USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Hudson > History of Hudson, N.H., formerly a part of Dunstable, Mass., 1673-1733, Nottingham, Mass., 1733-1741, District of Nottingham, 1741-1746, Nottingham West, N.H., 1746-1830, Hudson, N.H., 1830-1912 > Part 24
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District Number Six, known as the "Farms District," was situated north of Number Four on the west side of the town, and extended north to Litchfield line. The school house was located on the west side of the Derry road, and between that and the highway leading from that to the Litchfield road, near the junction of the two roads. About 1852 a new school house was built a short distance south-
HENRY O. SMITH, M. D.
321
HISTORY OF THE SCHOOLS
erly, on the east side of the Derry road, which was changed into a dwelling house by Menzell S. French about 1898.
District Number Seven, or "Frog Corner District," covered the north-east section of the town bordering on the Londonderry and Windham lines, and including "Law- rence Corner." The house was located at the junction of the Steele and Robinson roads, about one-half mile north- west of Lawrence Corner.
District Number Eight included all of Barrett's hill, for which it was named, with several families to the south and west. The school house was situated on the northerly side of the highway a short distance westerly of the sum- mit of Barrett's hill.
District Number Nine, or "Kidder District," was sit- uated west of Number Seven, and was bounded north by Londonderry line, south by Number Eight, and west by Number Ten. The school house was at the top of the hill on the Kidder road, east of the Derry road.
District Number Ten, set off from Number Nine in 1806, was a small district called "Hills' Row," and was sit- uated at the north part of the town, west of Number Nine and east of Number Six. The house stood on the north side of the Derry road, a short distance west of the junc- tion of the highway that leads to Barrett's hill.
Returning to the town records we find that at a meet- ing held March 6, 1797, it was voted not to raise any money to build school houses, and the same result followed an at- tempt of this kind in 1799, also at a town meeting held March 16, 1804.
A school house was built in District Number Five, by the inhabitants of the district, about 1806. It is probable that school houses were erected in all of the districts not far from this time, but were built by the respective dis- tricts. The property of each district was assessed to pay the necessary expense of building these houses. These buildings, as the writer remembers them thirty years or more after their construction, were similar in design, but
322
HISTORY OF HUDSON
they varied somewhat in size, according to the number of pupils in the district. Their width was nearly equal to their length. The roof was pyramidical with the vertex in the center. The entrance was at the middle of the front of the building. The teacher's platform and desk was on the other side, directly opposite the entrance.
The seats and desks for the pupils were made of heavy, hard pine plank and were placed on the two sides of the school room, at the right and left of the entrance, leaving a floor space between of sufficient width for recitations and other purposes.
The seats were built on an incline, ascending as they reached back to the wall. Those farthest removed from the floor were larger than the front row, and intended for the older pupils. The front seats, occupied by the smallest scholars, had no desks, while those at the other seats were built with a height in proportion to the anticipated size of the pupil. But frequently a small child was obliged to oc- cupy a seat intended for one several years older, or it might be the case would be reversed. Under either situa- tion the result was far from satisfactory. The boys were given the seats on one side of the house, while the girls had those on the other. So the two divisions sat facing each other, with neither directly in front of the gaze of the teacher.
The back seats were built along the wall continuous the entire length of the building, but the other seats were built in tiers and stood on sills four inches square or more, with passage-ways between running down to the recitation floor. Each bench was long enough to accommodate two pupils comfortably, but in case of an extra number of schol- ars three were placed in the room designed for two. This crowding the pupils into such close quarters was often a source of great annoyance to the teacher, as they were more apt to be mischievous and had their attention drawn away from their studies by the actions of a seat-mate.
There are no statistics at hand to show the number of pupils attending the schools in town previous to 1847. The
323
HISTORY OF THE SCHOOLS
population in 1810 was given as 1,376, and in 1850, forty years later, was 1,312, consequently the number of school children in town since the building of the school houses to the latter date could not have varied much. The statistics for 1847, as given by the superintending school committee, and the number of weeks of school are given in the follow- ing table:
SCHOOL REPORT, 1847
Number
District
Number
Terms
Wages per
Month
Number
Weeks
Number
Scholars
Males
Females
Average
attendance
1
1st.
$ 6.00
14
30
14
16
23
2d.
18.00
9
20
10
10
17
2
1st.
