Smyrna History -1926

Rare Old Book

Smyrna, Chenango County, New York

Norwich Sun, January 19, 1926

Smyrna:  Speaking of old books it is doubtful if it would be easy to find an older one than either of two which are in the possession of former Supervisor J.W. Shepardson and anyone interested in relics or in the happenings of early days could find much interesting data in them.  One is a hand made book of records of the town of Smyrna during the years of 1809 to 1812.  

Among the interesting things contained in it is a record of the ear marks of cattle, it being necessary for each owner to have a registered ear mark in order to identify his cattle, which roamed at large; each land owner being obliged to fence the roads against them. Fences were to be made four and one-half feet high and must be made of logs or rails. 

A bounty of ten dollars was placed on every wolf killed in the town and sheep were not to be allowed on the commons after March 6, 1810. 

At a meeting of the town called to be held in the school house and adjourned to the Inn on October 23, 1811, it was voted to raise three hundred dollars by tax to "defend our common rights."  Later in the meeting this was reconsidered and raised to four hundred dollars. Evidently this was used in the War of 1812. This was an enormous sum to raise in those days, judging from the fact that the assessment roll for the year 1815 for all town county and contingent expenses showed that only $370.80 was raised, the ratio being $2.30 per thousand. 

There is a record of several special town meetings held in 1809 relative to a assessed road through the town of Smyrna, starting from Tilly Lynde store in Sherburne to the village of Cazenovia. there seemed to be evidence of much contention and at one meeting the supervisor, who was Joseph Simons, was instructed to request the supervisors of the county not to raise money called for to pay for the right of way through the town. 

William, Daniel and Stephen Knowles, men called Quakers, were exempted from military duty by paying an assessment of four dollars each. 

The cover to the assessment roll, is a part of "The Volunteer," Volume 1, no. 52, published at Norwich by John Burgess Johnson.