USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > Sanbornton > History of Sanbornton, New Hampshire, Vol. I - Annals > Part 14
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64
"2. CATES DISTRICT. - House prized at D. 00; to stand at the corner of Andrew Sanborn's land near Cate's orchard; outlines, John Clark, Jeremiah Sauboru, 3d, Ebenezer Clark, William Hayes.
"3. Tousox District. - House prized at D. 110; to stand at the corner near Llent. Calle's house ; outlines, Joseph II. Sauborn, Moses Cass, Nathaniel Burley, Jr., James Hersey, Jon. Tomson.
"4. New STATE DisTRIer. - House prized at D. 50; to stand near the saw mill ; outlines, Nathan Sanborn, Nathaniel Parson[s] (?).
"5. SALMON BROOK DISTRICT. - House prized at D. 50; to stand near John Chapman's; outlines, Lyford Dow, John Morrison, Jun.
"6. CENTER DISTRICT. - Honse prized at D. 200; to stand near the town meeting-house; outlines, Capt. Colby, Josiah Sauborn, 4th, Nathan Smith, Stephen Morgin, Peter Sanborn, Maj. Nathan Taylor, Dauiel Gale.
"7. LANE-AND-TILTON DISTINCT. - House to stand at Tilton's Corner; outlines, Dea. Chase, Abel Rowell, William Eaton, Noah Smith, John Rober- sou, Jona. Calley, Nicholas Giles, Dudley Swain ; and their money, D. 11.
"8. STONE BRIDGE DISTRICT. - House to stand near the brook beyond Jona. Taylor, 3d; outlines, Thomas Shute, Ebenezer Eastman, William Tay- lor, Aaron Ellsworth, Samuel Dudley, Harper Quimby; and the money for their house, D. 50.
.. 9. IUSE-AND-STEELE DISTRICT. - House prized at D. 70; to stand at Steele's Corner; outlines, John Iluse, Jun., John Taylor, Nathaniel Hoit, Josiah Sanborn, 3d.
"10. ELISHA SMITH DISTRICT. - House prized at D. 100; to stand ucar their meeting-house; outlines, Richard Dow, Ebenezer Chase, Isaac Knapp, Benjamin Smith, Jona. Edgerly.
" 11. Guaxr DisTnieT. - House prized at D. 70; to stand near Morgin Meadow; outlines, Robert Hunkin, Elisha Chapman, John Folsome, Josiah Shaw.
"12. GIBSON DISTRICT. - House to stand at Sanborn's Corner, near Gib-
103
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
son; outlines, James Parker, Jacob Thomas, Stephen Goodhue, Jonathan Morrison, Jun., Philip Hunt.
" 13. SANBORN-IN-THE-WOODS DISTRICT. - House to stand near Page Philbrook's; outlines, David Lane, James Sanborn, Mr. Nay, Jonathan Cate, Thomas Critchet.
"14. BYMELD DISTRICT. - Outlines, James Fullington, Folsome & Sau- born, Bradbury Morrison, Jona. Judkins.
"15. DEARBORN DISTRICT. - Outlines, William Huse, Josiah George.
(Signed) "WILLIAM TAYLOR. DAVID PHIL.BROOK. JACOB TH.TON. NATHANIEL. GRANT."
[Four of committee. The name of Moses Tousox, original chairman, wanting. ]
The order of the above districts is that of the " report " ; the num- bering our own. It appears that nine school-houses prob-
Inferences
from report. ably were, or had been, in existence at various stages of construction ; that at the Centre the most valuable site, corner of the present cemetery, afterwards that of the " Gun-house." Only three, Nos. 3, 6, and 10, were valued at or above " D. [dollars] 100"! We infer that houses in Nos. 7 and 8 had been commenced ; lumber, perhaps, drawn in the one, and house erected but not finished in the other. Total valuation of the above, 8841. It is also inferred that in the four last districts, houses were not yet commenced, though in contemplation. The locations of these houses, and changes where they have not been rebuilt on the same sites, are shown upon the town map in this volume.
