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C \ \ R Y TA . G HISTORY OF BENNINGTON SCHOOL j . Bennington is said to have derived its name from $ Benson Pelton, who at a very early period in Benningâ€" ton‘s history, owned considerable land in the vicinâ€" ity, including the land on which. the first buildings 4 were situated. Some say too, that Bennington was named /,/ by sometpionser oftthghdistrict who had come from â€" Bennington, Vermont. e Pelton family originally came J MA â€"o I from the New England States. There 1SVa record of a iL quit claim deed dated 1846 showing that Benson Pelton _ _ zc sold to George Duncan the fifty acres of land on the corner of which the cheese factory now stands. Donald McKay was the first merchant of Bennington His store was situated on *re southâ€"west corner of the intersection at the 2nd concession. He lived in one end of the building and kept store in the other end where he also conducted a Sunday School class. Joseph Fleming, a weaver, was an outstanding citizen of Bennington in those days. He wove all the material in | the garments worn by people for miles around. The early school district of this community comâ€" prised about all the terrbtory now included in school sections 3 and 6. The school, known as Pelton‘s school, and a cottage for the temcher stond on an acre of land on the southâ€"west corner of Lot 20, concession 3, facing north. The schoolhouse was a small frame building which accommodated about 100 boys and girls, seated on benches or anything else avoailable. The class was presided over by James Youill, very harsh and cruel. No punishment was too severe for this man to inflict on any of his pupils, including his own daughter. c In those days each ratepayer was assessed so much wood for heating the school, according to the number of children he had attending the school. The story is told that one family who lived 4 miles avay, and whose father was in arrears for his share of wood, was not allowed to warm themselves at the stove in winter. Money transactions at that time were still in pounds, â€" shillings and pence. In 1864, School Sestion No. 3 of West Zorra wns organized. ‘The followines in Lbe report of the record of orrnniznl Aontâ€" 91 “â€"‘ T: > > v’:" -’ * 1 %s: t3 " "““"“fj- wao nouiuw @av uy duing ui weul e cuccuviiviuir inltiha D) GlAePMY Buioee Anmmanmenecmms c ts ow 2 Plty C > 1 y a frli. ;‘ of choosing a site for a school house. If a frame . § & Â¥* . 5i l _ ;: _4 school could be built for $100 less than a brick t us 4 i 42524 h Faar e N 1 > building a frame school was to be erected. It was deâ€" â€"~_ s ACuos Tâ€"9 KT .. se £ is o cided later to build a brick school. The first school. 4 Vf%%gjggf%ixfi * y * “'fi;;w-fl"égié was buélt gy James Muirdwgise tender was for four â€" o * ce ts ‘*;éj_.e es . © hundred and thirtyâ€"two dollars. & y [ e ts 2e s aY\ v e 3 e ) ~ O i ns n en en en enc o ’g'} ? _g‘! . . qi‘ i We seasoned, free from black or rotten knots and to be & ues y * *.¢. _ x 4 c ts tongued and grooved. 3.'-1 rg "'QA:_-??J s vFéf*fi?&-l One beam to be placed lengthvwise of the building ce e / > :. «/+ e aenime oo 12 x 12 of sound rock alm or red beech in the centre â€" > e â€"~~A : 1200 0A & l‘iéfifit‘f?' fl:-,$!§‘ a . â€" . e £a |