History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

nary, New York City, in 187 1 . He remained pastor
almost five years, and was dismissed Jime -Ih, 1877.
In November, 1877, Rev. Eufus C. Flagg began
his labors here, aud he is now the acting pastor of
the church.
Preliminary steps were taken for the organi-
zation of the Methodist Episcopal Society in
1869. Subscriptions for the purpose of erecting
a church edifice were started .July 5. The paper
was headed by Mr. Charles G. Sargent, who sub-
scribed two thousand dollars, and gave the site for
the proposed building. This sum was increased by
smaller subscriptions to three thousand dollars on
the same day. A class was formetl, July 30, and
Arthur Wright appointed class-leader.
The site given by Mr. Sargent was conveyed by
deed ; a design by S. S. AYoodcock, architect, was
adopted, and a contract for building the house was
formed with Messrs. Mead, Mason & Co., of Con-
ecrd. New Hampshire, to erect the edifice above
the foundation for S8,900. The church edifice
was finished, and dedicated March 33, 1871. The
sermon on that occasion was preached by Rev. J.
M. Buckley, of Stamford, Connecticut. The total
cost of the house and its furnishings was §10,786,
of which $6,.58.'5 were paid or pledged, and a debt
incurred of .|-1,303. It is of wood, one hundred
feet long and forty-three feet wide. The audito-
rium is fifty-two feet long and forty-two feet wide,
with sittings for three hundred and forty-two per-
sons. The chapel in the rear is forty-two feet
long and twenty-nine wide. It is in the form of a
transept, with a neat tower and spire intersecting
with the main building. The style is Gothic.
Rev. Miner H. A. Evans was the first pastor, and
remained two years. Rev. Nathaniel B. Fisk be-
gan his labors April 9, 1871, and continued three
full years. Mr. Fisk's ministry was very success-
ful, and at its close " the official members passed a
resolution highly complimentary to the pastor."
Rev. James F. Mears was the next pastor. His
ministry began April 14, 1874, and lasted two
years. Rev. M. H. A. Evans was again pastor,
from Aprd 4, 1876, to April, 1879, when Rev. A.
Wood was sent to the field.
The death of Charles G. Sargent, in 1878, took
from the society its originator and chief financial
patron. The official board passed the following
preamble and resolution :
—
WESTFORD. 4S1
church to become its pastor, and he was ordained
" W/iereax, Divine ProTideiicc has removed from tliis
September 11, 1873. He graduated at Amherst
College in 1868, and at Uuion Theological Semi-
life diaries G. Sargent, Chaii'nian of our Board of Trustees,
—
"Resoli-ef!, Tliat tlie official boai'd expresses its profound
esteem I'oi' tlie life and character of Mr. Sargent, and its
sympathy with the family and the society, which have lost
a devutcil friend and taithlul counsellor."
Eihicaiional History.— The people of Westford
have always supported the cause of popular educa-
tion with commendable liberality. Schools were
first kept in private houses, and for oidy one term
in the year. At a later date there were two terms
each year, but these were short. The town was
early divided into school squadrons, of which there
were four, — the Centre ; the South, corresponding
to Parkerville ; the West, corresponding to Forge
Village; and the North, including the region about
Long-sought-for Pond. For a long time the
selectmen seem to have had the entire control of
the schools. They made all the contracts with
the teachers, and gave the orders to the town-
treasurer for the payment of their wages. In
those halcyon days that long-suffering body of
men, now known as the school-committee, had no
existence.
The first school-teacher in town, so far as can
be ascertained from the records, was Joseph Underwood,
.Jr., who was employed in 17-34. "May
3S, 1735, the selectmen voted to pay to Mr.
Joseph Underwood, Jr., for his keeping school in
this town in 1734, the sum of £13, to be in full
for said service."
Of those who taught in our schools in the
last century we notice a few who were prominent
or who taught for a long period. In 1739 Wil-
liam Bowen appears. This man had more or less
to do with our schools from 1740 to 177-5, a
period of thirty-five years. He was a retired
clergyman, and lived on Francis' Hill, in the east
part of the town.
Penuel Bowen, who was a teacher here in 1763,
is supposed to be his son. The following persons,
who were probably graduates of Harvard, were
teachers in this town during the last century. The
date of their teaching is given : —
Joseph Perry, 1753; Amos Moody, 1759;
John Treadwell, 1759; William Russell, 1763;
Penuel Bowen, 1763 ; Jeremiah Dummer Rogers,
1763; Stephen Hall, 1764; Nathaniel Cooper, 1764;
Jonathan Crane, M. D., 1767; William Hobart,
1768; Elijah Fletcher, 1769; Ebenezer Allen,
1773 ; Amos Crosby, 1785 ; Ebenezer Hill, 1787.
The first woman employed to teach in this town