USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Newport > Newport, New Hampshire, 1761-1961 : bicentennial celebration, Aug. 14-20, 1961 > Part 3
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6, 1946, in a white Community Church building in a nice location at North Newport, New Hampshire. Three serv- ices and a Sunday School were held that day. Mrs. Bennett preached in the morning to an audience of 53; Rev. Earl Waterman of North Springfield, Vermont, in the afternoon, and even- ing service by Mrs. May Williams, at- tendance being 53 and 31 respectively; 44 were in Sunday School. The Sunday School was organized November 17, 1946 with 4 classes. On December 10, 1947, the church proper was organized with 17 Charter Members. They elected Rev. Mrs. Bennett as first pastor.
During the summer of 1952, they moved to the newly built Church on North Main Street, Newport, New Hampshire.
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PICTURESQUE NEWPORT
- In the Days of Long Ago -
MAIN STREET - LOOKING NORTH
Courtesy of F. P. Hutchinson
The "First Town Hall" had an observation platform atop its dome and an excellent view of the town was available from it. A porch was then on the front of the Wheeler Block, and the road "went uphill" to the store fronts.
PRESIDENT TAFT IN NEWPORT
Courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Darling
It is an occasion when the President of the United States comes to any town. Newport has been favored with visits from three presidents in succession, Theodore Roosevelt, a republi- can; President William H. Taft, a republican. and Woodrow Wilson, a democrat. Newport's most famous visitor was probably the Marquis de Lafayette.
WINTER STREET FROM CHENEY
Courtesy of Kelly's Drugstore
Except for the street being paved, Winter Street remains today about the same as it did when this picture was taken many years ago.
CROSS STREET - LOOKING NORTH
6
Courtesy of Mrs. Eva Jordan
The wooden railing to the Cross Street bridge has been replaced by iron spans and the canal bridge no longer exists as the canal has been filled in. The railroad crossing, we suspect, was busier then than it is today.
SUMMER STREET FROM SUNAPEE
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Courtesy of Mrs. Eva Jordan
The Rawson House at the top of Summer Street hill was the only house on that side of the street to that point when this picture was taken many years ago. Since then two houses have been built and the Amoco Service Station occupies the field that at that time bordered Sunapee Street to the left in the picture shown.
NEWPORT COMMON - EARLY VIEW
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Courtesy of Mr. & Mrs. Robert Darling
Newport's Little Common was once enclosed with a wooden fence. This was back before the bandstand that once stood on the Common was erected.
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From "The Book of Old Newport"
MARY AND THE LAMB
The fact that Mrs. Sarah Josepha Hale's poem beginning "Mary had a Little Lamb" is a popular nursery rhyme wherever the English lan- guage is spoken, lends especial in- terest to the scenes in Newport con- nected with the poem and the auth- or. Gordon Buell, the poet's father, came from Killingworth, Conn., and built the home shown at the right, where Mrs. Hale was born Oct. 24, 1788. The farm is on the road leading from East Mountain down into Wendell. The house burned about 1899.
The other illustrations show the schoolhouse at Guild, where, ac- cording to tradition, the lamb in- cident took place. It stands near the junction of the Sunapee and Ryder Corner roads (behind the Midway Service Station) at the northwestern end of Guild Street, and was used as a school until the new schoolhouse was built about 1891. It is now a dwelling, as shown in the upper picture.
THE POEM MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB
Mary had a little lamb, Its fleece was white as snow, And everywhere that Mary went The lamb was sure to go; He followed her to school one day- That was against the rule,
It made the children laugh and play, To see a lamb in school.
And so the teacher turned him out, But still he lingered near, And waited patiently about, Till Mary did appear; And then he ran to her, and laid His head upon her arm As if he said-"I'm not afraid- You'll keep me from all harm."
"What makes the lamb love Mary so?" The eager children cry-
"Oh, Mary loves the lamb, you know," The Teacher did reply ;-
"And you each gentle animal In confidence may bind,
And make them follow at your call, If you are always kind."
THE CONTROVERSY
The first twelve lines have been contested by a Mrs. Mary Sawyer Tyler who says that John Roul- stone, a Harvard freshman, was the author, and Henry Ford's Little Red Schoolhouse at Sterling, Mass., has posted a bronze memorial tab- let to this effect, but does add, "Sarah Josepha Hale, Whose Gen- ius Completed the Poem in Its Pres- ent Form."
We in Newport like to believe a letter written by Mrs. Hale to a Philadelphia woman in which she claims authorship of the poem, and we agree with the statement in "The Lady of Godey's" Sarah Jo- sepha Hale, by Ruth E. Finley that states, "Now, why, in view of Mrs. Hale's clearly authenticated auth- orship of "Mary's Lamb," is there present call for discussion of the claim of Mary Sawyer Tyler?"