A pupil of 1792, the late Peter Burley, has also told us that the schools of that carly time were partly in private houses, especially in winter ; the public school-houses, many of them, not being Carrying the finished. The sportive operation of " carrying the seats"
back and forth between dwellings and school-houses was well remembered ! The districts of town had thus increased in twenty-five years (1774-99) from four to fifteen.
Let us now indulge in a few reminiscences of the teachers and schools in these primitive districts. Foremost among the former (in every sense) stands the name of Master Abraham Perkius. Ile taught all the schools in town for several years, from its first settlement, going from one neighborhood to another in succession, and thus found con- stant employment. He always wore the three-cornered Pen picture of cocked hat, made of wool or felt, as did the minister. Master Perkins.
Capt. Eben. Sanborn bought his last for a military hat. llis coat was single-breasted and home-made, with broad tail. Ilis breeches were of velvet, with silver or plated buckles at the knees.
104
HISTORY OF SANBORNTON.
Hle carried a large ivory-headed enne, and he customarily sulnted his pupils on entering the school-room, - and on one ocension a " bur- dock image" as well, which they had made in honor of some military hero ! Quite frequently, too, as he approached, the scholars used to parade at the door of the school-house, - the girls ou one side, the boy's on the other, arranged by ages. Off came the three-cornered hat ! and the boys' caps ; when they countermarched into the school-room behind him. The scholars who went his way home would follow him in the same manner. His wages as a teacher were $4.00 or $5.00 per month and board. The last of His days he taught a good deal ou Calef Hill, boarding chietly at Matthew Thompson's and Lieut. Calet's, the school-house he occupied being still shown among the outbuildings of Jeremiah B. Calef. Our carlier anualist informs us that -
"Ilis first school was kept in a private house (Joslah Sauboru's) near the old meeting-house, in 1775; * afterwards in barns, and for some First schools years In the meeting-house, before It was seated. Some of his iu towil. scholars wrote upon birch-bark I and in one of his first schools a young girl carried her knitting-work into the school-room. Being a new beginner, she supposed of course she must ask the master for Narrowing the directions as to her work. She accordingly went to him several stocking ut
school. times, and he directed her every thue to narrow ! This process soon brought the matter to a point, and when the unsuspecting girl asked for further instruction, the master advised her to apply to her mother."
Thus, "although of a stern make, and accounted severe iu disci- pline, there was," as Dr. Bodwell remarks, " a dash of humor in Master Perkins"; further confirmed by a pleasantry, which used to be attributed to him, in reference to a boy in one of his schools who had remarkably large feet, - " He's going to have the greatest under- standing of any man in Sanbornton !" (See Sketch in Vol. II. p. 319.)
In 1792 Master Knapp, " the stripling," had commenced his career as a teacher in town, also Master Eben. Clark, with Master Perkins still at the Square ; the three being just then the only teachers. After the " challenge " trial at reading in Northfield, elsewhere described, another " parade " or trial of skill in reading and spelling was held at Crockett's Corner, near the site of the present First Baptist Meet- Reading and ing-house, on a summer's afternoon. Pupils from the spelling three schools then in session were assembled. Master fuatches. Perkins, as being the oldest, was " generalissimo," in his three-cornered hat! The occasion was greatly enjoyed by the young people, one of whom, being then present at the age of seven, de- seribed it to the writer when at the age of ninety-three (1878).
* Another acconut says " in James Gibson's barn " ( Rollins place), Union Bridge.
105
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
Among the other teachers were Stephen Goodhue from Deerfield,
for several years (see Famn., Vol. II. p. 314) ; Master
Other teachers.
