Norwalk After Two Hundred & Fifty Years

In the outlying regions of Silver Mine and Broad River are other picturesque old houses which survive the generations which built them, and whose histories would doubtless yield quaint and interesting reminiscences if they were brought to light. ANGELINE SCOTT. BOROUGH OF NORWALK. 'The Borough of Norvvalk was chartered on the first Wednesday of May, 1836, and the first borough officers were elected July 11, 1836, as follows: — Warden — Joseph W. Hubbell. Burgesses — William S. Street, Matthias Hubbell, Stephen T. Brewer, Stiles Curtis, Levi Clark, Timothy T. Merwin. Treasurer — Charles Thomas. Bailiff — James Stevens. Haywards — Levi Clark, Jason Merrill, William Cleveland, Richard Camp, Daniel Nash, Robert Cam- eron, John Wasson, Lewis Whitney, James S. Kellogg. Pound Keepers — Eli Sanford, Nathan Jarvis, Mat- thias Hubbell, Buckingham Lockwood. Inspector of Coal Wood and Hay — James Stevens. Inspector of Grain — Edwin Lockwood. Inspector of Butter — James Porter. The first meeting of the Burgesses was held at the Town House, July 18, 1836. At a special meeting of the Freemen of the Borough held July 30, 1836, the following gentlemen were elected to the offices immediately preceding their names: — Fire Inspectors — Charles Isaacs, Henry Selleck, Gould D. Jennings. Street Inspectors — William I. Street, John Burrall, George St. John. Assessors — Moses Gregory, William St. John, Ste- phen T. Brewer. 306 BOROUGH WATER SUPPLY. Early in the spring of 1870 the question of a water supply for the Borough of Norwalk was agitated with the result that a charter for that purpose was procured and approved July 15, 1870. This charter contained a proviso that the charter should not be binding upon the Borough until accepted by a vote of the citizens at a meeting duly called for that purpose. At a special meeting of the electors held August 24, T870, the charter for the introduction was accepted by a vote of three hundred and thirty-four yeas to sixty- five nays. On the second day of September, 1870, at a special election held for that purpose, Thomas H. Morison, Samuel Lynes, M. D., and William K. James were elected Water Commissioners, and Charles H. Street was elected Treasurer of the Water Fund. The source of the water supply is the Silver Mine stream. The City, formerly the Borough, of Norwalk owns the Scott reservoir at Lewisboro, New York, with a capacity of 54,973,000 gallons; the Grupe reservoir at New Canaan, Connecticut, with a capacity of 61,740,500 gallons ; and a distributing reservoir at Spring Hill in the City of Norwalk, with a capacity of 4,500,000 gallons. The following is a complete list of the Wardens of the Borough of Norwalk from its incorporation to the incorporation of the City of Norwalk; — Joseph W. Hubbell, 1836, 1837, 1838, 184c, 1841, 1855; Clark Bissell, 1839; William I. Street, 1842, 1843, 1844; Stiles Curtis, 1845, ^46, 1847, 1848, 1849, 1850, 1851; Charles E. Disbrow, 1852; Dr. Samuel Lynes, 1853, 1854, 1859, l87I 5 Dimon Fanton, 1856, 1857, 1858; William C. Street, i860; George R. Cholwell, 1861, 1862; Asa Smith, 1863, 1864, 1870, 1873; Edwin Lockwood, 1865, 1866, 1869; Edward P. Weed, 1867, 1874*; Harvey Fitch, 1868; Asa B. Woodward, 1872; Samuel Daskam, i874§, 1875, 1876; James W. Hyatt, 1877, 1880, 1881, 1885, 1886, 1887**; Thomas IT. Morrison, 1878, 1879; William H. Smith, 1882, 188-,, 1884: George S. Gregory, i887§§ ; James G. Gregory,^. D., 1888; Clar- ence B. Coolidge, 1889; John H. Lee, 1890; Edwin O. Keeler, 1891 ; John D. Kimmey, 1892; Edgar N. Sloan, 1893. ♦Resigned. §Elected to fill the vacancy caused by Edward P. Weed's resignation. **Resigned. §§Elected to fill vacancy caused by James W. Hyatt's resignation. 307 CITY OF NORWALK. The City of Norwalk was incorporated by an act of the Legislature approved June 30, 1893, with a proviso in said act that it should "not take take effect unless approved by a majority of votes cast at a special borough meeting called for the purpose of approving or disap- proving this charter." In accordance with the above proviso a special Bor- ough meeting of the Borough of Norwalk was held July 22, 1893, a* which meeting there were cast five hundred and sixty-six ballots, of which there were five hundred and fifty-two approving the charter of the City of Norwalk and fourteen disapproving the charter. On the second day of October, 1893, the first elec- tion for City officers was held at the Hope Hose rooms on Water street in said City and resulted in the selection of the following officers as the first City officials : — Mayor — Edwin O. Keeler. Councilmen — John A. Osborn, Elbert S. Adams, Arthur C. Wheeler, Eugene L. Boyer, Alfred A. Chinery, Jr., J. Arthur Pinneo. City Treasurer and Treasurer of the Water Fund — Henry P. Price. Collector — Addison A. Betts. Auditor — Victor S. Selleck. Board of Registration — Alfred E. Austin, Bernard C. Feeney. Inspectors of Elections — Edward M. Lockwood, Bernard Tully. City Sheriff — Robert N. Morehouse. Board of Water Commissioners — Clarence B. Cool- idge, Frederick Mead, John P. Treadwell. At the first meeting