Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-03-18
History of Education in aorham,
PREPARED BY REV. GEORGE T. TEwKsBURY
ron THE CENTENNIAL.

20 back TO the nrSt settlement or the
township known by the name OF Shell
burne Addition, which was made about
the year 1910, In the valley of the An
with but two or three fami-
lies living in log huts and poor. 1t was
then an entire wilderness over valleys
and hills. Subsequently from time to
time, more moved in and cleared up land,
until in 1880, the whole number OF fami-
lies had reached twenty or more, with
population of Ill. Sometime during |
this period, about the year 1920, a log
school house was erected by the natives
on the bank of the river, some twenty |
rods above the Congregational church,
in which schools were taught at the eX-
pense of the original land proprietors
and the voluntary contributions of the
inhabitants. Mrs. Hazen Evans, then
Elsie Heath, taught school in that build
ing for several successive years, she was
very thorough in government and teach
ing. No school tax was assessed on the
residents until 1886, when what had
been called some twenty-five years Shell
burnes Addition was incorporated into a
town by its present name. 1t was then
divided into two districts, No. l, (Gorham
HID and No. 2, and twenty-five dollars
raised for the support of schools. In
1887 the first frame building was built for
school purposes in district No. 2. In
district No. l, a private dwelling house
was first used for school room and for
several years a she dor blacksmith's shop,
until the inhabitants were able to build q
school house 20x25 which they did in
1913, and remodllcd it in 1878 almost into
a new building, every way comfortable
and convenient. In 1889 the town voted
to raise $50, for the support Of schools,
and in the successive years the necessary
school money was raised by taxation as
required by law, and was expended in the
employment of competent and respect
able teachers in both districts. In 1850
the population of the town had increased
to 224, and from that time it began to in
crease more rapidly by numbering opera
lions, and the opening Of the Rail Road
through the place in 1851, then Atlantic
and St. Lawrne ce, village than was fast
sprnging up, business Of various kinds
increasing till in 1855 the children and
youth had become sufficiently numerous
for the residents to require school privi-
leges in the village and the division Of
District No. 2 building in that year neat
and commodious school house was built
80 by SO in which Miss Sarah MCDOWELL
was employed as the first teacher, and
taught model school, four terms, sum-
mer and winter. She was succeeded by
others good teachers male and female,
and among them Lizzie Tewksbury, who
also rendered faithful and efficient SER
vice to the district several terms. In 1856
the inhabitants of school district No. 2,
finding their old school house unsuitable
for schools, built new one 25x30, a CON
venient and substantial building, in which
ever since for the most part their school
money has been well expended, and profit
able schools maintained summer and win
ter, mostly in the employment Of female
teachers.
In the autumn Of 1859 V. L. Stiles, ESQ
l deeply interested in the education Of hi
; children and also those Of other families il
the village, that they might have access t.
higher and better privileges than the com
mon district schools afforded, on his OWL
responsibility started high school il
: district No. 3, under the tuition of Mis-
: Esther J. Wight, now Mrs. DR.. Fellows
a graduate of Tilton female college, N
: H., and fully equal to the position. Thi
was the first high school ever taught i
= this community. 1t proved very inter
esting, useful and successful, with an in
> creasing number of scholars from yea
: to year, for five years, drawing in cor
siderable number of scholars from ada
cent towns, and embracing in its cours
Of study the higher English and ornG
: mental branches and the languages.
r. did much to awaken an interest in educa
8 ton in the town and vicinity and to rails
+ its standard. At its close in 1864 nothin
n more was done in the interests of hig
q schools until 1871, when Thomas A
a.. Adams, at his own expense built and fl
y ted up new school room 40x60 CONVEX
lent and attractive and opened it the SAN
q year for private or high school, with tt
. name Of Alpine school, under the chars
=, of Miss Augusta Drew, first class teacl
y er This school was continued and we
n sustained during four years GA terms
under different, but all thoroughly quail
= fed teachers, with an average attendant
Ct from twenty to thirty-fve scholars, ;
- many as the room would accomodat
:, 1t was profitable school and gave ri!
to an increased interest in having bett,
schools in the village. Mr.. Adams WI
J.. responsible for all the expenses, chargir
> moderate tuition and making up Il
. deficiency, which for every term W:
equivalent to the board of the teache
The last census 1870 showed that tt
. population of the town had reached ZIG
~ when the number of scholars in distri
No. 8, had become too large to be accor
odated in in the old school house. whiC
had served the district advantageous
y fifteen years, but had then become al
:, and every namable thing but an object
: interest to them in the great matter