The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-06-27
YARMOUTH ACADEMY.


the community and OF the institution. He
extended a very cordial welcome to his fell
Few alumni and all the friends of the
academy who were Apresent. ~ ~a-s, :-
b. After another delightful selection by the
orchestra, Rev. B. r. Snow, the present
principal of the academy, arose to make a
brief historical state ment in regard to the
town and the academy.
He held up large time worn old leather
covered volume, and said that he didn't in
tend to read it all, but only portions of it.
1t was the first record book of the board of
trustees and CONFERENCE.-The history of the in
stitution from 1914 down to about 1860.
He then delivered the following
BRIEF HISTORICAL STATEMENT:
North Yarmouth, or Yarmouth, as it
is now called, is an old town. In 1910
George Felt lived in stone garrison at
Broad Cove, which he bought of John
Phillips, who had purchased the land of
an agent of Sir Ferdinand Gorges, pro-
pr ietor of Maine. William ROYAL came
from England in 1926 He purchased
land of Gorges in 1913 on the east side of
the river that still bears his name.
These were the first pioneers of Var
mouth. Other settlers came into the
wilderness. In 1914. Henry Sayward of
York built the first saw mill, at the
lower falls.
The town was Incorporated in 1880, and
was the eighth town in.Maine, its prede-
cessors being Kittery, Y ork, Wells, Cape
Porpoise, Saco, Scarborough and Fall
mouth (now Portland.
In 1888 the settlement was broken up
by the Indians. But the settlers re-
fI1r Until l-Eh
the first settlements, the people were sub
ject to the hostility of the Indians. In
1900 the population was 1850. In 1910 it
was 2, 1874.
The name of the town was North Var
mouth, because it'was north of the Var
mouth in MASSACHUSETTS,. About 90
years ago the people in the, present town
the outlying portion. 1t was the old
fight of the village against the farming
element. 1t was a very bitter fight and
occupied the legislature that year more
than anything else. The division was
effected, and the remonstrants kept the
old name of North Yarmouth and the
town records and also the school fund,
that had been begun when Maine was
part of Massachusetts. Now Yarmouth is
a prosperous town of zoos inh abitants..
The famous old North Yarmouth
Academysis one of the oldest in Maine,
and the movement for its erection began
as early as 1910. 1t was incorporated by
the General aCourt Of Massachusetts in
1874. 1t started with. a subscription
paper of s1675, Anna r. Mitchell heading
the list with $3.50 and Hannat, HANNAH
Jr., and Edward Russell ending it with
lot for the buildings valued at $500. 'a
The old yellow record book of the
trustees, kept for 81 years in the precise
hand of Edward Russell, shows that the
subscribers took steps in 1911 to erect a
building 20 feet long, 2S feet wide and
two stories high. 1t was completed
about 1918 . When tho trustees organ
of the Congregationalist church, was
chosen president. He was trustee of
Bowdoin College, and in 1916 became
president of Dartmouth College
III 1915 Rev. David M. Mitchell became
the first precepUor OF ., the Academy.
From 1918 to 1928 the trustees held no
meeting. In 1920 Mr.. Joseph, Sherman
State granted the Academy d township
of land that Melted $4,000 and the insti-
tuition was put on firm footing. About
1910 the original building, which was of
wood, was moved away and used as a
Methodist chapel, and finally was re-
moved to Freeport
In 1886 the school was divided into
Two uGpdItulcuGS, cldSSlCd1 anu IURl1Sn.
In 1S42 the new building was finished,
and there was principal for each de-
partment. The school was very prosper
Gus. Its two preceptors and an assistant
instructed 1874 students, OF whom 45 were
in the classical department which fitted
for college. Young men came there from
all over the county and other portions
of the State. 1t was the leading fitting
school for Bowdoin, in the forties' and
even sent its graduates TO Yale and Har-
vard.J From 1887 to 1850, 40 students
were sent to Bowdoin alone, and others
20 Dartmouth, Yale, Harvard and
Colby.
Among the graduates were many who
have since become eminent, including
William Willis, the lawyer and historian,
who fitted there for Harvard; Leonard
SWEET, A braham LincoIn's friend and
conf1dant, who fitted for Colby; Gen. o..
o. Howard, who went to Bowdoin and
then to West Point, and his two broth
ers, Gen. Charles M, and Rowland r.
Howard; Chas. E., William Henry and
Geo. F. Clifford, sons Of the Justice, DIR.
A. II. Burbank of Yarmouth, now presi-
dent of the trustees; Gen. Samuel j. An
derson, of Portland Representative Chas.
A. Boutelle, Hon. H. H. Burbank of Saco
Geo. W. True and Darius II. Ingraham,
later to meet in municipal contest in
Portland, and many others.