USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Andover > History of the town of Andover, New Hampshire, 1751-1906, Part I > Part 11
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HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
the ability to foretell the exact date of His eoming. In 1842 Miller came to Andover, preaching with great unction: "Be- hold the Bridegroom Cometh go ye out to meet him." In some localities and in some households the excitement was intense. In eases of complete, or even partial belief, the effect on the family and individual life was anything but salutary. The farmer neg- lected his fields and the mechanic laid aside his tools, feeling that the things of this world were of no more value. The farmer gave away to all who came, all of his crops that had not been caten by his visiting religious brethren and their horses. Some of the more zealous enthusiasts went so far as to make their white robes in which they were to ascend to meet the "bridegroom" as he came. As the predicted day of "doom" for the wicked passed without incident, bitter disappointment, with empty barns, cel- lars and bins, nearly ernshed the spirit of many a former hopeful soul.
MINISTERS IN ANDOVER.
The lack of complete records of most of the religious societies in town makes it exceedingly difficult to determine what minis- ters have preached in the various churches. The list of preachers for the Unitarian society is given in the history of that society, that for the Congregational societies is easily aseertained, but for most of the other societies the recollections of the people are the only source of information.
The names of the preachers in the First Congregational Church, Badcock's; the second, Kingsbury's; the third at the Centre and the later Congregational Churches at East Andover and at the Centre, are all given in the accounts of these different churches, and are probably complete. For the first twenty years of the nineteenth century many ministers preached in the meet- ing-house at the East Village, but it was difficult then, and impos- sible now, in the absence of definite records, to learn the denom- inational affiliations of all those preachers. It is quite doubtful if they knew themselves; for many of them were Freewill Bap- tists and Christian Baptists or Christians by turns.
The following lists are, therefore, not only incomplete, but it is more than likely that some names are improperly classed, but they are given as a general guide. As no complete chronological order is possible now, they are arranged alphabetically :
1:27
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES AND CITURCHES.
FREEWILL BAPTIST.
Butler, Oliver
Hammond, William
Buzzell, Alvah
Jenkins, W. M.
Cass, William D.
Knowles, E. G.
Chase, Ebenezer
Munsey, J. G.
Chase, William P.
Paris, Comings
Chase, Uriah
Pinkham, George H.
Clark, Peter
Robbins, Samuel
Crockett, John
Rowell, N. L.
Davison, F. E.
Shaw, W. A.
Fiske, Ebenezer
Smith, J. F.
Frost, D. Sidney
Watson, Elijah
Griffin, Charles B.
CHRISTIAN BAPTIST OR CHRISTIAN AT EAST ANDOVER.
Allen, Robert
Libbey, John
Blodgett, Julius C.
Morrison, Asa C.
Davis, Richard
Rollins, E. B.
Green, J. L.
Shaw, Elijalı
Green, Jared W.
Sleeper, Nehemiah D.
Hutchinson, George W.
Thompson, Jesse
.Jones, Abner
Young, Peter
Kidder, Abiel
CHRISTIAN CHURCH AT CENTRE.
Bartlett, Thomas R.
Morrill, William S.
Burden, John
Nason, W. H.
Dugan, H. C.
Shaw, Elijah
Hall, Abner
Whitney, S. W.
Martin, A. H.
UNIVERSALIST.
Bartlett, Robert
Wright, Nathan R.
Harriman, Walter
ORGANIZATION OF RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES AND CHURCHES.
October 30, 1782. First Congregational Church, Badcock's.
June -, 1803. "The Monthly Meeting."
May 30, 1810. Freewill Baptist Society at Centre. June 24, 1819. Universalist Society incorporated.
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HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
September 4. 1819. Christian Baptist Society.
September 14, 1819. Baptist Union Society.
April 4, 1820. Calvinistie Baptist Society.
April 14. 1820. First Congregational Society. Soon disap- peared.
- -. 1827. Methodist Church organized.
October 13. 1828. First Congregational "Association" formed.
January 14, 1829. First Congregational Church organized.
Jannary 7, 1830. Separation of Freewill Baptist and Chris- tian churches and independent organization of the Christian Church.
January 7. 1830. Freewill Baptist Church organized.
January 14, 1833. Andover Religious Union Society.
March 1. 1839. Freewill Baptist Society incorporated.
June 25, 1841. First Congregational Society organized at. Centre.
August 19, 1843. Christian Church organized at Centre.
September -, 1879. Unitarian Society organized at Centre.
September 16, 1880. Second Congregational Church at Centre.
BAPTIZING LOCALITIES.
