USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Annals of Morris County > Part 1
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ANNALS OF MORRIS COUNTY 1
BÝ
~ JOSEPH F. TUTTLE. 11
PRESIDENT OF WABASH COLLEGE.
F148 .MIT7
[1-072.]
LIBRARY OF THE
UNITED STATES BUREAU OF EDUCATION.
Division
Shelf ...
M 2068
PRESENTED BY
1889
·von
mmals
morris County.
1
THE EARLY HISTORY OF MORRIS COUNTY .*
It is not my design to write an elaborate his- tory of the COUNTY of Morris, but rather to make a few statements concerning it which seem to me to be interesting and important, since every community has a history which, if properly related, must be interesting and even important, at least to those who belong to it. In its beginnings and progress it may have borne a very humble part in the grand drama which the world is acting, and yet humble as that part may be, it was grand to those who acted it. There is not an old community or church in any old county in our State whose history has not a very considerable interest to the local antiquary and historian. It may nev- er have held a very prominent position as re- lated to the general commonwealth. It may be neither a Wittenburg or a Geneva, the cen- ter of moral revolution, a Runymede or Phila- adelphia, rendered famous by some immortal scene, the birth of a Magna Charta or the pub- lication of a Declaration of Independence. Its history spread out on the pages of general his- tory might seem out of place or be eclipsed by the more distinguished deeds recorded on the same pages, and yet that humble history has the merit of being in a sense personal to our- scives. Here the fathers of such a community fought the battle of life, wrestled with the problems of moral responsibility, loved the loving, pitied the sorrowful, helped the weak. wept over the dying ; here they laid the foun- dations of the social fabric as best they could, often in a very blind yet honest method, lived life as we now live it, and they died leaving their graves to us as silent monitors not to per- mit them to sink into forgetfulness. Although
not as great as many who have lived, they are our forefathers, and the work they did for us merits a grateful record at our hands.
The beginners of society in Morris County were plain people, many of whom had very lit- tle education. The records of the county and of several churches which date back far toward the first settlement on the Whippany River, prove this. I have spent not a little time and effort to fix a precise date to the foundation of society in the county, but with no marked suc- cess. In the year 1767, the Rev. Jacob Green, the third pastor of the Hancver Church, wrote what he called a "History of the Hanover Pres- byterian Church." This is copied from a book in which Mr. Green recorded baptisms. In a preface to this manuscript record Mr. Green writes that "about the year 1710 a few families removed from Newark and Elizabeth, &c., and settled on the west side of the Pessaick River in that which is now Morris County. Not long after the settlers erected an house for the publick worship of God on the bank of the Whippenung River (about three miles west of the Pessaick River), about one hundred rods below the Forge which is and has long been known by the name of The Old Iron Works. There was a church gathered in the year 17 -. Mr. Na- thaniel Hubbel was ordained and settled by the Presbytery of New York. About this time this place obtained the name of Hanover and be- came a township, but the place was most com- monly known by the Indian name Whippenung. Mr. Hubbel continued to minister here till --- , when for some uneasiness between him and the people he was dismissed. This church then had no proper book of Records. And if Mr. Hubbel kept any church records of his own they were not left to those who came after."
Mr. Green began his ministry in 1746, when some of his pioneers were still living, and he could have easily found the date of settlement
*Read before the N. J. Historical Society, May 20th, 1869.
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ANNALS OF MORRIS COUNTY.
and given the names of the settlers and many facts of interest, but it is too often true that to those who are near the facts of which history is composed, those facts do not seem of great value, at least not enough to cause them to be carefully preserved. By way of extenuating "l'arson Green" for not securing in permanent form these un-merchantable statements as to who the early settlers were and when they came and what they did, all of which were then within his easy reach, it may be alleged that he waa a inan of many callings, a very busy man. His salary was small, and he says this "led him to take more worldly cares and business than he could have chosen." His people eneourag- ed him in this course, assuring him "that country congregations could not have ministers unless ministers would take some care to pro- vide and help support their own families." He studiedl aud practiced medicine, he had a school under his care, often wrote and executed wills for his patients and had a share both in a grist mill and a distillery. Some wag is said to have directed a letter to him with this somewhat comprehensive superscription :
"To the Rev. Jacob Green, Preacher, And the Rev. Jacob Green, Teacher ; To the Rev. Jacob Green, Doetor, And the Rev. Jacob Green, Proctor ; To the Rev. Jacob Green, Miller, And the Rev. Jacob Green, Distiller."
