Mount Auburn Cemetery

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Commonwealth of Massachusetts

In the year of our Lord, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-five

An Act to incorporate the Proprietors of the Cemetery of Mount Auburn.

Section 1^st. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled and by the authority of the same, That Joseph Story, John Davis, Jacob Bigelow, Isaac Parker, George Bond, and Charles P Curtis, together with such other persons as are Proprietors of Lots in the Cemetery at Mount Auburn in the towns of Cambridge and Watertown in the County of Middlesex, and who shall in writing signify their assent to this Act, their successors and assigns be, and they hereby are created a Corporation by the name of the Proprietors of the Cemetery of Mount Auburn, and they shall have all the powers and privileges contained in the Statute of the year One thousand eight hundred and thirty three. Chapter Eighty three.

Section 2^nd. Be it further enacted, That the said Corporation may take and hold in fee simple the Garden and Cemetery at Mount Auburn, now held by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and any other lands adjacent thereto, not exceeding fifty acres in addition to said Garden and Cemetery upon the same trusts and for the same purposes and with the same powers and privileges as the said Massachusetts Horticultural Society now hold the same by virtue of the Statute of the year One thousand eight hundred and thirty one, Chapter Sixty nine; and may also take and hold any personal estate not exceeding in value, Fifty thousand Dollars to be applied to purposes connected with and appropriate to the objects of said establishment.

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The subscribers, being Proprietors of lots in the Cemetery of Mount Auburn, hereby signify their assent to the Act of the Legislature passed the thirty first day of March AD. eighteen hundred & thirty five, entitled an Act to incorporated the Proprietors of the Cemetery of Mount Auburn.— Dated April 21 1835.

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Corporation Meeting 21^st April 1835

A Meeting of the Proprietors of Lots in the Cemetery of Mount Auburn was held this twenty first day of April AD. eighteen hundred & thirty five pursuant to a Motification in the words & figures following; vis.

Mount Auburn Cemetery

Notice is hereby given to the Proprietors of the Lots in the Cemetery of Mount Auburn that a meeting will be held on Tuesday April 21^st at 4 ^oClock P.M. at the Horticultural Room, N^o 79 Cornhill Boston to see if they will accept the Charter granted by the Legislature for incorporating the said Proprietors, and if accepted, to organize the said Corporation and transact all other business that may be legally brought before them._ Proprietors who shall before at or during the said meeting, by writing assent to becoming members of the Corporation will be entitled to vote by proxy._ Boston. April 14, 1835

Joseph Story John Davis J. Bigelow Isaac Parker George Bond Charles P. Curtis;___

which notification was published in a newspaper printed in Boston, called Boston Daily Advertiser and Patriot, seven days a least before the day appointed for the said meeting

The Hon^ble John Davis was elected Moderator

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of the Meeting and Charles P. Curtis was chosen Secretary, and was duly qualified.

Act of Incorporation accepted

The Act of the Legislature passed March 31, 1835 entitled an Act to incorporate the Proprietors of the Cemetery of Mount Auburn was read by the Secretary, and it was unanimously— Voted to accept the same and to proceed to organize the said Corporation;

Trustees chosen

It was then voted to proceed to the choice of nine Trustees, to be chosen by ballot, and Samuel Whitwell Esq. was appointed a Committee to receive sort & count the votes for trustees, and on his report it appeared that Mess^rs Joseph Story Samuel Appleton, George Bond, Jacob Bigelow, Benjamin A. Gould, Charles Brown, Charles P. Curtis, Joseph P. Bradlee and James Read were unanimously chosen Trustees of the said Corporation It was then voted that Joseph Story Esq. be a committee to prepare such By laws as he should deem necessary, who reported the followings; –

By Law_ Annual Meeting.

The annual Meeting of the Corporation shall be held on the twenty fourth day of September in each year ^being the day on which Mount Auburn was consecrated to the purposes of a Cemetary, unless the same day shall happen on a Sunday, in which case it shall be held on the day next succeeding; and the annual meeting shall ^^be held in the City of Boston at such place and time of the day as the Trustees shall appoint; –

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Trustees 23 Ap. 1835

A meeting of the Trustees of the Proprietors of the Cemetery of Mount Auburn was held at the office of Charles P. Curtis in Boston on Thursday the 23^d day of April 1835 at 4 o'clock P.M. __ Present Mess^rs. Joseph Story, Samuel Appleton, Jacob Bigelow, James Read, Charles P. Curtis Benj^m A. Gould, Charles Brown.

The meeting was called to order by Mr. Chas. P. Curtis, the Secretary chosen at the Proprietors Meeting, & thereupon Mr. Samuel Appleton was chosen chairman.

President Chosen.

The Trustees then voted to proceed to the choice of a President by ballot, when the Hon. Joseph Story was unanimously chosen President.

Treasurer.

Mr. George Bond was then chosen Treasurer in the same manner.

Salary of Sec.

Mr C. P. Curtis then resigned the office of secretary. It was voted that the salary of the Secretary be one hundred dollars per annum.

Secretary

Mr Benjamin R. Curtis was unanimously chosen by ballot to be the Secretary of the Corporation & was duly qualified

Com^ee to procure Deed.

Voted. That Mess^rs Bond & C. P. Curtis be a committee to apply for & obtain a conveyance from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society of the land & other property appertaining to the Cemetery & Garden pursuant to the act passed March 31, 1835