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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 September 2013
Throughout the United States there are provided special, though simple, forms of municipal government for villages under the various names of village, borough or town. Oddly enough the notable exceptions to this general practice are to be found in New England, the region which includes three of the most densely populated states in the Union. Moreover, it is in the two most densely populated of these that the least progress has been made toward the development of an orderly system of village government.
At one time the whole area of New England, except certain unorganized tracts in the north, was under town government and so continued until the growth of urban conditions led to city incorporation. In every case incorporation was by special act, and such is the method employed in every case to the present time. The readiness of the town government to assume the functions proper to an urban community not only retarded city incorporation, but prevented, in large measure, the growth of special forms of government for villages. It is not unusual to find towns which include within their limits many square miles of rural territory, providing all or part of its population with fire protection, water, sewers, lights, side-walks, parks and libraries. But there has grown up, sometimes under general laws though more commonly as a result of special legislation, a heterogeneous collection of municipal governments and taxing authorities variously denominated villages, fire, water, lighting, sewer, highway and improvement districts, producing a confusion comparable only to the conditions in England before the municipal reforms of recent date.
1 Those incorporated before 1850 were Woodstock, 1836; Middlebury, 1845; Castleton, 1847; Rutland, 1847; Bennington, 1849.
2 West Glover, Laws 1910, No. 322.
3 Bellows Falls, Laws 1880, No. 201; Readsboro, Laws 1892, No. 125.
4 Winooski, Laws 1880, No. 219.
5 Bennington, Laws 1904, No. 231.
6 Springfield, Laws 1904; No. 243; Bennington, Laws 1904, No. 231; Essex Junction, Laws 1896, No. 158.
7 West Glover, Laws 1910, No. 322.
8 Windsor, Laws 1884, No. 224; Bennington, Laws 1904, No. 231; Poultney, Laws 1904, No. 241; Concord, Laws 1904, No. 234.
9 Newbury, Laws 1896, No. 164.
10 Swanton, Laws 1888, No. 252.
11 Poultney, Laws 1904, No. 241.
12 Waterbury, Laws 1882, No. 205.
13 Laws 1819, c. 20.
14 Revised Statutes, 1839, c. 14.
15 General Statutes, 1863, c. 16.
16 Laws 1894, No. 348.
17 Revised Statutes, 1894, c. 142.
18 Laws 1910, No. 115.
19 Laws 1910, No. 11.
20 Laws 1832, No. 18.
21 Revised Statutes, 1839, c. 14.
22 Laws 1854, No. 7.
23 Laws 1870, No. 41.
24 Laws 1910, No. 117.
25 Brandon, Fire Dist. No. 1, Laws 1880, No. 174; Readsboro, Fire Dist. No. 1, Laws 1886, No. 235.
26 Manchester, Fire Dists. No. 1 & 2, Laws 1896, No. 280; Castleton, Fire Dist. No. 1, Laws 1900, No. 192.
27 Poultney, Fire Dist. No. 1, Laws 1894, No. 284.
28 Laws 1908, No. 88.
29 Chester, Laws 1892, No. 199 and Laws 1896, No. 226; Newbury, Laws 1904, No. 260.
30 Revised Statutes 1857, c. 3.
31 Revised Statutes, 1903, c. 4.
32 Revised Statutes, 1903, c. 57.
33 Sangerville, Laws 1911, c. 120.
34 York Beach, Laws 1901, c. 455.
35 Porter Kezar Falls, Laws 1911, c. 217.
36 Wilton, Laws 1907, c. 224; Sangerville, Laws 1911, c. 122.
37 York Beach, Laws 1901, c. 455; Prospect Harbor, Laws 1907, c. 398; Rumford Falls, Laws 1907, c. 392; Kittery, Laws 1905, c. 350.
38 Kittery, Laws 1905, c. 350; York Beach, Laws 1901, c. 455.
39 Sangerville, Laws 1911, c. 122.
40 Parsonsfield Kezar Falls, Laws 1911, c. 216.
41 Squirrel Island, Laws 1903, c. 55; Bayville, Laws 1911, c. 227.
42 Parsonsfield Kezar Falls, Laws 1911, c. 216; Porter Kezar Falls, Laws 1911, c. 217.
43 Dover and Foxcroft, Laws 1863, c. 262; Laws 1903, c. 11.
44 Laws 1909, c. 376.
45 Laws 1903, c. 334.
46 Laws 1903, c. 158.
47 Laws 1907, c. 390.
48 Laws 1905 c. 152. See also Gardiner, Laws 1903, c. 82.
49 Bridgeport, Acts and Resolves, May 1800, p. 535.
50 Naugatuck and Torrington.
51 Fenwick, a summer cottage settlement.
52 Laws 1901, c. 375.
53 Laws 1901, c. 375.
54 Bridgeport, Acts and Resolves, May 1800, p. 535; Stonington, Private Laws, vol. I, p. 216; Guildford, Private Laws, I. 190.
