1816 Danby Town Meeting
1816 was the great year of famine. People refer to it as the cold summer. There was said to be plenty of rain in the spring, which continued until
May, when a drought set in which lasted till late in the fall. There were frosts every month in the year. Grain and grass were a complete failure,
and but very little corn was raised in town, in consequence of which, there
was great destitution among the inhabitants the following winter and spring.
We are told that people were reduced to the last extremity, and many cattle
perished.
The annual town meeting of 1817, was held at the inn of Nicholas Jenks,
and Caleb Parris was moderator. It was voted to divide the town into six districts, and authorize the inhabitants to build and support a pound.
Paul Hulett, Edmund Sherman and Thomas Griffith, were appointed a committee to
settle with the overseer of the poor and treasurer. A tax of one cent on
the dollar was voted, to pay the expenses of the town for that year. A special
town meeting was held May 24th, Alexander Barrett, moderator. Twelve trustees, one for each school district, were appointed to make such
alterations in said districts, as were necessary. The petition upon which the above meeting was held, called for an additional town tax, but it was
voted not to raise any. The selectmen were authorized to act upon their
own judgment in taking care of the poor, without calling upon a justice of the
peace for orders.
The annual March meeting of 1818, was held at the house of Daniel Parris.
A petition had been made to the town, to divide the sixth school district,
upon which a committee was appointed, consisting of Barton Bromley, Edmund
Sherman and Stephen 50
Calkins, who were to examine the case, and make report at the next
meeting.
At the census of 1820, we find the population of the town to be sixteen hundred and seven, (1607) a falling off of one hundred and twenty-three,
(123.) The annual meeting for that year, was held at the house of Henry Herrick, Jr., and Alexander Barrett was moderator. Stephen Calkins was
elected town clerk at that meeting, in place of Edward Vail, who had held the office since 1799. It was voted to the pay the listers seventy-five
cents per day for their services. The annual town meeting of 1821, was
held at the house of Bradford Barnes, Jr., at the Borough, and Alexander
Barrett was moderator. No particular change was made in the town officers for that
year. The selectmen were appointed overseers of the poor, and it was voted
to hold future town and freemen's meetings, at the Inn of Henry Herrick, Jr., at the Corners.
The annual meeting of 1822, was warned to be holden at the Inn of Henry Herrick, Jr., but for some reason it was adjourned to the house of
Nicholas Jenks. The town voted to relinquish all right and title which it had in
the Methodist meeting-house, to Barton Bromley. A special town meeting was
held June 3rd, Zoheth Allen, moderator. A committee consisting of David
Griffith, Hosea Williams, Hosea Barnes, Zoheth Allen and David Youngs, was appointed
to make all necessary alterations in school districts, and make report at the next meeting. It was voted to raise a school tax sufficient to make
the public money equal to the amount of tax required by law, for the support
of schools. This meeting was adjourned till the third day of July following,
and was held at the same place, Rufus Bucklin, moderator. The school committee having made some alterations in the districts, made their
report, which was accepted.
Town and freemen's meetings were held at the Inn of Arwin Hutchins, from 1823 to 1825. There were but three listers appointed in 1824, it having
previously been the custom to elect four or five. In 1826, the annual town
meeting was held at the inn of Nicholas Jenks, and David Griffith, Hosea Barnes and David Kelley, were appointed a committee to make alterations in
school districts, and James McDaniels was appointed an agent to manage a
law suit then pending between Danby and Dorset. In 1827, David Youngs, Joseph
Allen and Edward Vail, Jr., were appointed overseers of the poor, and a
tax of four cents on the dollar, was raised to defray the expenses of the
town. William Hitt was moderator of the annual meeting of 1828, which was held
at the inn of Ephraim Gilmore, at the Corners. Andrus Eggleston, Aaron
Rogers, Jr., Harris Otis, John Vail, Hosea Barnes, Israel Richardson and Alvah
Bull, were appointed a school committee for that year. It was voted to give all
delinquent town officers, who were in arrears with the town, three months
to settle their accounts with the treasurer, and if not settled within that
time, the treasurer was directed to take legal measures to collect the
same. On the 31st day of March, 1829, a town meeting was held at the inn Samuel
Harnden, and David Youngs was moderator. Israel B. Richardson, Abraham Locke, Alvah Bull, Isaac Southwick and Andrus Eggleston, were appointed a
superintending committee, for the inspection and examination of schools
and teachers.
The population of the town in 1830, was thirteen hundred and sixty-two, showing a decrease of two hundred and forty-five in ten years. The annual
town meeting for that year, was held at the Inn of Samuel Harnden, and Alexander Barrett was moderator. The number of highway surveyors was
increased to twenty-six. A committee consisting of Caleb Parris, Harris
Otis and Alexander Barrett, was appointed to settle with the selectmen and
Treasurer. Another committee was appointed to make alterations in school districts, whose acts either in establishing or altering lines, should be
valid and binding. In 1831, the town appointed Alvah Bull, Ira M. Frazer, Joel M. Rogers and Isaac Southwick, a committee to superintend common
schools. Alexander Barrett, James McDaniels and Harris Otis, were
appointed a committee to correspond with other towns, in reference to building a
poor-house, if thought best, and make report at the next meeting. A town
tax of eight cents on the dollar, was voted for that year.
The annual meeting of 1832, was held at the inn of Bethuel Bromley, and Caleb Parris was moderator. It was voted to pay the collector of taxes
five per cent. for collecting, and have no abatements allowed, on either state
or town tax bills. A tax of one per cent. was voted for the support of the
poor, and other town expenses; and a tax of two per cent. in addition to what was required by law, for the repairs of highways and bridges. Wm.
Bassett, Andrus Eggleston, Joel M. Rogers, and Rial Fisk, were appointed a
superintending committee of common schools for 1833.
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