USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > Rochester > History of the town of Rochester, New Hampshire, from 1722 to 1890, Vol. I > Part 16
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and the Third Part for the upper class. . Special attention was given to the manners of the pupils. They were taught how to enter and leave the school-room. They were not allowed to run in and out, like a flock of sheep
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passing over a gap of wall. The bow of the little boy was something more than a nod over the shoulder by just turning the neck askew and bending it to one side. The courtesy of the little girl was attempted till it could be gracefully performed. The manner even of walking to and from their seats was not for- gotten to be taught. By strict attention to these little matters, the young 'school-marm' soon gained an enviable pre-eminence. Her school was famous throughout the whole region. A school-mistress in those days was a wonder, and especially one so young. I closed this my first school with more than the approbation of all concerned."
As seen by the charter one whole share of the town was set apart for a Grammar School. The history of these school lands cannot now be traced. In the "first division" the school lot was No. 39, the location of which can be seen on the map.
" March 12, 1749. Voted that the Selectmen of this town Let out the School Lot to those that will Give the most for it for the present year. And the Rent to be Convarted to the towns Youce."
There is no evidence however that any rent was ever received. A certain degree of lawlessness in regard to public property prevailed then as well as now, and these school lands like the parsonage lands were subject to frequent trespass. The town records for 1785 and for ten years after show legal proceedings against trespassers. In 1791 it was voted to sell the fourth division school lot "in the best manner for the interest of the town." This vote was not executed, for in 1796 it was voted to sell the same lot "to build Court houses." No account of the sale has been found. Neither records nor tradition give us any further clue to the disposal of these lands. Certainly no fund from their sale has been available for school purposes within the memory of the oldest citizens.
In 1795 a committee of eight was appointed to divide the town into school districts, to fix the center of each, and to appoint a committee in each district to build a school-house. The number of districts is not on record. In 1805 the State passed a law empowering towns to establish school districts. This was really the beginning of the district system which prevailed in New Hampshire for almost exactly eighty years. The Selectmen of 1806 were directed to divide the town into eighteen school districts, which remained with only slight changes till 1853, when another district was added, and still another in 1855. Excepting the year 1882, these twenty districts remained nearly the same till abolished by law in 1884.
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The first Superintending School Committee was appointed 1809, and consisted of the Rev. Joseph Haven, John P. Hale, Dr. Samuel Pray, Jacob McDuffee, James Tebbets, and Moses Rob- erts, Jr. In 1810-11 the office was held by the Rev. Joseph Haven, Dr. Samuel Pray, and Jeremiah H. Woodman, Esq. No more were appointed till required by law in 1828.
So far as can now be ascertained the following is the list of persons who have served the town as Superintending School Committee : *-
Joseph Haven, 1809 to '11.
John P. Hale, 1809.
Samuel Pray, 1809 to '11.
Harvey Brewer, 1859.
Jacob McDuffee, 1809.
Daniel W. Hayes, 1859.
James Tebbets, 1809.
J. H. Edgerly, 1860, '61.
Wm. Hewes, 1860.
Charles S. Whitehouse, 1861, '71, '72.
Thomas Bartlett, 1861.
Hiram N. Sanborn, 1862.
Joseph H. Smith, 1829, '30.
Thomas Stackpole, 1829.
Calvin Holman, 1864.
Louis McDuffee, 1829, '33.
Joseph H. Worcester, 1865, '72.
Isaac Willey, 1833.
Cyrus Jenness, 1833, '34.
John H. Smith, 1834.
A. F. Marsh, 1868, '69.
A. Lovejoy, 1870, '71.
John M. Berry, 1838, '39.
Richard Kimball, 1838.
A. H. Worthing, 1839.
Francis V. Pike, 1839, '41.
Charles Blazo, 1873, '74.
George S. Lindsey, 1874, '75.
Rufus K, Pearl, 1841.
Ezra Pray, 1875 to '77.
