History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

1770.1 POLITICAL MATTERS— CENSUS—JAIL— NEW TOWNS. 331
house to accoiimiodate such Fanners & out Settlements & that when
they should have fixed upon the spot the said committee should make
the same known to all the Inhabitants living at such farms & as soon
as might be learn from the said Inhabitants dwelling at the places
above said who & what niimber of them would consent to assemble at
the said place pitched on by the said committee for a meeting house,
provided that the town would set up a meeting house at the said place
at the expense of the Town & also grant the monies for defraying the
charge of winter preaching there."
This report was considered and accepted and a committee
of five persons chosen "for the service proposed in said
report.'' Nothing satisfactory seems to have been accom-
plished at this time, and within three years the settlers in
that section petitioned to be set off into a town by them-
selves.
"Lickingwater" Tliis year a log school-house was built " on
School. the south side of Mill river, in that part of
the town called ' Lickingwater.' " Some
opposition was manifested and an unsuccessful attempt
was made to reconsider the vote by which it was authorized,
but a school was established there, and scholars from
Bartlett's Mills were allowed to attend. In 1771, an article
was inserted in the warrant for the May meeting to con-
sider the question of allowing females to attend this school.
When the matter came up in the meeting, it was found
that those who "were to be benefitted by it did not desire
it and it was dropt." This is the first allusion to the schooling
of girls upon the public records. The building must
have been poorly constructed, as the next year it seemed to
be in need of repairs, but the town refused to make an appropriation
for that purpose, though in 1772 it was rough
boarded in order to make it more comfortable.
Change in the ses- In 1770, Col. Israel Williams of Deerfield
sioas of the presented a petition for the approval of the
County Court. .
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town concerning a change m the sessions ot
the court in Northampton and Springfield. The town
acted favorably upon it, and instructed its representative,
Joseph Hawley, to urge the matter in the Legislature.
This petition was granted by the General Court, and an
additional term of the Superior Court was ordered to be
holden at Northampton.