History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911, Part 34

Author: Lovejoy, Mary Evelyn Wood, 1847-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Burlington, Vt., Free press printing company
Number of Pages: 1280

USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Royalton > History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911 > Part 34

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In the division of public money, the income from the per- manent school fund and the state school tax are apportioned ac- cording to the number of legal schools. A legal school is one maintained at least twenty-eight weeks in a year, with an aver- age daily attendance of not less than six pupils, taught by a duly qualified teacher, whose register has been kept according to law. The division of all other public school money is based on attend- ance. In 1909 the town received for school purposes the fol- lowing amount of public money : Land rent, $15.85; for trans- portation, $234.24; tuition reimbursement, $55.50; permanent school fund, $100.59 ; state school tax, $343.32; from $45,000 re-

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serve fund, $108.09; from $15,000 reserve fund, $36.11; total, $893.70.

The South Royalton Graded School District received in 1909 on the $15,000 reserve fund, $134.59; on the $45,000 reserve fund, $403.58 ; transportation, $103.31; state school tax, $245.23; permanent school fund, $71.85; land rent, $28.15; total, $986.71.

The amount of money received from town taxes for school purposes was $2,322.61, which with the public money and $200 of the Academy fund made the sum of $5,631.89 available to the town for conducting its system of schools, during the school year, 1909-10.

The South Royalton Graded School was not established without a struggle. Its nucleus was District Eighteen. This district had maintained two schools in a two-story building most of the time from 1875 to 1892. . The superior advantages offered by these schools attracted pupils from other districts, but it was the policy of the controlling officers to discourage the at- tendance of tuition pupils, because it would necessitate more room and more teachers, and they were not quite ready for en- largement.

In 1882 the two schools were graded, and a primitive course of study was adopted. The committee chosen to prepare this course was composed of Rev. S. K. B. Perkins, Superintendent of Schools, M. J. Sargent, Prudential Committee, and Mrs. D. W. Lovejoy, Principal of the two schools. This course outlined the studies to be pursued for five years in the primary department, and for five years in the grammar department. Drawing was introduced and practical subjects emphasized.

In 1883 the school building was repaired, and the next year tuition pupils were admitted. The school increased in numbers, and it soon became evident that more commodious quarters would have to be provided. This was not done until 1892.

On petition a meeting was called for March 30, 1892, to see if the district would vote to establish a graded school. When met, it was unanimously voted to establish a graded school of four or more departments with three or more grades. The prudential committee, J. B. Durkee, A. P. Skinner, and J. H. Hewitt, with the clerk, M. J. Sargent, were constituted a board to establish such a school, and to prepare plans for reconstruct- ing the old building or erecting a new one, and to choose a lo- cation. The board was instructed to use all reasonable effort to induce Districts One and Two to unite with Eighteen.

The board canvassed Districts One, Two, and Four, ascer- tained the grand list of the three districts, learned that a good majority were in favor of the union, and also ascertained the

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cost of different lots suitable for the location of a building. They reported at an adjourned meeting, when it was voted to pro- cure a lot of John Mudgett, and to raise 100 cents on a dollar for purchasing the land and for building a schoolhouse. The board resigned, and Henry Manchester, John Mudgett, Chester Pierce, Joel Phelps, and W. V. Soper were elected a building committee.

The movement seemed now well under way, and to be pro- gressing favorably, but an opposing element was at work. This was manifested at the next meeting, when a motion was made to rescind the vote to establish a graded school. This was lost, the vote standing 23 to 47. A motion to instruct the building com- mittee to buy the land was lost by a small majority. At a sub- sequent meeting it was voted to rescind all action relating to the matter of providing for a graded school, except the establish- ment of such a school. They then voted to hold a meeting prop- erly warned for voting to receive Districts One, Two, Three, and Four. These districts with the exception of No. 3 had already voted to unite with the South Royalton district.

There seems to have been some question as to the legality of some of the proceedings, but finally they were organized as a graded school district, and elected J. B. Durkee 1st Committee, Charles Black, 2nd, Charles West, 3d, Ira Spaulding, 4th, and G. W. Ward, 5th. Nothing more was done about a building or lot, except to appoint a committee to examine informally the locations for a school building. At a meeting on April 17, various motions looking toward providing a building were lost, then they voted to appoint a building committee of five to build a house on the present site with the addition of the Mudgett land, not to exceed $6,000. They voted to raise a tax of fifty cents on a dollar and bond the district for the rest, and left dis- cretionary powers in the hands of the building committee.

