USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Canaan > The history of Canaan, New Hampshire > Part 28
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CHAPTER XIX.
CANAAN UNION ACADEMY.
A few weeks after the excitement attending the burning of the old academy building had subsided (it was never known who the incendiary was) a number of men assembled in Mr. Weeks' office and proposed to erect a new academy upon the site of the one burned. It was estimated that thirteen hundred dollars would defray all charges. An attempt was made on April 15th to get the town to appropriate money from the surplus revenue to build a new town house and academy, but the article was dis- missed and a vote was taken "not to build." Subsequently, these men decided to make thirteen notes of one hundred dollars each, each note to be signed by five men, and each man to be a member of the new corporation on payment of one fifth of his note. Thus there were to be sixty-five shares in the new build- ing at twenty dollars each.
The names of the signers of only twelve of the thirteen notes have been obtained. They are the following:
On the first note were Eleazer Martin, March Barber, James Arvin, Bartlett Hoyt and Jesse Martin.
On the second, William Gordon, Ensign Colby, Thomas Fland- ers, John Fales and William Kimball.
On the third, William Martin, William P. Weeks, Guilford Cobb, Henry Martin and Horace Chase.
On the fourth, Caleb Blodgett, William Doten, Tilton Nichols, Joseph D. Smith and Salmon P. Cobb.
On the fifth, Joseph L. Richardson, Benjamin Bradbury, Joshua S. Lathrop, Alvah Richardson and Benjamin Kidder.
On the sixth, Daniel G. Patten, Abram Page, Jr., Josiah Rich- ardson, Joshua W. Richardson, James B. Wallace and Amos B. Clark.
On the seventh, Joseph Dustin, John Shepherd, Josiah P. Haynes, James Tyler and Nathan M. Currier.
On the eighth, Simeon Hadley, William Campbell, Peter S. Wells, Daniel Campbell and Nathaniel Shepherd.
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HISTORY OF CANAAN.
On the ninth, Amos Miner, Daniel Pattee, Jr., James Pattee, Chamberlain Packard, Jr. and Sylvanus B. Morgan.
On the tenth, Francis Welch, Moses W. Jones, James Doten, Jr., Nathan Willis and Elijah R. Colby.
On the eleventh, Nathaniel Barber, Nathaniel Currier, Wil- liam W. George, Moses G. Kelley and John Jewell.
On the twelfth, Carey Leeds, Eliphalet C. Gilman, Jesse Clark, Josiah Clark, Jr., Francis Robbins and C. S. Hubbard.
It was decided to take these notes to the town agent and ask the loan of thirteen hundred dollars of the surplus revenue re- maining on hand. The money was loaned from time to time during the construction of the building. One thousand dollars of the amount was loaned from the surplus revenue and three hundred from the literary fund. Afterwards a charter was pro- cured from the legislature and approved June 27, 1839, in which Eleazer Martin, Jesse Martin, Caleb Blodgett, James Ar- vin, Guilford Cobb, Ensign Colby, William P. Weeks, Daniel Pattee, Jr., James Pattee, Joseph Dustin and William Doten were named as incorporators, to establish an institution for the "education of youth," under the name of "Canaan Union Acad- emy." With this money they built the academy, believing it would prove a successful and profitable investment; but this belief was a delusion, if not a snare. No steps were taken by the dominant party to conciliate the large number of citizens who were aggrieved; no kind words were spoken, nor did anyone pro- pose any method to harmonize the antagonisms; and there the two nearly equal hostile factions stood, making faces at each other, the one pointing to that building as a monument of acts of aggression unatoned for and the other flinging back contemp- tuous epithets ad libitum.
A piece of land was purchased from Jonathan Kittredge, but was not conveyed until February 13, 1840, for $50. It was one- half an acre, taken off the north side of the Baptist parsonage land, a part of the same land that was deeded to Jonathan Swan by the Baptist Society, and by it to Kittredge. The land was described "to run from the east side of Broad street to Hart Pond, with width equal at both ends." Dr. Thomas Flanders contracted to erect the new building, and deliver it complete into the hands of the trustees on the first of September, 1839.
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He engaged a number of efficient workmen and the work pro- ceeded rapidly until the outside of the house was finished. And here came in a little episode that created some amusement at the time. The doctor boarded all his workmen. His wife was pleased with the progress of the work, and spoke cheerfully to all the men as long as the outside was unfinished. The finishing of the inside was slower work, which she could not appreciate. She said the men were getting lazy, and she would have them all discharged. On the 30th of May, 1839, she called upon Mr. Weeks, who held the contract, and asked to be permitted to read it. He placed it in her hands and turned away to attend to other affairs. She sat down, read it through very deliberately, then quietly tore it into small pieces, and placing them in a heap on the table, passed out of the office saying: "I guess I've taken the life out of that thing anyhow!" She went home and when the men came in to dinner, they found nothing to eat. She told them she had got done boarding lazy men, and they must go elsewhere to board. When the doctor learned of the affair, he went to Mr. Weeks and renewed the contract, and the building was ready for occupancy at the time appointed.
