One of the ancient landmarks is the Montgomery High School, formerly known as the Montgomery Academy. This noted school is as old as our National Government. It had its inception in 1787, the year that the National Constitution was framed. It was the fourth oldest academy in the State, having been incorporated in 1791. Before 1787 the inhabitants of the village and surrounding country felt the need of a school of a high grade, and during that year erected a school building on lots reserved in part for school purposes, when the village was first surveyed and laid out. In the autumn of 1787 teachers were employed and the school opened for pupils. During 1790 steps were taken to incorporate the institution and place it under the care of the regents of the State University, as appears from the following application and petition:
"To the Regents of the University of the State of New York: Be it known that a certain tract of land pleasantly situated in the town of Montgomery, in the county of Ulster, in the center of a populous, fertile and wealthy country, hath lately been purchased, and a large and convenient building of two stories high erected and completed thereon, for the use of a public academy for the instruction of youth in the learned languages and other branches of useful knowledge, that the expense of the undertaking hath been defrayed by the free and liberal benefactions of individuals, of whom the subscribers constitute more than one-half with respect to the contributions raised and collected to found said academy, and that a gentleman of liberal education, of very competent abilities and irreproachable moral character has been procured, with a tutor, to teach in said academy.
"The subscribers, pursuant to an act of the Legislature of the State of New York entitled an act to institute a university within this State, and for other purposes, passed April 13, 1787, respectfully make the application to the regents of said University requiring that the said academy may be incorporated agreeably to the said law, and be subject to the visitation of the said regents, and they do hereby nominate Arthur Parks, Matthew Hunter, Benjamin Sears, Henry Van Keuren, Solomon Slight, Joseph Barber, James Clinton, Moses Freleigh, Daniel Bull, James Hunter, Peter Hill, David Galatian, Johannes Miller, Severyn T. Brown, Henry Smith, Ebenezer Clark and William Cross to be the first trustees of the said academy, declaring it to be their desire that the said trustees be called and distinguished by the name of the trustees of the Montgomery Academy in the County of Ulster.
| "Andrew King. | John McKinstry. |
| Nathan W. Howell. | James Moore. |
| L. Sleght. | William Jackson. |
| Matthew Hunter. | Matthew Gillespie. |
| Stephen Goldsmith. | David Jagger. |
| John Nicholson. | Hugh Milliken. |
| Benjamin Sears. | Andrew Graham. |
| James Clinton. | Thomas Greggs. |
| Hamilton Morrison. | Jacob Meltzberg. |
| Gideon Pelton. | Alexander Leeds. |
| Patrick Barber. | Robert Kidd. |
| Jacob Newkirk. | James Mackay. |
| David Galatian. | Thomas Barkley. |
| William Cross. | Stephen Ross. |
| Severyn T. Bruyn. | Stephen Crist. |
| Johannes Mould. | John Wilkin. |
| Christian Rockefeller. | A. M. McCord. |
| Jacob Linderman. | William Wilkin. |
| Jacob Bookstaver. | Robert Sewall. |
| William Booth. | David Miller. |
| Alexander P. Anderson. | B. Hopkins. |
| John Clark. | Samuel Boyd. |
| James W. Wilkin. | Adam J. Doll. |
| Johannes Miller. | Martimus Crist. |
| William Weller. | William Johnston. |
| Jacob F. Bookstaver. | Daniel Cahill. |
| Henry J. Smith. | John Millspaugh. |
| Neal Diggie. | Solomon Sleght. |
| Henry Sinsabaugh. | John Robinson. |
| Henry Van Keuren. | John C. Millyberg. |
| Peter Crans. | Henry Nealy. |
| Henry Smith. | Benjamin Cradit. |
| James Jackson, Jr. | Frederick Bookstaver. |
| Philip Millspaugh. | Moses Latta. |
| John Linderman. | Jacob Smedes. |
| William Cross. | John A. Newkirk. |
| David Smith. | James Hunter. |
| James Hunter. | William Crist. |
| Jacob Pitts. | Johannes Yerkes. |
| Henry German. | Christopher Moule. |
| John Barber. | George Monnell. |
| Daniel Bull. | Joseph Burrows. |
| James M. Claghen. | William Hill. |
| John Puff. | Thomas McKissock. |
| John Pool. | Alexander Dorcus. |
| John Sears. | Charles Young. |
| John Barclay. | Andrew Hart. |
| John Scott. | James Kidd. |
| Jeremiah Smith. | William Erwin. |
| Jane Crage. | John Hunter. |
| James T. Graham. | John P. Haines. |
| John Haines. | Peter Hill. |
| Thomas Beallie. | Robert Hunter. |
| Tunis Van Arsdale. | David Crist. |
| John Dunlap. | James Fitzgerald. |
| Caleb Dill. | Samuel P. Gale. |
| Andrew Embler. | William Faulkner, Jr. |
| Jason Wilkin. | James Sutton. |
| William Faulkner. | John Barber. |
| D. G. Rogers. | Jonathan Miller. |
| James Preston. | David Comfort. |
| Cornelius Schoonmaker. | Matthew M. Rowe. |
| William Miller." |
The petition was dated January 3, 1791, and the act of incorporation was passed the 23rd of April following. The school prospered and greater accommodations became necessary. In 1823 the main part of the present brick building was erected at a cost of about $5,400. Nearly two-thirds of the cost was paid by State moneys; the remaining third was raised by subscription through the activity and persistence of Johannes Miller.