The frequent and extensive "revivals" at East Andover, from 1803 to 1840, conducted under the management of "evangelists" and "exhorters, " and by Christian-Baptist. Freewill Baptist and Christian ministers, all of whom believed in the efficacy and necessity of the ordinance of baptism, led to the selection of cer- tain spots on the shore of Loon Pond, or on the grassy banks of the outlet of that body of water, for the celebration of the ordi- nance of baptism.
For many years a spot known as " White Sands, " on the south shore of Loon Pond, was a favored locality for the immersion of converts. At this point the bottom of the pond was clear and firm, mostly of white sand, and sloped gradually toward deep water, an important element of safety, while the shore was in it- self attractive and easily reached-an ideal spot for the religious ceremony. Another locality, perhaps more frequently used, was on the west bank of the mill-stream, just below the old fulling
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RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES AND CHURCHES.
mill. Here, as at the "White Sands," was ample opportunity for several hundred people to witness the final act of the con- verts' consecration.
Of the use of this baptismal font in the winter, Mr. W. Adams Batchelder wrote as follows :
In the winter of 1841-2 an unusually large number of persons in the eastern part of the town became religious and thirty one were baptized in the mill-stream on a very cold and windy day. It was necessary to cut through ice five inches thick and open a space of sufficient size to admit the minister and the candidate to the water. So severely cold was the weather that ice formed on the open water in two minutes and the men and women who came up, one after the other from the chilly flood were immediately confined in their movements by the garments which froze solid around them. When the last hymn was sung and the ceremony was over the persons baptized were carried away to be thawed out and supplied with dry and comfortable clothing. I never heard of a case where one of the subjects of such an unattractive baptism took cold through the rite.
At the Centre village, the place usually selected for the bap- tismal ceremony was at the north bank of the river just below the Seavey Bridge. It was a pleasant, accessible spot in mild weather, but in the months of an ordinary New Hampshire win- ter nothing less than the supreme exaltation of fervid religious enthusiasm or the quiet, unswerving zeal of the ancient Puritan, could sustain the patient, cheerful air of those who went down into the iey water.
The writer has seen young men and delicate young women immersed in the river at this spot on a cold, blustering day in midwinter, when the water was only reached by cutting through fifteen inches of ice. Ieieles four inches long hung from their hair and clothes before they could reach any shelter.
SERVICES BY CLERGYMEN OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
The first Roman Catholic service in town was held in a small building near the residence of John Weare. It occurred while the railway was building through the eastern part of the town. The next meeting was held in the North Meetinghouse, which was crowded with people of all denominations assembled to see and hear the unfamiliar but impressive service. The meeting was 9
130
HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
conducted by a priest from Connecticut, who was zealously min- istering to the spiritual needs of the Catholic laborers along the line of the Northern Railway, from Franklin to West Lebanon. Since that period services have been held frequently in town by Catholic priests from neighboring cities and towns.
SCHOOLS IN ANDOVER.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
On the "plan" of the township (then New Breton) made and approved in 1753, there were three divisions marked "School Lots," and numbered 17 W. and 17 E. in first range and 17 in third range. These lots, two of which contained about one hundred acres, and one about eighty acres, were drawn and set apart on July 4, 1753, for the future benefit of the schools in the township.
August 16, 1779, the town voted to sell school lot No. 17, and lay out the money for "schooling." But, apparently, the lot was not sold till June 19, 1810.
The first settlement in town was made in 1761 and for many years the population increased so slowly that no schools were pro- vided until 1781.
1781. The town paid James Randall for "keeping S. d. school," 0 17 4
Also paid Sarah Eastman for "keeping school," 5 5 0 Paid James Randall for "teaching school" in
1782. 1781-'82, 5 11 6 Paid James Randall for "teaching school" in 1782. 2 11 0 Paid Nathan Muzzey for "schooling," 5 14 (
1783. March 17. "Voted to raise seventy dollars to hire schooling the ensuing year."
Paid James Randall "for schooling," 60 0
Paid Nathan Muzzey "for schooling," 8 80
July 14. This day found due to the school at the Mills (East Andover), 8 5 10
July 14. This day found due to the school at Chandler's (Taunton Hill), 4 15 10
July 14. This day found due to the school at the River, 4 10 2 July 14. This day found due to the school at Raweling's (Flaghole), 0 10 6
1784. The town raised £30 for schooling.
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HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
1786. The town raised £15 for schooling.
1789. March 19. The town "appropriated 75 dollars to hire schooling, besides £20 as required by the state." This year hired eleven schoolmasters, as follows :
£ s. d. f.
