The Mystery of Mont Vernon’s South School House

The Old South Schoolhouse, 13 Old Milford Road, Mont Vernon, NH

Page 51 of our 1907 History of the Town of Mont Vernon, NH notes that a dedication for the new South Schoolhouse was held in June of 1884. The entry drops a few of the most distinguished names associated with the event:  Charles J. Smith, (our history book’s author), and Emily Dodge Simpson, the daughter of Henry C. Dodge (good buddy of our history book’s author).  Not much of a story at first glance, at least to the incurious.  Others might notice the “new” qualifier and wonder if there was an “old” South Schoolhouse? …and if so, what happened to it? A fire? Had it fallen into disuse and disrepair? Did they just fix it up and call it “new”? Lastly, what sort of person would spend hours of effort to find and solve the mystery about a school that has not been in session for a hundred years? 

Fair Warning: expect a few side stories, they should connect eventually…

Mont Vernon’s South School House, pictured here in January 2024. This building housed a school for 40 years, and a home for 100 more (and counting). It is the only one room school house still surviving in the town.

Let’s begin with the mystified and how they came to care about an old school house in one of New Hampshire’s littlest towns. Say hello to the Rorabachers. In 1964 they were a pair of dewy-eyed newlyweds who met while getting educated in Boston. Now they were looking to settle somewhere not too far from their main source of income. The couple represented a smoldering brand of well educated workers that would combust with the Cold War inspired defense industry and spread like wildfire across the southern New Hampshire. 

Only the daring sort were drawn to Mont Vernon in those days. That’s because our quaint little town was truly quaint (no new nothin’, i.e. lots of dirt roads…) and it was little (the population dropped to 601 souls in 1970). Back then, all our modern housing complexes were mere gleams in their developers’ eyes. Imagine the town filled with acres of abandoned farmland and woods full of rocks. A place where all the fanciest houses were more than 60 years old and in need of at least a coat of paint and probably a new roof. Anyone crazy enough to take on all that had but two options: rent an old house, or buy an old house. Folks like the Rorabachers, with a dream of raising a family in the country, tended to start with a rental or two, and then make a purchase.

Here they are in 1969. Mrs. Sally Rorabacher holds her 1 year-old daughter Maria on her lap while 4 year old Anna tries not to distract Charlie the dog. Darold’s first Sanders Associates badge probably featured a smile similar to the one seen here. These folks definitely did their part to reverse Mont Vernon’s dwindling population trend.

The Rorabachers never lived in the home pictured here. Located on Grand Hill, Ridgeway Hall was a summer home for the whole of Madelaine ‘Elaine’ Von Weber‘s life. 

Mrs. Von Weber purchased the 1790’s house on Main Street pictured below to be her easier-to-heat winter residence in Mont Vernon. However, the place was empty as she found an even better winter option in Italy.  It was here that Darold and Sally began their parenting adventure, having their first daughter in 1965.  They were close to expecting their second when their landlord’s Italian plans changed and they had to move.

This picture was likely taken by Mr. Rorabacher as he stood across the street from his domicile during the 1967 Spring Gala. Clearly, the Space Program inspired the theme that year…

Fortunately for the young family, there were still plenty of empty old houses available. They relocated to Harwood Road and rented from Mrs. Hall.  For the next few years, they raised their two young daughters in a house reputed to be the oldest in Mont Vernon. According to our Households book, parts of the log cabin originally constructed here in the 1760’s still exist in some form in the far corner. The other rooms were added on in time. 

Here it is how it looked 1969, after nearly 200 years of keeping its occupants out of the weather.   Again, Darold is probably the photographer, his wife and daughters inside… standing on tip toe to see out the drifted in windows…

William “Bill” Harcovitz, a Jack of many trades, who, wearing his realtor hat, spotted the young Rorabachers and suggested they take a look at the old school house, now a cozy home with fireplace, modern kitchen and self-draining basement. Mr. DeWitt “Duke” Groves was a new widower in poor health, and needed to sell the property.  In January 1971, the Rorabachers dug out of their Harwood rental, and dug in to a house of their very own, on Old Milford Road.

Bruce and Grace Rorabacher loaned their youngest son, Darold, $20,000 for the big transaction, then traveled from Michigan to see the “new” house.

Here they are pictured next to their 3 year old granddaughter, Maria. On the left is her Uncle Duane, Darold’s oldest brother. Note the white shutters on the window and door. 

Naturally curious about their new address, Darold and Sally obtained a copy of History of the Town of Mont Vernon (1907).  There they found pages and pages dedicated to the creation of the Appleton Academy and McCollom Institute, and the endless alumni parties…  but only the following paragraph about their house:

June 17, 1884. New schoolhouse in the South District dedicated, with historical address by the Hon. Charles J. Smith, and a poem written by Mrs. Emily Dodge Simpson of New York, daughter of Henry C. Dodge, and in girlhood a pupil of the school. (page 51)

With this information, the year 1884 came to be inscribed on the house plaque which hangs on the corner of the school house.

At first, the Rorabachers’ two little girls did not think too much about history, but an event came along that made American history unescapable… 

In 1976, America’s 200th birthday permeated the culture. Mont Vernon’s elementary students could not go to school, open a magazine or switch on the TV without being bombarded by America’s Bicentennial.  Clearly, 200 was the only respectable age for history to be.

The event inspired eleven year old Anna to begin considering times gone by. Soon she was convinced that the historic house that had been her home for nearly half her life had to be 200 years old, “maybe even older…” she boasted.  Her mathematician father was quick to point out that not only was the house less than 200 years old, in 1976, it was less than 100. Even though a simple equation on a handy piece of paper proved his point, Anna could not accept it.   With a young girl’s zeal, she planted those seeds of doubt way down deep, and diligently hung onto to them for another 40 years.

