The more things you discover from the past, the more meaning it brings to the present, or so believes David King Sr., chairman of the Woolwich Board of Selectmen.

King has a keen interest in Woolwich’s history and often passes the time perusing through the old town records. They’re safely tucked away in a vault in the town office’s basement.

“I really enjoy reading through these old town reports and ledgers,” he said, pointing to a collection of town reports neatly stacked in chronological order. The collection goes as far back as 1891, although King says there are others even older than that. “The really old ones from the late 1700s and early 1800s are actually handwritten.”

King said times have changed but the problems confronting earlier generations of Woolwich residents are pretty much the same as today. “If you change the names and the dollar amounts, the issues are almost identical and usually involve maintaining the town’s roads, bridges, and funding for the schools.”

There were in fact several schools in Woolwich in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries and just like today spending for public education was the biggest percentage of the town budget.

According to the Woolwich Town Report for the year ending 1927 the amount raised for the schools totaled $1,250. This included $950 for the operation of the schools, $300 to provide free textbooks and a stipend for a truant officer to make sure kids made it to class. It doesn’t sound like much money until you consider Woolwich’s entire budget for the year was just a little over $3,200.

“By the way it also says here, the town raised $500 for the roads and as I understand it in those days the town plowed everybody’s driveway in the winter,” King added.

That same town report has an article for funding the “town hearse.” It reads J.G. Soule was paid $10 a year to house the hearse and Hartley Hathorne $10 for driving it. King couldn’t say for certain but thought the hearse was a horse and carriage that residents could call during times of bereavement.

“I’d say Mr. Soule got the better end of the deal because all he did for his ten dollars was to keep the hearse in his barn while Mr. Hathorne would have to be out in all kinds of weather driving it,” King said. Hathorne also served as the town’s road commissioner.  

Something else King discovered was that in the 1930s, 40s and 50s selectmen were responsible for assessing residents’ personal property. Not only did people pay property tax on their land and home, they also were taxed on their livestock including chickens, goats and cows and items including radios and television sets.

“Also, up until the early 1950s if you bought something on time (credit) the financier or merchant notified the town office. Not only was a person taxed for it, if they didn’t make their payments on time the constable was sent to collect.” King said the town vault is filled with aging ledgers containing dozens of entries recording the sale of everything from automobiles to equipment for milking cows.

One listing in a 1938 account book is for a Model 6 S220 Zenith radio. The owner bought it on time for a price of $35.95 agreeing to make payments to the store of $4 per month at 6 percent interest.

King’s favorite town report is 1959’s, containing a message from First Selectman T. Tarpy Schulten, better know as “Tarpy.” King recalls he was a turkey farmer who once lived on the corner of Old Stage and Middle roads. Along with a number of terms as a selectman, Schulten also served in the State legislature.

“What he wrote in the town report 57 years ago is just so relevant today,” King continued. Schulten writes, “Woolwich is literally bursting at its seams! Taxes are sky high ­— our roads are a major matter of concern — our fire department a challenging problem, and our school system is faced with a future demanding wise decisions.”

Schulten warns none of these problems will go away by themselves and will require “a spirit of cooperation.” Woolwich, he writes, “is a wonderful community we call home — let’s make sure we keep it that way.”