USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Providence > State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at the end of the century : a history, Volume 2 > Part 27
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1878-9 .- State appropriation, $25,783.11; city, $177,754.20; total receipts, $278,953.91; valuation, $1,500,000. The enrollment was 14,211; average attendance, 9,415. The first school census published in the reports was for 1879, and enumerated 49,562 from five to fifteen years of age inclusive. In attendance in public schools, 32,793; at- tending Catholic schools, 4,374; attending select schools, 1,728; not in any school, 10,549.
1880 (report of January 1, 1881) .- State appropriation, $26,283.11; . city, $180,046.83; valuation (estimated on assessors' valuation ), $833,- 046; total receipts, $236,482.29. Enrollment, 13,261; average attend- ance, 9,659. Nine evening schools with average attendance of 1,020; the cost of these was $12,414.68.
1881 .- State appropriation, $25,278.91; city, $193,964; total re- ceipts, $254,949. Enrollment, 13,462 ; average attendance, 9,914. For a few years prior to this the great need of a truant law was felt and the passage of one urged. The subject, as was stated in the reports, had been before the Assembly for twenty years.
1882 .- State appropriation, $25,553.50; city, $201,377.16; total re- ceipts, $249,174.30. Enrollment, 14,542; average attendance, 10,248. The number of evening schools had increased to ten, with an average attendance of 968, involving expenses of $12,048.66. The report for this year contains a comparative statement containing the facts that in 1855 the city population was 47,785; now it was nearly 112,000. Then there were forty-seven schools, while now there were eighty-five. In 1855 there were 113 teachers and 6,620 scholars, while in 1882 there were 283 teachers and 12,874 scholars. During this period there were built twenty-four school houses, and the whole school system was mate- rially changed. A class in mechanical drawing was organized Decem- ber 7, 1881, by Eben Rose, and thirty-seven scholars attended.
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1883 .- State appropriation, $25,553.50 ; city, $208,890.99 ; receipts, $279,224.05; expended on permanent improvements, $55,446.94. En- rollment, 15,427; average attendance, 10,758. There were now 246 graded schools taught, and ten evening schools with an average attend- ance of 870, supported at a cost of $13,443.40. On April 12, 1883 (in this school year), the General Assembly passed a compulsory educa- tion bill. At this time it had been shown that Rhode Island had the largest proportion of illiterates of any Northern State. Of course, this condition should be considered in the light of the great manufacturing element of population. The schools were reported as over-crowded, and a special committee was appointed by the school committee to con- sider remedies for this condition. The report of the committee was strongly in favor of prompt action in enlarging school facilities.
1884 .- State appropriation, $25,549.31; city, $219,662.10; receipts, $292,323.06 ; expended on permanent improvements, $52,547.32. En- rollment, 16,814; average attendance, 11,716. There were 246 schools, with eleven evening schools; the latter had an average attendance of 1,037, and cost for maintenance, $13,621.87. It was stated that there were at least 2,000 more scholars in school in November, 1884, than in April, 1884, a fact that was due to some extent to the effects of the compulsory education law. The adoption of a truant ordinance by the city and the establishment of a kindergarten were recommend- ed. A new grammar school building was erected on Vineyard street, to accommodate 400 pupils, and costing with land and equipment, $59,000 ; and another on Berlin street for 217 pupils, the building and equipment costing $10,698.80.
1885 .- State appropriation, $25,499.31; city, $218,797.14; receipts, $347,789.72; valuation, $974,454. Expended on permanent improve- ments, $92,448.12. Enrollment, 16,803; average attendance, 12,043. Twelve evening schools with average attendance of 1,416, and costing for maintenance, $14,573.76. The number of city school buildings was now fifty-one. Instruction in sewing is noticed in the report for this year. This was first taught in the schools in 1866, but was abol- ished in 1875, to be renewed this year and continued to the present time.
1886 .- State appropriation, $30,488.90; city, $222,430.31; receipts, $348,030.25. Expended for permanent improvements, $81,254.14; val- uation, $1,001,490. Enrolled, 17,322; average attendance, 12,938. Evening schools same as preceding year. The report for this year (page 31) notes the fact that the truant law had been in operation three years without the slightest effect on Providence, the provisions
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of the law being evaded in various ways. Two new buildings were erected on Sayles street, giving better but not increased accommoda- tions in the 9th ward. A new building was completed on Smith's Hill, which was pronounced one of the finest for its purpose in the city. A kindergarten was established, which met with such success that a sec- ond one was opened in the next year.