In regard to hia numerous avocations, he said iu his autobiography : "When I entered upon worldly schemes I found them in general ¿ plague, a vexation, and a snare. If I some- what increased my worldly estate, I also in- creased sorrow and incurred blame in all things except the practice of physick."*
It is not hard to account for such a man's regleet to collect and record history which was then too recent to seem of much import- ance, and yet it is very annoying that the good man who as pastor and physician was constant- ly meeting those who could have told him the very facts we so much desire to know, should not have interrogated the witnesses and re- corded their answers.
The carheat reference to Morris County that I find, is in a letter of David Barclay, Arthur Forbes and Gawen Lawrie, to the Scots Propri- etors of East Jersey, under date of March 29, 1684. In answer to query seventh, they say : "There are alao hills up in the countrey, but how much ground they take up we know not. they are said to bostony and covered with wood and beyond them is said to be excellent land.t At that time the region thus mentioned must have been TERRA INCOGNITA. How carly it was explored and surveyed, I have not with certain-
ty ascertained. The unvarying tradition has been that the first settlement was made at Whippany, and another tradition declares that Abraham Kitchel, grandson of the Rev. Abra- ham Pierson, Sen., of Newark, and the two bro- thers Timothy and Joseph Tuttle, were among the carliest settlers, but this is not verified by an examination of their deeds,* which fix the date of Abraham Kitchel's removal to Hanover in 1724, at least fourteen years after the origi- ual settlement is supposed to have been made. On the 2d of April 1726, Timothy Tuttle eon- veyed to his "loving brother Joseph Tuttle, of Newark," certain real estate in that place. It is supposed-the deeds are now to be had- that Timothy Tuttle removed to Morris County the year he sold real estate to his brother. On the 23d of January, 1733-4, John and Samnel Johnson, of Newark, deeded to Joseph Tuttle. of the same place, some real estate in Newark, so that he was then still a resident there. Meanwhile he had purchased, in 1725, a large tract of land on Hanover Neck, a part of which is still occupied by one of his descendants.
Who then DID settle first at Whippany, and when did they settle there ? It is very certain that there had been some settlement previous to 1718, for on the second day of that year one "John Richards, of Whipanong, in the County of Hunterdon, in the Province of New Jersey, Schoolinaster," was the owner of a tract of land which is now known as the Whippany Burying Yard, in the northwest corner of which, for many years, stood the First Presbyterian Church. At that date the "Schoolmaster," "for and in consideration," as he said, "of the love, good will and affection which I have and do bear toward my Christian friends and neigh- bours in Whippanung aforesaid, as also for the desire and regard I have to promote and ad- vance the publick interest," gave the described tract of land for the site of "a decent and suit- able meeting house for the publick worship of God," as also for "a school-house, Burying Ground, Training field, and sneh hke publick uses." The lot contained three and a half acres. lu the deed he speaks of his land as be- ing "in the township of Whipanong, ou that part commonly called Peurpenong, on the northeasterly side of the Whipanong River."
It is fair to infer that considerable progress had been already made, but at present I can
*Dr. Green's Christian Advocate, X. 52.
+E. Jersey under the Proprietors, 291.
*A deed still in possession of a descendant of Abraham Kitchel, dated May 5, 1713, and given by "John Prudden, quondam minister," con- veys a tract of ground in Newark to Abraham Kitchel, of Newark. In 1718 John Baldwin con- veys a tract of ground to Abraham Kitehel, of Newark. On the 20th of May, 1724, "Rebecca Wheeler, of Burlington," decided to Abraham Kitchel 1075 aeres cast of Whippany River, a part of which is atill occupied by one of his de- scendants, Joseph Kitchef, of Hanover Neck.
