The Daily union history of Atlantic City and County, New Jersey : containing sketches of the past and present of Atlantic City and County, Part 1

Author: Hall, John F., fl. 1899-1900. cn
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Atlantic City, N.J. : Daily Union Printing Co.
Number of Pages: 554


USA > New Jersey > Atlantic County > Atlantic City > The Daily union history of Atlantic City and County, New Jersey : containing sketches of the past and present of Atlantic City and County > Part 1


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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40



Gc 974.901 At6ha 1215354


M. L


GENEALOGY COLLECTION


L


ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02250 7377


Very Truly yours


THE DAILY UNION


HISTORY OF


ATLANTIC CITY AND COUNTY,


NEW JERSEY.


CONTAINING SKETCHES OF THE PAST AND PRESENT OF ATLANTIC CITY AND COUNTY, WITH MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS SPECIALLY PREPARED.


BY JOHN F. HALL.


COPYRIGHTED JUNE, 1899


974.901 At 6ha


ISSUED FROM THE OFFICE OF THE DAILY UNION PRINTING COMPANY ATLANTIC CITY, N. J 1900


CONTENTS.


Introduction 5


Acknowledgment


7 Golf at the Country Club. 338


Atlantic County 11


Hammonton 69


Atlantic City Before Railroads, 169


Horse Show. 243


Advance in Real Estate. 315


Hotel Luray 241


Atlantic City Hotels. 233


Hotel Rates and Capacity 237


Allen Block. 321


Atlantic City Bar.


55


Hotel Windsor 239


Assemblymen


63


Homeopathic Club. 331


Atlantic County Bar.


39


Hotels ou Easter Sunday 251


47


Bacharach & Sons. 322


Bakersville


110


Invalids 203


Lay Judges. 65


Land Company and Surf Hotel. 187


Boardwalk and Piers


253


Leading Churches 273


Building the Narrow Gange


193


Bounds of Old Galloway 101


Map of the County


8


Census 136


Central M. E. Church 301


City Officials from 1854 157


City Coat of Arms. 139


City Water Supply. 213


City Hospital.


327


City Appropriations for 1900. 343


City Resources for 1900. 313


Old Fort and Its Defenders 97


Chief Calorie's Address, 10


Cottage Homes. 227


Climate at the Shore. 201


County Medical Society 330


Cost of City Government 342


County Bar Association 53


County Clerks. 50


Dolf Parker's Adventure 145


Drives and Good Roads 339


245


Earliest Settlers. 137


Egg Harbor City 111


Early Church History 287


Episcopal Church of Ascension. 281


Election Returns. 135


Easter Railroad Records. 251


First Baptist Church. 277


First Church at May's Landing. 309


First Colored Man 341


First Iron Pier. 260


First M. E. Church. 273 First Presbyterian Church. 275


First Publie Building. 341


First Quail and Rabbit. 339


First Visit and First Train. 173


First Railroad. 177


Five Banks. 311


Friendship M. E. Church. 305


Fire Department. 147


German Presbyterian Church. 2.83


Sea Air.


353


Sheriff's


61


Six Thousand Buildings 319


Sketch of Old Weymouth. 23


Sonth Jersey in Congress. 345


St. Andrew's Lutheran Church. 303


St. Nicholas' R. C. Church. 295


St. Paul M. E. Church. 281


State Senators. 63


Storms and Wrecks 141


Supreme Court Judges 59


Surrogates 61


Walker's Forge. 109


West Family


35


West Jersey Railroad. 199


139


Plenty of Black Snakes


341


Prosecutors of the Pleas.


57


Public Schools.


263


Ryon Adams Moves Up.


167


Real Estate Investment Co. 313


School Superintendents. 63


323


Ocean Piers. 257


Old Gloucester County 17


Old Church at Weymouth. 303


Old Church at Tuckahoe 309


Old Salt Works. 155


Olivet Presbyterian Church. 285


Our Lady, Star of the Sea. 299


Persistent Publicity 325


Port Republic. 89


Pleasant Mills.


103


Plenty of Wild Game.