A. P. Tracy, 1876.
J. H. Wardwell, 1877. Ezekiel True, 1878 to '80.
J. C. Garland, 1845.
J. E. Farwell, 1851. J. M. Hackett, 1851.
Wallace W. Browne, 1880 to '82.
Sidney B. Hayes, 1881 to '87.
D. J. Parsons, 1853, '54, '61, '68 to '71. Emma J. Wentworth, 1882.
George Spaulding, 1853.
H. H. Hartwell, 1853.
W. A. Kimball, 1854, '56, '64.
Tobias Foss, 1854, '55.
Willard S. Packard, 1883 to '84.
Stephen C. Meader, 1885 to '86.
Wm. N. Hastings, 1886.
Edward H. Meader, 1886.
Dudley B. Waldron, 1886, '87.
Louis Richardson, 1886 to '88.
J. C. Seagraves, 1855.
Nathaniel Hayes, 1855, '57, '58.
Zebadiah Sargent, 1856. Jesse Meader, 1856.
John W. Pray, 1857, '58.
George J. Abbot, 1866. Isaac Hyatt, 1867.
John Meader, 1834.
Henry Kimball, 1873 to '76, '78 to '81, '83 to '85. Daniel J. Smith, 1872, '73.
Noah Tebbets, 1841.
O. C. Baker, 1845. John Pray, 1845.
Arthur L. Morey, 1879.
Joel Bean, 1851.
Wm. Rand, 1882. Sarah C. Horne, 1882.
Frank E. Whitney, 1882.
This list includes many of the leading men of the town, those
* In this and similar lists the year named is understood to begin from March meeting.
Wm. T. Smith, 1863, '64.
Jeremiah H. Woodman, 1810, '11. John McDuffee, Jr., 1828, '38. Jonathan Dame, 1828.
Winthrop A. Marston, 1828.
David Hayes, 1857, '58.
James M. Palmer, 1859 to '62.
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who have made its history, - ministers, lawyers, physicians, and men of business. A careful compilation of all their suggestions for the last sixty years would doubtless furnish an elaborate system of pedagogy. In the reports which have been preserved there is frequent evidence of sound judgment, an insight, and a foresight which the town might have heeded to the great improvement of its schools. The first written school report ever presented to the town was at the annual meeting in 1829. It is from the pen of John McDuffce, Jr., whose colleagues were Jona. Dame and Winthrop A. Marston, then a law student in David Barker's office. The report specifies the condition of each of the eighteen schools, and complains of the lack of suitable text books. "Morse's Geog- raphy, old edition," is named as one that "should not be used," and the following are recommended : - " The Sequel to the Ana- lytical Reader, Analytical Reader, and Marshall's Spelling book, - also Putnam's Murray's Grammar, Colburn's Intellectual Arith- metick, Adams' Arithmetick, and Woodbridge's Geography and Atlas." They report 616 pupils in attendance, 13 between the ages of 4 and 14 not attending, and none between 14 and 21 who cannot read and write. The practice of printing the annual school reports is of only recent date, so that but few of them are now extant. In those which we have, the following points are worthy of notice. One of the most frequent suggestions is the need of new and better school-houses. This is declared to be "a great and pressing need." "The want of suitable school- rooms is a great hinderance to good schools," says one committee. Another declares they " lay like blotches on the landscape, uncouth and hideous without and within." A few years later it is said that they were "poorly built at first, now of venerable age and in various stages of dilapidation." Perhaps no one thing shows more clearly the good judgment of the men selected for this office than the frequency with which they recommend the con- solidation of districts. This advice has been reiterated many times, beginning with the modest suggestion of uniting some small districts, and advancing to the only true position of their entire abolition. When this plan was adopted in 1882 the committee commended it as successful. But the town disregarded their advice and went back to districts. After the abolition of districts by the state law, the committee speak of the evils of the old
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system under prudential committees and evidently touch the gist of the whole matter when they say that "'civil service reform ' is needed in the selection of teachers." This could never be accomplished under the old system. Very sensibly the committee say "The advantages to be derived from this new law make it possible for our schools to enter upon a new era of prosperity." As in all the country towns of New Hampshire the schools had been rapidly diminishing in size. In many districts through the State where once were large schools of from fifty to ninety pupils, there had come to be less than a dozen. In some districts there were absolutely no pupils at all. Here in Rochester the diminu- tion was not so great as in some smaller towns, but in 1869, one school had but seven and another only nine pupils. In 1878 twelve schools had less than twenty each, of which six had between ten and twelve each, and four had less than ten each. In 1880 one district reported a school of only two pupils with an average attendance of one. In 1884 there were eight schools in Rochester numbering less than ten each. Surely the time had fully come for a change of system.
