Tri-Counties Genealogy & History by Joyce M. Tice
1858 - The Path Master
Bradford County PA
Chemung County NY
Tioga County PA
Photo by Joyce M. Tice October 1998
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Transcribed & Submitted by Kathryn Gray, Ph.D.
Joyce's Search Tip - January 2008 
Do You Know that you can search just the Legal Documents on the site by using the Legal Documents button in the Partitioned search engine on the Current What's New Page? This section of the site includes wills, deeds, pension applications, township records and minutes and other related subjects.
In Early times the Path Master was responsible for seeing to the maintenance of the public roads. Residents were assessed a tax and they could "work it off" by working on their own roads. This practice continued even into the early part of the twentieth century. Many of the diaries that are on the site include descriptions of the people of the neighborhood getting together in the spring, borrowing the township equipment, and grading and repairing their own roads. In this early time, 1858, it was the responsibility of the Path Master to see that it was done and taxpayers credited for their work. They were allowed credit of a dollar a day of work, as you will see below, and credit for the use of their horses in the work.

Orwell Township

District No 14

Path Master

Julius Gorham

Be careful to keep the bridges in good repairs

March 1858

[P. 2]

Bounded as follows

North by A Conklins

South line West by Woodruffs corners. South

by Widow S Wells [?] south West line East by town

line of Pike

Tax levied at the rate of 8 mills on the dollar of valuation

[P. 3]

The Path Master will notify all named in this duplicate to work out their taxes before the first day of July next and in case any should refuse to do so you will return the same

to the Road Commissioners forthwith. You are to allow one dollar per day to each

man One dollar per day to each 2 horse team and fifty cts per day for each yoke of oxen and twenty five cts per day for plow up to the first day of August next after that

[P. 4]

time you are to deduct one half except for plow You are not to bring any cash charge against the Township for work

Meet the Commissioners at the Office of Town Clerk on the third Monday of Nov to settle this duplicate

Nelson Barns }

L. I Chucbbuck [?] } co??? [?]

George Lyon }

Attest J. H. Cowles [?]

Town Clerk

[P. 5]

Names Tax

Woodruff Morris $

Wells Theodore $ x 4.18

Gorham Julius $ x 5.07

Wells, S, C. $ x 2.00

Wells G. W. $ x 3.14

B----[marked out] $ x [4,31 marked out]

Beecher Meiron 4.31

Chaffee Jason (2,02) x 2,02

Chaffee Leuthers Est x 3.61

Gorham G. L. x 4.42

Mingle John x .62

Carrington E. Le. x .97

Wells G. W. Qond [?] x .09

Williams Gorden x .12

Wells E C[?] x .09

[P. 6]

Over worked last year

Tax

Gorham Julius $ .50

Mingle John $ 1.50

Wells Theron .50

Gorham Sylvester 1.00

tho above tax satisfide [sic]

By each taxible [sic]

Julius Gorham

August Pathmaster

The 1,[?] 1858 for over

Work on the road

Julius Gorham Cr[?] 1.50

John Mingle Cr,[?], 1.00