Early Ordinances of Fillmore

Fillmore was incorporated as a town by an act of the county court bearing date of November 8, 1873. The first board of trustees was J.M. Kenyon, Smith George, Rufus Ayres, Peter Wykoff, and A.H. Chase and their first official meeting was November 18, 1873. A series of ordinances were drawn up and adopted.

Ordinance 1-Provides fines for assault and battery within the town limits, drunkenness, or the use of any obscene or abusive language calculated to provoke a breach of the peace, and for interrupting the peace and quiet of any family by loud, rude or boisterous noises, the fines for each offense being not less than $1 nor more than $25.

Another section provides that there shall be no saloon or dram shop, or other place where intoxicating drink is sold, kept within one-half mile of the corporate limits of the town, except drug stores, which may be allowed to keep liquors for strictly medicinal or mechanical purposes. The fine for violating this section was fixed at not less than $20 nor more than $100.

It appears that the wise board of trustees was determined to maintain the moral dignity of the town as witness the foregoing and following ordinances. “Every person who shall set up or keep any table or gambling device commonly called A.B.C., faro, E.O. roulette, equality, keno, cards or any other gambling device adopted, devised and designed for the purpose of playing any game of chance for money or property, or induce, entice or permit any person to bet on a play at any such device shall be judged guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall upon conviction be fined not less than one dollar nor more than one hundred dollars.

In 1880 the board adopted a new series of ordinances, which were revised in March 1885. Ordinance 1 defines the corporation of the town the corporate powers of the board of trustees, and how the trustees shall be elected, etc. The following were misdemeanors for which fines were imposed to wit: Leaving horses or mules standing in the street unhitched, engaging in any exercises or sport likely to frighten or scare horses, or embarrass the passage of vehicles: posting bills and advertisements on private property, without the owners consent: defacing or destroying advertisements etc.: shooting fire-crackers or throwing missiles or projectiles by means of what are called “nigger shooters” or cross-bow, or by use of any “india rubber attachment:” firing guns, pistols, rapid riding or driving through the streets, unlawful assemblages, “tumultuous, offensive or obstreperous conduct or carriage,” obscene language, fighting, assault and battery, intoxication, indecent or lewd dressing, sale of lewd books, pictures, etc., indecent plays and exhibitions, cruel abuse of animals, gambling, rioting, keeping dogs and other animals for fighting, and quite a number of others.