Prior to about the beginning of the present century the amount of money appropriated to school purposes was left to the discre- tion of the Selectmen. The "literary fund" set apart for schools by state law is first mentioned in 1829. Rochester raised no more than what the law required till 1848, when $300 was voted for schools. In 1849-50 this was increased to $400, and from 1851 to 1881, $500 was the annual appropriation. In 1882, when the town was merged into one district, $6,000 was raised for schools, and $1,000 annually since that time. The school money was always divided equally among the districts, the village re- ceiving no more than any other.
At Gonic the earliest school of which there is any remembrance was kept in the old Henderson house, a little below the village. Not long before 1800 the first school-house was built by Micajah Hussey, between Main street and the Barrington road. The floors were raised on three sides two or three feet for high seats and " writing boards." Wood was plenty and there was a huge fire- place "giving the large boys a chance to toast their shins, and the smaller ones a chance to get theirs switched, if they moved their feet to warm their toes or to get an easier position." In
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1800 this school was kept by Martha Evans of Dover, afterwards Mrs. Benjamin Hayes and mother of Stephen E. and James D. Hayes. In 1802 the teacher was "Master Main." Among the larger pupils at that time were Tristram Tucker, Jacob Heard, John and Daniel MeNeal, Israel and John Henderson, most of whom read in the Psalter or the Bible. Isaac Place, Hannah Hussey, Sarah Ham, and Sally Chesley were the best readers, and had the American Preceptor or Webster's Third Part, books then just coming into use. From this time to 1813 the teachers in this school were Amos Main, Dr. Jacob Main, Daniel Dame, Pierce P. Furber, Levi Hayes, Robert Gray, "Old Junkins," and a Mr. Merrill. This first school-house was in use as late as 1816, and perhaps later, and is still standing as a dwelling on the same spot, with little external change except paint. The next school- house was of brick, on the opposite side of the street, and a little above the first. The third and present school-house was built on the same spot in 1858, and dedicated in December of that year. The services on the occasion were prayer by the Rev. Mr. Brewer, singing by the Glee Club, report of the Building Committee, Charles S. Whitehouse, an address by Dr. J. T. W. Pray of Dover, School Commissioner for the County. An Ode written for the occasion by the Rev. T. J. Greenwood, was then sung. N. V. Whitehouse then made a speech in which he said this was the third school-house in that district since his remembrance. There were only two of his early school-mates present, - his wife and Deacon Ham. Contrasting the past with the present, he said he remembered when there were only six weeks schooling in the winter. 3 The writing-desks were coarse benches ranged on the
sides of the room. A huge fireplace filled with wood scorched those on the front seats, while cracks in the floor and badly fitted windows chilled those on the back seats. Other speeches were made by Dr. Stackpole of Dover, C. K. Sanborn, Esq., W. A. Kimball, G. F. Hobbs, and the Revs. J. M. Palmer, Dearborn, and Brewer. In 1886 this district was annexed to district No. 8.
