The History of Louisville, from the Earliest Settlement till the Year 1852Casseday, Ben
History
The History of Louisville, from the Earliest Settlement till the Year 1852
Casseday, Ben
Louisville (Ky.) -- Description and travel; Louisville (Ky.) -- History
The opening of a new century found Louisville with a population of 800
souls, with power to elect her own Trustees, with a revenue arising from
her own taxes, and in the enjoyment of all the social and political
privileges which were possessed by any of the towns within the Western
country. Early in the next year the Legislature of the State, after
granting power to the Trustees of Louisville to make deeds and conveyances
of the town lots and providing abundantly for the levying and collecting
of taxes, proceeded to exempt the citizens from working on roads out of
the town, except the road leading from Louisville to the lower landing,
and ordered the appointment of a street Surveyor whose duty it should be
from time to time to call upon the inhabitants of the town "to meet
together on a certain day at a certain place for the purpose of working
upon the streets." And every person failing to obey such call was liable
to a fine of six shillings for every such failure. The same Act also set
aside the sum of twenty-five pounds (being part of the annual tax) to be
appropriated toward the building of a market house on the public ground in
said town, under the superintendence of the board of Trustees; and as if
still further to show its confidence in the capacity of the town to manage
its own growing interests, it also placed the harbor at the mouth of
Beargrass entirely under the direction of the Trustees.
Reference to the old books of the town show the prices of half acre lots
on the principal streets at this time to have ranged from seven to
fourteen hundred dollars.
The original plan and survey of the town having been lost or destroyed,
and property being rapidly increasing in value, the Legislature found it
necessary during the second year of the new century to order a new survey
and plat to be made out. It also changed the term of office of the
Trustees from one to two years, and gave them the power to fill vacancies
in their body by an election among themselves. It also repealed an act
which, although it had been the subject of repeated legislation, had
proved a dead letter. This was the act in reference to the forfeiture of
lots for want of improvements, which has been before quoted. The
Legislature of this year, seeing the futility of further action in regard
to this matter very properly ordered the act to be altogether repealed in
all the towns under their jurisdiction, and ordered the Trustees of the
several towns to make deeds to all purchasers of lots who could produce
them receipts for the purchase money of their several properties.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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