It looked as if something would really materialize now, but almost at once a petition signed by fifty or more voters was out, asking for another meeting to rescind everything voted, except the establishment of a graded school. When met, they voted to pass over the article relating to rescinding, and then adjourned. The building committee went forward and bought the Mudgett land to enlarge the original school lot of one fourth of an acre bought in 1853. The expense of the land and completed build- ing was $6,495.54. Four schools were opened in the new build- ing, but an increase in attendance necessitated an outlay the next year of several hundred dollars. The debt incurred by the district yearly decreased until 1900, when new heating and ventilating apparatus was put in, costing over one thousand dollars. The attendance in the high school has been so large the

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past few years that the space which was ample in 1900 is now too small, and more room is demanded. The building is a credit to the village, well equipped for physical, chemical, and commer- cial departments, as compared with the average high school of Vermont.

The first principal of the graded school was Edward Sher- man Miller, a native of Ryegate, and a graduate of Dartmouth in 1893, who later taught in Lancaster, N. H. He had charge of the high and grammar departments in one school. The spring term had an enrollment of 45 students, the intermediate of 27, with Miss Maud M. Kendall, teacher, and the primary, 36 pupils, with Miss Ella C. Latham, teacher. The next year the grammar school had a separate room, and was taught by Miss E. R. Pratt.

In 1895 William Cyprian Hopkins, Jr., was secured as prin- cipal. He was born in Hannibal, Mo., 1869; graduated at the U. V. M., in 1894 with an A. B. degree; principal of Waterbury schools 1894-95. He remained at South Royalton two years. The enrollment in the high school had not reached forty. From South Royalton Mr. Hopkins went to Wenosha, Wis., where he was superintendent of schools two years. He then spent one year in study in the University of Chicago, and later was in- structor in history in Princeton-Yale school, Chicago, and was employed in the Shattuck school, Faribault, Minn.

Mr. Hopkins sent out the first graduating class in 1897. From the Latin-Scientific Course were graduated Sfa May Ward, and Cecilia Wynn; from the English Course, Clara Elvira Da- vis, Ila May Dutton, Luna May Leavitt, Edith Nellie Skinner. Pupils attended the high school that year from six different towns, not including Royalton.

Mr. Hopkins was succeeded by Frank Kilburn Graves. Mr. Graves was born in Waterbury, Sep. 28, 1862. He was the son of Levi J. and Analyse (Kilburn) Graves. He graduated from the U. V. M. in 1886, with A. B. degree. He was principal of high school, Essex, N. Y., 1886-88; at Granville, N. Y., 1888-90; at Swanton, Vt., 1890-93; principal of Burr and Burton Sem- inary, Manchester, 1893-94; at South Royalton, 1896-1901; Enosburg Falls, 1901-02; teacher in Berea College, Berea, Ky., 1903-04; teacher in Sterling, Conn., 1904-07; at present Superin- tendent of Schools for the towns of Elmore, Morristown, and Stowe. He married June 14, 1887, Miss Eva E. Wyman of Wa- terbury, and has three children, Mildred W., Osborne H., and Harold F. Graves.

The enrollment in the high school at South Royalton was twenty-seven when he took charge of it, and sixty when he left. In 1898 ten were graduated, in 1899, seven, in 1900, six, in

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1901, two. In the fall term of 1900 an assistant was hired for the high school, Miss Amy L. Kibby. Teaching school with Principal Graves was something more than hearing lessons. He aimed to improve the tone of the schools, and to foster a healthy moral as well as intellectual growth in his students.

In 1902 Arthur R. Butler became principal of the graded schools. He remained two years. There was quite a decrease in the attendance, perhaps partly due to increase in the rates of tuition. Mrs. Harriet Seymour, a graduate of Mount Holyoke, was secured as assistant. Twelve students were graduated that year.

Mr. Butler was succeeded by Julius V. Sturtevant, a native of New Haven and a graduate of Middlebury in 1885. He had taught in various towns in Vermont, including Essex Junction, Stowe, and Cambridge. He married Lucy Ellen Batchelder, Mar. 11, 1891. He was in South Royalton one year, when he went, as principal of Royalton Academy, to the other village, where he remained one year. He then went as principal to Con- cord, and at present is located in Underhill.

The attendance in the graded school was smaller than usual, but it sent out a graduating class of eleven in 1904. Miss Fannie Eastman was his assistant a part of the year.