What is now known as East Rochester was formerly a part of District No. 9, and the children had to go a mile away to school at "Adams Corner." In March, 1853, on petition of the inhabitants, the Selectmen set off the village, then known as Garland's Mills, as District No. 19. A school-house costing about
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$500 was built in August following on the south corner of what is now the yard of the Free-Will Baptist Church. There were 153 weeks of school that year, taught by Harriet Corson. In 1868 the house was enlarged and a second story added at a cost of about $1,700 including furnishing. In 1879 about two acres on Cocheco Avenue was bought for $1,100, and in the summer of 1880 a school-house containing three rooms well furnished and heated by steam, was built thereon at a cost of about $6,000. About 115 pupils are enrolled in primary, intermediate, and grammar grades. In 1886 this, together with " Adams Corner" and one other district, was annexed to the High School district. No. 8.
Norway Plains early became one of the most important school districts. Among the papers of the late Hatevil Knight is found the following record : -
" At a meeting of the School District at Norway Plains on the 31st day of March A. D. 1796 held at the dwelling house of Peter Cushing - for the pur- pose of compleating the School House now raised and boarded on said Norway Plains -
Voted, That the said School House shall be Compleated in a good workman- like manner, after the model of the Dover School House near the Quaker Meeting House and as near like it as may be excepting the chimney which is to be made of good Brick -the painting also to be excepted.
Voted That said School be Compleated by the setting of the Court of Com- mon Pleas in said Rochester in June next."
The job was "set up at Vendue to the lowest Bidder," and was taken by Peter Cushing for one hundred and six dollars. Hatevil Knight was his bondsman in the sum of $100 that it should be finished at the time appointed. This school-house was very small and stood on the same lot with the court house. It evidently failed to accommodate the increasing numbers, for it is remembered that Edward C. Piper kept the school for some years in the court house. The boys would sometimes hide in the sheriff's box, and some by this means escaped reciting for a week together. In 1815 a new school-house was built where the Main-street house now stands. It was a wooden building with two rooms, and was occupied while yet unfinished, the teacher using the carpenter's workbench for a desk. Jared Sparks, afterwards president of Harvard University, taught here at that time. He used to ferule the boys' feet, and set them between
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the girls for punishment. Boys were about the same then as now, as it is remembered how they were in the habit of stoning the school-house vane, which was in the form of a huge goose- quill. This school-house is now the blacksmith's shop on Went- worth street. In 1829 two schools were kept in this house, one by Dr. M. R. Warren, the other by Sally Pray. His wages was $15 a month and board. Not long after this a brick school-house having three rooms was built on this spot in the form of a cross, and continued in use till 1856. In the summer of 1844 three schools were kept here, one by Moses T. Cate at $28 per month, one by Caroline Knight at $16 per month, and the other by Eliza A. Pray at $14 per month. These schools kept increas- ing as the village grew till there was urgent need of more room. Formerly the law did not permit school money to be used for instruction in any but the common branches of study. In 1848 what was called " the Somersworth act" was passed enabling districts which should adopt it to have higher branches taught, grading their schools, and appointing a Superintending Committee separate from the town. This act was adopted here in 1849, and in April, 1850, thirteen hundred dollars was raised for a new school-house, containing two rooms, on Wakefield street, and E. J. Mathes, John McDuffee, and John Legro were appointed building committee. Their work was accomplished so that the house was occupied in the fall of 1851. At this time there 435 children in the district, and they were very soon again straitened for room, and the school-house question was contin- ually agitated. Some thought two more houses were needed, some wanted to build one in the cheapest manner, and some wanted only" to repair the old brick school-house." For nearly five years meeting after meeting was held to discuss this ques- tion. Important votes would be passed only to be reconsidered and rescinded, either at the same meeting, or one immediately called for that purpose. Thus nothing was accomplished till April, 1856, when it was voted to raise $4,000 to build a new school-house "where the brick School-house now stands." This meeting proved illegal, and another was called for May 15, when the same votes were renewed, and J. D. Sturtevant, J. McDuffee, J. Legro, J. H. Edgerly, and C. K. Sanborn, were chosen building committee. This house is the one now standing on Main street.