The school was organized on the first of September, 1839, with a formidable board of officers. William P. Weeks was president of the corporation; Hon. Caleb Blodgett, vice-presi- dent; Eleazer Martin, secretary; Rev. Joseph L. Richardson, treasurer. The executive committee consisted of Guilford Cobb, March Barber, James Arvin, Sylvanus B. Morgan, James Pattee and James B. Wallace. The board of visitors were Edwin D. Sanborn of Dartmouth College, Leonard Wilcox of Orford, Wil- liam H. Duncan of Hanover, Hon. David C. Churchill of Lyme, Arthur Latham of Lyme, Rev. Liba Conant of Canaan, Rev. Palmer C. Himes of Canaan, Rev. Abel Heath of Canaan, Rev. Ephraim Crockett of Danbury, Caleb Plastridge of Lebanon, John Jones and Hon. Converse Goodhue of Enfield. Mr. J. Everett Sargent, an undergraduate of Dartmouth College, who had taught the last term in the old building, was engaged as principal. The trustees feeling very confident of success, en- gaged to pay him $40 per month and board for three months. Miss Mary A. Blaisdell was engaged as assistant. Great efforts were made by the proprietors of the school to fill all the seats and
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it opened with one hundred and twenty pupils. A catalogue of the institution was issued. The following is a list of the schol- ars, all are from Canaan except where otherwise indicated :
Gentlemen:
Albert G. Arvin
Simeon Hadley
Edwin W. Atherton
Henry S. Hamlet
Franklin W. Barber
Levi W. Hoit
Hiram Barber
James Huse, Enfield
Horace H. Barber
John Ingram James H. Kelley
James P. Barber
John M. Barber, Jr.
Charles W. Kidder
Caleb Blodgett, Jr.
Alfred H. Kittredge
George W. Bryant
Edw. C. D. Kittredge
Roswell S. Chapman, Enfield
Joseph D. Clark
Albert Martin
Hiram M. Cobb
Nathan C. Morgan
Frank Currier
J. Monroe Pattee, Enfield Wyman Pattee
George Currier
Guilford Doten
Daniel F. Sanford, Mansfield, Mass.
Isaac W. Dow
Alpha B. Stevens
Joseph Dow
Moses Stevens, Jr., Enfield
John B. Dustin
John A. Swett
Albert Eastman
Augustus W. Taylor, Danbury
Stephen Eastman
Charles A. Welch
George S. Eastman
Horace B. Welch
Ransom Farnham, Topsham, Vt.
Charles H. Wells
Abraham H. Flanders
Horace B. Williams
David Fogg, Enfield
Samuel Williams, 2d
Harrison Fogg, Enfield
Henry Wilson
John S. Gilman
John Worth, Jr.
Ladies:
Martha M. Atherton
Elizabeth F. Cobb
Caroline E. Atherton
Lucretia B. Cobb
Martha J. Barber
Phebe P. Cobb
Susan Frances Cobb
Emily R. Blodgett
Clarissa J. Chapman, West
Sarah Ann Conant
Rumney
Mahala Choate, Enfield
Chastina Clark Dorothy B. Clark
Emeline Dustin
Abby P. Cobb Adelia F. Cobb
Eliza Ann Currier
Marion M. Davenport Mary Dow
Harriet B. Dustin Rebecca Dustin
Rhoda Blaisdell, Orange
Elizabeth J. Conant
Stephen S. Gilman
John H. Lathrop
Caleb Dow
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CANAAN UNION ACADEMY.
Caroline P. Eastman
Miriam Eastman
Abigail Fales Sarah Fales
Sarah Ann L. Flanders
Offranda A. Follensbee, Grafton Harriet S. George
Julia Ann Nichols, Enfield
Isabel M. George
Mary E. Page Rachel R. Page
Julia Ann Gile, Grafton
Lucy Gile, Grafton
Sarah Ann C. Pillsbury
Lydia H. Gile, Enfield
Lucy Ann Richardson
Arabella Harris
Mary R. Richardson
Frances S. Harris
Elsa A. Smith
Celinda Hazen, Hartford, Vt.