1887 .- State appropriation, $30,045.26; city, $225,345.35; receipts, $339,765.01. Expended for permanent improvements, $67,789.95; valuation, $1,041,249. Enrolled, 17,229; average attendance, 12,358. Evening schools, twelve, with average attendance of 1,385, and costing $15,535.69. Object teaching had been introduced in the primary schools and was reported as gradually increasing.
1888 .- State appropriation, $29,989.82; city, $226,337.32; receipts, $369,854.17. Expended for permanent improvements, $91,287.48; valuation, $1,041,249. Scholars registered, 18,105; average attend- ance, 12,839. In May, 1888, an amended truant law was passed, mak- ing it obligatory on the Common Council to pass ordinances to prevent violations of the law. Such an ordinance was passed and it had an immediate effect upon attendance. There was now such a demand for larger accommodations in the 3d, 4th, 6th, 7th, and 10th wards that the Council was requested by the school committee to appoint a special committee to make an investigation in those sections and determine what new buildings were needed, where to locate them, their cost, etc. The result of this action appears a little further on.
1889 .- State appropriation, $29,229.69; city, $234,078.53; receipts, $382,460.81; valuation, $1,136,787. Expended for permanent im- provements, $96,488.09. Enrolled, 18,380; average attendance, 12,861. There were now 316 graded schools, taught in fifty-nine school build- ings, and twelve evening schools, with average attendance of 1,108, costing for maintenance, $16,857.36. In the superintendent's report the importance was urged of adding to the high school courses another course bearing the same relation to industry that the English and scientific department does to trade. Higher education was once sup- posed to lead to the professions only ; in course of time, trade claimed many thoroughly educated men, while now industrial operations de- manded them. A manual training school was cited as the means through which these demands could be met. New buildings were opened this year on Atwell's avenue and Veazie strcet.
The school census for 1889 gave the number of children of five to fifteen years inclusive as 64,960, a gain of about 15,000 in ten years. Of these 43,163 attended public schools, showing a substantial gain
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in percentage. Attending Catholic schools, 8,275; select schools, 1,478.
1890 .- State appropriation, $28,645.34; city, $245,941.26; receipts, $403,154.47. Expended for permanent improvements, $101,773.74. Enrolled, 18,271; average attendance, 12,924. Valuation, $1,095,331. There was at about this period, as seen in the figures, a large and rapid growth in school attendance. The intermediate grade was abolished this year, the primary grade being found sufficient for the two.
1891 .- State appropriation, $28,872.93; city, $302,956.96; receipts, $497,732.65. Expended for permanent improvements, $142,484.04 ; valuation, $1,214,810. Enrolled, 17,638; average attendance, 13,360. The city now owned sixty-seven school houses, in which were taught 359 graded schools and fourteen evening schools; the average attend- ance in the latter was 1,624, and their cost was $20,497.01. One of the evening schools (Public street) was graded this year, eight classes being graded and two remaining ungraded. An advanced evening school was opened in the Bridgham Street school house, with seventy- three pupils, under three of the best of the city teachers, beginning December 30, 1890, for seven weeks; these changes placed the evening schools upon a thoroughly efficient basis. Also, steps were now taken for the founding of a manual training school and deep interest was evinced in the undertaking. It was opened with several grades and began mainly with instruction in industrial drawing. The three city kindergartens were reported as in a flourishing condition. The As- sembly was petitioned for leave to borrow $300,000 with which to provide the new school buildings, which the rapidly increasing attend- ance demanded. The number of the school committee was reduced from sixty to thirty.
1892 .- State appropriation, $27,732.46; city, $309,238.07. Of this sum, $141,445.80 was appropriated for sites, buildings and permanent improvements. Receipts, $706,266.11. Total expended for perma- nent improvements, $338,960.03; valuation, $1,353,899. Enrolled, 18,236; average attendance, 14,958. There were sixteen evening schools with average attendance of 1,815 and costing for maintenance, $20,264.48. At this time there was much feeling in the committee and throughout the community upon the subject of punishment and disci- pline in the schools. The committee had, during the preceding two years, adopted by-laws relating to the matter. In 1884, the year in which the present superintendent took charge of the schools, he found that corporal punishment was tolerated in all of the schools and rec- ords were kept of each case. He introduced the plan of permitting
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such punishment, but only in extreme cases, gradually developing among the teachers a sentiment against it. Subsequently it was abol- ished in the grammar schools and grades, while it was permissible in the primary grades, with consent of parents.
