The Newtown bee., 1905-08-11
1905

, The book belonged to William Beard
slice, who lived within an eighth of
mile of my own home, and many of th
entries in the diary show that ne wa
a teamster in the French and Indial
war, although he was a mason b,
trade. The diary may tell it's owl
story.
Ensign John Nichols, Dr.,
For IA days service at driving you
team, which service began March 81
A. d., 1857, and SO continued till my
Return from kenderhook at 3 shilling!
per day, e. 90 0
To money expended upon Team,
go 06 0
To % days service at Driving Tea n
t to Mlliers rs and nd attending them at
To l6 days more at driving Team
after said Team was entered into the
service, e2 Os o
Then follows the names of those en-
listed in the French and Indian war in
1851: William Stickney, Thomas Green
leaf, Thomas Knight, Nathaniel Hunt,
Jonathan Rogers, William Muggridge,
Samuel Wallanford, Thomas Sweet,
Joseph Coffin, William Coffin, Joseph
Garland, Thomas Ford, Joseph Green
leaf, Francis Holody, John Holody,
Sergeant Weed, Elimalet Weed, Dan
lei Norton, Morel Wicker, Daniel Til
ton, John Flood, Ebenezer Flood, Will
liam CurSel, Ballard Smith, George
Patterson, Benjamin Wenter, John
Downing, Joseph Cocker, Daniel Dooer,
Josiah Brown.
Copy of letter in my possession,
which is an echo from the field to the
home circle. The writer was the son
OF MI Heth Peck, among the earliest
of the pioneers.
At Lake George,
July q, A. D., 1853.
10 My Beloved Heth: Hoping these
lines will find you as we'll as and the
rest that came from Newtown, and re-
member me to my father and mother,
brother and sisters, and threw Gods
goodness am preserved through many
Dangers that l Have Bin in thanks be
to Cod therefore. There was 18 men
at Half Way Brook, there were three
Captains, two Subaltans and one en-
sign. There was man hanged the
10Th day for stealing. want to have
you heare Litil while. Sergeant
Summers sent hum to have Robert
Cum up and bring him up sum Chease
and other provition, and If he Gums if
you can send up sum chease and some
biskit, and SO no more at present.
L remain your Loving brother, and
when this you see then you think of
Here is bit of pathos in an entry
taken from Rev David JudSOn'S rec
ord:
September 81, 1853, Lost in the ar
my by the sword of the Enemie, son
of William Northrop, aged about 20
years."
In 1913 upon the petition of the
people of the north end of the town,
the town voted "that school house
might be built near the house of Alb
raham Bennitt provided it be built at
their own expense" which was done
and the same was where the North
Center school house now stands and
was known as the North school. At
the same meeting il was voted "that
the south end of the town should have
liberty to remove the town or school
| house towards the south end where it
shall be thought most convenient for
the neighborhood, at their own ex-
penSe," which was done, and it was
located where the Middle district
school house now stands and was
known as the south school.
The school districts of the town
were formed as the needs of different
sections required. North Center and
Middle district were organized in 1913,
Taunton in 1879, Lands End and Zoar
in 1745, Palestine in 1749, Hanover in
1855, South Center in 176l, Hunting
| town in 1894, Pootatuck in 1865, Lake
George in 176S, Flat Swamp in 1869,
Sandy Hook in ITO, Bear Hills in 1888,
Head of Meadow in 1884, Gray's Plain
in 1854, Teddy Hill in 1888, Gregory's
Orchard, Hopewell and Half Way Riv-
er date unknown, Walnut Tree Hill
| in 1868
With few exceptions the districts
| retain the name given at their fOrma-
| ton. The exceptions are that Sandy
| Hook was first called PoodertoOk brook
district, Lands End was known as
| Wiskenere, Hanover was at the first
Two Mile Brock district, and South
Centre was first called KettletOwn,
now Middle Gate.
In 1867 district was organized
known as Deep Brook district and the
school house stood east of, and near
the home of Hermon H. Peck. 1t was
called the Federal school house. In
1868 Suits Hill district was organ
lied and in ITO Currituck district.
These two districts were organized to
relieve the condition of the North
school which had overflowed its ca
pacity. These three last named dis
trictS became absorbed by other dis
tricts in few years, thus losing their
identity.
Until about the year 1900 the sever
al district committees we're appointed
at the annual town meeting and the
laying of tax on the rateable estates
of the town to meet the expense of
the schools was kept up until the
management of the schools was given
over to practically the present dis
trict system, each district paying its
own school expenses until by state
law the schools became free. The
town still has it's 81 school districts ane
schools are maintained 40 weeks in
the year. Three years ago the towI
voted to establish and maintaina Higt
school. 1t will start in on its fourth
year in September with three teachers
and eighty pupils. Every Taxpayer
in the town should feel just pride in
the record it is making for itself.
School districts existed for the con
venience of the larger towns as early
as 1725, but we're not recognized b.
law until 1866 and had no semblanct
of corporate existence until 1894.
Religious meetings were held ii
dwelling houses until the building o.
the meeting house the location fol
which was fixed by vote of the town
January IS, l7l9, to be where the lane
that runs easterly and westerly inter
sects the main town street that rum
northerly and southerly. That loca
ton was near where the flag staff il
the village now stands. The building
was so feet in length, 36 feet il
breadth and 20 feet between joints
The cost of it was to be As pounds
| The meeting house remained thRr,