West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 77

West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 77 by Charlie Miller

____March 5, 1875 – A Resolution was passed to drain the large pond north of town along the railroad with a sawmill at the end. The pond is to be drained of the stagnate water, Thomas Cartmill is the owner. Also, an ordinance to fill up a certain pond in the corporation of the Village, Lot No. 17 on the town plat of the Mortimore Addition to the town. The owners of the pond are J. T. Gregg, John Fry, and Patrick Murphy. Also to drain or fill up a pond of stagnate water north of the Little Miami Division of the P.C.C.& St. L. R.R., and on both sides of the Middle Pike. (Lot No. 17 is the vacant lot on the north side of W. Main St. just before the railroad viaduct. This is where Pond Street got its name, The Cartmill Pond is currently the site of the Village Street Department.) 

____March 23, 1875 – Madison County Democrat – At last, we are rid of our big nuisance the old Cartmill reservoir on the eastern edge of town, which for many years has produced chill and fevers in sufficient quantity to supply every family in Jeff, was last week drained by the order of the council. There will consequently be an immense falloff in the demand for quine around dog days. 

____May 19, 1875 – The American House is now run by Messrs. Gregg and Ingalls. (The American House sat on the current site of the west side of the Huntington Bank parking lot) 

____June 16, 1875 – The Railroad Company has commenced filling up the two ponds north of the depot. They also have been prohibited from running trains through town faster than 4 MPH. 

____July 27, 1875 – An ordinance passed April 6, 1853, restricting railroad trains to 4 MPH, was repealed. 

____August 25, 1875 – A. D. Burnham has replaced J. N. McCullough as Post Office Master. 

____September 22, 1875 – Wilson Olney has purchased the grocery of W. Fickey. 

____October 6, 1875 – Henry Miller has purchased the dry goods store of Matt Stutson. 

____December 8, 1875 – It is reported that a ghost was seen last night near the old Hampton Cemetery. 

____January 1, 1876 – The temperature in Jefferson on New Year’s Day reached 79 degrees! 

____January 12, 1876 – The West Jefferson Literary and Debating Society was formed. 

____February 16, 1876 – A new jail is to be built in the back of the Town Hall. Mrs. Thomas Fellows