A new period of growth and prosperity began with 1905, when John Edward Stetson became principal of the graded schools. He was born in Hanover, Mass., Sep. 10, 1878, the son of William H. and Delia F. (Carey) Stetson. He graduated from Middlebury in 1900; principal of grammar school, Man- chester Center, 1900; principal of grammar school, Bennington, 1901; principal of high school, and superintendent, Wilmington, N. H., 1901-05; at South Royalton, 1905-07; principal of high school, Springfield, 1907 to present time. He married July 31, 1907, Miss Minnie E. Blodgett of Randolph Center, daughter of Loren and Luthena (Marsh) Blodgett, who had been very successful as a primary teacher in the South Royalton schools.

There were seven to graduate in 1905 and two in 1906. Six received diplomas in the following year. The entering classes were now much larger, and assured larger senior classes in the future. The enrollment in 1907 was over sixty. Mr. Stetson was universally popular, a good instructor, a worthy example for his students to imitate, and the district was loath to part with his services.

In 1907 Earle E. Wilson was engaged as principal of the graded schools. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1903, and took an A. M. degree from Dartmouth in 1909. The state course of study took the place of the former courses, and re- quired the employment of three teachers in the high school to

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maintain its standing as a school of the first grade. Miss Edith Chaffee was engaged as the third teacher. In 1908 a class of six was graduated. That fall sixty-seven students were enrolled in the high school, coming from eleven different towns. One half of the list was from Royalton. In 1909 the graduating class numbered an even dozen, only five of whom were from Royalton, and one from the village of South Royalton.

The fall term of 1909 opened with an enrollment of eighty students, a senior class of fourteen and a freshman class of twenty-eight. Of the seniors, eight were from Royalton, and six of these from South Royalton village. The school in 1909 took quite a prominent place in athletic contests, winning sev- eral fine prizes. Mr. Wilson labored faithfully for the best interests of the school, and secured the largest enrollment in its history. Courses in shorthand, typewriting, and elementary agriculture were introduced. Five new standard typewriters were purchased. Mr. Wilson was elected District Superinten- dent for the towns of Royalton, Bethel, and Tunbridge in 1910, and severed his connection with the South Royalton schools. James Monohan is the present principal of the high school.

Several teachers in the grades have served for considerable periods of time. Miss Ella Latham, a graduate of the Randolph Normal, taught with marked success in the primary department from 1893 to 1901, when ill health compelled her to resign. She did not recover, and her death was sincerely mourned by pupils and patrons. Miss Jennie B. Godfrey taught in the grammar school, 1895-1901. Miss Minnie E. Blodgett served in the primary department, 1901-07. It was chiefly through her instrumentality that drawing, painting, and other manual work received its first strong impetus in the grades. Miss Hattie Fay taught 1905-09. Miss Jessie Benson, a Randolph graduate, be- gan teaching in the lower grades in 1904, and is still faithfully working in the second primary. She was assistant in the Royal- ton High School and Academy for several years, and has been very successful in her department. Miss Emma B. Rowell, now Mrs. Arthur A. Abbott, taught in the grammar room from 1906 to 1910.

The other present teachers are Miss Marion Wynne, and Miss Viola M. Fenton in the grades, Miss Mary Story, A. B., a graduate of Boston University in 1909, and Miss Isabel D. Mc- Clare, A. B., a graduate from the same class, both teachers in the high school.

The total enrollment in the graded school in 1910 was 170, of which number seventy-six were in the high school, and of this seventy-six, forty-three were tuition pupils.

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It would be interesting to know who were the earliest teach- ers in town, but unfortunately there are no means of ascertain- ing their names. Those who might remember have long ago passed away. Benjamin Parkhurst and Comfort Sever have already been mentioned as possible pedagogues, and Lydia Richards as one well authenticated. Zebulon Lyon had a step- daughter, Sally Skinner, who was quite a remarkable girl, even in those days, when girls assumed heavy responsibilities much younger than they do today. She was six years old when she came to town with her new step-father, who seems to have been duly proud of her. "My Sally is as old as most girls of twenty years," he is quoted as saying, when she was twelve years of age. At that age she was hired to teach the village school, in a log house, no doubt, and she taught it with success. When a rainy day in haying or harvest came the large boys all struck a bee line for "Sally's School." She later said that she dreaded to see a cloud all that summer, for she had to look up into the faces of all those tall boys and teach them to spell and to figure, and that the earth is round like a ball. Sally must have been a winsome lass, for the Rev. Azel Washburn, whose wife she be- came, fell in love with her almost at first sight. Her summer term of school, when she was twelve, was taught in 1787.

