USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Fairfield > This is Fairfield, 1639-1940 > Part 20
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Resolved-That the previous resolution be amend- ed so as to read two hundred dollars in place of one hundred and twenty-five.
Resolved-To authorize the Selectmen to borrow money to carry into effect the resolution already passed.
Voted to adjourn.
The above and foregoing was truly
taken and recorded by
Moses G. Betts, Town Clerk.
Warning is therefore hereby given that a special meeting of the legal voters of the town of Fairfield will be held at the Town House in said town on Tuesday the 9th day of August inst. (1864) at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, for the purpose of adopt- ing (if they shall see fit) such other or additional measures as may be needed to fill the quota of the town-of appointing Agents for this purpose of authorizing a tax to be laid-Bonds to be issued, or in some other way to provide for the expense that may be incurred in filling the quota of said town.
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Also if they shall think it expedient to increase the sum now authorized to be paid to individuals furn- ishing substitutes previous to the draft, to three hun- dred dollars with such conditions as they may think proper to attach-And to do any other necessary business.
Fairfield August 4th 1864
Levi Wordin Franklin Smith John A. Alvord
Selectmen
The above is a true copy of the original warning Moses G. Betts, Town Clerk.
At a special Town Meeting held agreeable to the foregoing notice on the 9th day of August 1864 John Gould Moderator the following resolutions were passed.
Resolved-That the sum of two hundred dollars authorized to be paid to persons procuring substi- tutes at the last Town Meeting be hereby extended to three hundred dollars and that the Selectmen be authorized to issue a town order to any enrolled per- son of the town who shall procure a substitute under the late law who shall count on the quota of the town, for the same sum that it shall then cost the town, in the opinion of the Selectmen to procure a volunteer, not exceeding the said sum of three hun- dred dollars.
Resolved-That if the above sum be found in- sufficient by the Selectmen for securing the full quota of the Town when they are hereby authorized to take such other measures as they may deem ex- pedient and at their discretion to pay any sum or sums of money necessary to secure said quota and incurring any expense by themselves or agents for such purposes.
Resolved-That to carry out the foregoing resolu- tions the Selectmen are hereby authorized to borrow any sum or sums of money necessary, and to pledge the faith of the Town for the repayment of the same.
If it shall be deemed expedient by them to raise the whole or a part of the money by the issue of town bonds, they are hereby authorized to issue such bonds in continuation or otherwise of the existing series and to an amount not to exceed the sum of fifteen thousand dollars and may negotiate them privately or by public advertisement at any price not less than par.
Voted to adjourn.
The above is a true copy of doing at this meeting. Moses G. Betts, Town Clerk.
While the soldiers were away their home ties were in danger of being weakened. Thus a pro- posal was made to allow them to vote while in active duty-a form of absentee voting. This was taken up at a meeting on August 15, 1864.
Town Meeting
Notice is hereby given to the Voters of the Town of Fairfield that a special town meeting will be held at the Town House on Monday the 15th day of August 1864 at 9 o'clock A.M. for the purpose of
voting upon the proposed amendment to the con- stitution allowing the rights of suffrage to Soldiers in the field.
Fairfield August 8th 1864
F. A. Bartram, Constable
The above is a true copy
of the original warning.
Moses G. Betts, Town Clerk.
August 15, 1864 Meeting opened at 9 o'clock A.M. T. A. Bartram, Moderator.
Number of votes in favor of Soldiers in the Army Voting-(Yeas) 180
Number of votes against soldiers in the army Voting-(Noes) 145.
The above is a true record.
Moses G. Betts, Town Clerk.
It was rather a close vote as votes go but Fair- field supported the stand of allowing those in the "Field" to vote.
Still the call went out - more men, more funds.
Town Meeting
Warning is hereby given that a special meeting of the legal voters of the Town of Fairfield will be held at the Town House in said Town on Wednesday the 23rd day of November 1864 at 2 o'clock in the afternoon for the purpose (if they shall deem it expedient) of authorizing the Selectmen of said Town to enlist men for the service of the United States-Such enlisted men to be credited to the Town of Fairfield and applied on the quota that shall be assigned to said Town on any future call that may be made by the President of the United States-And of authorizing (if they shall see fit) the payment by the Town, of such a sum as they think proper to each enrolled person of the Town who shall procure a substitute who shall be duly credited to the Town-And of authorizing the Selectmen to borrow such a sum of money on the credit of the Town as may be necessary to meet the expenses arising from the enlisting of men and procuration of substitutes as aforesaid or in some other way to provide for same and of doing any other necessary business.
