USA > New Jersey > Morris County > History of Morris County, New Jersey > Part 68
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285
THE FIRST SCHOOLS IN PEQUANNOCK.
and resting on it, and his head resting on his arms. The children thought he was asleep, but 9 o'clock came and still he slept, and continued to sleep as soundly as ever. In about half an hour a gentleman living near by, seeing the children about the door, came up to inquire what was the matter. Looking in he saw the condition of the teacher, and calling on some of the larger boys to assist him he laid him on the floor and placed some books under his head; then told the children their teacher had been taking too much apple whiskey, and they must go home and return the next morning, when all would prob- ably be right. This was not the only instance of inter- ruption in the school caused by such indulgence on the part of their teacher, yet he was retained for several quarters. Some few years after that a teacher was em- ployed in this school who appeared to have been well educated, and withal was something of a dandy in his manner and dress. The school had been under his charge but a few weeks when it began to be whispered that he was too fond of strong drink; soon there was un- mistakable evidence of the fact, for at times he would be absent several days in consequence of his indulgence. Yet this man was retained as a teacher for two quarters without being fined for tippling, or even very seriously reprimanded for his vicious habit, thus showing that public sentiment had changed in some respects, and cer- tainly not for the better as regarded sobriety. It is true many of the teachers employed from time to time in this as well as other schools in the township were persons of upright character and fair literary attainments; yet it was too true that some were employed who turned out to be not only immoral, but deficient in literary attainments, panion, the Child's Instructor, the Monitor, the Testa- ment, the English Reader (more recently introduced) and Dillworth's and Daboll's Arithmetics. No attention was paid to the study of geography, and very little if any to the study of English grammar.
and not a few who were more or less addicted to tip- pling. Persons now living in the township recollect that men addicted to intemperate habits were employed to teach at Pompton Plains, Beavertown and Pine Brook, as well as at Montville, and these were the places where schools were first established in the township. Nor were these evils peculiar to this township; other townships throughout the whole. State were suffering more or less from like inflictions.
A convention of the friends of education was held at the State-house in Trenton in the summer of 1828, to take into consideration the state of education in the sev- eral counties of this State, and to ascertain what should be done for the encouragement and proper support of schools. At this convention a general committee was appointed, consisting of Charles Ewing, John N. Simp- son and Theodore Frelinghuysen, and sub-committees for each county authorized to make a thorough investiga- tion of the situation in each township, and report at a future meeting. On the 11th of November 1828 that report was made. Only a partial statement was made in regard to Pequannock. The result of this public inves- tigation was action taken by our Legislature at the session of February 1829, by which was established the first sys- tem of public instruction in the State of New Jersey.
Westerly of Montville village there was no school in Pequannock short of Rockaway Valley; where the pres-
ent town of Boonton stands was then a wilderness. At this time the school-house at Montville was probably the third erected there. It was built about 1806, a frame building 18 by 24 feet, a few rods south of the present site, at the corner of two roads, and directly on the edge of the street. There was not a foot of playground at- tached, the only place available to the children for such purpose being the public road. No paint had ever been applied to this building externally or internally. The arrangements for heating consisted of a large open fire- place at one end of the room; the wood was furnished by the patrons of the school in proportion to the number of scholars sent by each. The desks consisted of boards attached in an inclined position to the sides of the room; in front of these were placed long and rudely constructed benches made from slabs having holes bored through near the ends and sharpened sticks thrust in as legs to support them. In the center of the room were benches similarly constructed, and without back supports, for the use of the smaller children; besides these there was a roughly made desk without stain or paint, and a splint- bottomed chair, for the use of the teacher. These con- stituted the total of school furniture; such things as black-boards, maps, or charts were not found in country district schools at that time, and in fact were then scarcely thought of as articles necessary for the school-room. The pens used for writing were made from quills, the writing books were common foolscap paper folded, and it was the duty of the teacher to make and sharpen all the pens, and to write the copies. The text books then in use were Webster's spelling book, the Scholar's Com-
There were no recitations in classes in arithmetic, ex- cept as to the different tables; each scholar was expected to do "as many sums " as he could, and if the answer obtained. was the same as that given in the book the operation was supposed to be right; the why and the wherefore were seldom if ever inquired into. The older pupils in arithmetic were encouraged to write out in de- tail in a book prepared for the purpose the working of each example, with a view to having it as a book of refer- ence to aid them when they should go into business; these were called " cyphering books." The idea of im- parting to his pupils a thorough understanding of the principles of the science, as the best means of prepara- tion to solve all practical problems as they were presented in the business of life, did not enter the head of the average common school teacher of that day. Then the amount that could be retained in the memory and re- peated in the words of the book, whether the meaning was thoroughly understood or not, was considered the measure of learning in most of our public schools.