357


Members of Council


344


Morris Guards. 333 261


New Steel Pier.


9


Brigantine


351


Board of Health


330


Hotel Rudolph 239


Batsto 81


Important Trials.


Indians


Life in the Sands, by Dr. Baily. 363


Beautiful Longport. 347


Marine Algae.


Newspapers


Easter at the Shore.


Gravity System Sewerage. 225


BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.


Introduction 442.


1215354


Plate. Sketeb.


Hudson, Shepherd S ..


130


.179


Abbott, Chas. T ..


444


443


Ingersoll. Robert II.


336


346


443


Frelan, Emory D.


Adams, Alfred, Sr. .


445 Jackson, George W


Adams, Alfred, Jr.


1.84


445 Jackson, Marcellus L.


482


Adams, Israel G.


268


Jeffries, N. J ..


132


517


Adams, Israel Scull


120


447


Jordan, Albert M


92


183


Adams, Harrold F


116


44ti


Joy. J. Addison.


210


483


Adams, James B.


162


447


Kelley, Arthur W


152


484


Adams, John B ..


447


Kelley. Samuel II


156


484


Adams, Lewis R.


186


448


Kuchnle, Louis, Sr.


408


415


Albertson, Levi C.


370


Leedom, Jacob Il


1.80


485


Allen, George


449


Lee, Edward S. .


366


485


Baake, Charles A


176


Lingerman, Joseph E


344


480


Babcock, Charles (


1.54


450


Loudenslager, Wm. B.


38


487


Bacharach, Harry


316


450


Lippincott, Barclay


487


Baily, Alfred W


274


515


Madden E. H .. 94


487 488


Barstow, Joseph A


36


451


Mehrer, John E.


48


488


Balliet. L. Dow.


304


375 451


Morse, Silas R.


266


489


Bell, William A


148


452


Munson, M. L.


490 490


Brown, Benj. H.


58


4.15


North. Edward


70


490


Bryant, John L.


62


455


North. James


112


491


Bryant, Lewis T


123


454


Osborne, Richard B.


178


492


Boyer, Charles B.


453


Osgood, Cyrus F


72


492


Berchtoldt. F


127


452


Pettit, Clarence


190


494


Boice, Peter and wife.


328


376


Pennington. B. C


416


417


Boire. Henry


453


Parkhurst. L. H.


492


Bourgeois, George A.


453


Parsons, John W 31-


493


Byrnes, Richard J.


457


Perry, Samuel E


124



Champion, John B.


30


457


Pollard. Wm. M


52


49


Champion, Joseph S


170


458


Reed. Thomas K


5-


4:


Collins, Isaac


2016


387


Reed. Edward S.


1:


Collins, John


60


3.80


Reed, Lewis, Sr.


Cook. Franklin P


196


458


Richards, Benj. W


Colwell, Stephen


174


516


Richards, John


-15


Corson. Rodman.


96


460


Richards. William


142


497


Cordery, Mary Clark


459


381


Rochford, John J


216


408


Crosby, George W


302


462


Ryon, James


288


98


Crosby, O. H.


306


463


Ryon, Pardon


272


498


Cresse, Lewis M.


324


461


Schaufler, Alois


46


49


Cromwell, Lydia H.


224


4+12


Nehleeht. Adolph


56


517


Currie. George F.


12


463


Senseman, Wilson


10


501


Darnall. Wm. Edgar.


464


Scott, Lewis P


418


499


Davis, Hannah Somers


146


405


Seull. Joseph


130


500


Dickerson. Thos. J


44


466


Sooy. Walter C.


308


505


Disston, Henry


90


467


Somers, Job B ..


134


437


Down, L. A. .


468


Southwick, James D


08


505


Endieott, Allen B.


396


468


Shackelford. W. E


118


501


Endicott. Charles G.


394


464


Shumway, I. J


194


502


Endieott. George T


392


469


Stephany. August


214


506


Endicott. Mordecai T.


398


469


Stephany. Robert E.


506


Evans, Charles


1-


470


Stewart W. Blair.


