Jessamine County KyArchives History - Books .....Nicholasville - Second Charter 1898 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ky/kyfiles.html ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com August 5, 2007, 1:53 pm Book Title: A History Of Jessamine County, Kentucky Second Charter. The second charter of Nicholasville was passed in 1823. It was as follows: CHAPTER DXLVII. An Act to Regulate the Town of Nicholasville. Approved November 18, 1823. Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, that the free, white male inhabitants of the town of Nicholasville, who shall have attained the age of tweny-one years and upwards, shall meet annually in each year, at the court-house in said town, on the first Monday in May, and elect seven trustees for said town, which trustees shall possess the qualifications hereinafter mentioned; and a majority of them so elected, shall be sufficient to constitute a board, who shall be, and they are hereby, authorized to make such by-laws for the government and regulation of said town as to them shall seem proper, not inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of this state. The said trustees shall have full power and authority to impose a poll tax annually, on the male inhabitants of foliage, not exceeding one dollar each. Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, that the said trustees shall appoint their clerk or any other officer they may think proper, who shall continue in office for and during the time for which the trustees, who. appointed them, shall remain in office, and the said trustees shall have power and authority to remove any officer by them appointed, for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office, and appoint any other instead of the person so removed. Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, that the trustees of said town or a majority of them shall have full power and authority to levy a tax annually, on the real property in said town, in proportion to the value of the lots m their improved state, not exceeding one hundred cents for every hundred dollars' value, and the trustees or a majority of them, shall have power to cause an assessment to be made of the value of the lots in said town by some person or persons, appointed by them, in order to enable them to fix the sum to be paid by the proprietors or occupants of said lots; provided, however, that a majority shall concur in laying the tax. Sec. 17. Be it further enacted, that the said trustees shall, before they can recover any fine or fines for a breach of their by1-laws or ordinances, have a fair copy of their by-laws set up at three of the most public places in said town at least three weeks. Sec. 19. Be it further enacted, that it shall be the duty of the trustees, annually, at the August County Court of Jessamine, to make a settlement with the County Court and pay over any moneys that may be on hand, to their successors, and in case of failure the County Court is hereby authorized to summon them to appear at their next or succeeding term to make a settlement and to enter up judgment against them for any sums that may appear against them and award executions thereon. Sec. 20. Re it further enacted, that the first election under this act shall be held by two Justices of the Peace, for the county of Jessamine, and the Clerk of the Board of Trustees, at the time said election takes place. Sec. 21. Be it further enacted, that all laws of a special nature heretofore enacted, applying to Nicholasville, be, and the same are hereby, repealed from and after the first general election, under, this act. The first election was held on the 31st of May, 1824. A certificate of this was in the following words: "We do certify that we have this day caused an election to be held for trustees of the town of Nicholasville, agreeably to an act of the legislature of the state of-Kentucky, approved the 18th of November, 1823, when the following gentlemen were duly elected trustees for the said town for the ensuing year, namely: B. Netherland, Sr., Harrison Daniel, Levy L. Todd, Wm. Perkins, John Messick, Jarne» Lusk, Wm. Cox. Given under our hands this 31st day of May, 1824. "GEORGE BROWN, JOHN DOWNING, "Two of the justices of the peace