Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-12-21
lsAF FROM HISTORY.
When whipping Post Was One %
warerburys Iustitutions.

when whipping Post Was One of
Waterbury, Institutions.
The removal of the old sign post which
for years stood in the sidewalk at the
southeast corner of the green has brought
out many "reminiscences. The Oldest in
habitants remember when the public sign
post occupied a place on the edge of the
walk just opposite j. w. Cones drug
store on West Main street, 1t was then a
tall, weather beaten black post. and in adj
diition to its use as public sign post il
also did service as a public whipping
post. and was frequently used for the lat
ter purpose. 1t is said that Israel
Holmes uncle of Israel Holmes of Holmes
& Parsons, once whipped a man at that
place, who had been convicted of some
heinous offence. An old resident said to-
day that some things which constituted a
major offense in those days are looked
upon as smart tricks now and no one takes
any particular notice of them.
/ When the walk was being laid on that
side of the street and the green was being
laid out the original whipping post was
which has done service until this week
was set up near the present site of the old
drinking fountain on the green. This
WAS early in the forties. 1t remained
there until about 1873, when it was re-
moved to the place where Mr. Tracy found
il the other day. This was done during
the last term of Selectman Spencer
father of Major F. A. Spencer.
1t consisted of good stout
stone encased in wood and stood five feet
above the sidewalk When the COMMITTEES
on public lands and buildings decided to rN-
move il to its present site recently the work
was entrusted to Contractor Tracy. He and
his men thought it was nothing but a de-
cayed wooden post and had on the ground
n stout Georgia pile log to replace it. 1t
seems though the name of Spencer
was destined to be associated with the
| checkered history of the sign post, for
when the men came along to tear it down.
| F. \. Spencer happened to pass and asked
If they were not going to reset the old
stone. What stone?" said one of the
| men. Don't you see. it Is nothing but a
rotten post?' he added. striking it with his
crowbar. Imagine the maD's surprise
when he heard his bar jingle against the
big stone post on the inside. The stone
was then reset in its new position and
encased in new suit of wood. and the
solid piece of timber which was heW ed ori
for the public sigu post was carried
away and must do service IN some other
| calling.
The funniest thing 1 ever saw take
place there" said an cid timer. this morn.
ing. was the sale OF an old tin pan be-
longing to a woman on East Main street
which was knocked down to one of the
wcalthiest citizens of the town for three
cents. / saw another man buy a stove
pipe hat there one tine for twenty five
cents. The man put tue hat on his head
| and walked through the center and when
he reached about where Curran's new
store now stands some one hit it with a
| piece of VOID and cut it in two. The
| constahles sheriffs and auctioneers, have
made speeches there during my time that
| would make an interesting book and If the
names together with the nature of the
offense of all who have been whipped at
the old sign post could be collected and
put on the market, it would meet with a
ready sale. Il is the only remnant We
have of colonial times and we all have
some tender recollectious of the time
when We eambOled over the g:een OF made
| appointments with our companions q
meet in the vicinity of the sign post 3"
The reporter also learned that there Is Il
poem IN existence written by Waterbury
man about forty years ago. entitled The
Sign Post on the Green" which would be
read with much interest at this time.
The colonial law. as printed in tue stat
utrs of l1iS. renders IL imperative for the
| s.lcctmen of towns TO maintain "A public
sign post. under IA penalty of ten shilliUS'
per month This law has not been mate
rally changed and selectmen must nov
mAiulain and keep i'll repair one or NOR,
public sign posts, under penalty of IS Z
month The law provided that all sales a
the sign posts should open with the bea
OF "A drum, and many Waterbury peopl,
remember when Sheriff Blakeslee used &c
commence operations at the corner of tn,
green with a couple of taps on the end q
Il drum no bigger than a two quart pail.