182


507


Evans. Lewis


18


471


Stoy. Franklin P.


507


Farrell. William E. 104


471


Stiles. Arthur H.


100


507


Fedigan, John J.


206


207


Smith. Thomas J


472


Somers. Richard


20


504


Fralinger. Joseph


126


472


Thompson. Jesse B


SON


French. John T.


473


Tilton, Wilbur R.


474


Fler. Charles E.


126


509


Gardner, John J


16


Vaughn. Shepherd 1I.


292


500


Gardiner, Wm. G.


208


414


Wahl. Charles F


106


510


Godfrey. Carlton


166


475


Westney. A. W.


300


510


Gorman, John L.


160


475


White. Daniel S., Jr.


511


Heston, Alfred MI


470


477


Wootton. Harry


150


311


Highee. Enoch A.


168


477


Wootton. Jonah, Ir.


161


51


Heekler, Henry


320


478


Wright. Elias


512


Hoopes. Wm. G.


31.8


470


Wright. Willard


26


514


Hoffman. V. P. .


114


Young. John L.


144


515


Hoffman, Samuel D


516


Youngman. M. D.


51.


Ball, Joseph


451


Madden, Hosea


Morris, Daniel


488


Bartlett, William G


374


Boysen, Theo. H


121


454


McConnell, Tobias


North. Joseph II., Nr.


74


191


Breder, George F.


Cordery, Enoch


42


459


Richards, Samuel B.


424


Corson. Walter A.


200


460


Risley, John C.


464


Seull. Henry 8.


431


Devine, Michael A.


34


4196


Seull, Lewis, W


504


Fleming. John R.


978


472


Thompson, Joseph


Westcott, John N


284


510


Godfrey, Burrows C


475


516


Wootton. Jonah. Nr.


511


Hoopes, Martha E


172


448


Leeds, Robert B.


Aikman, James M.


208


445 Jacobs, John C


1:2


-182


Adams, Clement J.


481


Abbott, Joseph E. P.


458


Richards, Jesse


Conover, Smith


Deakyne. H. H.


:


502


Fleming. Caleb K


Garrison, Wm. I.


GENEALOGICAL INDEX.


Introduction


368


Frambes Family 400


Albertson Family


369


Lake Family


406


Bahrock Family


373


Leeds Family


407


Bartlett Family


375


Pennington Family


+17


Boice Family.


Reed Family


121


Bryant Family


Richards Family


124


Clark Family


379


Scull Family


428


Collins Family .


384


Somers Family


133


Doughty Family


389


Steelman Family 138


Endicott Family


391


Townsend Family


440


INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS.


Ahove the Clouds.


202


Four Legs. 356


An Old Whaler ..


140


Friends' Meeting House. .. 301


Atlantic Avenue in 1870.


120


First Jail .. 342


Allen Store and Flats.


321


Friendship Church. 307


Aylesford Mansion.


103


Galen Hall. . 246


Bacharach Building.


211


Group of Churches.


276.


27x


Bank Buildings.


312


Group of School Houses


264


Bargaintown Mill.


17


(frist Mill at Batsto.


Batsto Lake ..


87


Hammonton Lake


73


Batsto Store and Lawn.


Home of Andrew Leeds,


169


Beach Scenes


.241. 6.


192


Home of James Leeds


171


Beach Scene at Longport


354


Home of John Leeds.


171


Beach Scenes of ISTO.


244


Beautiful Longport.


347


Hotel Shelburne.


238


Bellevue Avenue, Hammonton


Honse at Etna Furnace.


27


Beach and Boats. ..


Bell Buoy, Absecon Inlet. 350


Hotel Islesworth.


248


Birthplace of Hannah Somers Davis


137


Hotel Rudolf.


234


Boardwalk and Steel Pier.


2.57


Hotel Shelburne


242


Boardwalk View. .


Hotel St. Charles


236


City Hall, Egg Harbor City


291


Hotel Traymore


254


Catawba Church.


37


Hotel Windsor


240


Catawba Graves


27


Inlet Scenes


204


City Seal


137


In Days of Old.


