^ 
 
 73 
 
Bofton, Mafs. 
 
 A Brief Defcription of ye 
 Ancient Town, and alfo of 
 the Beft Way to Get There 
 
 Together with an Account of the 
 Foundation of the Publick Schools. 
 
 Illuftrated with Artiftick Engravings. 
 
 For the U f e of 
 School Teachers 
 
 Fort Dearborn, 111., mdcccciii. 
 
 Printed for the Michigan Central, the Niagara Falls Route, 
 and Sent to any Part of the World for Two Cents by 
 O. W. Ruggles, G. P. Ki ip!the Mpnailii9^k';liioc;i',C&irag;r,i' 
 
Ancient Map of ilaffachufetts Bay. 
 
 New-England— * * * * In 1610 Mr. 
 Robinfon, a diffenting Minifter, with other Eng- 
 lifh, then at Leyden, obtain'd a Grant from King 
 James I. to plant themfelves in New-England, 
 about Hudfons River, and enjoy the Liberty of 
 their Confcience. They fail'd from Plimouth in 
 September, for the South of New-England, but 
 efcaping many Dangers, were about the nth of 
 November caft upon a bofom of Cape-Cod, in 
 Maffachufet's Bay. Winter drawing on apace, 
 wanting opportunity to remove and being encour- 
 aged by the Soil and Courtefie of the Heathen, they 
 founded a New Colony, calling it New-Plimouth, 
 (becaufe Plimouth was the laft Town they failed 
 from in England) extending about 100 Miles in 
 length, but not half fo hxod^A.—Morarys Diction- 
 ary, 1694. 
 
 [Here followeth much difcourse concerning 
 divers forts of People judged to be Tartars by 
 Defcent, namely the Churchers, Tarantines, Mon- 
 hegans, Fegueis, Maraganfets, Matachufets, Pliilif- 
 tines, and others, not pertinent to our prefent 
 Purpofe, nor entirely fuitable to young perfons.] 
 
The Hdfton Tea Parly. 
 
 The Capital of Maffachusetts. 
 
 [OSTON, the capital of Maffachufetts, is 
 feated in the bottom of Maffachufetts 
 Bay, in 42° 23' N. lat. and 71° 4' W. 
 long. The peninfula that it covers 
 projects into the inner bay or harbour, lying between 
 Point Shirley and Point Alderton, of which the 
 entrance is filled with iflands. In the village there 
 is fuppofed to be an actual population of 30,000 
 fouls ; but the lateft cenfus, that of the year 1801, 
 exhibits only 25,000. The number of houfes may 
 be 3,000. 
 
 Bofton, on whichever fide it is approached, 
 makes a very ftriking appearance. The ground 
 on which it is built is uneven ; and on one of the 
 hills is the new ftate houfe, an edifice which, by 
 its elevation and by the dome that is on its roof, 
 crowns in the happieft manner all the buildings that 
 lie low, and that form the bafe of the pyramid of 
 which the ftate houfe is the apex. Bofton is feated 
 on a fmall peninfula, which projects to the north- 
 eaft ; and the main ftreets are approached from 
 Providence, by a very wide one, running on the neck 
 
 5 [Of 
 
of land, and in part paved, and in part lined with 
 buildings. 
 
 To the foutheaft of Bofton, diftant about forty 
 miles, is Plymouth, the oldeft of the fettlements in 
 New England, and hence in Bofton called by the 
 name of the Old Colony. 
 
 The buildings are generally of brick, and all the 
 new ones, more than ten feet high, are now, in 
 confequence of feveral loffes by fire, required to be 
 of brick or ftone. * * * * Rgj bricks, of 
 a fine clay, are imported from Philadelphia into 
 Bofton ; and as the humidity, together with the 
 frofts, is found to bring on a fpeedy deftruction 
 of their fubftance, an attempt has been made, with 
 what fuccefs remains to be feen, to render them 
 impenetrable by faturation with moloffes. — Ken- 
 dalVs Travels, 1808. 
 
