The Willimantic Journal

A. W. Parkhurst Writes Regarding His Recollections of the Same.

Reading about Miss Crandall's school at Canterbury, brings many things fresh to my mind. In the autumn of 1821 a young ladies' boarding school was opened in a large house, which had been vacated by the death of Esquire Paine. It stands in the village of Canterbury, at the four corners, in the southwest corner. The school was opened by Miss Prudence Crandall. A number of young ladies from the best families in town were enrolled as pupils and the school seemed to start under most favorable auspices, and with brilliant prospect of success. While the tide of prosperity was thus setting in, a colored girl applied to Miss Crandall and was admitted into the school. This gave offence to some of the patrons of the school, who threatened to remove their daughters if the colored pupil remained.

Miss Crandall had become thoroughly aroused in behalf of the colored race and determined to open her school for colored girls. This action excited great indignation through the town. A public meeting was called and a delegation was appointed to try to persuade Miss Crandall to relinquish her determination to establish a school for young ladies of color. But she stood firm to her purpose, in the face of all persuasion.

The excited people called a town meeting to devise and adopt such measures as would effectually avert the nuisance. This meeting, held March 9, 1833, in the meeting house which was filled to its utmost capacity with an angry and boisterous company of citizens, passed resolutions protesting against the proposed school. The very few who attempted to speak in Miss Crandall's behalf were stormed and driven from the house.

On the day appointed, the school commenced. Some ten or twelve colored girls from northern cities had found their way to Canterbury and sat down as pupils before Miss Crandall. Another town meeting was called and the determination to break up the school seemed to know no bounds. Dealers in all sorts of wares and produce agreed to sell nothing to Miss Crandall and the stage driver refused to carry her pupils. Stable refuse was thrown into the well and the neighbors refused her a pail of water. Vagabond boys pelted her house with stones and rotten eggs and hooted at the colored girls on the street. But she held firm through this kind of persecution.

Miss Crandall was at length arrested and confined in Brooklyn jail over night and placed in the cell not long before vacated by the murderer Watkins, who had gone thence to the gallows. Her trial went on in due course of time, first in the court, then in the superior court, in both of which verdicts were pronounced against her. Finally in the court of errors, the case was reviewed July 22, 1834, and the former decisions were reversed.

The school, meanwhile, kept on with work by William Burleigh and his sister, and a sister of Miss Crandall. One morning, early in September her house was set on fire, but timely efforts saved it from being consumed. I was on my way to Plainfield, with my father to visit my grandfather, and saw the charred house. Again, a few days later, as the family were preparing to retire for the night, a number of men, armed with heavy weapons, surrounded the house and at a given signal smashed in all the windows on the ground floor, with one crash. I could mention some names, but I will refrain as it might be unpleasant for the descendants.

This sudden and violent outbreak of the spirit of ruffianism so thoroughly alarmed the inmates that it was decided to abandon the school. The property was sold and Miss Crandall, who had not long before married Mr. Calvin Philleo, removed from the scene of her conflict and bid a lasting adieu to the people and the soil of Canterbury. After long years of waiting she received by act of the Connecticut legislation an award of $400 a year in restitution for damages she had sustained.

Mr. Burleigh came to Scotland about that time to lecture on slavery. The good people of Scotland were too good to sit and hear anything about slavery and he was not allowed to go into the meeting house. Mr. Burleigh went into Mr. Daniel Tracy's front yard and denounced slavery. I was there and heard him. It made such an impression on my mind that I became an abolitionist. The party afterwards was called "republican."

When I was made a voter a man told me I was a foolish boy. I had thrown my vote away. But the party increased and soon predominated and it has the power today and I remain the same and shall always, at least I think I shall.

If anyone wishes any Windham County history write me and I will give it through the JOURNAL, if Editor Fiske will have it printed and I think he will. He has not sent back any thing but once, and that was an empty envelope, mailed by mistake.

A. W. PARKHURST,
Scotland, Ct.