1838 Township Business: The Dog Tax

May 15, 2013 By Marfy Goodspeed in Delaware Twp Tags: 1838, farming, legislation, local government

TAKE NOTICE ! THAT the Township Committee of the townships of Amwell, Delaware and Raritan, will meet at John W. Larason’s on Monday the 2d day of April next, to settle with the several township officers. – All persons in said townships having damage done to their Sheep by dogs, are requested to present their bills to said committee on the day above named before 1 o’clock P. M. If there is not a sufficiency of Dog Tax to discharge said bills, there will be a dividend struck at that time, and those not presented will be disbarred from a benefit of the same. – By order of Town Committee. {signed} J. Gary, Clk. March 14, 1838, the Hunterdon Gazette.

Part II, Delaware Twp. Officers, 1838

May 10, 2013 By Marfy Goodspeed in Bonham, Delaware Twp, Families, Holcombe, Hoppock, Lair, Sergeant, Williamson, Wolverton Tags: local government, roads

Overseers of Roads

At the first town meeting, the Township Committee voted that $1,000 was to be raised for making and repairing roads. Municipalities were responsible for their roads, while the county took responsibility for the bridges. Generally, it was the landowners along the roads who maintained them, so you can imagine what condition they were in: dust in the summer, mud in the spring and downright impassible in the winter, unless you had a sleigh. The township named many people to be Overseers of Roads. It’s hard to say exactly what their responsibilities were. Most likely, they managed the work that was ordered by the Surveyors of Highways.

Buchanan’s Tavern, The Last Chapter

May 3, 2013 By Marfy Goodspeed in Hunterdon, Raritan Twp, Sutton Tags: Buchanan's Tavern, land titles, portraits, taverns

In response to Egbert T. Bush’s article on Buchanan’s Tavern

Where was Buchanan’s Tavern? Recently,¹ I found the first tavern where I didn’t expect it, on the west side of Route 579 near the intersection with Route 523. Most people think it was on the east side of the road, where the Miceks now have a small farm. They are right—there was a Buchanan’s tavern there, but it was the second Buchanan’s Tavern, and here is the rest of the story.

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