Annual Reports of the Town Officers of Dublin, N.H., for the Year Ending

: ^y (PJ- C ^^'.^'U^i ^am^- ANNUAL REPORTS TOWN OFFICERS DUBLIN, N. H -FOi; THE YK.M k:;i)ing- MARCH !, 1893. HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN DUBLIN FrOiM 1752 TO 1893. __^._j.,^_.^. PETERBORO' TRANSCRIPT OFFICE, JOHN SCOTT, PROPRIETOR. Uolverstty of New Ifajn?!!SW Library ANNUAL REPORTS TOWN OFFICERS DUBLIN, N. H -I nic riii; vi:au knmim. MARCH I, il!93 HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN DUBLIN l'"l<ci\l 1752 K) 1H9V — :-• y-< •-: — PF;1P:R1!()R(V: I KVNSCKIIT OKI'ICE, JOHN SCOTP, l'K< )I'KIF, if »K. 1893. N 'i< Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2009 witii funding from Boston Library Consortium IVIember Libraries littp://www.arcliive.org/details/annualreportsoft1893dubl HISTORY OF EDUCATION IlSr DUBLIN, N. H., FROM 1752 TO 1893. IlSrTRODUCTION. In accordance with a suggestion by the State Supei'intendent of Public Instruction, accompanied by a reqiiest from the committee having in charge the New Hampsliire educational exhibit at the World's Fair in Chicago, during the summer of 1893, tlie following brief history has been pre^jared. More liglit is constantly breaking forth from public and private records, and from the ti'aditions of the aged, the time in life wlien youth- ful impressions reappear in all their freshness and vigor, whicli en- ables the historian to purify any former work he may have done by the elimination of error, and embellish it by the introduction of im- portant facts. When, by reason of conflict of testimony, the line of truth has become dim and doubtful, a long experience combined with close observation has usually been found an unerring guide in the right direction. The reader should bear in mind that in the year 1870, July 2, the nortli three "ranges of lots," upon which lived about one-half of the inhabitants, and comprising 47-100 of the wealth of the town, including four schoolhouses, were set off to compose a portion of the newly- constituted town of Harrisville. Previously there were ten school districts, subsequently bu.t six, under the municipal control of the town of Dublin. The town of Dublin is situated in latitude 42° 55' north, and 4° 55" east longitude from Washington. Its elevation is somewhat remark- able considering its nearness to the sea. Monadnock mountain, occupying the southwest part, its pinnacle being a short distance over the town line in Jaffrey, is 3169 feet above tide water. Monadnock lake, near the centre, has an elevation of 1493 feet. Beech Hill 1884 feet, or 391 feet above the lake. The M. & K. R. R. station at Harrisville is 263 feet below the lake. For agricultural purposes the soil is ill adapted, i3eing rocky and clayey, and requiring more enterprise and industry than are usually combined in the average man in order that he be able to accumulate an ample competency by actual farming. : 'I HISTORY OF EDUCATION. FIRST SETTLEMENT. In the year 1752, the town of Dnblin, in the County of Cheshire, and State of New Hampshire, was first settled by William Thornton. He built a log cabin and otherwise made himself a home in the east part, near a branch of the Contoocook river, on what has since been known as the Isaac Appleton farm. The exact location is indicated by a modest marble monument bearing the inscription: The first white settlement in Dublin, N". H., was made here by Col. William Thornton in 1752, in 6tli Range, Lot ISTo. 1. Will each visitor add a small stone to this monumental pile. Here Mr. Thornton and wife sipped their beau porridge or, per- chance, dined on speckled trout from the near-by river, and here, in their lowly cabin, Molly Thornton, their daughter, acquired the noto- riety of being the first child of the Caucasian race born within the town limits. He remained a few years, and then left for fear of the Indians, who, about that time, had become murderously aggressive, and there is no record or tradition that he ever returned. That he was "Col." is qu.estionable; but he was a brother of Matthew Thorn- ton who was Colonel of Militia, and one of the most distinguished men of the times, being a signer of the Declaration of Independence. NAME OF DUBLIN. About the year 1750 there were eight "townships" occupying the "foot-hills" of Mt. Monadnock, all known by the name Monadnock, but for more explicit distinction were numbered as follows Monadnock No. 1, changed to Rindge when incorporated in 1768 " " 2, " Jaffrey 1773 " " .3, " Dublin 1771 " " " 4, " Fitzwilliam 1773 "5, " Marlborough " 1776 " "6, Packersfield (Nelson in 1814) 1774 " " "7, Stoddard when incorporated in 1774 " " "8, " Washington 1776 Why Dublin