Meeting of the committee on the sale of the town farm

1. The procedure for selling the building lots was:

• The buyer would make a down payment on the lot to the committee treasurer
• The committee would sign the deeds in order to transfer title on the lot
• The buyer would then pay the difference in the sales price.
• All transactions were in cash – there were to be no mortgages taken.
• Also, the committee wanted to sell lots only to people who planned to begin construction immediately.

2. The grading and sewer excavation would be done by the residents of the almshouse.

This is the earliest description of how the town sold the building lots I’ve so far found.

The Courant received an update on the work of the committee on the sale of the town farm on March 26, 1885.

On September 29, 1885, the Courant will report on progress made on the work that the committee on the sale of the town farm property had ordered.

“As pointed out Saturday [9/19/1885] morning in this paper, the town cannot afford to run two almshouses, and though the committee on the town farm have officially no interest in the new almshouse, the fact that it must be built before the old one can be removed and their work completed gives them an interest in the whole subject.  The prompt action of the selectmen and the prospect that the old almshouse will be son removed allows the whole matter to move forward in a satisfactory way.”

1. “The various features of the question as reported Saturday morning were discussed and a large amount of business transacted.”
2. “On Friday [9/18/1885] a lot was sold to a man who on Saturday [9/19/1885] paid over the money to bind the bargain, and the same day the work for his building was begun.”
3. “The committee on the sale of the town farm are working without pay, but their work is being pushed in a way to earn the gratitude of their townsmen and is as if each had a million to make.”

The members of this committee were:

• A. E. Burr, chair
• J. W. Dimmock
• George W. Fowler
• E. C. Frisbie
• E. W. Parsons

Fowler was also the First Selectman of the Town of Hartford.

“The town has formerly put all the poor people out of work in winter at sawing wood, and as a result has a very large stock of marketable wood on hand.  Instead of setting these people to work in the wood yard this fall they will be put on the new streets and on the excavation of the sewer, and the work thus done will be a great saving to the town, as the men would have to be kept at work somewhere or supported by the town.”

Unattributed.  “The old town farm,” Hartford Daily Courant, September 21, 1885, page 2.