Chapter II.

SECONDARY EDUCATION.

THE EARLY ACADEMIES.1

Any history of education in New Hampshire would be incomplete without mention of the various academies and seminaries that have existed.

In common with the other settlers of New England, the people of New Hampshire from the first placed a high estimate upon education. Knowing that in a free State, where the people govern, it is indispensable that they be virtuous and intelligent, the developing of such a population has never been lost sight of. Hence the laws have always carefully looked after the instruction of the young, that not a child might grow up in ignorance either of its moral duties or of those branches of knowledge which should fit it for successful citizenship. There has also been a desire, not only to secure universal instruction in common and rudimentary branches, but to encourage a higher education and furnish facilities for all who wished to gain it; indeed, to stimulate as many as possible to seek for it. The first law in regard to common schools enacted in the State after the Revolution required not only the raising of moneys in every town "to be expended for the sole purpose of keeping an English grammar school or schools for teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic, but in each shire or halfshire town the school kept shall be a grammar school for the purpose of teaching the Latin and Greek languages, as well as the aforesaid branches." Although sixteen years later this last provision was repealed, yet the spirit which originally led to its enactment led subsequently to the founding of academies in various parts of the State. The means requisite for the erection of suitable buildings for these institutions, and often for partial endowment, were the result, frequently, of the munificence of some single individual, sometimes of a few, and again by the contributions generally of the citizens of a place. Some of these schools have been limited to districts or neighborhoods and towns; others have received a wider patronage. The want of such schools has been felt and their utility never questioned. The State has been free to encourage them by acts of incorporation.

'Prepared by Prof. Henry E. Parker, of Dartmouth, and published in Sanborn's History of New Hampshire.

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These academies have gradually dotted over the surface of the In many a place they stand side by side with the village church, the chief architectural ornaments of the town, and as the Sabbath bell from the latter has convened within the sanctuary walls the Sabbath worshipers from brookside and hillside far and near, so the academy bell on the week day has just as widely from the same firesides gathered the youth for secular instruction, the latter, however, daily introduced by morning religious services and often concluded by similar evening devotions. These academies have aimed to give superior advantages of education. They have instructed the youth of both sexes in the common and higher branches of a good English education; they have fitted young men for college and prepared teachers for our common schools. The influence of these institutions has been very great and excellent, contributing so largely as they have toward elevating the standard of intelligence and of character among the young people of the State. Still, as early as 1862 Secretary Patterson says, in his annual report, that

In the opinion of many of our best educators these private seminaries have had the effect to lessen the efficiency and vitality of the public schools. Certain it is that a public school does not ordinarily flourish in the immediate vicinity of a private school.

And Amos Hadley, in his first report in 1868 as superintendent of public instruction, says:

Though the academy may find a competitor in the public high school, yet will it have its place in our educational system. It will have its peculiar advantages. Its endowments will enable it to provide means for a more thorough culture in many branches of knowledge than it can be expected that public taxation will very soon, if ever, afford the public high school. Besides, that density of population and that abundance and concentration of pecuniary means which are conditions essential to the support of the high school will be wanting for a long time yet in many sections of our country and State. It is in the academy that the bright boys and girls on our sparsely populated hills must find their high school. The academy is not to be decried; even the denominationalism of its basis in any case has a tendency to concentrate sectarian interest and zeal upon the cause of education, and it is turning them to a good account. There are in our State as reported 51 academic institutions in a condition more or less flourishing. Some of these, however, being almost wholly dependent upon local support and hardly entitled to be classed with the academy proper, stand in the way of gradation of the common schools in their localities and thus injuriously affect the interests of popular education. One practicable way of treating such cases would be to adopt the so-called academy for the high school of the town or village and grade the other schools accordingly.

No extended effort has been made to gather the history of the academies that have flourished but are now discontinued. A mere mention of many of them, however, will be made, together with such brief histories as could be obtained.

The first academy established in New Hampshire was that of Phillips Academy at Exeter, chartered by the State two years before the

Revolutionary war, and opened for students the same year with the close of that struggle.

Five years later the academy of New Ipswich was chartered "for the purpose," in the words of the charter, "of promoting piety and virtue, and for the education of youth in the English, Latin, and Greek languages, in writing, arithmetic, music, and the art of speaking, practical geometry, logic, geography, and such other of the liberal arts and sciences or languages as opportunity may hereafter permit.' Such language, as well as the preamble of the charter, "Whereas the education of youth has ever been considered by the wise and good as an object of the highest consequence to the safety and happiness of a people, as at an early period of life the mind easily receives and retains impressions and is most susceptible of the rudiments of useful knowledge," together with the concluding provision of the charter exempting all the properties of the academy from taxation and its students from a poll tax, a favor granted by the State to other similar institutions, indicate the spirit with which such charters were given. This institution, whose name was changed subsequently to Appleton Academy, honored in its list of instructors and graduates, still maintains its high position.

Six other academies were chartered by the State prior to the close of the last century, at Atkinson, Amherst, Chesterfield, Charlestown, Haverhill, and Gilmanton, the first and last of which, aided by endowments, have continued in useful operation to the present time. Since 1800 some fifty additional academies have been established, some of which arose to a position of prominence and distinction. Among these were Hopkinton, Henniker, Salisbury, Walpole, and Hancock, which were each for a quarter of a century thriving and prosperous institutions, liberally patronized, and well conducted. Many persons who in later years filled high and responsible positions received their education at these schools. The Woodman Academy at Sanbornton Square, the Sanbornton Academy at Sanbornton Bridge, the Gilford Academy at Laconia, and the Instructors' School at Franklin were prosperous schools at a still later date.