Fairfield Nov. 17, 1864 Levi Wordin Franklin Smith John A. Alvord
Selectmen
A true copy of the original warning by M. G. Betts, Town Clerk.
and again on November 23, 1864
At a special Town meeting legally held on the 23rd Nov. 1864 Captn Joseph Bartram, Moderator.
Resolved-That the Selectmen be hereby appoint- ed Agents to enlist men for the service of the United States. Such men to be credited to the Town of Fairfield and applied on the quota that shall be as- signed to said Town under any future call by the President of the United States.
Resolved-That said Agents be hereby authorized to pay to any enrolled person of the Town of Fair- field who shall procure a substitute who shall be
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mustered into the U. S. service and duly credited to said Town an amount equal to that which it may cost (at the time said substitute is furnished) to pro- cure a volunteer; such payment may be made by issue of Town Orders or in money in the discretion of the Selectmen.
Resolved-That the Selectmen be hereby author- ized to borrow such sum or sums of money on the credit of the Town as may be required to carry into effect the foregoing Resolution. A true copy of the original resolution.
M. G. Betts, Town Clerk.
Less than a year later on April 26, 1865 the war ended with the surrender of General Johns- ton. Thus with the Union intact and slavery abolished the bitter struggle came to a close. That year found mention of the business end of the War still appearing in the Town votes how- ever.
At a Town Meeting held on 2nd day of October A.D. 1865 in conformity of the above notice
Benjamin Pomeroy was appointed Moderator.
Resolved-That the Selectmen be and they here- by are authorized to fund the present floating indebt- edness of the town contracted for War purposes by the issue of Bonds to the amount of Five Thousand and five hundred dollars. Said bonds to be issued in extension of the present existing 2 series-To be of the denomination of five hundred dollars, with six per cent semi-annual coupon attached, payable at such times as the Selectmen may determine. To be signed by one of the Selectmen as Agent and dated July Ist 1865 and sold for not less than their par value.
Resolved-That the Selectmen be and they are hereby directed to execute the Bond of indemnity asked for by the Connecticut National Bank of Bridgeport in the matter of the last certificate of stock of the Stratfield School Fund. The subject of Oysterbeds was brought before meeting and tabled.
Voted to adjourn.
The above and foregoing is truly taken and recorded by Moses G. Betts, Clerk.
Fairfield men who had given their lives for their country in this War were:
David Ahern
Bradley Nichols
Benjamin Banks
Franklin W. Nichols
Nathan Buckley Hans Peterson
James W. Cable Lewis See
Richard Copelin David Sherwood
Benjamin Maticer
Martin Storms
Peter MacFarland Henry Thompson
Francis B. Merwin Reuben Thorne
Edmund T. Moody James Walsh
While a great deal of time and effort had gone into this tremendous nation-wide responsi- bility, the townspeople kept the town affairs go- ing as best they could. Not too many changes or
innovations were evident from the town records however. Instead they voted during the War years to postpone the change of the annual meet- ing as well as to postpone the subject of voting by ballot. In 1864 all dogs were made subject to registration and numbering and $800.00 was voted to take care of the Town Poor. There was 1/2 mill voted for the Road Tax and 8 mills as the General Tax. This year it was decided to vote for the three Selectmen and the Town Clerk by ballot.
Prices at the opening of the War are interest- ing. These items and their prices were taken from 1861 jottings found at the Fairfield His- torical Society.
1861
Bread $.051/2 a loaf Tea 1 lb. $1.25
1 Loaf of corn bread $.05
1 lb. of sausage $.14
Butter $.25
Oranges-1 dozen $.60
Peaches-1 quart $.15
1 Potato digger $.50
1/4 lb. of Gold Medal Saleratus $.04
1 bushel Potatoes $.75
1 dozen eggs $.25
1/4 lb. of cream of tartar $.15
1 lb. of pork $.15
Flour $.051/4 a lb.
Beef $.20 a lb.
Ham $.16 o lb.
Milk $.04 a quart
Candles $.18 a lb. 4 bunches Shingles $8.00
For papering one room $4.75 Paid Lizzie (the maid) for 16 days work $5.35
In 1866 a new means of travel came to Fair- field when it was voted:
"To allow the Bridgeport Horse Railroad Company to lay their rails in the center of the traveled road".
At that same time it was decided to complete the part of Seaside Park which was in Fairfield at the time. P. T. Barnum the famous showman who was serving the Town as a Hayward for his district at that time received $200.00 for land which was to be used as a road. Much interest and stress was put on the importance of the con- tinued improvement of the roads of the Town and after much discussion and planning, it was voted to open Iranistan Ave.