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The same year another school-house was built on Elm street. This now stands on School street, to which place it was moved in 1876, at a cost of $650 with repairs. After a year's struggle on the part of those who wished to build "a brick house two stories high and a wooden house above the bridge," it was voted in April, 1875, "that a new school-house be built above the bridge and that the old house be moved to Portland street," and $6,300 was raised for these purposes. The new house, located on Maple street, was of two stories, with 112 seats. The building committee consisted of C. W. Bradley, J. D. Evans, and J. L. Duntley. In 1878 Nathaniel Burnham, John D. Parshley, and Geo. C. Pinkham were chosen committee to build a school-house on Pound street. This house is two stories high, with 104 seats, and cost $2,558.61. The next year $300 was voted for high school apparatus, and $300 to furnish a recitation room for use of the high school. The school-house question was again agitated, but nothing resulted till 1883 when it was voted
" that we build a School house of brick near the central portion of the dis- trict, of sufficient size to accommodate at least the present High and Grammar School scholars and such increase to their numbers as may reasonably be ex- pected for several years to come, with suitable laboratory, etc., etc., at a cost not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars."
The building committee consisted of Chas B. Gafney, Geo. F. Richardson, and Wm. G. Rankin. The house was located on " the Hale lot so called " which contained over five acres, and cost $2,000. Five hundred dollars was afterwards voted for im- provements on the lot. "The building will accommodate 344 scholars, single desks," besides two recitation rooms. " All modern conveniences have been introduced," and the committee believe it is "the best school-house in New Hampshire built at its cost." The total expenditure including purchase of the lot was $25,540. This house was first occupied in the fall term of 1884 by 285 pupils.
In 1850 the Legislature enlarged the powers of districts adopting " the Somersworth act," so that if they had a hundred pupils within their limits, they could raise money to support a High School. At the next annual meeting of this district an effort was made to do so. This failing, a special meeting was called in April, when the proposition was again rejected. These efforts
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were renewed from time to time without success till 1868, since which time the following sums have been raised for the High School :- 1868, $500; 1869, $1000; 1870, none, as the last year's money had not been expended; 1871, $1200; 1872, $1000; 1873, $1500; 1874 to 1876, $2000; 1877-78, $2500; 1879, $2000; 1880, $2500; 1881-82, 83500; 1883 to 1885, $5000; 1886, $6500.
The only advantage which the district derived for many years from the adoption of " the Somersworth act " was the opportunity afforded a few bright and persevering pupils to pursue studies above the common branches, without resorting to private schools. The first school which was called a High School was in the brick school house in 1857. It was taught by Wm. A. Kimball at $40 per month. The year's schooling was only 22 weeks, and there were less than 70 pupils, very few of whom studied any- thing above the common branches. Though there was nominally a High School from this time, it differed from a district school only in affording opportunity for individual pupils to pursue higher studies. As late as 1869 there were only ten who desired these branches. In 1873 a new departure was made by grading all the schools and establishing a regular four years' course of study for the High School. Another year of Grammar School work was for several years assigned to the High School. There were fifty two pupils this year, and two teachers. From this time the schools of lower grade in this district rapidly improved and have been doing excellent work. The High School, however, did not flourish. Pupils dropped out all along the course till none were left to graduate. The committee grew discouraged, and in 1877 not only reduced the English course to three years, but allowed all who had studied any course for three years in the High School to receive diplomas in 1878. (See Appendix.) Four years were still required for all except the English course, and for this also since 1886. The High School is now in a very pros- perous condition, with over one hundred pupils, and three teachers. Its graduates have been as follows : - 1878, 8; 1880, 4; 1881, 13; 1882, 4; 1883, 16; 1884, 14; 1885, 16; 1886, 16; 1887, 13. The following list of principals of the High School is as nearly accurate as it can now be made :- Wm. A. Kimball, 1857-58; Henry Dudley, one term in 1859; Hiram M. Sanborn, 1859 to '62; John S. Warren, 1863; Charles E. Lane, James J. Meader,
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John Runnells, Mr. Hazen, and Owen Cobb for different periods till 1866, when James P. Dixon came for two years; then Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Anderson; Wm. H. Farrar, 1869-70; then John C. Pike and Geo. E. Smith ; A. N. Marston, 1871-75 ; M. C. Lamprey two years ; Rev. Mr. Pitkin, one term; Frank P. Shep- ard, 1877-78; Charles E. Hussey, 1879-83; Warren O. Plimpton, 1884 ; Alfred B. Morrill, 1885; Wm. H. Allen, 1886-87.