 The public buildings are the old State Houfe, 
 now converted into offices, ftores, etc.; a court 
 houfe, a theatre, concert hall, Faneuil Hall, gaol, 
 an almfhoufe, lately erected at the northweft part 
 of the town, fpacious and commodious, and the 
 moft elegant building of the kind in the United 
 States. Franklin Place, adjoining Federal Street 
 Theatre, is a great ornament to the town; it con- 
 tains a monument to Dr. Franklin, from whom it 
 takes its name, and is encompaffed on two fides 
 with elegant buildings. Here are kept, in capa- 
 cious rooms, given and fitted up for the purpofe, 
 the Bofton Library, and the valuable collections of 
 the Hiftorical Society. Moft of the public build- 
 ings are handfome, and fome of them are elegant; 
 particularly the new State Houfe, erected on the 
 fouth fide of Beacon Hill, fronting the Mall, the 
 corner ftone of which was laid with great formality 
 and parade on the 4th of July, 1795. This build- 
 ing overtops the monument on Beacon Hill, and 
 is one of the moft elegant in the United States. 
 6 [The 
 
The dome, 50 feet diameter and 30 feet high, is 
 terminated with an elegant circular lanthorn, fup- 
 porting a gilt pine cone, an emblem of one of our 
 principal ftaples. 
 
 The ftairs are fpacious, and two flights of them 
 lead to the top of the outer dome, 170 fteps from 
 the foundation. This flight affords an uninter- 
 rupted view of one of the fineft fcenes in nature. 
 Indeed, the beauty and advantages of this fituation 
 which induced the Legiflature to make choice of it 
 for the prefent building, are acknowledged by both 
 natives and foreigners. It vies with the moft pic- 
 turefque fcenes in Europe, and will bear compari- 
 fon with the Caftle Hill of Edinburgh, the famous 
 Bay of Naples, or any other moft commanding 
 profpect. The neighboring towns and villages with 
 their lofty fpires ; the diftant hills adorned with 
 fplendid country feats, fields, orchards, and gardens; 
 the bay and ocean fprinkled with iflands, and en- 
 livened by boats and veffels, give variety to the 
 rich and delightful profpect. 
 
 The Market Place, in which Faneuil Hall is fitu- 
 ated, is fupplied with all kinds of provifions which 
 the country affords. The fifh market in particular, 
 by the bounteous fupplies of the ocean and rivers, 
 not only furnifhes the rich with the rareft produc- 
 tions, but often provides the poor with a cheap and 
 grateful repaft. Bofton Harbour is formed by Point 
 Alderton on the fouth, and by Nahant Point on the 
 north. The harbour is capacious enough for 500 
 veffels to ride at anchor in good depth of water; 
 whilft the entrance is fo narrow as fcarcely to admit 
 two fhips abreaft. It is variegated with about 
 forty iflands, of which fifteen only can be properly 
 called fo; the others being fmall rocks or banks of 
 land, flightly covered with verdure. Thefe iflands 
 afford excellent pafturage, hay, and grain, and are 
 agreeable places of refort in fummer to parties of 
 pleafure. Fort Independence, on Caftle Ifland, 
 
Burning of Charleftown. 
 
 formerly Caftle William, about three miles eaft of 
 Bofton, is a very ftrong fortrefs, lately built by the 
 Government of the United States, at a great ex- 
 penfe, and defends Bofton Harbour. It is a regular, 
 ftrong, enclofed work; the ramparts of ftone and 
 brick, with a magazine, fortrefs, barracks, and 
 other buildings; commenced in the year 1800, and 
 were completed in 1803. 
 
 The view of the town, as it is approached from 
 the fea, is truly beautiful and picturefque. It lies 
 in a circular and pleafingly irregular form round 
 the harbour, and ornamented with fpires, above 
 which the Monument of Beacon Hill rifes, which 
 is now, however, overtopped by the new State 
 Houfe. On the bafe of the Monument are in- 
 fcriptions, commemorating some of the moft 
 remarkable events of the late war. Beacon Hill 
 is the higheft ground on the peninfula, and affords 
 a delightful and extenfive profpect. The Common 
 below it contains about forty-five acres always 
 open to refrefhing breezes; on its eaft fide is the 
 Mall, a very pleafant walk about 500 yards in 
 length, adorned with rows of trees, to which an 
 9 [addition 
 
Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. 
 
 addition of about loo yards has been lately made. 
 Charles River and Weft Bofton bridges are highly 
 ufeful and ornamental to Bofton; both are on 
 Charles River, which mingles its waters with thofe 
 of the Myftic River, in Bofton harbour. 
 
