USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Brookline > Town records of Brookline, Massachusetts, 1838-1857, v. 1 > Part 27
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314
Brookline Town Records.
Selectmen, and that instructions be given to the highway surveyors or Selectmen to complete the whole work as soon as circumstances will admit.
BROOKLINE, March 4th, 1850.
SAM'L PHILBRICK, THOMAS GRIGGS, D. SANDERSON, CHARLES STEARNS, JR., A. W. GODDARD.
Voted, That the Selectmen be requested to forthwith notify in writing, all persons owning lands whereon the Streets in this Town have been widened by the County Commissioners, to remove therefrom their walls and fences and such trees only as the Selectmen shall deem necessary for the proper grading and passing said streets, on or before the twenty- sixth day of June next, the time limited by the County Commissioners for that purpose. And that the Selectmen give further notice to said land owners that any neglect or omission on their part to remove said walls and fences or trees within the term of time above limited, will be deemed and considered a relinquishment of their right to all such walls, fences, or trees, for the use and benefit of the Town. And the Selectmen are hereby instructed to cause all such walls, fences, or trees, above named, as shall remain unmoved after the expiration of the time above limited, and which shall in any manner obstruct the proper grading or free passing of said streets, to be removed and sold for the benefit of the Town.
Mr. Samuel Philbrick presented the report of the com- mittee chosen by the Town at the meeting of the tenth of September, A. D. 1849, to devise some plan for repairing the public streets different from that hitherto practised ; which Report is on file F, No. 7.
Said Report was accepted.
The Rev. Joseph Haven, Jr., presented and read the Report of the School Committee. File F, No. 8.
Voted, That the report of the School Committee be accept- ed, and that Four Hundred copies thereof be printed under the direction of the Committee.
Voted, That the Town choose three Selectmen for the year ensuing.
315
Annual Meeting, March 4, 1850.
The ballotting resulted in the choice of
Mr. James Bartlett,
" Jerathmael Davenport, Zas Selectmen,
" William Dearborn,
and they were sworn by the Moderator to the faithful dis- charge of their duty.
Voted, That the Town choose three Assessors for the year ensuing.
The ballotting resulted in the choice of Messrs. Thomas Griggs, Charles Stearns, Jr., & John N. Turner, Assessors.
Voted, To choose three overseers of the poor by nomina- tion and hand vote.
Voted, That James Bartlett, Jerathmael Davenport and William Dearborn be overseers of the poor for the ensuing year.
Voted, To choose a Town Treasurer by ballot.
The ballotting by written ballots resulted in the choice of Moses Withington, Town Treasurer.
Voted, To choose a Collector of Taxes by nomination and hand vote.
Voted, That Moses Withington, the Town Treasurer, be Collector of Taxes for the ensuing year.
Voted, That the Treasurer's salary for the ensuing year be fixed at the sum of Thirty dollars.
Voted, To reconsider the vote fixing the salary of the Treasurer.
Voted, That the Salary of the Treasurer for the year ensuing be fixed at the sum of one hundred dollars.
Voted, That the compensation of the Collector of Taxes for the year ensuing be fixed at One Hundred and Fifty dollars.
Voted, To choose five School Committee men for the ensu- ing year by written ballots.
The balloting resulted in the choice of
Rev. Mr. William H. Shailer, )
Mr. Samuel Philbrick,
Rev. Mr. Joseph Haven, Jr.,
School Committee.
Rev. Mr. Frederick N. Knapp, Rev. Mr. William Horton,
Voted, That there be three surveyors of highways chosen for the ensuing year.
.
316
Brookline Town Records.