Harriet A. Smith
Olivia W. Heath
Hannah L. Stevens, Enfield
Emily E. Jones, Enfield
Mabel E. Stevens, Lebanon
Maria C. Jones, Enfield
Tryphena Stark
Malinda Jones, Enfield
Catherine R. Swan
Nancy L. Kimball
Harriet O. Wallace
Julia L. Kittredge
Sophia J. Wallace
Susan B. Lathrop
Hannah S. Willis
Celina Martin
Sixty-nine ladies and fifty-four gentlemen; and the spring term was to begin on the first Monday of March. The pro- spectus was as follows :
This institution in its location combines every advantage of a salubri- ous climate and pleasant scenery. No pains will be spared by its of- ficers or instructors to render it a favorable resort for young persons who wish to pursue a thorough course of study. There are two rooms for recitation, and the Scholars are classed according to the branches pursued, but all are under the care and direction of the Principal.
COURSE OF STUDY.
Instruction is given in the various studies required for admission to College, in the French Language, and in all the English branches taught in similar institutions.
EXPENSES.
The Tuition is $3.00 per term. After the present term an additional charge of $1.00 will be made to those attending to the languages. Board can be had in good families for from $1.00 to $1.50 per week. Students who wish to board themselves can obtain convenient rooms near the Academy, at a moderate rate.
TERMS AND VACATIONS.
There will be three terms in the year, the fall term to commence the first Monday in September, the Spring term the first Monday in March,
Hannah C. S. Martin Roxilana B. Martin Lucy Ann Miner Hannah S. Morse Almeda Nichols, Enfield
Eleanor Nichols, Enfield
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HISTORY OF CANAAN.
and the Summer term the first Monday in June, each to continue 12 weeks.
BOOKS.
English, Porter's Rhetorical Reader, Smith's and Sanborn's Gram- mar; Olney's and Huntington's Geography; Goodrich's History of the United States; Adam's New and Davies' Arithmetic; Day's and Davies' Algebra; Playfair's Euclid, Flint's Surveying, Comstock's Philosophy and Chemistry, Burrett's Geography of the Heavens; Political class book, Watts on the Mind, Abercrombie's Intellectual Philosophy, Up- ham's Mental Philosophy, Paley's Natural Theology. Ancient Lan- guages: Andrew's and Stoddard's Latin Grammar, Andrew's Latin Reader, Latin Tutor, Cooper's Virgil, Anthon's Sallust, Cicero's Select Orations, Fiske's Greek Grammar and Exercises, Jacob's Greek Reader, Greek Testament, Leverett's Latin Dictionary, Donnegan's Greek Lex- icon, Lampriere's Classical Dictionary. French: Bolmar's Levizac's Grammar, Bolmar's Phrase Book, LeBrun's Telemaque, Voltaire's Charles XII, Meadow's and Boyer's Dictionary.
REQUIREMENTS.
All students are required to attend at all the regular exercises, and observe all the regulations of the Institutions, and at all times to main- tain a correct moral deportment. In case of non-compliance, neglect of study or immoral conduct, the delinquent will be reported to his parents, and if he does not reform, will be immediately removed that others may not suffer thereby. During each term there are weekly exercises in compositions and declamations.
EXAMINATIONS.
There will be a public examination at the close of the fall and spring term, in the various branches attended to, which the board of Visitors will be expected to attend.
The other party also organized a school in Currier's Hall and employed Mr. I. N. Hobart, a classmate of Mr. Sargent, to teach it. He drew in about sixty pupils; but these efforts were strained. Many of the pupils who trod those unclassic floors were there by reason of the social and political antagonisms, which had not been allayed or softened as the years went by. There always was a trace of stinginess in the people of Canaan in matters pertaining to schools, and it is not surprising that the interest in this school should fall off, when it became a matter of paying out money for board and tuition.
Mr. David H. Mason of the class 1841, who afterwards be- came United States district attorney in Massachusetts, taught the spring term of 1840, to a diminished number of pupils, so
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much so that the speculation looked likely to prove a failure and on the 30th of May, 1840, the proprietors offered the building and its privileges "to any suitable person who would take the school upon his own risk." Mr. Mason accepted the school upon those conditions and conducted it two terms. Thus suddenly the hopes of these sixty-five men faded out, and they found them- selves indebted to the town in the sum of thirteen hundred dol- lars and accruing interest.
In the spring of 1841 the corporation opened the academy with the following officers: William P. Weeks, president; Caleb Blodgett, vice-president; Eleazer Martin, secretary, and Jesse Martin, treasurer. The executive committee were March Barber, James Arvin, Sylvanus B. Morgan, James Pattee, Nathaniel Shepard, Peter Wells, Daniel Campbell, Nathaniel Currier, Wil- liam W. George and Dea. Nathaniel Barber. The preceptor was T. L. Wakefield, who graduated from Dartmouth College in 1843. Twenty-eight gentlemen and seventeen ladies attended. The fall term of that year was taught by Edward E. Sargent, a classmate of Mr. Wakefield's, with forty-five gentlemen and twenty-two ladies attending.
