For the last 40 years there has been
from 20 to 28 weeks’ schooling yearly in nearly all of the districts.
The following were chosen superintending committee of schools, under the
statute passed in 1827:
| 1828, Epaphroditus
Ransom,
Rev. James Kimball, Rev. Joseph M. Graves, Dr. W. R. Ranney, Oliver Wilkinson,
Jr., Samuel Gray, Dana Bailey;
1829, Charles
Phelps,
James Kimball, Epaphroditus Ransom, Samuel
Gray, Oliver
Wilkinson, Jr.,
Horace Starkweather, W. R. Ranney;
1830, Charles
Phelps,
W. R. Ranney, James Kimball, Silas Clark, Horace Starkweather, W. R. Ranney,
Simeon Chamberlain;
1832, Charles
Phelps,
W. R. Ranney, Dana Bailey, Simeon Chamberlain, Charles
Clark;
1833, Simeon
Chamberlain,
Charles Phelps, Horatio N. Graves, Epaphroditus
Ransom, Oliver Wilkinson,
Jr. |
Town superintendents of schools chosen
in the following years:
1846-50,
1852-54,
Rev. Horace Fletcher;
1851, Waitstill
R. Ranney;
1855, Rev.
John Wood;
1856-59,
Claudius B. Smith;
1860-63,
Rev. Chester L. Cushman,
1864-66-68,
Nelson Winslow;
1867-71,
Lincoln E. Shattuck;
1869-70,
George H. Houghton;
1872-76,
Rev. Franklin W. Olmsted;
1877-78,
Prof. C. C. Boynton. |
On the 9th of January, 1837, the town
appointed Clark Wilkinson, Samuel Gray, and Horace Howe, trustees to receive
and take charge of such sum of United States deposit money as the town
may be entitled to receive from the
treasurer of this State, agreeably
to an act of the Legislature thereof, approved Nov. 17, 1836. At
the same meeting the town passed the following resolution:
Resolved, As the sense of this
meeting, that the money to be deposited in the hands of the trustees shall
be loaned to individuals of the town with one or more sureties, in sums
not less than fifty dollars, nor over one hundred dollars; preference to
be given to those who wish it to pay debts, over those who are in easy
circumstances.
The following persons were chosen in
the years set against their names, to serve as trustees of the United States
deposit money:
| Clark Wilkinson,
1837-62, Samuel Gray, 1837-52, Horace Howe, 1837-42, Ralph Brintnall, 1843-45,
John Blanchin, 1846-65, Charles D. Bellamy, 1853-58, Charles Clark, 1859-65,
Alfred A. Ranney, 1864-65,
James H. Phelps, 1866-78.
1847, March
29. The town voted to borrow fifteen hundred dollars of the United States
deposit money, for benefit of the town. |
UNITED
STATES DEPOSIT MONEY
Distributed
to Townshend on census of 1830 $3,308.67
Distributed
to Townshend on census of 1840 $3,083.51
Distributed
to Townshend including Acton, on census of 1850 $3,888.08
Distributed
to Townshend on census of 1860 $2,921.83
Distributed
to Townshend on census of 1870 $2,370.43
|
SELECT
SCHOOLS
Commencing in 1826 and ending in 1833,
during the fall of each year a select school was kept at the West Village.
The terms for 1826 and 1827 were kept by Mr. Fisher; those for 1828 and
1829 by Mr. Cressy; and that for 1830 by Mr. Stuart. These gentlemen
were college graduates; the first two of Amherst and the last of Middlebury
college.
THE
LELAND AND GRAY SEMINARY
What is now the Leland and Gray Seminary
at Townshend, was incorporated by the Legislature of Vermont in 1834, under
the name of the Leland Classical and English School. The name was
given in honor of Lieut. Gov. Leland, a prominent clergyman in the Baptist
denomination. The school was organized under the Woodstock Association
of Baptist Churches. In 1886, through the efforts of Mr. E. J. Knapp,
a fund of over $11,000 was obtained for this school. A. F. Tilton,
A. B., was the first principal. Other prominent names appear as instructors.
Among them are Moses Lyford, H. L. Wayland, C. B. Smith, Horace Burchard,
Edward
Judson, Milon Davidson, and C. C. Boynton. D. G. Smyth is
the present principal. English and classical studies are taught.
Pupils are fitted for any New England college.
|
