USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1905-1907 > Part 5
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54
To the night watch and special police officers who have contributed to the success of this department, you have my thanks. Respectfully submitted,
HARVEY M. COFFIN,
Chief of Police.
.81
Highway Department.
At the beginning of the year the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Sewer Commissioners voted to unite in the ap- pointment of one engineer to serve both as engineer for the Sewer Department and Superintendent of Streets, an agree- ment being made whereby the work of the sewer depart- ment should not interfere with the work on the streets, the Superintendent to be under the control and direction of the Board of Selectmen.
The salary paid by the Selectmen was the usual amouut, $900, to which $600 was added by the Sewer Commission- ers for work in their department. Inasmuch as the latter department had already asked the Finance Committee for $1000 for engineer's salary, the amount required for that purpose was reduced $400, and the appropriations reduced to that extent. The amount of work anticipated for the highway department was rather less than usual because of the small appropriation for streets made at the March meet- ing and the lessening number of house connections enabled the Sewer Department to spare its engineer a greater part of the day.
On the whole there was no interference to either depart- ment by work of the other though several small repairs and some cleaning were omitted because of scarcity of labor at the time of the unexpected construction of the Converse street sewer, other town departments being engaged in con- struction at the same time.
The detailed account of the year's work in this depart- ment will be found in the report of the Superintendent of Streets. Your committee, however, desires to call atten- tion to a few important facts in connection with this de- partment.
82
The increasing heavy teaming and automobiling, espec- ially when streets are soft, and the decreasing amount of money annually appropriated have produced an increasing discrepancy between repair and deterioration.
Short sections of streets have been rebuilt by the town in past few years and long stretches allowed to go untouched from lack of funds. Vernon street, from Lowell St. to the Lynnfield line is cited as an example.
So long as this increasing discrepancy is permitted the amount eventually required increases year by year, as is in- dicated by the additional appropriations recommended by successive Boards of Selectmen.
Our limited appropriations for street watering admits the wetting of only a portion of our macadam and the balance is in places unraveling from neglect in this respect. For example upper West Chestnut street and Bennett near Traverse.
The natural advantages of the town in respect to drain- age have not been developed and utilized, and should re- ceive serious attention before permanent construction of streets is extended. Parts of Main street, especially in Greenwood, will require extensive work and repair before it can be accepted by the County Commissioners, and neglect- ed problems in drainage should be solved before rebuilding.
Several sections of streets have been constructed so nar- row that passing is difficult for carriages of ordinary width of tread. By reason of the increased width of automobile tread, passing has become dangerous and a liability placed upon the town. Pine street, in Cox's woods, so called, is cited as an instance where immediate widening is required, to avoid accidents and liability.
New sidewalks have been constructed, the abutters paying one-half the cost, and repairs made as far as the funds available would permit, but the liability of the town in this respect is increasing by deteriorations beyond our resources
83
for repair. The sidewalk on Gould and Converse streets requires the expenditure of several hundred dollars to place it in respectable condition.
Before entering any extensive work the department should have new and modern machinery to enable it to do its work better and more economically. The street roller weighs 12 tons and does only a part of its proper work and that indif- fcrently, causing loss of time and added expense for repair. The cost for repairs last year was about 4 per cent. on $4000 .whereas a new 15 ton roller could have been obtained in exchange for the old one and $2200 additional.
The town is sadly in need of storage for its highway ap- paratus, and a place whereby this can be obtained and the remedy for the foregoing conditions accomplished, will be found in the recommendations of this board and its engi- neer presented to the Finance Committee.
Doubtless some of the above committee and other citi- zens as well, view with alarm the increasing demands of this board for money for Street Department. It is, how- ever, the only possible result of the disparity between wear and repair-deterioration and appropriation.
The time for balancing this account may be postponed, but cannot be averted. The town must eventually pay the balance which is increasing year by year. I believe the county will be justified in rebuilding Vernon street from Salem street to the Lynnfield line and assessing the cost to the town, unless soon repaired.
The liability of the town increases as the streets and side- walks deteriorate, and the money would be much better expended in repair than in paying damages.
STATE ROADS.
In 1904-5 Town report, the Selectmen outlined their efforts to secure an allotment of State road for Wakefield.
84
Several hearings were given at State Highway Commis- sioners' office in Boston. Wakefield was joined in their petition, by the towns of Lynnfield and Peabody and the city of Salem, asking that a State road be built through the sev- eral towns, connecting at Salem with other State roads. After due consideration of the matter the commissioners de- cided that in a view of this being in the nature of a lateral line of road (a system not yet inaugurated) its allotment could not be considered until intersecting sections of trunk lines were completed.
