USA > New Jersey > Morris County > A history of Morris County, New Jersey : embracing upwards of two centuries, 1710-1913, Volume I > Part 23
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ters that the army lived in that camp, their dead were buried on the Wick tract in the northern part of the township. The burial ground was thickly planted with locust trees; nature kindly threw a protecting cover of briars over the hallowed spot and it has ever been undisturbed. Many noted men have resided in Passaic township, Colonel Cornelius Ludlow, whose grand- son was governor of New Jersey ; Major General Benjamin Ludlow, Major General Solomon Doughty, Major Solomon Boyle, Major William M. Clark, Captains Peter Layton, Samuel Stanbury, Benjamin Conklin, and Henry M. Tuttle; Judges John Carle, Benjamin Ludlow, John G. Cooper; Sheriff and County Clerk George H. Ludlow, and many others of a later day.
Religion and education have gone hand in hand in Passaic, schools and churches having existed from an early day. The West Line railroad rap- idly developed the Passaic Valley, and everywhere can be seen prosperous villages, handsome residences and beautiful estates. Stirling, one of these prosperous villages, was named after William Alexander, called Lord Stirl- ing, who owned a 1,000 acre tract lying on both sides of the river. Lord Stirling's residence was on the west side of the river in Somerset county ; it has been modernized and can yet be seen. A great deal of valuable tim- ber was taken from the "Swamp," previously referred to. One of the trees, a white oak, cut for ship timber, was over five feet in diameter at the ground, and at a height of 100 feet squared twelve inches. It was floated to Chat- ham and from there hauled to Elizabeth, twelve yoke of oxen and a pair of horses being required to draw it. The tree sold for $500.
The township officers for 1913 were: Freeholder-E. Frank Oliver of New Vernon ; clerk-Gilbert M. Cornish of Gillette; assessor-Theodore W. Bebout of Stirling; collector-William H. Smith of New Vernon ; treasurer-Henry W. Hart of New Vernon; township committee-Charles H. Kutcher of Millington, Henry W. Hart of New Vernon, George J. Gil- bert of Millington; constable-Peter Bender of Stirling; overseer of the poor-Nicholas Deitzman of New Vernon; justices of the peace-Leonard W. Hyer of Millington, Raymond A. Alland of Stirling; commissioners of deeds-Anthony Schumacher of Stirling, Daniel W. Tunis of Stirling, Wil- liam R. Lester of Millington, Forest May of Millington.
ROCKAWAY TOWNSHIP
Prior to the loss of its southern triangle, now Denville township, Rock- away extended nearly in diamond shape from its northern apex on the Pequannock river, which separates it from Passaic county, southward about three-fourths of the distance across the county to Morris township. The setting off of Denville leaves Rockaway in triangular form, its base Den- ville and Randolph townships, its western boundary Jefferson township, its eastern, Hanover, Boonton and Pequannock townships, its short northern boundary formed as before, by the Pequannock river. Its length was from Newfoundland in the north to Shongun in the south, about twenty miles ; its width from Powerville to the Jefferson township line, near Luxemburg, about twelve miles. This area contained about 3,000 more acres than any other township in the county, but the erection of Denville in 1913 deprives the township of that distinction. Rockaway was erected in 1844 from parts of Pequannock and Hanover townships, by an act of legislature creating it the eleventh township in the county. The greater part was taken from old Pequannock, which has existed as a separate township since 1740.