6.00
14
42
20
22
29
2d.
18.00
9
52
31
21
42
3
1st.
4.00
14
20
13
7
16
2d.
6.00
12
26
22
4
19
4
1st.
7.00
13
50
18
32
38
2d.
17.00
8%
60
33
27
47
5
1st.
6.00
18
26
7
19
16
2d.
15.00
6
36
19
17
30
6
1st.
5.66
14
29
14
15
18
2d.
18.00
8
40
22
18
37
7
1st.
6.00
13}
27
10
17
18
2d.
16.50
7
30
1š
15
23
8
1st.
5.33
10
18
3
15
14
2d.
15.00
6
30
13
17
23
9
1st.
5.68
10
21
11
10
14
2d.
16.00
9
34
21
13
20
10
1st
5.00
8
10
5
5
19
2d.
17.50
4
18
11
7
16
"The whole number of scholars attending school, win- ter term, 346; summer term, 273.
"The number who have not attended school is 37 in summer, and 36 in winter."
From the selectmen's report for the same year, the following is quoted:
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HISTORY OF HUDSON
DISBURSEMENTS OF SCHOOL MONEY, 1847
Paid Thomas Gowing for District No. 1
$48.11
" Samuel Davis, Jr., “
2
48.11
" William Caldwell, “ 66
3 38.49
" Abel Buttrick,
4
48.11
" Luther Haselton, 66
5
48.11
Alfred Cummings, " 60 66
48.11
" Elias Burns,
38.49
" Allen Andrews, ¥
8
38.49
" John Greeley,
9
38.49
" Jonathan Hill,
60
10
38.49
$433.00
It appears from the foregoing statistics that the total amount of money expended for the year 1847, with 207 weeks of school for the ten districts, having an attendance of 346 pupils, was only $433.00, or an average of little more than two dollars per week of school. This was an average for each pupil attending school of about $1.25 for the year.
The amount is very small when compared to the an- nual expenditure for the same purpose at the present time. For the year 1910 the expense of maintaining the schools in Hudson reached the following figures:
Paid for teachers and superintendent . $2,845.00 Fuel and incidentals 1,200.35
Music 136.00
Repairs 62.05
A total of $4,243.40
The contrast between the sums expended in 1847 and 1910 becomes more significant when we understand that the number of pupils at the latter time was only 220 com- pared to 346, sixty-three years ago. To offset the cost per pupil of $1.25 in 1847, in 1910 it was $19.29, an increase of $18.04, or a little more than 1400 per cent.
In 1910 the Hudson school district also paid $1,304.85 for tuition for pupils attending high school in Nashua and other places.
6 7
325
HISTORY OF THE SCHOOLS
The following table, prepared as accurately as possible from statistics found in the annual town reports, shows the amount of school money appropriated, the number of schol- ars attending schools, average cost per scholar, and average number of weeks of school, at intervals of five years from 1855 to 1910, inclusive.
SCHOOL STATISTICS
School money Number of schol- Average Average
Year
from town
and state
ars attending school
cost per No.weeks scholar
of school
1855
$604.45
307
$1.97
15.3
1860
639.82
283
2.26
19.6
1865
757.63
250
3.03
No stat.
1870
1,081.63
235
4.60
19.7
1875
1,415.03
205
6,90
22.1
1880
1,439.67
180
8.00
24.2
1885
1,516.01
188
8.06
30.
1890
1,852.79
206
8.99
30.
1895
2,218.97
204
10.87
30.
1900
2,601.54
203
12.81
28.
1905
3,385.93
208
16.28
32.
1910
4,243.40
220
19.29
33.
TOWN SCHOOL SYSTEM
At the annual town meeting, March 10, 1885, it was voted to adopt the town system of schools, whereby the ten existing districts were abolished and one district pre- vailed for school purposes.
This was a pioneer movement along this line, and Hudson was one of the very few towns of the state to adopt this system previous to the passage of the Act by the Legislature at the June session, 1885, approved Au- gust 13, of the same year. Among the provisions of that law were the following stipulations:
326
HISTORY OF HUDSON
Section 1. The divisions of towns into school districts heretofore ex- isting is hereby abolished, and each town shall hereafter constitute a sin- gle district for school purposes; provided however that districts organized under special acts of the legislature may retain their present organization.
