USA > New York > Oneida County > Rome > Our city and its people : a descriptive work on the city of Rome, New York > Part 11
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W. H. and Z. Hill and William L. Howland were in company in the dry goods trade where H. W. Mitchell was afterwards located. Over- head Frost & Utley and C. M. Denison had their law offices. In the third story of that block was Tibbits Hall where the courts were held in 1848, while the court house was being built. It was the only public hall in Rome in those days. In the Checkered store afterwards occu- pied by G. N. & J. G. Bissell, G. N. and J. G. Bissell and Benjamin Leonard
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BUSINESS INTERESTS IN 1848.
were partners in the drug business. Timothy N. Kellogg was their clerk. Some old citizens may remember the witticisms and practical jokes of genial Tim Kellogg. Overhead, Drs. H. H. Pope and H. H. Beach had their office. Next beyond was the store built by H. G. Giles and where he was in the stove trade in 1848. Farther west and next to the Central Bank building was the Arcade where the post-office was kept by Jay Hathaway. Drs. A. Blair and T. J Bergen were partners and had their office there.
James H. Carroll, who came to Rome in 1830, had a boot and shoe store in the Arcade, and G. E. Cone, who first came to Rome in 1837, was Mr. Carroll's foreman. Perkins & Allport were together in the dental business Andrew Gilbert had a barber shop in the Arcade, Mrs. S. Mallison a millinery store, and J. B. Smith a daguerrean gal- lery. On the ground now occupied by Spencer & White, Jacob Ste- vens kept the Farmers' Hotel in a wooden structure, and had since 1835. Farther on John Harrington had just started a saloon. Still farther west L. E. Elmer and J. M. Root were in the bakery business and near by A. Spencer, who came to Rome in 1838, was in the stove busi- ness and with him as employee was J. D. Ely. Mr. Ely, when a boy on June 27, 1839, came to Rome on the first train of cars which ran over the road west of Utica. Benjamin Lehmair had a dry goods store near by and Daniel Sterns had a grocery nearly opposite the Willett House ; in that vicinity also George Alexander and Alva Briggs were in the furniture business.
Joseph Higgins had a blacksmith shop where he continued many later years, and Col. J. B. Bradt was in the same business, but found time to attend to politics. He was a resident of Rome from 1828. Woodman Kimball was a master builder and an influential Whig ; B. C. Dean was in the same business, as also was D. B. Prince. John J. Parry, jr., was then just coming to the front as a master mechanic and builder and an active Democratic politician, V. O. Amidon was ex- 17
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press messenger. E. M. Hinckley railroad ticket agent and the first one in Rome, and G. W. Swan was telegraph operator and clerk in the post- office. Daniel Petrie was a Rome constable. A. W. Cole was a painter and glazier and George P. Russ, who came to Rome in 1846, was learn- ing his trade with Mr. Cole. Orson Wheeler was a manufacturer of plows and Albert Soper and W. R. Simmons had a lumber yard on the canal near Washington street and a carpenter shop on Liberty street east of James. J. M. Orton was in the furniture business and A. A. Pavey in the notion trade. Harrison Jacobs, who came to Rome in 1825, was in the forwarding and grocery business on the canal. N .- H. Leffingwell and B. B. Hyde were in the forwarding business in the old red storehouse, and A. Ethridge and W. Northrup were in groceries in the white storehouse opposite the Armstrong block. In that year Mr. Ethridge was for the first time elected supervisor and Frank De Ryther town clerk in the Democratic town of Rome.
The only public school then in the village was taught by C. W. White in the school house on the site of Zion church. E. H. Shelley was town superintendent of schools, and the trustees were J. D. Gage, R. G. Savery, and Elon Comstock. The Rome Academy was started that year with Rev. S. R. Brown, principal, and J. S. Townsend, assistant. Miss S. Jennings was preceptress and Miss Cadwell assistant, with Miss Sarah G. Sill in charge of the primary department.
Thomas, Court and Embargo streets were unoccupied west of Wash- ington street, and George street was worked only as far north as Court street. There was only one dwelling on the west side of Washington street (the Presbyterian parsonage) between the dwelling of the late M. L. Brainard and the dwelling of J. B. Jervis. There were only two or three trains each way on the Syracuse and Utica Railroad and the New York papers did not reach Rome until thirty-six hours after their issue.