 Seven Free Schools are fupported here at the 
 public expenfe, in which the children of every 
 clafs of citizens may freely affociate together. 
 The number of fcholars is computed at about 900, 
 of which 160 are taught Latin, etc. There are 
 befides thefe many private fchools. The principal 
 focieties in the Commonwealth hold their meet- 
 ings in this town, and are, the Marine Societ)'-, 
 American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Maffa- 
 chufetts Charitable Society, Bofton Epifcopal Char- 
 itable Society, Maffachufetts Hiftorical Society, 
 
Society for Propagating the Gofpel, Maffachufetts 
 Congregational Charitable Society, Maffachufetts 
 Society for Promoting Chriftian Knowledge, Medi- 
 cal Society, Humane Society, Bofton Library 
 Society, Bofton Mechanics Affociation, Charitable 
 Fire Society, and Maffachufetts Miffionary 
 Society. 
 
 Bofton was fettled as early as 1631, from 
 Charleftown; it was called Shaumet by the Indians; 
 Trimountain by the fettlers in Charleftown, from 
 the view of its three hills; and had its prefent 
 name in token of refpect to the Rev. Mr. Cotton, 
 a minifter of Bofton, in England, and afterward 
 minifter of the firft church here. Bofton was 
 greatly damaged by an earthquake October 29, 
 1727, and fince that time has fuffered feverely by 
 numerous fires, the houfes being moftly built of 
 wood. The laft large fire happened July 30, 1794, 
 and confumed ninety-fix houfes, rope walks, etc., 
 and the account of the loffes given in by the fuf- 
 ferers amounted to $209,861. It was in Bofton 
 that the Revolution originated which gave inde- 
 pendence to America, and thence flew like an 
 electrical fhock throughout the Union. It fuffered 
 much at the commencement of the war, by the 
 lofs of an extenfive trade, and other calamities. 
 Bofton feels a pride in having given birth to Ben- 
 jamin Franklin, and a number of other patriots, 
 who were among the moft active and influential 
 characters in effecting the revolution. Great im- 
 provements have been made in the ftreets, build- 
 ings, and police of this town, within a few years. 
 ***** — Jedidiah Mor/e's Gazetteer, 1810. 
 II [Bofton 
 
Bofton Schools. 
 
 HE earlieft trace of our syftem of free 
 fchools is to be found on the Bofton 
 records, under date of April 13, 1635, 
 where it is ftated to have been "agreed 
 upon that our brother, Philemon Purmont, fhall 
 be entreated to become fchoolmafter, for the 
 teaching and nurturing of children with us." 
 Whether Mr. P. confented to ferve the town, does 
 not appear ; but another perfon, Mr. Daniel 
 Maude, was "alfo chofen " to the office of "free 
 fchoolmafter," in Auguft, 1636. 
 
 The firft provifion for the fupport of fchools 
 feems to have been made as voluntary contribution. 
 There is a fubfcription recorded, on the laft leaf 
 of the oldeft volume of town records, which, 
 though the firft line is illegible, is plainly dif- 
 
 cerned to be " towards the maintenance of 
 
 free fchoolmafter." It is headed by "the 
 
 Governor, Mr. Henry Vane, Efq.," who puts down 
 jQt.o, as do alfo the Dep. Gov. Mr. John Winthrop, 
 and Mr. Richard Bellingham. Forty-two other per- 
 fons fubfcribe according to their ability, fome 30s. 
 and fome as low as 4s., making in all about the fum 
 of jQ^o. In 1641, the income from Deer Ifland 
 was appropriated for the fchool's ufe, and in other 
 years the rents of that and other iflands were 
 devoted to the fame purpofe. Under date of 1645, 
 Gov. Winthrop notes in his Journal, that "divers 
 free fchools were erected," and obferves that, at 
 Bofton, they made an order to allow forever ^1^50 
 per ann. for the mafter, and a houfe, — and ;^30 to 
 an ufher, who fhould alfo teach to read, write, and 
 cipher — and the charge was to be defrayed "by 
 yearly contributions, either by voluntary allowance 
 or by rate of fuch as refufed." 
 
 In 167 1, Mr, Ezekiel Cheever took the principal 
 charge of the fchool. Mr. C. had been a diftin- 
 
The Battle of Lexington. 
 
 guifhed inftructor in various parts of New Eng- 
 land, and his reputation was not diminifhed by his 
 career in this place; under him the grammar fchool 
 of Bofton attained the rank of " the principal 
 fchool of the Britifh Colonies, if not in all 
 America." 
 