Mason, who taught at Tin Corner previously to 1800-2, - very severe, whipping excessively ; and Master Thorn (see Fam. ) . The school at the Centre first aspired to the dignity of a " grannar school," under William Rolfe (then of Concord, afterwards
The grammar a Congregational minister at Groton), a winter or two ochool.
before and one year after his graduation at Dartmouth Col- lege in 1799. Four Sanbornton boys - Washington Sanborn, Thomas Taylor, and Benjamin and William Colby - went to Gilmanton Lead- emy during the first of Rolfe's teaching ; but the next term remained here, convinced of his superiority as a teacher, though " pretty harsh." His intimate college friend, Daniel Webster (D. C. 1801), during the winter of 1799-1800, came over to visit his school. The A distinguished future statesman was remembered by Capt. John B. Per- Visitor.
kius to have been clad in a " blne homespun suit. . . . The scholars laughed, in spite of their good manners, at his tall, ungainly stature, awkward movements, and complexion dark as an Indian's, with great black eyes looking out from heavy eyebrows." The latter part of the same winter (Feb. 20) the " Centre " (gun-house) school-house was burned by leaving ashes in a wooden vessel, but was immediately rebuilt. Ezekiel Webster, probably while in college (D. C. 1804), taught a winter school in the same place, and was very highly esteemed for his geniality and other excellences as a teacher. Que Billings, too, from Dartmouth, - probably Jesse L., of the class of 1805, - officiated during a single winter, near this time ; school well remembered by a severe snowballing melee, which resulted
Snowballing wcke. in the broken ribs of James Severance, a " school court" or " trial " during the whole afternoon, and the final pres- ent of a lamb to the injured boy to propitiate his aggrieved father, though no malice beyond harsh play was ever proved upon the offend- ing boys ! In other parts of the town, Master Fullington wielded the ferule, which he once severely applied to young Peter Burley for an alleged breach of good manners, charged upon him by a
Der's."
"Making man- fellow-pupil ; viz., neglecting to bow to a certain lady whom the two boys met in the road ! Peter had met the same lady only a few minutes before, when alone, and had done his obeisance at that time, decming it amply sufficient!
The first female teacher in town was hired by John Taylor, Esq., in the summer of 1799, which was regarded as an innovation of very doubtful propriety ! She was a Miss -, from Canter-
First female
teacher. bury, and taught halt the time at Mr. Steele's and the other half at Jona. Taylor's ; the school-house - No. 9 of
106
HISTORY OF SANBORNTOY.
previous list - being then untit for use. Bradbury Morrison attended one day, with other larger boys, as a matter of curiosity. It was alleged that this teacher was a young lady of such superfluous mod- esty that she taught her scholars to call their instruments of locomo- tion " feet handles " instead of legs. A little later, Jonathan Warner appears upon the stage, who, having been a play-actor in Boston and disappointed in love, came to Sanboruton as a teacher for about two years, 1809, 1810, in the new school-house below John Sauborn's, near the Bridge. He had great taste for flowers, and a spacious garden, where now stands Charles E. Tilton's mansion. He was also occasion- ally addicted to social drams in the evening, which made him Jonathan War- extremely cross and violent the next day, as shown in bis ner. whipping the boys - but never the girls. Yet he was a very superior teacher, giving an impulse to education in that part of the town which started several young people upon their careers as teach- ers : instance, Jesse and Theodate Sanborn ; William, John, and Bradstreet M. Hayes, and all their sisters ; Stephen Moody, James Morrison, and others. llis services were highly appreciated by Mr. Bodwell, and they tried to get him at the Square. After most severely tlogging a lad of ouly six or seven years, now a prominent citizen of Tiltou, for " whistling in school" (an offence which he did not and could not commit), the said Warner never taught another school in town, but subsequently became a hermit, shutting himself up in a hut in the backwoods of Vermont !