Under "the Somersworth act" the district first appointed five persons as Superintending Committee. In 1863 the number was reduced to three. There were eight years during which the office was left vacant, as will appear by the following list : -
Asa P. Hanson, 1849.
Charles E. Johnson, 1861.
William A. Kimball, 1849 to '51, '55 to Franklin McDuffee, 1861 to '67, '70.
'62, '71.
John E. Farwell, 1849 to '51.
Jeremiah C. Garland, 1849, '50.
Nathaniel D. Wetmore, 1849.
George B. Roberts, 1850, '55, '61.
Silas Green, 1850.
J. C. Cromack. 1851.
Jesse Meader, 1851.
John Nutter, 1851.
H. M. Stone, 1872 to '74.
J. C. Seagrave, 1855.
Daniel J. Smith, 1872, '73.
C. K. Sanborn, 1855.
John W. Pray, 1855.
Reuben Tilton, 1855.
John H. Wardwell, 1877.
Ezekiel True, 1878 to '80.
James M. Palmer, 1861.
Charles W. Folsom, 1881.
Jas. H. Edgerly, 1861 to '66, '68 '70, '71.
In 1877, a law was passed enabling this district to appoint a a Board of Education having entire control of the schools, and to consist of six persons, two to be elected each year. This law was adopted by the district in 1883, and the following persons have constituted the Board : -
Charles W. Folsom, 1883 to 1885. Henry M. Kelley, 1883 to 1886.
Joseph H. Worcester, 1883 to 1885. Henry Kimball, 1883 to 1886.
John L Copp, 1883 to 1887. Julian H. Cutler, 1886 to 1888.
Charles W. Brown, 1883 to 1887. Frederick H. Lunt, 1886 to 1888.
In 1885, four other districts united with this. It is to be hoped all the rest will follow their example, constituting the whole town but one district. Thus all would have as nearly equal school privileges as their locations will permit. In 1886 the Board of
12
James Farrington, 1862, '63. Joseph H. Worcester, 1864, '65, '67, '69 to '71.
Prescott Fay, 1866.
Moses R. Warren, 1867 to '69.
A. F. Marsh, 1868.
Lewis P. Cushman, 1869.
Henry Kimball, 1871 to '76, '78 to '81.
Susan M. Warren, 1874 to '81.
E. C. Cook, 1875 to '77.
Jeremiah D. Evans, 1855, '62.
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Education recommended the introduction of music into the schools, and secured a vote to furnish reading books at public expense.
At the annual town meeting in March, 1886, there were re- ported eighteen schools outside the High School District with an enrolment of 468 pupils. The ten smallest schools numbered respectively 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 9, 11, 11, and 13 pupils. The amount expended for each pupil was $45.73 in one school, and over $30 in three others. Total amount expended in these schools for the year $4,333.35 or an average of $9.25 for cach pupil. In the High School District, which for this year included Nos. 8 and 18, there were enrolled 131 pupils in the High School, 215 in the five Grammar Schools, 163 in the three Intermediate Schools, and 324 in the six Primaries, making a total of 833. Total expenditures $9,574.35, making an average of $11.49 to cach pupil. The last few years have witnessed a great advance in the educa- tional facilities of this town. While credit is due to many for their share in the work, it cannot be deemed invidious to say that the people of Rochester are specially indebted to Henry Kimball, Esq., for his enthusiastic and persistent efforts for the improvement of the schools.
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