USA > New Jersey > Morris County > A history of Morris County, New Jersey : embracing upwards of two centuries, 1710-1913, Volume I > Part 21
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nually about 200 tons of paper, chiefly dark buff envelope. The Phoenix mill, which after rebuilding was called the Eden mill, produced about 10 tons weekly of white paper used by Frank Leslie's Pictorial, the New York Ledger, and other journals. Later these mills passed to A. J. and R. Coghlan. The old forge site on the Rockaway at Boonton also was changed to a paper mill, making principally straw board, having a daily output of from three .to five tons.
Cotton manufacturing began at Whippany as early as 1830, being intro- duced by Noadiah P. Thomas. He had three mills placed at intervals along the Whippany, from a point above Eden mill to the present cotton mill dam. One of these cotton spinning establishments burned in 1835, and was rebuilt on a more extended scale.
Flouring and saw mills were numerous; the distilling of cider spirits was formerly a considerable industry ; shoes were manufactured as early as 1800 in Hanover, Josiah Quinby introducing what became a profitable business. In Whippany, Troy and other places, a large business was once done in tanning leather, but that has entirely passed away. Well kept and well stocked stores do a thriving business in the villages, those of Whippany and Parsippany especially doing a large volume, being further from com- petitive centers.
Churches-The first religious society in the county was formed and the first church edifice erected at Whippany. In 1718, John Richards, a school teacher, donated a tract in the village for a meeting house, on which a build- ing must have been erected soon after. Mr. Richards died the following December, the stone that marks his grave being the oldest in the burying ground. The first pastor was Rev. Nathaniel Hubbell, a graduate of Yale, who was succeeded by Rev. John Nutman, also a Yale graduate. The con- gregation they served resided in what is now Morristown, Chatham, Madi- son, Parsippany, Hanover and Whippany, and even beyond these limits. After Rev. Mr. Nutman came the question of a new church edifice arose, as the old building was in a dilapidated condition. All wanted a new church, but each village wanted it. In 1735 Morristown was granted a separate or- ganization by the Presbytery. In 1735 Whippany Presbyterian Church aban- doned the old meeting house, and two churches were built-one at Hanover, near the present church, and one at Parsippany, in the old burying ground. Rev. Jacob Green served both churches until 1760, when Parsippany was made a separate church. Rev. Mr. Green continued over the Whippany church until his death, May 24, 1790.
The Parsippany Presbyterian Church was granted a separate organiza- tion in 1760, the first church, tradition says, being very small, and built of logs. About 1773 a new church was built. After the final separation from the Presbyterian church at Hanover in 1769, Rev. James Tuttle was called and installed as pastor of the church at Parsippany and Rockaway. After other pastors, Rev. John Ford was installed as pastor in 1815, continuing until 1857. A division arose in the church, and a portion of the congregation withdrew organizing a new body under the name of the First Presbyterian Church of Parsippany, the older organization bearing the name Second Presbyterian Church of Hanover. The seceding body built a church in Par- sippany that they were unable to support, finally selling it to the Reformed Church of Boonton, who removed it to that town. The Presbyterian Church at Whippany was organized May 1, 1833, and immediately erected a meeting house similar to the one at Hanover. At Morris Plains a Presbyterian chapel was erected in 1881.
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The Methodist Episcopal Church at Whippany was organized just prior to the year 1825, a chapel being built that year, the pulpit being filled in later years by students from Drew Theological Seminary at Madison until a church was built and a regular minister appointed. The congregation now numbers 46, with a Sunday school of 29. The church property is valued at $2500, the parsonage $1000. Pastor, Rev. E. M. Greenfield. The Methodist Episcopal Church at Parsippany was built in 1830. The church now num- bers 36 members, the Sunday school 46. The church property is valued at $2500, the parsonage at $2000.
There is a Roman Catholic Church at Whippany, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, in which services were formerly conducted by priests from Madison. The present pastor is Rev. Cornelius Clifford.
New Jersey State Hospital, Morris Plains-The beautiful grounds, con- taining about 900 acres, known as Greystone Park, are reached by trolley from Morris Plains Junction. There is a steam railway service by branch from the Morris Plains station of the Lackawanna railway. The location was chosen by a committee appointed by the state authorities, for its health- ful surroundings, pure air, pure water and fine view. One hundred and ninety-five acres are cultivated as a farm, sixty acres as a garden, three acres are devoted to greenhouses and grounds, six acres are used by the patients as gardens, one hundred and seventeen acres are occupied by buildings, lawns, playgrounds, driveways and walks; the reservoir occupies nine acres, the sewage disposal plant, twelve, while about five hundred acres is woodland. The buildings are massive, and in all that goes to make a modern hospital nothing is lacking. Occupation is furnished patients of both sexes, in the kitchen, bakery, shops, in the arts and crafts, on the farm and grounds and in the gardens. As over forty-six per cent. of the patients are afflicted with chronic mental diseases and are permanent residents, this giving them the fullest opportunity of em- ployment is in accord with the highest humanitarianism, and is a method accepted and adopted by over sixty per cent. of the hospitals for the care and treatment of the insane.