The present Board of Selectmen feeling that the Town of Wakefield should enjoy a portion of the State appropriation for highways, have continued their efforts in that direction, asking the State to complete the macadamizing of Main street from Lawrence street to the Reading town line. In this we were joined by the selectmen of Reading, asking for. a continuance of the State road to Reading square, there to connect with the trunk line from Boston to Andover and northward. Chairman McClintock of the board of Mass. Highway Commissioners, on the invitation of our Board visited Wakefield, and with them and the chairman of the Reading board of selectmen, went over the route, examining the con- dition of the road, its drainage and other features that might influence the State in making an allotment for us. On our return to Wakefield a conference was held at the Town Hall, and after a full and free discussion of the whole matter, we found our chances of getting this allotment from the State in the near future were very remote, as other sections of the State were in greater need of an immediate outlay.
Assurance was given us, however, that under the "Small Town Act" the State would build us a State road and pay one-half of the cost, (approximately $3,000), and give us as good a piece of road as they have built in any locality. Act- ing on this proposition and pledge, an appropriation of $3,000 will be asked for at the coming March Town Meeting.
85
Favorable action by the Town will insure the building of this much needed section of our highway the present season, and save the outlay of a large sum of money which will otherwise have to be expended for repairs.
This section of State road would be built under contract, and the Town of Wakefield if properly equipped for the ser- vice could enjoy the honor of building this road, under the State supervision, and at the same time carry out the decree of the County Commissioners made in 1889, wherein they were directed to lay out, and rebuilt that section of town road lying between Lawrence street and the Reading town line, according to plan prepared and submitted by Charles Mills, which decree as yet remains uncompleted.
The building of this road will open up a still larger field for the employment of town labor, and be an object lesson for our town people in road building.
Preliminary survey has been made by the State, anticipat- ing favorable action by our town.
CENTRE POND.
The incoming Board of Selectmen for 1905 took up the matter of the drainage of Centre pond, so called, with the full expectation of relieving the town of existing condi- tions, along the outlined propositions as set forth in our last , town report. Plans have been drawn and estimates made covering the cost of the several propositions there de- scribed. Several conferences were held with the parties in interest, and much time given to the consideration of this important subject, but owing to the lack of power vested in the town to change water courses and establish new drains, the work was suspended until such time as a proper or legal right could be secured from the Legislature.
Accordingly the town was asked, and voted at its Novem- ber town meeting, to give the necessary authority to the Se-
86
lectmen to petition the General Court for the passage of an act relative to water courses and surface drainage, so that changes can legally be made, looking not only to the better- ment of the drainage of the Centre district, but whenever necessary throughout the town.
With this right secured it is hoped a speedy solution of this long needed improvement will be secured and the cause of many complaints eliminated. The unsightly and unsani- tary conditions that have so long existed right here in the centre of Wakefield should have been remedied years ago, and it is hoped that the incoming Board of Selectmen will carry forward the improvement herewith outlined, or see that proper drainage and more wholesome conditions are secured.
SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS REPORT.
To the Honorable, the Board of Selectmen of the Town of
Wakefield : -
I herewith submit as your executive officer a report of the business of the Highway Department from April 1, 1905 to Jan. 31, 1906.
The policy governing work and expenditures has been that recommended by the Finance Committee, and acquiesced in by the Town when making the appropriation; that the money should be expended mainly in an endeavor to keep the streets in as good condition as they then were.
The appropriation has been practically all spent in mainte- nance and repairs, doing all that could be done with the amount available, with regard to the principle of securing the greatest degree of permanence, thus there has been expended quite a sum in paving gutters, the construction and repair of drains, laying concrete sidewalks and setting edgestones, all
-
87
of which may be classed as permanent improvements. It is believed that a larger proportion than usual has been spent for cleaning and patching.
Following is a general summary of expenditures:
Administration,
$210 70
Equipment,
544 21
Tools, .
239 29
Sign and guide boards, .
30 65
Bridges,
131 90
Fencing,
80 77
Cleaning,
2,827 58
Patching and removing loose stone,
1,541 61
Drains, including paved gutters,
1,492 55
Construction,
1,915 51
Engineering,
278 75
Concrete walks,
1,179 75
Edgestone, .
766 86
Snow work, .
. 1,427 09
Administration includes expenses of office and those for material for operation of plant ; equipment, those of machin- ery and permanent tools, and their repair; under tools are in- cluded the purchase of the smaller and frequently renewable variety, their repair and sharpening, and such hardware as the department has used.
