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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY
BY HERBERT THOWLESS
THE LIBRARY
NINETEEN HUNDRED AND TWO
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HISTORICAL SKETCH
OF TUL
HERBERT L. THOWLESS ATTORNEY AT LAW Room 807, Prudential Building 765 Broad Street Newark, N. J.
This Booklet is sent with the compliments of the writer. The introduc- tory paragraph on page 1 and the sketches following the " Summary " at the top af page 24 were not written by me but by the editor of the Directory. The statistical history was originally prepared for a Souvenir Edition of a local newspaper, but by request of the publishers arrangements were made for printing the article in the 1902 edition of Holbrook's Newark City Directory. A few copies were separately printed for private circulation Herbert L. Thowless.
pour un ul vi these were graten that the facts thus collated and given to the public had been placed so ac- cessible and in a publication that will never perish. True it is that all of the Directories printed annually are not preserved, but it is equally certain that all are not destroyed. There are a number of files of the City Directory of Newark in the city that are complete, and many more that are nearly so. Those that are full are almost priceless and cannot be purchased. It was with the thought that they would be preserved for future generations that the sketch herewith given was compiled and included in this year's Directory. While it does not occupy many pages it is full of facts and figures and will be referred to, no doubt. by thousands, both now and in years to come.
HISTORICAL SKETCH
OF THE
CITY OF NEWARK
NEW JERSEY
HERBERT L. THOWLESS
=
The first Newark City Directory, published sixty- two years ago, contained a brief historical sketch of the city, which has been read and re-read many times by those interested in the founding and growth of the place and all of these were grateful that the facts thus collated and given to the public had been placed so ac- cessible and in a publication that will never perish. True it is that all of the Directories printed annually are not preserved, but it is equally certain that all are not destroyed. There are a number of files of the City Directory of Newark in the city that are complete, and many more that are nearly so. Those that are full are almost priceless and cannot be purchased. It was with the thought that they would be preserved for future generations that the sketch herewith given was compiled and included in this year's Directory. While it does not occupy many pages it is full of facts and figures and will be referred to, no doubt, by thousands. both now and in years to come.
TREATY OF FIRST SETTLERS WITH INDIANS
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HISTORICAL SKETCH CITY OF NEWARK
LOCATION.
Situated on west bank of Passaic River, about 9 miles westerly of New York City. Is in the northeast- ern part of New Jersey, in Essex County, of which it is the seat.
SETTLEMENT.
The city was settled in 1666 by parties from the New England States.
NAME.
Newark was named in honor of an English minister, who was the first clergyman in the place and came from Newark, England.
POPULATION.
The city had a population of 246,000 by the census of 1900, and at the present time it is estimated to contain 260,000 inhabitants. The normal increase is from 6,500 to 7,000 per annum. In the past ten years the increase was 35 per cent.
AREA.
The total area of the city is about 22 square miles, of which 14 square miles is built up and the balance mea- dow land. The city has a water front of 10 miles, in- chiding the Passaic River and Newark Bay.
GOVERNMENT.
Y
The government comprises the Mayor, a common council of 30 members, a board of education of 30 mem- bers and numerous other boards and departments suit- able for a city of its size. There are the usual city, county and State courts as well as United States Courts in the city.
RANK.
Newark is the largest and wealthiest eity of New Jersey and ranks as 16th in the United States in popula- tion and one of the leading manufacturing centres of the country, being among the first four or five in that regard.
STREETS.
There are 225 miles of improved streets, that is, flagged, curbed and graded. One hundred and twenty- five miles are well paved and about 10 miles of streets are
NEWARK IN 1790 -LOOKING EAST FROM BROAD STREET
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HISTORICAL SKETCH CITY OF NEWARK
being paved annually at an expense of about $500,000 per year. Streets are from 50 to 150 feet in width. Broad street, the principal street, is three miles long and 130 feet wide. Market street, another main street, is 90 feet wide. The ordinary street is 60 feet wide. Many of the streets start in Newark and run from 3 to 10 miles beyond the city limits, but being continuous streets. The resident streets are shaded by thousands of shade trees.
SEWERS.
The sewerage system comprises between 181 and 190 miles of briek, iron and pipe sewers, which are being im- proved and extended annually at a cost of many thou- sand dollars. There are about 2,800 sewer basins.