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ANNALS OF MORRIS COUNTY.
give no information as to the precise facts. My conjecture is that the original settlers may have been squatters, making irou from the Succa- sunna iron ore, with the boundless forests in the region which they converted into coal. The tradition is that the ore was brought in leather bags on pack-horses from the great mine now known as "the Dickerson Mine," which at that time and for many years after- ward exposed vast quantities of ore above ground.
As bearing on the question, it may be said that the copy ot a deed may be seca it: Tren- ton which indicates that in 1715 a traet of land had been surveyed in the present township of Morris .* No doubt somewhere still remain the facts in books of records, or unrecorded deeds and wills, which shall throw light on the settle- ment at Whippany.
In 1713 James Wills, an Englishman, bought of the East Jersey Proprietors a large tract of land in and abont what is now called Ralston- ville, about one mile west of Mendham. In 1722 James Pitney bought land of his brother which had previously been purchased of the Proprietors. It is impossible to determine at what date Mendham was settled. Even the proximate date of the founding of that church is only interred as being previous to 1738, when its name is mentioned in connection with the Presbytery of New Brunswick. Dr. Hastings thinks it was organized about 1735 or 1736.t Iu 1745 Edmund Burnet made a deed of its yard and site to the Mendham Church, in which, with original orthography, he speaks of him- self as "Elmon Burnuant, of Rocksitiens, in ye County of Summerset in East nn Jareses In Amaracah," for certain reasons giving the con- gregation "A scairtain pees of parsel of Land on which the meeting Hows Now Standeth."
It will be remembered that thus far the ear- liest definite fact ascertained is that in 1713 Junes Wills purchased a tract of land at Mend- ham, and that he probably settled on it at that time or soon after. At Hanover the settlement was "about 1710," but. the actual dates as de- rived from deeds do not go back of 1715 and 1718, although it is evident that earlier pur- chases had been made. If we now eross the mountains west of Hanover, we come to the region in which another actual purchase was made at an early date. These facts were re- ceived from the late Richard Brotherton, of Randolph Township, a very intelligent and worthy Friend, who professed to make the state- iments from documents to which he had access and which are supposed to be still in existence. Mr. Brothertou says that oue Joseph Kirkbride
located a tract of land in the present township of Randolph, in Morris County, as early as 1713, containing 4,525 acres, besides the usual allowance for highways, also in the same year a tract of 1,254 acres bounded on the southwest- erly line of the first tract. The Succasunna Mine lot was located in 1716, by John Reading. and sold the same year to Joseph Kirkbride, containing 558 acres,* and after his death the tract was divided between his three sons, Jo- seph, John and Mahlon Kirkbride, except the mine lot, which was held by them in common until such time as the same should be sold.t
Mr. Richard Brotherton further states that the home-farm of Hartshorn Fitz Randolph was located July 30, 1713 (the survey being made by John Reading), and by him conveyed to Jo- seph Latham, who conveyed the same to Johu Jackson in 1722. The Executors of Edward Fitz Randolph (Nathan and Hartshorn Fitz Randolph), obtained a judgment against Jack- son, and on the 15th of Angust, 1753, John Ford, the Sheriff of Morris County, sold the land which was purchased by Hartshorn Fitz Randolph, who occupied it until his death. which occurred in 1807. He bought other lands adjoining until his farm containe 1 800 acres,
This Hartshorn Fitz Randolph is said to have been a devont Friend, and to have had in his employ a man who was a singular character and allowed by his master almost as many lib- erties as "the King's fool." Tradition has pre - served the following anecdote relating to the two, of the truth of which as much beher may be entertained as the circumstances may seem to warrant. It is said that on a certain Sunday morning Mr. Fitz Randolph wished to go to the Quaker Meeting House on the opposite hill. but the brook was so swollen with rain as not to be very easily crossed. The man offered. tu carry him across on his back. When in ihn midst of the stream he stopped and said to Mr. Fitz R. "Will thee give me a quart of apple- jack if I take thee safely over ?" "No, I wil. nat ; go on," said Mr. Fitz R. "But say, wi !! thee give it me ? for if thee does not, I will ler thee down into the water"' "I minst not give thee that which will do thee harm." "But I sas thec MEST give it me or I will let theedowninto the water quickly !" was the reply of the impu- dent fellow, whose motions indicated that In
*Bounded on the northwest line and corners at the north corners of the said tract ot 4,52 acres, making together 6,337 acres, besides the nsnal allowance for highways, which belonged to the said Joseph Kirkbride.