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WE HONOR OUR MOST FAMOUS CITIZEN SARAH JOSEPHA HALE
By RAYMOND HOLDEN
Sarah Josepha Hale was born in Newport in 1788, when there were neither schools nor churches in the town. She grew up in the pine forest on East Mountain, getting her educa- tion at home from her father and mother and a brother who went to Dartmouth. Her intellectual stature was far out of proportion to her op- portunities. She read not only the Bible and Pilgrim's Progress, those standard mainsprings of backwoods genius, but managed to get and devour, in what manner we do not know, works of the celebrated writers of the 18th century such as Pope, Johnson, Cowper, Burns and even Mrs. Rad- cliffe, whose Mysteries of Udolpho thrilled her because it was a novel
and written by a woman. Sarah Jo- sepha determined that she, too, would be a novelist and would devote her life to the honor and dignity of her sex. Both of these things she did, her novel Northwood having appeared in 1827. In 1828, six years after the death of her husband had left her destitute with five children, she was called from her hill country home to Boston to become editor of The Ladies Maga- zine which later, in 1837, merged with Godey's Lady's Book. This latter pub- lication she edited until her death in her 92nd year. She was the author also of several volumes of poems (among which was "Mary's Little Lamb") and published many books on woman's place in the world.
She was never properly honored by her home town until 1956. At that time the Friends of the Richards Free Library established the annual literary award which bears her name and had executed a bronze medal carrying her charming likeness. This medal was financed jointly by the Friends and two funds established by citizens of
n
Courtesy of Raymond Holden
Newport to perpetuate her name and distinction.
This medal is given annually to someone, chosen by a nationally known committee, associated with or living in New England who is pre-eminent in literature or the arts. The recipients to date have been: Robert Frost, poet; John P. Marquand, novelist; Archibald MacLeish, poet; Dorothy Canfield Fisher, novelist and essayist; Mary Ellen Chase, novelist and teacher; Mark Van Doren, poet; and Catherine Drink- er Bowen, biographer, the 1961 winner.
Newport is proud to honor Sarah Josepha Hale. Many nineteenth cen- tury women attracted more attention than she did but few were more in- fluential or more deserving of honor.
HOSPITAL .WEEK . FR STREET FAR SIT
L. R. Whitney Photo
MAIN STREET, NEWPORT
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FEL
L. R. Whitney Photo
By JEAN CLAGGETT, Librarian
The Richards Free Library, a gift of Dexter Richards, opened in 1889 with 1100 books. Patrons were allowed to borrow one book at a time. The stacks were open to no one but the Librarian and Trustees, except by special permission. A counter, surmounted by brass bars, blocked access to the books and pro- tected the Librarian from the public - or vice versa. The two front rooms were segregated; one for ladies - one for gentlemen. Fourteen was the youngest age allowed library privileges.
Library service has changed with the times. Books, chosen for all ages from pre-kindergartners to non- agenarians, are on open shelves and the number bor- rowed unlimited. School children come in such num- bers that a secluded alcove has been arranged for adult readers.
THE RICHARDS FREE LIBRARY
Mr. Richards planned that the library would al- ways be self-supporting, but as costs increased (books cost $.83 in 1889; $3.51 today, or over four times as much) endowment income shrank. In 1933, the town began to contribute to the library budget, but in spite of this aid - and some memorial gifts - the resources and building steadily deteriorated.
In 1955 the Friends of the Newport Library was formed to revive the library. (See article on Friends at bottom of page). In addition the Brewster-Gould Post of the American Legion converted the Gentlemen's Reading Room into a student's study and reference room. The local telephone operators have made several gifts. In the years 1950-1960, circulation of books more than doubled.
In 1960, the Rotary Club gave a record collection in memory of D. Sidney Rollins, a former trustee. In 1961 the files of town newspapers were micro-filmed. In 1960 the N. H. State Library surveyed the library and made suggestions, which are now being imple- mented.
Present funds producing income for library serv- ices are in memory of John McCrillis, Justina Lowell Young, Isaac and Emily Spooner and Austin Oldrini. Other funds are being sought.
Librarians have been Anne Parmelee, 1889-93, 1899-1918; Mrs. Mary Little Tandy, 1893-99; Mrs. N. H. Miller, 1918-36; Mrs. Barbara Bartlett, 1936- 52; Mrs. Jean Claggett, 1953 to date.