After opening school the teacher generally proceeded to take his whip in hand as the ox-driver does when he proceeds to his work, and he would continue to carry it
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HISTORY OF MORRIS COUNTY.
about nearly the whole of school hours, frequently using it in touching up one and another for whispering, not sitting up straight, neglecting to study, or looking out of the window; and sometimes it was most severely and cruelly used. Yet but little complaint on that account was heard among the people; the prevailing idea of a teacher appeared to be that if he could whip he was smart and would make the children behave and learn. The popular idea of school government at that time ap- peared to be that brute force was the only proper con- trolling power. Seldom was a teacher found who would as a rule resort to gentle means, kind and encouraging words and moral suasion to maintain order and subjec- tion.
It was about the year 1826 that a building was erected and a store opened immediately opposite the old school- house at Montville; the business of this store for years consisted mainly in buying in wood to be shipped by canal to Newark. In the stock kept at this store, as was generally the case in most stores at that time, was whis- key in its various forms. Many of the customers, being considerably under its influence, would loiter about there for hours; as a consequence very much, both in manners and language, that was improper and demoralizing was brought directly to the notice of the pupils at that school. From 1820 to 1840 it was the practice of a neighboring clergyman to visit the different schools within the circuit of several miles about once a quarter, and sometimes oftener, to catechise the children in the old Calvinistic catechism, and he would generally take the opportunity to try to impress upon the youthful minds " that in Adam all sinned, and that without repentance for the sin of Adam all would be condemned to eternal woe and suffer- ing in the lake of fire and brimstone," as he graphically ·expressed it.
Since 1820 circumstances have greatly changed. The old school-house at Montville that stood at the corner of the roads, and the whiskey store opposite, have long since passed away. Many years ago a new school-house, larger and with seats and desks somewhat improved, was erected on the site of the present one, which did service some twenty-five years for larger and better conducted schools, and was torn down about fifteen years ago to give place to the present brick structure, which is a neat looking and commodious building, with the most im- proved modern furniture. The condition of the public school at Montville fifty years ago may have been as re- gards its immediate surroundings rather exceptional, but in other respects it may be taken as a truthful represen- tation of the average country district school of that day; and as such we present it, to give an idea of the general condition of the schools in the township at that period, for we have not space for a history in detail of each dis- trict.
In Pequannock township ( speaking without reference to such part of it as was set off to the new township of Rockaway in 1844 ) the first places where district schools were established were Pompton Plains, Pine Brook, Montville, Beavertown and Lower Montville; subse-
quently they were opened at Waughaw, Jacksonville, Stony Brook, Pompton and Upper Bloomingdale; in 1831 at Boonton; in 1844 a district was formed near Boonton known as No. 6, and another at Taylortown in 1849.
