Hoosick Grange met on October 28. The Lecturer’s program was presented at 8 pm. The speaker for the evening was Charles Filkins. Charles told us about the first schools in Rensselaer County. He had many pictures of schools of long ago and compared to what they look like now. Many schools were gone. He also had maps to show where the schools had been. If a community wanted a school, building one was a local duty, and NY State was not involved. Families put up the money for the school. Any family could send their children if they paid their share of the teacher’s salary. NY State made a law in April 1795 that made towns responsible for establishing school districts. New York State didn’t start helping with teachers’ pay until after 1812, and then it was $20 a year, if the school met the requirements.
Corinne Philpott read a paper that Case Cottrell wrote about one school that he went to, called Swampside or Swamp Seminary. An interesting fact was Case Cottrell’s brother Jay Cottrell went to Swamp Seminary, too, and was Hoosick Grange’s first Master. Also, our Master David Cornell’s grandmother, Hattie Cottrell went to school there, too. Some schools closed when the Walter Wood factory closed and the population dropped. We all had time to look at the pictures and ask questions. The Lecturer thanked Charles for a very interesting program.
After the Lecturer’s program the Grange welcomed two new members. On November 4 there will be a Pomona meeting at Center Brunswick – covered dish at 7 pm.
Hoosick Grange next meeting is on November 11. The members are collecting things for veterans and for Military Moms in Action. They would like to have everything in by this meeting. Refreshments for the evening were provided by the Brenenstuhls. Refreshments for the November 11 meeting will be provided by Norma Brenenstuhl.
Some of the first schools’ names and the districts are: First settlers: Sancoick 1725, Dutch Hosick 1733 includes Petersburgh Junction, Walloomsac 1741.
1 Walloomsac Old Upper Walloomsac/Battlefield
2 Democratic Mapletown
3 Warrin Hoosick
4 St. Coick west of Little White Creek
5 Fountainhead Johnson Hill
6 Federal Hoosick Falls – Riverside Laundry site, 1788 school house
7 Liberty Cottrell-Filkins farm
8 Liberal/Royal Oak south of Wood Brook
9 Washington between Buskirk and West Hoosick, later Bosworth
10 Increase NY 7 between Spicer and Torry Hill Roads
11 Republican Breese Hollow
12 Harrington West Hoosick
Note: Buskirk and Eagle Bridge were in Cambridge until March 29,1822 when part of the Hoosick straight north line was moved up to the center of the Hoosic River. Some districts crossed town lines including West Hoosick and Bosworth districts.