The time for the annual meeting was changed to October and this took place for the first time on October 5, 1868. That year the Tax Collector was paid $350.00 for his services to the Town and there were three types of taxes which he had
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to collect. The regular tax was 8 mills, the school tax 1 mill and the highway or road tax 1/2 mill.
In 1869 a special tax was laid to pay a por- tion of the War Bonds and the problems of the open crossings of the Railroad were beginning to appear in town. This proved to be one which confronted not only the Townspeople but also the Railroad for many years to come and men- tion will be made of this in the pages which are yet to be read.
New voting districts were established that same year and they are included here for inter- est's sake. The Third District which is outlined, voted at the center district school on Greenfield Hill and District #3 votes in that same building today although the limits of the district are not the same nor is the building the same two room school that it was at that time. These districts did not last for it has been only within the last twenty years at the time of this writing that Fairfield voters voted in District #1, which was west of Black Rock Turnpike, or District #2, which was east of the Black Rock Turnpike. The three voting districts were apparently used for just the one election.
Frank Sherwood recorded in his diary for October 4, 1869-"Voted on Greenfield Hill- Democrats majority in Town 123."
FIRST VOTING DISTRICT Annual Town Meeting
Warning is hereby given to the legal voters of the Town of Fairfield that the annual Town Meeting for the choice of three Selectmen and following town officers to wit: Town Clerk, Registrar, Treasurer, Treasurer of the School Fund, Collector of Town taxes, Constables, Grand Jurors, School Visitors, As- sessors, Board of Relief and Registrars of Voters, will be held at the Town House of Fairfield on Mon- day the 4th day of October 1869, and the ballot box will be open from 7 o'clock in the forenoon until 5 o'clock in the afternoon at the Town House in said Fairfield, for the reception of the ballots of the legal voters residing in the first voting district, to wit: within the following boundaries of said district- Commencing near the dwelling house of Jonathan Sturges 2nd at the Central point of the intersection of the Hull's Farms Highway with the highway form- ing the boundaries between the Towns of Fairfield and Westport or Sturges' Highway. Thence follow- ing the center of said Hull's highway, easterly to a highway running Southerly from said Hull's high- way opposite the dwelling house of Ebenezer B. Belden. Thence Southerly with the center of said Highway to a point opposite the dwelling house of widow C. Wakeman. Thence Easterly with the center of said highway past the dwelling house of Roger Caley to Brown's Brook, thence Northerly with the center of the highway running past the dwelling
house of John Cull to the intersection of said last named highway, with the highway running Easterly from said point of intersection past the dwelling house of David Hawkins and William C. Sherwood and with the center of said last mentioned highway past the Bulkley School district school-house and to the Mill River at the Bridge over said River, near the Grist Mill of Horace Hill, thence Northerly with the center of said Mill River to the Black Rock Turnpike, thence southerly with the center of the Black Rock Turnpike to its crossing of the track of the New York & New Haven Railroad thence east- erly with the center of said track to its intersection with Burrs Road, thence southerly with the center of said Burrs Road to its intersection with the center of the old Stage Road near the dwelling house of George French, thence Southerly in a straight line to the center of the Salt Water Creek, opposite the Coal Yard of David Smith, thence with the center of said Creek to Black Rock Harbor and Long Island Sound.
Fairfield Sept. 28th 1869
Charles S. French Cyrus Sherwood
Zalmon B. Bradley
Selectmen of Fairfield
SECOND VOTING DISTRICT Annual Town Meeting
Warning is hereby given to the legal voters of the Town of Fairfield, that an annual town meeting for the choice of three Selectmen, and following town officers, to wit: Town Clerk, Registrar, Treas- urer, Treasurer of the School Fund, Collector of Town taxes, Constables, Grand Jurors, School Visi- tors, Assessors, Board of Relief and Registrars of Voters, will be held at the terminus of the horse- railroad, in the town of Fairfield near the residence of David Sherwood, on Monday the 4th day of Oct. 1869, and the ballot box will be opened from seven o'clock in the forenoon until 5 o'clock in the after- noon at the terminus in said Fairfield for the recep- tion of the ballots of the legal voters residing in the second voting district, to wit: within the following boundaries, commencing near the residence of Henry Wheeler on Division Street in the town of Fairfield, and running Southerly with the said street to Long Island Sound and Northerly with said street, to Mill River Bridge forming the boundary between the towns of Fairfield, Bridgeport and Trumbull, thence following said Mill River southerly to the Black Rock Turnpike and running southerly with the cen- ter of said Turnpike to the crossing of the New Ha- ven Railroad, thence easterly with the center of said Railroad to its intersection with Burrs Road, thence southerly with the center of said Road to its inter- section with the center of the old Stage road near the dwelling house of George French, thence south- erly in a straight line to the center of the salt water creek opposite the Coal Yard of David Smith, thence with the center of said Creek to Black Rock Harbor and Long Island Sound.