WATER SUPPLY.
In the city limits are 255 miles of water mains for fire and domestie use and for street sprinkling and fac- tory uses. The water supply of the city comes from the water sheds through two steel pipes, one 48 inches and the other 42 inches in diameter. These water sheds, lakes and reservoirs are about 22-30 miles from the city. The entire water plant is owned by Newark and cost $6,000,000 besides the value of the local pipes and storage reservoirs. The average daily consumption is 25,000,- 000 gallons and the full capacity of the plant 50,000,- 000 per day. There are over 35,000 connections with the street mains and some 2,300 fire hydrants in use. A new storage reservoir is being built just outside of the city at a cost of $550,000. The entire water plant of the city is worth $10,000,000. There are over 12,500 meters at- tached to the system.
STREET AND PRIVATE LIGHTING.
The city streets, parks and city property are well lighted by gas and electricity and many private dwell- ings stores and factories are also lighted by electricity and practically all buildings by gas. Many of the larger factories, office buildings, stores and public buildings have their own private electric lighting plants. In the public streets and parks are 2,100 gas lamps and 1,700 electric lamps of 2,000 candle power each.
1
NEW CITY HALL-UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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HISTORICAL SKETCH CITY OF NEWARK
TRANSPORTATION.
The city is well supplied with railway and street car facilities. Six lines of railroad pass through the city, having 14 passenger stations, and give a train service of from 650 to 700 passenger trains every twenty four hours. There are about 30 miles of railroad tracks in the city limits. Newark is also well supplied with electric street car service, there being 70 miles of track, with cars running night and day to all points of the com- pass, conveying to every city and town within a radius of 20 miles, with two lines connecting with New York. All the steam railroads are at work elevating their tracks through the city at a cost of several millions of dollars. The freight facilities are good. but are hardly equal to the wants of the people and great improvements will be made within the next year or so. 'A number of new passenger stations are to be ereeted.
BUILDINGS.
There are about 30.000 buildings in the city limits and 1,000 new ones are erected every year. These build- ings are of wood, iron, steel, brick and stone, ranging from 2 to 13 stories in height. The Prudential Insurance Company's buildings are worth $6.500.000 and the large department store of Hahne & Co. cost $2.500,000. The new city hall will cost somewhere near $2.000,000 and the new county court house $1.200.000. Tiffany & Com- pany's plant is worth $1,000,000. There are also many churches. clubs, factories. stores, schoolbuildings, etc .. which have cost from $50.000 to $500.000.
CANAL.
The Morris Canal passes through the centre of the city but will probably he abandoned within a few years and the route used for a railroad or large trunk sewer.
PARKS-CITY AND COUNTY.
The city is now well supplied with public parks owned by the city of Newark and Essex County, those : within the city limits being valued at about $10,000.000 The people of the city have also the use of the county parks and the fine private parks at " Hutton Park " and " Llewellyn Park." The total park facilities of the city and county, both public and private, are much over 4,000 acres. In city limits 600 acres.
STATE OF *** XXICY
SECRETARY OF STATE AT THE UNITED STATES.
THEODORE FRELINGHUYSEN MONUMENT
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HISTORICAL SKETCH CITY OF NEWARK
CHURCHES.
There are about 170 churches and chapels of all kinds, nearly every denomination being represented. A $1,000,000 Catholic cathedral is under construction There also exist a hundred or more religious societies connected with the various churches. Church property is valued at many millions of dollars.
LODGES AND SOCIAL SOCIETIES.
The city is well supplied with numerous lodges, secret orders and fraternal organizations. Nearly every secret and beneficial order is represented by one or more lodges.
ATHLETIC AND SOCIAL CLUBS.
There exists numerous clubs for athletic and social purposes, including baseball, football, bowling, lawn tennis, rowing, basketball, cricket, etc., and many gym- nasiums.
POSTAL FACILITIES.
The United States Government has supplied us with an efficient postal service covering the entire city, with free deliveries from 3 to 6 times daily and 14 to 24 col- lections from the street letter boxes. The total postal force is about 300 men. The Post Office Building is worth $1,000,000 and an extensive addition is being made. The Custom House is in the Post Office Build- ing. the city being a port of entry and also a port of im- mediate entry, with usual staff of officials for the collec- tion of customs and revenne.