Several early teachers have already been incidentally re- ferred to. Some of those mentioned later in the records as hav- ing been examined in Algebra, Arithmetic, Geography, Grammar, Reading, Writing and Orthography and licensed to teach in any district in the town, were Hiram C. Young, 1846, Helen E. Wil- liams, Lucia A. Peabody, Frances Pember, Mary M. Pierce, Elizabeth M. Blodgett, George A. Bingham, Stephen H. Pierce, Egbert Woodward, George W. Burgett, Andrew C. Hebard, H. Latham, G. S. Shepard, Abbie S. Stevens, Eliza Robinson, James Davis, and Lucian Hewitt, in 1850 and 1851.

Lucian Hewitt was a resident of Pomfret, a farmer, who taught school winters. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man, firm in discipline, yet kindly withal, and was in great demand in districts where the discipline had been lax. It was the writer's good fortune to attend one of his schools, and it is recalled that he once told some of his pupils, that he taught the first term of school in the new schoolhouse on Broad Brook, and he told the pupils the first day that there must not be so much as a scratch of a pin to deface the new desks, and he ended the term with the building entirely uninjured. At that time there were over fifty pupils in the district, and Mr. Hewitt was justly proud of his battle with the ever-present jackknife, itching to start a sliver on the unpainted desk of the idle boy.

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He has a daughter, Mrs. Albert Merrill, the youngest child of the family, who is now living in this town.

Miss Hattie Pike taught in the upper department of the South Royalton school, and her sister Edna in the primary school for several years. No teachers in this school ever gave better satisfaction. They were greatly beloved by their pupils, and when Mark J. Sargent persuaded Miss Hattie to take a smaller school for life, and Ransom D. Crain was equally successful in enticing away Miss Edna, long and loud were the lamentations. The writer recalls that at the wedding of Miss Hattie, after the ceremony she slipped out to the lawn to greet the bevy of chil- dren, who had gathered to take in as much of the nuptials as possible, seeing they could not prevent them. When Miss Edna took the train on her bridal tour, a few pupils had obtained per- mission to go to the station to bid her good-by. The others hear- ing of it, indignantly exclaimed, "We are as much related to Edna Pike as they are," and so they all got a furlough, which they gleefully enjoyed, as the train was late. Miss Alice Brownell is another teacher, who has taught many years in the district schools of the town and in Royalton village.

From the diaries of Asa Perrin the early teachers of dis- trict, No. 7, were ascertained. They were as follows: sum- mer terms, Anna Ellsworth, 1796, Polly Waller, 1797, Anna Whitney, 1798, Eunice Metcalf, 1799, Polly Hibbard, 1800, Elizabeth H ,

1801, Chanlot F 1802, Charles Fraser, 1803, Polly Peak, 1804, Sally Kelsey, 1805, Polly Bacon, 1806, Sally Kelsey, 1807, Fanny Skinner, 1808, Fanny Parkhurst, 1809, Phebe Adams, 1810-11; winter, Samuel Hib- bard, 1800-02, John Fish, 1802-03, Bateman, 1803-04, 1809- 10, Cellic, 1805-06, 1810-11, Enoch Green, 1806-09, 1811- 12. On Feb. 22, 1795, he says they held services in the "new schoolhouse," but whether this was in their own district or in the village, cannot be stated. On Nov. 12, 1794, he noted the. funeral of "schoolmaster Hunting's wife" at the "red school- house."

Supervision of schools was of a very primitive nature for the first half century of the town's existence. Some member of the school district was occasionally assigned this duty, or, as has been noted, the trustees of the town, who dealt mostly with the financial side of school matters, were to have control of the schools. The only specific power, however, delegated to them was the power to appoint and remove school-masters.

In 1827 a law was passed providing for the election of from three to seven superintendents, whose duty it was to look after the schools themselves. The next year the town chose Jacob Collamer, Harry Bingham, and Daniel Rix as a committee to

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nominate seven for superintending school committee. These seven were Nathaniel Sprague, John Francis, Gideon Bingham, Jonathan Kinney, Jr., Wyman Spooner, Rev. Mr. Buck, and Michael Flynn, representing the law, the ministry, the press, and the farming interests. Surely the schools ought to have taken a great stride forward with so large and well-equipped board of supervisors.