While these notes do not, probably, cover every business interest at Rome at the date under consideration, they give a good general idea of - the situation.
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CITY INCORPORATION AND CIVIL LIST.
CHAPTER XIII.
CITY INCORPORATION AND CIVIL LIST.
Rome was incorporated as a city by an act entitled "an act to in- corporate the city of Rome," passed February 23, 1870, of which the following is a copy :
$ 1. All that part of the county of Oneida now known as and being the town of " Rome shall be a city, known as the city of Rome, and the citizens of this State from time to time inhabitants within the said boundaries shall be a corporation by the name of the city of Rome, and as such may sue and be sued, complain and defend in any court, make and use a common seal, and alter it at pleasure; and may re- ceive by gift, grant, devise, bequest, or purchase, and hold and convey, such real or personal property as the purpose of the corporation may require.
$ 2. (As amended by $ 6, chapter 576, Laws of 1875.) The said city shall be divided into five wards respectively, as follows, namely:
First Ward .- All that portion of said city bounded as follows, viz. : Beginning at a point at the intersection of James and Dominick Streets, in the city of Rome; running thence along the centre of James Street to the intersection thereof with the Wright Settlement Road, near the Ridge Mills; thence along the centre of the Wright Settlement Road and the Watson Hollow Road to the line of said city and town of Floyd; thence running along said southerly line to the centre of the Mohawk River; thence running up said river, and the centre thereof, to said Dom- inick Street; thence running along the centre of said Dominick Street to the place of beginning, shall comprise the First Ward.
Second Ward .- All that part of said city bounded as follows, viz .: Lying south of the First Ward and cast of a line commencing at the intersection of said James and Dominick Streets, and running along the centre of said James Street and the Madison Plank-Road to the intersection of said plank-road with the road to Verona Village at the Oneida County Poor-House, and thence along the centre of said Verona Road to the city line, shall comprise the Second Ward.
Third Ward .-- All that part of said city described as follows, viz. : Lying west- erly of the Second Ward and southerly of a line commencing at the intersection of said James and Dominick Streets, and running along the centre of said Dominick
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OUR CITY AND ITS PEOPLE.
street, prolonged along the centre of the highway to the junction of the Rome and Taberg and former Rome and Oswego Plank-Roads; thence running along the centre of said last-named road to the city line, shall comprise the Third Ward.
Fourth Ward .- All that part of said eity described as follows, viz .: Lying northerly of the Third Ward and westerly of a line commencing at the centre of said Dominick Street and George Street in the former village of Rome; running thence up the centre of said George Street to Thomas Street in said village; thence running along the centre of said Thomas Street to the Cemetery Road so called; thence along the line to the centre of said Cemetery Road prolonged to the line of said city and town of Lee, near the house of William H. Smith, at Lee Line, so called, shall comprise the Fourth Ward.
Fifth Ward .- All that part of said city described as follows, viz. : Lying easterly of the Fourth Ward, westerly of the First Ward, and northerly of the centre of Dominick Street, shall comprise the Fifth Ward.
The first city election was held March 1, 1870, and the following officers were elected, viz .: Mayor, Calvert Comstock; recorder, Stephen Van Dresar ; collector, Joseph Kapfer ; assessors, N. Hyde Leffingwell, George Hauck, David D. Morton ; justices of the peace, George W. Davis, James H. Southworth ; constables, Thomas C. Wilds, Daniel Petrie, Daniel Krebs, James E. Hibbard ; First Ward officers : Super- visor, Henry O. Southworth ; aldermen, George Merrill, George P. Russ, John Shortall ; inspectors of election, Charles F. Green, George H. Brodock, Henry W. Pell. Second Ward officers : Supervisor, John Singleton ; aldermen, Martin Toepp, James Hagerty, Harmon Oeinck ; inspectors of election, Harrison H. Hartwell, Stephen Van Dresar, William McPherson. Third Ward officers : Supervisor, John Reifert ; aldermen, John De Ryther, Peter Connor, Christian Nestle, sr .; in- spectors of election, Louis Roth, James Corcoran, Jonathan Talcott. Fourth Ward officers: Supervisor, James Stevens ; aldermen, Cyrus Hayden, William Parker, William H. Davies ; inspectors of election, Giles K. Brown, William W. Smith, William R. Olney. Fifth Ward officers : Supervisor, Alfred Ethridge ; aldermen, A. P. Tuller, William Jackson, Glen Petrie; inspectors of election, L. E. Elmer, Edward H. Shelley, Alva Whedon.