TELEGRAPH AND TELEGRAPH FACILITIES.
The modern conveniences are ample for the needs of the city. There are many and convenient public telegraph stations and several hundred public pay tele- phone stations. The two companies have 6,000 tele- phone instruments in the city and are constantly adding to their plant, having one main station and 2 branch ex- changes. Many public and private plants and buildings have private exchanges going entirely through their buildings and plants or stores. The Fire Department and Police Department have separate systems and tele- phone instruments are in every public school and in all city departments.
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HISTORICAL SKETCH CITY OF NEWARK
MANUFACTURING STATISTICS.
On July 1, 1900, there were 3,335 manufacturing plants in the city, having $104,155,803 capital invested and giving employment to 50,000 wage earners. The annual wages paid to these artisans is about $24,000,000 and the miscellaneous expenses over $10,000,000. The cost of raw materials used is 557,097,000 and the annual value of finished product is just short of $127,000,000 and increasing rapidly. The number of establishments increased 34 per cent in ten years and finished products 36 per cent. The city is the centre of the fine jewelry manufacture of the United States: also of patent enam- elled leather, celluloid goods, campaign buttons and nov- elties. In fact almost every article from a thing as small as a pin to a Corliss engine is made here. There are about 225 separate industries in the city. It is said of a Newarker, that when he wants anything made, he goes around the corner and sees it made for him. Hats, shoes, harness, wagons, carriages, cut-glass, stained glass windows, cutlery, clothing. printing. bookbinding. beers, all kinds of metal goods, inks, engraving work, color process printing are made in large quantities. Gold and silver work is made by many firms, as well as the finest watch cases. All kinds of tools and machinery are made in large quantities and it would take many pages to cover the industrial statistics of the city.
STORES AND SHOPS.
The city is well supplied with stores, shops and places for the purchase of all kinds of wearing ap- parel, household goods, and, in fact. anything that a person could possibly want. There are many hundreds of shops and six large department stores, of which Hahne & Co. is the sixth largest in the United States, covering 13 acres of floor space, running 75 to 100 delivery wagons and employing from 1.200 to 2,000 hands. Ten other stores employ from 100 to 700 hands each.
THEATRES AND PLACES OF AMUSEMENT.
Seven theatres furnish plenty of amusement. An- other theatre is projected. There are a number of fine halls for banquets and dances as well as several amuse- ment parks.
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HISTORICAL SKETCH CITY OF NEWARK
HOTELS.
The city is a place of private dwellings. Apartment houses are few, tenement houses also few in number. The Continental is the leading hotel in the city. A ten story hotel is projected.
OFFICE BUILDINGS.
Ample accommodations are provided in the various office buildings for the needs of the city. The largest buildings being the four owned by the Prudential In- surance Company. These buildings are all about eleven stories high. A number of other office structures range up to nine stories. Other office buildings are projected.
INSURANCE, BANKS, ETC.
The city is one of the great insurance centres of the country, being only exceeded by New York and Hart- ford. It has 7 home fire and life insurance companies, of which the Prudential ranks among the leading indus- trial companies of the world and the Mutual Benefit Life is the fourth largest in the country. The fire companies are strong for local companies but do not attraet special notice. Nearly every large company has either a branch office in Newark or an agent located here.
There are 20 national, state, savings banks and trust companies, all sound, well managed and with millions on deposit and abundant reserve. The Howard Savings Institution has in the neighborhood of 45.000 depositors.
The city has about 75 building and loan associa- tions doing business within its borders. These are gen- erally well managed and are a great benefit to their members.
NEWSPAPER PRESS.
The press is large enough for the wants of the com- munity. There are 2 Sunday papers, 2 English dailies, 1 German daily, with 12 weekly and monthly pa- pers of all kinds, besides the city is well supplied with the New York papers and all magazines and books daily. Newspapers are delivered free throughout the city by the newsboys, etc.
MARKET FACILITIES.
There is one publie market owned by the city. This building and plaza furnish room for the sale of all mar-
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HISTORICAL SKETCH CITY OF NEWARK
ket produce that is not sold directly in the retail stores. The building and grounds are estimated to be worth about $500,000.
BRIDGES.
There are 11 foot and railroad bridges crossing the Passaic. These are mostly plain structures more for use than ornament, there being no occasion for the con- struction of fine bridges like the Brooklyn Bridge.