But no list of Samboruton's earlier teachers would be complete without special mention of Master Benjamin Colby, who, next to Master Perkins, must have tanght school the greatest number of years in this town, as here most of his teaching was done for a whole gen- eration, or thirty-four years in succession ! His influence upon the Saubornton youth could hardly have been less than that of Master Perkins ; for if not teaching so many schools, he must have had under his care a greater number of pupils, since his schools were larger. Ile is often spoken of now by his old pupils, mostly in the decline of life, and always with one united testimony of gratitude and respect to his ability, enthusiasm, and faithfulness. Next Masters Colby to him Master Joshua Lane should be named for a similar and Lane.
service and with similar commendation ; sixteen years the senior of Mr. Colby, but commencing his career as a school-teacher in town very little if any carlier.
lu former times scholars went from district to district for school privileges, it being remembered that Nancy Conner, after-
From district
lu district. wards Mrs. Bodwell, used to attend school on the Calef Ilill, walking from her father's house at the Square. The
107
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
first school in that part of the town, which is now Tilton, was taught in the house of Mr. Satchel Clark, west of the Tin Corner, whose eldest son John used to be required to " blow and strike" School-boy at for his father - being a blacksmith - until the master the forge. rapped on the door as a sign that it was " time to read and spell," after which he would resmine his place at the forge.
As early as 1789, the town voted that the " Lower end District . . . have liberty to divide"; their school-house, one of the first built, being located as shown under " 1" of previous report, and after- wards moved a little (one hundred rods) east of the Tin Corner. Not till twenty years afterwards was the division effected, when the " Boundary or Dividing Line of Distriet No. 1" appears on the town records as " voted at a meeting in said District," -
"To follow the . Packer Brook' (so called) from Elijah Durgiu's down to the
Lower End Northeasterly end of Stephen Merrill's land, and thence to Lowell Lang's land, aud between his and Mr. Merrill's to the road; and District. is to include Mr. Ebenezer Darling, and property, in the Easterly side of the Division."
This latter district, being warned by the selectinen, on petition, mnet at Jeremiah Sanboru's, April 29, 1809, and voted to raise $130 - instead of the desired $176.78 - for " building or finishing" their new school-house, which dates from the same year, and stood till burned, 1820. In 1811 the total number of districts was sixteen. Many other changes were continually occurring, by petition or other- wise, in the school districts ; prominent among which was the dividing of the old Centre District, in 1820, by a committee of outsiders, - Wm. Weeks, Daniel C. Atkinson, and Jeremiah Tilton, - all above the south line of Joseph Woodman's land to be called " Centre," all below, " No. 2." The " Hardscrabble " or " Innkins" District had been set off in 1816, for which school-house they were getting tlie timber ou election day, in June, encountering a snow-squall and finding the " weather too cold for the punch"! District No. 5 divided, on recommendation of committee, in 1821, that part lying north of Jeremiah Swain's land to form the new " Lane District," since reabsorbed in the "Brook District," and Nat Perley and Thomas Taylor being set off from " No. 5" to the " Centre," at Division of " Kelley Ledge." The history of many of the school districts.
-
districts in town presents this curious phenomenon in the location of their houses : first being centralized, on account of the carly scattered population ; next being divided, with increasing minu- bers ; lastly reversing the latter process, and again being central- ized upon the same ground, on account of the renewed scarcity of scholars ; - instance, the old ". Centre" or " Square " District, first
-
-
108
HISTORY OF SANBORNTON.
mited at the " gun-house," next separated at " Kelley Ledge," and under the present " Town House Hill," now reunited midway be- tween, and nearer the original site, at the Academy building ! Another siguilleant division occurred Nov. 1, 1824, of " District No. 10," southwest corner of the town (by which it is evident that the districts had been remembered since 1798, " No. 10" then being at the Bay) : new district to be numbered " 22," bounded by Pemige- wasset and Winnipiseogee Rivers, extending east to cast line of Sanmel Fellows's aud James Clark's, north to south line of Widow Nancy M. Clough's nud Tristram Sanborn's. Eighty-tive pupils between four and twenty-one belonged to the old district, and their share of the school money for that year (1824) was $59.71, of which the
New district at new district was expected to have twenty-two scholars Fraukun Falls. and $18.93, where now is found all that part of the village of Franklin Falls which is worth of the Wiunipiseogce !
