Monadnock Moment No. 139

Era 8: Great Depression & World War II - 1929 to 1945

Ralph Page, Selectman

One would assume that the work of a small town selectman would have been much less demanding fifty years ago than it is for our selectman of today. However, the 1934 diary of a Nelson, New Hampshire selectman indicates that the duties may have required even more time and energy five decades ago than they do today.

Ralph Page began his diary on town meeting day, Tuesday, March 13, 1934. On that day he was elected selectman by a five vote margin over the incumbent, Harry Green. During the next year Page handled an amazing variety of town duties. These began with a reassessment of all livestock and real estate in town. Other duties for the selectmen included overseeing repairs to the town hall and town roads, and appointing jurors and new town officers. Page and his colleagues also presided at the town tax sale, studied industrial development, dealt with dangerous animals, handled tax disputes, inspected town boundaries, and took in tramps. Furthermore, they spent several days at meetings and elections, both in town and throughout the state.

One day in May selectman Page was required to attend the burial of what he described as a "very, very, ripe and mellow" horse which had been left beside a town road. As overseers of health and welfare, Page and his fellow selectman worked all night long one August evening to round up an unbalanced resident, transport her to the doctor's office in Keene, and then drive her to the state hospital in Concord to be committed.

As the 1935 town meeting approached, Page worked on the annual financial statement and prepared the town report for publication. During his first year in office selectman Ralph Page had spent some 80 days and several hundred hours working on town affairs. For his efforts he received an annual salary of $65.

Ralph Page was also well known for his dance calling. This photo was taken at the Chesterfield Town Hall in August of 1943.