Name/Title
History of the Eastport Lyceum | Quoddy (William Henry Kilby)Description
Eastport Sentinel, Wednesday, April 3, 1895, p. 1:
A Historical Sketch.
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THE NEW ENGLAND LYCEUM OF FORMER DAYS. – THE OLD EASTPORT LYCEUM.
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I.
In the February number of New England Magazine is published an article on the rise and fall of the New England lyceum, which I have read with a good deal of interest. This institution so popular and widely extended in it day had but a short career, between eighteen hundred thirty and sixty. The lecture system continued to flourish a while after the latter date, gut generally und the management of agent and bureaus, as some kinds of popular entertainments continue to be carried on. Courses are still advertised in certain cities, but they are generally made up of musical performances, with her and there a public speaker whom having gained celebrity in some way people are curious to get a sight of, and stereoptican illustrations lend additional attraction, but this is not the old New England lyceum.
Half a century or more ago nearly every considerable town in these eastern states had its organization supported by the best families, for the maintenance of courses or lectures during the winter season, and in some cities there were several such associations. At first the lecturers recived little if any pay for their services, but out of the system grew a demand for the best literary and oratorical talent, and with the increased facilities for getting about which followed the extension of the railroad system, the intellectual leaders were induced to devote time and study to the preparation of lectures for which there came a wide demand and liberal compensation. Wendell Phillips delivered his famous lecture on “The Lost Arts” in different part of the country, several hundred times. The system extended west but never went south. The demand of the time was for free speech, and among the most popular lecturers were Wendell Phillips, Henry Ward Beecher, Theodore Parker, Ralph Waldo Emerson and men of their stamp. John B. Gough had lectures on other subjects but was most at home on temperance. When he came to Eastport, which was before the Unitarian meeting house had been remodeled and its deep galleries taken out, as he was not at his best shut up in a pulpit, a broad platform was built in front to give him space to rush to and fro in his dramatic movement.
Prof. Proctor the eminent English Astronomer, who had lectured widely in the United State and saw the system in its decline viewed its abandonment as evidence of the intellectual deterioration of the people, but the writer of this magazine article says: “Mr. Proctor failed to understand the steady changes which take place in popular American education. The concert and lecture period has lapsed or evolved into a period of reading rooms and libraries. The great Chatauqua scheme was opening into a greater system of home culture and social education.” And in closing he writes, “The work is done. The lyceum rose to great power, and fell away and practically died, inside a single quarter of a century. But it killed slavery; it broke the power of superstitious theology; it made women free; it created a universal demand for higher culture.”
In reading this article my memory has reverted to the career of what might be called the extreme eastern brach of this old New England institution, the Eastport Lyceum, which had its parallel rise and decline. It was not the earliest institution of a literary character in town. In the old Eastport SENTINELS away back among the twenties, appears from a week to week the advertisement of the Q.F. (Quoddy Forum) a debating society successful for awhile, and the U.M.A. (Young Mechanic’s Association) which had literary exercises and got together a considerable library of its own. It was near a score of years later when a group of the younger men organized a debating society with the mysterious title of O.L.c. It is safe now to give the explanation—Orientalis Loquax Communitas (Eastern Debating Club). The first board of officers chosen in February, 1844, consisted of Daniel S,. Hayden, president; Edward C. Pike, secretary; Wm. Henry Kilby, editor; and these with Darius C. Powers and Frederick Bell, constituted the board of directors. It started in good style, with interesting debates and conducted one Fourth of July celebration, with an oration and dinner., Some of the papers handed in to the editor were claimed by XC.C. Tyler, who was a member, for publication in the SENTINEL. With the loss of active members by removal and the failure of sustained interest on the part of others, the institution came to an end after a short career, but some of the material which it had developed went to the support of the Eastport Lyceum, which had been kept up from year to year by the efforts of a few earnest citizens.
The Lyceum must have been organized in 1829 or ’30. I remember a lecture by Dr. Isaac Ray delivered in the Athenaeum room over the store of Jonathan Buck which stood on the site on Water street now occupied by George W. Capen. The need of a suitable room for such meetings had much to do with the erection of Trescott Hall in 1831, and here the institution had its future home. At first the lectures were principally given by the professional men of the town, who generously devoted time and study, and young men of the town were encouraged to appear on the platform. In such cases people were inclined to be lenient in judgment, and showed a kindly sympathy whenever a young townsman addressed them. As Calais painted a similar institution there arose a system of exchange and we had the benefit of their speakers, some of whom were men of marked ability; and there was a similar group att Machias, and scattering supplies elsewhere. The system produced some literary work of decided value, The lectures on the history of Eastport which Mr. J.D. Weston prepared specially for the Lyceum in the last months of his life, were read on two evenings of April, 1834, by his son Nelson,–the father being prevented by failing health from appearing in person,–and afterwards published in pamphlet form; and Mr. Sabine’s sketches, which are now standard history, were first given from this platform. I recall two lectures of great value delivered in later years by our lamented young townsman, Rev. George N. Richardson, who had spent two years in Europe and put careful and skillful work into a lecture on Germany, and another on Switzerland.