+In 1744 Henry Brotherton, the grandfather of Richard -- my informant-bought 125 acresel one of the Kirkbride heirs, and in 1753 his brother, James Brotherton, bought 200 or 399 acres on Mine Hill of the samo estate.
*East Jersey Records, Liber F. 3, p 29.
+Hasting's M. S. on Mudham.
1
ANNALS OF MORRIS COUNTY.
meant what he said, "Well I promise it, to give thee the apple-jack! now go on," said the Quaker. "Bo: SWEAR that thee will give it me!" persist- oil the man. "Thee knows that I must not swear l" "But I say thee MUST swear that thee will give me the apple-juck, or Iswear I will put thee quickly into this water !" "Well, well," said Mr. Fitz R., "thee is very unreasonable, but thee bas me m thy power, and so I swear that I will give thee the ruml" "There. now, Mr. Fitz Randolph, thee has done it !" exclaim- ed the man with an ill-concealed chnekle. "thee has done it now ! for thee has always said that A MAN THAT WILL SWEAR WILL LIE. and so I will let thee down into the water at any rate !" and he at onee suited the action to the word, leaving his employer in no good phght physically or spiritually for the service he was designing to attend.
Mr. Brotherton states that Schooley's Moun- tain received its name from one William Schooley, who was an early settler on it. His son William came to Randolph Township in 1713 and purchased several hundred acres- about 600 -- of the Kirkbride family, including what is now Mill Brook, some three miles south- east of Dover. There his son Robert S hooley built the first grist mill in that section of Morris County. Henry and Richard Brotherton, two brothers, and Richard Dell, married daughters of William Schooley, of Schooley's Mountam. Dell removed from Schooley's Mountain in 1759, to a tract of land which he purchased from the heirs ot Wilham Penn. This farm is two miles rast of Dover, and on the south side of the Rockaway River. His son Thomas Dell bought land of the Kirkbride heirs a mile cast of Mine Hill in the year 1786 and lived there until his death in 1850, when he was over ninety years of age. In 1756 that remarkable man, Gen. William Winds, from the east end of Long Is- land, purchased 275 acres of Thomas and Rich- ard Penn and lived on the same until Ins death, October 12th, 1789. Thus farm is east of the village of Dover nearly a mile, and south of the point of Pine Hill. In 1757 Josiah Beaman. the brother-in-law of Gen. Winds, purchased 107 acres where Dover now is, and principally on the north side of the Rockaway River.
The traet of land south of the river where Dover stands, and including the water power which drives the Iron Mills at that place, was located and purchased in the year 1745. In 1739 one Daniel Carrell pur chaged a tract of the Kirkbride estate in the vicinity of Dover, and n part of it is still occupied by his descendants. It is said that during the hard winter of 1740. when the snow was very deep, this Daniel Canel was obliged to carry hay on his back two unles and a half to keep his cattle and horses alive .* *Richard Brotherton's MS. m hands of Rev.