of the Council held on the first Monday of January, 1894, the following elections and appointments were made: — President of Council — John A. Osborn. City Clerk and Corporation Counsel — Edward M. Lockwood. Health Officer — Jarvis Kellogg. Fire Inspector — Frederick E. Lockwood. Commissioner of Streets and Sidewalks — Elbert S. Adams. Board of Relief — William F. Acton, Aurelius J. Meeker, Burr Smith. Chief Engineer Fire Department — J. Thornton 308 Prowitt ; First Assistant Engineer, F. W. Smith ; Second Assistant Engineer, Thomas S. Osborne. James T. Hubbell was elected Mayor for the year 1895, Arthur C. Wheeler for the years 1896 and 1897, and the present efficient and deservedly popular Mayor, Charles L. Glover, is now serving the City as its Chief Magistrate for the fourth consecutive year. The follow- ing is a complete list of the present City officials: — Mayor — Charles L. Glover. Councilmen — Frederick Buckley, Stephen H. Holmes, George S. Grumman, Aurelius J. Meeker, Aaron H. Hoyt, Alfred Avison. City Treasurer and Treasurer of the Water Fund — Henry P. Price. Tax Collector — Frederick Buckley. Auditor — Charles E. Curtis. City Sheriff — Robert N. Morehouse. Members of Board of Registration — Alfred E. Aus- tin, Nicholas Martin. Inspectors of Election — John H. Hoyt, John T. Hayes. Water Commissioners — Thomas S. Stout, Levi C. Hanford, Goold S. Hoyt. City Clerk and Corporation Counsel — J. Belden Hurlbutt. President of the Council — Frederick Buckley. Fire Inspector — George H. Allen. Superintendent of Streets, Sidewalks and Sewers — Martin Kellogg. City Engineer — Charles N. Wood. Superintendent of Fire Alarm — John H. Hoyt. Assessors — William H. Byington, Goold S. Hoyt, Samuel L. Weed. Board of Relief — George W. Fitch, William A. Am- bler, James Sutherland. Board of Health — James G. Gregory, M. D., Walter Hitchcock, M. D., William J. Tracey, M. D., Frank I. Jones, Charles N. Arnold. Health Officer— William J. Tracey, M. D. Sanitary Inspector — Thomas Hunt. Fire Department — Chief Engineer, J. Thornton Prowitt ; First Assistant Engineer, F. W. Smith ; Second Assistant Engineer, Thomas S. Murray; Secretary, John Greenwood. Phoenix Fire Engine Company, No. 1 — (Organized December 16, 1858.) Captain, A. A. Chinery, Jr. ; First 309 Lieutenant, Smith Northrop ; Second Lieutenant, George Lockwood; Treasurer, Charles A. Burr; Secretary, Sam- uel Foster ; Engineer, George S. Aiken ; Assistant En- gineer, William S. Bartram. Hope Hose Company, No. 2 — (Organized in spring of 1859 under name of Phoenix Hose Company, but changed its name to Hope Hose in 1877. Re-organized April 18, 1894.) Captain, James B. Costello ; First Lieutenant, James H. Magner; Second Lieutenant, James Duffy ; Treasurer, Patrick Slattery ; Secretary, Ed- ward Duffy. Pioneer Hook and Ladder Company — (Organized January 26, 1861.) Captain, Harry C. Mitchell; First Lieutenant, Peter Stalter ;. Second Lieutenant, James Foster, Treasurer, Edwin L. Hoyt ; Secretary, John H. M, Lowth. Norwalk Fire Police — (Organized April 29, 1874.) President, William A. Ambler; Captain, Aurelius J. Meeker; First Sergeant, J. W. Britto ; Second Sergeant, Henry Cornell ; Treasurer, Alfred Avison ; Secretary, Andrew V. Heath. Police Department — Chief, Thomas Bradley; Pa- trolmen, Robert N. Morehouse, William S. Bartram, John H. Kenny, Thomas Hunt; Specials, John Valient, Gilbert Horton, Thomas Leatherland. The various committees of the Council are as fol- lows : — Finance — Holmes, Meeker, Buckley. Lights — Grumman, Hoyt, Avison. Fire — Buckley, Avison, Grumman. Highways — Hoyt, Buckley, Holmes. Police— Meeker, Holmes, Hoyt. Sewers — Avison, Grumman, Meeker. The following is a complete list of the Councilmen of the City of Norwalk since its incorporation: — John A. Osborn, Walter R. Bates, Elbert S. Adams, *George B. Gregory, Arthur C. Wheeler, i;John Cotter, Eugene L. Boyer, Aurelius J. Meeker, Alfred A. Chinnery, Frederick Buckley, J. Arthur Pinneo, *William N. Simons, William H. Smith, Alfred Avison, -Arthur B. Hill, Aaron H. Hoyt, Charles F. Tristram, Oliver E. Wilson, Harvey M. Kent, Goold S. Hoyt, 310 Charles A. Burr, *Philo W. Bates, Stephen H. Holmes, Geonre S. Grumman. ♦Deceased FINANCES. Willi a splendid sewer system, good highways, and a large quantity of excellent water, the City of Norwalk may well feel proud of its present financial condition. Its bonded indebtedness, including a water debt of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars, is Five Hun- dred Thousand Dollars. Its floating debt, according to the Treasurer's last annual report, is $13,000.00. Four years ago its floating debt was $33,351.08, showing a reduction in that period to date of over Twenty Thousand Dollars. Its present sinking fund is $38,580.50, of which $2,000.00 was added in September, 1901. The last completed grand list was $5,104,857, which was an increase of over $30,000.00 over the previous year. LEO DAVIS. 311 SOUTH NORWALK PUBLIC LIBRARY AND FREE READING ROOM OFFICERS. President — Abiathar Blanchard. Vice-President — John H. Light. Secretary — John J. Cavanagh. Treasurer — William C. Foote.