The Lyceum was a social as well as literary institution. Friday evening was sett apart as “lyceum night,” to which the social arrangements of the town were cheerfully accomodated. The late Judge E. R. Hoar in riveting to the history of the successful lyceum at Concord, Massachusetts, which long outlived nearly all of its class, said: “Through successive winters the old and the young have come here together to see each others faces,–the young men and maidens sometimes, perhaps, with other views than strictly intellectual culture; but all of us friendly, neighborly and engaged in a pursuit innocent and wholesome.” This description would equally well apply to Eastport, and we had here one arrangement which I never heard of elsewhere. The time before opening and after close not being quite sufficient for all the friendly greeting and gossip a recess was taken midway in the lecture for further opportunities.
QUODDY [William Henry Kilby].
Eastport Sentinel, Wednesday, April 10, 1895, p.1:
[Written for the Sentinel.]
A Historical Sketch.
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The New England Lyceum of Former Days — The Old Eastport Lyceum.
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II.
At the annual meeting of the Lyceum in 1847 the following officers were elected: Bion Bradbury, President; Daniel T. Granger, Vice President; Wm. Henry Kilby, Secretary and Treasurer; Daniel T. Granger, Aaron Hayden, Rev. Kendall Brooks, Jr., Directors.
The book which had been used in recording the proceedings of the society the two previous years came into my possession at thiis time and now lies before me containing the simple reports of the institution from 1845 to 51. As the list of lecturers in those years may serve to revive in some of the SENTINEL older readers memories of men whom they had nearly or quite forgotten and the topics will show what people were then thinking and talking about, I will give them here. The growing tendency to discuss theories of reform and measures of party policy which has been referred to will be noted.
Season of 1845-6. Lorenzo Sabine, Biographical Sketches of Loyalists; George F. Noyes, The social progress of mankind; Rev. Kendall Brooks Jr., The use and abuse of genius; D. T. Granger, A. Hayden, Rev. Josiah Merrill, Dr. A. Parsons, W. H. Kilby, Commerce; Dr. A. Parsons, Chemistry; and four evenings were occupied by debates. The record fails to give the subjects of several of the lectures.
Season of 1846-47. Bion Bradbury, Our relations with Mexico; D. S. Morrison of St. Andrews, Wooden Railways. (I remember the occasion. A design for building railways of wood had been made in England and a track to show its working set up on Wimbledon Common near London. At this time a road had been chartered from St. Andrews to Woostock on its way to Quebec, but there were difficulties in the way of securing the necessary capital to carry out the undertaking., But if funds were scarce, wood was plenty and there was considerable enthusiasm over the tidings of the new invention, A model was brought across the ocean and with this before him Mr. Morrison delivered his lecture which was listened tot with interest, and at its close after one of Mr. Chadbournes’ stirring speeches, a resolution was passed expressing the interest of the town in the successful completion of the enterprise in which St. Andrews was so much interested. When the work was actually begun the track was not built of wood, nor have I ever heard of its being used on a large scale anywhere,) Thomas Lincoln of Dennysville, Temperance, Slavery and War; George N. Richardson, Character of New England; Rev. F. McIntyre, Astronomy; George Walker of Machias, Education; Charles E. Pike of Machias, What is the past? A. Hayden, Associations and the gregarious nature o fman; I.G. Blanchard, brotherhood of man; G. f. Talbot of East Machias, The present social condition and future prospects of our race; dr. A. Parsons, Water; D. C. Powers, Printing and Sculpture; F. A. Pike, Calais, The principles which actuated the founders of the American Republic and their results; Peter Thatcher, Machias, Some of the faults of the American government and people; Joseph granger, Calais, Joan of Arc; Moses B. Goodwin, The connection between philosophy and religion; Lucius Bradbury, Everything in general and nothing in particular; D. T. Granger, The Mexican War.