The first furnace erected in Rockaway township as now constituted,
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and but one disputes with it the title to first in Morris county, was the Hibernia Furnace, styled in the beginning "The Adventure." Hibernia is situated about four miles north of Rockaway. Here in the hills on the northeast side of the valley, John Johnston obtained his ore for his iron works at Beach Glen, without troubling himself as to its ownership. May 17, 1753, Joshua Bell located the level ground on which the village of Hibernia is built, his tract covering both sides of Horse Pond Brook and a strip sixteen chains long up to the face of the northerly hill, containing the outcrop, with a view no doubt including the ore vein for that distance. July 1, 1761, Colonel Jacob Ford located a lot on the vein next northeast the Ball Survey. The land about this tract was afterward located by Samuel Ford, and frequent disputes arose as to boundaries, the vast deposits of mag- netic ore rendering the compasses useless. The mine on this lot is yet known as the "Ford mine." April 6, 1765, and on June 25, following, about sixty acres were returned to Samuel Ford that were upon the ore vein and upon the stream above the Ball survey. Work was immediately begun on the furnace for in November, 1765, a tract further up the stream was described "about three-fourths of a mile from the new furnace called 'the Adven- ture.'" Ford sold a one-third interest to James Anderson, another third to Benjamin Cooper, the latter his partner in counterfeiting in later days. Wil- liam Alexander, Lord Stirling, became sole owner of the Hibernia furnace about 1771, and iron was there made, but there is no record until 1775, when the letters of Joseph and Charles Hoff to their principal, Lord Stirling, give an account of the quantities made. The furnace made war material for the Revolutionary army and was worked in part by Hessian deserters. Lord Stirling's affairs were so involved at his death that the sheriff was called in and publicly sold his property. The Hibernia tract of 4355 acres finally in 179I came into possession of John Stotesbury of Irish descent. He intro- duced Irish labor at the furnace, supplanting the Germans, who either went over to the Mount Hope mine or found work in the mountains beyond. Stotesbury failed in 1798 and soon afterward died. John Murray obtained title to the Hibernia tract in 1792 and title to the lots on which the furnace stood May 9, 1793. After his death his executor agreed to convey the prop- erty to Dr. Charles M. Graham of New York, the owner of the "Copperas tract," near Green Pond, where Job Allen made copperas during the Revo- lution and where Graham manufactured the same product during the war of 1812. He built up the forge and then assigned his agreement to Samuel Thompson, Peter Thompson and William Spencer, who on January 1, 1815, received a deed from Murray's executors. Under these men the furnace went down and never was rebuilt. The property came to Benjamin Rogers in 1819, he selling off considerable of the land in lots, then on May 18, 1821, conveyed the balance to Colonel William Scott, who built a forge upon the old furnace dam. A freshet swept the dam away and the forge went to pieces. Colonel Scott died in 1842, the Hibernia mines being divided among his children. These mines, so divided, the lower mine owned by Benjamin Beach and the old Ford mine later developed immense wealth and became among the chief mines of the county.
The Mount Hope furnace was located on the survey of what was known as the Mount Hope tract of 6,271 acres, made in 1772, there being, how- ever, some twenty-two prior locations within its limits. Jacob Ford became the owner of the part of the Mount Hope mines which in 1772 he rented on a long lease to John Jacob Faesch, who purchased from the proprietors the great Mount Hope tract and began the building of a furnace. He after-
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ward bought the Middle and Rockaway forges, leased Mount Pleasant forge and the Boonton mills, becoming one of the great iron masters of the county. The furnace built in 1772, and also the Hibernia furnace and his forges, made cannon, shot, bar iron, shovels, axes and other iron implements for the Revolutionary army. After Faesch moved to Morristown and no longer personally superintended his furnaces and forges, the business became un- profitable and finally brought him to debt. After Faesch's death his sons attempted to carry on the business but on February 21, 1801, his creditors filed a bill in chancery to compel a sale of the lands. A list of the property claimed to belong to him at his death includes the Mount Hope and Middle forge tracts (7,600 acres), the Rockaway forge, the Jackson or Jacobs mine, a mine at Long Pond, a share in Morris Academy (Morristown) and sev- eral small lots. His Mount Hope lands included the Richards, Allen and Teabo mines. The result of this suit was the appointment of General John Doughty of Morristown, as special commissioner to sell the lands. After several years spent in dividing them up they were finally all disposed of. The homestead at Mount Hope, with its 831 acres, including the mines, meadow and furnace, was sold September 25, 1809, to Moses Phillips, Jr., of Orange county, New York, for $7,655. The same buyer became owner of the Hickory Hill tract, Middle forge tract, the Bartow tract and other lands to the extent of about 2,600 acres. He did not reside at Mount Hope but sent his sons, Henry W. and Lewis Phillips, to manage the property. In 1814 the property was leased to a company consisting of Robert McQueen, Abraham Kenny and Eliphalet Sturtevant, trading as McQueen and Co. They repaired the old stack after it had lain idle for fifteen years and did a thriving business, making pig iron and all kinds of hollow iron. Kenney and Sturtevant soon left the furnace, their places being taken by Colonel Thomas Muir, a brother-in-law of McQueen. The first lease was for seven years and was renewed for five years. The last blast was made in the fall of 1827, after which the furnace remained idle and finally was allowed to go down.
