Litchfield enquirer., 1868-03-12
Fifty Years ill Sharon No 2

Fifty Years ill Sharon No a
 In the year 1877, the following named eentl,. men composed the active, efficient board if town = Alpheus levitt, Reuben Roland, Benjamin Iipa. Freeman W. Parsons, Deniel Gay-Selectmrn
 Israel Camp-Town Clerk.
 Samuel Rockweil-Treasurer.
 Stephen Deming Amos Boccher Henry Reel Constables - ~
 John A. Elliott-sealer of Weights and Meas ures
 The only survivor of this roll of active. en.rget ic men, is Israel Camp, Esq, thon Town Clerk. He has completed eighty-sN years of life. and is still in comfortable health.
 Alpheus levitt, who at the head of the Board of Selectmen, held the office for more than thirty years. He was son of Caleb Jnwitt who came to Sharon in 17l2, from that part of Norwich now called Lisbon, and who died in 1773 Mir. AL pheus levitt was for many years leading, active man in the affairs of the town even down to old age He was elected Selectmau several times af | ter he had passed the age of seventy wears. He knew the genealogy of every body in the town, and no pauper from abroad could get a residence hers while matters were under his management lie was decided Federalist in the politics of the day and once i'll while the dominant party would (rop him from office, but within tho year it would be found that matters did not work we'll out of his ! cars and ho would be restored to office by near ly unanimous vote. Ill early life he attached hinl- self to the Methodist Society, at its first formation Ill Sharon, and he continued Jealous active mem per Of that communion till his death He was A man of zealous, earnest temperament, who took strong hold of any purpose he proposei to ac- comphsh, and he never hesitated to use the in strumentalty of the law to vinicate the rights of tho town even in small matters. At that time. the 'Proprietors ofthe Common and Undivided Lands in Sharon, had large and valuable possessions, in which ho had 8 large interest, and he as their agent, had the principal charge of that large es tate, and such was his entire vigilance in that d rection, that trespasses upon the most remote and obscure portion, seldom escaped detection and prosecution. He died in 1842 ut the age of sG years. He had a somewhat numerous family. a, q several of them have occupied high positions in public life. The late Hon. Freeborn G. levitt, an eminent lawyer in Cayuga County, N. l., who was suceessvely a Member of Congress, a Judge of the Supreme Court and of the Court of Appeals of | that State, was his son. was the Rev. William l levitt, an eminent Minister and Presiding Elder or the Methodist Church. His youngest son, John s. levitt, Esq, still survives and occupies the old homestead, one mile east of the village, on the old Goshen turnpike.
 Reuben Roland, the second Seectman WAS the son of David Roland, who came from Woodburv, after tho Revolutionary Thomas Bull, Esc. of Woodbury, who is connected with the family. once informed the writer that tho original name was Bo1@dnd, and that the late Senator Borland of Arkansas of that family NIr. Boland often held the office of Selectman and other offices in the town. He had family of thirteen children and it is a singular circumstance in relation ty them that they all liv d until they Were married
 He has ono daughter, Mrs. George R. Woodward still living here, bat since the death of the late Anson Roland, the name, once borne by many per | sons, has become extinct in the town.
 Capt Benjamin Lines, the third Selectman was originally from New Milford. He acquired a haud- some estate ill the leather trade, and was dlstin- guished among his friends for pleasant, social qualities and public spirit. He tuilt many years before his death, the handsome house, which is the building next north of the Congregational Church, and which ie still kept in good condition by his widow, who still survives at an advanced age He had ono and two daughters but none LII lCiiIdlil III tllG IONu lie ulCu July 1916, at the age of seyenty-two.
 Freeman W. Parsons tho next in office, lived to & very advanced age. He was the son of Capt Enoch Parsons who came from Danbury to Sharon. | before the Precautionary war. The patriotic temper of the father is indicated by the name, Freeman Washington, which The gave to this son, who was born three months before the Decara- tion of Independence, and who, in after life, did no dishonor to the distinguished name which he bore. He held the office of Seectman for several years, and was we'll known throughout the town as man of strong, earnest convictions, who practis- cd no concealment of his principles or purposes Ho was the father of the late Daniel Parsons Esq.,. member of the Bar of this County. Fifty years ago, the name of Parsons, descendants of Capt Enoch, was very common in Sharon, but now but few who bear it remain in this town.
 Capt. Danie! Gav. the last name on the Board, was grandson of John Gay, who came to sharon in 1742, from Litchfeld, and whose name was somewhat conspicuous in the history of that town during the first twenty years of it's corporate exs- tence. He lived in that part of Sharon called Gay Street, and raised numerous and respectable family, who as family, have been remarkably prosperous in Western New York; whither they all removed many years ago. Capt. Gay came to untimely end by being thrown from his wagon, in 1888, and was found entirely dead.
 The aboye-named gentlemen had the manage ment of the prudentials of Sharon, fifty ears ago. An inspector of the records of the town shows, that it the custom in those times, to continue the same men in office for many successive years, and thus the ncumbents became we'll acquainted with the details of town affairs Tho Selectmen made charges for the ordinary official business done by them. The only expense of their admin istration was small bill for their entertainment at their monthly meetings.
 Tine expenses of the town have shown an extra ordinary increase since those days. It was very seldom that they exceeded twelve hundred dol lars per annum. Now they reach nearly as many thousands. Considering the fact that the popula- ion does not vary one hundred in the number of the inhabitants from what it was then, this in crease of expenses becomes matter of serious enquiry. The frequent change of officers which