PARSONS – Travel back in time to Parsons in the early 1900’s when the town mayor was J.P. Harford and the town recorder was J.D. Victor.
Parsons Councilmen included Wm. M. Cayton, M.E. Robison, W.G. Davisson, S.T. Alderton and Jared Parsons. These individuals worked hard, just as the current Parsons Mayor, Recorder and Council Members do, for the safety, growth and well-being of residents of Parsons.
But times were different back then, and many of the ordinances written in the early 1900’s may seem a little strange by today’s standards. For instance, Ordinance 1, Section 3 deals with voting in Parsons. It states. The polls shall be opened as soon as practicable after sunrise and shall be closed at sunset. Section 13 of that ordinance allows said every commissioner and clerk one dollar and fifty cents for each day they shall serve.” It would certainly be hard to retain poll workers at that rate!
Ordinance 4, of the book says “It shall be unlawful for any person to do or cause to be done any act or thing contrary to the laws of morality, decency and good behavior that may infringe upon the rights of another.” That may seem like a great idea, but would be hard to enforce today.
Section 16 of Ordinance 4 says, “It shall be unlawful for any person to fly a kite, roll a hoop, play at foot ball, bandy or shinny, or to carelessly ride or drive, or engage in any play, sport or exercise which might produce any bodily injury to any one, or endanger the life or property of any person, on any street, sidewalk, landing, bridge, alley or public square.” Seems today, many people engage in sports or play where they are injured.
Section 24 says, “It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully cause a false alarm of fire, or cry “fire,” or ring any bell, or do anything creating, or tending to create a false alarm of fire.” Still a great idea for modern times, but the language seems a little “old.”
Ordinance 4, Section 27 says, “It shall be unlawful for any person to ride or drive on any bridge faster than a walk.” The residents and visitors to Parsons would keep Parsons City Police Chief Rowe, Tucker County Sheriff Brian Wilfong and his Deputies, and Troopers of the W.Va. State Police busy 24 hours a day enforcing that code.
Section 28 or Ordinance 4 states, “It shall be unlawful for any person to bathe in any stream of water within the corporate limits of the town, within sight of any dwelling house within said town, or within one-quarter of a mile of the limits of said town, from sunrise to one hour after sunset.” Thank goodness for indoor plumbing.
Section 38 says, “It shall be unlawful for any person to play ball, play marbles, pitch quoits or engage in any game or sport, utter loud cries, quarrel, riot, hunt, fish or sell goods, wares merchandise or intoxicating drink, or engage in any common labor or secular business on the Sabbath Day, other than works of necessity or charity, except such persons as conscientiously observe Saturday as Sabbath. But nothing in this section shall be so construed as to prevent those who follow the trade of barber from keeping their place of business open and transacting their usual business up until the hour of 10 O’clock a.m. on the Sabbath Day.” Most “Blue Laws” have not been enforced since the 1980’s, and most folks do not think twice about doing business on a Sunday.
Another idea that has fallen to the wayside is mentioned in Section 46. It states, “It shall be unlawful for any persons not married to each other to lewdly or lasciviously associate and co-habit, or to be guilty of adultery or fornication.”
Ordinance 19, Section 1, says, “It shall be unlawful for any person, corporation or company to run any railroad train, engine, coach or car of any kind within the corporate limits of the town of Parsons at a greater speed than eight miles per hour.”
Ordinance 20, Section 1 says, “That is shall be unlawful for all minors under 18 years of age to go or loiter or stroll or make any noise or outcry on any of the streets or alleys of said town after the hour of nine o’clock p.m. from the 15th day of April to the 15th day of October and from the hour of 8 p.m. from the 15th day of October to the 15th day of April, unless such minor be attended by his parent or guardian or other person having the control or care of such minor, and any such minor found guilty of a violation of this section shall be fined for each offense not less than one nor more than five dollars and may at the discretion of the Mayor or the officer acting in his stead, if the fine and cost be not paid, be confined in jail not more than ten days unless the fine and costs are sooner paid.”
One ordinance, 26, Section 5, would make the residents and business owners in Parsons very, very happy. It states, “The price of telephone service by the year within the corporate limits of the town shall not exceed for business houses the sum of $22 per year, and the price for private residence telephones shall not exceed the sum of $18 per year.” Most of us would be happy if our monthly telephone bills were that low.
While these Ordinances are fun to read through, Parsons City Council will be working with representatives from the Walter H. Drane Company to bring these codes up to date. They provide ordinance codification and related publishing services to Ohio and West Virginia municipalities. This company has more than 55 years of experience and has provided more than 350 municipalities in West Virginia and Ohio with model codes.
