Concord Township.

payment of bequests contained in Ralph Pyle's will. Nothing has come to our knowledge respecting this schooling of a poor man's child other than stated.

The first schools known to have been established in the township were conducted under the charge of the society of Friends. One such school is believed to have been located in Friends' meeting-house about 1779, and in 1793 a dwelling was built close by for the accommodation of the teacher. In 1827 a school-house had been erected, a two-storied building, and, it is alleged by County Superintendent Baker, in his report for 1877, was partially graded. In the following year the division in the society of Friends occurred, and from that date the Orthodox and Hicksite branches educated their children in separate schools. Under the act of 1804 school directors in Delaware County had been elected prior to the law of 1834. On March 18, 1825, Concord elected trustees of schools for three years. Ralph C. Marsh, William Mendenhall, and James M. Willcox were returned to court as elected. At that time school was held at Mattson's, and preparations were made to accept other houses in the township. In 1834, when the school law was passed, the court appointed James M. Willcox and W. H. Palmer to act as inspectors of schools until directors had been elected. On Nov. 4, 1834, a county convention was held at the court-house at Chester, to which delegates, chosen by the several townships, were requested to be present. Concord neglected or refused to elect delegates, and the township was not represented at the meeting. The opposition there was so general that it was not until the act of 1836 was passed that Concord accepted the provisions of the law. That is the received opinion, and yet, in 1835, $165.90 was received by the township as county and State appropriations.

The first board of directors elected under the act of 1836 consisted of William Mendenhall, James M. Willcox, Joseph Cloud, Joseph Palmer, Robert N. Palmer, and Reece Pyle, and on August 27th of that year the first meeting was held at the public-house of James Hannum. It was resolved that Neal Duffee should be employed as teacher for Lower School No. 2 (Mattson's); Jesse Green, for Union School, No. 3 (near Elam); and Alexander McKeever, for the Upper School (Concord Hill), at twenty-five dollars per month of twenty-four days.

The following notice was soon after posted in the township:

"Notice. - At a meeting Concord, Sept 2, 1836. To all concerned. The Directors of the district of Concord have resolved to open three schools in said District, viz.: At Millers or Lower School and Union School, near Newlins store and Upper School, Concord Hill, on second day the 12th inst. for the reception of all children over four years old for tuition and instruction.

"By order of the Board,
"Reece Pyle, Secretary."

On the 8th of October, 1836, Alexander McKeever was notified by the board that his pay would cease at the expiration of two months, but on the 13th of May, 1837, he was again chosen with Neal Duffee and Jesse Green to teach the schools. June 7, 1838, the directors employed Moses M. Lincoln teacher for school No. 1, Amos H. Wickersham No. 2, Jesse Green No. 3. Wickersham resigned January 14th, and Feb. 11, 1839, James G. Hannum was appointed in his place. The. question of continuing the public schools in Concord seems to have been undecided as late as 1840 when in May of that year an election was held, and it was voted to continue them. In the year 1853 the schoolhouses in the township were known as follows: No. 1, Hatton's; No. 2, Mattson's; No. 3, Gamble's; and No. 4, Sharpless'.

The first school-house erected in the township, except that of the Friends at Concord Hill, was upon a lot of land which by deed dated Dec. 10, 1796, Levi Mattson gave in trust for that purpose. The people of that section, to the number of eighteen, appointed Moses Palmer, Stephen Hall, William Hannum, Nathaniel Walter, and Thomas Hatton, trustees to accept the real estate. It consisted of half an acre of land situated on the north side of the great road from Concord to Chester. .A one-story stone schoolhouse was erected by contribution from the neighbors upon this lot and used for school purposes. The building was under direction of trustees until the school law was accepted. The old contribution school passed to the control of the directors, and in the notice of Sept. 2, 1836, it is mentioned as Miller's or Lower school. John Larkin, Jr., of Chester, and Mrs. George Sharpless, of Springfield, were pupils here from 1812 to 1815; John McClugen was a teacher at that time. His Saturday night libations at the Cross-Keys Tavern often incapacitated him from appearing Monday morning in proper condition to teach. William Neal, Nicholas Newlin, and Thomas Haines were also teachers. In 1859, when the directors were about erecting a new house on this lot, the deed from Mattson could not be found, and much doubt was expressed as to the title, but subsequently the deed was procured and recorded. The title being perfected, the directors contracted with Robert Barlett to erect a stone school-house at a cost of nine hundred and forty-four dollars, which was completed Sept. 15, 1859. It has been used for school purposes. On the 13th December, 1826, Robert N. Gamble sold to Joseph Larkin, William McCall, and Samuel Hance (who were trustees of schools of the township in that year) a half-acre of land on the road leading from Naaman's Creek road to Concord road, in consideration of having a school-house erected thereon. A school-house was built and used under the charge of trustees until 1836, at which time it was placed in care of the directors of the public schools, when it was known as School No. 3. It was maintained by them until 1856, when a new house was erected at Johnson's Corners which is still in use. The Gamble lot was sold to William H. Slawter, and the sale confirmed by the court Feb. 27, 1860. The land is now owned by Mrs. Mary Collins, who resides