Incorporation, 1903

Status: Early draft with review notes intact.

Barney became an incorporated town on August 6, 1903. The charter established the town's boundaries, created an elected government, and gave local officials authority over taxes, streets, businesses, public health, livestock, and public order.

The campaign and legislative action that preceded the charter are covered on The road to incorporation. The pages in this section begin with the approved act and examine what it created.

Explore the incorporation charter

• Charter and boundaries — the approved act, the town's legal name, and the half-mile boundary centered on the railroad depot.
• Government and elections — the mayor, council, voting requirements, annual elections, and municipal offices established by the charter.
• Municipal powers and local needs — the town's authority over taxes, streets, businesses, health, livestock, courts, and public improvements, considered alongside problems already documented in Barney.

For events after the charter took effect, continue to First municipal years, 1903-1910.