1893 .- State appropriation, $28,327.83; city, $347,151.38; receipts, $555,675.65 ; valuation, $1,639,859. Expended on permanent improve- ments, $157,517.54. Enrolled, 18,772; average attendance, 13,862. Sixteen evening schools were taught, with average attendance of 1,481, and fourteen kindergartens. Since January, 1890, said the superin- tendent's report, there had been added to the value of school property about $600,000, and within the then coming year about $300,000 would be added to that. The manual training school was first opened Sep- tember 12, 1892, and 107 students were admitted the first year, twenty- five of whom were from the high school. A department of physical culture also was established and an able teacher employed for it. New school houses were occupied on Charles street, Niagara street, Almy street, and Manton avenue, all for primary schools, and a grammar school building on Messer street.
1894 .- State appropriation, $29,189.10; city, $426,218.76 ; receipts, $774,778.72. Expended on permanent improvements, $267,722.95; valuation, $1,732,096. The city now owned seventy-four school houses. Enrolled, 19,651 ; average attendance, 14,906. Sixteen even- ing schools, with average attendance of 1,712.
1895 .- State appropriation, $29,192.08; city, $451,888.18; receipts, $664,210.95. Expended for permanent improvements, $124,871.53. Enrolled, 19,799; average attendance, 15,703; valuation, $1,787,045. Four school houses were added, making the total number seventy- eight. Twenty-one evening schools, with average attendance of 1,582. The first cooking school in the city was opened as an experiment, by the women of the Domestic Training Association, in an old school house on the site of the present police station. After continuing three months with fair success it was decided to continue the school. In September, 1889, the school was adopted by the city, and in 1893 a second one was opened, conferring great benefit upon the community.
1896 .- State appropriation, $27,075.86; city, $474,060.01; receipts, $904,069.73; valuation, $1,892,285. Expended for permanent im- provements, $337,486.19. The city now owned eighty-two school houses. Enrolled, 20,997; average attendance, 16,123; twenty-two evening schools, with average attendance of 1,479, and costing for maintenance, $30,932.62. A special evening school was opened for children of Swedish parents.
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1897 .- State appropriation, $27,860.63; city, $591,201.24; receipts, $904,385.10; valuation, $2,011,837. Expended for permanent im- provements, $357,999. Enrolled, 22,883; average attendance, 17,098. There were twenty-eight evening schools with average attendance of 2,271. In December, 1896, a school was opened on Burnside street at the fire station, for feeble-minded pupils. There were seventeen en- rolled ; there was also a class of eight in the Mt. Pleasant special school.
1898 .- State appropriation, $27,544.29; city, $565,083.20; receipts, $901,310.38 ; valuation, $2,168,527. Number of school houses owned by the city, eighty-seven. Expended for permanent improvements, $288,355.34. Enrolled, 25,053 ; average attendance, 18,911. Number of evening schools, twenty-nine, with average attendance of 2,643, and costing for maintenance, $40,832.46. There were now sixteen kinder- gartens. The building for the classical high school was finished, hav- ing been first opened in September, 1897, and the one for the Hope Street high school was opened in September, 1898; also a six-room primary building on Montague street, and one on Mt. Pleasant avenue. A grammar school building was in process of erection and has since been completed on Manton avenue, and a primary building on Ives street. The opening of the Hope Street high school in September, 1897, gave the city the three high schools, now in existence. The following figures give the high school enrollment from 1889 to the present time: 1889, 848; 1890, 841; 1891, 905; 1892, 847; 1893, 1,083; 1894, 1,330 ; 1895, 1,427; 1896, 1,533; 1897, 1,674; 1898, 2,013; 1899, 2,119.