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CITY INCORPORATION AND CIVIL LIST.
1871 .- Mayor, George Merrill. Supervisors,1 Henry O. Southworth, George Barnard, John Reiffert, Daniel Hager, Alfred Ethridge. Alder- men, John Shortall, Andrew Effler, Christian Nestle, Walter Lamb, Je- rome Graves. Recorder, Stephen Van Dresar.
1872 -Mayor, George Merrill. Supervisors, Henry O. Southworth, George Barnard, James D. Corcoran, Daniel Hager, Alfred Ethridge. Aldermen, George P. Russ, Andrew J. Sink, Dennis J. Griffin, Gorman G. Armstrong, William Jackson. Recorder, Stephen Van Dresar.
1873 .- Mayor, George Merrill. Supervisors, N. H. Leffingwell, George Barnard, James D. Corcoran, Erastus Tiffany, George W. . G. " Kinney. Aldermen, Daniel L. Ketcham, George P. Goodier, Peter Quinn. Fred E. Mitchell, Alfred Sandford. Recorder, Stephen Van Dresar.
1874 .- Mayor, George Merrill. Supervisors, N. H. Leffingwell, George Barnard, James D. Corcoran, Erastus Tiffany, George W. G. Kinney. Aldermen, Richard H. Jones, Joseph Kapfer, Samuel M. Cole, Cyrus D. Prescott. Recorder, G. Harrison Lynch.
1875 .- Mayor, Samuel B. Stevens. Supervisors, N. H. Leffingwell, George Barnard, James D. Corcoran, Erastus Tiffany, George W. G. Kinney. Aldermen, Franklin B. Beers, John Kelley, Moulton M. Bur- lison, Jerome L. Mudge, Robert T. Walker. Recorder, G. Harrison Lynch.
1876 .- Mayor, Samuel B. Stevens. Supervisors, N. H. Leffingwell, Lawrence Gaheen, James D. Corcoran, Erastus Tiffany, George W. G. Kinney. Aldermen, John Shortall, Peter Cole, William Shanley, Frederick E. Mitchell, Don P. McHarg. Recorder, G Harrison Lynch. 1877 .- Mayor, Edward L. Stevens. Supervisors, N. H. Leffingwell, Lawrence Gaheen, W. J. Cramond, Homer T. Fowler, George W. G. Kinney. Aldermen, John Grosvenor, John Foy, Thomas Casey, Sam- uel Millington, Henry M. Lawton. Recorder, G. Harrison Lynch.
! In the succeeding annual lists the supervisors and aldermen are given in the order of the numbers of the wards.
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OUR CITY AND ITS PEOPLE.
1878 .- Mayor, Edward L. Stevens. Supervisors, N. H. Leffingwell, Lawrence Gaheen, Wilson Smith, Homer T. Fowler, David G. Evans. Aldermen, Franklin B. Beers, Isaac Singleton, I. E. Seymour, William H. Davis, Jerome Graves. Recorder, James Parks.
1879 .- Mayor, George Barnard. Supervisors, James Hagerty, Law- rence Gaheen, James D. Corcoran, Frederick K. Jones, David G. Evans. Aldermen, Martin Thalman, Martin Hyde, William Shanley, F. E. Mitchell, Charles S. Smith. Recorder, James Parks.
1880 .- Mayor George Barnard. Supervisors, James Hagerty, Law- rence Gaheen, James D. Corcoran, Frederick K. Jones, Owen E. Owens. Aldermen, John Grosvenor, Andrew Gossman, Griffith W. Jones, John S. Baker. Recorder, James Parks.
1881 -Mayor, Edward Comstock. Supervisors, James Hagerty, William Baynes, James D. Corcoran, Erastus Tiffany, Owen E. Owens. Aldermen, Edward Boylan, Frank H. Wetzel, L. E. Seymour, William H. Davies, John F. Williams. Recorder, James Parks.