Section 4. The duties heretofore devolving upon superintending and prudential committees shall hereafter be performed by a school board of three persons in each town, to be chosen by ballot at the annual school meeting, and to hold office for three years; provided however, that at the first election under the act, one person shall be chosen for three years, one for two years, and one person for one year, and thereafter one person shall be chosen each year.
It proved that there were those in Hudson opposed to the change in the system, so at an adjourned meeting held March 17, 1885, action was taken to reconsider the vote of the town passed to adopt the town system of schools. Seventy votes were recorded in favor and seventy-five against a reconsideration. A school board was chosen at this meeting consisting of the following members: Kimball Webster, for one year; David O. Smith, for two years; Daniel Gage, for three years.
One of the principal advantages claimed by the advo- cates of the town system over the old district system was the consolidation of schools, some of which had become very small, containing not more than seven or eight schol- ars each.
Although consolidation of the schools-wherever the same was adopted-met with bitter and determined opposi- tion from many citizens, the school board immediately com- menced the work for which they were elected, and in 1885, the first year under the new system, the ten school dis- tricts in Hudson were consolidated so as to form seven, in consequence of which the average length of schools under the old system of 21.7 weeks was increased to 30 weeks.
Further consolidation was not practicable until the new school buildings were erected in 1896. Previous to the annual school meeting March 17, 1896, the matter of build- ing two new school houses-one near the Bridge and the other in the vicinity of Hudson Center-was seriously dis-
1
327
HISTORY OF THE SCHOOLS
cussed by the citizens of those localities, and the matter was brought before the annual meeting of the district. A committee of seven was chosen to investigate the situation and report at an adjourned meeting. During the next four weeks the subject met with much earnest discussion, both in favor and opposition, by the citizens.
As the right of suffrage had been granted to women in school affairs, they entered as deeply into the discussion of the question as the men. The result was, at the ad- journed meeting April 14, there was the largest assem- blage of voters ever held in the town. Taking both males and females there were nearly seven hundred names on the list, and a good majority of these were present. The ques- tion excited some very animated discussion from both sex- es, pro and con, but when a vote was taken it resulted in favor of building the new houses.
A building committee was chosen for each school house, and the sum of eight thousand dollars was appropri- ated to meet the expense of constructing the buildings. Two thousand dollars was to be raised by taxation that year, and the balance of six thousand to be hired and paid at the rate of two thousand a year. It was also voted to locate the house at the Bridge upon the land of William F. Chase, on Sanders, now Library street, Mr. Chase gener- ously donating a large lot for that purpose. The commit- tee on this building was authorized to expend five thou- sand dollars on its construction and furnishings. This board consisted of George A. Merrill, Willis P. Cummings and William F. Chase.
The second school house was first located on land of David Clement at the Center, but later it was decided to build on a lot presented to the town by David O. Smith, and the committee, consisting of Nathaniel Wentworth, El- mer D. Clement and Henry O. Smith, was authorized to expend three thousand dollars in building and fitting up this house.
The larger house was to be two stories, with two rooms on each floor, and a basement, while the smaller building
328
HISTORY OF HUDSON
was to be of one story, with two rooms. The work pro- gressed so rapidly that both of these houses were ready for occupancy before the close of the year, the Center house for the fall term of school and the other for the winter term. It was then possible to grade the town schools.
The school near the Center received the name of the Smith School, in honor of Dr. David Onslow Smith, a na- tive and life-long resident of the town. Dr. Smith had been a successful teacher in his younger years, but studied medicine and became a very skillful physician. He ever retained his interest in the schools, doing more for them in his long life than any other man. He was superintend- ing school committee as early as 1862, serving in that ca- pacity for many years. When the town system was adopt- ed he served as a useful member of the board of education for seven years. Whether he was officially connected with the schools or not, his interest in them never grew less, and he visited them often, assisting them with the benefit of his ripe experience and sound judgment. He presented the school house that bore his name a fine bell placed in the bell tower. Not only in association with the schools, but in all walks of public and private life Dr. Smith was an honorable and useful citizen.
The larger school building, situated on Sanders, now Library street, received the name of the Webster School, in honor of Mr. Kimball Webster, one of the older resi- dents of Hudson.
Mr. Webster placed a bell in the tower of the building, and later purchased about 13,000 feet of land on the north side of the Webster school lot and gratuitously conveyed the same to the school district for the use and benefit of this school.