 Several perfons have been licenfed to keep pri- 
 vate fchools "to teach children to write and keep 
 accounts ; " but there is no reafon to fuppofe that 
 there had been more than one publick fchool, prior 
 to 1684. In April, 1683, the town voted to provide 
 two fchools, and to allow ;^25 per ann. for the fup- 
 port of each, with the underftanding "that fuch 
 perfons as fend their children to the fchool, that 
 are able, fhould pay fomething to the mafter for 
 his better encouragement." 
 
 The original Latin fchool-houfe was located on 
 the north fide of School-ftreet, at the foutheaft 
 corner of the Chapel burying-ground, nearly oppo- 
 fite to the prefent fchool-houfe. One of the writ- 
 ing fchools was kept in Court-ftreet, and the other, 
 we fuppofe, at the north part of the town. 
 
 In the Hutchinfon MS. we find the following 
 order of Gov. Andros, dated Bofton, the 24th of 
 13 L^^ay, 
 
The New State lluul'e. 
 
 May, 1687 : "By his Ex.'s command. Upon the 
 petition of Jofhua Natftock, and recommendation 
 of many of the inh. of the N. part of the town of 
 B., I do hereby appoint the faid Jofhua to be 
 mafter of the publick fchool there, and to have and 
 enjoy fuch profits and benefits and advantages, as 
 have been heretofore paid and allowed to his pred- 
 eceffors." It was a favorite object with Councilor 
 Randolph to have all the fchools fupplied with 
 mafters of the perfuafion of the C. of England. 
 When Androf's power ceafed, the town loft no time 
 in voting (1689) that the cuftom and practice of 
 managing free fchools be reftored and continued. 
 
 14 
 
In ^iatnUVaSX 
 We Siuoed aO. 
 
 Thy Life to Mend 
 This Both Aiicnd. 
 
 The Cat dcth play 
 And after fl%/. 
 
 A Doj^ will bite 
 A Thi^f at ni^ht. 
 
 An Ea^Us flight 
 Is Out of fight. 
 
 The Idfc Tool 
 Ij whipc at School. 
 
 The New England Primer. 
 
 Two grammar and three writing fchools were 
 the only publick fchools in Bofton, before the Revo- 
 lution. They were under the infpection of the 
 felectmen and "a certain number of gentlemen of 
 liberal education, together with fome of the reverend 
 minifters," whofe cuftom it was to make an annual 
 report to the town of the ftate of the fchools. In 
 1742, when the population of the town was 16,382, 
 there were reported a total of 535 prefent. At the 
 vifitation July i, 1772, there were prefent 823 
 fcholars. 
 
 During the fiege the town fchools were fuf- 
 pended ; a few children attended the inftructions 
 of Mr. Elias Dupee, who remained in Bofton, and 
 gratuitoufly devoted himfelf to his employment of 
 a teacher, in which he took peculiar delight. Novem- 
 ber 8, 1776, there was a vote of the town, that the 
 
 16 
 
fchools should be opened under the direction of the 
 felectmen ; and we foon find them all in fucceffful 
 operation. 
 
 The concerns of the fchools were conducted in 
 the ufual train until the year 17S9. On the 23d of 
 September that year, a committee was appointed, 
 of one from each ward, to draft a new fyftem of 
 education. Their report, which was adopted, pro- 
 pofed to continue but one (the fouth) Latin Gram- 
 mar School, and to eftablifh three reading fchools, 
 in apartments feparate from the three writing 
 fchools. Candidates for admiffion were required 
 to be feven years of age, " having previoufly received 
 the inftruction ufual at women's fchools." Children 
 of both fexes were to be admitted, boys for the 
 year round, and girls from April to October, "to 
 be taught to fpell, accent, and read profe and verfe, 
 and alfo to be inftructed in Englifh grammar and 
 compofition." 
 
 Sunday Schools were revived in the town, in 
 the year 1816, in which it was the object of the 
 managers, befides conveying religious inftruction, 
 to fit their charge for the Englifh Grammar Schools; 
 but the number which needed to be thus fitted 
 proved to be fo great, that many citizens became 
 defirous that fomething should be done by the 
 town toward the fame object. A petition was pre- 
 fented that free fchools might be eftablifhed for 
 children between the age of four and feven years. 
 A committee was appointed to acertain the number 
 of children throughout the town, who did not attend 
 any fchool, and the number that attended private 
 fchools, and this examination refulted, 1818, in 
 the eftablifhment of the Board of Primary Schools. 
 ******** 
 
