In 1732 there was a strong desire among the inhabitants of the Village to become a separate town. In their petition to the town of Salem they asked that they might be set off as a new town and have included in their territory a part of the Middle Precinct (now Peabody) and also the Endecott and Skelton grants, the latter being now called Porter's Neck' Salem refused to grant the petition, and the Villagers agreed to drop the matter on condition that Salem would allow them and their neighbors �without ye bounds� �to draw equal proportion of money with the rest of the town for the use of a school amongst us of all the annual income of the town's rents.� To this the town of Salem agreed.
A District to be Called Danvers
In 1751 a new effort to become a town was made, which was partly successful. January 28, 1752, an act was passed uniting the Village and Middle Precinct into a District, which made us a town except in one particular, we could not send a representative to the General Court. We then commenced an independent existence. Henceforth there was to be no Village or Middle Precinct, but a new town to be called Danvers, North and South parishes.
First Town Meeting
February 18, 1752, a request was made to Daniel Epes, a justice of the peace, by Jonathan Kettle and others, that he would call, in his Majesty's name, a �town meeting� (notice the words town meeting), to be held March 4, 1752, in the North Meetinghouse, at ten o'clock. This was our first town meeting. We have had several since. An account of this meeting will be interesting. First, as to the building in which it was held. It was the second meetinghouse built by the farmers, and stood upon Watch House Hill. The house was set so as to face the Meetinghouse Road (now Hobart Street). It had then been standing about fifty-one years; the pastor of the church was Rev. Peter Clark. After the call was read, Daniel Epes was chosen moderator, and Daniel Epes, Jr., clerk (sort of a family affair); James Prince, treasurer. Archelaus Dale, John Andrew, and Henry Putnam were appointed to �tell ye votes.� Seven selectmen were elected (we find it hard to elect five); four from the first, and three from the second, parish. They were also to act as assessors and overseers of the poor. Four constables (or policemen), two in the first, two in the second, parish (we haven't improved much on that); five tithingmen. There were chosen two clerks of the market, so they must have had a market in those days. Mr. Daniel Rea was to � take care that ye laws relating to ye preservation of deer be observed.� Thus was the machinery of the town government set in motion. It has been running ever since.
