USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Providence > The early records of the town of Providence, Vol. XVIII, 1600s > Part 5
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Voted that Mess Ebenezer Thompson and Daniel Anthony be and they are hereby appointed a Committee for the purpose of ascertaining and running the true Lines between the Land of Benjamin Cozzens Jun. at the North End of this Town and the Burying Ground.
Voted that Messrs Moses Brown Joseph Tillinghast and Joel Met- calf be and they are hereby appointed a Committee to enquire into the
1 See plat C.
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Title which William Goddard possesses to a certain Lot of Land situ- ated at the North End of this Town and now in the possession of Simeon Thayer and that said Committee make Report at next June Meeting.
Voted that the Town Treasurer be authorized to take possession of the Lot of Land at the north End of this Town late belonging to peter Clear deceased and claimed by the Heirs of Silas Downer deceased and that said Treasurer be empowered to lease out the said Lot for the most he can obtain for the same. [Town Meeting Records No. 7, pages 390 § 393.]
[June 5, 1797.] At a Town Meeting of the Freemen of the Town of Providence holden at the Town House in said Town on the fifth Day of June A. D. 1797.
Providence April 21st or 21st of the 4th 1797 Agreeable to ap- pointment by the Town of Providence we have run the Line between Benjamin Cozzens and the Burying Ground in running which we have been governed by the survey of the Committee in 1784 allowing two thirds of a Degree Variation of Compass between that Time and the present running Viz. we began at a white Oak Tree at the North East Corner of the said Cozzen's Land and from thence run South 28} West 22 Rods ; there the said Committee mentions a Heap of Stones but no such Heap was to be found thence S 53 West in direct Range toward the Barberry Bush mentioned by said Committee at which place stands a Stone for a Bound extending said Range towards said stone until it intersects the Fence dividing between said Cozzens Land and the Lot the Town purchased of Moses Brown which place together with the Running as aforesaid we marked for the true Line between said Coz- zens and said Burying Ground at which the said Cozzens was present We also note that some of the Fence including Peter Randalls Land adjoining said Burying Ground appears to us to stand considerable
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further on said Burying Ground than it did at the Time of the former survey.
Ebenezer Thompson ) The Town Dan! Anthony Committee.
And the foregoing Report being read & duly considered it is there- upon Voted and Resolved that the same be received and established and that the Town Treasurer be directed the said peter Randall's Fence be removed off said Burying Ground in Conformity with the said Reports. [Town Meeting Records No. 7, pages 395 & 403.]
[November 10, 1802.] At a Town Meeting of the Freemen of the Town of Providence legally Warned and Assembled at the Town House on the Tenth Day of November A. D. 1802.
Whereas it is highly necessary and becoming that the Burying Ground at the North end of the Town should be fenced in Resolved therefore that a Committee to Consist of the following persons to wit- Seth Wheaton, Williams Thayer and Samuel Thurber Jun! be and they are hereby appointed accordingly for the purpose of Fencing in said Burying Ground And that said Committee be and they are hereby authorized to expend the Sum of Three hundred Dollars for that purpose. [Town Meeting Records No. 7, pages 599 §. 603.]
[June 4, 1804.] At a Town Meeting of the Freemen of the Town of Providence legally warned and assembled at the Town house in said Town on the fourth Day of June A. D. 1804.
Voted that Uriah Hopkins be appointed Overseer of the North Burying Ground and that he permit no Cattle to be turned into said Burying Ground for the purpose of grazing and that he see that the Lanes, Ways & Alleys be kept open for the passage of Carriages, and that he be allowed Ten Dollars annually for his services to be paid out of the Town Treasury The Town Treasurer to furnish sufficient Locks [Town Meeting Records No. S, pages I §. 4.]
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[November 21, 1804.] At a Town Meeting of the Freemen of the Town of Providence legally assembled at the Town House on Wednesday the 21st Day of November A. D. 1804.
Voted That Wheeler Martin Esquire and Uriah Hopkins be and they hereby appointed a Committee for the purpose of preventing Encroachments on the Alleys of the North Burying Ground. [ Town Meeting Records No. 8, page 16.]
[February Session, 1805.] An Act to Incorporate Certain Per- sons by the Name of the Smithfield Turnpike Company.
