As interesting as age groups and near neighbors is in creating social groupings, there are more reasons that bring people together. A common cause is one of the main reasons—public service in town, church worship, business partnerships, etc. In these groupings age and where you live is no longer a big factor.
Joseph Smith wrote in JS-History 1:22 “Men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a bitter persecution.” One way to be “a man in high standing” was to be elected to public office in Palmyra. Those serving in public office would have many reasons to get together and form a social network.
We photocopied the Old Town record that began in 1796. The most consistent entries were records from the annual meetings, registered earmarks for cattle which were transferable, decisions on where highways should be laid out, surveys, and oath of office administered. The town met annually once a year in the spring, most often in April. The place of meeting was typically the Western Presbyterian Church. At that meeting, candidates for town officers were voted on and elected. The rest of the year was filled in with that listed above. The report for each year always begins, “At an annual town meeting held in the townhouse (or wherever) in Palmyra on the first Tuesday in [insert date].”
By 1822, town officers had begun passing laws regarding stray animals that ran at large through the town. The consistent fine was $5. This included the running of rams, sheep, hogs, and horses. In the case of horses, the fine was only $2. By 1827, it was voted “that the town clerk procure two good and suitable books for the use of the town, one for the record of highways and the other for the record of school districts, and that the amount be paid out of the money raised for the repair of roads and bridges.” (Palmyra Old Town Record)
On February 4, 1828, the first village election was held at the house of Lovell Hurd. (There is a difference between the town of Palmyra and the village of Palmyra) The following officers were elected: Joseph Colt, president; trustees Joel Thayer, Thomas Rogers, Nathaniel H. Beckwith; clerk, James White; treasurer, Thomas P. Baldwin; assessors, William Parke, George Beckwith, fire wardens, Stephen Ackley, Pliny Sexton, and Benjamin Throop.
The following represents men from our list who severed as officers in the town of Palmyra—
Martin Harris was an overseer of highways. Although it may not sound like a significant role in Palmyra, it was. These elected officers were responsible for property lines, fences, and roads. The following men held this office:
Baldwin, Thomas – overseer of highways (1821)
Beckwith, Nathaniel – overseer of highways (1823)
Beckwith, Nathaniel – commissioner of highways (1828)
Bradish, Calvin – overseer of highways (1802, 1811)
Butts, Pardon – overseer for Manchester Road District No. 30
Cole, Abner – overseer of highways (1816, 1825)
Colt, Joseph – overseer of highways (1806, 1813)
Crane, George – overseer of highways (1810, 1816, 1822)
Durfee, Isaac – overseer of highways (1810, 1813, 1814, 1818, 1822)
Durfee, Isaac – commissioner of highways (1817, 1819, 1820)
Durfee, Lemuel Sr.– commissioner/overseer of highways (1803, 1804, 1807, 1810, 1818, 1821, 1823)
Durfee, Oliver – overseer of highways (1816, 1818, 1822, 1823, 1825, 1826, 1827)
Durfee, Pardon – commissioner/overseer of highways (1799, 1802, 1804, 1806, 1812, 1818, 1819, 1821)
Durfee, Stephen – overseer of highways (1805, 1811, 1817, 1818, 1821, 1824, 1827)
Durfee, William – overseer of highways
Francis, Josiah – overseer of the road district
Goldsmith, Thomas – overseer of highways (1798, 1800, 1805, 1806, 1812, 1826, 1828)
Harris, Peter – overseer of highways (1806, 1809, 1815, 1825, 1826, 1828)
Harrison, Luman – commissioner of highways (1812, 1813, 1816, 1818, 1819, 1820, 1825)
Harrison, Luman – overseer of highways (1824, 1828)
Hurlbut, John – commissioner of highways (1800, 1801)
Ingersoll, Peter – overseer of highways (1828)
Jackway, William – overseer of highways (1811)
Jessup, Henry – overseer of highways (1808)
Jessup, Henry – commissioner of highways (1825)
Lakey, Abner F. – overseer of highways (1812, 1823, 1826, 1828)
McIntyre, Alexander – commissioner of highways (1826)
Reeves, James – commissioner/overseer of highways (1798, 1799, 1802, 1803, 1804, 1807, 1808, 1809)
Robinson, Gain – overseer of highways (1814)
Rogers, Thomas – overseer of highways (1815, 1816)