James Randall, for a school at the Mills,
4 14 0 0 James Randall, for a school in Captain Emery's dis-
triet,
2
62 0
Thomas Welch of Andover,
5 200
Samuel Rano of Andover,
0 8 10 0
Reuben Hoit of New Chester,
0 2 10 2
Mr. Quimby, 6 11
0 0
Jabez Morrill,
3 11 0 0
John Rowe,
0 11 8 1
Archelaus Welch,
0 0
3 0
Jolın Call,
00 4 0
Josiah Sanborn,
0 5 11 2
Ebenezer Scribner,
0 4 8 2
1789. March 16. "Voted not to raise money for schooling."
In 1714 the following action of the Legislature provided for the support of churches and schools :
And it is hereby further enacted and Ordained that for building and repairing of meeting-houses schoolhouses and allowing a sallary to a Schoolmaster of each Town within this Province The Selectmen in their respective Towns shall raise money by an equal Rate and assessment upon the Inhabitants in such manner and form as they doe for defray- ing of other Town charges. And every Town within this Province shall from and after the publication hereof Provide a schoolmaster for the supply of the Town.
In June, 1789, all the school laws of New Hampshire were re- pealed and a new code enacted. The support of schools was pro- vided for in the following item :
In each town an assessment to be computed at the rate of five pounds for every twenty shillings of their proportion of public Taxes, for the time being, and so for a greater or Lesser sum.
The Andover schools were supported by the school tax pro- vided by this statute: to which was added, from year to year, such extra appropriations as seemed desirable.
1791. "Voted to raise 150 dollars to Hire Schooling."
"This year the river people, so called. have received their pro-
133
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
portion of the school money up to the year 1791." Two schools and two teachers this year.
A law passed in 1719 required each town with fifty or more householders to be constantly provided with a schoolmaster to teach reading and writing. Andover complied with the law as soon as the means of its inhabitants would permit.
Most of the earlier children born in Andover received their education at the fireside. They learned to write on birch bark, read the New England Primer, the Bible and the Psalter. It should be recorded here that an inspection of the letters and records of the day will show that the penmanship was quite as good as that of the present day. The writer has seen the work of Ephraim Eastman's pen, from 1800 to 1830, which probably can- not be equaled by any person in town today.
The spelling of that time was unique, but considering the means for acquiring a knowledge of orthography, the output was quite as good as most of it at the present time.
There were few or no arithmetics, and as late as 1815 or 1820, the arithmetic "rules" and the "sums" given for solution, were all in manuscript. Much of this work in neatness and character would put to shame the work of our much-praised schools of the present day. Dillworth's spelling book came into use about 1770. After the Revolutionary War English grammar was in- troduced into the schools as a standard study, and geography was taught in some schools. It is believed that Ash's grammar was the first text-book on that subject used in the town schools.
1793. "Voted to raise £30 for supporting a school the ensuing year exclusive of what the town is obliged to raise by order of the state."
1794. The town raised £15 for support of schools.
1795. The town raised £30 for support of schools.
1797. March 20, "Voted to raise 200 dollars for the support of schools in addition to what is raised by law."
"Voted the selectmen be a committee to set the town off into school districts."
"Voted that each district build their own schoolhouse."
1799.
December 2, Voted to divide the town into school districts ; and "Jonathan Cilley, John Tirrell and Willard Emery were chosen a committee to district off the town." (See article on school districts.)
134
HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
Voted to sell one of the school lots and devote the pro- ceeds to the support of the schools.
"Voted that a school district be set off from the lower part of Wm Dyer's land."
"Voted to have a school district by Philip Cilley's."
Voted $800 for building schoolhouses in the several dis- tricts.
1800.
The amount of school money raised was $175.31.
1802. March 15, Voted to raise $300 for the support of schools.
1803.
"Voted to raise $100 in addition to what the state obliges us to raise for schools."
1804. Raised $100 for the support of schools.
1804. The town appointed, in the various school districts school-tax collectors, whose duties were similar to those per- formed by prudential committees at a later date, except that the school-tax collectors collected the school taxes in their respective. districts. These officers were :
James Pike in the "River" district.
Moses Brown in Lieutenant Blake's district.
Charles Hilton in the "Mill" district.
Joseph Philbrick in Esquire Weare's district.
Jacob Rowe in Southeast district.
Stephen Tucker in "Mountain" district.
Jonathan Cilley in "South Side of Pond" distriet.
Jonathan Brown in "Beech Hill" district.
Elisha Cilley in upper Cilley district.
Edmund Cilley in Aaron Cilley's district.