Section I. Be it enacted by this General Assembly and by the authority thereof it is hereby enacted That Joseph Farnum Noah Far- num Jabez Mowry Stephen Olney William F. Magee, Henry Smith Fenner Angell, Nicholas Brown, Rufus Waterman Amos T. Jenckes George Weeden, James Smith, Noah Arnold, Benjamin Sheldon, David Mowry, Gardner Aldrich, Artemas Smith, Delvin Smith Chad Smith Cyrus Cook Thomas Arnold and Eleazer Bellows Richard Mowry Enos Mowry and others, their associates their successors and assigns shall be and are hereby created a corporation and body politic, for the purpose of building and establishing a turnpike road from Providence to the line of Massachusetts in the town of Douglas or Uxbridge agreeable to a plat thereof to be lodged in the Secretarys office by a committee ap- pointed by this Assembly in their February session 1805 and the said Corporation shall be known and distinguished by the name of The Smithfield Turnpike Company and by that name shall be and hereby are made able and Capable in law as a body Corporate to have and pur- chase, possess and enjoy to themselves their successors and assigns land (not exceeding fifty acres) rents tenements, tolls and effects of what kind or nature soever and the same to grant sell or dispose of by deed or deeds at their will and pleasure.
On the petition of Joseph Farnum and others praying to be incor- porated for the purpose of establishing a turnpike road from Providence
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to Massachusetts in a line as reported by a plat thereof heretofore sub- mitted to this house by said Farnum and others and on the petition of John Sayles and others praying to have a road open from said Provi- dence to said Massachusetts agreeable to their plat thereof, Voted and Resolved That said charter of incorporation be granted to establish a turnpike road from said Providence to the line of said State of Massa- chusetts in the town of Douglas or Uxbridge, but in such direction in the interemediate space between said towns as shall be ascertained by a Committee of this House : and for that purpose It is further Voted and Resolved That Messrs. Joshua Bicknall of Barrington Thomas Corey of Portsmouth and Isaac Wilbour, Of Little Compton be and they hereby are appointed a Committee with full powers to examine the most proper route for a road between said towns to survey and lay out the same to estimate and appraise the damages said road may be to any individuals through whose land the same may pass reserving to said landholders the right of appeal from said appraisement to the Court of Common Pleas to be holden at Providence within and for the County of Providence, next to be holden after said appraisement shall be made and returned by said Committee into the Clerks office of said Court they filing their reasons of appeal as in other cases, and to file their report of such damages as they may allow to each individual through whose land said road shall pass in said Clerks office and to lodge a plat of said road in the Secretarys office provided said Committee shall give three weeks notice in one of the public news-papers printed in said Providence of the time and place appointed by them to commence the laying out said road and provided all that shall be done by said Committee be done without expense to the State. [Acts of General Assembly, February Session, 1805, pages 26 §. 29.]
[August 9, 1805.] Report. We the under-Signed a Committee appointed by the Honorable General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Holden at sd. Providence Feby Session
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A. D. 1805 to lay out a Turnpike-Road from sd. Providence to the Line of Massachusetts in Uxbridge or Douglas do report that pursuant to our appointment we have laid out a Road beginning at sd. Providence Line in a Road near a Board Marked on both sides which Board makes a part of the Fence on the south side of a Garden now Occupied by Miss Ann Allin (Widow) Thence running N, 431 1/3 W. 565 Rds near to the North East corner of the Dwelling House of Welcome Smith ; Thence N, 50 W 44 Rds near & opposite the dwelling House of Hazaiel Smith Thence N 45 1/2 W 162 Rds to a Locus Tree standing on the North side of Stephen Olneys Land Thence N 48 1/3 W. 70 Rds to a Stake near the Dwelling House of Edward Smith Thence N 42 3/4 W. 208-Rds to a Stake in Jesse Smiths Land Thence N 26 3/4 W 87 Rds. to a Poplar Tree standing in Edward Smiths Land N 40 W-114 Rds to a heap of stones by the side of an old Road Thence N 38 1/2 W. 140 to a heap of stones near Nathan Youngs Dwelling House Thence N 44 W. 172 Rds to a heap of stones near the Dwelling House of Stephen Whitman Thence N 40 1/4 W 722 Rds to a White Oak Tree Marked stand on Land belonging to the Heirs of Elisha Steer Decd Thence N 42 1/2 W 127 .Rds to a heap of stones on Land be- longing to Emer Smith Thence N. 39 1/3 W. 315 Rds to a stake & stones on Daniel Mowry 3d. Land Thence 38 1/2 W. 231 Rds to a stake & stones on Land belonging to James Appleby Thence N 18 IV. 126 Rds to a White Oak Tree Standing on John Mowry Land Thence N. 12 W. 52 Rods to a heap of stones on Land belonging to Mary Aldrich (widow) Thence N. 6 W. 59 Rds to a Stake near the Dwelling House of the Sd. Mary Thence N. 26 W. 123 Rds to a heap of stones on Jeremiah Mowrys Land Thence N 40 W 650 Rds to a heap of stones in Eliakin Phettiplaces Land Thence N 66 W- 100 Rds to a Stake & Stones near & Southwest of the Dwelling House of Alexander Lovell N 50 W. 320 Rds to a Stake on Reuben Wallins