This institution is under the care of a board of managers; the medical department consists of a director and nine assistant physicians, and a board of consultants consisting of fifteen physicians, surgeons and specialists ; the business department consists of a warden, assistant warden, secretary and treasurer. The board of managers for the year ending October 31, 1913, consisted of : President, James M. Buckley, D. D., Morristown ; vice-presi- dent, Patrick J. Ryan, Elizabeth ; other members were-John C. Eisele, Newark; John T. Gillson, M. D., Paterson; George W. Jagle, Newark; John Nevin, M. D., Jersey City; Albert Richards, Dover ; W. L. R. Lynd, Dover; Britton D. Evans, medical director ; O. M. Bowen, warden ; Edward I. Coursen, assistant warden; Harrison P. Lindabury, treasurer ; Henry W. Buxton, secretary.
For the year ending October 31, 1913, 2847 patients were under treat- ment, 1450 men, and 1397 women ; the cost of maintaining the institution was $590,752. The value of the real estate pertaining to the hospital is $3,333,785 ; the value of the personal property, $364,033.
The County Almshouse is also located at Morris Plains. Lewis Dufford is steward; Mrs. Lewis Dufford, matron; and Dr. Clifford Mills, physician.
Schools-The schools of the township vie with the churches in point of ,
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antiquity. Select and private schools antedated the public school system. The brick building at Parsippany was the home of an academy for many years and was destroyed by fire about 1859. There are now high, grammar, intermediate and primary schools in Morris Plains, Parsippany, Troy Hills, and Mountain Lake, and one-room schools at Littleton, Tabor, Monroe, Hanover, Hanover Neck and Rockaway Neck. The total number of scholars enrolled in these schools for the school year ending June, 1913, was 657, average daily attendance, 449; cost of operation, $27,443.44. The location and teachers are as follows: Supervising principal, Frank E. Til- ton; Whippany-high school, Charles F. Champion, principal; John H. Gross; grammar, Sarah A. Hawkins; intermediate, Lizzie Keller ; primary, Emily Carpenter, Mabel Layer; Morris Plains-grammar, Thomas J. Spargo, Jane R. Bossert ; primary, Edith H. Stevens, Margaretta Cunning- ham ; Parsippany-grammar, V. Bertha Schermerhorn; primary, Elizabeth A. Philhower ; Troy Hills-grammar, Louisa A. Higgins; primary, Edna M. Keller; Mountain Lakes-grammar, Elizabeth A. Scheidy; primary, Katharine A. Rutan; Littleton-Lulu J. Whitesell; Tabor-Kathleen Shaffer ; Monroe-Mary C. Call; Hanover-Marion Dawley; Hanover Neck-Mrs. A. S. Bowlby ; Rockaway Neck-Eva E. Mendenhall.
Township officials for 1913 were: Freeholder, William H. Grimes; clerk, William A. Polhemus; assessor, S. H. Lyon; collector, E. Halsey Ball; treasurer, Edward J. Connely; township committee-John P. Gegen- heimer, Edward J. Connely, Harrison D. Mead, Dr. R. V. D. Totten, Judd Condit ; constables-John P. Walsh, Thomas Beddow ; overseer of the poor, John P. Walsh; justices of the peace-Leo F. Kitchel, William John Littell, Owen T. Steele; commissioners of deeds-Isaac W. Carpenter, Robert J. Rourke, H. C. Reynolds, William C. Webb ; president of board of education, Joseph C. Layer; district clerk, Frank E. Tilton; custodian, E. Halsey Hall; medical inspector, Dr. William G. McCormack; attendance officer, F. E. Tilton.
1890 Hanover township had a population of 4481; in 1900 this had risen to 5366, and in 1910 to 6228. In 1881 real estate was assessed at $1,742,641 ; personal property at $373,050. In 1913 the figures were: Real estate, $2,965,410; personal property, $195,866.