1882 .- Mayor, Edward Comstock. Supervisors, James Hagerty, William Baynes, James D. Corcoran, Erastus Tiffany, Glen W. Petrie. Aldermen, Dennis F. Russell, Martin Hyde, Dennis Griffin, Edward Jones, Joseph I. Sayles. Recorder, Charles H. Dunning.
1883 .- Mayor. Frederick E. Mitchell. Supervisors, James Hagerty, William Baynes, Oscar D. Williams, George Hammann, Glen W. Petrie. Aldermen, Winfield S. Wylie, Jacob F. Nuffer, James H. Gro- gan, Addison G. Roof, R. C. Briggs. Recorder, Charles H. Dunning. 1884 .- Mayor, Frederick E. Mitchell. Supervisors, James Hagerty, Jacob Durr, Oscar D. Williams, George Hammann, Glen W. Petrie. Aldermen, Lawrence Carey, Adam Derrick, James D. Corcoran, Peter Dick, John F. Williams. Recorder, Charles H. Dunning.
1885 .- Mayor, Edward Comstock. Supervisors, James Hagerty, Jacob Durr, William J. Cramond, George Hammann, Hedding A. Cas- well. Aldermen, Thomas Rowan, Martin Hyde, John Wolff, Edward Jones, Lyman A. Martin. Recorder, Charles H. Dunning.
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CITY INCORPORATION AND CIVIL LIST.
1886 .- Mayor, Edward Comstock. Supervisors, John T. Hagarty, Frederick Linn, Willard G. Teelin, Erastus Tiffany, Hedding A. Cas- well. Aldermen, George P. Russ, Edward Campbell, James H. Gro- gan, George Hammann, John S Wardwell. Recorder, John D. Mc- Mahon.
1887 .- Mayor, James Stevens. Supervisors, John T. Hagerty, Frederick Dinn, William G. Teelin, Sylvester C. Baldwin, Hedding A. Caswell. Aldermen, Lawrence Carey, William E. Rothmund, Joseph L. Euper, Peter Dick, William H George. Recorder, John D. Mc- Mahon
1888 .- Mayor, James Stevens. Supervisors, David E. Pugh, Frede- rick Linn, William J. Casserly, Sylvester C. Baldwin, Hedding A. Cas- well. Aldermen, Thomas Rowan, Martin Hyde, Dennis Griffin, Ed- ward Jones, Lyman Martin. Recorder, John D McMahon.
1889 .- Mayor, James Stevens. Supervisors, Jeremiah H. Carroll, Henry F. Isenecker, William J. Cramond, William C. White, Ezra Hilts. Aldermen, George P. Russ, Frank Broker, Patrick H. Grogan, George Hammann, William H. Maxham. Recorder, John D. Mc- Mahon.
1890 .- Mayor, James Stevens. Supervisors, Jeremiah H. Carroll, Henry F. Isenecker, John H. Lackey, William C White, Ezra Hilts. Aldermen, John L. Dowd, William E. Rothmund, Joseph L Euper, James R. Thomas, Elon J. Lawton. Recorder, John D. McMahon.
1891 .- Mayor, E. Stuart Williams. Supervisors, Jeremiah H. Car- roll, Louis M. Mittenmaier, Joseph Kapfer, John D. Ernst, Ezra Hilts. Aldermen, James Kenefick, Sanford Rudel, Martin Marriott, George Hauck, jr., Lyman A. Martin. Recorder, John D. McMahon (resigned and Joseph S. Baker appointed).
1892 .- Mayor, E. Stuart Williams. Supervisors, Jay Capron, Henry F. Isenecker, Patrick Carmody, John D. Ernst, Ezra Hilts. Aldermen, J. Millard Brainerd, John Pfeiffer, James H. Grogan, Henry S. Wether- bee, Hedding A. Caswell. Recorder, Howard C. Wiggins.
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OUR CITY AND ITS PEOPLE.
1893 .- Mayor, Samuel Gillett. Supervisors, Lars Englund, John Singleton, Anthony T. Hoffman, John D. Ernst, Abram Jones. Al- dermen, John F. Atkinson, William E. Rothmund, George J. Roth, Charles A Fowler, Elon J. Lawton. Recorder, Howard C. Wiggins.
1894-Mayor, Samuel Gillett. Supervisors, Jay Capron, John Sin- gleton, Anthony T. Hoffman, George G. Gifford, Abram Jones. Al- dermen, Edward H. Walworth, George Mclaughlin, Alois Mertz, George Erhardt, Lyman A. Martin. Recorder, Charles Carmichael.