The various docks along the river front furnish places for the unloading of all materials brought by the schooners and coasting vessels. The river traffic is heavy, amounting to many millions of tons annually, but the city is not what is generally known as a sea port.
EDUCATION-PUBLIC AND PRIVATE.
Public and private education in Newark is carried on in a liberal manner. The city provides an efficient system of common schools, ranging from the kinder- garten to the high and normal schools, fitting the youth of the community for business, college or for teachers. The free school system is divided into three groups, the day schools, evening schools and summer or vacation schools. The day-school system comprises 1 normal and training school for the education of teachers; 1 high school; 21 grammar schools; 53 primary schools, with complete kindergarten system; 1 colored school and 2 ungraded schools. The enrollment in the normal school is about 150; in th ehigh school 1,200; in the grammar schools 8,350; in the primary schools 24,600, including the ungraded, colored and industrial schools and in the kindergartens 6.650, making th etotal number enrolled about 47,000 pupils. The courses of study are broad and liberal, and include sewing, music, drawing, physical cul- ture and manual training. The courses in the high and normal schools are unusually broad and cover every sub- ject essential to a liberal education. The evening-school system comprises the evening high school, 1 drawing school and 9 grammar schools. The high school has an enrollment of about 370, the drawing school of 700 and the grammar schools of about 3,233, a total of 4,400 pu- pils. Complete courses are provided for the evening- school system, including lectures by able educators. The summer or vacation-school system comprises 13 schools, with a total enrollment of about 5,160. There is also maintained in the summer months a number of play-
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HISTORICAL SKETCH CITY OF NEWARK
grounds. The city of Newark was the first in the United States to establish summer schools, paid for from public funds, the first schools being opened on July 12, 1886. Boston opened a school in 1885 but it was supported from private funds by an association. A fine technical school is maintained for both day and evening classes. The total number of pupils enrolled in all the free pub- lic schools of the city is about 50,000. The city owns 48 school buildings and rents a number of annexes. Plans are under way for the construction ot at least one
' PRESENT COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBER
new building and additions to 7 others. The build- ings. grounds, furniture and fittings are worth about $3.000,000. There are employed over 1,000 teachers as well as an efficient janitor force and clerical force for the Board of Education rooms. The average annual cost of the schools to the people of Newark is about $1,000,000. Over $800,000 has been expended in the past few years for additional new buildings, to say nothing of the large sums spent annually for repairs to keep the buildings up to a high standard. $160,000 is to be expended during 1902 to increase the plant besides $50.000 for repairs. The money spent on the schools is well expended. Be-
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HISTORICAL SKETCH CITY OF NEWARK
sides the extensive free schools, there are numerous pri- vate schools, many of them of high grade. The total enrollment in all the private schools cannot be far from 9,100. Most of the private schools are small and there are not many over 100 pupils each. Private Catholic schools furnish accommodations for thousands of pupils. The Newark Academy is the leading private institution and is in reality a private high school. The various pri- vate institutions furnish instruction ranging from the kindergarten to preparation for college and business life. There are maintained four commercial schools, commonly called business colleges, a school of telegraphy, schools of shorthand and typewriting, and schools for the training of nurses are to be found in a number of the hospitals. The total enrollment of pupils in the various educational institutions of the city of Newark is about 60,000.
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
An efficient police force is maintained by the city and a large foree of private police and watchmen aid in guarding the lives and property of our citizens. The police department of the city is well drilled and equipped. It is governed by a commission of four men appointed by the Mayor and removed from political con- trol and its members hold positions during good behav- iour. The force comprises about 388 men and women, the latter the poliee matrons. There are five buildings used for police purposes, 1 headquarters and 4 police precincts. The executive head of the force is a chief, who has under him 4 precinct captains, 15 sergeants, 12 roundsmen, 1 captain of detectives, 15 detectives, 8 driv- ers, 5 matrons, and 321 foot, bicycle and mounted patrolmen and others. There is also employed a see- retary to the commission, a surgeon, messenger and stenographer. The deteetive bureau is well managed and efficient and the bicycle and mounted men give good account of themselves. The city is thoroughly equipped with the latest police patrol and electrie signal system. This system was installed in 1890 and added to a year or so later. The present equipment comprises 4 station- house desks complete, four stable desks complete, 201 pa- trol boxes, 207 sets of telephones and in use 16 signal cir- cuits and 16 telephone circuits. The headquarter are equipped with private telephone exchange and connec- tions with the station houses and city telephone service.
