Kewaunee County...Suceeding Where George Washington Did Not

Nearly 250 years ago George Washington was a young legislator in Virginia's House of Burgesses. Pigs were fouling the water and Washington introduced legislation to keep them off the streets of Williamsburg. As inexperienced as he was, Washington's proposal was not acted upon.

About 100 years later, Ahnapee residents dealt with a similar problem.

Ahnapee's first official village meeting was held at 8 P.M. on July 12, 1873. By then the village had 100 registered voters. William N. Perry was unanimously elected president, Joseph Anderegg was elected clerk and in the first historical business conducted three days later, Michael McDonald was elected marshall. Marshall McDonald had to hit the ground running.

A month following his election, McDonald declared war on swine on the streets. Such a thing was forbidden by the newly created Ordinance 4. Cattle, however, appeared to be exempt from Ordinance 4 because just three years later, the Ahnapee Record commented on the "nerve" of the Village Board in creating an ordinance restricting cows from roaming the streets. Citizens were reminded to "keep your cows off the streets or you may find them milked instead of your coffee."

Farm animals in Kewaunee were an issue 140 years after Ahnape's residents breathed a sigh of relief having a marshall who could meet such a challenge. Kewaunee County Star News' columnist Barb Ludlow noted in the September 8, 2012 paper that Kewaunee's City Council was considering an ordinance allowing city residents to raise chickens. Ludlow wondered if chickens were allowed, would pigs, cows and other farm animals be next? In the next edition, Ludlow told her readers that the Council approved Ordinance No. 567-12. Livestock and other farm animals could be kept in agricultural zones but they were prohibited in other zones.

Ahnapee's Village Board and Kewaunee's City Council succeeded where George Washington did not. At least not the first time.