Mount Tabor-The origin of the Camp Meeting Association of the Newark Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church dates back to the Centenary of American Methodism in 1866. At the session of the con- ference held that year in Washington, New Jersey, in the midst of the dis- cussions concerning the centenary fund, and the founding of the Centenary Collegiate Institute at Hackettstown, the Rev. John Atkinson, D. D., called attention to the need of some form of celebrating the centenary which would give more emphasis to the spiritual life of the church. For this purpose he moved the appointment of a committee to consider the advisability of a con- ference camp meeting. The committee reported favorably, and the place selected by the board of managers was near Morristown. The first camp meeting was held in the closing days of August, 1866. The closing night of that encampment was a memorable time. The meeting continued until morning "and it is reported that forty souls found peace during the night, and about seventy-five during the last twenty-four hours of the meeting."
The meetings of 1867 were much interfered with by severe rains, but Sunday was clear, and Bishop Janes preached to nearly ten thousand people. More than two thousand carriages were counted on the grounds. So great were the crowds in 1868 that on Sunday it was necessary to have three
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ministers preaching at the same time in different parts of the ground. The lowest estimate of the number present was fifteen thousand people.
But the grounds had now passed to a new owner and could no longer be used for the camp meeting. Therefore on Monday, August 31, 1868, a meeting was held "to consider the subject of a permanent ground for Camp Meeting purposes." Several sites had already been examined by Rev. J. T. Crane, D. D., Geo. T. Cobb and I. Searing who made a report of their find- ings. Drs. Crane and Coit, and Hon. Peter Smith were made a committee to consider the whole subject of plan and place. This committee reported "That we deem it important to the interest of Methodism in this Conference, to purchase a permanent Camp ground; that the payment of $20 or upward shall entitle the subscriber to a lot." Eighty-nine shares were subscribed by those present, and it was decided that the further details of a more perfect organization shall be left to a board of managers-George T. Cobb, James M. Tuttle, James V. Bentley, Jonathan T. Crane, Joseph Gatchell, Ichabod Searing, Amos Hoagland, Milton T. King, Jedediah B. Bassenger, Charles S. Coit, Peter Smith and Henry A. Buttz.
On October 21, 1868, the present site was selected. The charter was secured from the legislature on March 17, 1869. On April 2nd, "the work of laying out the ground * * was provided for." During the first year * about three hundred lots were disposed of, at an aggregate of $13,597. The first tract comprised twenty-eight acres purchased of W. H. Dickerson, and two and one half acres of Nathaniel Dickerson. In May, 1872, a farm of one hundred acres was added to the original purchase. Under the terms of the charter, the board of managers mentioned above became the first board of trustees. They completed their organization on March 26, 1869, by ap- portioning the trustees to terms of one, two and three years, and selecting officers. Geo. T. Cobb was elected the first president; James V. Bentley, secretary ; and Rev. James M. Tuttle, treasurer.
The first camp meeting at Tabor was held from August 23d to Sep- tember Ist, 1869, under the superintendency of Rev. John S. Porter, D. D. The limits of this sketch will not permit the story of the annual camp meet- ings, and of all the various influences which have modified their character. The present Tabernacle was erected in 1885 by the liberal subscriptions of Tabor residents and friends. The first section of what is now "The Arling- ton" was erected in 1877 by David Campbell for the trustees, with the under- standing that when he had reimbursed himself from the income the building would become the property of the Association. It has been twice enlarged since it came into the hands of the trustees, and was refurnished in 1909.
In addition to the regular camp meeting, the Holiness meetings under the direction of Mrs. Fitzgerald have been a marked feature in the history of Mount Tabor. There are many to whom her meetings both at Tabor and in Newark were a means of unmeasured blessing. Endowed both by nature and by grace with unusual spiritual perception and power, this remarkable woman left an impress on her generation not even eclipsed by her illustrious son, whom the Church called to her highest office. The preaching services "before and after camp meeting" became a settled part of the life of Tabor in 1880, upon the motion of Dr. Stickle, one of the most active and useful trustees the Association has ever had. The beautiful scenery, bracing air and excellent water, together with the improvements necessary to provide for the camp meeting, made Tabor a most desirable place for the summer residence. More and more the "Summer Resort" idea modified the original character of the community, not by marring the good
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of earlier days, but by adding attractions and forces which have made Tabor a unique summer colony with a moral and religious atmosphere all its own. The need of proper and wholesome recreation received early attention by the founders. On August 30, 1881, Richard Grant presented a request from "The Young People's Association of Mount Tabor" asking the board of trustees "to donate grounds for a park and athletic use." A plot 300 x 200 4* feet was set apart under very strict conditions for a park,
* * "said grounds may be used for archery, lawn tennis and croquet." This was the beginning of the now beautiful athletic field with its golf course, base ball diamond, tennis, roque, and croquet courts, provided and maintained by "The Tabor Field Club." A Free Public Library was founded in 1889, by Dr. Henry L. Coit. The fact that its circulation now exceeds 5,000 volumes for each summer, shows the appreciation in which it is held.
