metcalf, Benjamin Barton and Jesse Icaly.
REPORT
TO THE TOWN OF CHARLESTOWN :
Your Committee appointed at the last annual meeting for the purpose of revising the boundaries of the several school districts in said town beg leave to report that District No. I remain as formerly; that District No. 2 take from District No. 3 the Gaol House and Isaac H. Ely; that District No. 3 remain as formerly, with this exception, provided nev - ertheless that the monies in said Districts No. 2 and 3 shall in fu- ture be equally divided between them according to the scholars; that Dis- triet No. 4 remain as formerly; No. 5 shall be bounded as formerly, south east and west and north by Little Sugar River, with the exception of Wm. Redfield, who shall belong to District No. 7; that District No. 6 shall be bounded south on Little Sugar River, west, north and east as formerly, pro- vided, nevertheless, that Districts No. 5 and 6 shall in one year after the ac - cepiance of this report move the school house on either road south of Capt. Metcalf's or Daniel Whipple's, and place the same in good repair for use, or build a suitable house on said ground and finish the same fit for use within said time without expense to the additional inhabitants; that No. 7 remain as formerly with the addition of William Redfield; that from No. 8 Aaron Parks and Samuel Baker be taken and placed to No 12 known by
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the name of the Borough District; that Nos. 9, 10 and 11 remain as former- ly. All which is humbly submitted.
By COMMITTEE.
From 1820 to 1832 $ 800 was raised for schools with the exception of 1829 when the appropriation was $ 900. In 1836 a new district was added. The following is the vote of the town creating it, " Voted to set off the Gilchrist farm and all south belonging to the inhabitants on the Connecticut River road from School District No. 1 and to constitute the same a new district to be called School District No. 13." It appears that No. 14 was added the same year, but at what meeting voted I have found no record. But space forbids that this particularity should be continued.
Since 1856 printed reports of our schools have been made to the town by the superintendents, which practice it is believed has exerted a very good influence on the character of the schools. Of course the excellence of the schools has varied according to the quality of the teachers employed in them. It is thought that within a few years past there has been considerable im- provement in some districts, but it is a matter to be regretted that there has not been and is not now a more general interest taken in the subject of ed- ucation ; for doubtless the best inheritance we can give to our children is to send them out into the world with well stored minds.
OTHER SCHOOLS.
Rev. Samuel Crosby (see page 316) opened a school in Charlestown in 1780 in the month of May which he continued till July, when feeling as though he wished to engage permanently in the duties of the ministry, he gave it up to a friend and kinsman of his, Mr. Abraham Ilolland who had graduated at Dartmouth College in 1779. Of the length of time that Mr. Holland remained we have no knowledge. Lemuel Hodge a graduate of Harvard College in 1784, was the next teacher. It was under him that Hon. Henry Hubbard received his earliest training. Abner Cheney was the next teacher of whom there has been found any account. In Dr. Samuel Cros- by's Journal he is spoken of as follows, "Monday, Nov. 13th, 1797. This afternoon I have attended the funeral obsequies of Mr. Abner Cheney late preceptor of the Academy in this place. He died on the 11th instant after a very distressing illness of several weeks continuance. He was in the bloom of life and had just begun to be useful. He graduated in August, 1796, at Dartmouth College. Since that time he had resided in this town and was generally esteemed. Mr. Foster preached an excellent discourse from Job, 21st, 23d, "One dieth in his full strength." The children of the Academy wore badges of mourning and walked in procession to the grave." William Page (son of Dr. William Page) a graduate of Yale Col- lege taught the Academy also for a time. In addition to the above teach- ers, Rev. Dan Foster who was a graduate of Yale College and had also received the degree of A. M., at Dartmouth, had a select school in town from 1796 to nearly if not quite the time of his decease in 1810. From the above we may learn that the village of Charlestown for thirty years from 1780 enjoyed higher educational privileges than it has since that time, which certainly speaks well for the intelligence of the generation which was then on the stage.
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MRS. GILCIIRIST'S SCHOOL.
After Capt. James Gilchrist removed from Medford. Mass., to Charles- town in 1822, Mrs. Gilchrist opened a select school for young ladies which was continued for a considerable time. She was a highly educated lady and previous to her marriage to Captain Gilchrist had been a teacher in Medford, in the celebrated school of Mrs. Rowson. Her school soon ac- quired a wide reputation and pupils were attracted to it from a great dis- tance. It was commenced at South Charlestown but after the death of Captain Gilchrist in 1827 the family removed to the village and it was con- tinued there. The school was discontinued about 1833, in consequence of the marriage of her three eldest daughters from whom she had been accus- tomed to receive great assistance.
MISS PRATT'S SCHOOL.
In 1864 a school was established through the instrumentality of Henry Hubbard, jr., Esq., the primary object of which was to furnish instruction for his children. This resulted ultimately in the establishment of the board- ing school of Miss Mary C. Pratt, which after a good work done in the edu- cation of many of the young ladies of the village was removed at the end of its fifth year to the mansion of the late Nathaniel Hawthorne in Concord, Massachusetts.
RIDE TO WENTWORTH'S FERRY.
On the 20th of April, 1780, ten gentlemen in Charlestown Street mounted their horses and rode up the Connectient River two miles on the iee to Wentworth's Ferry and back again. This was done that the memory of their exploit might be perpetuated, and thus the lateness of the season in that memorable year be transmitted to following generations.
WOLF HUNT.
Col. Samuel Hunt was a notorious wolf-hunter, and had the reputation of having killed more of that species of animal than any other man in the four townships, by which were meant Springfield, Rockingham, Walpole and Charlestown. He frequently went out after them with his men and got up public demonstrations against them, so that this section of the coun- try, at a comparatively early date, became tolerably free from them. The last great publie hunt of this kind, it is believed, took place in 1797 or about that year.