Fairfield Sept. 28th 1869
Charles S. French Cyrus Sherwood Zalmon B. Bradley
Selectmen of Fairfield
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THIRD VOTING DISTRICT
Annual Town Meeting
Warning is hereby given to the legal voters of the town of Fairfield that an annual town meeting for the choice of three Selectmen and following town officers, to wit: Town Clerk, Registrar, Treasurer, Treasurer of the School Fund, Collector of Town taxes, Constables, Grand Jurors, School Visitors, As- sessors, Board of Relief and Registrars of Voters, will be held at the school house in the center school district on Greenfield Hill, in the town of Fairfield on Monday the 4th day of October 1869, and the ballot box will be open from 7 o'clock in the fore- noon until 5 o'clock in the afternoon at the school- house in said Fairfield for the reception of the bal- lots of the legal Voters residing in the third voting district to wit: within the following boundary, com- mencing near the dwelling house of Jonathan Sturges 2nd, and running easterly to a highway running Southerly from Hull's Highway opposite the dwell- ing house of Ebenezer B. Belden, thence southerly with the center of said highway to a point opposite to the dwelling house of widow C. Wakeman, thence easterly with the center of said highway past the dwelling house of Roger Caley to Brown's Brook, thence Northerly with the center of the highway running past the dwelling house of John Cull to the intersection of said last named highway with the highway running easterly from said point of inter- section past the dwelling house of David B. Hawkins and William C. Sherwood and with the center of said mentioned highway, past the Bulkley's School district school house to Mill River at the bridge over said River near the Grist Mill of Horace Hill, thence Northeasterly with the center of said Mill River to the Boundary line between the towns of Easton and Fairfield, thence following the boundary between the towns of Fairfield, Easton, Weston and Westport.
Fairfield Sept. 28th 1869 Attest: R. Turney,
Town Clerk.
Charles S. French
Cyrus Sherwood
Zalmon B. Bradley
Selectmen of Fairfield
The Town Hall was repaired this same year and it was voted to purchase a suitable safe. $3,000.00 was appropriated for this purpose. Academy Pond was filled in with an $1,800.00 appropriation and it was voted "that no building shall be erected upon the ground made by filling up of the Academy Pond but that it shall remain a part of the Public Green".
Another big problem appeared on the horizon for Fairfield when Bridgeport made it known on November 17, 1869 that a portion of Fair- field was wanted. The following year this prob- lem was brought ever closer as a meeting was called in the Division Street School House and it was voted not to alter or reduce the school dis- trict by sending those children to school in Bridgeport. They further voted on March 17,
1870 at a meeting held in the old Methodist Church, against giving part of Fairfield to Bridgeport.
The reported taxable property as of April 1870 was listed in The Southport Chronicle -
The Southport Chronicle Wednesday, April 6, 1870
We are indebted to Mr. Rufus Turney, our affa- ble and accommodating Town Clerk, for the fol- lowing list of Polls and Taxable Property, in the town of Fairfield, ratable by law on the first day of October, 1869: -
Description of Property Value
973 Dwelling Houses $1,172,285
16,187 Acres of Land 908,697
53 Mills, Stores and Manufactories 24,890
625 Horses, Asses and Mules 42,405
1,632 Neat Cattle 56,859
292 Sheep 870
489 Coachs, Carriages and Wagons 28,510
453 Clocks, Watches, Jewelry 10,063
95 Piano Fortes &c., not exempt
11,457
Household Furniture and Libraries, do.