If you haven’t guessed by now, dear reader, that eldest Rorabacher daughter is your present author, and no one could be more surprised then me. I left town in the early ’80s for school and spent the next chunk of my life trying to forget my inner hick. I never would have dreamed of moving back to Mont Vernon, much less owning that not-so-old schoolhouse, and joining Mont Vernon’s Historical society.  But of course, that is exactly what happened. And a lucky thing it did, because those seeds of doubt were starting to germinate. With my recently acquired Historical Society skills, I had myself another look at the 42 words Charles Smith did write. 

June 17, 1884. New schoolhouse in the South District dedicated, with historical address by the Hon. Charles J. Smith, and a poem written by Mrs. Emily Dodge Simpson of New York, daughter of Henry C. Dodge, and in girlhood a pupil of the school. (page 51)

The words “new schoolhouse” suggest a brand new building, but some form of school house must have existed before 1884 as Mr. Smith tells us that Mrs. Emily Dodge Simpson was a “girlhood pupil of the school.“  

Another clue popped up in the book Mont Vernon historians put together in 1958, also called History of Mont Vernon, NH.   Unlike the 1907 history, the 1958 book is not available online, so any searching must be done analog style. Flipping through 132 pages proved its worth when I found this on page 133.

“...the South School house [was] built in 1815.  It was reverted to Mrs. Abbie D. Morgan by Quitclaim Deed from Mt. Vernon School District in early 1920’s.  She remodeled it into a very attractive home and later, about 1940, sold it to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Davis.  In July 1956 it was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. DeWitt Groves, Mr. Davis’s niece, who are the present occupants.”

1815?!  That made the age of our house over 200 (well, maybe not in 1976, but my eleven-year-old inner self feels 100% vindicated).  Exciting? Yes! But the mystery lingered like a wet blanket: what happened between the original construction in 1815 and the 1920’s transition to residence?!

In true historical fashion, another clue would reveal itself only with time and the appropriate rabbit hole. The one I happened to hop down was provided by our wonderful state of New Hampshire. Annual Town Reports from every district have been scanned and made available online (NH Town Reports).

For Mont Vernon, the reports go all the way back to 1868.  I tried searching for some kind of warrant article to requisition the funds to build a new school in the years before 1884, but couldn’t find any. 

What I did find was that the lion’s share of each publication consisted of a narrative brimming with all kinds of school-related details including length of school terms, attendance records, teachers names, salaries and judgement of their teaching abilities.

Many of those details are quite surprising, even shocking to our modern minds. I wrote about some of them in (Way) Back to School in Mont Vernon, September 2023.

Hold your breath no longer, here is the gold nugget I had been searching for, found in our 1885 Town Report

Miss Emma F. Trow, of Mont Vernon, who taught here the last Winter term, has been employed through the year.  The Spring term closing June 14th, was kept in the old house.  The new school house not being ready for occupancy, the commencement of the Fall term was delayed until Nov. 3rd.  This progressed until in its seventh week, it was abruptly closed, Dec. 24, the occasion being the presence of scarlet fever in the district.  The school was again re-opened.  Feb. 15th, and is now in a prosperous session.  Miss F is now in her fourth term of continuous service here.  In teaching and managing her school, she has justified the opinion expressed in my last report: as a teacher of Arithmetic she especially excels.

The event of the year in this district was the dedication of its new school house, on the evening of June 17th.  The occasion was one of much interest, and pleasure to an assembly of about 300 persons (in 1884 this would have been more than half the town’s entire population).  The principal exercises were vocal and instrumental music; a historical address by the superintendent (Charles J. Smith, our town Historian); a poem by Mrs. E. D. Simpson, and “School Reminiscences” by L. B. Hutchinson; the two latter now of New York, but natives of the South district.  A bountiful supper and a social dance, concluded the dedicatory exercises.

The new structure is a handsome edifice, 16 ft. deep by 36 wide, and occupies a site a little north east from the former house.  Some former pupils in the district contributed handsomely towards its erection.  Messrs. L. B. Hutchinson and C. M. Kittredge and Mrs. E. E. Simpson of New York and Stephen Carlton Coburn. Esq., of Milford from 1830 to 1840 a pupil here, has donated to the school a copy of Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary.  With a new building well adapted to its needs and well furnished, the South district school house would seem to be equipped for a future as useful and honorable as has been its record in the past.   

Now we know the old building did not burn, neither was it added onto.  Amazingly, it was Donators, not Town taxpayers that funded the new 16 by 36 foot construction (a measurement which is not accurate, sorry Charlie).  Fabulous information that inspires even more questions… who were these donators mentioned?  What might the first school house have looked like? How can I get you to wade through another 2000 words for answers? To find out all this and probably more stay tuned for next month’s newsletter…

~These black and green volumes have taken up space in the old Schoolhouse for 50 years and counting~
You can get your house a copy by stopping by our Historical Society Museum located on the 2nd floor of our Historic Town Hall.

~~~~~~~~~~In Other News~~~~~~~~~~

Nashua’s Historical Society invited a whole bunch of NH and MA societies to an event in their beautiful museum. MVHS president, Anna Szok, attended and has been on fire ever since! Brace your historic selves for some collaborative efforts! Meanwhile, check out this Facebook Page: Historical Societies of NH. It turns out that Mont Vernon isn’t the only place interesting history is found! Anyone can go to this page and see what other Historical Societies are having for events. Check it out and you may notice a familiar picture at the top… well I had to use something historical, and it was handy!

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Mont Vernon’s Town Charter just celebrated its 220th anniversary, and that little bottle of tea celebrated its 250th. Our little town is FULL of historical tidbits to feast on! Please come join us in our revelry! Our meetings are on the first Tuesday of Every Month!