Voted, That the report received from the Committee on the subject of repairing the public streets be accepted, and that (blank) are hereby accordingly chosen and elected to the office of Surveyors of Highways the ensuing year, to act jointly together in performing the duties of that office throughout the Town; and they are hereby instructed to carry into effect the widening of the public streets, by blast- ing and grading all parts which have been laid out the past year by the County Commissioners, and to complete the same for public travel agreeably to the requirements of said Commissioners, as far as the appropriation, when applied according to the several estimates of the Committee, will admit. And said Surveyors are hereby further instructed to carry into effect, as far as in their judgment a proper and proportional use of the money granted for the repair of high- ways will justify, the several improvements in grading the streets which were recommended by the Committee on widen- ing the Streets in their Report adopted by the Town at the adjournment of their Annual Meeting in March, 1849.
Voted, That the blank in the preceding vote be filled by choosing three Surveyors of Highways by hand vote after nomination by the Moderator.
Voted, That Charles Stearns, Jr., William Dearborn and Abijah W. Goddard be Surveyors of Highways for the year ensuing.
Voted, That all other Town officers be chosen by nomina- tion and hand vote.
Voted, That there be three firewards chosen.
Seth T. Thayer, Oliver Whyte, Augustus Allen, were chosen firewards.
Voted, That there be two fence viewers chosen.
Messrs. Clark L. Haynes & Samuel Clark were chosen Fence Viewers.
Voted, That there be three Constables chosen.
Messrs. Elisha Stone, Franklin Tukey & H. M. Sanborn were chosen Constables.
Voted, That there be ten Field Drivers chosen.
Jerathmael Davenport, Samuel A. Robinson, Marshall Stearns, Samuel Clark, William Griggs, James M. Seamans,
317
Annual Meeting, March 4, 1850.
John W. Warren, Ansel Waterman, Thomas Pettingill, Charles W. Scudder, were chosen Field Drivers.
Voted, That there be two Surveyors of Wood & Lumber chosen.
Messrs. Elisha Stone & James M. Seamans were chosen Surveyors of Wood & lumber.
Voted, To choose an Auditing Committee of three.
Messrs. Charles D. Head, Abijah W. Goddard, William I. Bowditch, were chosen Auditing Committee.
Voted, To choose one Pound Keeper.
Mr. Charles Smith was chosen Pound Keeper.
Voted, To choose a Prudential School Committee of three.
Mr. Charles Stearns, Jr., for the North District,
" Willard A. Humphrey, " " Middle
" Samuel Hill, " " South
were chosen Prudential School Committee.
Voted, That it is not expedient to choose Tythingmen.
Augustus Aspinwall, Marshall Stearns & Lemuel Foster were chosen Cemetery Committee.
Voted, To pass to the consideration of the ninth article.
After some debate-
Voted, To pass to the tenth and eleventh articles in the Warrant.
After much debate upon a motion of George Griggs, Esq., that the Town approve the contemplated Road from the end of the Mill Dam to Brighton Street or the line of the Town of Brighton near the house of the late Joseph White, and appropriate Ten Thousand Dollars towards building said Road, which was decided in the negative, on a division of the meeting, by a vote of Fifty in the negative to Forty- Two in the affirmative-
Voted, To indefinitely postpone the consideration of the tenth and eleventh articles.
Voted, That when this meeting adjourn it adjourn to meet a fortnight from this day, on Monday, the eighteenth day of March present, at three o'clock in the afternoon, in this place.
Voted, To take up the fourth article of the Warrant, and bring in votes for County Treasurer.
318
Brookline Town Records.
After the ballotting was over, and the polls were closed, the votes were counted, in open meeting, by the Moderator and Town Clerk, and it appeared that the whole number of ballots was Thirty-seven, all of which were for John Bullard.
John Bullard, Thirty-Seven.
Voted, That the twelfth article in the Warrant be con- sidered.
Voted, That the Town declare that they have received the order of notice mentioned in the twelfth article of the War- rant, and take no further action thereon.
Voted, That the meeting do now adjourn.
Adjourned.
Attest : WILL. ASPINWALL, Town Clerk.
In conformity with the Law of the Commonwealth, the Town Clerk forthwith issued his warrant with a list of the officers chosen who are required to take an oath of office and who had not been sworn by the Moderator, and delivered the same to Constable Elisha Stone, who was previously sworn by him, requiring him to summon each of the officers chosen to appear and take the oath of office before the Town Clerk within seven days after such notice.
