superintend the business and work on the building until it should be completed; and he was to receive ten shillings per day if he fulfilled his part of the contract. But for some cause unknown to the committee, after having received a part of his wages he left the work very abruptly, and much to the disadvantage of the town; and therefore is not in justice entitled to anything more for his services.

"Every other bill respecting the house we believe has been received and will be adjusted without any difficulty whatever. "All which is respectfully submitted to the town by

This report was accepted April 2, 1838.

This report is a lengthy one; but it contains such a complete account of the origin of one of the town's most cherished buildings, that the author feels confident that our townspeople will be glad to see it in print, especially that large number of them who received their early education there, and who hold the building in tender remembrance.

Our people have been familiar with this building all their lives; but there are few, if any of them, who know how near it once came to becoming a fortress. It was only the high cost of labor and building materials that prevented this. On June 11, 1849, the town "Voted to build a stone wall around the school house in District No. 1, the same to be of large stones and narrow on the top so that the scholars cannot throw it down nor run on the top of it, and that it be built about 3 feet high." Whether this were done to keep the scholars within narrow limits at recess time or to protect them from threatened attacks by scholars from the other districts, does not appear. Let us hope, however, that the boys of the center district were not cowards, and that they were able to hold their own with boys from other parts of the town. At any rate, the proposed Chinese wall was never built, for the committee reported the following year "that the lowest offer for doing the same was $4.88 per rod; and thinking it higher than it is for the interest of the town to pay, asks leave to build a suitable board or pickett fence instead of stone."

This building was used for school purposes continuously for nearly sixty years, until the Hudson Street house was erected in 1895 and the "district schools" became a thing of the past.

The Northborough Grange purchased the Center schoolhouse in 1895, since which time it has been the home of that worthy organization.

THE FACTORY SCHOOL

The Factory school was built in 1880 and began its career of usefulness December 6 of that same year, with Miss Emily F. Wheeler of West Newton, as teacher.

It must not be supposed, however, that that date marks the beginning of educational advantages in that part of the town. Like all new school districts, the Factory district was not established until the need became imperative. The first mill began operations in the first quarter of the century (about 1820 or 1822). That brought to the village many families from Canada, mostly French, who had very little knowledge of the English language. In those days there was no law compelling children to attend school. Families were large, and the children went to work in the mill at a tender age.

Efforts were made from time to time, to correct this evil; for it was considered a very serious evil that children should grow up in the community without even the rudiments of an education, and especially, without the ability to speak the language of the community. Some of the children attended the district school, but that was too far away for the youngest children of school age. The first efforts to remedy the evil were on a small scale. The children were gathered into private homes and teachers were provided for them. This plan was continued for some years, with more or less success-rather less than more.

In 1858 a more concerted effort was made. What success attended the effort is told by the school committee in their report for the years 1858-59, from which report we quote the following:

"Owing to circumstances well-known, their duties (the committee's) the past season have been somewhat more onerous than usual. Early in the season, they were called upon to provide for, organize, and superintend a school for the special benefit of the children connected with the cotton mills, for which the town had made an appropriation of fifty dollars. As the mills were not in operation, quite a large number of children were without employment; and we consider it a fortunate circumstance, that funds had been provided by the town for opening a school for their benefit. A room was fitted up for their accommodation, a teacher (Mrs. Cyrus Davis) appointed. and more than thirty children, including several young persons between the ages of sixteen and twenty, and one adult of fortyfive, most of them the children of foreigners (French-Canadian), some of whom were wholly ignorant of our language, attended with much constancy. It was gratifying to witness the interest

they manifested in their studies, and the proficiency they made, during the ten weeks that the school lasted. All of them learned to read, some with more fluency and correctness; several made good proficiency in arithmetic and geography; and all were able to write and spell about as well as other children of the same age.

"In a word, we have no hesitation in saying that the school accomplished all that it promised, and fully as much as we anticipated. The whole number of scholars attending this school was thirty-six; of which number, twenty-eight were present at the examination."

But notwithstanding this large measure of success this arrangement did not continue; and for the reason, doubtless, that parents found it more profitable to keep their children at work in the mills.