138


City War Money


158


Iszard Iron Foundry


13


Colwell Mansion. ..


27


Lighthouse


260


Cottage Homes of


Longport Breakers.


348


Allen, George


205


Mansion House in 1876.


420


Adams, C. 1.


218


Morris Guards ..


332


Champion, John B.


230


Crosby, George W


New Steel Pier 262


310


Net Haul on Young's Pier.


259


Currie, George F.


Old Church at Tuckahoe


310


Down. L. A.


230


Evans, Charles


232


Old Etna Furnace.


028


Old Buttonwoods.


107


Fleming, J. R.


Old Catholic Church.


108


First Mayor


231


Old Ocean House.


219


Godfrey, B. C.


Old Surf House.


189


Godfrey, Carlton


Old-time Bathers ..


261


Hemsley. Fred ..


Oll School House.


265


Jacobs, Mrs. J. C.


218


Old Somers Mansion. .


504


Jordan, A. M.


249


Paper Mill at Pleasant Mills.


105


Kelley, S. H.


227


Paper Mill at Weymouth.


228


Pond at Walker's Forge


109


North, James


211


Pumping Station. .


Parsons, B. G.


207


Pennington Homestead.


119


Parsons, John W


209


Residence of Judge Byrnes


71


Petroff, E. J.


205


Residence of William J. Smith. 77


Quigley, F. P.


217


Richards' Mansion. .. 83


Reed, E. L. .


231


Richards' Yards and Barns. 85


Somers, Samuel.


999


Ryon Adams' House. 171


Sweigard, A. L ..


Saalman Vineyard.


129


Thompson, Joseph.


230


Sailboat in Clouds.


220


Young, John L ..


Salem Church. .


291


Upham Cottage.


215


Schaufler's Hotel.


23.1


Wahl, Win. F


232


Sea Algae. .. 18


360


Cottages at Longport


352


Sea and Sky


201


Country Club House, Northfield ..


Seaside House.


250


Country Road in Egg Harbor City


State Senator's Home


108


Court House and Jail.


11


St. Nicholas' Church.


205


Dennis Cottage


322


Sea Shells 364.


367


Dewey Wine Vaults.


131.


The Roller Chair.


203


Doughty Cabin. .


137


Tomb of Jesse Richards. 83


Easter on the Board Walk


247


Egg Harbor School House


121


Under Full Sail. .


Endicott Homestead.


397


United States Hotel.


First Boardwalk.


Views of Long Ago.


First City Hall.


221


Yacht Race. .


First City Depot.


179 Zion Church


340


Champion, Jos. S


255


Boardwalk and Youngs Pier


Hotel Luray.


Central Church. Bakersville.


293


Insane Asylum.


Mosquito Boat.


Old Church at Weymouth. 29


Evans, Lewis.


932


Munson, L. M.


928


238


117


133


The City from the Ocean.


Hospital, Showing Boice Annex.


320


Horse Show.


INTRODUCTION.


UNDREDS of bright writers have found pleasure and profit in picturing Atlantic City, these many years, and it is more of a pastime than a task for one who, during the last twenty years has been writing of and for the city, to tell the story of its phenomenal growth and gratifying prosperity. From the most inaccessible and least habitable corner, this island has become the most populous and attractive business centre of Atlantic County. From a briar-covered area of duck ponds and sand hills, these acres have become a modern city of fine hotels and handsome cottages, and attractive stores and business blocks; a summer health resort, and winter sanitarium, with regularly laid out and paved streets; ample water supply ; complete sewerage; electric lights; first-class fire protection, and all the appoint- ments of a modern city.


From being the home and plantation of a stalwart soldier of the Revolution, the scene of shipwrecks, and a resort for an occasional sportsman, and summer "beach parties," this strip of sand on the edge of the Continent has become famed throughout the world as the most popular bathing resort in summer and the most comfortable and satisfactory health resort in winter, for persons who would escape the vigorous climate of Northern cities, and find rest and milder tempera- ture not too far from great business centres.