~~~February 2024 MVHS Meeting~~~
Come on over to the Selectmen’s meeting room on the first floor of our Town Hall on Tuesday, February 6 and get all kinds of excited about history with likeminded souls! We start chatting around 6:45, and get down to business around 7:00. We’ve got a great group of welcoming folks, stop on by and say hello!

Mont Vernon’s 220 Birthday with 250 year old Tea.

Historic timelines alined in 2023 to give us 2 big reasons to celebrate in our little town… unbelievably occurring on sequential days! On December 15 we commemorated the 220th anniversary of the Charter that allowed us to separate from our mother town of Amherst, and become Mont Vernon. On December 16th, we celebrated our souvenir of Boston’s Tea Party which occurred 250 years ago. It turns out the stories have even more in common than their December dates…

~~~~~~~~~~December 15, Mont Vernon turns 220~~~~~~~~~~

“A howling wilderness it was, where no man dwelt. 
The hideous yells of wolves, 
the shrieks of owls, the gobbling of turkeys, 
and the barking of foxes were all the music we heard. 
All a deary waste and exposed to a thousand difficulties.” 
page 3, History of the Town of Mont Vernon, NH, 1907

Mont Vernon’s oldest existing house is on Harwood Road. Like many of the first houses built within our town limits, it began as a log cabin, the remnants of which are said to still be part of the building.

The first real taming of the wild lands around these parts began in 1735 with the creation of 7 tracts of land bestowed with the Indian name: Narragansett. Ironically, the monicker has nothing to do with the Indigenous folks that populated the lands here in New Hampshire.   The Narragansett lived in what we now know as Southern New England, their connection to our town is part of the terrible price they paid for getting mixed up in King Philip’s War. 

King Philip was an English name for Metacom, son of Massasoit who was the great Sachem that attempted to make allies of the Pilgrims.  But decades of dirty dealings fueled Indigenous frustration with the Europeans. Metacom instigated a plan to wipe them off the continent for good.  The effort became known as King Philip’s War. Obviously, he was not successful, but he and his allies did enough damage to make the settlers really scared and angry. The war ended with his death in 1676. 

Metecom was shot and killed by a Praying Indian. The victors dismembered Metecom’s body, giving one of his hands to his killer, and placing his head on a pike at the entrance of Plymouth Plantation where it remained for several years.  This image is a caricature by Paul Revere, used as an illustration in the 1772 edition of Benjamin Church‘s The Entertaining History of King Philip’s War

King Philip’s War raged from 1675 to 1676.  The Great Swamp Fight, illustrated here, occurred December 19, 1675 near South Kingston, Rhode Island. 

Rhode Island was home for the Narragansetts who were doing their best to remain neutral in 1675.  They had five fortified acres in the middle of a swamp, and agreed to shelter many of King Philip’s people there while the war played out.  Unfortunately, cold December temperatures froze the swamp-moat allowing colonists easier access. The ensuing “fight” was more like a massacre, with heavy losses on the Native side. While the war continued until the death of Metecom, this battle is considered an important turning point in favor of the colonists.

58 years later, in 1733, King George the II and the Province of Massachusetts Bay created 7 “Narragansett” tracts of land to award 840 grantees for their part in the Great Swamp Fight. 

Three of these tracts were located within the current boundaries of the state of Massachusetts, 2 were in an area that would become Maine, and two were located in New Hampshire.  Grant Number 5, which came to be known as Souhegan East, embraced the present town of Bedford, parts of Merrimack, and what is now the city of Manchester. Grant Number Three, which became Souhegan West, comprised all of Amherst and Milford, and the larger parts of Merrimack and Mont Vernon. 

By 1741, the first settlers in tract #3 established a Congregational church and hired a minister. The village that grew up around the church became Amherst in 1760.  Twenty-two of the property owning families who payed taxes that year were located in the area that would become Mont Vernon.  Most of these folks were not land grantees, but had acquired the land, by purchase or barter from the proprietors. Then, as now, prime land for farming was located in river valleys. The first Europeans to settle in Mont Vernon were up on the hill because the land up there was more affordable.

The Lamson family were direct recipients of King George II’s land grant within Narragansett tract #3. Samuel Lamson arrived in 1735, and is credited with being one of the first to begin the process of taming Mont Vernon’s wild hillsides.

 Lamson Farm, picture here, is currently one of our town treasures.

And times were tough in the mid-1700’s, especially for those who found themselves on the lower rungs of the social ladder.  Then, as now, the growing gap between rich and poor had many feeling powerless in an unfair system.  The farmers on the hill were ready for a change.

Patriotic concepts of equality for all (who qualify and actively participate in self government) gained traction and moved the colonies towards conflict with their mother country. 

However, not every citizen was a patriot. Folks that were better established tended to be loyal to the English crown.  For them, the system was working fine.  

Our history book tells us that there were several of these sorts in the village of Amherst. These Tories had low regard for the concerns of those the perceived to be below them.

In 1777, as American Forces battled for Saratoga, a more local conflict came to a head in Amherst’s Congregational church (pictured here before its 1836 move). 

The first reverend,  Daniel Wilkins had become “So enfeebled by age as to be incapable of performing his duties acceptably”. Finding a replacement put the back country farmers at odds with the Amherst Villagers, almost echoing the War for Independence. Citizens in Amherst’s north west corner searched for an acceptable way forward. Finding none, they broke away and formed their own parish. In the midst of an economy wracked by war with England, the residents of Amherst’s northwest corner built their own meetinghouse in 1781, creating the Northwest Parish of Amherst.

This is the meetinghouse in Fremont, NH. It was built in 1800. The porches on the gable ends contain stairs which access the gallery.

Most details of the original building are lost to history, but a few clues can be found in our 1907 history book. There are references to 2 porches which were removed in 1837, and a mention of the gallery. It is likely that the building looked very much like the Fremont, NH meetinghouse pictured above. 

1796 map

As glad as the Northwest parishioners were to have their own church, the partial separation from Amherst only fueled the growing discontent.  For the next two decades they repeatedly petitioned to become a town of their own. On December 15, 1803, they finally got their charter. Mont Vernon has been a town ever since!

The borders of our town on this 1806 map may look a little strange to modern eyes. That is because it was drawn before 1852 when a tract exceeding one thousand acres of land was annexed from Lyndeborough to Mont Vernon. There were fourteen families added to the population of Mont Vernon by this change.

More reading for those who are interested, click on the following links:
Why was the Town Hall moved across the street?
Who forgot the U in MOUNT Vernon?
Can I have a few more details about how Mont Vernon came to be?