1895 .- Mayor, W. J. P. Kingsley. Supervisors, Jay Capron, John Singleton, A. T. Hoffman, Geo. C. Gifford, Abram Jones. Aldermen, A. F. Sayles, Joseph Reh, James H. Grogan, Henry S. Wetherbee, Os- wald P. Backus. Recorder, Charles Carmichael.
1896 .- Mayor, W. J. P. Kingsley. Supervisors, Lawrence Carey, John Singleton, Malthew Whalen, Eugene L. Hinckley, Hedding A. Caswell. Aldermen, James H. McLean, Frederick Lewis, Wm. J. Cramond, Charles T. Hayden, Abram N. Honsinger. Recorder, Charles Carmicheal.
Other officers for 1896 are as follows : Assessors, W. Dewey Reese, Richard H. Jones, William G. Jones ; John E. Mason, clerk. Fire and Police, Thomas G. Nock, William L. Kingsley, Howard C. Wiggins, Theodore J. Mowry ; W. O. Jenks, clerk ; Michael Hagerty, chief of police ; Leonard Briggs, acting chief fire department. Water and Sew- erage, W. P. Kingsley, ex officio, chairman ; John S. Baker, Harvey S. Bedell, Albert R. Kessinger, Jonathan S. Haselton ; H. S. Wetherbee, clerk and superintendent.
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SCHOOLS.
CHAPTER XIV.
SCHOOLS OF ROME.
The reader of the foregoing pages has learned substantially all that is known of the earliest schools in Rome village. These included the school and building on the southeast corner of the park, where the early courts were held. There was also the well known Grosvenor school, ^ the Huntington school, the one taught in the "Long House" by Abby Bullock about 1812, all of which have been described. The first schools in the town outside of the village were taught very early in the Wright Settlement neighborhood, where a log school house was built before 1800 ; this - was afterwards burned. About 1816-7 another house was erected on the corner of "Penny street" and the road leading east past the Canterbury Hill school house ; there Miss Achsah Raynsford, after- wards the wife of Josiah Hills, was the teacher at one time.
There is no means of ascertaining the precise year that the old school house near Fort Stanwix was erected ; but it is fair to infer that the school law of 1795 stimulated the inhabitants of the locality to erect it, so as to get the benefit of the public money, and that such erection was in that year, or the next one at the latest. Not many years ago there was in the possession of one of Rome's old residents . then living, a report made in 1797, of the teacher of the school of the " Fort District " (as Rome was then called), showing that from May 29 to September 9 in that year, the whole number of days' attendance at school was 1,979, and that there were fifty· four children in attendance. The following are the names of a few of the pupils: Jay Hathaway, Sally Hathaway, Abigal Barnard, Charity Barnard, Cicero Gould, Sheldon Logan, William, Joseph and Clarissa Fish, William, Hugh 18
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and Betsy Colbrath, Anne Hayes and William White. Shadrach Hathaway was the name of the school master. The school house stood at the southeast corner of the old west park, as stated. near the side- walk, and about where the foot path now turns in from James street. It was a story and a half building, some 30 by 40 feet, the roof having four sides and running up to a point in the center. The writing desks were against the wall, with two or three rows of seats, the back or outer seats being higher than those in front. There was a swing partition in the center of the building, making two apartments, by which two could be made into one by swinging and fastening up the lower half or part of the partition, as was doubtless done when courts were held there.
Among those who were pupils at that school house in early years were Hon. John B. Jervis, William E. Wright, J. Burr Brainard, Alva Mudge, N. Hyde Leffingwell. Hon. O. B. Matteson, late of Utica, was a pupil there many years ago. It was used as a public school house until 1819, when a new one was erected on the site now occu- pied by Zion church ; that was burned and was succeeded by the Lib- erty street school, the common school law of the State having mean- while been materially changed and improved.
That old building in the park which for a quarter of a century did good service as a school house, and was also used for a considerable of the time as a court room, a place for town. meetings, and for religious worship, was moved about 1819 on to the rear end of the lot occupied - as a residence by Dr. R. E. Sutton, and there for a number of years was used by Russell Bartlett as a store room for lumber, his cabinet shop being near by. In 1820 Mr. Bartlett's shop was burned by an incendiary, but the old school house was saved, and was afterwards converted into a barn, and its history cannot be traced further. It was probably the first 'school house erected within the present limits of Oneida county.