Most of the generation which founded Mount Tabor have passed away. A few still live to tell of its early glory and rejoice in its present progress. Those who, year after year, come to enjoy its advantages and share its charming social and religious attractions, will not cease to hold in grateful memory those whose piety, devotion and sacrifice have made Tabor what it it; and will hold as a sacred trust the high purposes of its founders.
PEQUANNOCK TOWNSHIP
From the extreme northern point of Jefferson township to the extreme southern point of Passaic township, the Pequannock and Passaic rivers form the northern and eastern boundary line of Morris county, separating Morris from Passaic, Essex and Union and Somerset counties. Pequannock from its northern eastern position in the county, and its peculiar shape, is bounded by the Pequannock north, east and south, although but partly on the south, Montville and Boonton townships completing the southern boundary, Rock- away township forming the western boundary. The D., L. & W. railroad crosses its southeastern corner, Lincoln Park and Whitehall being stations in the township on that line. The N. Y., S. & Western railroad follows the general course of the Passaic river entering and leaving the township twice, but within the township the greater part of the distance along the eastern and northern border. The important stations on the line are the borough of Butler, the principal town of the township; Pompton Plains and Riverdale.
Pequannock was one of the three original townships into which Morris county was divided, and in general terms included all that part from the Pequannock river on the north to Lake Hopatcong on the west, and the Rockaway river on the south. The first township officers were appointed by a court that sat at Morristown in March, 1740, the first officeholders being Robert Gold, "town clerk and town bookkeeper; Garrett Debough, assessor ; Isaac Vandine, Esq., collector ; Robert Gold and Frederick Temont, free holders; Matthew Vandine and Nicholas Hiler, overseers of the poor ; Hen- drick Morrison and Giles Manderfield, overseers of highways; John Daven- port, constable. These names are still familiar ones in the territory first known as Pequannock township.
From 1740 to 1844 the township included more territory than any other in the county, its area being about equal to that of Essex county. Jefferson township was first taken, and in 1844 Rockaway township was erected from the parent township, and in 1867 Boonton and Montville townships were formed. Settlement was first made in the territory as early as 1700, by a few families of Hollanders who came from Bergen and New York, pur- chasing a tract from the proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey,
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lying in the vicinity of the later Pompton iron works, and extending down toward the Passaic river. This land had been purchased from the Indians by Arent Schuyler on June 6, 1695, the deed being mentioned in the Morris county record of deeds. In 1695 Arent Schuyler, Anthony Brockholst, Samuel Bayard, George Ryerson, John Mead, Samuel Berrie and David Mandeville obtained a warrant from the East Jersey proprietors for 5500 acres bordering on the Pequannock river, a tract covered also by the Indian purchase made in June, 1695, same year. Further purchases were made by Schuyler and his associates that covered all of Pompton Plains down to the Passaic, near Two Bridges, also the "Bog and Fly" valley, as well as a strip extending up the slope of the hills on the west. This was the first purchase of land for a settlement in the township, and the first settlement was made about 1700 at Pompton and Pompton Plains. In 1699 George Willocks took up a tract of 2000 acres adjoining the Schuyler purchase on the south, and about 1712 William Penn took up a larger tract covering the Pine Brook neighborhood and nearly all of the southern part of what is now Montville township, and extending over into Hanover.
Prominent among the early settlers on Pompton Plains were families bear- ing names yet well known in the township-Schuyler, Brockholst, Vander- beck, Vanness, Ryerson, Bayard, Berry, Mandeville, Rycker, Mead, Roome, Vengelder, Slingerland, DeBow, De Mott and Jones. These families were mostly related by marriage and through them is traced descent from Hugue- not and Dutch families of the highest standing in the early settlement of New Amsterdam and the Hudson and Mohawk valleys of New York.
