Putnam patriot., 1908-06-05
schsels in Abingdon
LOVER THE BnIpag BY Nix. LYON E
 MiLLH

' instructed to accommodate families re- i inoie from sehoolhousez witt q school.
 Tn l782 four danes taught in the four quarters Of ihe town iH dUell- ing houses. The facilities were so niea- gre thai the people in the we~t part of the town had a special intefest in one of The four schools ordered bY ihe First Society ld f7si3, sone On the westerly side of Masham5qsiet brook Iusi at go- Ing over The bridge bY Mir. Lyon mill" II was settled that the people should provide a school house, and 1 dOnt,.!eSs one of logs was sDon built. 1 This historic spot-.he -ite 6 the first school house iH Abingdon. vas the lev q ground alote Mr Lyons saw mill, which was |nsl north of the bridge near 1 the house of George r. Hoibfook From l tIe early settlement of Mashamoqnet Purchase, Lyons saw mill seems to l have been the western teffninn. of the road until the year l78l when the town voted to pay fol A cart bridge bs Lyon : mill. and highway va. laid out from to WiBdharn.
 After Abingdon became distinct 1 parish In l735 the eccle-iastienl ~ocieiy ' had charge of schools within ifs limits. Three months schooling iu tine school house in winlef of l74s-5G by master, and three months by school dame the l following summer, was ail Ibs neY so- l eiety could afford the first year. In January, Fol, tax Of one shilling on l the pound was granted to pay Mf. 1 Weleh for preaching three months and also to pay The schoomastef. Decern- l her. i755, voted six months schooling l in three particular plnceS--two montfis at each place ''rhe center school should be In the old school house this winter md the north school al the house of NIr. Caleb Grossenof and the south school in the house of Mir Ete. nezer t'oodeil, in ease hs k wiling 2 The terms increased in length and in 1 f46o "eleNen months seitunIine l- Rol. ed, and eeen u lhc liine 4 the ReFoluz tion, when the fe-oufess 8tfr limited and eA peeze- heat N"-e5 eHieen month. schooling and thfee hundred pounds af the dcpIeeiated currency were gfan. ted by fhe society lof school pHrp8-es= in lf~3 the mastef- were paid forty shilIings without boafd As ihefe were schools in different pads of inc parish II seems probable hat rfiof to the Rev olution every one had III opportunity to learn io fead and rite. The cuffie= alnm was limited to reading, writing. and arithmetic, and prior tn ls0O only the teacher was expected 10 haze il copy of an arithmetic in school Goose quills and home made copy books were used Some specimens of penmanShip nj those days still found would he cred itnhic to any eummefcinl student, and the expert land surveyors must have had some mathematical knoe ledge.
 The parish WIS duly organized into Il school society in l1a5, Joshua Gross senor, Jun, clerk for year ensuing.
 Later there WIS school house in
 Baker Hollow at foot of hiil enst of the stone house. \ school Whs taught in lhis house few weeks, then few week. in the house of sila~ Richafd. He discipline wa, severe. Just prior ta lN'io q Mi traft taught in school hause opposite Mn. samuel Griggs' and wa- ealivd ~olc Strart raft because he strapped bats te l4eaeh to punish them Aheal the same date ~amael sumner taught school for >ix dollars , per month and thtesaed evenings and worked in saw mil half mite west ot his Iomo Grace Malone taught in Eheneger Eaton house now Geo. t. nolnrook
 In llas tiie society was divided into . school districts \ school society cotn- mittee al lhiee was chosen, also stS | school visitors and men were also cho- sen as district committee fot the >.Ne. | rai districts h which they tvlonged | keN Walter lNen, minister ftom l4si to ls26, frequently visited the schools ealcchisine the scholars and seuetimeS offering q fcWntd to those who had committed Ibeeolife shorter eateehism lo memory nufng the pa>tofale et Mt tNon lhe catechism WAS Feciied esets ~alufdaN, when there was ontN ene-halg day ei seheal \ certain l quantity ii fteNtod wsls issessea each pupil and if the wood was not prompts ] ls delivered nj the school the papii N a> moi allowed to tvmain in school. | This custom was continued until about l lssd The Seheoi houses were small, l the desks and seats clumsy and uneoms fertable and decorated hs the boys who hacked their names and initials ! with their pocket knives.
 The girls Wore pastebaafd sunlon, nets, domestic ginyham and linsy. | wooden dresses. They took their sew. | ing and knitting to school and also worked samplers. Pupils were re- l quired 10 make their manners" to eN- cry one they met going to and from school.
 In ls22 the east part of the Center district was set of and called the Fac tory district. which was discontinued in 1884.
 In i>A the school societs voted that Il be recommended to the several school tt.s.t. t .shs.,..s ..n., .,, ,,,.rx. s,,,I