The academy continued to prosper until the free school system was adopted, when it began to decline. In 1881 it was transferred by the trustees to the Board of Education of the Montgomery Union Free School, of which it is now (1908) the academical department. The following is a list of principals of the academy since it was incorporated: Rev. Alexander Miller, Nathaniel Howell, Nathan H. White, Reuben Neely, James King, Prof. Stansbury, William H. Weller, Rev. John McJimsay, Prof. Wilson, Jacob C. Tooker, twenty years, Silas S. Harmon, seven years, Rev Samuel B. Bell, D. D., Joseph M. Wilkins, three years, Robert Simpson, Daniel K. Bull, Prof. Lasher, Prof. Graham, Prof. Gunnison, Theron Little, Prof. Stevens, Prof. Beardsley, Prof. Cone, Benjamin C. Nevins, Prof. Demarest, Prof. Rouse. This famous academy reached the zenith of its prosperity under Professors Tooker and Harmon.
The town is divided into thirteen school districts and parts of districts; of these, twelve have school-houses in the town. These district schools will compare favorably with those of any other town. It appears from trustees' reports for 1907 that the whole number of children of school age (between five and eighteen), residing in the town that year was 1,337; of these 1,299 attended school. The average daily attendance of these children was 850. The number of teachers employed at the same time was thirty-four. The total cost of sustaining these schools was $25,330; of this sum $17,892 was raised by district tax. The value of school-houses and sites was $42,450. Two of the districts (Montgomery and Walden), are union free school districts. The former was established in 1881 and now (1908), employs six teachers. The first principal was Reuben Fraser. The present board of education is: Dr. E. Ross Elliott, William Eager, William H. Senior, John A. Crabtree and William S. Hanlon. The latter was organized in 1859 and now employs eighteen teachers. The Board of Education in 1908 is: Sanford Abrams, Henry E. Williams. Frank Benedict, Benjamin S. French, Harry Hollingsworth, Dewitt C. Dominick. There is one parochial school in the town.
CHURCHES.
There are many ancient churches in this town. It was a sturdy Christian people that first settled in this region. After building their grist mills and providing themselves and families with log-cabins, or other rude shelter from the storm and cold of the severe winters which then prevailed, their next thought was for the church, where they might enjoy religious worship, hear the Scripture expounded and meet together in praise and song.
The oldest and best known of these churches in those early days was the Good Will Presbyterian Church. This was established by the Scotch-Irish settlers who came into the region in 1724. The earliest records of this old church seem to have been lost. But the organization was represented in the Synod of Philadelphia in 1729 by John McNeal as commissioner. This date has, therefore, been taken for the establishment of the church, although it was doubtless in existence there some years earlier. The settlers of the region being long known as "the people of Wallkill," this church went under the name of the Wallkill Church, though incorporated under the name first mentioned. The first church structure is believed to have been erected in 1735, although there was some rude building set apart for religious worship some years before this. The building was improved and enlarged from time to time, some $8,000 having been expended upon it in this way in 1871. During the one hundred and seventy-nine years of its existence it has had but nine pastors: Rev. Joseph Houston, John Moffatt, Andrew King, Robert W. Condit, William Blain, David M. Maclise, D.D., James M. Dixon, D.D., David F. Bonner, D.D., and the present pastor, Rev. John H. Thompson, who has served the church for seventeen years.