The first school-house on Pompton Plains of which we have any authentic account was built some years prior to 1800, and stood on the opposite side of the street from the present school-house and near to the present church edifice. About 1807 or 1808 a portion of the people, becoming dissatisfied with the school as kept in this building, united in building a house about half a mile north of the church, in which a school was opened under David Provost as teacher. About 1824 a new school building two stories high was erected on the op- posite side of the street from the church, which for many years served to accommodate a much larger school under teachers of far superior ability; this school from 1840 to 1855 ranked among the first in the township. In 1872 this building, which had become old and dilapi- dated, was removed, and on the same site the present one was erected, which though less roomy is more modern in style and comfortable in its internal arrange- ments.
The first school-house at Beavertown of which we | have any account was a log building and stood a few hundred yards east of the present hotel site; it was probably built before 1776 and continued to be used as a school-house until 1806. The second one stood on the east side of the road leading to Pompton Plains, about a quarter of a mile north of the present railroad station. It was a frame building erected about 1809, and was used there several years, and then removed into Passaic Valley, about a mile south of Beavertown corner, a majority of the inhabitants residing in that part of the district. It was used there only a few years, and was then sold, and another was built in a more central spot, near the site of the present building. This second building, erected in 1838, served the district until 1872, when it was removed to make room for the present one, which is a neat edifice of the modern style, having a cupola and bell and furnished with improved desks and seats.
At Pine Brook the first house known to have been built for school purposes was a log building about half a mile north of the present one, on the road leading to- ward Boonton; this was probably erected about 1760. The next, a frame building, was erected about 1785, and stood perhaps a quarter of a mile south of the present one. This second building was used a number of years, until an effort was made by the people of this district (a por- tion of whom reside on the Hanover township side),. which resulted in a new school-house in Hanover town- ship, near the present residence of Caleb W. Edwards. This location was not central, and after a trial of a few years the school proved a failure for want of support. A majority of the people desiring a building more centrally located, and of a size suited to accommodate the neighbor- hood for holding religious meetings on Sundays, the building in Hanover was abandoned, and a larger one
287
SCHOOL-HOUSES IN PEQUANNOCK.
was built on the northwest corner of the roads, nearly opposite the present school building. This was erected about the year 1816 and served the district until 1852, when the present one was erected, which has sufficient room and comfortable internal arrangements. David Young, who for so many years made the calculations for the "Farmer's Almanac," and who signed his name " David Young, Philom.," taught school in this district about 1820 or a little prior to that time. He was natu- rally gifted with great mathematical ability, and a love for the study of astronomy, but was rather eccentric and not very popular as a teacher. For many years he lived in this vicinity, at Hanover Neck, and was relied on by the people in this district to examine teachers applying for their school. Ezra Fairchild, who in 1827 had estab- lished a select school at Mendham, was induced by the great fame of Mr. Young as a natural mathematician to engage him as a special teacher in that branch of study; Mr. Young, although a perfect master of the subject in all its branches, was not successful as a teacher, because of his want of ability to impart his knowledge to his pupils.
In the Lower Montville neighborhood we are able to trace the location of six school buildings within the past hundred years. The first, a log building, was probably erected prior to 1769, and stood on the west slope of Horse Neck Mountain, nearly opposite the present resi- dence of Azariah Crane. Levi Stiles, an octogenarian,
tell that he went to school in this building to a teacher by the name of Marinus, who was a man of learning and ability and who occasionally preached, but that at times he would tipple, and that he used to say to the people, "You must do as I say, and not as I do." Mr. Stiles says his father was old enough to enlist, and did enlist in the war of the Revolution before its close; and hence we infer that it was about 1767 or 1768 when he attended this school taught by Marinus, and that the teacher was the first minister who officiated at the Pompton Plains church, and whose ministerial relation to that church was dissolved on account of his intemperate habits.
The next school building was also a log house, and stood about half a mile south of the present school- house, on the road leading to Pine Brook.
The third school-house, which was also of logs, with its broad open fireplace and clay and stick chimney, stood about 175 feet south of the present residence of Levi Stiles, and it was at this place, under a teacher named Simon Basco, that Mr. Stiles learned his letters; this school-house must have been in use from about 1790 to 1808.