~~~~~~~~~~December 16 Mont Vernon’s 250 year old Tea~~~~~~~~~~

One of Mont Vernon Historical Society’s most prized possessions is a tiny vial of 250 year old contraband. The story of how this fraction of an ounce of salty tea made the 60 mile journey from Boston’s Harbor to a small hilltop farm town in New Hampshire is an example of history’s randomness… in all that becomes important, and all that manages to survive the ravages of time.

Museum Curator, Maryjo Marcely says, “The tea represents the moment in time when the Colonists made clear they were not going to be repressed any longer.  It marked the beginning of a rebellion that led to the Revolutionary War. The tea, and the story of it’s journey are a treasured gift to our Historical Society.  While it is only tea, what it represents is very special!”

Ultimately, we have a Boston Lamplighter by the name of Elias Proctor to thank for this particular tea. He, along with a number of other New Englanders, managed to acquire some of the illegal waterlogged tea.  He may have even used some of it, not for drinking, of course, but it would have made fine dye.  The rest he laid aside, no doubt hoping that somehow the rag-tag bands of colonist rebels would manage to defeat the most advanced army in the world.  Ten years later, the American cause victorious, Elias Proctor’s souvenir tea gained unmatched sentimental value.

Elias divided and gifted the tea to family members, always proclaiming the great cause for which it had been sacrificed.  This is how the Horne Family of Dover, NH came to possess some of the tea.  Daughter Mary Horn Batchelder bottled up two vials of her portion, giving one to each of her children when they married.  Her son went west with his tea and bride, settling in Kansas.  It was her daughter, Marcia, who brought her share to Mont Vernon after marrying Frank Lamson on January 9, 1890.  Ironically, the Lamson family had received their farm land in Mont Vernon back in the 1740’s as a grant from the father of the very same king that inspired Boston’s Tea Party thirty years later.  In the 1970’s, both farm and tea became treasured property of the town as the last of the Lamson line faded from farmdom.  