The Instructors' School was established by the citizens of Franklin, and had one principal, Capt. Benjamin M. Tyler. He remained in the school the fourth of a century. Mr. Tyler was educated at Pembroke Academy and at Norwich, Vt., under Captain Partridge. He was the author of an arithmetic. Particular attention was given to the English language, history, mathematics, and natural sciences. The school possessed a good apparatus. As a teacher of what is now styled modern or normal methods, Mr. Tyler was far in advance of his time. In fact, he possessed the qualities of a superior teacher, a pure and noble character, a large share of common sense, and a good education. Spring and fall terms for years in succession, before any normal school had been established in America, Mr. Tyler regularly

formed and taught a "teachers' class." This class was attended by young men and women from a wide section of territory who were preparing to teach. The principles of the branches taught in the common schools were explained and illustrated and the methods of teaching and school management were discussed. In a word, fiftyfive years ago Mr. Tyler maintained at Franklin a superior normal school.

The history of Kimball Union Academy, at Meriden, has been of no ordinary interest. The conception of it originated with a young clergyman in a neighboring town, who had enjoyed the advantages of foreign travel and had been greatly impressed with the character of the English classical schools. His idea was adopted by other clergymen, and at an ecclesiastical convention comprised of two neighboring ministerial associations, one from Vermont and the other from New Hampshire, it was decided to go forward and found the contemplated institution.

Pinkerton Academy, at Derry, incorporated a year later than Kimball Union Academy, at Meriden, went into operation the same year with the latter, and has similarly had an honorable, useful career, maintained to the present time. It also derived its name from its two earliest generous donors, the brothers Maj. John Pinkerton and Deacon James Pinkerton, of Derry.

Several of the prominent academies of the State have been especially fostered by distinctive religious denominations. Such is the New Hampton Literary Institution, especially sustained by the Freewill Baptist denomination, whose site and buildings were originally and mainly obtained through the munificence of a liberal resident of that town, Rufus G. Lewis, esq. Such is the very flourishing New London Literary and Scientific Institution, generously cherished by the Baptists and without a rival among the schools patronized by that denomination. Such is the New Hampshire Conference Seminary and Female College, at Tilton, an honor to the Methodist denomination. Such also is St. Paul's School for Boys, the attractive Episcopal institution at Millville, Concord, incorporated by the legislature in 1850, and greatly indebted for its foundation to the generosity of Dr. George C. Shattuck, of Boston. This has now for years justly been a favorite school with Episcopalians, beyond, perhaps, any other which they support.

Most honorable mention is also merited for such institutions as Francestown Academy, established in 1818; Blanchard Academy, Pembroke, incorporated the same year; Hopkinton Academy, incorporated in 1827; Boscawen Academy, incorporated in 1828; Nashua Literary Institution, incorporated in 1841; and Penacook Academy, at Fisherville, incorporated in 1866. Others might justly be added to this list. All these academical institutions, with perhaps two exceptions, are open to students of both sexes, while the State has some similar institutions of a high character devoted entirely to the instruc

tion of young ladies. Such is the Adams Female School at Derry, of very honorable history in its teachers and graduates. Such is the large, flourishing, and beautifully situated institution at West Lebanon, Tilden Young Ladies' Seminary, incorporated in 1869, and bearing the name of the gentleman through whose liberal gifts its buildings were erected. Such is the Robinson Seminary at Exeter, bearing the name of the gentleman through whose munificent bequest it was established-a bequest larger than any other literary institution in the State ever received at its foundation. Such also was the Young Ladies' Seminary maintained and taught by Miss Catherine Fisk, of Keene, which for a quarter of a century was of the highest reputation.

These numerous academical institutions of the State, established with high religious as well as educational aims, and ever conducted in accordance with the spirit and purpose of their foundation, many of them occupying sites so remarkable in their commanding prospect and beauties of surrounding scenery as to be an education in themselves; these academical institutions, now largely supplemented and worthily rivaled by the high schools established in all the cities and large towns of our State, together with the normal school more recently established, are the pride and almost chief honor of New Hampshire.

Frances Abbott, in the Granite Monthly for August, 1887, refers as follows to the old-time academies:

The academies have become a dream of the past. Scattered all through the New England towns you will find old brick buildings, now either disused or diverted from their original purpose, which a generation ago were nurseries of literary culture. They were centers of local pride. To be an academic town then was a greater distinction than now to be the capital of the State. There is scarcely a man or woman of distinction at the present day who does not owe the better part of his or her education to the academy where they spent the happiest days of their youth. * They were always tuition schools. The fee was low, for the conditions of life were simple, but the education was held valuable enough to be worth a price.

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The academies have dwindled away like the mountain streams when the forests are cut down. A few have survived and have been specialized into expensive college-preparatory schools. Boys alone are the students, and they, instead of being received as formerly into private families of the village, and surrounded by the humanizing influences of a home, are now congregated together into dormitories. * *

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What causes have brought about these changes? The most important are the tendency of the population toward the cities, and the preference for machinery over individual labor. These have killed the academy and produced the free graded school system, of which the high school is the bright and shining head.

EDUCATION IN HOPKINTON.1

It is said the first schools were of an itinerant character, the teacher going from house to house giving and hearing lessons.

'The following sketch, which we have abbreviated, was prepared by C. C. Lord and published in the Granite Monthly, April, 1878. The history of education in Hopkinton does not differ essentially from that of many other towns of the State.