The next one was a frame building which had been used as a store-house, and was purchased by the people of the district and moved on to a lot of ground leased for fourteen years from Dr. George Wurts. This house stood on the road leading to Pine Brook, about a quarter of a mile south of the present school-house. It served the district until the expiration of the ground lease, about 1824, when it was sold. For a few years after this
the district was without a school-house and without a school. The first teacher employed in the first frame school-house in this district was Patrick Caffrey, who continued to teach till 1812. Mr. Stiles says he went to school to him, and has now in his possession a "cypher- ing book," which is well preserved and contains some fine specimens of chirography executed by this teacher. Mr. Stiles relates an incident which goes to show the natural hatred of the Irish race for the English govern- ment. One day Caffrey came from his school to Mrs. Stiles's, where he was then boarding, and taking the news- . paper, which had just been brought in, began to read; in a few minutes he broke out very excitedly with the ex- clamation, "Glorious news! Glorious news!" and con- tinued thus exclaiming until Mrs. Stiles asked him if he was crazy. "No, no," said he, "I am not crazy, but America has declared war against England, and that is really glorious news, and I am going to help the Amer- icans fight the British;" and he did at once leave his school and enlist in the service of the United States.
About 1828 a lot of ground was obtained on the road leading across the Horse Neck Mountain, and on it a school-house was erected which served the district until 1872, when it was removed to make room for the present building, which is of sufficient size, neatly finished and provided with the improved school furniture.
The first building used for school purposes at Waughaw was of stone and stood at the corner of the roads a few says he has a distinct recollection of hearing his father hundred yards north from the Whitehall Methodist church. The second building was erected about the year 1830, at a point about a mile northwesterly from the first, and continued to serve the district until 1873, when the present building, neat and convenient in its arrange- ments, was erected on a spot more central in the district.
At Jacksonville there have been two school buildings on the same site; the first erected about 1825, and the second about the year 1854.
At Stony Brook, as far as we have been able to ascer- tain, there have been within the past ninety-six years three school-houses. The first was built of logs about 1785, a mile and a half south of the present one; the second, which was also a log building, stood near the site of the present house, and was erected about 1815; and the third, a frame buidling, was put up about the year 1834. In 1875 this house was thoroughly repaired and rendered almost as good as new.
At Pompton, since the establishment of a public school system, there have been two school-houses; the first, an old stone house, which was in use from the commence- ment of this district until 1855, when the present frame building was erected.
At Upper Bloomingdale the first school-house was built about the year 1839. It served until 1873, when a new house, of larger size, more modern style and better arrangements, both internally and externally, was erected.
CARE OF THE POOR.
We have no means of ascertaining exactly how the poor were cared for from the beginning of the settlement
288
HISTORY OF MORRIS COUNTY.
here up to the time when Pequannock township was formed, in 1740, and a record was started, in 1741. It is probable that the method of relief was similar to that found in use in 1745, and for eighty years subsequent which was to farm them out by selling them annually to the lowest bidder, who would agree to keep them for a definite sum and sustain all expense save the doctor's bill. The record of the first town meeting in Pequan- nock, in 1741, shows that two persons, Abraham Van- duyne and Henry Mandeville, were elected overseers of the poor. There is no record of any amount voted for the relief of the poor in that year or for several succeed- ing years; but there is some record of the making up of the accounts of the overseers of the poor at the end of the year. The amount of their accounts was small, and even as far along as 1760 the records show the amount of such accounts for the year was £10 4s. Id., equal to $25.51. In that same year it was voted to raise £15 ($37.50) for the relief of the poor; in 1762 530 was voted for the relief of the poor; in 1769 £30, in 170 £50, in 1771 £100, and in 1780 {1,000 proclamation money. This seems a large increase, but when we consider that this proclamation money was current at only about one sixth of its face the advance in the poor rate will be seen to have been comparatively small. In 1782 the sum of £130 was voted for the support of the poor, showing that in the filling up of the settlements in this township, embracing so large an area, in the space of forty-one years the increase in the poor rate was only about $300. In 1788 it was voted that the poor be sold all in one place, and that the dog tax be for the use of the poor; the town records show that the town poor that year were sold to Casper Dod for £69 10s. ($173.75).
