Town History Reports
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Webster History Reports as compiled by the Webster History Committee 1984-2014 Having just published the History of Webster, NH 1933-1983 history book, the Town History Committee created a report for the Town of Webster Annual Report 1984, with the intent of supplying information for the future History of Webster, NH 1983-2033 history book. This process continued, uninterrupted, through 2014. Table of Contents 1984 ............................................................................................................................................................................3 1985 ............................................................................................................................................................................4 1986 ............................................................................................................................................................................6 1987 ............................................................................................................................................................................8 1988 ............................................................................................................................................................................9 1989 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 11 1990 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 13 1991 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 16 1992 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 19 1993 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 21 1994 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 23 1995 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 25 1996 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 28 1997 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 31 1998 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 32 1999 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 35 2000 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 37 2001 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 40 2002 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 43 2003 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 46 2004 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 48 2005 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 51 2006 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 54 2007 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 57 2008 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 59 2009 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 61 2010 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 64 2011 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 67 2012 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 70 2013 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 74 2014 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 79 1984 The 1983 Webster Town History Committee feels that the following items may be of interest to the townspeople and of benefit to those who will be working on the next Town History around the year 2033! The month of May. 1984 was one of the wettest in the 20th century. Due to a rainfall of 10.64 inches in May and 4.9 inches in early June, the water behind the dam reached 556.2 mean sea level, the third highest level in the history of Blackwater Dam. On June 19, Daniel Webster Grange observed its 100th anniversary with a special meeting at the Grange hall. Organized on February 20, 1884, the Grange has played an active part in the life of the town since that time. For the second consecutive year, the observance of Old Home Day in August was a two-day affair. Naomi Fifield, age 90, as Grand Marshal, rode at the head of the parade in a 1907 Stevens-Duryea, the car in which she first learned to drive. The Church Booth at Hopkinton Fair had an exceptional year, with a profit of S10,800. an increase of about S2,000 over 1983. In mid-September, eleven Canada geese spent three or four days in the field at John Allen's farm, and another week in the pond across from the house. 78% of those registered voted in the 1984 Presidential Election. There were 697 voters on the checklist; 300 Republicans, 138 Democrats, with the remainder undeclared. 501 voted in person; 43 by absentee ballot. Ronald Reagan (Rep.) won by a landslide, easily defeating Walter Mondale (Dem.). In the February Primary election, Gary Hart surprisingly won the Democratic nomination for President in Webster, as well as in the State of New Hampshire. A change to N. H. Planning and Zoning laws, effective Jan. 1,1984, required that any ordinance imposing growth control had to be based on a master plan and a capital improvement program that reflect recommendations for growth and development appropriate to the town. An Advisory Committee composed of two (2) members from the Board of Selectmen, the Planning Board and the Board of Adjustment was formed to develop a Master Plan that would reflect the opinions and ideas of the residents of the Town of Webster. This Advisory Committee mailed 1360 questionnaires to the residents and tax payers during November 1984, 647 (47.5%) of these were returned. The data, comments and recommendations contained in these questionnaires, consistent with current laws and requirements will result in a Master Plan that will contain recommendations for the desirable, orderly, practical and logical development of the Town of Webster. A group of former servicemen, having formed a Veterans’ Committee in 1983, partially achieved their goal of erecting a memorial to honor all servicemen from Webster. Land at the corner of Allen’s Road and Route 127 was donated by Edmund and Ruth Garvey in memory of her parents, Mr. & Mrs. Rupert Stock- bridge. A flag pole was given by Mrs. Phyllis Vaughn, and the flag was raised on Veterans’ Day, November 11. Warner Legionnaires took part in the dedication ceremony. The committee plans to erect a granite monument with brass nameplates on the site. Because of the large number of children in Webster schools, the annual Town Christmas Tree observance at the Grange hall was held on two separate nights this year, with nursery, kindergarten and Grades 1 and 2 on the first night (standing room only!); Grades 3 and 4 on the second night. In 1984. seven building permits for new homes were issued in the Town of Webster. Members of the First Congregational Church of Webster began a study of the feasibility of constructing an addition to the church, which would provide rooms for Sunday School classes