NORFOLK, SS.
Then personally appeared the persons hereafter named, and took the oath of office required of them, or signified their acceptance of the office to which they had been chosen, or declined serving in such office. Before me,
WILL. ASPINWALL, Town Clerk.
March 5, 1850. Elisha Stone sworn as Constable and as Surveyor of Wood & Lumber.
66
Moses Withington sworn as Treasurer and Collector.
66
Franklin Tukey sworn as Constable.
.
66
66 Wm. I. Bowditch accepted as one of Auditing Committee. Charles D. Head accepted as one of Auditing Committee.
66
66
Oliver Whyte 66 66 Fire Ward.
66
66
Augustus Aspinwall declined " " Cemetery Committee.
16
66
60 Rev. Frederick N. Knapp .. .. School Committee.
66
66
66 Mr. James Bartlett
Overseer of the Poor.
66 Mr. Jerathmael Davenport
66 Mr. William Dearborn
66
66 66
Rev. William Horton accepted " " School Committee.
6
319
Annual Meeting, March 4, 1850.
NORFOLK, SS.
Then personally appeared the persons hereafter named and took the oath of office required of them, or signified their acceptance of the office to which they had been chosen, or declined serving in such office. Before me,
WILL. ASPINWALL, Town Clerk.
March 6, 1850. Mr. Seth T. Thayer accepted as Fireward.
8
Marshal Stearns declined " Cemetery Committee.
H. M. Sanborn sworn
" Constable.
Ansel Waterman sworn
" Field Driver.
66
Thomas Pettingill sworn " Field Driver.
9
60
James M. Seamans sworn Field Driver & Surveyor of Lumber.
66
66
" Clark L. Haynes sworn Fence Viewer.
66
11
66
Charles W. Scudder sworn Field Driver.
66 Jerathmael Davenport sworn as Field Driver.
66
66 Samuel A. Robinson sworn
" Field Driver.
12
13
66
" John W. Warren sworn
" Field Driver.
66
66
Rev. Joseph Haven, Jr., accepted " School Committee.
66
Mr. Willard A. Humphrey
Prudential School Com- mittee.
16
66
Rev. Wm. H. Shailer accepted as School Committee.
18
66
Mr. Wm. Dearborn sworn as Surveyor of Highways.
66 Abijah W. Goddard sworn as Surveyor of Highways.
66
66
accepted " Auditing Committee.
66 Samuel Philbrick
" School Committee.
REPORT OF SELECTMEN, OF PLACES WHERE GUIDE POSTS AND BOARDS ARE MAINTAINED BY THE TOWN OF BROOKLINE.
According to the Laws of the Commonwealth, the Selectmen submit the following report of the places where Guide Posts and Boards are erected and maintained by the Town, to wit :
There is a Guide post, with a board thereon, standing at the junction of Boylston Street with Washington Street, directing to Newton Upper Falls and Brighton ; one at corner Boylston and Heath Streets, directing to Newton, Worcester and Dedham; one at corner of Brighton Street, directing to Brighton; one at Boylston and Cross Street, to Newton Upper Falls, Newton and Brighton; one at Heath and Warren Streets, to Newton, Dedham and Brighton; one at Clyde and Warren Streets, to Dedham and Brighton; one at Clyde and Newton Streets, to Brighton, Newton and Dedham; one at Grove and Newton Streets, to West Rox- bury and Dedham; one at Grove and South Streets, to Brighton; one at South and Newton Streets, to Dedham, Brighton and Newton; one at
66
John N. Turner sworn Assessor.
320
Brookline Town Records.
Warren and Cottage Streets, to Dedham and Jamaica Plain; one at Warren and Walnut Streets, to Jamaica Plain; one at Washington and Harvard Streets, to Brighton and Cambridge; one at Sewall's Avenue and Harvard Street, to Cambridge and Cambridgeport.
