Digital Bob Archive

DECEMBER 18, 1881-A name for this camp having been adopted by vote, the matter of a code of laws for regulation of matters within the townsite, especially property rights, was taken up. A code was drafted by Dick Harris, Stillman Lewis, Henry Cutter, H. N. Steele and H. H. Edwards and was taken up by a miners? meeting and adopted section by section. These are the main points:

The survey and map executed by Master G. C. Hanus of the Navy is adopted as the town plat. Each town lot shall be duly staked, with the stakes bearing the number of the lot and block, as shown on the plat. Persons staking lots shall have ten days after staking to record with the Mining Recorder, who shall keep a separate Book of Records of all records pertaining to town lots.

There are to be five Town Commissioners, elected by a vote of the residents, to see that the laws are enforced and to settle disputes between claimants.

Each owner of a town lot shall perform four days of work on the street opposite his lot. This work must be done within four months after adoption of these laws or within four months of claiming the lot. The Commissioners will enforce this provision.

Front Street is to hold back 15 feet from the highwater mark on the waterfront. For this purpose, the waterfront is defined as running from the foot of Main Street to the foot of Franklin Street. Thus the wharf site claimed by Mike Powers, which is some distance south of the foot of Franklin Street, is not included.

There was a complaint that Charles Wells, the blacksmith, has built a house on the waterfront, at least partly below the high water mark, between Main and Seward streets. The chairman, H. N. Steele, appointed Joe Juneau, Mike Gibbons and Dick Harris a committee to look into the matter. They reported that the Wells house is on piling and is entirely below high tide line. It was moved by John Finnegan that Wells be notified of the encroachment and given until May 1 to remove his house from that site and that if it is not moved by him, the Town Commissioners are authorized to remove it. The motion carried, Mr. Wells was notified and agreed in writing to abide by the decision.

Joe Juneau, H. N. Steele, W. H. Newcomer, John Jackson and Squire Howe were elected the first Town Commissioners.