of Jessamine county. "Attest: H. Daniel, clerk B. T. T. N." A meeting of the Board of Trustees of the town was held on the 19th day of June, 1824, at Mingo Tavern. On that day the report of James Wolmore, Waddell G. Bruce and Benjamin Netherland, Jr., as commissioners, and W. G. Bruce was allowed $2 as assessor for making out a list of taxable property in the year 1823, and B. Netherland, Jr., was allowed $105 for services as assessor for one year. The tax rate was fixed at 30 cents on each $100 worth of value on the valuation fixed by the commissioners. On the 27th of September, 1824, another meeting was held, when the treasurer was directed to pay Wm. Overstreet $10 for his services as town sergeant and market master, and Wm. Campbell, who was the father of the late Henry J. Campbell, county judge, who died in 1866, was allowed $15 for his services as town sergeant for six months. An ordinance on the subject of dogs was also passed. It was known as a by-law and declared "That any person in the town of Nicholasville who shall keep more than one dog or bitch shall be fined $1 for every twenty-four hours he shall retain the same after the 10th day of May next," and that it should be the duty of the town sergeant to enforce this by-law on all alike. It was also ordered that Wm. Cox be allowed $13 for whipping thirteen slaves, according to the by-laws of the town, and that the treasurer be authorized to pay the same. In the days of slavery in Kentucky all the towns and county seats adopted ordinances or by-laws preventing negro slaves or free negroes from visiting the towns after the hours of 10 o'clock, either in the streets or collecting on street corners or at the kitchens of others than their owners. If they had a written permit from their owners stating their business in town after 10 o'clock at night they were permitted to go free and were not arrested and whipped. The author remembers when a boy very often to have used his father's name to a great many of these permits in the town of Nicholasville for his slaves, and in return to have received numerous pies and cakes and frequently bundles of stick candy, which the grateful recipients of the order brought back as an assurance of their gratitude and as the means of securing further indulgences. The following list of property for the year 1831 affords curious reading: The report of the Commissioners appointed to value the houses and lots and slaves in the town was received, adopted and ordered to be recorded, which is done as follows: Lot No. Value 1 $ 45 2 45 3 45 4 50 5 150 6 45 7 55 8 55 9 30 10 30 11 30 12 500 13 75 14 400 15 800 16 175 17 70 18 60 19 60 20 50 21 65 22 200 23 150 24 50 25 50 26 50 27 300 28 30 29 800 30 300 31 125 32 125 33 225 34 450 35 1,800 36 2,000 37 800 38 1,500 38 1/2 750 39 800 40 2,700 41 2,500 42 2,000 43 3,000 44 2,500 45 900 46 500 47 1,200 48 400 49 400 50 650 51 250 52 200 53 750 54 250 55 575 56 125 57 110 58 75 59 1,800 60 60 61 65 62 175 63 750 64 1,500 65 750 66 1,600 67 & 68 3,000 70 3,800 71 2,000 72 1,500 73 600 74 1,500 75 900 76 1,400 77 1,800 78 300 79 600 80 600 81 700 82 125 83 100 84 150 85 250 86 300 87 200 88 600 89 40 90 400 91 800 92 75 93 75 94 500 95 125 96 600 97 600 98 600 99 160 100 & 101 950 102 & 103 2,150 104 300 105 60 106 70 107 60 108 700 109 800 110 50 ________ $ 68,065 NEGRO SLAVES. Henry Burch, man and woman $ 700 B. Netherlands Sr., boy, girl, woman and child 1,050 The same, administrator of P. Netherland, woman 300 James Norvell, woman, child and 2 men 600 B. Netherlander., man, woman and child 900 Wm. Shreve, 2 men, 2 women and 3 children 1,550 David Crozer, 1 woman, 2 girls 800 Thos. J. Brown, 1 man, 1 boy, 3 girls, 1 woman 1,905 Robt. Young, 1 boy 350 James Lusk, 1 girl 300 James Hill, 2 women, 2 girls 900 David Majors, 1 girl 300 Henry Ball, 1 girl 200 James McCabe, woman, girl and boy 725 Charles M. Davenport, man, woman and child 800 James L. Peak, 1 girl 275 John Downing, woman, boy and girl 650 William Campbell, 1 boy 200 William White, woman and 2 children 600 Alex Wake, 2 women, 2 boys and girl 1,000 George Cunningham, woman 250 Henry Metcalf, woman and man 700 Joseph Carson, girl 325 James C. Wilmore, girl 225 Jerome B. Sparks, boy 350 James Mars, 1 girl 225 Richard