The first schools in town were "kept" in dwelling houses and frequently in barns in the early summer. A summer school on the Emery Road was held in a large apple bin in a cider mill belonging to "Esquire Willard Emery." This school, taught by Miss Fifield, was attended by eight pupils. The teacher was paid fifty cents per week and she "boarded round." When the money available for each school was a fixed sum it was the custom for the teacher to "board round," staying in each home a certain number of days for each pupil in the family. By this method all the money was used to pay the teacher. This custom, with its many advantages and some disadvantages prevailed until late in the nineteenth century. After the schoolhouses were built in
135
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
the various districts, the parents of the pupils arranged among themselves at the "school meetings," to furnish the wood, all prepared for the fireplace or stove, without expense to the dis- trict. Sometimes the wood was drawn to the schoolhouse in "sled lengths," and the larger boys laid the foundations for the modern school athletics while reducing the woodpile to its "low- est terms" for fuel.
In the winter the names of the older boys were placed on a "fire list," each becoming responsible in turn for making the "schoolhouse" fire in the morning in season to have the house warm by "school time." By all this voluntary work, the money was used for paying the teacher and lengthening the term of school.
For a number of years a weaving room in the woodshed of Mr. Anthony Emery was used as a schoolroom, until the schoolhouse in that district was built, about 1833.
Before the schoolhouse was built in the Tucker Mountain Dis- trict, the school was maintained for a time in a shop belonging to Cutting S. Greeley.
Sarah Cilley, born 1771, daughter of first Benjamin in town, often related the fact that, when she was of age to attend school, there were no schools west of Boston Hill, and she walked from her father's house at the Centre to the only available school at Mr. Rowe's, where Mrs. Jonathan Cilley now lives.
1806. Raised $300 for support of schools.
1809. Rev. Josiah Badcock, John Weare and Ephraim East- man were chosen a "committee to examine schools in said town."
1810. The town sold school lot No. 17 for $190.
In 1812 there were two schoolhouses at East Andover village. One was on or near the site of the district school building in 1900. The other, called the "west side" schoolhouse, was situated nearly opposite the present residence of Miss Lizzie Marston. After- wards these districts were united and the schoolhouse was built in 1816. This house was burned in the winter of 1822-'23.
1814. Raised $150 for support of schools.
1815. Raised $100 for support of schools.
1816. Raised $100 for support of schools.
In 1800 there were seven (7) school districts.
In 1808 there were eleven (11) school districts.
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HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
In 1818 there were fourteen (14) school districts.
In 1819 there were fifteen (15) school districts and twelve schoolhouses.
In 1825 there were sixteen (16) school districts.
(See article on school districts.)
The first Boston Hill schoolhouse stood on the east side of the cross-road from the Jonathan Cilley place to Otis R.'Connor's, and nearly opposite the cemetery.
The first schoolhouse at the Centre village stood in what is now the southwest corner of the old cemetery.
The second schoolhouse stood where Stephen Scales lived (on the site of house now owned by Mrs. Warren Quimby). It was moved by Samuel Butterfield into the village and occupied as a saddler's shop by Joseph Fowler, the father of Oscar F. Fowler of Bristol. Afterwards this building was moved down near Pet- tingill's Corner and used as a dwelling house.
The third schoolhouse at the Centre, built about 1822, was burned when the Proctor House was destroyed, March 23, 1882.
In 1810, when the town sold one of the school lots for $190, it was supposed by many citizens that the schools were to receive the income from that money. It was used, however, for the ordi- nary town expenses. At the annual town meeting in 1818 there was an article in the warrant, "To see if the Town will pass a vote to appropriate the interest of the 'school lots' for the sup- port of schools."
During, or following, a heated discussion of this article, the meeting voted "not to raise any money for the support of schools," evidently the result of pique or political strategy. This income was not used for schools until 1829. In 1829, Col. Joseph Sweatt was chosen agent to take charge of the town's share of the "Literary Fund," the school money, and the money that might be received for the school land in the possession of the town.
LITERARY FUND.
PUBLIC STATUTES AND SESSION LAWS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Title 12; Chap. S8; p. 282.
Chap. 88; Sect. 9
R. S. 75 : 1 All taxes collected by the State upon the deposits, stock,
C. S. 85 : 1 and attending accumulations of depositors and stockhold- 1866, 4270 ers of savings banks, trust companies, loan and trust com-
137
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
G. S. 85 : 4 panies, loan and banking companies, building and loan G. L. 94 : 4 associations, and other similar corporations, who do not 1889 55 : 1 reside in this state or whose residence is unknown, shall LXVIII, 386 be known as the "literary fund."