Prominent among those who settled in the lower part of the valley at Beavertown and thence to the Passaic river, were the families De Hart, Dod, Post, Morrison, Cook, Vanness, Young, Mead, Mandeville, Terhune and Van Riper. The valley along the Passaic was taken up by families named Mandeville, Mead, Vreeland, Van Duyne, Young, Vanness, Kerris, Van Riper and Low. With the exception of Kerris and Low, these are yet familiar names in that neighborhood. The Pine Brook settlers bore the names of Van Duyne, Vreeland, Sisco, Vanness, Miller, Young; and later there came Baldwin, Sandford, Stagg, Crane, Gaines and Dod. Also came in early families bearing the names Courter, Jacobus, Stiles, Crane, Gaines, Davenport, Hyler, Parlaman, Gould, Kool, Estler and Millegan, these latter settling in lower Montville, the deed of Humphrey Davenport for 750 acres bearing date October 2, 1714. The Kanouse family (originally Knauss), were a prominent family of Rockaway valley, in Pequannock town- ship, although first settled at Newfoundland, now in Jefferson township.
Farming was the chief occupation of the early settlers in the eastern, middle and southern parts of Pequannock, but later manufacturing was established. The industries of Rockaway, Boonton and Montville townships are recorded in the histories of those townships, and need not be given here. Those of the present borough of Butler will appear in a review of that municipality. The water power offered such excellent sites for mills that there soon appeared saw mills and grist mills ; later factories for the manu- facture of paper, rubber cloth and prints were erected and yet flourish. The first grist mill was built at Pompton, where Slater's woolen factory after- ward stood; this mill is mentioned as early as 1757, in the description of a road that "goes by Nathaniel Foard's mill." While the date of erection is not known, it is thought it was about the year 1712. There was also at this point a saw mill and a carding and fulling mill. Stones for the grist mill were taken from a quarry about a mile west, the stones being of good
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quality, and serving in the place of the French burr stones. This mill prop- erty was bought later than 1800 by Peter Jackson, who kept a store there and bought hooppoles. He continued in business several years, then sold to his son James, who held it until 1844, when mills, store and dwelling were destroyed by fire. The mill site was then purchased by James Pewtner and Apollos Terris, who erected another grist mill which after a few years they sold to Joseph Slater, who converted it into a woolen factory.
About a mile below the site, on the same stream, once stood a grist mill, a carding mill and a distillery, erected by Simon Vanness about 1780 or 1790. In 1807 they were sold by the sheriff and later passed through the hands of different owners until 1843, when they were bought by John T. Speer, who erected a bark mill on the site of the old grist mill, finding a steady market with the tanners of Newark. The mill later was operated by John F. Post. About a mile up the river from the Slater woolen factory there was an early grist mill, also a saw mill. The grist mill survived all others, and in 1880 was the only grist mill within the bounds of the present township. The first paper mill in Pequannock township was built about 1810 the paper being made by hand. The mill was enlarged and machinery added in 1845, by John Logan. This mill passed through several hands until 1862, when it came into possession of James White, who operated it until 1880, then he took his son Fred S. White as partner. These and other mills formed the beginning of the present borough of Butler. There stood a saw mill built many years ago; that with three others formed the last four to survive ; another being at Beavertown, another near the west side of Pomp- ton Plains. At the lower end of Pompton Plains, James Comley later erected a small factory for turning and engraving rolls used in printing calicoes and cloth.
In the northern part of the township, a little south of Charlotteburg, is quite a large pond, known as Stickle's Pond, once owned by Hubbard Stickle, who there had a bloomary forge. His brother Adam about 1842 built a forge on the outlet of the pond, a short distance below, but both were abandoned long years ago. The principal iron works of the old township, however, were in what is now Boonton township, and are recorded else- where.
Churches-The first churches were of the Dutch Reformed faith, the service being conducted in Dutch, by licentiates from Holland schools. The first church at Pompton was organized in 1736, the church edifice standing on the east bank of the Pequannock river, in what was Bergen (now Passaic) county. It was called the Reformed Dutch Church of Pompton. Paulus Vanderbeck and Peter Post were elders; Johannes Henyon and Martin Berry, deacons. The first church that stood in the township was built by a congregation organized at Pompton Plain in 1760, under the ministry of Rev. David Marinus, and resulted from a division of the church organized at Pompton in 1736. A church was built in 1760 that stood for about twelve years. About 1769 the factions united, purchased an acre of ground, and under the name of the First Reformed Dutch Church of Pompton Plains, built a church edifice in 1771. In 1812 those members of the congregation living at the upper end of the Plains, at Pompton, in the Wynockie valley and Boardville, feeling the need of better accommodations for holding religious services, organized as the Pompton and Wynockie Church, and erected a suitable edifice. On June 26, 1815, this congregation was duly organized and separated from the Plains church by the Classis of Bergen. This church later was allowed to perish, the Plains church being now the
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