It has already been stated that in 1713 John Reading surveyed a traet of land which was conveyed to Joseph Latham, who, in 1722, sold it to one Jobn Jackson, who buitt a forge on the little stream which puts into the Rockaway near the residence of Mr. Jacob Hurd. The forge was nearly in front of Mr. Hard s house. The first forge in Morris county was at Whip- pany, and this one, built by Jackson, a mile west of Dover, was probably the second. The wood for charcoal was abundant, and the mine on the hill not far distant. For some reason Jackson did not sneceed in his iron manufac- ture, and was sold out by the Sheriff in 1753. I am not sure as to this John Jackson. James Jackson, of Newtown, L. I .. the great-grand- father of the late Col. Joseph Jackson of Rocka- way, had a son John amang his twenty children, He was born March 9th, 1701. Joseph Jackson, son of the aforesaid James, was a resident near Dover, and with his son Stephen, was joint owner of what was "commonly known as Schooley's Forge," the beginning corner of which was "about one chain from Josiah Bea- man's house." When John Jackson was sold out by the Sheriff, Josiah Beaman bought the forge. and it seems very probable that John Jackson's brother and nephew were the pur- ebasers of a part of the forge built by John. This purchase was made in 1768, and the next year Joseph sold his right in that forge to "'Stephen Jackson of Mendom, Bloomer." Stephen Jackson thus began his fortune in this humble way, and after a few years became the owner of the fine mill property at Rockaway with large tracts of valuable lands. Ho onee had the honor of entertaining Gen. Washington at his house, and was a man of great energy. He died in 1812.
My attempts to reach the earliest DOCH SIENT- ARY dates concerning Rockaway have not been successful ; but from caretni exannnation lan led to conjecture that the settlement began not long a iter that at Dover, about 1725 or possibly as late as 1730, at which time a small iron forge was built near where the upper forge uow stands in Rockaway. This statement embodies the opinion of some very aged men whose fa- thers had lived in the region from an early pe- riod. Among the men who worked that forge (whether the carhest is not known ) were Abner Beach, grandfather of the late Col. S. S. Beach, and Isnac Beach, a nephew of his. The latter told his son Isaac, who died about twenty years ago, that he remembered to have seen an en- cumpment of the Rockaway Indians a half mile south of the present village. The savages dis- appeared from the region a few years after the whites began to settle here, and were sand to have been merged in the tribe of Delawares. B. C. Megie.
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ANNALS OF MORRIS COUNTY:
l'here was the remnant of an encampment also near where the Steel Furnace stands.
Among the early settlers in the vicinity of Rockaway and Dover, in addition to those named, may be mentioned Gilbert Hedden, spoken of in one deed as "a citizen of North Carolina," who built the first grist mil about half a mile below the Rolling Mill ; David Bea- man, a deacon in the church, chorister, miller, forgeman and a very busy man, who left prop erty and numerous descendants, but whose grave is without a monument ; Capt. Job Allen, a carpenter, a very public spirited man and good citizen, whose influence in founding the church was very marked ; Deacon John Clarke a most devout man, universally honored and "po rerful in prayer ," and some others. There are two men who deserve special mention ; Mo- ses Tuttle of Mount Pleasant, and John Jacob Fresch of Mount Hope. Moses Tutile was the son of Col. Joseph Tuttle, of Hanover, and was horn in 1732. His death occurred in 1819. He married Jane, the daughter of Col. Jacob Ford, sen., a great land holder in Morris county. About the time of Ins marriage, in 1756, he re- moved to Mount Pleasant, three miles west of Rockaway, for the purpose of managing bis father-in-law's iron works. By inheritance and prudence he became possessed of a fine tract of land, on which several valable mines were discovered. He was a justice of the peace and a leader in society. Ancedotes are told which show his shrewduess. A very athletic young woman made oath that a young man had com- mitted an atrocious assault upon her. Squire Tuttle advised the young man to settle with her by offering her a sum of money tied up in a bag, which she at once received. The squire then directed the young man to take the bag from her by force, but she at once fung him from her as if he were a child, proving the fal- sity of the charge. She was at once arrested , and punished for perjury .* Mr. Tuttle as the thrifty manager of a large forge property and real estate, once found himself to be a creditor to a considerable amount when the State Leg- islature made its worthless bills of credit a le- gal tender. This act of course reversed the course of nature, so that the strange sight was 14) be seen of debtore chasing down their cred- tors. Mr. Tuttle left the country as if he were » criminal fleeing justice, and spent two years in the wilderness State of Kentucky to escape his too willing debtors! He has left many descendants who are among our most estimable people.
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