Natural causes and well warranted enterprises have operated to effect the remarkable changes of forty-five years. The decline of Atlantic County in thrift, and manufacturing enterprises, is not less striking than the rise of Atlantic City like a Phoenix from forbidding sand dunes to be what it is to-day.


English Quakers and their associates, two hundred years ago, took posses- sion of West Jersey in search of religious liberty, and laid the foundation for the thrift and progress which has followed through their descendants. They dealt justly with the Indians and lived peaceably with each other, and made it possible for an educated, religious, and prosperous people to subdue the wilderness, ereet glass and iron works, build ships out of the cedar swamps, and enjoy the great natural privileges of the bays and rivers of the coast.


In spite of the devastation of the War for Independence the progress of West Jersey continued. Roads were opened, churches built, and good old-fash-


( 5)


6


DAILY UNION HISTORY OF ATLANTIC COUNTY.


ioned families raised. The sailors and whalers from Long Island and New Eng- land moved down the coast, till the territory now included in Atlantic County, at the beginning of the century, had a population of four thousand, which fifty years later, when the first railroad was built, had increased to ten thousand people.


To sketch clearly and concisely the honorable record of Atlantic County, since it was created, and forge accurately the strong links in the interesting chain of events that have made Atlantic City as the stranger finds it to-day, its favored location, out in the sea, its sanitary conditions and surroundings, its commendable enterprises, its leading citizens, its popular features, up-to-date hotels, and unsur- passes railroad facilities will be the scope and purpose of this book.


BEACH SCENE, ATLANTIC CITY.


H CKNOWLEDGMENT.


HE writer would make due acknowledgment to all whose assistance and encouragement has made it possible at so much labor and expense to com- pile this book. An earnest endeavor has been made not to disappoint our friends and to produce a volume that will be accepted as authentic history. giving proper credit to the good men and to the enterprises that have contributed so much to the early development of Atlantic County, and to the more recent up- building of Atlantic City.


To Rear-Admiral Mordecai T. Endicott, Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks, Department of the Navy, Washington, D. C., are we indebted for the sketches of the Pennington and Endicott families.


To Miss Gertrude Albertson, especially, are we indebted for compiling thes records of the Leeds, Scull. Lake and Collins families and otherwise assisting.


To Arthur W. Kelley, Esq., for articles on the county bar, important trials, the courts, lay judges, etc.


-


To Mr. Hubert Somers are we indebted for researches in the line of the Somers and Frambes genealogy.


To Mr. Valentine P. Hoffman, for his authentic sketch of Egg Harbor City; to Dr. James North, for original designs and the story of Hammonton; to Dr. W. Blair Stewart, for his article on Sea Air; to Mrs. M. S. Mccullough, for her chapter on Sea Algae; to Dr. A. W. Baily, for his story of Shell Fish.


To Edward S. Reed and to S. R. Morse, for views of Atlantic City, and to others who have taken a kindly interest in and generously co-operated in the production of this volume do we extend our thanks and acknowledge our lasting obligations.


The Author.


(7)


CAMDEN CO


MAP of ATLANTIC CO. NEW JERSEY 1900


MARTHA


-


HAMMONTON'


-


-


-


DA COSTA


--


MILLS


MULLICA


ELWOOD


BUEN WISTA


CHESTNUT NECK


CREAT


BAY


GALLOWAY'


POMONA


SMITHVILLE LEEDS POINT


VINEL AND


CONOVERVILLE


ISLAND BEACH


OCEANVILLE


-


V


.CRAVELLY RUN


ABSICON


-CATABA


MT PLEASANT


·RISLEY


BRICANTINE BEACH


ESTELLVILLE


PLEASANTVILLE


EGG HARBOR


LINWOOD


ATLANTIC


WEYMOUTH


ENGLISH CREEK


VENTNOR


RIVER


FURNACE


SOMERS


POINT


LONCPORT


O


GREAT EGG HARBOR BAY


MARSHALLVILLE " TUCKAHOE


OCEAN CITY


CUMBERLAND CO.