THE FRIENDS OF THE RICHARDS FREE LIBRARY By BARBARA HOLDEN, President of the Friends
When the Richards Free Library was founded, Newport could boast a far better library than most New Hampshire towns of her size. When a nucleus of interested citizens first met in 1955 to organize the Friends of the Richards Free Library, how- ever, Newport's library was nothing to boast about. Without sufficient funds and lacking public support, a library cannot fill its vital role in the community.
The Newport Friends have two
main objectives: to stimulate active interest in the library, and to raise money to help increase its book collection and its services. Through membership dues and an annual Library Festival, and more recently an annual Library Dance, the Friends (who draw their members from out-of-towners interested in Newport as well as from the town itself) have helped greatly to change the library picture. Each year they have contributed $500 to the library
for the purchase of books. They have bought new linoleum for the library floors, new furniture for the Reference Room and for a reading alcove, added a street dis- play cabinet. Equally important, they have helped Newport to be- come aware of what a good library can and should be, and what the Newport library can and will be if it has adequate support.
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ON THE BREEDING OF BISCUITS
By EVAN HILL*
One day last summer, while sit- ting on a maple-shaded bench on the Newport Common, I heard a conversation between two men. The older man had been born here and lived here for more than seventy- five years. The younger man was a migrant, come up from Massachu- setts thirty-four years before. They were close friends, these two men, and silence was a comfortable thing between them.
But then, thoughtfully, the younger man said, "You know, I've lived here for more than half my life, and I'm not really a resident, am I?"
The old man did not turn his head. " 'Course not," he said.
"I'm from away; and I'll always be from away, won't I?"
'Course," said the old man. "You're from away. Facts are facts. Don't feel bad; you can't help it. You're from away."
There was silence for a while, and then the younger man - the inan from away - asked, "Well, what about my daughters? They were born here; they were married here; their children were born here. They're natives, aren't they?"
The old man turned his head this time. "Well," he said slowly. "If you had a cat, that had kittens in the oven, you would'nt call them kittens biscuits, would you?"
And in those terms, I am a cat, and my children are kittens. I've lived here, in this 200-year-old town, for only thirteen years. My two children were born here in the fine, new Newport Hospital, and they are positive there is no finer place in the world. I agree. While young Lucinda and Peter - whether they are kittens or biscuits - made no choice about where they live, I have. I choose Newport. Fortunate- ly, as a writer, I can live anyplace where there is a telephone. a de- cent library, and access to an air-
port. I could earn a living just as well in San Francisco, Boston, Ohio or Alaska; and my wife Pris- cilla and I have lived in all these places. But we chose Newport.
Why? Certainly not because Newport is perfect - no place is. Certainly not because in one breath the town is celebrating 200 years of history, and in the other breath is planning to tear down The Old Court House, a beautiful building that has served the community since 1825. Certainly not because we have solved our sewer, library, road, school or airport problems: because we have not. But, while we we have these problems - and what community does not? - we are not lying to ourselves about them. We admit candidly that they exist, and we are steadily work- ing to solve them. At times some of us are impatient with the pond- erous, complex machinery involved in effecting such changes; but in all truth there are times when we must be grateful to the cautious conservatism that occasionally brakes "progress" to a temporary halt.
Newport is facing the facts of a changing world with a rare, and desirable, combination of old, solid stability and a fresh, new stirring. Each year, both summer and winter, thousands of new faces appear in this old shire town of Sullivan County. As new roads are built, as aircraft fly faster and more fre- quently, as the nation's standard of living leaps higher, and more auto- mobiles rush to the highways - as these things happen, the distance between Newport and Boston, or New York or New Jersey shrinks shorter and shorter. Strangers come to ski in winter, to boat and swim and relax in cool cottages in summer, and some change from strangers to residents. They buy or build here; they retire and come here to live out their lives in friend-
ly peace and comfort. They too are making a choice.
Every resident wants to say that his town is a fine place to live in, and the saying is a cliche; but a cliche is merely a truth that is used too often. The cliche is true of Newport; it is a fine place to live in. It's a fine place to be born in, to grow up in, and to die in. Our churches, our industry, our patri- otic and social organizations and our schools cut across all strata of society. And what child is better prepared for reality when his play- mates are the children of farmers, millhands, lawyers, doctors, bank- ers? Oh, we have some stratifica- tion, but it is so slight that the word is almost a stranger to us.
And where else can we find such beauty? Even the town dump is magnificent, with its sweeping view of the Sugar River valley and the town with its fine South Church steeple jutting above the maples and elms of Main Street. Backroad- ing is no past custom here; we still poke along on a Sunday afternoon into the roads of yesterday, much as earlier Newporters did not so long ago in horse and buggy. And the air is still as clean and brisk and stimulating; and the people are still as honest, helpful and friendly.