1898 .- State appropriation, $30,536.58; city, $560,704.81; receipts, $797,081.84; valuation, $2,705,808. Expended for permanent im- provements, $150,146.30. Enrolled, 25,812; average attendance, 19,- 102. The city now owned ninety-seven school buildings, containing 26,350 sittings. The number of evening schools was twenty-six, with a total enrollment of 4,461, costing for maintenance, $40,986.14. The number of graded schools in the city at the close of the century is 535. The whole number of teachers for the year was 705. It will be seen that the schools of Providence have been kept abreast of munici- pal development in other directions. The cost of their maintenance has increased with almost startling rapidity. While there has been complaints from time to time of the great cost of the city schools, they have not been more prevalent than in other cities of healthful growth. There could be no escape from large expenditures where the increase of school attendance has been so great as the foregoing figures show. This increase, with the effect of recent legislation, which places the
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care of school property in the hands of the school committee; the increase of clerical work in the office of the secretary of the committee, and in the superintendent's office ; the recent appointment of supervis- ors of primary and grammar schools, etc., are given in the report of January, 1900, as some of the causes of the heavy cost of the city schools. A mass meeting of citizens was held on October 19, 1898, at which a resolution was adopted that the mayor be requested to appoint a committee of five citizens to investigate the whole system of school management in the city, and make such suggestions as they should deem best for the public welfare. The mayor appointed Prof. N. F. Davis, Miss Sarah E. Doyle, M. J. Harson, C. S. Sweetland, and Rev. Dr. J. G. Vose as such committee. This committee performed its task in a most thorough manner and made an extended report, containing various recommendations, none of which was revolutionary in charac- ter. The report may be found in full in the school reports for 1899.
The centennial of the establishment of free public schools in Provi- dence was appropriately celebrated in October, 1899. The arrange- ments for the celebration were placed in charge of a committee con- sisting of Walter H. Barney, president of the school committee, Lester S. Hill, Hunter C. White, Charles A. Catlin, and Stephen O. Edwards. The celebration continued through October 22, 23, and 24, with an exhibition of school work in Infantry Hall, which continued from the 22d to the 27th inclusive. The programme for the first evening comprised singing by a chorus from the English and Classical high schools ; prayer by Rev. S. H. Webb; addresses by Walter H. Barney on the Development of School Administration in Providence ; and by David W. Hoyt, on the Development and Influence of the Providence High Schools; and by Superintendent Horace S. Tarbell on A Cen- tury of Growth. On Tuesday evening the 23d, a prayer was spoken by Rev. James G. Vose, D. D .; an address was delivered by Prof. Ben- jamin F. Clarke, on The Influence of Brown University upon the School System of Providence; an address by William A. Mowry, Ph. D., on Forty Years Ago; an address by Rev. Anna Garlin Spencer on Women in Our Schools; an address by Rev. Henry W. Rugg, D. D., on Administration of the Providence Public School System ; an address by Rev. William H. P. Faunce, D. D., on The Opportunity of the Teacher in the Twentieth Century. These were interspersed with singing and instrumental music. The programme for the evening of the 24th consisted of school gymnastics, by fifty pupils of the fourth and fifth grades from Beacon Avenue and Warren Street schools ; Wand Exercises by sixty pupils of the eighth and ninth grades from
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the Thayer Street grammar school; Gesture Drill, by sixty pupils of the ninth grade from the Peace Street grammar school. The exhibi- tion of school work was very instructive and served to give the large numbers who attended a clear comprehension of what is being done in the city for the proper education of their sons and daughters.
Barrington .- This town was formerly a part of Massachusetts and was not set off to Rhode Island until 1747, about a century after its settlement. A record exists of the first school in this immediate re- gion, as follows :
"Dec. 19, 1673. It was voted and ordered, nemine contradicente, that a school be forthwith set up in this town for the teaching of Grammar, Rhetoric, and Arithmetic, and the tongues of Lattin, Greek, and Hebrew, also to read English and to write, and that a salary of forty pounds per annum, in current country pay, which passeth from man to man, be duly paid from time to time, and at all times hereafter, to the schoolmaster thereof", etc.
John Myles, at that time pastor of the church, was appointed school- master. Parents of children attending the school were obliged to pay a rate for tuition. In 1698 Jonathan Bosworth was employed as schoolmaster. His salary was only £18 per annum and only one- quarter of that was paid in money. In 1702 the town was fined by the Court of Quarter Sessions at Bristol for lack of a grammar school- master, in the sum of five pounds. In November of that year John Devotion was employed at a still lower salary-only £12 a year; but this was raised four pounds the next year. John Devotion taught the school many years and probably until 1723, when a Mr. Andrews was employed. In 1729 John Webber was teacher, and Nathaniel Peck was allowed fifteen shillings for keeping a school in his house in the winter of that year. With occasional interruptions one or more schools were thereafter maintained at public expense. The town was divided into three districts soon after 1770, and so remained until 1873, when a fourth was formed to accommodate the increasing popu- lation in the vicinity of Drownville. Probably no school houses were owned by the districts before 1840. Soon after the appointment of Henry Barnard as school commissioner of the State, two new school houses were erected in this town and a third was extensively improved. In 1844, according to reports, the number of children in the town under fifteen years of age was 188; the amount expended for schools, $241.56, of which $115 was raised by taxation.
