Town of Sharon records

Series 1. Administrative Records, 1760-1938, 1971, contain a variety of papers including bonds, corporation reports, appointment of overseers, roads and highways, appointment of overseers, petitions, selectmen's report, town meeting notices and votes and treasurer's records. Nineteenth century town officials were generally bonded and the records contain bonds primarily for collector and constable although bonds for town clerk and treasurer are also present. There are also bonds for the keeping of a victualling house and for the sale of liquor. Corporations represented in the corporation reports are the Amenia and Sharon Land Company, Sharon Valley Malleable and Gray Iron Company, Sharon Valley Iron Company and Webotuck Mining Company. Appointments of overseers were made by selectmen over those who were not capable of handling their own affairs. Petitions to the selectmen ask for special town meetings to be called. Reasons include a proposed addition to the town hall, selling of liquor, taxes, auditing of town treasurer and collector, and the alteration of a highway from Cornwall Bridge to Ellsworth. Town governments devoted considerable time and attention to the construction and maintenance of roads and highways. The bulk of the papers related to this activity are surveys but costs, assessments of damages, a description of highway districts, and receipts for maintenance are also present. Annual financial reports of the selectmen contain the type of information that is later printed in town reports. The bulk of the town meeting notices and votes concern the annual election of officers and adopting of town resolutions. Among the treasurer's records are four volumes of journals, two volumes of town orders, as well as correspondence, orders received from justices of the peace, notes for money owed the town, receipts for payments made, and annual reports. Also present is an 1829 copy of the patent for Sharon and a 1879 copy of the resolution incorporating the town.

Series 2. Poor Relief Records, 1804-1865, contain bonds, contracts, indentures, selectmen's accounts with town poor, and town farm records. Bonds include some given by men for the support of children they fathered. Contracts are between the selectmen and either individuals hired to manage the town farm or physicians for providing care to the paupers at the town farm. Indentures are contracts, usually between the selectmen and masters, that bind poor children who are either orphans or whose parents cannot provide for them into service until the age of twenty-one. The contracts provide a list of prohibitions imposed on the children together with the obligation of masters to provide clothing, education, and training for the apprentices. The selectmen's accounts with town poor record expenses associated with care of the poor. Town farm records include account books and annual reports. Two of the account books were kept by Thomas N. Lukas between 1840 and 1843.

Series 3. Land Records, 1807-1921, contain agreements, deeds, foreclosures, leases and notices of lis pendens, and miscellaneous papers.

Series 4. Court Records, 1788-1946, contain primarily justice files, 1818-1908. Much of this is writs or summonses that name the plaintiff and defendant, describe the offense, specify the date the two parties are to appear, and the name of the justice of the peace trying the case. Other types of documents are certificates of attachment and criminal complaints. While most of the cases involve the settlement of debt, cases of assault, theft, illegal sale of liquor, and intoxication are also present. A number of different Justices are represented. There is also a justice book kept by David Downs between 1788 and 1791. Two volumes of attachments cover 1859 to 1946. There is also a small volume of juror lists, justice of the peace lists, Probate Court material, and miscellaneous papers. To the west of Sharon is the town of Amenia, New York. Consequently, there is a small volume of papers from Dutchess County Supreme Court.

Series 5. Military Records, 1812-1951, contain papers relating to the Civil War, World War I, and World War II. Included are also three volumes of enrollment books covering 1853 to 1922.

Series 6. Vital Records, 1828-1892, contain information on births, marriages and deaths.

Series 7. School Records, 1796-1911, contain district returns, minute books for some districts, reports and records related to the town deposit fund.

Series 8. Church Records, 1855-1884, consists only of two types of documents related to the Methodist Episcopal Church, those dealing with the election of trustees and a subscription list.

Series 9. Election Records, 1855-2002, bulk 1855-1972, contain a variety of records including admission of electors and certifications of electors, election notices, election returns, voting lists, and voter registration cards. Certification of electors represents documentation between town clerks of different towns attesting that a person who has moved to a new town was a legal voter in his former town of residence. Election returns cover State officers including Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary, Treasurer and Comptroller; Federal offices such as Electors of President and Vice President, Senator, and Representative in Congress; State offices such as Senator and Representative in the General Assembly; and local offices such as sheriff and Judge of Probate. Voting lists are of two types: certified lists, in which the Registrars certify the number of electors and votes cast, and check lists. Voter registration cards are organized alphabetically by last name.

Series 10. Tax Records, 1812-1939, contains abatements, assessment books, list books, individual tax lists, and tax abstracts. The tax abstracts have separate columns for name, number of polls, military commutation tax, and various types of property such as houses, land, horses, cattle, money at interest, and luxury goods such as coaches, watches, and musical instruments. Automobiles appeared in 1910.

Series 11. Committee Records, 1939, 1976, contain material from the town Bicentennial Committee. The town of Sharon celebrated its bicentennial in 1939. There is also a few items of ephemera from to the U.S. Bicentennial.