At the time of the building of the Webster school house, the committee was not authorized to finish the rooms on the second floor, as it was not deemed necessary then. But it soon became evident that the rooms on the lower floor were inadequate to accommodate all who should attend that school.
From Photo by C. E. PAINE
WEBSTER SCHOOL BUILDING, 1896
329
HISTORY OF THE SCHOOLS
Accordingly, at the annual school meeting in 1899, March 21, $1,500 was voted to complete the finishing of the Webster school building and improve the school lot. The committee chosen attended to the duty, and expended $1,781.67 in making the improvements, which action was accepted by the district.
A town sewer having been constructed through San- ders, now Library, and School streets to the river, in the autumn of 1904, at the annual school meeting in March, 1905, it was voted to furnish the Webster school house with a modern sanitary arrangement, which work was com- pleted during the spring of that year at an expense of $530.34. The grading about the yards having been com- pleted and the grounds otherwise made attractive, Hudson could well afford to boast of her new school houses and point with pride to her school management.
With the exception of about thirty pupils, living at the extreme southern and northern sections of the town, in Numbers One and Nine, all of the children in town attend- ed the Smith and Webster schools, with the exception of the pupils at high schools or academies in other places, and whose tuitions are paid by Hudson under Chapter 96 of the Session Laws of 1901. The town pays about fourteen hundred dollars annually for this purpose.
The Smith school house, with all its furnishings, was consumed by fire on the evening of December 7, 1907. The building with its contents was insured for $2,200.
At the annual school meeting March 17, 1908, the dis- trict voted to build a new school house, similar in size to the Smith building, with two school rooms, without base- ment. The site selected was on the east side of the Pel- ham road south-east of Hudson Center, partly on land of John Wentworth and partly on land of the heirs of Eli Hamblet. Nathaniel Wentworth, Henry C. Brown and John A. Robinson were chosen as a building committee. Nine hundred dollars was appropriated for the purpose in addition to the amount received from insurance.
330
HISTORY OF HUDSON
The school lot, which contains more than an acre of land, and is an exceptionally fine lot for the purpose, was generously donated by its owners-one-half by John Went- worth and one-half by Arvilla and Souvina Hamblet.
The building committee obeyed its instructions, and on the 21st of September, 1908, a little more than nine months after the destruction of the Smith school house, a suitable, well equipped school building had been erected, finished and furnished ready for occupancy.
At the time the Smith building was burned, the bell, in falling, was broken, and Henry C. Brown generously donated a new one and placed it in the tower of the new building.
That school is now called the Hudson Center school.
CHAPTER XXVI
CUSTOMS OF THE EARLY SETTLERS
The early settlers had few of the conveniences and comforts that are now considered necessary for the enjoy- ment of life. They were mainly dependent upon their farms for the supply of their needs, and this was utilized by their own labor. Very little food was purchased. Meats were obtained from the flesh of the domestic animals raised upon the farm, or from the wild creatures that roamed in the surrounding forests. Ice for the preservation of these and other articles of food was not thought of in those days. Often portions of the animal slaughtered were loaned to neighbors, who repaid the debt when they replenished their larder with similar products. By this co-operation families in a neighborhood were able to have a supply of fresh meat at almost all times.
Such portions as were not suitable to be eaten fresh were salted, and in this manner kept for several months. Every family had its beef and pork barrels, which were usually filled in the fall or early winter, as a supply for the following summer.
In the spring, during the fishing season, when shad and alewives ascended the Merrimack in immense num- bers, many families salted one or two barrels of catches of these fish, for summer consumption. Lamprey eels also added to the summer store.
FIRE-PLACES
The chimneys in nearly all the houses built before 1830, were very large, and thus occupied a great amount of space in the center of the dwelling, standing so that there were fire-places upon at least three sides. These re- ceptacles for heating and cooking purposes were made of
331
332
HISTORY OF HUDSON
sufficient capacity to take in wood in four-foot lengths, often even greater length than that. In the winter a back- log, a foot or more in diameter, was placed across the huge and-irons at the extreme rear, while a huge forestick was placed in front. The space between these was filled with smaller and lighter wood, and a hot fire resulted as soon as these sticks had become enveloped in the fiery folds. Not only did this fire warm the room, but gave it a cheerful ap- pearance, as well as making it comfortable. Very often a bar of iron was used for a forestick, especially in warm weather.