There being fourteen in all, which are all that are required at present, in the opinion of the Selectmen.
All which is respectfully submitted for the Selectmen.
BROOKLINE, March 4, 1850. JAMES BARTLETT, Chairman.
A true copy. Attest : WILL. ASPINWALL, Town Clerk.
ADJOURNED ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH 18, 1850.
Pursuant to the adjournment, the Inhabitants of the Town met at the Town Hall on Monday, the eighteenth day of March, A. D. Eighteen Hundred and Fifty, at three o'clock in the afternoon.
The Moderator, Mr. Wm. I. Bowditch, called the meeting to order, and read the list of the officers chosen at the last meeting who had not been sworn or who had not signified their acceptance or refusal of office.
Voted, To proceed to fill all vacancies in the offices of the Town.
Mr. Samuel Clark was chosen Fire ward, and was excused, and Mr. John Trowbridge was chosen in his place.
Messrs. William Griggs and Samuel Clark were sworn as Field Drivers by the Town Clerk.
Messrs. Thomas Griggs and Charles Stearns, Jr., were sworn by the Town Clerk as Assessors.
Mr. Charles Stearns, Jr., was sworn as Surveyor of High- ways.
Mr. John Gibbs was chosen Fence Viewer.
Mr. Samuel Philbrick was chosen one of the Cemetery Committee.
Voted, That Mr. Marshall Stearns be not excused from serving on the Cemetery Committee.
Mr. Jesse Bird was again chosen one of the Cemetery Committee, in place of Lemuel Foster, excused.
Adjourned Annual Meeting, March 18, 1850. 321
Voted, To proceed to consider the Fifth Article in the Warrant.
Voted, That a Committee of three persons be appointed by the Moderator, to examine the Hill in South Street, near Rox- bury line, see how much it needs to be cut down, how great an expenditure it requires, and report at a future meeting.
The Moderator appointed Messrs. Daniel Sanderson, Thomas Griggs and Abijah W. Goddard this Committee.
Voted, To consider the Sixth Article in the Warrant.
Voted, That the subject of the Sixth Article be refered to the Selectmen, with power to lay out a portion of God- dard Avenue, and that part of Avon Street which lies in Brookline, as a town way, if they deem it expedient.
Voted, To consider the Seventh Article in the Warrant.
Mr. James Bartlett, Chairman of the Selectmen, read the following Report, which is also on File F, No. 10 : -
According to the instructions of the Town at the last Annual Meeting, the Selectmen on the 11th day of April last, laid out as a public street the passage way called Mechanic Place, from Harvard Street, commenc- ing near the Estate of Thomas Seaverns, and running westerly Thirty feet in width to the proposed new street which is to be laid out West of the Town House. Also, on the same day, laid out a street leading from Washington Street, on the Westerly side of the Town House, until it intersects Mechanic Place. They also laid out a continuation of the same street across Mechanic Place to School Street. This last (not being included in the instructions of the Town,) was done at the suggestion of several of the owners of land over which it is laid out, who, in con- sideration of the benefit to be derived from such road, agree, in writing, to claim no other compensation for their land so taken. And it is also
deemed by the Selectmen that it would be a public benefit to have a street continued from Washington to School Street, and that the expense of constructing it would be very small. Said Street is laid out as follows, to wit: Commencing on Washington Street on the westerly side of an Avenue twelve feet wide, lying between the Estate of T. C. Leeds and land of the Town, and running on the westerly side of said Avenue eighty- four feet nine inches; thence turning Westerly from said Avenue and running Two Hundred and Thirty-nine feet six inches to the line of land of the Town and parallel with the centre of Mechanic Place, striking the Town's land nineteen feet west of said twelve-foot avenue; thence con- tinuing through land of the Town in a line curving to the Eastward Four Hundred and fifteen feet to School Street, which line being Seven Hun- dred and Thirty-nine feet three inches from Washington to School Street, makes the westerly boundary of the new street, taking a triangular strip of land belonging to Samuel Leeds, lying west of said twelve-foot
21
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Brookline Town Records.