Socially, things were not much changed : there still existed a good deal of sullenness, but there was a decrease of personal vituperation. The proprietors were, however, not pleased with their investment. The terms of the loan required the interest on their notes to be paid in advance, and the town was now ask- ing for the principal also. The most interesting query with many of them was how to avoid payment and free themselves from their obligations. The suggestion that was acted upon and accepted was made by S. P. Cobb and J. L. Richardson, namely, to sell the land and buildings to the town.
At the beginning of the annual meeting on March 8, 1842, the interest on the surplus revenue and school fund was voted to be divided as before among the schools. At the last part of the day, after many had gone home and after all the articles in the warrant had been disposed of, and nothing remained to do but sort and count the ballots for state and county officers, the motion was made to reconsider the vote regarding the disposi- tion of the surplus revenue and school fund and voted: "That the Treasurer of the Town of Canaan remit to the proprietors
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of Canaan Union Academy the interest on the notes given by them to the Treasurer of the town of Canaan or to the agent of said town." They also voted : "That said notes be given up to said proprietors when they make and deliver to said town of Canaan a deed of academy land and buildings thereon, owned by said proprietors." This led to an outburst of wrath and in- dignation, seldom equalled and never excelled, against the men who had borrowed the public money and had attempted by a trick to vote away that money to pay their private debts. There was a very radiant atmosphere in Canaan for the next two weeks, as the following "whereas" and "resolved" witness.
At the close of the annual meeting the proprietors of the academy appointed Joseph Wheat their agent to convey the property to the town, and he hurried the matter so rapidly that the deed was made and delivered to the town on the 23d of March, the day before a town meeting was held, which put a stop to their plans. At this meeting William Eastman was moderator. Jonathan Kittredge, bravely seconded and assisted by James Eastman, took the lead in the services and offered the following preamble and resolutions, which seems to be weighted down with indignant distinctness :
WHEREAS, at the close of the annual meeting on the 8th. instant a vote was passed purporting to be a vote of the town of Canaan to the effect, as recorded, that the Treasurer remit to the proprietors of Canaan Union Academy the interest on the notes given by them to the treasurer of the town of Canaan or to the agent of said town, and also that said notes be given up to said proprietors when they make and deliver to the town a good and valid deed of the academy land, and buildings thereon; and whereas the design in passing said vote was carefully con- cealed from the legal voters of said town in the article in the warrant for said town-meeting under which said vote was pretended to be passed, giving no sufficient notice thereof; and whereas, the absence of a majority of said legal voters was designedly and fraudulently taken advantage of by said proprietors to secure the passage of said vote; and whereas, said vote was carried by. the votes of said proprietors con- trary to the wishes of a large majority of the legal voters of said town; and whereas, the said vote is for the above reasons illegal and void, therefore
Resolved by said town, in legal town meeting assembled, that the said pretended vote be, and the same is hereby rescinded. That the town will not accept of any deed of the academy, and the selectmen have no right or authority to accept the same, or to perform any other act
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in relation thereto, obligatory upon the town. That the records of said pretended vote be expunged and that the town clerk now in the presence of the town draw black lines around the same and write across the same the following words, "Expunged by order of the town this 24th. day of March A. D. 1842."
Resolved that the said agent be authorized to collect said notes and right of authority to give up to the said proprietors the said notes and that he be directed not to give the same.
Resolved that Jonathan Kittredge be and is hereby appointed an agent of the town to demand and receive of Wm. P. Weeks all the notes in his hands, given to the town or to him as Treasurer or agent of the town or for the towns money, and that his receipt for the same to said Weeks shall be his discharge from the town therefor on his procur- ing bonds to the acceptance of the town.
Resolved that the Treasurer of the town has not, nor had he any to take any other steps to secure the interest of the town in its public money or in the said notes that he may think proper.
They also voted that the agent collect the notes or that the signers procure sureties acceptable to the agent. George Harris, Dexter Harris, James Eastman, Daniel Sherburne and William E. Eastman were Kittredge's bondsmen. And then to further show the state of their feelings and rake up the old trouble, Jonathan Kittredge, Joshua Richardson and James Morse were chosen a committee "to look up and report the facts in relation to the account of the Investigating Committee of 1839, appointed to ascertain by what means the Academy was burned."
