Town of Windsor Locks, CT Article II Incorporation of Town

[Approved by the General Assembly 1854]

§ A400-1 Incorporating the Town of Windsor Locks.

Resolved by this Assembly, That all that part of the town of Windsor lying northerly of a line commencing on Connecticut river, at the northeast corner of the sixth school district, in the first society of said Windsor, thence following the north line of said district to the northwest corner thereof, thence westerly to the junction of the Suffield and Poquonnock road, with the road leading to Rainbow, thence westerly to the southeast corner of the center school district of the Turkey Hills society, thence following the south line of said district to Granby town line, with the inhabitants residing therein, be and the same is hereby incorporated into a distinct and separate town, by the name of WINDSOR LOCKS; and the inhabitants aforesaid, and their successors forever, residing within said limits, shall have and enjoy all the privileges and immunities which are enjoyed by other towns in this state, with the right of sending one representative to the general assembly of this state. And said town of Windsor Locks shall pay its proportion of all debts and claims already due, or for which said town of Windsor may hereafter be made liable by force of any claim now existing, and all expenses which have been or may hereafter be incurred in repairing the injuries to highways and bridges in the present town of Windsor, caused by the late freshets, according to the list of 1853 in such proportion as the list of the town of Windsor Locks, as hereby constituted, bears to the list of the town of Windsor, as hereby constituted.

And said new town shall be entitled to its proper proportion of the town deposit fund, and all other property belonging to said present town of Windsor, except Scantic ferry, town records and books, according to the last enumeration of scholars in said town. And the poor of said town of Windsor, who were born within the limits hereby incorporated, and have not gained a settlement elsewhere in this state than in said town of Windsor, or who have gained a settlement in said town of Windsor by residence, or otherwise, within said limits, shall be deemed inhabitants of said town of Windsor Locks, unless, at the passage of this resolve, they shall reside in the town of Windsor, as hereby constituted, and shall be maintained accordingly, whether said poor are now maintained by said town of Windsor or not, and said new town shall also be liable to maintain all such poor persons of the present town of Windsor, as are absent therefrom. Provided such persons, at the time of departure, have a legal settlement in that part of the present town which is hereby incorporated into a new town, and all legal inhabitants of the present town of Windsor, now residing therein, are hereby declared to be inhabitants of the town in which they reside at the passage of this resolve. And if, after the organization of said towns, as established by this act, the selectmen of said towns do not, on or before the first day of December, 1854, agree as to the division of said town deposit fund, and all other property not herein before excepted, belonging to said present town of Windsor, the paupers, and the debts, and claims now outstanding against said present town of Windsor, then the selectmen of either of said towns, as thus organized, may apply to Benjamin Pinney, Esq., of Ellington, or to Ralph R. Phelps, of Manchester, either of whom is hereby authorized and empowered to divide said funds, property, paupers and outstanding claims, and to ascertain and determine the amount of the lists, and number of the inhabitants of said towns respectively, which division, whether made by said selectmen, or by either of the persons above named, shall be final and conclusive.

And in case said division shall be made by either of said last mentioned persons, the selectmen of both said towns shall be first duly notified of the time and place, when and where said division is to be made; and the expense of such service shall be borne by said towns, in the proportion of their respective lists, as they shall be ascertained in manner aforesaid.

The collectors of the state, town and other taxes, in the present town of Windsor, are hereby authorized to collect their respective taxes already laid, and in their respective rate-books contained, and pay the same over for the benefit of said towns of Windsor and Windsor Locks, in proportion to their respective lists, to be ascertained as aforesaid.

Said town of Windsor Locks shall pay all expenses which shall be hereafter incurred under any application for laying out or discontinuing highways within the limits hereby incorporated, and all assessments of damages which are or shall be assessed to owners of lands, across which said roads shall be laid, and the said applications now pending shall be committed to the control of the said town of Windsor Locks, and be managed by the selectmen of said town, without any interference on the part of the said town of Windsor.

The first town meeting of the said town of Windsor Locks shall be held on the first Monday of July, 1854, at nine o'clock in the forenoon, at the hall of the American hotel in said Windsor Locks; and Lucius B. Chapman, and in case of his failure, Charles H. Dexter, shall be moderator of said meeting, and shall warn said meeting, by setting up a notification of the same on the public sign-post, in said town of Windsor Locks, and in such other places as he shall think proper, at least six days before said meeting. And said town of Windsor Locks shall have all the powers at said first meeting, incident to other towns in this state, and full right to act accordingly; and the officers elected at said first meeting shall hold their offices until others are chosen and sworn in their stead.