We live in a town of old wisdom and new ideas, of caution and stim- ulation; perhaps a contradiction, but certainly not more contradic- tory than life itself, and truly a much more comfortable contradic- tion when lived in Newport.
I choose to live here, not always on my own terms (for there are times when I protest in vain), but mostly so. And while Priscilla and I have raised kittens, perhaps those two kittens can raise biscuits.
° The author, not a resident of New- port, but one who lives and has lived here for 13 years, is a regular contributor to Saturday Evening Post.
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From "The Book of Old Newport"
GEORGE R. BROWN'S PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL
In 1870, a private high school was formed, with George R. Brown as teacher. The photograph was made in 1872. Mr. Brown stands in the rear. The five pupils in line with him are (from top to bottom) Mary Davis, Lois Cutting (Mrs Frank Jenny), Allen P. Marshall, Lilla Paul (Mrs. George Smith). The next line to the right con- tains George A. Wright (top), Silas Coffin, Celia A. Gove, Fred H. Nettleton; next row, Anna L. Cut- ting (Mrs. Charles H. Partridge), Lottie Twist (Mrs. Tyman Morse), Luna Leonard (Mrs. Charles V. Grismer); outside, Fred A. Allen, Sullivan Barton, Sarah Tandy
(Mrs. Charles Putney), Ida Dunbar (Mrs. W. L. Perkins), Frank O. Chellis; back of Mr. Chellis, Arthur Paul. The four in the center fore- ground, Georgia Barnard (Mrs. Alva S. Chase), Edwin C. Hitch- cock, Delford R. Graves (front), Mary B. White (Mrs. Edward B. Knight). In the left foreground, Osman Andrews (left), A Jennie Aiken, Harry H. Huntoon. Begin- ning at the left and reading hori- zontally, first row, Nellie Nourse, Josephine Richards (Mrs. M. C. Gile), Francis J. Parmelee, Eugene B. Pike, Clara Hatch (Mrs. B. C. Senton), Mary Darling (Mrs. Silas Coffin), Elizabeth M. Lyons (Mrs.
George C. Edes); second row, Charles Henry, Belle E. Webber, Arden S. Howe, Charles H. Fair- banks (nearly concealed), Florence A. Averill (Mrs. Ira Stowell), Francelia Cutting (Mrs. Seth Bar- ton), Clara Smith (Mrs. W. H. Gil- lingham), William Whipple, Lois Brown (behind Mr. Whipple); top row, Minnie Harvey (Mrs. Frank P. Meserve), Ada Hitchcock (Mrs. John F. Gage), Frank Crowell, Elizabeth Barton (Mrs. Fred W. Richards), Mary Little (Mrs. N. S. Tandy); standing, Miss Emily Leavitt (Mrs. Huggins), assistant.
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EDUCATION
ITS HISTORY AND GROWTH IN NEWPORT
By Supt. of Schools GORDON B. FLINT
The first record found relating to schools is the following: "Novem- ber 23, 1772. Voted to build a house thirty by twenty feet, to be done the following July for public use, to be improved as a school- house, and for religious worship."
At the historical celebration in 1846, when the town had been set- tled eighty years, it was reported that "thirty young men had receiv- ed a collegiate education; that no child had been allowed to come to maturity without being taught to read and write; that, generally speaking, all had a good common- school education; and that they had nineteen school districts be- sides a high school in the village."
"In the spring of 1874 the four village districts voted to unite and form one district, for the purpose of grading the schools and thus promoting their value and effic- iency." From 1874 until the Rich- ards School was occupied in 1898, the Old Court House (Central Building or Grange Hall) housed the village schools. High School classes were held upstairs and the
grades downstairs. During the school year 1883-84, the enrollment was reported to be: Outlying Dis- tricts, 245; Union District, 291; Total, 536. A report of the times said, "This number amounts to somewhat over 20% of the entire population of Newport, as stated in the report of the last census."
Newport has been most fortunate in having three benefactors provide most of its school buildings: Dexter Richards-Richards School, Loren D. Towle - Towle High, and George B. Wheeler-Richards An- nex Addition and over one-half of the cost of the Wheeler Gym.
The enrollment and staff has grown as follows:
Year
Pupils
Teachers
1900
581
20
1915
710
27
1930
942
31
1945
1,035
37
1960
1,312
55
In 1919 New Hampshire enacted a program of state-wide school su- pervision. Local School Boards are empowered to run the schools in
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"ABC Language Arte Bulletin --
L. R. Whitney Photo
NEWPORT SCHOOL BOARD
Left to right: Richard C. Duncan; Chairman Harry V. Spanos; and Mrs. Natalie Moore, secretary.