There has been added to the equipment an improved road machine which has worked very satisfactorily, and proved its worth in all seasons. Its use has effected a material saving in labor and in time ; being of stronger construction and re- versible it has done more and better work than the old machine could have done.
Repairs to the steam roller have exceeded the amount ap- propriated; the excess, $90.22 has been paid from the gen- eral appropriation.
The crusher plant has caused an outlay for repairs; only
88
such as were necessary for its operation have been made how- ever.
Four new street signs and posts and eight "Private Way Dangerous" have been placed.
Greenwood bridge has been replanked and the iron work painted; the bridge on the way leading from Valley street to Wright's gravel pit has been replanked and a new railing put up.
The 200 feet of plank sidewalk on Spring street in Boyn- tonville, has three times been temporarily repaired; the plank forming this walk also serve as a cover for a culvert; all the plank is in poor condition. The culvert should be replaced with pipe and a gravel sidewalk made.
Fences have been built on Brook street opposite Elm where the brook is close to the travelled way; on Nahant street near Farm and on Water street between Brook avenue and Farm street, this last made necessary by the removal of bush by the moth men. Existing fences have been repaired on Elm, Church, Broadway, Bennett, Main, West Chestnut and Lowell street.
All the streets with one or two exceptions have been cleaned once and some more than once, grass and brush cut, and the patrol cart has been at work throughout the season.
Something has been attempted and done in the way of patching and removing loose and projecting stone.
The bridge or plank sidewalk on New Salem street was found to be unsafe, and has been in part removed and filled in. The sidewalk from said bridge to near Preston street has been brought up to grade. A walk had to be made on Val- ley and Melvin streets in accordance with vote of the town. On Richardson ave. the walk on the south side has been raised to an established grade. Sidewalks on Lake, Byron, Main, Salem, Albion, Warren ave., West Water, Pleasant, Bennett, Railroad, North ave., Church, Park, Otis, Nahant,
89
Franklin, Cedar, Lowell, Lawrence and several other streets have been repaired and patched. On nearly all gravel walks projecting stone have been removed and taken to crusher.
In the work on drains there is included the cost of paving gutters on Park, Main, Stedman, Otis, Crescent and Eaton streets. New drains have been put in on Church, Crescent, Valley, Richardson, Main and Albion streets. Catch basins have been cleaned and repaired, and twelve new ones built. Several drains, culverts and catch basin outlets have been cleaned and relaid.
Franklin, Park, Valley, Pine, Otis, Oak and Eaton streets have been resurfaced wholly or in part. Main street has been extensively patched at the Junction, Water street from R. R. crossing to bridge has been re-shaped, and a small amount of new material put on. Salem st. near house of Henry Stowell has been improved by rebuilding sidewalk.
The amount expended for engineering is for work done in establishing and setting grades for resurfacing, gutter work, drains, sidewalks, concrete walks and edgestone. Surveys, plans and estimates have been made in the matter of improve- ment of Centre Pond. Levels and cross sections for estab- lishing grades on various streets in preparation for future work, and data for the design of a drainage system have been obtained.
Concrete sidewalks have been constructed on West Chest- nut, Albion, Richardson, Avon, Gould, Cedar, Pleasant and Richardson ave. Patching has been done to walks on Park, Eaton, Crescent, Centre, Salem, Bryant, Albion, Gould, Pleasant, Water, Main, Lawrence and West Chestnut. Con- crete crossings have been repaired and relaid on West Chest- nut street.
Edgestone has been set on White ave., Main, Avon, Al- bion, Richardson ave., Prospect, Eaton and Pleasant, curved corners at West Chestnut and Cedar, Salem and Pleasant, Gould and Cedar and Lawrence and Pleasant.
90
FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
Balance reported Feb. 1, 1905, $309 67 Appropriations, 12,275 00
Received for labor, 16 IO
66 from sale of material, 127 70
abutters for concrete,
242 3I
66
66
66 " edgestone 192 42
6 " Richardson st. for stone, etc.,
80 00
66
" concrete bill of 1904,
II 82
Total receipts to Feb. 1, 1906, . $13,255 02
There are bills receivable for concrete and edgestone amounting to
$249 58
There are bills unpaid amounting to
199 87 ($96.13 of this due to Richardson st.)
There is an overdraft in this department equal to the short age of the Street Railway tax, which did not reach $6,000, the amount which the Treasurer was authorized to borrow. This overdraft will be met by the appropriation for the en- suing year.
EXPENDITURES.
Administration,
$210 70 .
Water rate,
$45 00
Coal,
90 51
Oil, paint, waste, etc.,
34 94
Stationery and printing,
23 25
· Freight and miss. bills, .