58,025
Bridges, Turnpike, Plank Road and Ferry Stock 834
Bank, Insurance and Manufacturing Stock 440,033
Railroad, City, and other Corporation Bonds 117,396
Amount employed in Merchandizing and Trade 22,050
Investment in Mechanical and Manu- facturing operations 19,500
Investments in Vessels, Steamboats, and
Commerce 108,715
Money at interest in this State and elsewhere
162,778
Money on hand exceeding fifty dollars 5,580
All Taxable Property not specifically mentioned
10,255
$3,201,202
689 Polls, at $1.00 each
The annual Town Meeting was held on Octo- ber 3, 1870. It was an all day affair. The Ballot Box was opened at the usual hour of 10 o'clock on the main floor of the Town House and then at 2 o'clock the Moderator and Registrars re- moved the ballot box to the larger Hall upstairs to listen to the reading of the annual reports. The voting continued at the same time on the second floor until 5 o'clock when a count was made of the votes cast. If the meeting closed before 5 o'clock, the ballot box resumed its posi- tion on the lower floor. During the afternoon period the annual reports were read by the vari- ous officers and committee members. The tax rate was set, and other affairs of business were discussed and decisions made. That particular year the Town Clerk, the Judge of Probate and the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths
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were assigned the task of moving the records to the new vault, it was voted that the Town House would hence forth be the place of transacting the official doings of the Town, the Selectmen were to have charge of the care of all roads and bridges, 9 mills on the $1.00 was set as the Tax Rate, the Tax Collector's salary was set at $300.00 for the ensuing year, and the Town House was insured for two thirds of its value and the furniture for its full value. The Demo- cratic Party winners that year had 150 majority vote.
It was also voted that the Registrar of Voters would be required to hold one session during the year rather than four for the revision and cor- rection of the voting list.
And further:
"Voted that where the Selectmen find it neces- sary to plough in front of the bars in repairing roads that the said bars and entrance to lots be left in the same order as found".
Roads were still a real issue during this peri- od and petitions were offered again and again by individuals from all parts of the Town to have roads adjoining their property put in a better state of repair. In 1870 the Selectmen had charge of all roads and bridges as during the past year except in the Southport district, where Augustus Jennings and Samuel Pike were ap- pointed Surveyors of the Highway. The towns- folks were still allowed to "work out their taxes" by working on the Road. In 1876 the records show that the going rate was $4.00 for a team and $1.50 for a man per day. Various ways were tried to improve the roads. Surveyors of Highways were appointed that year to take care of the roads in their respective districts. $4,000 was appropriated to cover these repairs. For 1876 the following were in charge of the high- ways.
Fairfield-Isaac Jennings and Henry Wells
Southport-Henry Hosn
Mill Plain-David Beers Jr.
Greenfield Hill-Brazilla B. Banks
Holland Hill-Charles A. Wheeler
Banks North-Sherwood Banks
Banks South-George F. Munroe
Burr's-Nathaniel B. Hill
Bulkley's-John A. Brothwell
Jennings Woods-I. Q. Jennings
Toilsome Hill-Samuel A. Seeley Hoyden's Hill-Samuel C. Brown North-Michael B. Lacey Deerfield-Francis B. Banks
Hulls Farms-Hiram B. Banks
Other years it had been the Selectmen's re-
sponsibility to see that these were put in order. In 1877 it was recommended that the work be put out to the lowest bidder but this idea was rejected. According to my Dad who helped with the roads as a teenager the various Surveyors had certain marks in the roads which started or ended their particular assignment. These bound- aries would read something like this had they ever been written down-"Begin at the second swell above Fred Wakeman's (on Redding Road of today near Easton line) and work down to the top of Sim Bradley's hill" (where Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Pope live now-just over the Parkway on Redding Road). On that stretch and others they would work hard for ten hours a day ploughing along the shoulders of the roads, pil- ing up the mud in the center of the road where the horse walked, filling up the wheel tracks and digging out troublesome rocks. The water ways -or swells were very carefully cleared out so that the water would run off instead of following the road bed. Most of this work was done in the summer for a period of two or three weeks after the hay was in. The total earned by doing this was then credited to the family tax bill for that year.
Grass grew along the road except where the horses hoofs or oxen went and in the wheel tracks.
Spring was always dreaded by all, for there would always be a mud hole on Bronson Road just above Governors Lane and another just be- low Verna Hill Road in front of the present home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Coxe. There would be another on Redding Road just above Catamount Road and on Black Rock Turnpike each year and there were many others throughout town. Those living here knew where they were and tried to avoid them going to and from home when Spring came.
The Southport Chronicle carried an editorial about the deplorable condition of the highways.
The Southport Chronicle, September, 1868 OUR STREETS
Probably there is no better test of the public spir- it of the inhabitants of a village than the manner in which its streets are kept. When, in travelling through a strange village, we encounter broad and straight or beautifully curved streets, laid out with tasteful sidewalks and grass-plots neatly mowed and kept free from weeds, we are favorably impressed and naturally conclude that the inhabitants have a regard for the welfare of their village as well as for their own private interests. Do we ever realize when walking through our narrow, crooked, zigzag streets, filled with obtuse angles, what the effect must be on
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