March 15, 1826. "Petition " was granted, setting off families of the Abrams, Shaw, and Morrill names, in the northwest part of the town, and " constituting them a new school district for greater priv- ileges " ; and in 1837 Bradbury Morrison and others were set off from the Bay District, forming a new one, - the present No. 6, under Steele's Hill. There were many other changes, families being often set from one district to another, and new districts being formed, like that of the .. Plumer" neighborhood, in 1818; which year, also, a committee of five were chosen " to examine into the state of disaf- fected school districts and report grievances, to be paid by the dis- triets employing them."
Finally, at a special meeting, July 2, 1844, a committee, consisting Committee for of Noah Eastman, Ira Woodman, and Joseph L. Couner, redistricting having been previously appointed to re-divide " the terri- the lown, 1844. tory of Sanbornton into school districts," reported for sub- stance the following as to numbers, names, and locations : -
DISTRICT No. 1. - Tin Corner. Southwest corner of town; Franklin hav- ing been set off.
Dismaer No. 2. - Sanbornton Bridge. East of No. 1 at the Academy.
DisTier No. 3. - James F. and Hiram Sauboru. North of No. 1. Still attached to Franklin.
DISTRICT NO. 4. - Shaker Bridge and Sanbornton Bridge. East of No. 2. School-house, as now (above Tilton Village, ucar the railroad bridge).
Distiner No. 5. - Caler and Thompson. North of No. 3; east to west line of Lot No. 54, First Division.
Discuter No. 6. - Chapel. North of No. 5 ; south [cast ] to Webster farm, Lot No. 70, First Division.
Distinct No. 7. - Sanborn and Moulton. North of No. 4 to northwest corner of Lot No. 54, First Division.
109
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
DISTRICT No. S. - Centre. North of No. 7; cast of No. 5 to south line of Joseph Woodman's land.
DISTINCT No. 9. - Shaw and Morrill. Northwest of No. 6 to north line of Jolin Abram's land.
DisTier No. 10. - Prescott and Wiggin. North of No. 9 to New Hampton line; east, to centre of Lot No. 54, Second Division.
Distraer No. 11. - D. M. Piper and Jerry. Weeks. East of No. 10 to cast line of Lot No. 51, Second Division.
DISTRICT No. 12. - Dustin and Wadleigh. East of No. 11; north of No. 6 to cust line of Joseph L. Calley's.
DisTRer No. 13. - J. S. Lane and Jesse Sanborn. East of No. 12.
Distraer No. 14. - Ingalls and Woodman. North of No. 8.
Disriaer No. 15. - D. Taylor and E. Brown. North of No. 14; south of No. 13.
Disrmer No. 16. - Keniston and Bamford. East of No. 4.
DisTier No. 17. - Ilunkins and Perkins. East of Nos. 8 and 14.
DisTier No. Is. - Rollins and Cram. North and east of No. 16.
DISTRICT NO. 19. - Meadow ; Wallis and Chase. East of No. 17 to Bay.
DisTier No. 20. - Bay ; Woodman and Smith. North of No. 19.
Disrmer No. 21. - B. Morrison and J. S. Clark. West of No. 20; north of Nos. 17 and 19.
DISTRICT NO. 22. - John Leavitt and Obadiah Eastman. North and west of No. 21.
DISTRICT NO. 23. - Stone Bridge; Taylor and Emery. West of No. 21; east of No. 15.
DisTier No. 24. - Plumer and Piper. North of No. 23.
DisTier No. 25. - George and Dearborn. West of No. 21.
' DisTier No. 26. - Charles Emerson. llis land only, north extremity of town.
All the above were accepted, except Nos. 2, 4, and 7, recommitted "to make two districts "; and Nos. 9 and 11 slightly amended. No. 26 afterwards "sends to New llampton."
This arrangement of districts remained essentially the same till after the final division of the town, the principal changes being the union of Nos. "21" and "22," in 1849, the giving of the title " No. 22 " to " Stone Bridge," and of " No. 23" to the " A. K. Hersey and S. ( ?) Morrison " District, formed the year before as " No. 27," cast of No. 1 (Win. Hayes's, Joseph Emery's, Jeremiah Lane's, ete., on Gulf Subsequent Road), dismembered 1860 ; as also the separating of " No. 4" changes.
from the last, a chronic difficulty appearing in town meet- ings, anual and special, for several years.
