Firewardens of 1892, Hamilton county, NY

Source: New York Forest Commission, Annual Report, 1892 (presented to the State Assembly on March 30, 1893)

TownFirewardenP.O. address
AriettaJames E. HigginsSageville
BensonGeorge D. RhodesBenson
HopeIsaac H. BrownellHope
Indian LakeEdward WilsonIndian Lake
Lake PleasantWilliam B. MeveighSageville
Long Lake------
MorehouseHenry M. ForesterMorehouseville
WellsAndrew DemingWells

The Firewardens are not salaried officials. They receive pay only for such time as they are on duty at a forest fire. They are appointed by the Forest Commission, but their services are a town charge.

Forest Fires (reports of the Firewardens)

…In examining the reports of the Firewardens, it will be seen that, as usual, the most prolific cause of fire was the burning of fallows or attempts at clearing land for farming purposes. For this reason, mostly, all the fires were on borders of the forest, and none in the interior….

Hamilton County:

Am. B. Meveigh, Firewarden for the town of Lake Pleasant, reports:

The forest fires in this town during the past season have been as follows:

April first, on land owned by Ryan Page, burning over about four acres. The fire started in some brush piles; no damage was done. I carried water, and used whips of brush to extinguish it.

April twenty-first, on land of Peter Weaver, about three acres were burned over, but no damage was done.

On resident property of Charles Fisher; about three acres were burned.

April twenty-sixth, on resident property of Oren Deming; about one acre burned over; no damage done.

June Fourteenth, on property of Isaiah Perkins; one acre; no damage was done.

June Seventeenth, property of William Page; two acres were burned over; no damage was done.

November ninth, on property of Wellington Wood; no damage done.

All these fires were closely watched, and consequently no timber was injured. The general inclination of the people here is to obey the law in regard to starting fires for burning fallows.

Tyler M. Medwin, Firewarden for the town of Indian Lake, reports:

Only one small fire occurred in this town, June fifteenth. It was started by a man burning fallow, who did not give the required notice. He set it in the morning, and went away and left it. During his absence the fire spread; but I took it in time, and with my men, who were working near, extinguished it. I charged the man who started it with the expenses, amounting to six dollars. No damage of any account was done.

 

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