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SCHOOLS.
No detailed history of the schools of the whole town prior to the incorporation of the Rome Academy can be given, as no records are in existence. The town was divided into districts as circumstances demanded, and respectable frame school houses took the place of the first ones of logs. At the present time there are eighteen districts with a school house in each.
The Rome Academy was incorporated April 28, 1835, and was re- incorporated by the Board of Regents March 15, 1849. The three- story brick structure still in use was built by subscription in 1848. Further history of the schools of Rome is found in the following quota- tions from the report of the Board of Education for 1877 :
No records of the schools previous to 1850 are found, and those of a later date are not of such a character as would enable one to prepare a full history of their progress without the aid of concurrent memory.
In 1850 the Libety street building was erected under the supervision of R. G. Savery, E. Comstock, and E. Seymour as trustees. Little change has since been effected in its outward appearance. For many years each of the three floors was occupied by a department, the boys and girls being seated in different rooms.
In the winter of 1851 and 1852, an attempt was made by the trustees so to classify the school as to seat both boys and girls in the same apartment. This action met with decided disapproval from a large number of the patrons. A special meeting of the district was held Feb- ruary 14, 1852, at which the following resolution was offered, viz. :
Resolved, That the classification of this school by the late trustees, in placing the males and famales in the same department, was inexpedient for this school.
Free discussion and criticism were indulged in, but the trustees hav- ing previously resigned, the resolution was finally withdrawn. Three new trustees were at once elected to the vacancies, who speedily restored the school to its previous condition, and for many years the distinction of sex was rigidly observed.
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OUR CITY AND ITS PEOPLE.
In the following year an appropriation of $300 was made to improve the building in Canal Village, which was then in a dilapidated condition, and, with slight repairs, so continued until the present substantial struc- ture was erected, at the corner of James and Ridge streets, in 1868. This was the outgrowth of the pressing necessities of a rapidly increas- ing population in that part of the village, and of a public sentiment which had first found expression at an annual school meeting of the district in 1858, ten years previous.
No marked change is again noticed until the winter of 1860 and 1861. The sentiment in favor of free schools had then become so general, and their necessity so apparent, that a large number of citizens advocated the abolition of the rate bill system, and the immediate establishment of free schools, with an academic department for the entire village, to be generously supported by public tax. Prominent among those who were actively interested in this movement were Edward Huntington, A. San- ford, H. O. Southworth, B. J. Beach, A. J. Bailey, D. E. Wager, K. Carroll, and Samuel Wardwell.
At the annual school meeting of the district, in 1861, a system of free schools was warmly advocated by parties above named, and many others. A committee was appointed to perfect a plan for the proposed change, to be presented for approval, at an adjourned meeting. Meet- ings were adjourned from time to time until December 18, 1861, when a series of resolutions was offered, and the draft of the proposed act of the Legislature presented, by Mr. Southworth, looking to the immediate establishment of free schools. The opposition was strong in the belief that school expenditures would be largely increased under the provisions of the proposed law, and, after much filibustering, finally succeeded in adjourning the meeting for one month. No further record was made showing any action whatever in the same direction, the adjourned meeting having been seemingly abandoned. In fact, no record exists from October 15, 1867, until the 24th day of June, 1869. Then a
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SCHOOLS.
demand for a change in the system of public schools in the village found expression in a " Citizens' Call " for a public meeting at the court house, to consider the " expediency of establishing a union free school, with an academical department, within the limits of District No. 5, of the town of Rome." This was signed by forty four of the leading cit- izens and the trustees. "A large and enthusiastic meeting convened at the time appointed and free expressions of opinion were solicited. To further the interests of the proposed change, and secure a larger at- tendance of the friends of the measure, the meeting was adjourned, on motion of E. L. Stevens, to meet at the court house, July 3, 1869, at - seven and a half o'clock P. M. The friends of free schools rallied in such numbers at the adjourned meeting that, immediately upon the reading and correction of the minutes of the previous meeting, the fol- lowing resolution, offered by Mr. K. Carroll, was adopted by the de- cisive vote of 310 to 49, viz. :
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