BUNA


·WEYMOUTH


HAMILTON


-RİCHLANO


SMAYS LANDING


·MC KEE CITY


-


SMITHS LANDING


BAKERSVILLE


NORTHFIELD


HEAD OF


SCULLVILLE


NT


C


QLD


SO. ATLANTIC


o!


BETHEL


SEAVIEW


-


EGG HARBOR CITY


·WEEKS TOWN


CREEN BANK


BURLINGTON


GLOUCESTER CO.


PLEASANT BATSTO


LOWER BANK


CLARKS LANDING


1


PORT REPUBLIC


WALKERS FORGE


The Last of the Indians.


THERE are still to be seen in Atlantic County a few of the skull bones, flint arrowheads, earthen pots and stone hatchets of the red men who populated this region for centuries before the days of William Penn. A few of the shell mounds are still left along the coast where their campfires burned when they feasted on the products of the bays. There were Indian shell mounds on this island when the white man first came here not far from the present site of the Island House at Baltic and Georgia avenues.


In the sand hills nearby Indian bones were unearthed by Andrew Leeds about 1850, and were carefully preserved till quite recently.


The Delaware Indian occupied all of New Jersey south of the Raritan river. and were a branch of the large and powerful Leni Lenappi tribe of New York State. By an act of the Colonial legislature of August. 1758. on record in the State Library, it is recited that the legislature to satisfy the just demands and wants of the Indians, appointed five commissioners to pay them from any money "which may be current for the present war," for any and all just rights and claims that may be due the Indian nations of the Colony. Such sum shall not exceed 1600 pounds, and that for the Delawares south of the Raritan the sum so ex- pended shall not exceed 800 pounds.


The Delawares wanted part of the money expended for land on which they could settle, and the legislature wanted the Indians to have in their view "a last- ing monument" to the justice of the Colony toward them. Careful provision was made for the protection of the Indians on such reservation. On August 29. 1758, Benjamin Springer and Hannah, his wife, sold to this commission in the name of Governor Francis Bernard, for 74 pounds. 3044 acres of land at Edge Pillock, near Atsion, in Burlington County. It is now known as Indian Mills. Here for years John Brainard, the famous missionary, labored among them before the Revolution when the settlement was called Brotherton.


The legislature provided for raising money by lottery to pay for these lands. From 1758 to about 1800 this remnant of the Delaware tribe, about sixty persons. were in possession of these lands and enjoyed hunting and fishing privileges elsewhere.


On March 17, 1796, the legislature appointed another commission to lease these lands and apply the proceeds to the needs of the Indians, which was done. Another act passed December 3. 1801, provided for the sale of the Brotherton tract, the proceeds to be applied to the removal of the survivors to Stockbridge. near Oneida lake, in Columbia County, New York. The two tribes had agreed to unite. After several years at Stockbridge, in conjunction with several other tribes, they purchased of the Menomonie Indians a tract of land near Green Bay. in Michigan, on the Fox river, and formed a settlement there called Statesburg.


(9)


10


DAILY UNION HISTORY OF ATLANTIC COUNTY.


They subsisted almost entirely from agricultural pursuits. In 1832, when only about forty of the Delawares were left, cherishing a tradition of their hunting and fishing rights in New Jersey, which they had abandoned, they delegated B. S. Calvin, one of the tribe, to obtain from the New Jersey legislature compensation for their relinquishment. Bartholomew S. Calvin, among his own people, was known as Shawuskukung or Wilted Grass. He was educated at Princeton Col- lege at the expense of the Scotch Missionary Society, and taught school for years both for whites and Indians at Brotherton. He was a soldier in the Revolution and was highly respected. He was 76 years of age when he presented to the legislature his numerously signed petition, written in his own hand. The petition was referred to a special committee, which recommended the payment of $2,000, which was promptly done and was all that was asked.


CALVIN'S ADDRESS.


MY BRETHREN :- I am old and weak and poor, and therefore a fit representa- tive of my people. You are young and strong and rich, and therefore fit repre- sentatives of your people. But let me beg you for a moment to lay aside the recollection of your strength and our weakness that your minds may be pre- pared to examine with candor the subject of our claims.