17 00
Equipment, .
.
Snow plow (1994),
$75 00
544 21 Road machine,
200 00
·
91
Tool house (1904),
6 90
Forms for concrete,
34 37
$316 37
Steam roller repairs.
Buffalo Pitts Co., labor and material, . $14I 74
G. H. Taylor, labor and material, . 6 85
G. M. Kelley, labor, 5 05
Wanamaker & Feindel, labor,
3 50
Boston Bolt Co., bolts, .
I 35
Ashton Valve Co., rating gauge,
50
American Express Co.,
4 23
J. H. McNeill, inspection,
2 00
$165 22
Crusher repairs, labor and material,
$53 12
J. H. McNeil, inspection,
2 00
$55
I2
Bin structure, repair,
7 50
Tools, . .
·
$239 29
New tools and hardware,
$104 23
Repairs and sharpening,
135 06
Street signs, repair, painting and erecting, 30 65
Bridges,
131 90
Linden ave., labor,
$11 17
lumber,
63 44
painting,
23 00
$97 61
Vinton St., labor, .
4 38
lumber,
8 82
$13 20
·
92
Spring St., labor, .
·
II 75
lumber, ·
.
9 34
$21 09
Fencing,
Brook St., labor, .
.
.
$3 37
material,
5 50
$8 87
Nahant St., labor,
II 44
material,
14 30
$25 74
Main St. (1904), . 4 97
Lowell St., .
I 18
Church, Broadway, Bennett, Elm, Main
and W. Chestnut, labor,
12 50
material,
9 76
$22 26
Water St., labor, .
17 75
material (unpaid) .
$17 75
Cleaning,
2,827 58
Labor, general,
. $2,094 28
Patrol, .
608 00
Grass and brush, .
.
· 125 30
Patching and removing stone,
1,541 61 ·
Labor patching,
.
. $1,106 44
Material for, .
.
161 66
$1,268 10
80 77
.
·
.
93
Labor removing stone, · . 192 19
Main St. patching,
61 32
Greenwood St., do.,
20 00
Sidewalks, .
658 89
New Salem, at bridge, .
$62 17
" beyond bridge,
46 00
$108 17
Melvin and Valley, labor,
71 00
material, .
17 30
$88 30
Richardson Ave., labor,
27 32
material, .
38 00
$65 32
Lake St. repairs,
. 20 52
Byron St.
13 00
Main,
18 00
Salem, .
22 II
Warren ave.,
8 00
Richardson St. walk repair,
2 12
Other streets repair and removing stone, 313 37
Drains,
1,492 55
Paved gutter Stedman St., .
·
$21 00
Crescent, .
18 00
Park,
322 62
66
Main,
50 51
Eaton,
203 25
Otis, .
88 70
.
.
·
$704 08
94
Centre and Main, cleaning and relaying, 31 52
Foundry St., culvert repair, 3 88
Stedman St., ditching, . 6 00
Albion St., relaying culvert, .
18 73
Main and Charles, new catch basins,
77 00
Church St., C. B. outlet,
78 00
Crescent St., drain and catch basins,
178 24
Albion, C. B. outlet, 55 84
Main at Railroad, repair,
II 50
Salem and Main, cleaning culvert, .
14 00
Elm, cleaning and new C. B.,
45 75
Main and Central,
10 00
Cedar and Auburn, new C. B.,
23 75
Cleaning catch basins, .
IO1 75
General repair, labor,
$71 60
Material,
60 81
$132 4I
Construction, ·
.
.
1,915 5I
Park St., labor,
· $103 00
material,
51 85
$155 05
Water St., labor, .
$31I 12
material,
2 50
$313 62
Valley St., labor, .
$194 18
material,
28 90
$223 08
Franklin St., labor,
. $359 38
material,
48 10
$407 48
.
95
Pine St., labor,
·
$229 63
material,
.
20 50
$250 13
Otis St., labor,
$70 70
material, .
16 50
$87 20
Oak St., labor,
$74 00
Eaton street, labor,
$187 20
Material,
22 20
$209 40
Main street, labor,
$102 50
Material,
30 80
$133 30
Salem street, reconstruction, . $62 25
Engineering, .
278 75
Concrete work.
1,179 75
Labor, pay roll and bills,
$924 05 ·
Material and mis. bills,
255 70
Edgestones, .
766 86
Labor, .
$243 51
Material,
504 85
Snow work, .
1,427 09
December, 1904, .
$27 75
January, 1905,
520 52
$548 27
February and March, 1905,
$674 69
December, 1905, . ·
$165 13 .