1 These figures are indistinct in the original and may be 43 or 48.
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Land Thence N 32 W 73 Rds to a Stake on the south side of Branch River Thence North 29 Rds to a Saplin Marke, on the Land of the Heirs of Joshua Wallin Decs' Thence N 23 W 90 Rds. to a Stake on Inmans Land Thence N. 39 W. 146 Rds. to a heap of stones on Asa Inmans Land Thence N 42 W. 314 Rds. to a White Oak Saplin by the side of Fence belonging to Joseph Esten N. 47 W. 520 Rds. to a heap of stone on Massachusetts Line The above discribed Courses are Run in the Centre of the Road which we have laid out three Rods Wide & Lodged here with a platt of the same.
Joshua Bicknall Thomas Cory Jun Committee Isaac WVilbour
Providence
Aug.t 9th A. D. 1805
[Book of Plans, State Library, State House, Providence, page 21 1-2.]
[May Session, 1807.] Upon the petition of the Smithfield turn- pike Company, praying that they might be authorized and empowered to open and establish a branch to said turnpike road, to lead from Provi- dence over Common land, by the south west corner of the north bury- ing ground, from thence north westerly nearly two miles till it shall open into said turnpike road, as already established on land of William N. Rhodes. It was Voted and Resolved That said petition be received and referred to the next session, and that the petitioners in the mean- time give notice by advertisement in one of the Providence news-papers three weeks successively, for all persons Concerned to appear if they may see fit at the next session, to show cause, if any they may have why the prayer of said petition ought not to be granted. [Acts of General Assembly, May Session, 1807, page 15.]
[June Session, 1807.] An Act in Addition to and further Amendment of An Act entitled "An Act to Incorporate Certain Per- sons by the Name of the Smithfield Turnpike Company "
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Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly and by the authority thereof it is hereby enacted, That the said Smithfield Turnpike Company be and they hereby are authorized and empowered to open and establish a branch of said turnpike road to lead from Providence over common land, by the south-west corner of the north burying ground, from thence northwesterly nearly two miles, till it shall open into said turnpike road as already established on land of William N. Rhodes.
Section 2. And be it further enacted That the said branch shall be . annexed to, and become a part of said turnpike road, and that all per- sons subscribing shares for said branch, be and hereby are incorporated with the other stockholders in said Turnpike Company, and that they and the shares by them subscribed be governed by the same laws ordi- nances and regulations.
Section 3. And be it further enacted That the Committee hereto- fore appointed to lay out said turnpike road and to appraise the dam- ages done to the lands through which it passes be authorized whenever it may become necessary and they shall be called upon by said Corpora- tion, to appraise the damages done to the lands of such persons as the said branch may pass through and that the same be done without ex- pence to the State.
Section 4. And be it further enacted, That any two of said Com- mittee are and shall be competent to meet and act in any of the matters or things heretofore or herein entrusted to them and their doings and report are and shall be as valid to all intents and purposes as though all said Committee had been present and acted therein.
An Act to establish the Providence and Pawtucket Turnpike Cor- poration.
Section 2. Be it further enacted, That the road to be made and maintained by said Corporation shall be as follows, to wit : It shall be three rods wide and shall begin at the north line of the town of Provi- dence near the dwelling house of the late Jeremiah Dexter and run
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from thence northerly, on the east side of the old road, and passing by the westerly end of Jeremiah Sayles dwelling house, extend to such part of Pawtucket village as the Committee herein after named shall direct.
Section 3 Be it further enacted, That William Anthony Esq of Portsmouth Jonathan Salisbury, Esq : of East Greenwich and William Allin Esq of Barrington, be and they are hereby appointed a Committee to lay out said road and to appraise the damages, if any, which any per- son or persons may sustain through whose land the said road shall pass ; and the said committee shall make a return of their proceedings, in laying out said road, and appraising the damages aforesaid, into the Clerk's office of the Court of Common Pleas in the County of Providence, as soon as conveniently may be after the said appraisement shall have been made. And if any person or persons shall be aggrieved by the appraise- ment made by said Committee, he or they may apply to the said Court of Common Pleas at the term next after the appraisement shall have been returned as aforesaid, and may have the damages assessed by a jury in said Court, and the verdict of such jury, when established by the Court shall be final Provided always, That if the report of the Com- mittee shall be confirmed, or the amount of damages be lessened by the jury, the person or persons applying for the jury shall pay all lawful costs but if the amount of damages shall be increased the cost shall be paid by the said Corporation.
