City Ordinances of La Grange, Part 2

Footprints Of Fayette

Fayette County is one of the most historic counties in Texas. In this weekly feature from the County Historical Commission, a rotating group of writers looks back at local history.

This entry into the annals of Fayette County history is the second in a two-part series concerning some La Grange City Ordinances set forth on the 9th of July, 1880. As was stated in last week’s article, the rules were set up to enable the citizens to live peacefully with each other. Without such, life could become unbearable, with strife and lawlessness running rampant. The following are some of the rules set forth by the city leaders, all taken from the La Grange Journal, dated August 18, 1880. Dogs: Articles 11, 12, and 13: “it shall not be lawful for any animal of the dog kind, over three months old, to remain within the limits of this corporation (city)” whose owner has not obtained a license from the city marshall. Furthermore, the owner shall have placed a stamped metal plate upon the dog. It is the duty of the city marshall to grant the license for the dog, at the cost of one dollar for each dog. The license or permit shall be in force for a period of one year.

Article 14---“All dogs found within the city limits… without such plate shall be destroyed by the marshall.”

Article 15--- Any person who shall permit any female dog to run at large while in breeding season shall be charged with a misdemeanor and said dog shall be destroyed.

Article 16 and 17--- Any dog that has bitten any person in the city, and the victim was not at the time within the yard or trespassing on the property of the owner of the dog, the mayor shall fine the owner of the dog $5 to $10, and order the dog to be killed or permanently removed from the city limits. If the owner of the dog does not comply within 24 hours, the owner of the dog will be further charged with a misdemeanor.

Article 19--- Permits for the dogs shall not be regarded as transferrable. A person who is caught doing such an act will be subject to a fine.

City Cemetery and Burials: Section 9---All interments in the La Grange City Cemetery shall take place between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Section 10--- Any person desiring to dig a grave must apply to the sexton and the sexton shall superintend such. It is further stated that no one other than the sexton shall be permitted to dig the grave.

Section 11--- It will be unlawful for anyone to remove from the City Cemetery any dead body or articles belonging to such without the written consent of the nearest friend of the deceased, the written order of the mayor and the superintendence of the sexton.

Section 14--- “It shall not be lawful for any person to write upon, cut, break or otherwise injure… or deface any tombstone, head or foot board… monument… tree, shrub, ornament or other article in the city cemetery, not his or her own property, nor to act in any manner which is improper in such a place.”

Section 17--- Persons violating these provisions relative to the City Cemetery shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and be punished as such.

In a past Footprints of Fayette article, dated February 13, 2018, author Carolyn Heinsohn made the reader aware of an incident in the old City Cemetery. She wrote the following: “On the morning of February 29, 1908, the people of La Grange were shocked to learn that their beautiful Old City Cemetery had been brutally attacked during the night. Vandals had wrought havoc on some 30 monuments and gravestones. A 30 year old member of the railroad bridge gang was arrested and found guilty of the act.”

Such were some of the city ordinances set in place by city leaders in 1880. Those that were listed are probably still pertinent today, and as the times changed, more were added to the list. Hence, a look back at a bygone era, but it would seem that those that lived over 140 years ago had similar needs as those living today.

Source: February 13, 2018 Footprints of Fayette article, “Vandalism at the Old La Grange City Cemetery” by Carolyn Heinsohn