Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 1.djvu/346

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��EDUCATION IN HOPKINTON.

��to a Stake and Stones; thence South 70 Degrees East, 36 Rods, to a beach tree ; thence South 20 Degrees West, 45 Rods, to Stake; thence South 70Degs. East, 48 Rods, to a Stake and Stones ; thence North, 62 Rods, to a Stake and Stones; thence East 10 Degs. South, 96 Rods, to a Stake; thence North 20 Degrees West, 68 Rods, to a hemlock ; thence North 75 Degs. East, 20 Rods, to pine tree; thence North 15 Degrees West, 43 Rods, to the first bound."

FIRST ATTEMPTS AT PERMANENT SCHOOLS.

It is said the first schools were of an

��and in this case a compromise was reach- ed by formally reconsidering the above acts and disposing of the land by lease. Thus, on March 20. 1786, it was voted to lease the "right" for a term of 999 years. The lessee was to give bonded security and pay interest annually "till the princi- pal was paid." The interest of the prin- cipal was to be appropriated for school- ing till the end of time.

From the peculiar diction of the town clerk officiating at this period, it is plain itinerant character, the teacher going enough the citizens of the town consider-

��from house to house giving and hearing lessons. Schools were sometimes kept in private localities. We find no record of such schools, or of an attempt to es- tablish a permanent school till 1765. On the 5th of March that year it was voted to have a school two months " the ensu- ing year." At the regular meeting in March, 1766, it was voted " to have two schools in town." On March 12, 1768, it was voted to build two school * k housen" — one near Esquire Townsend's and the other between Jonathan Harris' and Mo- ses Gould's; each of these '"housen" was to be 22x18. and 7 1-2 feet post. This act. however, was not fulfilled, for at a meeting two weeks later it was voted to reconsider it.

DISPOSAL 9F " SCHOOL RIGHTS."

Because of circumstances unavoidably prevailing in a new settlement, there were probably no schools on the school lot. The population of the town becom- ing rapidly and widely distributed, the select local appropriation offered scarce- ly an advantage to any one. Conse- quently the question of its disposal came up for consideration. It seems there was at first a proposition to sell it, for we find the record of a vote passed on March 2, 1778, to sell " school rights" and ap- propriate the interest of the money to school purposes ; also, on March 6, 1786, it was voted to sell " school rights" and appropriate the money for town schools. It would app2ar, however, that the ques- tion of the right of the town to allow the property, assigned to school uses under the solemn stipulation of the original grant, to pass out of its hands, became a serious one. But men have often been

��ed the school property virtually sold; yet by the act of consent to the disposal itself, it is evident that in the year 2785 the subject of a re-disposal can be prop- erly entertained.

Joseph Barnard, at the south of whose land lay the school lot, was the grand- father of the present citizen of that name, who occupies the site of the original fam- ily possessions. School lot was leased in whole or in part by Benjamin Titeomb, who lived near the site of what was Titcomb's (afterwards Webber's) mill. Titeomb sold the property to Mark Mor- rill; Morrill, to Maj. Timothy Darling; Darling, to Stephen Sibley; Sibley trans- ferred it to his son-in-law, Dr. C. P. Gage, of Concord; the ground is now tilled by Alonzo Rowell. School lot in process of time became divided, and various men- tioned parties have held in possession lesser portions of it.

DIVISION OF THE TOWN INTO SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

During the gradual progress of civil- ized society in the town, schools were lo- cated to suit the. wants of the growing and spreading population. Some time passed, however, before special legal at- tention was given to school districts. On March 1, 1784, it was voted to ;t Divide the town into eight parts for schooling." We are unable to give the exact location of these " eight parts." It would seem quite possible, however, that they were included in the central, western, south- western, southern, south-eastern, and eastern portions of the town. The great- er regularity of the surface and easier cultivation, together with the more fer- tile nature of the soil, would naturally

��found equal to both horns of a dilemma, turn the tide of settlement largely in

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