In the previous article the early educational history of the Village of Bainbridge was documented from material forwarded to my attention by Charles Decker, Afton Historian. There are not enough accolades for Mr. Decker as a historian as he is extremely thorough in all his research of Afton history, which overlaps with Bainbridge as Afton was not formed until 1857 as a separate township.
To continue with the documentation of the “High School” we again will quote directly in conclusion of this segment of history which is often overlooked and basically forgotten.
“In 1868, in March, a group of prominent merchants, farmers, and lawyers signed a petition to the School Board of District #13 calling the Board to hold a meeting of all the qualified voters of District #13 to a public meeting. This meeting was to be called for the purpose of deciding whether or not a Union Free School District should be formed. Mr. A. Converse was chosen Chairman and J.D. Newell - Clerk. The following is the result of that meeting.
“RESOLVED, that we, the inhabitants of School District No. 13 in the Village of Bainbridge, regarding the means of instruction in said District inadequate to the public demands therein, and being confident that a Union Free school would better accommodate, more fully, the wants and better subserve the ends of Education of the people thereof, do change the name into Union Free School District, in conformity with Chapter 555, of the laws of 1864; 65; 66; 67.”
At that meeting, a legally elected Board of Education was formed, consisting of H.L. March, G.A. Dodge, and A.J. Yale for one year, Charles Bixby, G. S. Graves, and W.W. Davis for two years; and B.S. Sill, D.A. Gilbert, and A. Converse for a period of three years.
The Board held its first meeting on April 9,1868 and elected Mr. A. Converse as President, G.A. Dodge as Clerk, and Asa J. Yale as Treasurer. Mr. G.S. Graves was also elected as Tax Collector.
Sometime during that era, the District was renamed as District #10 instead of District #13. So far, so good! But the question arose immediately. Where would the site of the school be? What kind of building would be erected? Records of that time do not show what action was taken by the first Board Meeting on April 14th and later on April 27th of that year, 1868. It does appear, though, that no subsequent action was taken until January 10th 1871 (three years later). Later it was noted that on that date, January 10, 1871, a special meeting of the Board was called to pass on a school tax to be levied. $4,500 had to be raised on the taxable property of the District. This was to be used, together with the avails of the old schoolhouse (off the park), to purchase and addition to the present site, and build a new schoolhouse on that spot.
There was considerable opposition to the new school, and the move to erect a Union Free School. The advocates of the plan were known as the “Progressives” and the opposition were of the old guard who wanted no part of the plan. However, a contract was let to the firm of Northrup & Thayer. This firm proceeded to lay the foundation, when the work was stopped. The Vestry of St. Peter’s Episcopalian Church brought suit against the School Board. The question of which they based their suit was a difference over who owned the land.