was called or named Dublin is a statement only to be found on some page of "unwritten his'tory," and why it should not be so named is a question of very difficult solution Jaffrey is conspicuous by reason of its being the only town of that name within the boundaries of the United States of America. Stod- dard was first named Limerick, and Rindge, Rowley Canada. SECOND SETTLEMENT. The next settlers were descendants of Scotch people who lived in the north of Ireland, commonly called Scotch Irish. Henry Strongman was the only one of this class of settlers who remained permanently in town, and some of his descendants still reside here. About the year 1760 or 1762, a large number of settlers came from Sherborn, Mass., and made Dublin their home. Many of their descendants still reside among the hills where their grandfathers first felled the forest. All through the town records their names are thick- HISTORY OF EDUCATION. 6 ly interspersed. They were hardy, intelligent and shrewd, and it is reasonable to presume that the home instruction of their children was eared for to the extent of their means and ability; first, perhaps, in single families, afterwards by a union of families, the teacher being paid, if paid at all, by private contribution. (Many single families in those days numbered more children than some whole school districts do at present.) At one time Capt. John Warren had ten children in constant attendance at the common school. In the year 1773 we find the first account of a public APPKOPRIATION FOR SCHOOLS, which was a grant of four jjounds ($1.3.33) "to keep a woman's school in three parts of the town," which would give each school $4.44. At 44 cents per week, the usual price in those days, this would employ a teacher, if she "boarded round," ten weeks in each of the three places. Whei'e, and by whom these schools were taught, are questions upon which history is silent. (See roll of names of teachers.) It is well established, however, that the following named persons were employed as teachers during the early days of Dublin history; John Perry, Alexander Emes, Adam Johnson, Sally Smith, Edward Sprague, Sam- uel Appleton, Amos Twitchell, Sarah Twitchell, and others. John Perry is represented as one whose natural and acquired abili- ties adapted him to the business of teaching. His commanding phy- sique and dignity of deportment enabled him to command the respect of his pupils to an eminent degree. Alexander Emes was a man of singular wit and sarcasm, with the judicious use of which he managed to keep his school docile and at- tentive. His reputation stood high so that, in 1788, he was paid eight dollars and sixty-seven cents per month for teaching two months. In 1790 Sarah Twitchell received three dollars and fifty-two cents for services as teacher eight weeks. Adam Johnson was somewhat noted for executive ability and pre- eminent scholarship, and his services were often at a premium on account of his rare ability to manage uni'uly schools. 'Tis said that a solemn stillness was sure to pervade the room whenever he uttered his characteristic fiat, "God knows I will be obeyed." Of the career of Sally Smith as a teacher not much has been handed down to us. Very likely she was efficient to a creditable degree, and we know she was a ^/iOM(//iit/Mi person; for in later life we often saw her walking upon the street, but never without her large blue um- brella, be the weather fair or foul. Eor the three years next succeeding, six pounds, or twenty dollars, were annually granted for schools. In 1777 no money was raised for the purposes of education. In 1779 the town voted "to raise one hun- dred pounds for schools the present year." This sum was probably reckoned in depreciated continental money, and would really amount to a few cents less than $20. In 1780 the Selectmen were authorized "to assess what they think proper" for schools. 4 HISTORY OF EDUCATION. In 1782 the town voted $26.67, and the Selectmen were instructed "to divide the town into five parts for schooling, and give each part their proportion of school-money, and each part shall lay out their money within the year, in such schooling as they think best." In 1781, 1783 and 1784, it is said no money was granted. In 1787 the town voted fifty pounds ($166.67), since which time, with some variations, the amount appropriated per annum has been upon a tolerably regular ratio of increase up to the time of the division of the town in 1870, July 2, when it was $1500. In 1875 the amount appropriated for common schools was $850; for High School, including income of Appleton Fund, $202.50; total, $1052.50.

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