There have been many critter problems in the history of Westminster, but none seems to have caused as much a stir as what to do with the city's hog population.

Many thanks go to Laurel Taylor, the Westminster City Clerk, who gave me a hand a while back in getting to the bottom of these controversies.

As early as Oct. 1, 1860, an ordinance was enacted by the Westminster mayor and Common Council prohibiting "the running at large of hogs and swine" in the city.

Later that month, newspaper accounts noted "the price per head for the impoundment of errant swine was reduced from $2.00/head to $1.00/head. The daily fee for impoundment was reduced from $1.50 to $.50."

Apparently, they should have made the penalty more stiff, because things were just as bad eight months later.

On June 12, 1861, the minutes of the Common Council noted that city officials, "Moved and seconded that the Ordinance relating to Hogs running at large in the City of Westminster be enforced and that after the 1st of July 1861 all hogs or swine found in the streets will be taken up and disposed of." I wonder if the ordinance was posted with a recipe?

Alas, problems associated with hogs persisted and in October 1895, a special council meeting was called after "Dr. J. Howell Billingslea and a committee of citizens (urged) immediate action in the interest of the public health," according to an Oct. 12, 1895, article in the old American Sentinel newspaper.

The article noted that Dr. Billingslea was "convinced that the hog pens, even when kept as clean as possible, are disease breeders and a constant menace to the health of the people in towns of any considerable size, a fact about which there can hardly be a dispute.

"January 1, 1896, is spoken of as the period at which the prohibition will likely go into effect," the article added. "While such a measure will work hardship, probably in many cases, it seems to be necessary to the preservation of the health of the community."

Fifty years later, in June 1946, hogs were not longer a threat, but another controversy erupted in downtown Westminster: parking meters

On May 24, 1946, the now-defunct Democratic Advocate reported that meters "from Charles Carroll Hotel to Anchor street, (became) a reality Tuesday morning when a force of men started drilling holes for the erection of the meters."

The proposal by the city to install parking meters was not only controversial, it became the subject of litigation. However, as the newspaper reported, an injunction "was denied by Judge Clarke, some time last April, and an appeal was under way but later dropped by the opposers.

"Charles Armacost, popular contractor of Finksburg, has charge of the placing the meters in position. The work is being done very rapidly."

Of course, parking in downtown Westminster ebbs and flows in controversy. For many of us, one enigma remains: why parking was removed from the south side of Main Street in front of where the Westminster branch of the Carroll County library is located.

Many of us who grew up in Westminster recall parking on that side of the street -- in front of where St. John Catholic Church was then located. Then came along "progress," and a center turn lane -- which is hardly ever used -- was added for the entire block. The parking was removed.

Nevertheless, in spite of the critters the parking meters, the city has survived. Whether we will survive the city's current "tax, borrow and spend" initiatives remains to be seen.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at kdayhoff@carr.org.

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