What happened to the brother’s tea? It was also donated to the local Kansas Historical Society, we have confirmed that the story of their tea’s origins matches ours. However, someone there made the mistake of opening the vial and the contents turned to dust! Forever ruined. How many samples were saved for decades only to be lost in fires, or moves, or just forgotten and tossed out like so much of the historical nonsense we humans manage to save in our lifetimes? We will never know.  One thing is for sure, Mont Vernon will hold it’s tea dear for as long as it is possible.

~~~~~~~~A Collaborative Celebration~~~~~~~~

Mont Vernon’s Historical Society was happy to collaborate with the Heritage Committee for an event commemorating the dual town anniversaries. On Saturday, December 16th, the Town’s copy of the original charter was on display, as well as the tiny vial of tea.  Folks partook of a marvelous spread and sipped modern tea out of dainty paper teacups. Anna Szok, president of the Historical Society spoke of local and national history for the better part of an hour while pictures were shown on the brand new 75 inch TV screen.  Beccie Schwartz, chairman of the Heritage Committee, took some time to speak towards efforts underway to preserve the Town Hall, our most historic building, and answer questions. The Historical Society and Committee would like to thank all who participated!

THERE IS SO MUCH HISTORY in our little town! Please consider joining our Historical Society. The commitment is small, and the rewards are plentiful!  To get started, or just test the waters, please consider attending one of our monthly meetings… as luck would have it, there is one coming right up!!

Mont Vernon’s Historical Society meets on the first Tuesday of every month. Our next meeting is January 2. Come on over to the Selectmen’s meeting room on the first floor of our beloved Town Hall. We open it up at about 6:45 and get down to business at 7:00.  Hope to see you there!

The Museum is closed for the season, and will open again for Spring Gala in May.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

No U ~ No Mistake

Hear ye hear ye, all citizens of Mont Vernon. The unique spelling of your town’s name is of no accident.  As we commemorate the 220th anniversary of our Mont, consider those first generations of residents who repeatedly petitioned to become a town of their own. The idea was no whim but a plan well thought out, two decades in the making. 

Our first town clerk, John Carleton, made a “true copy” of the original Charter.  He did this with a pen and ink. The first part of the document is a description of the proposed boundary of the new town, New Boston to the north, Lyndeborough to the west, Milford to the south, then a careful list naming all whose property made up the east border. 

Once the area is defined, the name of the town to be incorporated is finally revealed… “Mont Vernon.” The two words are carefully written, and slightly larger than any other words on the page. The name is repeated again, in the third to last line as the charter sorts out debtors on either side of the new town line.

“a town by the name of Mont Vernon”

There are those among us who claim the lack of “U” was an oversight, that our Town Clerk misspelled “Mount” and never bothered to correct the error. Nay! Look again at the document pictured above. Mistakes were made, as were corrections! 

“…to the southwest corner of a lot Amos Leavitt now in possession of Amos Leavitt…”

There are 4 such mistakes and corrections in the carefully preserved document. Clearly, had the lack of “U” been unintentional, it would easily have been fixed at the time of incorporation, 220 years ago.

1806 Map of the new u-less town of Mont Vernon

There was a U movement in the latter half of the 1800’s. F. O. Kittredge, an enterprising native looking to increase tourist interest in our hilltop location, managed to change the town’s official Post Office to Mount Vernon. This is why many maps around that time include the U. (Read more about that story here…) In truth, the addition never sat well with the majority of residents, and as soon as Mr. Kittredge passed on, that U was most permanently removed.

Mont Vernon’s ballot box tells the whole story… Created in the Kittredge days of “Mount” the U was subsequently pried off. The town’s voting public historically prefers the gap!

Happy Birthday Mont Vernon! May your name be forever free of U!

(Way) Back to School in Mont Vernon

Schools have always been one of the most American of institutions. Right from the beginning, our Founding Fathers maintained that the success of our fragile American democracy would depend on an educated population that would participate in civic life and vote wisely. And so it follows that schooling in our town has always been of particular interest. Here is a brief description of how it changed over the years.

In The Beginning….
The first classes were taught way back when Mont Vernon was still a part of our parent town, Amherst. Our 1906 history has a list of 27 students who began attending school more than 230 years ago on a cold winter’s day in in December. The Meetinghouse they had permission to utilize was unheated, and still a few years away from being completely finished. Some students were as young as 4 years old, others seem to have been in their twenties.

Construction of our Town Hall began in 1781. When it was completed in 1792, it probably looked similar to the old meetinghouse in Fremont, NH pictured here.

The twin “porches” on the gable ends contain staircases that allow access to the gallery on the second floor without taking up revenue generating space. (Parishioners had to pay “rent” for the pews they sat in every Sunday.)

Early records of the first schools are haphazard and confusing. Our 1906 history refers to the “Old Red Schoolhouse” several times but never hints as to when it was originally built. It is easy to assume that it may have been the first building dedicated to schooling in our town. We do know that it must have existed before 1820, as records state that Sunday School was taught there at that time… probably because the building was warmer, the Meetinghouse would not have heat until 1855 (p. 212 1906 History) The Old Red Schoolhouse was torn down in 1848 so a new, bigger school could be built. Was it the Center School? or the McCollom building? If anyone knows, please share!

We do know Mont Vernon became a town of its very own in 1803, and had it’s first town meeting in March of 1804. Of course, creating a school system was a top priority. By the meeting’s end, citizens formed a committee that would decide the boundaries for school districts. Money was raised to build 5 schools. The Center School was constructed in the village where the majority of the population lived.

This photo comes to us from Richard Carleton who attended this school when he was a boy. Before 1848, a “Red Schoolhouse” is referred to in our 1906 History of the Town of Mont Vernon. It was also referred to as the “Center School”.

S.H. stands for School House. The West School House was located at the end of Haven road along the Francestown turnpike near the New Boston line.

It was the smallest of the schools, usually with 10 students or fewer. For this reason, it was the most expensive school. It also produced some of the best scholars in town.

The North Schoolhouse was located on the northwest corner of Cross (also called Orlando) and Lamson roads. This was another small school.

In several Town Reports, the Superintendent of Schools recommended that the north and west districts combine.

The East Schoolhouse was located on the west side of the road we know now as Tator Street, somewhat north of Gregory Street.

The South Schoolhouse was and is located on the north side of Old Milford Road, just south of Hartshorn Brook. We have records that show it was built in 1812, then rebuilt in 1884. It was the largest school, after the Center School.

These were “Common Schools”. As stated in the 1888 Town Report (reports going back to 1869 are available here!) “The Common School is for instruction in branches of common interest and profit.” Profit? Perhaps profit refers to the amount of educational return to the tax dollar. The School Report was far and away the lion’s share of all the town reports. Here are some of the more interesting details that surface…