Season of 1847-8. Rev. Kendall brooks, Jr., Moral courage and an original poem by John D. Kilby of Dennysville; L. Sabine, Moose Island during the Embargo and War and Moose Island while occupied by the British; Frederic Vinton, The dangers and destiny of our country; B. Bradbury, Life and character of Sir. Henry Vane; Rev. W. C. George, St. Stephen, The natural history of man; Same lecturer on magnetism and the magnetic telegraph. (Our people were anxious to learn about the telegraph which though then in its infancy was rapidly extended over the country, though it not reach Eastport until four years later. Mr. George brought with him a battery and improvised a simple apparatus, a wire was extended round the hall, and needing an assistant I was instructed in a crude way, and able to read off the messages which he sent me, to the manifest interest of the audience. This was the first working of telegraphy in Eastport); L. Sabine, the character of the Americans of the Revolution compared with those of the present day; Thomas H. Talbot, East Machias, Schillers revolt of the Netherlands; Geo. N., Richardson, The connection and correspondence between character and climate, soil and scenery; Rev. George Osgood, William Penn and the Quakers; I. G. Blanchard, Phonetic reform; W. H. Kilby, Public spirit and the wants of our town. The Lyceum also arranged and conducted a public service March 31st, 1848 in memory of ex-President John Quincy Adams then recently deceased, with eulogy by Rev. Kendall Brooks Jr.
Season of 1848-9. L. Sabine, History of the Passamaquoddy tribe of Indians, and a second lecture on the same subject; D. T. Granger, Intolerance; G. F. Talbot, East Machias, Democracy; D. S. Morrison, St. Andrews, The Sun; A. Hayden, Opinion; Lewis Burgin, Astronomy, illustrated by ingenious apparatus of his own construction; I. G. Blanchard, Self-culture; Dr. Josiah Prescott, Waterford, The water cure. As out of the receipts for the last two years enough money had been saved to permit some extravagant outlay to close the season, the sum of one hundred dollars was appropriated for the purpose and in April, 1849, Rev. Henry Giles, the talented Irish essayest and orator was engaged for four lectures which were given in the Baptist meeting house on Washington street on The present revolutionary movement in Europe, Patriotism, Sir. John Falstaff and Women. This closing effort seems to have exhausted the ability of the institution and next winter was skipped, but lectures were resumed the following season with renewed interest.
Season of 1850-51. Rev. Charles Bryant, Oberlin; Dr. C. D. Rice, three lectures on Geology; Rev. S. H. Keeler, Calais; The Union, its value and dangers; G. M. Chase, Calais, The physical, moral, and intellectual law of inheritance, N.B. Nutt, Perry, Slavery; G. N. Richardson, The African slave trade, Rev. Kendall Brooks Jr., The common school system; Rev. George M. Rice, Wordsworth, Rev. T. S. Lothrop, Calais, Individuality; Bion Bradbury, The fugitive slave law of 1850; F. A. Pike, Calais, Political parties in the early history of our government; Rev. Mr. Caldwell of Bangor, The geographical element of history.
The record closes here, though with other scribes the Lyceum had a successful career for several years longer. Efforts were made to secure lecturers of note from abroad, but without success, except on one occasion, when Rev. Charles T. Brooks, the poet preacher of Newport, R. I., addressed us. We were rather too far out of the way to command the services of professional lecturers. In connection with the managers of Mechanics Institute of St. John, an arrangement was made with the distinguished traveller and lecturer, Bayard Taylor for both places, but an attack of sickness compelled him to abandon these as well as other engagements, several of his letters then received I still have in my possession.
QUODDY [William Henry Kilby].
Eastport Sentinel, April 17, 1895, p.3,c.2:
Quoddy adds the following post-script to his sketches of the old Eastport Lyceum: The first secretary of the institution was Martin Snell who taught a private school in what was called the Unitarian school house, a one story hip-roofed building which stood on a site now enclosed in the parsonage lot. After Trescott Hall was built with two school rooms in its lower story, the former building fell into disuse and after the fire of 1839 was hauled down town and finally placed at the corner of Boynton and Water streets where the Whalen buildings now stand, converted into a store and destroyed in the fire on sixty-four. Another secretary in later years was John A. Wheelock. He left town in 1845 when the writer was appointed in his place, and finally moved to Shanghai in China, where he was engaged in a successful business at the time of his disease. During the closing years of the Lyceum the post of secretary and treasurer was filled by our lamented young townsman George W. Sabine who enlisted in the Union army in the war of the rebellion and whose death resulted from wounds received on the battle field.