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The History Of Ricker

"What is the history of Ricker?" This query usually goes unanswered because accurate information on the subject is hard to find. The individual searching for the answers to this question runs into confusion, erroneous facts, and conflicting information that is not easily straightened out. The history of Ricker is a story, hard work, adversity, and a display of sturdy character in the various individuals who governed the school's destiny from it's beginning.
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The status of education in Maine, and particularly in Aroostook County, presented a grave problem to the far-sighted and concerned individuals of the year 1848. In Aroostook County, there was not a school that offered more than a grade school education. The only chance for further education was the send students to private institutions outside the State. Thus, education beyond the grade school level was far out of reach of the vast majority of families.

In the community of Houlton, there was only a grade school conducted in one room in a private home. The schooling was very limited, depending on the quality of the instructor who was available. If no instructor was available, then there was no school, and the students suffered on account of these factors. A group of interested townsfolk met on July 3, 1847, to attempt to solve the grave problem facing their young people.

These people elected a group of eight men to represent them in a movement to establish a school facility for the town of Houlton. The men chosen for this task were Joseph Carr Jr., Leonard Pierce, Zenas P. Wentworth, Zebulon Ingersoll, John Hodgdon, Jeremiah Trueworthy, Shepard Cary, and Benjamin Staples. These men became trustees on what was to be known as Houlton Academy, the forerunner of Ricker Classical Institute.

The first act of these men was to petition the State Legislature for assistance in obtaining their goal. The Legislature answered their plea for aid by granting the trustees a half township of land, on condition that the trustees have a building erected, and a cash reserve of 1,000 dollars above all debts, before October, 1849. The trustees met these conditions and, led by B. Staples and J. Hodgdon, had a two-story building, housing the school, completed before the fall of 1848.

The school started operation that fall. Milton Welch was the principal of the school, a position that he held until 1851. The school used the first floor of the building as classrooms, while the upper floor was used as the County Courthouse for a period of 11 years. The school was destined to be the only college preparatory facility available to Aroostook County residents for a period of forty years.

The school enjoyed a continual growth during this period and answered the needs of the community. It was supported by the town's wealthier families and by tuition fees collected from out-of-town students. The fee in 1849 was two dollars per term. The principal collected the tuition fees for his salary - set by the board of trustees at 200 dollars per year.

In 1850, the faculty of Houlton Academy consisted of Mr. Welch and one other instructor, and the school was in session for four terms per year. It continued on the four-term basis, and with one other instructor, until 1866.

In 1866, Mr. Merritt Fernald, together with his wife and Miss Augusta Davis, composed the school's faculty. Courses of study offered were English, Latin, history and arithmetic.

In the year, 1869, the first step in the school's expansion program was the erection of a new building. This building cost the sum of 6,500 dollars. The trustees voted to sell the old building for a sum not less than 300 dollars; the building was then moved to the location it occupies today, on Military Street facing the end of High Street. The new building encompassed a classroom facility, a dorm for the students, and living quarters for the principal.

The need for a general high school program for the young people of the State of Maine had been developing for several years. In the year 1873, the State Legislature, in order to alleviate the situation, passed the law that created free public high schools in the State of Maine's educational system. When this law was enacted, it caused Houlton Academy's financial situation to be adversely affected. The town of Houlton, at that time, could not see it's way clear to allow it's budget to take over support of the school. Due to this situation, the trustee's of Houlton Academy were forced to close the school until a way could be found to finance the school's continued operation.

This force closure of the school lasted for a period of one year. However, a Miss Mattie C. Call conducted a class in the building during this year. Miss Call had three pupils and used only one room of the school. This was the only time in the school's history that it was forced to shut down.

It was while the school was in these critical straits that Dr. Joseph Ricker, D.D. lent his support to the school that would later bear his name. Dr. Ricker was born in York County, of farming parents. He was a man who believed in working hard for his chosen profession and a man who had gained his education the hard way by working his way through divinity school by teaching. He graduated from Waterville College, a Baptist school, which later changed it's name to Colby. Dr. Ricker became aware of Houlton Academy's plight while in Aroostook County on a business trip. He had become stranded in Hodgdon, during a blizzard, and ran across an old friend and classmate, Justice Jonathan Nickerson, who was returning to Belfast after the supreme court session. Justice Nickerson, knowing of Dr. Ricker's interest in establishing preparatory schools for Colby College, informed him of the situation in Houlton.

Dr. Ricker came to Houlton and proceeded to investigate the plight of the Academy. He then contacted James C. Madigan and talked with him about the possibility of Houlton Academy becoming a fitting school for Colby College. Mr. Madigan called a meeting of the trustees of the Academy and, after reviewing the offer from Colby, they decided to deed the Academy property in trust to Colby in order to gain the college's financial aid. Following this, in 1874, Dr. Ricker turned over the sum of $31,375.95 to the trustees of Houlton Academy.

The Academy suited the plans of Dr. Ricker as a fitting school to prepare men and women for entrance into Colby where they could obtain a Christian college education. Houlton Academy prospered under the control of Colby and increased it's enrollment. In 1879, the school had 109 pupils. From 1879 until 1885, Houlton Academy offered the best curriculum available to it's students. The school continued to grow and, in 1886, made it's next improvement.

It was at this time that the school gained the attention of Mrs. Catherine Wording of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Mrs. Wording had been in touch with Dr. Ricker and had informed him that she and her husband were interested in aiding some small school in Maine. Dr. Ricker told her of Houlton Academy and the result of their meeting was that the Wordings donated $30,000 for the construction of a classroom building. The building was started in 1887 and dedicated in June 1888. Mrs. Wording attended the ceremony, and the building was named Wording Hall, in honor of her husband.

In 1887, the board of Trustees of Houlton Academy petitioned the Legislature to allow them to change the name of the school. The Legislature granted the petition, and the school's name was changed to Ricker Classical Institute, in honor of Dr. Ricker. The graduating class of 1887 was issued the first diplomas bearing this name.

In 1889, State Legislature again came to the school's aid. The struggling Academy received financial assistance in the form of a grant of $1,000 per year for ten years.

During these years of growth, the school had added various courses to it's program, in the educational field, and new activities in athletics. The third floor of Wording Hall housed the best-equipped gymnasium in the area. The old building, which had been moved to the south side of the campus, served as a dorm facility and as a dining hall.

Graduates of the school served with distinction during the Spanish-American War and in World War I. Graduates also went on to various four-year colleges and into the world of business and industry. By 1926, the school's status had increased substantially. The enrollment had increased to 130 students, and the faculty had increased to eight. This was the situation when the school started it's next important step.