Summer Vacation…..
Forget it! Spring was the season for no school, and it was no vacation. In a farm town, children were needed for farm work. No school terms for spring are listed in our older town reports. Winter terms seem to have ended with the month of March.

Summer was the most consistent time for a school term. However, there does not seem to be any fixed dates, they may have varied according to the availability of the hired teacher.

(1941 image of children picking beans in Florida borrowed from https://modernfarmer.com/2014/11/farm-children/)

The Length of a School Year…
Nowadays, students of school age, (6 to 18) are required to attend school for 180 days, or 36 weeks. 150 years ago, NH state mandates required students to attend 12 weeks of school, 6 of which should be consecutive. However, the amount of school available to students depended on the district you were in. The Center School consistently offered 3 terms of school per year. One in Summer, another in Fall, and the last in Winter. The rest of the schools offered one term in the summer, and another in the Fall some years, and Winter in others. Towards the end of the 1880’s, the South Schoolhouse was able to offer 3 terms of school as well.

How long was a term? Well, it varied from year to year and district to district. They could be as long as 14 weeks, and as short as 6.

(This illustration is from the Laura Ingalls Wilder series.)

Teachers….
Each of the five school districts elected a Prudential Committee who’s main responsibility seems to have been the hiring (and judging) of teachers. Teacher’s wages were published in the yearly school report, room and board included. No degree was required, to get the job, one merely needed to attend school for a while. In 1871, Miss Lucie S. Stiles was hired to teach the winter term at the East Schoolhouse. She was only 16, and there were big problems. The report blames these on the fact that she was from the district, and the transition from peer to teacher “brought up family feuds”.

Here is a classic one room schoolhouse where all ages of children were taught. Heated with a wood stove, and a high ceiling that allowed for tall 6 over 6 windows, our 1884 South Schoolhouse may have looked very similar to this photo, gratefully lifted from https://study.com/learn/lesson/history-education-america.html

Unfortunately, teachers rarely stayed in any one school for long. If they were any good, they got better paying positions elsewhere. Or, they got married, or called away to care for a sick relative. Very occasionally, they were not hired on for another term…

Academics…
The school reports of the 1870’s have a list of studies and how many students (participated? made progress? no explanation is provided). These include:
Reading, Spelling, Arithmatic, Geography, Grammar, Penmanship, History, Algebra, Composition. Also mentioned in the reports: Drawing, Singing, Declamations, Philosophy, and Speaking.

This photo above is borrowed from https://thewesterncarolinajournalist.com/2016/05/04/the-history-of-women-as-teachers/

Assessments……….
At the end of each term an examination was held. This was a public affair, with the superintendent committee in attendance, family and perhaps friends. Students stood at the head of the class and were questioned, read aloud, and recited their knowledge. Their progress and the teacher’s effectiveness were judged. Results were published each year in the School Report.

This engraving is part of public domain, according to https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/19th-century-school

Report Cards….
There were no report cards! Instead, parents were regularly encouraged to visit their child’s school to see how their student was doing (and the teacher), especially on examination day.

Discipline…..
MUCH of the school reports dwelled on this topic. Bad behavior was often blamed on lax discipline at home. Bigger boys seemed to present the most challenges.

(Another illustration is from the Laura Ingalls Wilder series.)

The Center School was beset with boys who were “vulgar, and profane” they would tell their parents falsehoods to get the teacher in trouble. For 5 or 6 years, beginning in 1877, they were disrespectful and committed vandalism.

In 1889, President of the Board of Education: Mrs. Anna A. Campbell wrote, “Teaching without corporal punishment is a decidedly modern invention” and referred to the birch as the “tree of knowledge” and seemed to advocate the continued use of birch switches when needed in schools. However, a line was crossed in 1890 when “A case of corporal punishment, of extreme severity, inflicted upon a lad of eleven years, disaffected a portion of the districts, and rendered the retention of Miss Anna J. Tibbetts of Charleston, Mass [hired to teach the Spring Term at the South Schoolhouse] for a second term inexpedient“. Her replacement was found lacking as well, she left before the term ended to tend to her dying brother. When she returned, “lack of dignity and a listlessness of manner were conspicuous.” All of this included in the Town Report.

Special Education….
There were no regulations or requirements for students with special needs. However, school reports briefly mention a blind little boy in the West district who learned to read with a special book for the blind. He is described as advanced, and in 1882 transferred to the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston.

School Closings due to sickness…
On occasion, a school term was ended early, or canceled altogether due to Scarlet Fever. If a teacher became ill during a term, a replacement was hired.

Big Changes….
As the turn of the century approached, the town’s district system faded. More and more money for schools was mandated by the state. Increased costs were born by a shrinking town population. In 1886, the North Schoolhouse was the first to officially leave the district system. (Historic Mont Vernon Households, p. 61).

In 1912, the South School house closed. Scholars there were brought to the Center Schoolhouse. In 1917, Mont Vernon’s school district entered a Union with Milford, Amherst and Brookline, with one Superintendent.

The only surviving schoolhouse from the original five can be found in the south district. It was converted into a residence in the 1940’s. This is how it looked in the spring of 2023.

In 1927, Mont Vernon began transporting and paying tuition for 7th and 8th grade students to attend Milford schools.

On April 25, 1932 the West school was destroyed by fire. In 1931, the School Board was authorized to dispose of the East school. Students there began attending Amherst schools.

In 1946, the McCollom Institute building was made available for public school. The old Center School was sold for $407.50 and moved to Pinkham Ave. At first, the McCollom building had two ground-floor classrooms – one for grades 1-3, one for grades 4-6, and a gym upstairs. In 1955, student population had increased to 72, a third teacher was hired and a third room fixed up. Each teacher now taught 2 grades. In 1961, another classroom was added to the second floor.

Originally built as the Appleton Academy in 1853, what we now know as the McCollom building was a High School. And guess what?! Amherst (and other towns in the area) sent students here to be educated!

This photo was taken in 1868.

In 1970, the Village school was built on Harwood Road. Six teachers were now employed, 3 in the McCollum building, teaching First, Second, and Third grades, and 3 in the new building, teaching Fourth, Fifth and Sixth grades.

1990 – All elementary classes move to the Village School on Harwood Road. No classes are held in the McCollom Building for the first time in 43 years.

2000 – Mont Vernon adds public kindergarten. The private cooperative kindergarten, which had operated in the basement of the Congregational Church for decades, closes.

Mont Vernon Village School
Summer 2022

2000’s – School population is town grows to more than 250 but begins to decline by 2010, falling by one-third by 2018. The number of pupils attending Amherst Middle and Souhegan High also decline, leading to questions about the future arrangement of the town’s education.

Mont Vernon’s Historical Society wishes all students and teachers heading back to school this month a happy and prosperous year!