The houses were not made very tight, and good venti- lation was obtained by the constant current of air passing up the wide-mouthed chimney.
A long seat made of boards, with a high back as a pro- tection from the wind, was placed before the fire for the convenience of the family at eventide. This piece of rough furniture was known as "the settle." In sitting before one of these open fires, when the weather was cold and the winter wind was whirling the snow in great winding sheets, the backs of those not occupying one of these wide seats would be shivering while their faces would be almost blis- tered.
When the hour for retiring came, so much of the fire as remained was carefully covered with ashes, so that the coals would keep all night, and in the morning they had only to be raked apart, when a new supply of wood thrown upon them would be quickly ignited and the fire for the day was begun. This task was called "raking up the fire."
In this way fire was seldom lost in cold weather, but in the summer it frequently happened that the coals got so low that they could not be restored. Many families had what was called a "tinder box," with steel and flint, with which they would strike fire so the tinder would ignite. Home-made matches, which were made by being dipped in melted brimstone, were set on fire by touching them to the burning tinder. By this slow process a fire was started.
333
CUSTOMS OF THE EARLY SETTLERS
Sometimes a fire was kindled by flashing powder in the pan of a flint-lock musket, with tow held within radius of the sparks thus made. Friction matches did not come into general use until about 1836. As strange as it may seem now they were received with considerable distrust for a time.
OLD-TIME COOKING
The cooking was done over and before an open fire, except when the brick oven was used. In the open-fire cooking boiling was accomplished by suspending kettles with hooks, which were hung upon the iron crane, or arm, with which every fire-place was provided. These hooks were of different lengths, so as to admit of the kettles be- ing held higher or lower as might be necessary. An ad- justable hook, which was called a "trammel," was found upon almost every crane. In early times meat and poultry were often cooked by being suspended by a cord before the fire. One end of this cord was attached to the wooden pin overhead, the object to be cooked fastened to the other end. A dish was set underneath to catch the drip. The cord was then twisted, until upon being released it would unwind, and by the momentum thus gained it would rewind itself, in which manner the different sides of the meat would be alternately presented to the fire. But finally the cord would cease to move and at length would become sta- tionary, when someone must be on hand to give it another twist, so it would again be set in motion. Meats roasted before an open fire in this manner were very fine.
Later meats and poultry were roasted in a tin kitchen of cylindrical form, about two feet in length and fifteen inches in diameter, open in front and provided with a spit. The meat was placed upon the spit arranged so that one end passed through a hole made for the purpose, while the other was passed through a slot upon the opposite side. In this way the meat was suspended in the center of the inclosed space. When prepared the kitchen was placed
334
HISTORY OF HUDSON
before the fire, the bright surface of the tin inside reflect- ing the heat powerfully upon the meat that was being cooked. Upon one end of the spit was a small crank which could be used to turn the roast or to hold it in any position desired. By careful attention the cooking would be done evenly on all sides.
There was a door in the back side which could be opened to allow of the basting of the meat. The gravy went into the bottom where there was a small spout at one end. By tipping, this could be turned out into a dish.
Potatoes, and sometimes eggs, were roasted by placing them in the hot ashes and covering them with coals. Po- tatoes cooked in this way were much better than if boiled.
The brick oven, located at the right of the fire-place in the kitchen, was in nearly every house. These ovens were quite large, and in most families were heated once and sometimes twice a week. For heating the oven well-sea- soned pine wood was considered necessary. Beans, Indian puddings, brown bread and sometimes meats, pies and other articles of food were cooked in these ovens.
For a time the Dutch oven was used in many families for cooking bread and many other things. This was a flat, cast-iron kettle four or five inches deep, with a cover of the same material. It stood upon legs two or three inches high, and the cover, which rounded up in the center, had a rim on the outside about one and one-half inches high. When the dish was prepared for cooking the oven was placed upon a bed of live hard-wood coals, and the cover filled with the same. These coals could be replenished as often as was necessary. It was sometimes used for frying.
Before cooking stoves came into use, bread, pies, etc., were baked in front of the fire in a tin baker. This was made of the same kind of tin as the "kitchen," and it was about twenty inches in length, the bottom a foot wide, in- clining forward considerably, and set on legs. It had a perpendicular back four or five inches wide; the top was adjustable and slanted upward. It had a sheet-iron bake
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