The next year Rev. Mr. Kimball took the place of Mr. Buck, A. C. Noble of Lawyer Francis, and Rev. A. C. Washburn of Wyman Spooner. The following year Jo Adam Denison took the place of Mr. Kimball, and in 1832 John Francis is found on the list and Gideon Bingham has disappeared from it. In 1831 the town voted that the superintending school committee should report the condition of all the schools, showing a commendable interest in the cause of education. As no report is found, it may be supposed that they failed to do so, at any rate in 1833 they had a house cleaning, and four new members were elected, Jacob Collamer, John Billings, Truman Safford, Calvin Skinner, Jr.

From this date until 1846 the records are silent regarding the supervision of schools, when Dudley C. Denison, Samuel W. Slade, and Cyrus B. Drake were elected, and served also the next year, except Dr. Drake, who was elected with Calvin Skin- ner the following year. They had begun to think of having only one superintendent, but rejected the idea. In 1849 Wil- liam H. Safford and Thomas Atwood served, and Mr. Safford was elected alone the two succeeding years. From this date to 1858 those serving in successive years were George A. Bingham, C. G. Burnham, S. R. Williams, Hiram Latham, Edgar A. Max- ham, Clark Shipman. Edward Conant served two years, and was followed by Dr. Drake, and he by J. I. Gilbert.

Dr. Drake's report in 1861 was of such excellence that it called out a vote of thanks, and an order to have it spread on the records of the town (which does not seem to have been done), and to have it printed in such papers of the state as would print it free of charge, and 1000 copies were to be printed in pamphlet form. If this was done, some one ought to have a copy in ex- istence today. This was a precedent, so the next year Supt. Gilbert's report was ordered to be printed in the Vermont Jour- nal, and 500 or 1000 copies to be circulated in town.

The succeeding superintendents in order were Dr. Drake, who resigned, and Rev. M. C. Henderson was appointed, elected 1867-68, when he resigned, and Henry H. Denison was ap- pointed, Daniel W. Fox, E. F. Wright, and E. A. Thacher.

Mr. Thacher's school report for his first year, 1872, was ordered printed and 100 copies circulated in the several districts.

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He continued to serve as superintendent with great acceptance until 1881, and taught winters much of the time. His work for the educational interests of the town is worthy of especial men- tion. In 1874 the town passed the following resolution : "Resolved that the thanks of the town be manifested to E. A. Thacher, Superintendent of Common Schools for his impartial and thorough report of the condition of the schools in town the past year."

In 1881 Rev. S. K. B. Perkins was elected superintendent, and was also placed on the text-book committee. He took an active interest in the schools, and was helpful with suggestions as well as with kindly criticism. He was re-elected in 1882, but resigned, and Dr. A. B. Bisbee was appointed in his place, and elected in 1883, followed in 1884 by Mr. Thacher.

The first woman superintendent was Mrs. Evelyn M. Love- joy, elected in 1885, and followed the next year by Dr. Clayton P. House, who served two years. Dr. I. P. Dana succeeded him and held the office three years. He was elected in 1890 a mem- ber of the County Board of Education. This board superseded the town superintendent. In 1891 Dr. Dana was elected super- intendent, followed the next year by Rev. James Ramage. In 1893 the town by law was compelled to adopt the town system of schools, and directors were elected, who appointed the super- intendent. Mrs. E. Lee Stearns was called by them to the of- fice. She had taught in the Academy, and her ability was well known. That she had high ideals regarding the kind and quality of instruction that should be given in the public schools is shown by the following extract from her report of that year: "The parents do not perceive a fault which it must be confessed does exist in greater or less degree in nearly every teacher's work. They proceed as if education were a mere accumulation of facts in the mind of the child, with little training by which he may apply his knowledge or acquire the practical mental discipline which would fit him for business. Neither do the teachers sufficiently realize their duty to make a moral impression upon their pupils.

Both the necessity and the difficulty of their work arises from the same cause -- the absence of morality, thrift and culture in the homes. A teacher's efforts in this direction are liable to be misunderstood and even resisted by the parents, because they do not see that it is of infinitely greater importance that their child should learn honesty, diligence, self-reliance, good manners, and the ability to reason intelligently, than that he should memo- rize a list of names, dates and rules, with no power of assimilating or using his knowledge, and no stability of character on which to stand in the world."

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History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911, Part 34

Author: Lovejoy, Mary Evelyn Wood, 1847- Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Burlington, Vt., Free press printing company Number of Pages: 1280

Author: Lovejoy, Mary Evelyn Wood, 1847-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Burlington, Vt., Free press printing company
Number of Pages: 1280