History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

with an occasional lecture preceding the debate,
but has of late years developed into a lecture
course, which, from its antiquity and the quality
of its lectures, is the pride of the town.
The first mention of schools in the town records
is under the date of March 31, 1735, when it was
voted " that the selectmen provide a school mas-
ter." They hired Johu Powers. At that time and
for many years after, it was the custom to have
one school from four to six months in the year,
kept in private houses, and generally moving from
one part of the town to another during the time, but
in some years it was kept wholly in the Centre.
May 19, 1760, the town voted "to abate Mr.
Stephen Shattuck the Rates for his Son's Poll y°
last year on condition his Son Goes to college the
next year."
Repeated attempts to pass votes for sciiool-
houses were unsuccessful until 1795, when the
town voted to build five, but afterwards changed
the number to four, which were built t!ie following
year, the South near the iiouse of J. A. Priest,
the West near the present school-liouse in that
quarter, the North near the " long-store," and the
East at the corner of the road near the house of
Mr. Elbridge Marshall.
This arrangement was unsatisfactory, as it left
the Centre and Old Common without school-iiouses,
and a long struggle for changes was commenced,
which resulted in building school-houses in the
Centre and at Nashoba in 18£2, — of brick to prevent
their being moved, — and the moving of some
of the others; after another struggle a schoolhouse
was built on the Common in IS^.^, making
seven in all. This number was preserved with re-
newals of buildings, and slight changes in location,
until 1867) when the Union school-house, with
grammar and primary schools, was built for the
Common and Centre villages combined. For the
past few years a high school, of one term yearly,
has been kept in the brick town-house.
The selectmen during the Rebellion were in
1861-62 John F. Robbins, John Cutter, and
James A. Parker; in 1863-64.-65 Joseph A.
Priest, William Kimball, and George W. Sander-
son. The town-clerk in 1861, and all through
the war, was William Kimball.
The first town-meeting to consider matters re-
lating to the war was held May 1, 1861, when it
was voted to raise by taxation one thousand dol-
lars, and to authorize the selectmen to borrow
more, if needed, to pay each soldier belonging to
LITTLETON. 51
the town ten dollars a month while in the service,
and to provide for their families. In July a committee
consisting of Richard Hall, F. P. Knowlton,
Thomas S. Tuttle, and Benjamin Edwards were
chosen to act with tiie selectmen in expending the
money appropriated. In July, 1863, it was voted
to pay a bounty of one hundred dollars to each
three years' volunteer, and in August, 1863, the
bounty was raised to one hundred and twenty-five
dollars. It was also voted to keep a full record
of each volunteer belonging to tiie town. The
town continued recruiting and paying bounties
until the end of the war.
The whole number of men furnished was one
hundred and seventeen, a surplus of eighteen over
all demands. Two were commissioned officers.
When the nine months' volunteers were ready to
leave, the people met and escorted them in pro-
cession to Central Hall, where a full meeting wa*
held to bid farewell to and encourage them.
In one instance the town brought home and
buried at its own expense one of the slain. The
total amount of money appropriated^and expended
by the town on account of the war, exclusive of
state aid, was $ 11,104'.33. In addition to this,
the ladies under the presidency of the late Mrs.
S. B. White formed a Soldiers' Aid Society, and
sent many boxes of clothing, bandages, and com-
forts to tiie seat of war.
A Farmers' Club formed February 22, 1869,
has had three successful town fairs, in 1870, 1873,
and 1874.
Littleton is almost entirely a farming town
there are three stores, and two mills for grinding
and sawing. About the time of tlie Revolution
there was a factory for dressing cloth on the brook
near the house of Peter S. Whitcomb; it was
owned by a stock company, which had in 1779
seventeen share-holders, mostly residents. The
population in 1875 was 950 ; in 1860, 1,063 ; and
in 1776, 918; this number, however, included
many who were soon afterwards set off to Box-
borough, so that the number has not been so con-
stant as would appear at first sight.
The valuation of the town was in 1860
$666,270; in 1865, $602,720; in 1875, $707,835.
The town has been represented in the state sen-
ate by Rev. Mr. Foster, Hon. Jonathan Hartwell,
and Hon. Joseph A. Har\\'ood, who is now a mem-
ber of the executive council, holding the higliest
office yet attained by. a citizen of Littleton.
The state-engineer of the Hoosac Tunnel, com-
;