Not to dwell upon other district " quarrels " arising from " mions," "divisions," "locations" of school-houses, etc., and referring to the map for the sites of the varions houses till the present, we will briefly indicate the final renmubering of the school districts of Sanborn- ton proper by the selectmen, in 1870, beginning at the southwest corner of the town and numbering east to the Bay ; thence west to
110
HISTORY OF SANBORNTON.
the river, and cast again to North Sanbornton. By this simple and natural arrangement we have Nos. 1, " Calef Hill" ; 2, "Square"; 3, " Hunkius " (or " Central l'ond ") ; 4, " Meadow Brook "; 3, " Bay "; 6, " Simon R. Morrison "; 7, " Stone Bridge "; 8, "Clark's Corner"; 9, " Chapel"; 10, " New State"; 11, " Os- good" ; 12, " Salmon Brooks" ; 13, " Mill"; 14, " Putnam Batch- elder " (Franklin) ; 15, " Joseph Flanders " (Meredith) ; aud No. 16, constituted this same year (1870), in the Shaw and Morrill neighbor- hood, west part of town, by the action of a majority of the joint
I'resent ur. boards of the school committee and the selectmen. The
rangement in school districts in Tilton, five in nmuber, are : No. 1, " Tin
Sunborutous
und Tiltoll. Corner"; No. 2, " Sanborn Road "; No. 3, ' Union Bridge," near railroad station ; No. 4, same as in the uuml- bering of 1844 (see p. 108) ; No. 5, " Rollins Corner " ( East Tilton). The other two districts, which formerly enibraced Tilton Village ( except No. 4), are now merged in " Union School District No. 1" (new school-honse on the Northfield side), which has its separate " Board of Education."
The superintending school committee, appearing for the first time
Early services in 1809 (see " Town Officers"), performed largely a labor of school com. of love for many years, with conflicting town votes from imlttee. time to time, - " not to pay out of school money " ; ". to pay out of school money "; " not to pay for their services" ; finally, ' that Mr. Bodwell have a reasonable compensation for visiting schools this year" (1813), and "that the other school committee have nothing"; " compensation allowed," 1814. Nor were their services much appre- ciated, as in 1833, " Voted to exense Superintending Committee from examining schools." In 1842, the school committee - still excused from visiting - are stated on records for the first time to have " muade a report " which was accepted. They receipted for services this year, -A. B., 80.00; J. C., $10.50; D. HI. S., $6.32, - evidently not growing rich at the town's expense !
In 1844, a brief report of school committee (in abstract) for the first time appears on town records, chiedy reflecting upon Firat report, on record. the dereliction of prudential committees in not filling their blanks, alleging that by being excused from visiting the schools they are deprived of the means of enabling them to col- leet the facts required by the State statute (Title XI., Chap. 73, Seet. 14) ; and closing in these words : " Your committee are aware that much depends upon the parents to enable teachers to govern our district schools."
In 1846, on the new book of town records then commenced, " The Superintending School Committee's Report " is given for the first
111
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
time in full, particularizing schools, teachers, improvement, merits Report of 1846 and demerits, in twelve of the twenty-six different dis- ellyrossed in triets ; and giving it as their excuse for not visiting the
full. other fourteen that their teachers did not comply with the regulations of the school law, the committee not deeming it their duty ' to seek out and enforce an examination upon them against their will " This report pertains ouly to the summer schools, but contains most excellent suggestions upon " errors " incident to our primary schools ; upon " elementary instruction in the art of reading," and upon " school government," subjection to which should not be required, as too often, " for wrath and not for couscience' sake."
The next year (1847), under the operation of a new law, the com- mittee made a yet more elaborate report, prefaced by a full statistical table.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.