Reynolds, girl 300 Levi L- Todd, woman and girl 350 Joseph Maxwell, 2 girls 600 Samuel Rice, man, woman and girl 450 _______ $ 17,880 68,065 _______ Total value lots and slaves $ 85,945 TITHES. Henry Burch, B. Netherland, Sr., Robt. McMurtry, James Norvell, B. Netherlander., James Downing, Emmanuel Messick, William Shreve, Woodson Dickerson, David Crozer, George W. Elley, J. M. Spraggins, Miller Messenner, Ezekiel Burch, George Davenport, Robt. Young, David Shook, John W. Bourne, Churchill Faulconer, Wm. Faulconer, Charles Gibson, James Hill, David Majors, James Majors, Henry Ball, James McCabe, Jas. L. Peak, Chas. M. Davenport, George B. Nelson, Joseph Rutherford, Henry R. Roland, William H. Mathews, Jas. Lusk, David Bowman, John Downing, William Campbell, Alex. Wake, George Cunningham, Henry Metcalf, Joseph Carson, James C. Wilmore, Jerome B. Sparks, James Mars, Richard Reynolds, Joseph Maxwell, Samuel Burch, Samuel Rice, William Cox, Joseph Easley, Levi L. Todd, T. J. Browning. Total, 51. DOGS. No. H. Burch 1 James Norvell 2 B. Netherlander 1 E. Messick 2 Wm. Shreve 1 Jas. Downing 1 T.J. Brown 6 Robt. Young. 1 Frie Fanny 1 Jas. Hill 2 David Majors 1 C M. Davenport 2 Sucfcy East 2 John Downing 1 B. Netherland, Sr. 4 Wm. Campbell 2 Alex Wake 1 G. Cunningham 1 Henry Metcalf 2 Elizabeth Buskett 2 Joseph Carson 1 Metcalf's Charlotte 2 James C. Wilmore 1 Jerome B. Sparks 1 Jos. Maxwell 1 Samuel Burcli 2 Win. Faulconer 1 Samuel Rice 1 Total No. dogs 46 VALUE OF TAXABLE PROPERTY IN NICHOLASVILLE. 1S5S $246,300 1S74 261,075 18S2 336,260 1888 566,920 1S92 799,475 1894 853,600 1S98 976,860 Various other legislative enactments were passed from time to time, until 1884 the town first had authority to choose a Mayor, together with a Board of Councilmen. In that year, Hon. John S. Bronaugh was elected first Mayor of Nicholasville; he served eight years, but declined re-election. He was on every hand regarded as a most valuable official, and brought the affairs of the town into splendid condition. He was succeeded by Dr. Charles Talbert, who served two years, and he by William L. Steele, the present Mayor. Under the Constitution of Kentucky, of 1890, providing for the classification of all the towns and cities of the state, Nicholasville became a city of the fourth class. It has now a population within its limits of over 3,000. At the close of its centennial year, its Mayor and Councilmen are as follows: Mayor-William Steele, grandson of Samuel McDowell, born 1843. Councilmen-Jephtha D. Hughes, born in 1852; Charles Mitchell, born in 1856; Frank Smith, born in 1870; Charles Evans, born in 1852; Andrew McAfee, colored, born in 1861; Adam Adcock, born in 1851. No city in Central Kentucky has grown more rapidly or has more beautiful streets or a better city government. The little village of 1798, with a few straggling log houses has become in 1898 a thrifty, energetic and enterprising city of 3,500 people, with 8 miles of streets, with handsome residences, with imposing1 public buildings and with every comfort and convenience which enter into modern city life. Upon the 100th anniversary of its existence, the following are the physicians in Nicholasville: Dr. Chas. Mann, Dr. Joshua S. Barnes, Dr. Thomas R. Welch, Dr. Wm. H. Fish, Dr. Jos. A. Vanarsdale, Dr. D. A. Penick, Dr. William H. Mathews. And the following constitute the members of the local bar: John S. Bronaugh, N. L. Bronaugh, James W. Mitchell, John H. Welch, George R. Pryor, Everet B. Hoover. Additional Comments: Extracted from: A HISTORY OF JESSAMINE COUNTY, KENTUCKY, FROM ITS EARLIEST SETTLEMENT TO 1898. By BENNETT H. YOUNG, PRESIDENT POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY; MEMBER FILSON CLUB; MEMBER CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, 1890; AUTHOR HISTORY OF THE CONSTITUTIONS OF KENTUCKY, OF "BATTLE OF BLUE LICKS, ETC, ETC. S. M. DUNCAN, ASSOCIATE AUTHOR. Every brave and good life out of the past is a treasure which cannot be measured in money, and should be preserved with faithfullest care. LOUISVILLE, KY.: COURIER-JOURNAL JOB PRINTING CO., 1898. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ky/jessamine/history/1898/ahistory/nicholas261gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/kyfiles/