Our tradition informs us, and I believe it corresponds with your records, that the right of fishing in all the rivers and bays south of the Raritan, and of hunting in all uninclosed lands, was never relinquished, but on the contrary was expressly reserved in our last treaty held at Crosswicks, in 1758. Having myself been one of the parties to the sale, I believe in 1801, I know that these rights were not sold or parted with.


We now offer to sell these privileges to the State of New Jersey. They were once of great value to us and we apprehend that neither time nor distance nor the non-use of our rights has at all affected them, but that the courts here would consider our claims valid were we to exercise them ourselves or delegate them to others.


It is not, however, our wish to thus excite litigation. We consider the State legislature the proper purchaser and throw ourselves upon its benevolence and magnanimity, trusting that feelings of justice and liberality will induce you to give what you deem a compensation.


And as we have ever looked up to the leading characters of the United States, and to the leading characters of this State in particular, as our fathers, protectors and friends, we now look up to you as such and humbly beg that you will look upon us with that eye of pity, as we have reason to think our poor untutored forefathers looked upon yours, when they first arrived upon our then extensive but uncultivated dominions and sold them their lands, in many instances, for trifles in comparison as "light as air."


From Your Humble Petitioners, BARTHOLOMEW S. CALVIN,


In Behalf of Himself and His Red Brethren. Trenton, N. J., March, 1832.


3 1833 02250 7377


--- - ---- ---- 1 !


HISTORY.


ATLANT


DF


COUNTY.


LOUCESTER COUNTY at one time extended from the Delaware to the sea, including what is now Camden, Atlantic and Gloucester Counties. Camden was made a county by an act of the legislature passed March 13. 1844, seven years after Atlantic County had been created.


COUNTY JAIL AND COURT HOUSE AT MAY'S LANDING.


On February 7. 1837, an act was passed creating Atlantic County. There were then only four large townships or voting places in this county: Egg Harbor, Weymouth, Hamilton and Galloway. Mullica was created later out of Galloway. and the town of Hammonton out of Mullica. Buena Vista, in 1867, was created out of Hamilton and Atlantic City set off from Egg Harbor township in 1854.


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GEORGE F. CURRIE.


13


SKETCH OF OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.


The first deed was recorded by J. H. Collins, the first county clerk, on May 4, 1837, and was for 40 acres of land in Egg Harbor township, sold by 1. Robart and wife to Samuel Saunders.


Samuel Richards and wife gave the Board of Freeholders the lot at Mays Landing for the county buildings, by deed dated May 25, 1838, and the present court house was soon after erected thereon.


At the annual meeting of the Board of Freeholders of Gloucester County, held in May, 1836, 28 members constituted the Board, while at the annual meet- ing on the roth of May, 1837, 20 members composed that body, the townships of Hamilton, Weymouth, Egg Harbor and Galloway having been set off from Gloucester County, forming a new county called Atlantic, by an act of the legislature, passed the 7th day of February, A. D. 1837. At this meeting commissioners were appoint- ed to value the public buildings at Woodbury, the almshouse property, and other assets of the County of Gloucester, and to ascertain OLD ISZARD FOUNDRY. what proportion of such valuation would be due to the county of Atlantic, according to the ratio of population determined by the last census.


The commissioners appointed for Gloucester County were: John Clements, Elijah Bower and Saunders; for Atlantic County, Daniel Baker, Joseph Endicott and Enoch Doughty. These gentlemen met at the court house in Woodbury on the gth day of May, 1837, at 10 o'clock, and were each sworn or affirmed faithfully and impartially to value the public properties of Gloucester County, which appears as follows:


Two tracts of land in Deptford township, adjoining lands of John Swope, containing 248 47-100 acres. $ 850 00


Movable property at almshouse. 3.728 00


The entire almshouse lands, with the buildings and improvements. .. 16,150 00


The courthouse, jail, clerks and surrogates' offices, with their contents,


with all other property at Woodbury, "including the man O'Hoy"


11,400 00


Total


$32,128 00


From which deduct the debts of the county


7,932 55


Balance to be divided between the two counties.




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