 The complete fuccefs, which immediately at- 
 tended the inftitution of primary fchools, produced 
 a very ftrong feeling in favour of publick educa- 
 17 [tion, 
 
t'on, and created a feafonable opportunity for 
 gratifying the vvifhes of thofe who had been long 
 calling for a fchool, in which fuch as have not a 
 defire, or lack the means to purfue a collegiate 
 education, might receive inftruction in fome 
 branches of great practical importance, ufually 
 taught only at colleges. The plan for the eftab- 
 lifhment of the Englifh Claffical School (now 
 called the Englifh High School) was adopted in 
 
 1820, and the fchool went into operation in May, 
 
 1821, The principal inftructor was Mr. Geo. B. 
 Emerfon. The higher branches of mathematicks, 
 natural and moral philofophy, natural and civil 
 hiftory, natural theology and evidences of chrif- 
 tianity, compofition, declamation, and inftruction in 
 the French language, conftitute the courfe purfued 
 at this fchool. 
 
 One of the laft acts of the town of Bofton 
 (before its incorporation as a city) was a provifion 
 for the erection of the Englifh grammar and writ- 
 ing fchool, now called Hancock School, in Hanover- 
 ftreet, which went into operation, June, 1823. 
 
 Under the city charter the care and fuperin- 
 tendence of the publick fchools devolves on the 
 School Committee, compofed of one member for 
 each ward, together with the Mayor and Alder- 
 men. * * * * jitie fummer vifitation has 
 been aptly called the City Commencement. The 
 ambition of the children is excited to difplay their 
 feveral acquirements to the beft advantage, and 
 the exhibition of the Latin and High Schools may 
 be truly faid to fall little fhort of fimilar exercifes 
 at College. Three of the beft boys in each of the 
 fchools annually receive, on thefe occafions, a 
 filver medal, "the gift of Franklin," as "a reward 
 of merit." The girls alfo receive rewards at the 
 expenfe of the city. The emulation excited in the 
 conteft for thefe marks of diftinction is confined to 
 
 18 
 
a laudable ambition and, by its happy effects on 
 the difcipline of the fchools and on the character 
 of the fcholars, evinces the wifdom of the great 
 man, who bequeathed thefe memorials of his love 
 to his native town. — Hiftory of Bo/ton, Caleb H. 
 Snow, M. D., B off on, 1823. 
 
 How to Reach Bofton. 
 
 T ufed to be faid by the ancients that all 
 roads lead to Rome. So all roads lead 
 to Bofton, which has been aptly ftyled 
 the " Hub of the Univerfe," but the 
 beft of all roads is the Michigan Central, "The 
 Niagara Falls Route," which runs four faft and 
 elegantly equipped trains daily between Chicago 
 and Bofton, via Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Buffalo. 
 
 The paffenger on the Michigan Central Rail- 
 road either eaft or weft bound, enjoys not only 
 the advantage of paffing directly by and in full 
 view of the great cataract, with a ftop of five min- 
 utes at Falls View Station, a privilege that no other 
 line can afford, but is alfo afforded the opportunity 
 of ftopping over en route at Niagara Falls, for a 
 period not exceeding ten days from time of depofit 
 of tickets under conditions which the paffenger 
 can learn of the Ticket Agent or the Train Con- 
 ductor. 
 
 If one can ftop but a day or two, he fhould 
 by all means do fo, that he may fee Niagara in 
 detail and from every point of view. No matter 
 how often nor how long the obfervant tourift 
 ftops at Niagara, he will be fure to fee fomething 
 uufeen before, in this *' vaft and prodigious 
 cadence of water." 
 
 For further information, address, O. W, Rug- 
 gles, G. P. & T A., Chicago, L. D. Ileufner, Gen'l 
 Weftern Paffenger Agent, 119 Adams Street, Chi- 
 cago, or any Michigan Central Agent. 
 
 19 
 
In Time of Spring. 
 
 The Ra^al Oak 
 it was the Tree 
 
 That ftv'd His 
 Roy4) Majcftie. 
 
 P^rfff denies 
 His Lord and cries 
 
 Queen BJiher comes 
 
 in Royal State 
 
 To Save the JEWS 
 
 from difmaj F&te 
 
 Fachol doth in our. 
 For her firtft born. 
 
 Samuel anoints 
 Whora God appoiirfs 
 
 Printed by- 
 Rand, McNally & Co, 
 Chicago 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 012 608 705 6