A most sagacious wolf had made no inconsiderable destruction, not only in the sheepfolds of Charlestown, but also on those in all the towns in the region. She was too wily to be entrapped and no marksman was able to approach her near enough to shoot her. The people at length despairing of all other means determined on a general rally not only to put an end to her depredations but to her existence. In this the townships of Charles- town, Acworth, Alstead, Langdon, Walpole, Rockingham and Springfield were united. The day was appointed and Col. Hunt, who appears to have been the leader in the affair, prescribed the programme. A circle sufficient- ly wide to embrace her wolfship was to be formed at an appointed time when all were to approach toward the ecnter. On the opening of the hunt
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the men of Springfield were the first to get a glimpse of the wily animal and to start her out. Finding that part of her territory too much molested she did not think it best to stop to defend it, but concluded to cross immedi- ately on the ice to New-Hampshire. But this State affording her no better or safer retreat the briefest time possible was sufficient to convince her that if there was any safety it must be in return. Again, therefore, she passed over the river, but it was only once more by the gathering crowd to be driv- en back to the meadows of Charlestown where she in a very short time be- came encircled on all sides. Here for a few minutes she ran back and forth like a mad creature vainly attempting to break through the line, when Col. Hunt rode into the ring and at the first shot from his musket put a termi- nus both to the hunt and her life. They then were invited to Col. Hunt's for refreshment; after which they retired to their homes happy as the re- freshments of those times could make them.
THE FIRST STOVE.
The first stove brought into town was brought by David Holton from Tin- mouth, Vt. . It was made at some casting works there on what was called Furnace Brook or Little West River. He went to Tinmonth after it. It excited great curiosity and many people came from neighboring towns to examine it. It proved a good stove and he used it many years.
LIGHTS.
The lights used for the first half century after the settlement of Charles- town were the tallow candle or tallow dip, as it was often called, from the manner in which it was made; or were manufactured from pieces of very resinous pitch pine which were dried and when lighted placed in the corner of the fire place where the smoke would be drawn up the spacious chimney. The wicks of the candles were not of cotton as they are now but were of tow or linen and were home-spun. These were followed by the old oil lamp which preceded kerosene and gas, and which many still remember.
FLAX.
Flax in the early days was raised in large quantities. Instead of being mown or reapt it had to be pulled and the dirt shaken very carefully from the roots. This, by general consent, was the work of women or girls. It was not deemed degrading for the first young ladies of the time to engage in it. Oftentimes when young ladies were out engaged in this employment young gentlemen would go into the fields to help them, and the cases were not infrequent that intimacies were formed in this way that ulimately led to matrimony. The flax after it was pulled was laid out and rotted for sev- eral weeks to make the fibre suitable for breaking and for being prepared for spinning. The young ladies of nearly every family could spin and near- ly all of them could weave. The seed of the flax was manufactured into oil. The foundations of an old oil mill are to be seen now on the north bank of Mill Brook, a short distance below the dam, at Mr. Bemis' Machine Shop. There used to be a road that led down to it which from the length of time since it has been used is now scarcely discernible.
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POTATOES.
Very few potatoes, comparatively, were raised in town for thirty or forty years after its settlement. The turnip was the vegetable before in most frequent use, of which large quantities were raised and eaten.
CEMETERIES. /
The proprietors of No. 4, at a meeting legally held May 1st, 1751,
" Voted, that Capt. Stevens, Capt. Spafford and John Hastings be a Com- mittee to purchase of the owners of some lands or House Lotts where they shall think best for a burying place; or if they cannot purchase said lands then to piteh upon and buy out a burying place otherwhere where they shall think most convenient."
Previous to this time the dead had been principally interred on " Burying Ilill," as it was called, which was the ground lying between the present South Parish Meeting House Lot and the opposite side of the street. On this little rise, formerly much higher than now, those who had fallen in defence of the place, or had died of sickness, had found burial.
It had been voted by the proprietors to build their Church there, and near the Church, in accordance with the old New England custom, was the ap- propriate place for the dead to rest. Many were buried there, among whom we may number nearly all the defenders of No. 4 who fell in the first Indian War. It was the design of the inhabitants to purchase of the owners the front part of some house-lots lying contiguous to that spot, but probably their committee failed in their endeavor, and therefore located their bury- ing-ground where the old portion of the Cemetery is now. It appears that the Committee did little more than to select the grounds and purchase them, for we hear nothing more of the Burying Ground before 1763, in which year the town voted that it should be fenced.
After securing their new grounds, Burying Hill eeased to be used for pur- poses of interment, and the remains of those who had been buried there were ultimately removed to the new spot. Their number must have been considerable, but I find no stone ereeted to the memory of a single one of those first vietims of war and sacrifice. The living had too much to do to defend themselves to have time to devote to the preparation of monuments for the perpetuation of the memory of those who had fallen-so they rest with graves unmarked.
There are a number of stones in the old portion of the Cemetery without any inscriptions. It is probable that some of these mark the resting-places of persons who were slain or died of disease in the first decade of the set- tlement ; and there can be little doubt that the spaces in the " Old Grounds" that are without stones are yet thickly strown with the remains of the carly inhabitants of the place. The writer of this, while superintending the lay- ing of the foundation of the "Johnson Monument," as it is called, found a rough, flatish stone, about two feet below the surface, inscribed " Ambros Tuttel 1757." The inscription was a mere seratch, and might have been made with any sharp piece of iron, and yet it remained as plain to be read as when first put into the ground. As our excavation was only about three feet it was not deep enough to disturb any remains; but we paused as the
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