In 1812 it was voted that the paupers be sold all to- gether to the lowest bidder, the person taking them to be entitled to the money arising from the sale of all estrays, and all fines that might be forfeited in the town that year, and required to relieve the town from all expense for paupers for one year, excepting the doctor's bill. The next year the town voted that the poor be sold separately to the lowest bidder, and that all of them able to be moved be brought to the place where they were to be sold on the Saturday next following town meeting. The plan of selling the poor all to one person not proving satisfactory it was abandoned, and the old method again adopted of selling the keeping of the poor to different individuals, the lowest responsible bidders. This method was continued for many years, until the people, impressed with more enlightened views, came to regard with ab- horrence this plan of selling the poor, and concluded that some better method might be found of dealing with pauperism; at least more humane if not more economical. Accordingly in 1823, at town meeting, a resolution was adopted authorizing the town committee to receive written proposals for the purchase of a farm for the poor, and to report at the next meeting; and to advertise for that purpose in the county paper, the Palladium of Liberty.
This movement in Pequannock induced Hanover town- ship, where a like project was under consideration, to in-
vite Pequannock to join with it in purchasing a farm and erecting a poor-house. This offer of Hanover, being submitted to the people in Pequannock at the annual town meeting in 1824, was declined. At the same meet- ing the town committee was authorized to purchase a farm, not to exceed in cost for farm and utensils $3,000, and a resolution was passed to the effect that in case the township should be divided one half the purchase money was to be paid by the party holding the farm to the part of the township set off, provided an agreement should not be entered into to support the poor equally. That year the committee purchased a farm of about 163 acres belonging to the estate of William Alger, situated in Rockaway Valley, for $2,400. This farm had upon it an old-fashioned but quite roomy house, and the paupers were at once removed to it and placed under the care of a keeper. This was the end of "farming out " or " selling the poor " in Pequannock township. In 1825 at the annual town meeting a resolution was adopted vesting the whole charge of the township poor-house and farm in the overseers of the poor, who were authorized to appoint a keeper.
This continued to be the mode of providing for the maintenance and care of the poor in Pequannock town- ship for about thirteen years. In 1837 the board of free-" holders of the county resolved to purchase a farm and erect thereon suitable buildings to be used as a county poor-house, whereat should be kept all the paupers from the several townships in the county. This resulted in the purchase by the county of the farm and poor-house of Hanover township at Old Boonton, together with some additional tracts of land, in all about 240 acres, on which a building was erected specially for the purpose, which was opened for the reception of inmates in 1838. The total first cost of the lands, buildings and fixtures, farm- ing stock and utensils, was about $17,000; since that the poor of the different townships have been supported and cared for at this establishment, and maintained by a county tax, assessed not according to the number of paupers from each township, but upon the taxable prop- erty. In consequence of this step taken by the county Pequannock township resolved to sell its poor-house and farm and send its paupers to the county house; and the township committee was authorized to that effect, and to execute a sufficient deed to the purchaser, and also to sell the moveable property upon the farm at auction. Accordingly on the 11th of April 1838, and at an ad- journed sale, May 26th, the movable property on the farm was sold, amounting to $783.11, and the farm was sold to James Dixon for $3,000. Pequannock township at this time embraced a large extent of territory, nearly all of what is now Rockaway township, and all of what is now Boonton, Montville and Pequannock. After set- tling up all bills against the township, there was left on hand a balance of funds of $2,261.80. The people of the township voted to apply each year a portion of this fond toward the amount voted for the support of schools, and thus lessen the taxes. In this way after many years this surplus was used. At the time of setting off Rockaway
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