The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-04

OF one money. March 30, 1868, 80 pounds
was raised for school purposes and il
was voted 60 build school house in the
ROAD on the hill, between Thomas May
Derry and Thomas Trott's, but this site
seems to have been unsatisfactory, and
the mouse was built in the road o few
roos south of the old fort, but was not
finished until 177a.
In Ito, 200 pounds was raised tn huild
the above named school house. On De.
cemper 20, 1772, it was voted that Rich
ard Dole finish the school house andsbe
PAID ~ pounds for this work.
Is In l774, it was voted that 80 mounds.
lawful money be paid Benjamin Moody
lor Keeping school in this town in the
year l9IS, and Mr.. John Patterson for
Keeping school in this town in the year
i"o. These are the first recorded teach
ers IN the town of Windha,n.
MI. Patterson was described many
years ago by one of his pupils as red
heaoed lrlshman. somewhat happy in
disposition and severe in discipline.
moreover, he was fond of a drop of ardent
After briefly sketching the attention
which was paid the schools of the town
during the Revolution, Mr.. Dole went
on to speak of Thomas Kennard, known
az Master kennard, who was also an
lrlshman, and who was employed as a
teacher in Windbam for many years.
Among other early teachers was Nioho-
las Anthoine, of whom little is known.
In 1889 the school house was moved to
Llutle's Hill, a mile and half from its
original location, and the old school
mouse was given to "the Widow Young"
In 1894, the whole township composed
one school district, but was divided into
eight districts, to which four districts
were added in 1868, and these were con.
tlnued until the state law abolished the
school district system.
Inc school houses built during this
period were architectural monstrosities,
being rude and comfortless in the ex-
treme, with low ceilings, small windows
and furnished with huge open fire places
and rough plank benches and desks. In
their arrangement they could easily dis
count the mildest theory of the most ap-
proved ventilation crank OF the present
age, as the winds of heaven had free &C.
cess through nurnberless cracks and
holes in the delapitatsd walls.
The late John Neal of Portland in his
book, tells US that he was pupil for
time in the school house built for the
Friends near their meeting house, but
this school was not long continued One
OF the principals was Robert Blair, we'll
| known 80 years ago as Master Blair He
was an Irishman and fine teacher.
Among the teachers in the town from
1905 to 1915. were Stephen and John
Webb, Timothy Kennard, Oliver Dole,
William E. 4rown, John W. Goodell,
Thomas L. Smith, Daniel W. Dole, Ed
win Mayberry, Huldah R. Hawkes., Abba
Little, Mary A. Smith, Sarah F. Dole
and many others, whose names alone
would ill page, all good and true men
and women, who were faithful and effic-
lent teachers, and who left behind them
the record of duties well performed.
Rev. DR.. Warren established a high
school in 1889. but for want of support
| the school did not long last.
| Judge Ray, who said he was a native
of the same town as Mr.. Dole, said he
was pleased to have heard his paper, as
nearly all of the names Mr. Dole men
toned had been familiar to him from his
boy hood days.
DR.. Thayer said that one thing above
all others interested him in this pa per,
and that was that so many Irishmen
served as teachers in these early schools.
1t seemed es If many Irishmen were
among our early teachers. Especially
Michael Regan's find, taught schools
in Woolwich and afterward offered to
| teach in Thomaston. His offer WAS to
INSTRUCT the children in the town in
scholastic tuition" and this may explain
the nature of the instruction he offered
Mr.. Baxter said he had also noticed this
and that it was not to be wondered at
when the well-known characteristics of
this bright race of people is considered.
The next was paper by Charles Ed
ward Banks, on s'Martha's Vineyard and
the Province of Maine, an unwritten
chapter in territorial jurisdiction under
Georges. This paper was read by DR..
Charles D. Smith.
DR.. Banks's paper was in substance, as
follows: sit was a surprise to me to
know that at one time the authorities of
the island of Martha's Vineyard owed
political allegiance to the Province of
Maine and acted In accordance with this
acknowledgement of dependency. AS far
as am aware, this incident of cur his
tory has never been formally disclosed.
In our York county deeds, vol. III, PIP.
ia, l61, will be found entered, two in
struments of sale dated respectively Sep
TENDER 81, 1856, and made by Thomas
Mayhem, then chief magistrate of Mar
tha's Vineyard, and later it's governor,
and probably it has occurred to others
as it did to me, that 1t was remote. reg
istry in which to record the sale of prop
erty in the Elizabeth Isles and the Vine
yard for by contiguity those islands be.