avenue, containing twenty-two hundred and seventy square feet; the easterly side of said new street commences on Washington Street thirty feet east of the west side of said twelve-foot avenue, and running over land of the Town, parallel with the above described line, and Thirty feet therefrom, one hundred and sixty-five feet; thence over land of Dr. Charles Wild and John Gibbs one hundred and sixty feet to Mechanic Place ; thence across said Mechanic Place thirty feet; thence over land of the Town Two Hundred and Sixteen feet; thence across a point of land of A. L. Dennison Fifteen feet; thence over land of William Dear- born Seventy feet ; thence over land of Oliver Cousens Ninety-four feet, to the School House, making the whole easterly boundary of the Street Seven Hundred and Fifty feet in length. The quantity of land necessary to be taken for the said street, besides the land of the Town, the twelve- foot avenue, and that part of it which crosses Mechanic Place, is Five Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty-eight Square Feet, belonging to the following persons, to wit: To Timothy C. Leeds, 2270 feet; Dr. Wild and John Gibbs, 1046 feet; A. L. Dennison, 112 feet; Wm. Dearborn, 1050 feet; Oliver Cousens, 1410 feet. The four last named owners of land amounting to 3618 feet, agree to give their land without any com- pensation. The Selectmen have also staked out, with a view to widening the Town road called School Street, where necessary, to make it not less than thirty feet in width, according to the vote of the Town, as follows : Commencing at Harvard Street and taking a strip four feet in width on the south side, from land of Oliver Cousens, one hundred and eighty-five feet in length, to land of the Town; thence across land of the Town to land of Timothy C. Leeds to a stake five feet south of the Road, making the Street from Harvard Street to land of said Leeds Thirty-three feet wide the whole distance; thence running Westerly from said stake one hundred and twenty-two feet to a stake at a point where it again inter- sects with the road. The quantity of land necessary to widen this street according to the above described limits, is Ten Hundred and Forty-one square feet, to wit : Of Oliver Cousens, Seven hundred and forty; T. C. Leeds, Three hundred and one feet. The several boundaries and admeas- urements of the laying out and widening said Streets are more fully delineated by Surveys and drawings of the same made by J. D. Williams, Surveyor, which are herewith submitted.
Previous to laying out said new Street and widening said School Street, the Selectmen caused written notice of their intentions so to do to be left with each owner of land over which said streets are to be laid out and widened, seven days at least previously thereto, and filed in the office of the Town Clerk the boundaries and admeasurements of said laying out and widening, at least seven days before this meeting, according to law.
All of which is respectfully submitted for the Selectmen,
BROOKLINE, March 4, 1850. JAMES BARTLETT, Chairman.
Voted, That the Report of the Selectmen be accepted, and that the ways therein mentioned as laid out and widened be accepted and allowed by the Town, and that the Selectmen
323
Adjourned Annual Meeting, March 18, 1850.
be instructed to carry the recommendations of the Report into effect.
Voted, To take up the Eighth Article of the warrant, con- cerning appropriations for the ensuing year.
Voted, That one Hundred dollars be added to the estimate for the support of schools.
Voted, That Fifty dollars be appropriated for keeping in order the Cemetery.
Voted, That the following appropriations be made for the ensuing year, to wit :
For support of Poor, Eight hundred dollars . $800 00
For support of Schools, exclusive of school for adults, Thirty-Eight Hundred Dollars
3800 00
For support of Highways
1200 00
County Tax
1000 00
Fire Department, including hydrant, &c.
500 00
66 Collecting taxes
150 00
66 Abatement of taxes
250 00
66 Town Officers .
670 00
Repairs of public buildings
275 00
66
Extinction of Town debt .
