The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-04
SCHOOLS OF OLD WINDHAN
How Our FOrefatherS Educated
Their Children.
Educated
sCHANGES In OUR BODY POLL
TIC"

2he Title of Hon. Geo. F. Emerys Inter
esting Paper-"How Maine Became q
state" and Something About the Old
scotch Covenant ers and Martha's Vine
yard, Once a Dependency of Maine-An
Interesting and Instructive Nee ting of
the Maine Historical Society.
The meetings of the Maine Historical
Society are always brimfull of interest,
but that which occurred yesterday after
noon at Baxter hall was especially 50.
the society was called to order the atten-
dance was quite large, number OF ladies
being among others in attendance. Mr..
H.W. Bryant the Secretary of the Society
read his report of the long list OF valu-
able historical documents, volumes,
added to the society's collection since the
last meeting after which some business OF
Importance to the society was disposed OF
and then the exercises of the afternoon
commenced
The first paper of the afternoon was on
the early Schools in New Marblehead,
now Windham." by Samuel T. Dole.
In 1875 the Great and General Court
of Massachusetts granted to 60 inhabi-
tants of Old Marblehead, the township
now known as Windham. 1t was Or
dained that the house lots should be 63 in
n NH QT of ioh CHI bo ha
support of schools in the township.
These lots were 100 rods long, 10 rods
wide and extended from the main road
to the Presumpscot river. These lots
were covered with a dense growth of pine
and hemlock timber.
Shortly after the grant was made sew
eral settlers moved to the town. The
school lot seems to have been entirely
disregarded. AS the timber became scarce
the growth on the school lot excited the
cupidity of some who regarded it as
common property and they took quiet
possession Of the territory, and before any
action was taken these men had cleared
and sold many Thousand feet of its most
valuable timber
At the annual meeting held May 7,1T74
it was voted that William Elder, Richard
Dole ana David Barker be a committee
to sue William Maxfield off the school
| lot, if he refused to give 1t up, and like
wise to draw 80 much money out of the
| treasury as is needful to carry on the
same just what resulted from this suit
is not known, but tradition asserts that
Mr.. Msxfeld refused to yacate the prem
ises, but was finally compelled to surren-
der to the majority. He was the original
'squatter sovereign" IS while he owned
home lot, No. 2, he built his house, SO
that one half stood on lot No. /, or the
school 1ot,s and one half on lot No. 2, SO
that the remains of his old cellar con-
firms the above statement.
At what time the school was estab-
definitely. A tradition in the Webb
family is that Samuel Webb taught the
first school here in 1743, and Thomas L.
Smith, in his history of Windham SO
states, but no record of it can be found.
Mr. Webb was an Englishman, who
soribed as man of fine natural abilities,
ard was useful man in the new town
ship. lie was the ancestor of all those
bearing his name in Windham and vieini.
ty.
Another tradition has it that Mrs.
Mary Chute, wife of Capt. Thomas
Chute, the first settler in the town,
gathered around her the few children
in the settlement and amid the multi
plicity of her household duties, found
time to teach the rudiments OF the Eng
lish education. Her descendants claim
that Mrs. Chute was the first school teach
er in the town and should be regarded as
the founder of the common schools in
Windham.
In 1862 the town was incorporated, and
October {, 1865, at meeting at the meet
ing house, it was voted that school be
kept in the town and that 20 pounds
be allowed to pay school master. EThis
is the first record of money appropriated
for school purposes, but the record does
not state by whom this school was kept,
and the old TANKER Of the fort was uti-
l zed as school house. Some say that
this first teacher was Mr.. Webb, and this
seems reasonable.
At meeting held in the blockhouse
or fort, on March 20, l7G6, 20 pounds was
again appropriated for school purposes,
and to those who had settled on the Sec
ond division of the town lots, 1t was
voted to give them their proper portion