55 Clifton, Private Laws, I. 174.
56 Private Laws, I. 195, 197.
57 Ridgefield, Laws 1901, c. 19.
58 New Milford, Laws 1897, c. 329.
59 Bridgeport, A. & R., May 1800, p. 535.
60 Private Laws, III. 195, 197; Danielson, Laws 1903, c. 419; Groton, Laws 1906, c. 204, 340; Winsted, Laws 1905, c. 164.
61 Fenwick, Laws 1899, c. 271.
62 Woodmont, Laws 1903, c. 431.
63 Laws, 1895, c. 185.
64 Private Laws, II. 1514.
65 Private Laws, II. 1517.
66 General Statutes, 1888, c. 3.
67 Grove Beach, Laws 1895, c. 88; Short Beach, Laws 1895, c. 63; Laurel Beach, Laws 1899, c. 148; Cosy Beach, Laws 1901, c. 442; Pine Orchard, Laws 1903 c. 409
68 Laws 1895, c. 63.
69 Laws 1899, c. 148.
70 In some cases these have been given the name “Fire Associations.” Norwich, Priv. Laws V. 257; New Hartford, Priv: Laws, 1889, No. 216; Kent, Priv. Laws 1885, No. 143.
71 Priv. Laws 1887, No. 135; Laws 1897, c. 129; Laws 1899, c. 41, 493; Laws 1903 c. 40, 301.
72 Laws 1899, c. 128; Laws 1887, No. 135.
73 Priv. Laws I. 611.
74 Norfolk, Laws 1899, c. 178.
75 Manchester, Laws 1907, c. 453.
76 Enfield, Priv. Laws 1887, No. 68, 1889, No. 286.
77 Laws 1902, c. 123.
78 Laws 1849, c. 852.
79 Statutes 1901, c. 63.
80 Littleton, Laws 1893, c. 176.
81 Hanover, Laws 1881, c. 239; Rochester, Laws 1881, c. 250; Woodsville, Laws 1899, c. 196; Lisbon, Laws 1903, c. 224.
82 Littleton, Laws 1893, c. 176; Conway, Laws 1907, c. 200.
83 Ibid.
84 Woodsville, Laws 1899, c. 196.
85 Lisbon, Laws 1903, c. 224.
86 Plymouth, Laws 1893, c. 228; Goffstown, Laws 1891, c. 269, 1895, c. 261; Meredith, Laws 1893, c. 231; Wolfeborough, Laws 1897, c. 183.
87 In Woodsville, Laws 1887, the number is five.
88 North Walpole, Laws 1893, c. 292; Lisbon, Laws 1903, c. 224.
89 Claremont, Laws 1889, c. 245.
90 North Conway, Laws 1905, c. 170.
91 Newbury, Laws 1897, c. 11.
92 Littleton, Laws 1891, c. 184.
93 Concord, Laws 1911. c. 314.
94 Acts and Resolves, 1844, c. 152.
95 Revised Laws 1902, c. 32 and Supl.
96 Belchertown, A. & R. 1908, c. 310; South Hadley, No. 2, A. & R. 1909, c. 239.
97 Shelburne Falls, A. & R. 1905, c. 402; Wareham, A. & R. 1907, c. 178; Greenfield, A. & R. 1908, c. 506; Hinsdale, A. & R. 1910, c. 642.
98 Belchertown, A. & R. 1908, c. 310.
99 A. &R. 1870, c. 332.
100 Revised Laws 1902, c. 25.
101 Revised Laws 1902, c. 332.
102 So. Deerfield, A. & R. 1902, c. 486; Dracut, A. & R. 1905, c. 433; Hadley, A. & R. 1905 c. 146; Miller's Falls, A. & R. 1907, c. 558.
103 Belchertown, A. & R. 1908, c. 310.
104 House Bill No. 286.
105 Phenix, Acts and Resolves 1872, p. 58; East Greenwich, A. & R. 1882, p. 238; Arlington, A. & R. 1889, c. 797; Watch Hill, A. & R. 1901, c. 946.
106 Valley Falls, A. & R. 1877, p. 31; River Point, A. & R. 1888, p. 31, 1904, c. 1202.
107 Central Falls, A. & R. 1882, p. 255.
108 Maryville, A. & R. 1896, c. 437; River Point, A. & R. 1904, c. 1202.
109 East Greenwich, A. & R. 1889, p. 91; Watch Hill, A. & R. 1901, c. 911.
110 Watch Hill, A. & R. 1901, c. 911.
111 Ibid.
112 Harrisville, A. & R. 1906, c. 1416.
113 Harris, A. & R. Washington, A. & R. 1911, c. 741.
114 Harris, A. & R.
115 In the town of Warwick, made up of one urban center, several manufacturing villages and surburban residence communities as well as a rural area, government by town meeting has proved a failure. But among the solutions of the difficulty now proposed and under consideration, one which would give some form of village incorporation to the larger centers of population finds few advocates.
116 P. 6 supra. Laws of Vermont 1910, No. 11.
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