Watch Your Step in "Little" Washington

The town of Washington, in Beaufort County, North Carolina, published Ordinances of the town of Washington, North Carolina in 1903. The emphasis has shifted in the past 100+ years. These ordinances come from a simpler time. The fines for breaking on of these rules ranged from $1 to $10 with possible jail time of 10 days.

Below are a few that are interesting:

1. Every occupant of a lot on any street shall keep the footway clean and the gutter open and free from obstructions as far as such lot extends. If any rubbish, dirt, filth or other thing be placed or left without lawful authority on such footway or in such gutter, the occupant of the lot shall remove the same. If five hours elapse after notice by the chief of police, by the mayor or by one of the policemen without removal, the occupant shall upon proof of the same be fined three dollars.

2. If any person shall throw filth or rubbish of any kind into the public wells, or in any manner injure the public pumps, he shall be fined five dollars or imprisoned ten days.

3. No person shall fasten a horse or other animal to the street trees of the town or any fence enclosing public grounds, or grounds of public institutions. For a violation of this section persons upon conviction shall be fined one dollar.

4. No person shall ride or drive a horse or other animal or vehicle on any street faster than at the rate of eight miles per hour, nor break any horse or other animal in any street. For each offense the person convicted shall pay a fine of five dollars.

5. No person shall put or allow tubs or barrels to stand or do the cleaning thereof at the public pumps. Neither shall any one wash articles, nor water, nor wash animals about the public pumps. The offender against the foregoing part of this section shall be fined two dollars upon conviction. …

6. No offal, garbage, rubbish or other refuse matter of any kind whatever shall be thrown into the dock at the foot of Market street, or into any other slip or dock in or about the town, and if any one be guilty of a violation of this section he or she shall be subject to a fine upon conviction of five dollars. The shells of oysters and clams opened at or on the wharves or in the town docks, whether by boatmen or others, shall be deposited for the use of the town on the wharves where opened, as a compensation for wharfage; any person violating this section shall be fined one dollar.

7. It shall be unlawful for any person to throw or place any grapes or grape skins, orange or banana peels upon any of the sidewalks of the town. Anyone violating this ordinance shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of ten dollars or ten days imprisonment.

8. That it shall be unlawful for any person or persons to carry or convey through the public streets or passways of the town, any slops or garbage, if the same be contained in an uncovered receptacle. Any person violating this ordinance shall be subject to a penalty of five dollars for each and every offense.

9. That no person or persons shall be allowed to use any of the sidewalks of the town for bicycle riding. The use of said sidewalks as above specified shall subject the offender to a fine of five dollars for each offense. [Same rule applies today!]

10. No mule, horse or cattle shall be watered within twenty feet of any pump in the town, nor shall any clothes, meat, fish, vegetables or ice be washed or rinced [sic] within forty feet of any pump in the town, nor shall any person drink from the spout of any pump, nor shall any person sit or lounge on or around any pump. Any person violating this ordinance shall be fined $5.

11. All persons are prohibited from emptying or pouring fish or beef pickles, or placing other offensive matter in the streets or open lots of the town. Any person violating this ordinance shall be fined $5.

12. Any person who shall be found guilty of loud hallooing or screaming, or making any loud or extravagant noise, except in case of fire, in the town in the day or night time, shall be fined three dollars.

13. The shining of shoes on the streets or sidewalks of the town on the Sabbath day is forbidden. Any person violating this section shall be punished by a fine of five dollars for each offense.

The entire volume of Ordinances of the town of Washington, North Carolina is published on East Carolina University's Digital Library at http://digital.lib.ecu.edu/historyfiction/fullview.aspx?id=tow.