History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

I
1755.] FIRST SCHOOL-COMMITTEE—NEW COURT-HOUSE. 303
the writin.a: uiul reading scholars in all seasons of the
year." In May tlie town voted to build a school-honse of
brick, 36 by 18 feet. It was to be placed in the vicinity of
the old school-house, which was to be disposed of, and the
proceeds appropriated towards the expense of the new one.
An account of the committee having charge of the work,
is on file among the documents of the year 1755, which
shows an expenditure of ^^84.10.05.
" Shepherd's Island." The Island in Connecticut River, formerly
known as " Stoddard's Island" and later as
" Shepherd's Island," was first brought into notice in 1754,
when Gideon Lyman of Northampton petitioned the Gen-
eral Court for liberty to purchase the property. He states
that there is an island belonging to the Province between
Fort Meadow in Hadley and Old Rainbow in Northampton,
containing "as he judges" six or seven acres, "whereon
the brush begins to grow, and has been gathering about
30 years," and prays that a committee may be chosen to
sell the same to him. In April, John Worthington and
Oliver Partridge were appointed to sell the Island " for the
most it will bring." Nothing seems to have been accomplished
under this vote, and Gideon Lyman, though he
owned land in Old Rainbow, opposite the Island, failed to
make the purchase.
The Island a Bone This Island, as the petition of Lyman
of Contention. sliows, had been many years accumulating.
For a long time it was nothing but sand,
upon which a few bushes began to grow. By degrees it
became covered with soil, and grass appeared. It was
then claimed by both Northampton and Hadley. Farmers
from both towns claimed the crop, and one j^ear it was
mowed by a man from Hadley, named Brooks, but the hay
was carried off by Nathaniel Day of this town. In order
to settle the ownership, the General Court, in 1770, appointed
John Worthington, Joseph Hawley, and Elisha
Porter, a committee to sell the property. It consisted at
that time, "of three or four acres of good improved land
and about as much more that is likely to become fit for
improvement in a short time." They sold it at " public