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HISTORICAL SKETCH CITY OF NEWARK
There are in use 1 large ambulance, 1 police van, and 7 patrol wagons that can be converted into ambulances when necessary. Some 25 horses are required for the mounted men and patrol service. The signal system handled last year about the following calls : 425,000 " on duty " calls, 3,800 " wagon " calls, 1,300 " ambulance " calls, and 525 alarms of fire, a grand total of 425,- 000 calls sent over the wires, not including the use of the telephone system between headquarters and the precinct stations. The number of arrests last year was about 6,100. The cost to maintain the department was about $426,000. In addition to the city services, there are sev- eral detective bureaus and others engaged in police work.
FIRE DEPARTMENT AND FIRE PROTECTION.
If there is any branch of the public service in which the people of Newark take pride, it is in the fire depart- ment and salvage corps. This city is acknowledged to have one of the most efficient fire services to be found in any community, great or small, and we have a just right to be proud of its excellent record. The high praise re- ceived from visitors and from the newspaper press within the last few years testify to its reputation. Visitors from parts of this country and from England, who have examined the service, have testified to its merit. The present fire department is a full paid force of about 250 men, governed by a commission, and, like the police force, protected from politics. The force is under the control of the Chief Engineer, assisted by a Deputy Chief and 2 Battalion Chiefs. The manual force consists of the following, in addition to the 4 chief officers: 23 captains of companies, 23 lieu- tenants of companies, 16 engineers of steam engines, 1 superintendent of fire alarm telegraph, 3 telegraph oper- ators, 1 assistant to superintendent, 1 superintendent of repairs, 1 veterinary surgeon, 1 secretary to the commis- sion, 1 stenographer, 2 linemen, and 169 firemen attached to the various companies and detailed for other work. The entire force is divided into 16 steam engine compan- ies, equipped with 2 or 3 horse steam engines and 1 or 2 horse hose wagon or combination chemical engine and hose wagon, with from 9 to 11 men; 5 hook and ladder companies, equipped with 3 horse truck and from 10 to 12 men, and 2 chemical engines, equipped with 2 horse chemical engine and 5 men each. There are in service and in reserve 21 steam engines, all new, rebuilt, or prac-
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HISTORICAL SKETCH CITY OF NEWARK
tically new; 7 trucks; 10 combination chemical engines and hose wagons; 7 hose wagons; 6 battalion wagons; 22 supply or exercise wagons; 2 telegraph department wagons and 102 or more horses. There is in service and reserve some 40,000 feet of hose. The department re- quires the use of 24 buildings. The city is equipped with the latest Central Office Gamewell Manual fire alarm telegraph system, comprising the central office outfit complete, including all the necessary electrical apparatus for receiving, recording and transmitting the alarms and testing machines, batteries, both storage and gravity. There are 26 engine house outfits and 8 large street gongs, with 260 street and private alarm boxes, all of which have the keys trapped in the locks and are practically "keyless." Most of them are of the improved " non-interfering " type. The entire force is kept up to the highest state of efficiency and with the new houses and additional men recently added and the large amount expended to place the apparatus in per- fect condition, the department was never in better con- dition to protect the many millions of dollars and the lives intrusted to its care. The cost to run the depart- ment last year was about $310.000. . The force responded to 666 alarms of all kinds in 1901, of which 548 were " first alarms." 112 were "still alarms." 5 were " sec- ond alarms," and 1 was a " third alarm." The esti- mated loss was $307.000. The alarms were an increase of 125 over the average for the past ten years and the loss $146,000 under the average for the past ten years. The loss per alarm last year was only $461.71 and the per capita loss $1.18. One fire entailed $180.000 of the total loss, leaving the balance to be distributed among the 660 odd alarms.
Maintained by the fire insurance companies is a salvage corps, equipped with a force of 13 men, 2 fine wagons and 6 horses. This company is located in the centre of the city in the finest corps house in the United States, and, taken as a whole, is a most efficient branch of the fire service, responding to all box alarms and to many telephone calls. Considering that the wagons cover the entire city, the work performed is a credit to the officers and men.
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