Dartmouth Town (part 3 of 3)

The establishment of the Congregational church in this town was brought about in 1807, with Rev. Daniel Emerson as the first pastor, the church edifice being built in 1817. A South Dartmouth Baptist church, now closed, was formed in May, 1831, as a branch of the New Bedford Baptist Church. Yet another church formed in 1836, the Second Christian Church, is not active at this time. The Methodist Episcopal church, organized in 1838, has declined in interest and membership. The Smith Mills Christian Church was formed December 22, 1838, the house being built just previously. The Christian Church in the Bakerville district was built in 1837, the organization taking place in 1838.

Within a few years, The Roman Catholic Bishop has purchased property in South Dartmouth, and established a Catholic church, under the direction of Rev. Father James Noon, of St. James Church, New Bedford.

Dr. Andrew B. Cushman, chairman of the Dartmouth school committee, and for whom was named the new school erected in 1923 on Dartmouth street near Davis' Corner,.in his report for 1922 stated that the appropriation for Dartmouth school purposes had grown from $5,000 in 1890 to $60,000 in 1922, while the pupils' transportation account, which was $200 in 1898, when schools consolidation began, was $10,000 in 1922. The average school attendance in 1890 was 474; in 1922 it was:1,219. In 1891 the school committee first advised the establishment of a school superintendency, and since that time the following-named have served in that capacity: Seth S. Crocker, Clarence E. Brockway, Winthrop N. Crocker, Ernest P. Carr, Albert S. Cole, Leon E. Prior, Frederick L. Kendall, A. R. Paull. The town in 1922 appropriated $150,000 for the two new school buildings - the Job S. Gidley school at North Dartmouth, and the Andrew B. Cushman school in the south part of the town. The dates of building of schools in the town follow: Bliss Corner, occupied in 1893; Smith Mills, 1897; Padanaram, 1903; Hixville, 1907; Bliss Corner addition, 1907; Smith Mills addition, 1907; Faunce Corner, 1910; Russell's Mills, 1914; Lincoln, 1916; Bliss Corner addition, 1916; Collins, 1917; Bakerville, 1920; Sanford's Corner, 1921. The Charles H. Howland high school was built in 1901.

The first schoolmaster in the town was Christopher Faunce, who was accepted as a grammar schoolmaster in 1728. William Lake was _ schoolmaster in 1733, at £45 a year. William Palmer, who succeeded him, also taught navigation.

Job S. Gidley, in an historical survey of the schools here, has concluded that houses for public schools were not built until after the town was redistricted in 1816, and that the first schoolhouse was built at the Seth Davis Corner. In 1827 the town elected its first board of school committee, previous to which the schools had been in charge of a prudential committee, and in 1866 the school district system was abolished.

Shipyards sprang up along the river banks for quite a period of years from 1820, in the Padanaram section, says L. A. Littlefield. About the vear 1826 or 1827, Charles Matthews and Matthew Thatcher were engaged in shipbuilding at Deep Water Point. Daniel Homer also had a shipyard here, and built the large vessel called '""Nimrod." About 1845, whaleships were built by Alonzo Matthews, John Mashow, James M. Babbitt and Frederick Smalley, and Padanaram at one time shared its whaling interests with New Bedford, with its fleet of seven barks and ships. Between 1834 and 1836 the first bridge was built over Apponegansett river by a corporation composed of Nathaniel Howland, Caleb Anthony, Gilbert Howland, Joseph Bailey, Richard Sandford, Clark Ricketson, Luther Kirby; this bridge being maintained as a toll bridge to 1870, when it was made free to the public. The present bridge was completed in 1902.

Libraries, etc. - The North Dartmouth Library, founded in 1902, says the librarian, Miss Alice W. Gidley, has grown in twenty years from a few dozen books to a collection of nearly 3,000, and the library supplies the Smith Mills, the Collins and Lincoln Schools. Russell's Mills Library has a circulation of about 4,300; Miss Mary A. Tucker is librarian. The John H. Southworth Library, in South Dartmouth, was dedicated February 1, 1890, and in 1923 had over 7,000 books. Miss Theodosia P. Chase was the librarian, Miss Frances S. Taber assistant. The Apponegansett Library was opened in 1921, Miss Alice D. Meyers assistant.

Among the societies that do much towards the general improvement and progress of the town are the Padanaram Improvement Association, Henry C. Robinson, president, and the Farmers' Club, Elmer Poole president.