SCHOOLS

No authentic account has been obtained of schools in Le Ray before 1815, though there is no doubt that teaching commenced in the town several years earlier. At that time a school was taught in a small, hip-roofed frame building, which stood on the site of the present residence of C. P. Granger, Esq., on Le Ray street, Evans' Mills. In 1816 or 1817 the teacher of that school was Mrs. Treat, widow of Reuben Treat, one of the early settlers of the town. Another of its teachers, of a little later date, was -------Holbrook, who also taught in the low stone edifice which was built not long after, nearly, if not exactly, on the spot where the fine new school-house of district No., 3 (Evans' Mills) now stands. In that old stone house, too, John J. Elwood taught; and -------White, Lyman Wilson, --------Gray (who saw troublous times during his administration), and Hon. Levi Miller, now a resident of Antwerp, also taught in the Jewett school-house. There are nut few of the pupils remaining who attended under those teachers, but among those few may be mentioned Mrs. Eddy, who remembers it distinctly, and C. P. Granger, Esq., who, since those days, has himself wielded the teacher's baton for many a year in Le Ray and Antwerp, at salaries ranging from $15 to $30 per month, and which at the last-named figure were considered large. The books in use in the time of Holbrook, Elwood, and Wilson were of course the English Reader, Webster's spelling-book, Adams' and Dabolls' arithmetics, with the Columbian Orator and American Selections, from which the pupils "spoke pieces" on the exciting occasion of a school "exhibition." The first school district established was that embracing the Jewett neighborhood, first settled by Roswell Woodruff; the second district was at Elder Matthew Wilkie's, in the west part of the town; the third, Evans' Mills; fourth, Ingerson Corners; fifth, Le Raysville.

From the statement of the school superintendent of Le Ray for the year which ended Oct. 31, 1850, it is found that the number of children between the ages of 5 and 16 years was 1069; that the whole number of children taught was 1186; that the average length of time taught in the year, by approved teachers, was 7 months and 10 days; that the amount of money received from the State for teachers' gages was $583.54; and for library purposes $162.69; that the total amount raised by the districts for teachers' wages was $1403.81, and for library purposes $171.09; total amount $202!.13; which was apportioned among the 26 districts then existing, namely, 15 entire, 2 joint with Phildelphia, 3 with Pamelia, 3 with Theresa, 1 with Rutland, 1 with Champion, and one with Theresa and Philadelphia.

For the year ending Sept. 30, 1877, the apportionment is based on a total number of 831 children (a decrease of 238 since 1850, notwithstanding that the present figures include all from 5 to 21, while those of the former year embraced only those from 5 to 16 years), and an average daily attendance of 360.871. The State money apportioned to the town is, according to number of children, $538.86; according to average attendance, $565.54; district quotas, $965.20; library money $27.40; total, $2097. The number of districts is 18; number of schools 19; there being both a primary and a higher school in district No. 3 (Evans" Mills). Male teachers are quite generally employed in winter, and females for the summer term. In district No. 3 a salary of $85 per month was at one time paid to male teachers, but from that figure the remuneration fell to $60, then to $50, and now ranges from $40 to $50. Females in that district received about $20 per school month of 20 days. In the other districts male teachers receive $25 to $35 per month; females about $2.50 per week and their board among the various families. The school-house at Evans' Mills, a good and convenient building, was erected in 1875, at a total cost of $2300. The house in district 7, embracing a part of Evans' Mills village, is valued at about.

AGRICULTURAL

If the town of Le Ray lay in Illinois or Wisconsin, it would be termed a rolling prairie, unusually well watered, and interspersed with belts of timber. It is not broken into abrupt hills, like portions of Theresa, Philadelphia, and Antwerp, and it is comparatively free from rocky wastes and ledges. Leaving out of consideration the unproductive pine plains upon its southeastern side, it is a township of excellent and fertile land, especially adapted, like the greater part of Jefferson County, to purposes of grazing, and is, like its sister towns, devoted by its farmers to the production of butter and cheese, but more especially and extensively the latte, in which the product of more and 3000 milch cows is consumed. Home-made cheese is not yet entirely unknown, but more than nine-tenths of that article of food is made in factories. Of these there are six, four of which are owned and operated by Madison Cooper, viz., one at the village of Evans' Mills, working the milk of 900 cows; one at Sanford's Corners, 450 cows; a third on the Watertown road, one mile southwest of Ingerson's Corners, supplied by 250 cows; and the fourth at "Gould's" in the north part of the town, furnished by 450 cows. Besides those are the factories of John Stratton, in the northern corner of the town, supplied by 500 cows, and of Edward Converse, northeast from Le Raysville, with 200 cows. The above all manufacture what is known as American cheese, and there are, in addition to these, five factories engaged in the production of "Limburger" cheese. These are smaller establishments, averaging about 75 cows each. A large amount of butter is made in Le Ray,--also by the hand process, without the aid of factories. The Patrons of Husbandry have no grange established in this town.

The agriculturists of Le Ray have reasons to be proud of their town, as having been the residence of and named for Monsieur Le Ray de Chaumont, the first president of the New York State Agricultural Society, the first president of the Jefferson County Agricultural Society, and also one of the most prominent movers in the formation of the Otsego County Agricultural Society, the first county organization of the kind in the State, that of Jefferson being the second. Vincent Le Ray de Chaumont, Roswell Woodruff, and other residents of the town were also prominently identified with the early organizations for the promotion of the interests of agriculture in northern New York.

MASONIC

"Pisgah Lodge, No. 720," was chartered June 13, 1872, with 24 charter members. The first officers were Wesley Rulison, W. M.; E. H. Cobb, S. W.; H. S. Morris, J. W.; C. G. Schuyler, S. D.; W. N. Priest, J. D.; S. T. Potter, Treasurer; J. E. Boyer, Secretary; H. D. Merritt, Tyler.

The present membership of the lodge is 48.--the officers for 1877 are Wesley Rulison, W. M.; F. E. Croissant, S. W.; A. H. Tucker, J. W.; W. J. Laroch, S. D.; C. E. Paul, J. D.; Charles Briant, treasurer; F. Waddingham, Secretary. The lodge meetings are held at their hall in the village of Evans' Mills.

More than fifty years ago (1826) the "Hermon Lodge" was instituted, with William Palmer Worshipful Master. The lodge went down and the charter was surrendered during the period of anti-Masonic excitement.

POPULATION

In 1810, four years after its erection, the town of Le Ray contained 1150 inhabitants. In 1814 (Wilna and Antwerp off) it contained 1120; in1820, 2944; in 1825, (Alexandria and Philadelphia off), 2556, in 1830, 3430; in 18325, 3668; in 1840, 3721; in 1850, 3654; in 1855, 3203; in 1860, 3159; in 1865, 2986; in 1870, 2862; and in 1875, 2733.

The thanks of the writer are due to citizens of Le Ray who have furnished information and data pertaining to the history of their town; and among these he desires especially to mention the following gentlemen: Revs. N. F. Nickerson, W. M. Holbrook, M. M. Rice, and Henry Ward; Dr. L. E. Jones, C. P. Ganger,Esq., Messrs. Alexander Kanady, A. M. Cook, George Ivers, Alfred Vebber, Peter Hoover, Matthew Poor, William S. Phelps, A. Peck, F. Waddingham, Henry Walradt, Madison Cooper, and Wesley Rulison.  (Jefferson County History, by L. H. Everts, 1878)