January, 1906,
39 00
.
.
·
·
.
96
The following is a partial list of the requests made of this Department during the year which could not be met.
1. For improvement, resurfacing or rebuilding roadways on :- Highland, Wave ave., Emerson, Main, Pleasant, Cres- cent, Crescent Ct., Greenwood, Forest, Otis, Central, Laf- ayette, Church, Pearl, Sweetser, Birch Hill ave., Foster, Richardson ave .; West Water, Albion, Foundry, Gould, Lake, Bartley, Converse, New Salem, Vernon and many others.
2. For improvement or rebuilding sidewalks on : High- land, Emerald, Wave ave., Main, Pleasant, Crescent, Cres- cent Court, Greenwood, Spring, Otis, Central, Church, Sweetser, Richardson ave., West Water, Converse, Green- wood ave., Albion, Gould, Lake, Hart, Nahant, Eaton, Lawrence, Prospect, Water, Farm. Vernon and others.
3. For improvement of conditions due to defective drainage on :- Main, Greenwood, Pitman ave., Forest, Summer, Na- hant, Railroad, Bennett, Traverse, Melvin, Valley, Vernon, Wave ave., Sweetser, Central, Lawrence, Pleasant, West Water, Richardson ave., Centre, Crescent, Otis, Pearl, Church, Lafayette, North ave., Chestnut, Foster, Albion, Lake, Foundry, Gould, Bartley, Broadway, Jordan ave., Stedman, Park ave., Dell ave., Converse, Cedar, Cedar Ct., Prospect and Elm.
All of the requests received were reasonable, but in many cases a complete remedy involved an expenditure beyond the reach of the appropriation; by complete remedy is meant going far enough to remove or care for the source of the trouble.
The work involved in the above enumeration can be done in two ways; repairs may be made of a temporary nature which would answer for a short time, perhaps one season, perhaps two ; or the cause of the defective condition may be first found and remedied, and repairs then made which will be well nigh permanent. In nine cases out of ten the cause
97
for defects will be found to be a lack of, or defective drain- age; in the remaining cases the cause will be unsuitable material, defective grade, or infrequency of repair.
The general condition of the Town's streets is unsatisfac- tory, to say the least. This condition, which has existed for years, and is in a general way attributed to such causes as large mileage, lack of money, sewer construction, deficiency of material, etc., should not be accepted as necessary and in- evitable.
The streets of a municipality are an index, pointing di- rectly and unmistakably to its general character; by their condition, they reflect the thrift, public spirit and pride of its citizens. Good streets are a necessity ; they promote growth and prosperity, and poor streets preclude or retard it.
The causes which have led to the present situation in our Town are not different from those which affect all towns ; there is abundant evidence to show that where the necessary investment has been made, a sure return has been received from it.
Whether we are to continue in the present rut or not, it will profit to consider the question of improvement, ascer- tain mistakes of the past, and plan to avoid them in the future.
The destructive influences of weather and travel are the streets greatest enemy ; they cannot be entirely overcome, but may be resisted with success in just such measure as the construction is good ; good construction for the sake of econ- omy should be the best obtainable.
The "best" will be extravagant and short lived unless put upon a good fonndation, and supplemented by thorongh drainage and systematic repair and maintenance.
Good streets will mean observance of the essentials, which are :
98
1. Foundation, which may or may not entail drainage of the subsoil.
2. Drainage of surface water, which includes the laying of pipe and building catch basins.
3. Construction of road, which should be of material best suited to withstand the wear of the travel coming upon it, and at the same time satisfy conditions of grade, cleanliness, noise and cost of repair and maintenance.
4. Repair and maintenance, which will be always neces- sary, and must be thorough and unceasing.
In any form of construction the foundation as its name implies is of first importance, it carries the weight; the ma- terial of surfacing resists the wear ; the poorest or the most expensive material for a wearing surface will become full of holes and unfitted for use in a very short time if the founda- tion be imperfect; dryness and solidity are essential, and these conditions are only obtained by perfect drainage of sub-soil and of surface water. Water may reach and de- stroy a foundation by percolation through the road surfacing, or by seepage from the gutters if not allowed to run off as rapidly as it accumulates ; or it may, from the nature of the soil be present in the form of springs.
The accumulation of water in gutters in addition to the injurious effect as above noted, allows on flat grades a de- posit of the road wash which in turn produces a fine crop of · weeds, and the gutter thus constantly encroaches upon the road ; on steep grades the carrying of water for any distance will wear away the surface, and any temporary obstruction in the gutter will so divert the flow as to cause a damage of many dollars.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.