Section 4. [Acts of General Assembly, June Session, ISO7, pages 9 §. 20.]
[July 6, 1808.] Report. We the undersigned being by the Hon- orable General Assembly at their sessions in June 1807 appointed a Com- mittee to lay out a turnpike road three rods wide from Providence to Pawtucket & appraise the damages done to individuals thro whose land the same should pass have agreeably to our appointment proceeded & laid out said road as follows, viz : beginning at North Providence line
6
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near the house of Jeremiah Dexter heirs & running thence parallel with the old road & adjoining thereto N 30° E one hundred & seventy seven rods N 24° E eighty eight rods thro the lands of said heirs Joseph Dexter & Jeremiah Sayles to the land of Joel Scotts heirs thence N. 41º E three hundred & ninety rods thro lands of Job Scotts heirs William & Stephen Randall George Jencks OZiel Wilkinson Jesse Bushee John Jencks & Esek Jencks to a stake in Samuel Thayers lot thence N 11 1/2 E passing partly on the old road & partly on the lands of said Thayer Bucklin, Jencks Sylvanus Jencks, George Jencks & Jesse Bushee, touching in its way the eastward of sd. Bushees house forty four rods to the Nathaniel Walkers house thence N 10° E. partly on the old road or street & partly on lands of George Jencks, George Nichols, Moses Brown & Timothy Greene twenty seven rods & an half to the north east corner of William Reads house (see plat of said road made by Daniel Anthony dated 15th of 5th Mo 1808 herewith re- turned.
We also appraised the damage to the persons over whose land said road was laid as follows, viz. To the heirs of Jeremiah Dexter eighty one dollars up on condition that the dwelling house remain thereon so long as the same may stand & that the Corporation remove the fence from the west side to the east side of said turnpike road & erect the same in as good order as it now stands. To Joseph Dexter one hundred & seventy eight the Corporation removing the fence & erecting it in the same manner as that of said heirs. To Jeremiah Sayles the Cor- poration by agreement are to erect as good a fence on the east side of said turnpike as now stands on the west side, to remove the buildings off the road & leave the old fence at said Sayles disposal.
To the Heirs of Job Scott eight hundred & fifty dollars. To Wil- liam & Stephen Randall fourteen dollars. To George Jencks thirty dollars. To Oziel Williams eleven dollars. To Jesse Bushee five dol- lars. To John Jencke five dollars. To Samuel Thayer seven dollars.
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To Bucklin Jencks three dollars. To Sylvanus Jencks three dollars. To Nath. Walker two dollars. To George Nichols three dollars. To Moses Brown three dollars. To Timothy Green three dollars. Pro- vided always that the turnpike Corporation are to be at the expense of removing all buildings which are to be removed off said road & the tim- ber wood & fence now standing on said turnpike road to be at the dis- posal of the respective proprietors.
All which is respectfully submitted.
July 6th A. D. 1808 by
William Anthony Jonathan Salisbury Wm Allin
[Report on file in office of Clerk of Court of Common Pleas, in package labelled " Turnpike Reports." ]
[October Session, 1808.] An Act in Addition to an Act entitled "An Act to Establish the Providence and Pawtucket Turnpike Cor- poration."
Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly and by the authorty thereof it is enacted That the road described in the act to which this is in addition, shall cross the land belonging to the heirs or devisees of Jeremiah Dexter, as follows : The line of the easterly side of said road shall begin at a point three rods easterly from the old road, in the line between the land of Joseph Dexter and the heirs or devisees of Jeremiah Dexter, and run from thence to the north-west corner of the dwelling-house of the said heirs or devisees, and continue the same course to the old road, and the land on the easterly side of said line shall not hereafter be considered as belonging to the road granted to said Corporation.
Section 2. Be it further enacted, That no partition fence shall be erected between the old road and the road belonging to said Corpora-
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tion, in any place southerly from a point twelve rods northerly from the south west corner of the land of Joseph Dexter.
Section 3.
An Act in Addition to and Amendment of an Act entitled "An Act to Incorporate Certain Persons by the Name of the Smithfield Turn- pike Company."