~~~~~~~~~~~In Other News~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday, September 5 is the first day of school for most of our local students, it is also the date of our next Historical Society Meeting. We’ll be thinking about those first students 230 years ago as we settle in the Selectmen’s meeting room on the first floor of the Town Hall. We start gathering around 6:45 for a friendly chat, and get down to business promptly at 7:00. We are ALWAYS glad to welcome folks who are curious about our town’s unique history, and we get positively giddy when someone pitches in and volunteers.

~~~~~~~~~~~Museum Hours~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is Earle Rich with a photograph of the wood stove he grew up with in Maine, it exactly matches the one we have on display in our museum!

If ever you have a question about something historical, or wonder how a particular job may have been done in our town’s past, plan a visit to our Museum. The folks there are tickled to talk history, and we may even have a display that helps illustrate the concept.

We’ll have hours this month on Saturday, September 16th from 1:00 to 4:00. Our museum is located in the Town Hall, on the second floor.

~~~~~~~~~~~Events to Make Note Of~~~~~~~~~~~

Martha is planning on attending this year’s Lamson Farm Day. She is bringing one of her favorite children’s books, and plans to read it to the locals! Look for her this September!

Chasing the Devil’s Tale

Proof of his unholy proximity to our faithful little town is found in a couple of glacial potholes locally known as the Devil’s Footprint and the Devil’s Bean-pot. Some folks attribute these granite features to the melting of the ice age…

But that’s a slow… cold…. catatonic story.

Far more memorable is a tale of the Wicked One’s trickery, and a group of regular folks who were very lucky to escape him…

Regular Bean Pot

Devil’s Bean Pot

The debate continues, were these features created by the last ice age? or something more diabolical?! One thing both sides can agree on:

Folks have been telling each other the story of Satan’s Supper by the falls for at least as long as humans have been coming to the wooded, rocky hillsides we now call Mont Vernon.

And, like so many details of history, written accounts are few and far between. But we do have a few, and there are folks that continue to pass the story on, around camp fires during the fading light of a long summer day, on a cold mid-October night, or in reply to an inquiring minded Facebook post….

Accounts vary according to the story teller and the audience,
but there are common themes to all of them:

The Devil arrives in town, disguised as a handsome man. He is a complete stranger.
His Goal is to trick innocents. Presumably to acquire their souls, but definitely to make them suffer in some way.
His Ploy: luring those innocents to a remote location, surrounded by nature and close to the fires of Hell with the promise of a baked bean supper. (Native Americans taught Europeans how to bake beans; put them in a pot, and leave it in a pit filled with embers to slow cook overnight, covered with earth.) This accounts for the 6 foot deep Devil’s Bean-pot formation.

His Downfall: Satan somehow looses control of the heat, or gets burned. The rocks at the top of the falls on the Lyndeborough side of Purgatory brook become soft and start to melt. His foot sinks into the molten rock and leaves the 7 foot long pointy-toed footprint that can still be seen today.
The Evil Spell is Broken and the innocents flee, bodies and souls intact.

Gone forever, the Devil dares not show his face in these parts again! Big relief!
Variations can depend on the story-tellers town of origin.

Those from Lyndeborough tend to include Lyndeborough townspeople or clergy as the Devil’s potential victims. Mont Vernonites will substitute with people or clergy from their town.

Most of the stories have the Devil exclaiming oaths when too much heat melts the rock near the falls, but there are more child friendly versions. Here is one Nancy Feraco responded with when I asked about the legend on my Facebook page. She wrote:

“When I was around 10 years old or so, my family came up and tented at Echo Valley Campground [which is/was located behind the house nearest the upper falls, on the Lyndeborough side of the brook]. The story the other kids at the campground told me was that the devil was trying to fool the townspeople and cooked them a giant pot of beans, and was giving them a free dinner. He accidentally burned himself, and was so angry he stamped his foot. When the people saw what a huge and deep Footprint, he left in the rock they all ran away. I am not sure how the legend really goes; I got this 49 something years ago from a bunch of other 10-year-olds.“

Other times, the spell is broken when the bean-pot explodes.

In this Podcast 166: The Devil’s Beans at Purgatory Falls, two men tell of a dashing gentleman who approaches ministers in Lyndeborough in October of 1788, inviting them to luncheon at a pretty location by the falls. The ministers agree to come. At the appointed date and time, they approach the falls from below and fall into a trance as they watch the gentleman prepare the beans up on the ledge where the bean-pot exists today . His pot is heated by the fires from hell, but he looses control and the rocks begin to melt. The beans and the Devil begin to sink into the molten rock when suddenly, the bean pot explodes sending hot beans everywhere. The shock wakens the ministers from their trance, they look around, and find themselves without their host. The distinguished gentleman is nowhere to be found. All that’s left are the rock depressions left by his bean pot and foot. (I just want to note that it is clear to me that these two podcasters have never been to the falls. They describe a “cloven, triangular hoof print” and a bean-pot that is “a 10 foot deep cylinder” which does not match the geologic features I find by the falls!)

Several stories have the innocent victims in a trance-like state, watching the Devil cook on the ledge next to the top of the falls.

Atlas Obscura mentions Old Scratch cooking for Churchmen, but getting his foot stuck in the molten rock.

Geocacher’s Devil’s Kitchen cites a 1930’s or 40’s newspaper article as the source of their story. This time it was Mont Vernon clergy that were lured to the falls by a disguised Devil. When his foot gets stuck in the molten rock, he does a good amount of swearing, which allows the clergy to see through his disguise.

In a book entitled New Hampshire Folk Tales, edited by Eva A. Speare back in 1964, we find another [disappointing] version provided
by “-Wednesday Club, Mont Vernon”.

Purgatory Falls

About our best possibility in the way of folk lore in Mont Vernon is the story of Purgatory Falls, the supposed home of the Devil.

This wild and rocky gorge, about two and one half miles from the village, was a scene of much picturesque beauty. Th e large beanpot and the huge footprint found in the rocks are explained in the following manner:

The Devil lived here and had his eye on the godly men of Mont Vernon hill. He decoyed them to his lair by the promise of a bean supper.

The good elders were seated, and everything was in readiness for the repast, but the Devil forgot to turn off the heat. As he started for the bean pot, his great foot sunk in the soft rocks, and his imprecations so terrified his guests that they all fled, and escaped from his wiles.

This footprint is 7 feet long.

Two young ladies gaze into the bean-pot, while the 7 foot long, water-filled footprint reflects the natural surroundings of the site. This photograph was taken sometime before the railings were installed…

PURGATORY
A Legend of Mont Vernon, NH
by JNO. K. C. Sleeper

We also have a poem that gives us a wonderfully detailed version of the event, this account transpires in June. The pages were ripped from a book of poetry, so the date of publishing and further citation is not possible. It was preserved through time in a collection of papers that once belonged to Charles Smith, the historian who helped write our first town history. He died before it was published in 1907, so this poem must have been penned before then.

