Other Early Town Meetings
By: Kani A., Eli D., Justin G., Cameron L.
What did they talk about at town meetings?
Were animals big problems?
Old photograph of Meetinghouse with horse stables
The History of Ludlow, 1912
Our group worked
on early town meetings. Most meetings discussed farm problems. Stray
farm animals were always running around. Most farms didn’t fence
in their animals. At one of these early town meetings, the men decided
to build a “pound” or a big pen for stray livestock. This was
built at the intersection of Church and Rood Streets.
There were problems
of foxes killing farm animals. They decided at town meeting they would
pay 2 dollars for every fox that was killed. To prove you killed the fox,
you had to show its clipped ears before you could get your money. Crows
were also a problem and in 1803, a bounty was paid for them also. Old crows
were worth 5 pence and young crows were worth 3 pence. Woodchucks were
also a nuisance. Their heads were worth 10 cents each when you brought
them to the town treasurer.
Town meetings didn’t
just solve farm problems. In 1792, Pliny Sikes, Gag Lion, and Benjamin
Fuller decided to spend town money to hire a singing teacher and to start a singing
school. The business at these early town meetings is very different than
our town meetings today!