TEACHER'S GUIDE TO
History and Folklife of the Kentucky Frontier
Lesson 11: City Minutes of Glasgow
| Extant minutes for the various towns in Kentucky read very much alike, because the problems of their trustees were similar. On a budget of a few hundred dollars collected from taxes, fines, and fees, elected officials formed volunteer squads of firement and policemen. They also assigned willing residents the tasks of road repair and management of the public wells and drafted laws designed to keep the town peaceful and healthy. |
[June 7, 1811].... Resolved that there be levied a town tax of forty two dollars eighty eight cents in the following way. To wit: eighty cents for every one hundred dollars value of property in said town and twenty five cents on each title. And it be ordered that Elijah Haydon be appointed collector and that he proceed to collect the tax aforsaid according to law.Be it ordained That no person shall wash clothes or vessels or leave any filth within the inclosure around the public spring nor shall any servant tarry therein longer that many be necessary.... No person shall keep any quantity of hay, straw or fodder in any house or stack within the prison bonds of said Town (except in stables which now are or hereafter may be built on the back part of the lotts) for more than twenty four hours. And that no person shall suffer dirty or stagnated water to remain in their cellar for more than six days at any one time. Any persons offending against the last mentioned ordinance shall for every such offence forfeit and pay five dollars to be collected as other fines....[May 26, 1815]....Be it ordained by the Board of Trustees for the Town of Glasgow that the following species of property in said town be and is hereby subject to Taxation (towit): Houses and lotts, negroes, wheel carriages (including carts and waggons), Horses, and white tithes above 21 years.[Apri 29, 1819].... Joseph Winlock as President of the Board of Trustees admits himself chargeable with the following sums, towit:Balance of last two years taxes..............$155.40 Recd from John Fox for old acct............ 9.00 Recd for Fines or shows, etc.................. 75.00 and claims a credit for the following sums paid by him, towit: Paid to Sam Harbison for building a house for the Fire Engine........................$ 42.00 Paid to Henry Miller for making list of assessment for last year................. 7.00 Paid to Dennis Cochran for paving the market house.................................... 55.00 Paid to H. T. Greenwood for servics as Commissioner and Clerk.................... 45.00 Paid to Winlock & Stockton--Balance due them for the Fire Engine................... 101.00 Paid to Charles Harvey by order of the Board this day [to repair bridge]............. 10.00
Using the city minutes of Glasgow
1. What efforts did the trustees make to provide clean drinking water?
2. In 1810, 244 people lived in Glasgow. Assuming that one-fourth were white males and
20 were Negroes, how much money might the town collect from a head tax?3. Pretend you have visited Glasgow around 1820. Using the information in the city minutes,
write a letter to a friend describing the town and the services available to its residents.
This lesson comes from A Teacher's Guide to Pioneer Life in
South Central Kentucky,
by Nancy Disher Baird and Carol Crowe-Carraco.