Be it enacted by this General Assembly and by the authority thereof it is hereby enacted That Amos Throop, Moses Brown, Lydia Allen, Philip Allen, Almy and Brown, Brown and Ives, Stephen Randall, Samuel Thurber, John Corlis, John Carlile, Joseph Jenckes, Seth Mowry, Rufus Waterman, Nathan Waterman, Thomas Arnold, Richard Mowry Enos Mowry Jeremiah Olney, Paul Dudley and others their associates, proprietors in the Smithfield turnpike Company, having been at the cost and charge of purchasing land building and opening a turn- pike road from the town of Providence through North Providence Smith- field and Burrillville to the country road in the town of Douglas in the State of Massachusetts they, their successors and assigns shall be and are hereby authorized to alter the name of their said company and adopt the name of the Providence and Douglas Turnpike Company, without legal injury to the proceeding of said Corporation in any case whatso- ever ; and by that name shall be and are hereby made able and capable in law, to have hold purchase and enjoy to them their successors and assigns land not exceeding two hundred acres besides the land which the road covers, rents tenements tolls and effects, of what kind or nature soever and the same to grant sell or dispose of by deed or other- wise at their will and pleasure : [Acts of General Assembly, October Session, 1808, pages 5 §. 22.]
[September 16, 1812.] At a Town Meeting of the Freemen of the Town of Providence legally Warned and assembled at the Town House on Wednesday the 16th Day of September A. D. 1812.
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Whereas the House and Lot heretofore owned by Robert Dickey and now owned by the Town adjoining the Lot which the Providence Woollen Manufacturing Company are now erecting a large Building to carry on the Woolen business on an extensive Scale would be con- venient for them to own that they may select and govern the Tenants And as a corner of the Lot which the Town purchased of Moses Brown comes near their said Building which would be convenient also for them to own and it being moved in this Meeting for the Town to Sell the same which being considered the Town Council are appointed a Com- mitte to view and Consider of the premises ascertain the value thereof and negotiate the business with the said Company and if they agree with them the Town Treasurer is hereby authorized to give a Deed of release and quitclaim of the Town's Right in the premises and pass to the Credit of the Town the amount and make Report when accom- plished. [Town Meeting Records No. 8, pages 257,-8-9.]
[August 30, 1813.] At a Town Council holden within and for the Town of Providence on the 30th Day of August A. D. 1813.
This Council taking into Consideration the Vote of the Town respecting - Whereas the Town at their Meeting held on the Sixteenth Day of September last appointed this Council a Committee to view a certain piece of Land bought of Moses Brown near the Building belong- ing to the Woolen Manufacturing Company and to Consider of the Premises ascertain the value thereof and regulate the business with the said Company for the sale of said Land and whereas this Council having viewed the Premises and procured a Plat thereof to be made by which it appears there is two and one quarter Acres of said Land, do after mature deliberation Estimate the Value of said Land at Two hundred and twenty Dollars per Acre and the Town Treasurer is requested if said Company appears and pay that price said Land to Quitclaim the Towns right to the same by giving to them a Quitclaim Deed accord- ingly. [ Town Council Records No. 9A, page 516.]
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[September 6, 1813.] At a Town Council holden within and for the Town of Providence on the 6th Day of September A. D. 1813.
On Motion whether this Council recede from their former Resolve respecting lowering the price heretofore fixed for the Land in the North part of the Town, Resolved in the Negative. [Town Council Records No: 9A, page 519.]
[October 18, 1813.] At a Town Council holden within and for the Town of Providence on the Eighteenth Day of October 1813.
Whereas on a Resurvey of the piece of land near the Building be- longing to the Woolen Manufacturing Company in the north part of the Town there appears to be only two acres of said Land instead of two and a quarter as Stated in the proceedings of this Council on the thir- tieth of August last. The Town Treasurer will therefore Consider said to be two Acres. [Town Council Records No. 9A, pages 532-3.]
[October 28, 1813.] Town of Providence to Providence Woolen Co .- $440 .- Quitclaim. All the right, title interest property claim and demand the said Town of Providence has in and to One certain lot of land situated in the northerly part of the said Town of Providence bounded and described as follows that is to say, Beginning at a point in the line of the Turn Pike Road being also a corner of the grantee's land and from thence with said grantee's land South eighty six degrees west eighteen rods and fifteen links to another corner of said grantees land ; thence with the said grantee's land north two degrees west thirteen rods ten links ; thence with the land of the said grantee's north thirteen and one half degrees east eighteen rods twelve links to the Turnpike Road, thence southerly with said road to the first corner or place of beginning and containing two acres1 and is a part of the same land the said Town of Providence bought of Moses Brown by deed dated the twenty first of
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