The statistics reported for 1850 show that the State appropriation that year was $177.57 ; town, $200; receipts, $569.22. Enrolled, 127;
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average attendance, 100. There were then three organized districts and four teachers werc employed.
In 1860 the State appropriation was $265.03; town, $300; receipts, $835.63. Enrolled, 135; average attendance, 110.
1870-71 .- State appropriation, $485.36; town, $700; receipts, $1,- 478.64. Enrolled, winter term, 128; average attendance, 89. In 1874-5 new houses were built in districts Nos. 1 and 4, and in 1878-9 the house in district No. 3 was removed to a better site and remodeled.
1879-80 .- State appropriation, $525.33; town, $845; receipts, $2,447.05 ; valuation, $8,500. Enrolled, 188; average attendance, 102. Down to this time all the schools of the town were ungraded, but in 1884-5 a graded school was established at Barrington Center, with high school features.
1889-90 .- State appropriation, $943.50; town, $3,650; receipts, $5,030.56 ; valuation, $9,500. Enrolled, 245; average attendance, 159. The town now owned five school houses.
1899 .- State appropriation, $1,002.76; town, $4,200; receipts, $6,512.43 ; valuation, $7,000. Enrolled, 267; average attendance, 173. Average number of teachers, eight.
Bristol .- As seen in the following, from the records of this town, steps were taken at the fourth town meeting, held September 7, 1682, to provide for the education of children :
"Voted, That each person that hath children in town ready to go to school shall pay 3d. the week for each child's Schooling to a School master, and the Town by Rate according to each Rateable Estate shall make the wages amount to twenty-four pounds the year. The Select Men to look out a Grammar School master and use their endeavor to atain five pounds of the Cape Money granted for such an end."
Samuel Cobbett was the master engaged to teach under this vote, and a house lot, a ten acre lot, and "commonage" were purchased for the schoolmaster. Mr. Cobbett taught from 1685 to 1694, when he was succeeded by Josiah Hervey ; he was followed by a Mr. Esterbrooks as early as 1698. In that year the town was divided into two districts, the North Creek being the dividing line, and schools were established in both. In 1702 the sum of £20 was appropriated to build a school house in the compact part of the town. After two or three changes in teachers, Samuel Howland was chosen in 1709, and taught on the Neck the three winter months and in town the remainder of the year ; he was succeeded in 1712 by Timothy Fales. In 1714 Nathaniel By- field, "for and in consideration of a due regard which he had for the
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advancement of learning and good education", conveyed to Jolin Nutting, then teaching the grammar school, certain land that has ever since been known as the "school lands". These comprise "a lot lying between Church and Byfield streets; a lot at the east end of the town ; a lot between State and Bradford streets, and a lot on the main road to Warren".1 From the income of this land the schools were long supported without taxation of the inhabitants. Among the teachers in this town during the first half of the seventeenth century were Amos Throope, 1724-26; John Wight, 1728 to about 1740; a Mr. Hovey, to 1742; Shearjashub Bourn, to 1747, and other successors for short periods. In 1727 the town bought a school house on the Neck which had been erected by private individuals, and in the same year £50 was appropriated to build a school house in town. It stood on King street, between the court house and High street. During nine years, beginning with 1772 and ending in 1781, there was no school- master engaged in the town. In 1802 Peter Church, William De Wolf and William Coggeshall, with others residing on the Neck, petitioned the town meeting for permission to build a school house on the ten acre lot on the main road to Warren; the privilege was granted, and a brick building was erected, which was used until 1841, when a new one was built nearer the town. In 1803-4 a new school house was built in the South district. In 1811 a committee was appointed to divide the town into districts and to report upon the advisability of leasing the school lands for a long period. The report recommended doing so, and also recommended the division of the town into three districts- the North, the Middle and the South districts. Nearly all of the lands were leased for a long term of years, excepting that in the town, which was sold. In 1815 the people of the North district built a school house at their own expense ; this was the first one in the district. The build- ing in that district known in later years as the North District school house, was built in 1844. Between the years 1788 and 1838 there is no record of the town or village schools in existence as far as known, and what is known of their history has been drawn from memory of old inhabitants. About the year 1826 a Mr. Storrs opened a private school in the academy on the Lancasterian system. The school was a marked success, and in 1828 the school committee asked him to take the town school and include female scholars in his classes ; he accepted, and the brick school house was enlarged for the purpose. Mr. Storrs was succeeded by John Cross and he by James E. Hidden. In 1836
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