by Joe Larson

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The office of fence viewer is one of the oldest appointments in New England. In Colonial times, fence viewers might be called upon to resolve boundary disputes; in Massachusetts, this position was first established in 1693 by a statute which was amended in 1785 and again in 1836.

Listen to Joe Larson, a long-time resident of the town of Pelham, and a Fence-Viewer for the town, tell stories of fence viewing.