But within a few years conditions changed. Children were more numerous and they desired to attend school. Largely through the efforts of the school committee, and Mr. Chapin and Mr. Wood, owners of the two mills, the Factory school was built in 1880 and a long-needed educational want was realized.

As has already been stated, the new school opened its doors on the sixth day of December, 1880, with Miss Wheeler as teacher, and it has been in operation ever since. It was a difficult work that Miss Wheeler undertook, for it was "the largest school in town" and the teacher was young and inexperienced. In the language of the school committee, "to attempt to control and teach 58 restless children varying in age from 4 to 14 years is an undertaking to severely tax the skill and endurance of a veteran teacher." But Miss Wheeler succeeded in the difficult undertaking, and remained in the school until she herself became a "veteran' teacher. She left it in June, 1885, after a faithful service of five years.

Writing to the author in 1907, Miss Wheeler (referring to the children in the school) said: "In the main they were bright, affectionate, and obedient children. A horse-whipping administered the last day of the first week, just to prove the fallacy of ever-effective moral suasion, subdued the bullying, swaggering, and boastful 'son of Erin' into a sunny, obedient, well-balanced pupil, and quite upset the high ideals of the teacher in the direction of discipline. I remained until June, 1885, and parted from those children with reluctance and with a memory of my happy years. They were the most grateful and appreciative children with whom I have ever dealt.'

For forty years the Factory school has exerted an important influence upon the life and character of the mill villages. Many of its pupils were "foreigners" when they entered the school, but when they left it, they were as true and loyal Americans as any town ever had.

THE HUDSON STREET SCHOOL

The district schools which had been the pride of the town for a century and a quarter were soon doomed to become a thing of the past. There had been for some time, a feeling that the interests of the children could be better served if they could be brought together into one central building. This feeling was crystalized in 1894 when the town, in special meeting, voted that a suitable school building be erected to accommodate both the high and grammar schools. The vote stood ninety-two to eighty-eight.

But

It now looked as though a new building were assured. alas! and alack! This vote was rescinded one month later. But the proponents of the new idea in education would not be downed, and through their efforts another meeting was held (May 29). This meeting took final action favoring a new building, and appointed Guilford P. Heath, Nathaniel Randlett, Francis M. Harrington, Lewis F. Stratton and Richard R. Yates a committee to build the same. This committee was also empowered to select a site for the building.

The committee lost no time in attending to the business assigned them. They selected the site, erected the building, and the new schoolhouse was occupied in the fall of 1895.

All the district schools save the west and factory districts were brought together in the new building. The West school preserved its individuality a few years longer, when it, too, was absorbed by the new school.

CHAPTER IX

THE NORTHBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL

The Northborough High School was organized in 1866. It must not be supposed however, that it sprang into being all at once; on the contrary, it was the result of an agitation extending over a period of thirty years. As early as 1835 the need for a high school was realized by some of our people, and the town appointed a committee to look into the matter. This committee made a thorough investigation of the entire school situation, the results of which are embodied in a report of three thousand words. Any town might well feel proud to have such a report upon its records: It reflects credit not only upon the committee who made it, but upon the town that accepted it and tried to put its recommendations into operation. The author questions whether there be anywhere a more intelligent understanding of the educational problem, especially when we consider the early period in which it was written. It is not possible to reproduce that lengthy report in this place, but as reflecting the thought on public school education that was in the minds of our people at that early time, we might be permitted to quote that portion of the report which sums up the reasons why the town should establish a high school. It says:

"Several reasons were suggested to the minds of your committee for the adoption of the plan proposed, some of which they may be permitted here to give:

"1. Scholars are now in the habit of leaving school at too early an age, while their education is very incomplete. It is thought that a high school will remedy this defect in consequence of the stronger inducements which the more advanced scholars will have to attend. Should this be the case, it is obvious that the standard of education will be raised in our whole community.

"2. Again, such a school might in some measure take the place of a seminary for teachers; and it cannot be doubted that a much larger number of persons would qualify themselves to keep school than is now the case. By this means we should be able to furnish a supply not only for our own schools but for the schools in other places. And we should have not only more but better teachers for our district schools. Our winter schools would be what our summer schools now are, under the care of