In the long, long ago, the Sons of God,
An altar built on this lofty hill:
But the Devil, quick, in their footsteps trod,
With the full intent to work them ill.
He discreetly stood and said long prayers,-
and gave them draughts from his whiskey still!
He sat at their tables with saintly airs,
And tickled their ears with chatty good-will.
By every chair – more subtle than air-
Stood a dauntless imp with easy grace,
Who, with tact and skill more real than rare,
Won many a will and left no trace.

Far away, down deep, in a dark ravine,-
Where few but devils would choose to dare;-
Where Nature had formed a marvelous screen,
This hater-of-men had made his lair.
Amid the tangled growth of countless years,-
That obscured and arched the water’s course,
And deadened the sound to curious ears,-
The Devil marshaled his dark, weird force.

Once every year, from the measureless deep,
He brought his imps to the Dance of Death!
And lighted the scene to the verge of the steep,
With the lurid glare of fiery breath!-
Through moss-draped cleft, from a sculptured room,
Veiled figures were marched in fiendish state:-
But none will tell, until the day of doom,
Who, what, nor why, nor what their fate.
Not one lived who saw!- save in wild, weird dreams;-
But, a free-born Slave, who reeled that way,
From his bivouac heard most woful screams,
Till his crispy hair was frosty gray!
While, two bright, young owls made some hasty notes
On fly-leaves-of-absence, deftly used
Which, caught by the breeze as they screeched with their thoughts,
Floated high- heirlooms- unseen, unused.

Having learned the tastes of men on the hill,
He ran a pipe from his storage well,
And bored a Bean-pot, with his hot-air drill,
In the solid rock!- So goblins tell:-
Under the great rock ran his hot-air pipe,
Under the basin where water fell:
Then, a bright June-day, men of goodly stripe
Were asked to dine in a neighboring dell.
The beans were baked and the whiskey was there;
The water was hot to the basin’s brim,
Where he planned to plunge, by a wily snare,
Those whom he lured near the basin’s rim.
The guests were all seated at tables, fair,
The Glasses shone and the punch-bowl steamed,
When the Devil said thanksgiving prayer-
And went for beans- while faces gleamed.
So anxious was he that nothing should fail,
He forgot to turn off the hot-air cock;
When he whisked for beans with the tip of his tail
His great foot sunk in the softened rock.
Bounding like a hound he dashed through his lair
Knocking his hopes and his plans askew,
Raging and cursing till blue was the air,
And bluer the guests that homeward flew.

The label featured on the back of this stereoscope photo reads, “Devil’s Den and Falls, August 25, 1884”. Today it is more often referred to as “The Basin” and is located at the bottom of the upper falls.

The form of a foot and a great, deep pot,
Still grace a rock near a charming dell,
To attest a truth on the Legend’s spot,
Where Satan slumped and his project fell.

The Devil’s bean pot and railing poles delineate Satan’s Kitchen just above the falls along Purgatory Brook.

Yours truly fleshed out a rendition of the tale in 2020: The Legend of the Devil’s Bean-pot and foot print.

There was a time when Purgatory Grove, a series of buildings constructed near the falls by a trio of enterprising Mont Vernon citizens, drew in thousands of revelers each summer. Undoubtably, these folks repeated the bean-pot and footprint legend, as they took in the sights and sounds of the area… which may explain why some folks from three towns still remember it. However, there are many who never heard the tale. Back in 2020, when I was attempting to find a version of the story that was more than 2 sentences long, there was not much on the internet about this legend, or the falls. For whatever reason, interest seems to be reviving and I’ve had much more luck… In any case, it is my opinion that

Visiting this spot is an absolute must for card carrying
Mont Vernon Citizens

Click here to find a hike description.

****** OR ******

Consider joining our MVHS sponsored tour around what was Purgatory Grove. We will meet at the “parking lot” located on the Lyndeborough Side (described here) at 10:00 on Saturday, August 19th. Guides will locate evidence of Grove Buildings, talk about the history of the area with historic photos. If you are interested in attending this family friendly event, please contact MVHS President Anna Szok by clicking this link. Let me know your email address and interest, and I will keep you posted with pertinent details about the hike! Hope you can come along!!

Purgatory Grove Then…

Purgatory Grove Now…

****** In Other News ******

Shall we meet? I missed you all so much last month, I very much hope to see you at this month’s Historical Society meeting. We will have it on Tuesday, August 1st on the First Floor of the Town Hall in the Selectmen’s meeting room (don’t worry, the select board doesn’t need it on the First Tuesday of the Month!). We like to gather and chat about history around 6:45, then we get down to business at 7:00. We’ve got a great group of people who come regularly, but we sure would love to have some new faces! If you are looking for a fun way to get to know Mont Vernon, and some of the wonderful people making and curating history here, please consider attending!!

****** Museum Hours ******

Have you visited our acclaimed Museum on the Second Floor of the Town Hall? Don’t miss out! We have a new display of recently donated furniture that dates back to our Hotel Era, and it is in excellent shape! Come time travel with us, August 19th from 1:00 to 4:00.

****** MVHS August Event ******

To celebrate the Purgatory Grove tradition of Picnicking in August on or near the 20th day of that month, the devoted historians of MVHS will guide a tour to the area of the grove, and tell the story of how the building locations were “rediscovered” 2 summers ago. We will also talk about the Victorian Era tourism that kept Mont Vernon on the map when farming residents were fleeing west. And of course, we will have a look at the immortal bean-pot and foot print.

The tour will start at 10:00 on Saturday, August 19th. [Rain Date: Sunday, August 20.]. If you are interested in attending this event, please email me a note stating as much by clicking on this link, to receive the finer details.