They voted to "divide the Surplus Revenue and School Fund equally among the schools." A motion was then made to re- consider all the votes and resolutions, and it was voted "not to reconsider any of them."
The other party was much disturbed at the passage of these votes. They met and talked earnestly together, but feeling quite confident that they could maintain their position, they re- quested "William P. Weeks, Esq., to consult some learned coun- sellor-at-law, and procure his opinion as to the binding force of the vote passed at the annual meeting," concerning the remis- sion of interest and deed of the academy. On the 11th of April, Kittredge demanded the notes of Mr. Weeks, who refused to give them up.
A special town meeting, called April 23d for various pur- poses, gave rise to some lively talk. Mr. Kittredge was severely
20
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HISTORY OF CANAAN.
criticised and unceremoniously dismissed as agent of the town, 127 voting for his dismissal and none against, upon a poll of the house; but Kittredge did not stay dismissed. He had already on March 29th, applied for a temporary injunction restraining Mr. Weeks from doing anything, and had on the 11th of April, after Mr. Weeks' refusal, filed a bill in equity against Mr. Weeks to compel him to turn over the notes to himself as agent of the town. Kittredge was also determined to bring suits against the makers of the notes, and to push them to judgment, either as agent of the town or as an interested citizen, and the party was late in discovering that they had passed one more illegal vote, as the subject was not named in the warrant for the town meeting.
The "learned counsellor-at-law" (Mr. Josiah Quincy of Rum- ney), whose opinion they procured, in view of the suits which had been commenced against the makers of the notes, advised them to compromise with the town's agent upon the best terms they could obtain, as Mr. Kittredge was in a frame of mind to push them to the utmost extent of the law, and his costs might soon exceed the principal of the notes. The "learned coun- sellor" held the same opinion of the action of the town and of the proprietors of the academy as did Mr. Kittredge - that it was unlawful for a part of the taxpayers of the town to vote away the public money to pay the private debts of the proprie- tors of the academy, without first giving notice, in the warrant to that effect.
In August the proprietors held a meeting and offered to pay into the town treasury the principal due on their notes to the town, and to take back their deed, "provided, at their next meet- ing, the town would vote to give the said proprietors the inter- est due on their notes."
They made one desperate effort to check the strong measures adopted by the town agent, by calling a town meeting on the 22d of August, 1842, to reconsider the work of March 24th, but they failed. William E. Eastman was chosen moderator, much to their chagrin, and then it was voted "to dissolve the meeting"; and thus the frost of public condemnation once more struck a chill to their hopes and expectations. From August until the next February no public steps were taken, but the proprietors
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rallied and got their partisans well in hand, so that on the first of February, 1843, feeling confident of their case, they called a town meeting, at which it was voted
To give the proprietors of Canaan Union Academy the interest on their notes given to the town, for the surplus revenue and literary fund, on condition that they take back their deed of the academy land and buildings to the town, and pay into the treasury the principal due on their notes, and they shall give satisfactory bonds for the payment of their notes to the town.
Passed by, yeas 149, nays 139. The bill in chancery and all suits brought by Mr. Kittredge against the individual proprie- tors, were ordered to be dismissed and stopped and "Jonathan Kittredge is dismissed and discharged as agent of the town in regard to said notes and all other matters in which he is author- ized to act as agent for the town."
This vote caused much dissatisfaction with a large number of voters, who were not present at the meeting, inasmuch as it gave to a few men the accumulated interest on the money of the whole people. They said "it was not a fair division, and if the public business was to be done in that partial manner, they would all turn out next time and make it musical for some of them." It soon became evident that something must be done to soothe and placate these stay-at-home fellows; but they became trouble- some. Various schemes were considered and abandoned, but at the annual meeting in March, one month afterward, the fol- lowing extraordinary vote, which seemed to meet the worst features of the case, as it gave everybody a grab at the bag, was passed :
To give all the inhabitants of the town, including widows and maiden ladies, paying taxes, a sum of money out of the Surplus revenue equal to the sum voted to the proprietors of Canaan Union Academy, Feb. 1, last;
And then
That the remainder of the money be equally divided among all the in- habitants, including said widows and maiden ladies, as also said pro- prietors, who are in town on the 1st. day of April, and who are liable to the assessment of public taxes, not including persons seventy years of age.
The amount of surplus revenue in the treasury at this date was $814.32, and the division pro rata, among the taxpayers was
-
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$2.34. At the same meeting, the following respectful language was adopted in regard to Messrs. Weeks and Kittredge, the gentlemen employed as counsel in the suits brought against the proprietors of the academy, that they be requested to dismiss all suits now pending against any and all of said proprietors, and that request was subsequently complied with.
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