Sect. 10 Literary fund distributed in November of each year, by State Treasurer, among the towns in proportion to the number of scholars, not less than five years of age, who, from reports of school superintendents, attended the public schools not less than two weeks within that year.
Sect. 12 Literary fund shall be assigned to the school districts in the towns and used as other school money.
Prudential and superintending school committees were first mentioned in the state laws in an act approved July 6, 1827.
On March 11, 1828, "Voted, that each school district choose their own prudential committees." These committees had been 'chosen formerly at the town meetings.
In 1829, the remaining "school lot " was sold, and the pro- ceeds of that, and what was left from the sale of other lots, was added to the town's share of the literary fund and invested. In 1835, the sum amounted to $1,219.37, and the income has since been used for the support of schools.
THE TYLER SCHOOL.
About 1820 a private school of an advanced grade was main- tained by Mr. Benjamin M. Tyler in Rev. Josiah Badcock's hall. The school was first located in the hall of Joseph Philbrick's house, but was soon moved to the house of Mr. Badcock. The pupils, averaging about fifty each term, were from Andover and the neighboring towns and the school was successful from the start. This was the first attempt to maintain a higher course of instruction than existed in the public schools of the town and evidently led to the establishment of the Noyes School and the later academies.
Mr. Tyler had been a student, and afterwards a teacher in the military school of Capt. Alden Partridge in Middletown, Conn. Soon after he came to Andover he engaged in mercantile busi- ness, but with indifferent success, and finally turned his attention to teaching, in which he was notably successful. In 1846 his health became impaired and he gave up teaching to accept a posi- tion as civil engineer on the Northern Railroad, then under con- struction from Concord to White River Junction. He died in
138
HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
Franklin, January 9, 1847, and was interred in the Franklin Cemetery.
SCHOOL TEACHERS.
It is a "far cry" from the well-equipped modern school build- ing sheltering pupils, arranged according to a graded system and managed by competent teachers, back 120 years to a dingy room. or an "apple bin" in a cider mill, giving some protection from the weather to a group of eight children and a teacher. We may never know the exact dates, details and methods of all the trials,. sacrifices and successes that give the pupil of today the rich fruit- age of this development, but we must acknowledge that the result is due mainly to the earnest, unselfish and often unappreciated labors of those teachers who have looked forward and not back- ward, and have given their best that others might see the light of awakened aspirations.
James Randall, Sarah Eastman and Miss Fifield were the pioneer teachers. Randall married Margaret Fellows, the first white girl born in Andover. It has been said that he was well described in John G. Saxe's ballad of "Ye Pedagogue."
Right learnéd is ye Pedagogue, Full apt to read and spelle, And eke to teach ye parts of speeche, And strap ye urchins welle.
For as 'tis meete to soak ye feete, Ye ailinge heade to mende, Ye younker's pate to stimulate, He beats ye other ende.
Right lordlie is ye Pedagogue As any turbaned Turke; For welle to rule ye District Schoole. It is no idle worke.
Daye after daye for little paye, He teacheth what he can, And bears ye yoke, to please ye folke And ye Committee man.
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PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
It is impossible to give the names of all, or even a considerable fraction, of those who have wielded the rod in the Andover schools; or of the Andover boys and girls who have won high commendation as teachers elsewhere; but in the following list are given a few whose names are embalmed in fireside tradition and story, or in the hearts and experiences of many who still live to. enjoy the reminiscences of early school days :
James Randall,
James Munroe Bailey,
Sarah Eastman,
Jacob Graves,
Franklin Pettingill,
Jonathan W. Buzzell,
John Emery,
Mary A. Brown,
Mary E. Marston,
Lizzie (Huntoon) Bennett.
Elbridge Gerry Emery,
THE NOYES SCHOOL.
Joseph Noyes was born in Hampstead, in 1764, and began busi- ness in early life in Haverhill.
On leaving Haverhill he came to Salisbury, settling on a farm in that portion of the town subsequently included in the town of Franklin. This farm was known as the Noyes farm and was afterwards occupied by L. D. Davenport. After the house on the farm was burned, Noyes moved to the village on the west side of the river, now Franklin, and opened a store in the base- ment of his house. His domestic life was very unhappy ; his wife was extravagant and contracted debts without his knowledge, and a separation resulted. He became involved in quarrels with his- neighbors and, declaring that his property should no longer con- tribute to the support of that community, he moved up the river- into Andover, on a farm where he resided until his death on December 23, 1818. This farm was afterwards occupied by Simeon Brown.
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