L. R. Whitney Photo Gordon B. Flint, Supt. of Schools
compliance with the laws of New Hampshire and the regulations of the State Board of Education. New- port is combined with New Lon- don, Sunapee, Springfield, and Croydon in the employment of a Superintendent of Schools.
The direct control of Newport schools rests in an elected three- member School Board. The level of school support is set at the Annual School District Meeting by the vot- ers.
Presently New Hampshire pro- vides less support for its schools from state sources than any other state. However, Newport now re- ceives the largest amount of aid of any New Hampshire community. Over 20% of the cost of running Newport's schools comes from "state equalization funds" - "to equalize educational opportunity throughout the state." Conse- quently, Newport is expected to maintain its schools at least on a level equal to other comparably- sized New Hampshire communities.
Larger classes now in the prim- ary and junior high grades will necessitate more high school facili- ties soon - if Newport is to main- tain the high quality of education that has characterized its history.
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Don Eggleston Photo
Primary School
PRIMARY SCHOOL
Built in 1903 at a cost of $23,- 000.00 the building has always been used to house the lower grades. En- rollment has increased so there are now five divisions of Grade 1, one division of Grade 2, and a class for mentally retarded youngsters.
Although the rooms are large, the playground area is very small and traffic is much heavier than in 1903 - for the building is located on busy Sunapee Street and sur- rounded by commercial properties. Present principal is Pauline E. May- nard.
RICHARDS SCHOOL
From the 1896 "Report of School Board": "One of our well- known citizens, Honorable Dexter Richards, placed at the disposal of the District the sum of $22,000.00 for the purpose of erecting a com- modious and well-equipped build- ing, with all modern arrangements, to accommodate the High School and Grammar Grades."
In 1921, a four-room Annex was added - built at a cost of $23,- 000.00
In 1949, a six-room addition was built on the Annex at a cost of S100,000.00 - paid entirely from funds left by George B. Wheeler. (The last three rural schools were closed at Kelleyville, Guild, and North Newport.)
With the occupancy of the Towle building in 1926, Richards High School became Richards Junior High and continued as such until the Newport Junior High was con- structed in 1956. Since then Rich- ards has housed the elementary grades, 2-6. Richards is the largest school building, containing 17 class- rooms and caring for about 500 elementary pupils.
One of the two school cafeterias
is in operation during the school year at Richards (the other is at the new Junior High School) and it serves the pupils of this school and of the Primary Building. Many of the pupils come by school bus from the outlying districts and this
program furnishes them a
hot lunch at a reasonable fee.
The school bus system is owned and operated by the school district and has worked out well during the years it has been in operation. The present principal is Alkiveadis Juris.
Don Eggleston Photo
Richards School
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NEWPORT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
The town's newest school - was financed by a bond issue of $395,- 000.00 and built in 1956. The 400-pupil structure houses Grades 7.8-9. It also provides shop and home economics facilities for Senior High students. The new facilities made possible an expan- sion of the Industrial Arts Program - new courses in electricity and auto mechanics were offered. John H. Sokul is principal.
Don Eggleston Photo
Newport Junior High School
TOWLE HIGH SCHOOL
In 1926, from the Report of the Superintendent of Schools in New- port's Town Report, it states, "Again, as in former years, Newport has profited by the philanthropic spirit of a successful benefactor-a
former Newport citizen-Loren D. Towle".
For several years the building housed a four-year high school en- rollment that steadily increased from 180 students in 1926 to a high of of 336 students in 1956-a num-
Don Eggleston Photo
ber that completely over-taxed the facilities. Much needed relief came in 1957 when the ninth grade was transferred to the new Junior High building on North Main Street.
Beginning again, in September when the fall school term opens, the space situation will be a real prob- lem and will become more serious each year thereafter until some plan is evolved to find room for the larger entering classes of second year high school students.
In 1950 with funds remaining from the gift of George B. Wheeler ($80,000.) and a bond issue of $74,- 000.00 -- a gymnasium unit called Wheeler Gymnasium, was added to the Towle building. These facili- ties brought the addition of new courses in Physical Education for both boys and girls to the curricu- lum.
Towle High School is approved as a "comprehensive high school" since it now offers academic, com- mercial, home economics, and in- dustrial arts curricula. Over the years Towle has sent many of its graduates on to institutions of high- er learning - a much higher per- centage than the State and Nation- al average. The present principal is Howard R. Kimball.
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