Rogers, Thomas – commissioner of highways (1819, 1821, 1822)
Rogers, William – overseer of highways (1796, 1799, 1800, 1804, 1814)
Saunders, Enoch – overseer of highways (1825)
Smith, Hiram – overseer of highways
Thayer, Joel – overseer of highways (1825)
Thayer, Levi – overseer of highways (1827)
Warner, David – overseer of highways (1809, 1813, 1818, 1820, 1822)
Durfee, Pardon – supervisor (1809, 1810, 1811, 1812, 1813, 1814)
Rogers, William – supervisor (1807, 1808)
Smith, Frederick – supervisor (1825, 1828)
Robinson, Gain – town clerk (1809, 1810, 1811, 1812, 1813)
Smith, Frederick – town clerk (1821, 1822, 1823, 1824)
Wilcox, Martin – town clerk (1826, 1827, 1828)
Anderson, Wells – assessor
Beckwith, Nathaniel – assessor (1819, 1820, 1821, 1822, 1825, 1826)
Bradish, Calvin – assessor (1809, 1817)
Durfee, Lemuel – assessor (1803, 1804)
Durfee, Philo – assessor
Goldsmith, Thomas – assessor (1800)
Hurlbut, John – assessor (1798, 1799, 1800, 1801)
Jessup, Henry – assessor (1817, 1824)
Parke, William – assessor (1828)
Reeves, James – assessor (1803, 1804, 1805, 1807, 1808)
Rogers, William – assessor (1802, 1805)
Bradish, Calvin – collector (1818, 1819, 1820)
Durfee, Lemuel – collector (1817)
Grandin, E. B. – collector of taxes, assessor
Grandin, Philip – collector of taxes, county collector
Rogers, William – collector (1805, 1806)
Warner, David – collector (1811)
Cole, Abner – constable (1818)
Durfee, Lemuel Jr. – high sheriff
Grandin, E. B. – constable
Lakey, Thomas – constable (1820)
Lawrence, Samuel – sheriff
Reeves, James – constable (1796)
Rogers, William – constable (1805)
Warner, David – constable (1811)
Cole, Abner – justice of the peace (1814)
Durfee, Pardon – justice of the peace (1806, 1807, 1808)
Reeves, James – justice of the peace (1809, 1810)
Rogers, William – justice of the peace (1797, 1806, 1807, 1808)
Smith, Frederick – justice of the peace (1826, 1827, 1828)
Durfee, Isaac – surveyor
Durfee, Stephen – surveyor
Ackley, Stephen – fire warden
Sexton, Pliny – fire warden
Throop, Benjamin – fire warden
Beckwith, Nathaniel – sealer of weights and measures (1818)
Blackmon, Zachariah – sealer of weights and measures (1811, 1812)
Baldwin, Thomas – commissioner of deeds
Cowdery, Lyman – official in Wayne County and served terms in the New York state legislature
Purple, William – scribe in court cases
Seymour, Stephen – notary public
Wilcox, Martin – postmaster and town clerk
Bradish, Calvin – path master
Hurlbut, John – path master (1796)
Reeves, James – path master (1796)
Warner, David – path master (1796)
Warner David – fence viewer (1796)
Blackman, Zachariah – pound master (1807)
Durfee, Pardon – pound master (1807)
Jerome, Hiram K. – pound master
Jackway, William – pound master (1799, 1800, 1802, 1820)
Robinson, Gain – pound master, pound keeper (1813, 1814, 1815, 1816)
Beckwith, Nathaniel – overseer of the poor (1815)
Crane, George – overseer of the poor (1820, 1821, 1822)
Durfee, Lemuel Sr.– overseer of the poor (1817)
Goldsmith, Thomas – overseer of the poor (1796, 1798, 1799, 1800, 1802, 1803, 1804, 1805, 1806)
Jessup, Henry – overseer of the poor (1818, 1819, 1820, 1821, 1822)
Reeves, James – overseer of the poor (1818)
Rogers, William – overseer of the poor (1797)
Rogers, William – poormaster (1799)
Colt, Joseph – school commissioner (1825)
Durfee, Pardon – school commissioner (1798, 1818)
Goldsmith, Thomas – school commissioner (1796)
Grandin, E. B. – school board
Harrison, Lumon – school commissioner (1822)
Hurd, Lovell – school commissioner (1826)
Hurlbut, John – school commissioner (1796, 1797, 1799)
Jessup, Henry – school commissioner (1819)
Lakey, Thomas – school inspector (1819, 1820)
Robinson, Gain – school commissioner (1813, 1814, 1815, 1816)
Rogers, William – school inspector (1813, 1814, 1815)
Smith, Frederick – school commissioner (1820, 1821, 1824)
Strong, Theron R. – school commissioner (1827)
Townsend, Edward – trustee of Democratic School
Townsend, Jesse – school inspector (1819)
Beckwith, Nathaniel – elected officer in 1828
Rogers, Thomas II – elected officer in 1828
White, James – elected officer in 1828
Cole, Abner – justice of the peace (1814)
Durfee, Pardon – justice of the peace (1806, 1807, 1808)
Reeves, James – justice of the peace (1809, 1810)
Rogers, William – justice of the peace (1797, 1806, 1807, 1808)
Smith, Frederick – justice of the peace (1826, 1827, 1828)
Baldwin, Thomas – inspector of meetings (1821)
Reeves, James – inspector of meetings (1810)