2000 00
payment of interest on same
350 00
66 contingencies
600 00
$11595 00
Some inquiry being made as to the amount necessary to pay the land damages for laying out the new street west of the Town Hall, and for widening School Street and laying out Mechanic Place as a public street, Mr. James Bartlett submitted and read the following addition to the Report of the Selectmen on the subject :
The Selectmen have also carefully considered the subject of damages as far as any has been sustained by any person by the laying out and widening of said streets, and have awarded the following sums, which are to be in full for damages for land taken and for the expense of removing and setting fences, to wit: To Timothy C. Leeds, for widen- ing School Street, thirty-nine dollars and nine cents. Timothy C. Leeds, for new street, Two hundred and four dollars and thirty cents. To Timothy C. Leeds, damage in reducing the level of the twelve-foot avenue and Mechanic Place, over both of which he has right of passage, one hundred and twenty-five dollars. To Oliver Cousens, for School Street, Seventy-one Dollars and Sixty-nine cents. Thomas Seaverns is considered to be injured in his property by reducing the level of Mechanic
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Brookline Town Records.
Place and the Street East of the Town House, consequence of leaving the said streets so much below his land that his right to enter on to either of them will be of little or no service to him; in consequence thereof, the Selectmen award to him the sum of Sixty dollars, making the whole amount awarded for damages, Five Hundred Dollars and Eight cents.
Voted, That Six Hundred Dollars be appropriated to pay- ing the land damages on said new streets and alteration of School Street, and if any surplus remain it be devoted to making the roads and alterations.
Mr. Daniel Sanderson moved to reconsider the vote passed at the last meeting, by which the consideration of the tenth and eleventh articles in the warrant was indefinitely post- poned.
Upon this motion the meeting was polled, the voting list being called over, and each voter present answering yes or no when his name was called. By a vote of Seventy-two Yeas to Sixty-three Nays, it was-
Voted, To reconsider the vote passed at the meeting March 4, 1850, by which the consideration of the tenth and eleventh articles in the Warrant was indefinitely postponed.
Mr. George Griggs moved, That the Town of Brookline withdraw its opposition to laying out a new road from the end of the Mill-dam, according to the petition now pending before the County Commissioners, and that the Committee appointed to oppose said road be discharged.
This motion failed upon a ballot, by Seventy-three Yeas to Eighty-one Nays.
Mr. John Trowbridge was excused as Fireward.
Mr. Charles Warren was chosen Fireward.
Mr. Samuel Hills accepted as Prudential School Commit- tee for the South District, and Mr. Charles Stearns, Jr., accepted as Prudential School Committee for the North District.
Voted, That the sum of money appropriated to repairing the public highways the ensuing year be assessed upon the polls and estates of resident and non-resident inhabitants, and collected in the same manner that all other Town expenses are assessed and collected, and that said sum be drawn from the Treasury by orders from the Selectmen for
.
325
Special Meeting, April 1, 1850.
the purposes above named in payment of the Surveyors' accounts, when presented and approved.
Voted, To adjourn without day.
Adjourned.
Attest : WILL. ASPINWALL, Town Clerk.
MEETING, APRIL 1ST, 1850,
FOR THE CHOICE OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, SPECIAL COM- MISSIONERS, AND OTHER BUSINESS.
SEAL.] SEAL. SEAL.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
NORFOLK, SS. TOWN OF BROOKLINE. To the Constables of
the Town of Brookline, GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are required to notify and warn the Inhabitants of the Town of Brookline qualified to vote in elections, to bring in their votes to the Selectmen, at the Town Hall in said Town, for three County Commissioners and two Special Commissioners for the County of Norfolk, being all inhabitants of different towns within said County, to serve for the term of three years and until others are chosen in their stead, on the first day of April next, it being the first Monday of said month, in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty, at two o'clock in the afternoon, at which time and place the polls will be opened.
You are also required to notify and warn the inhabitants of said Town to meet at the Town Hall, in said Town, on the said first day of April, at half-past four in the afternoon, for the following purposes, to wit :
1st. To choose a Moderator.
2nd. To see if the Town will anthorize the Town Treasurer to borrow Twenty-five Hundred Dollars, in anticipation of the Taxes to be received.
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