The Mount Hope Mining Company was incorporated by act of legis- lature, November 29, 1831, with capital stock of $60,000. The incorporators were: Samuel Richards, Moses Phillips, Samuel C. Wright and Thomas S. Richards. The lands and mines of the incorporators were conveyed to the company, these being a two-thirds interest in the homestead of 831 acres and two-thirds of all the minerals in the adjoining lands owned by Moses Phillips, and in the previous April conveyed by him to Samuel Richards and Samuel C. Wright. By supplements to its charter the company was allowed to build a railroad to Rockaway, construct furnaces, mills, etc., and to increase its capital stock to $300,000. After ceasing iron manufacture the company developed its highly productive iron mines and owned one of the most extensive and productive mineral properties in the state. Edward R. Biddle became the owner of the stock several years after the formation of the company, selling about the year 1855 to Moses Taylor and his associates for the then enormous price of $80,000.
Rockaway Rolling Mill-Colonel Joseph Jackson and his brother, Wil- liam, were the lessees in 1820 of a small rolling mill in Paterson. William Jackson is the writer of the following memorandum :
The first bar of round and square iron ever rolled in this county was done by Colonel Joseph Jackson and myself in the old rolling mill at Paterson, then owned by Samuel and Roswell Colt, in the year 1820, under our contract to furnish the United States government with a certain quantity of rolled round and hammered iron, at the Navy Yard in Brooklyn, N. Y., in which we succeeded to the entire
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satisfaction of the government. Our experiments at rolling round and square iron induced us to build the rolling mill at Rockaway in 1821 and 1822. Messrs. Blackwell and McFarlan, owners of the Dover rolling mill and forge, seeing our success, pro- ceeded to alter and rebuild their rolling mill for rolling all kinds of iron which they completed about the same time. We finished our rolling mill in November, 1822.
In 1826 William Jackson sold out to his brother and began the erection of forge and furnace at Clinton. Colonel Jackson extended his operations and developed a large business. Besides the Rockaway rolling mill he was the owner of the two forges with five fires at Rockaway, and of the Swedes, Teabo and Jackson mines. He built a second mill in 1830 and expended money liberally in new machinery and in experiments with various ores. His works were a market for the various forges in his county, his finished product being mostly carted to tidewater by his teams. He later built a steel furnace near the Morris canal in which blistered steel was made from the iron bar. In 1852 he sold the mill, lower forge and steel furnace prop- erties to Freeman Wood. Mr. Wood enlarged the mill, put in steam engines and on August 14, 1855, turned the properties over to the Rockaway Manufacturing Co., which was incorporated February 12, 1855, by Free- man Wood, George Hand Smith, Lyman A. Chandler, Theodore T. Wood and Nathaniel Mott. This company failed disastrously in a few years, the Morris County Bank becoming the owner of the mills as mort- gagee. James Horner rented the plant from the bank and made steel there until just after the war, when he removed his business to Boonton. The works were operated under various owners until August, 1881, then the American Swedes Iron Co. was organized and began the operation of the plant for the manufacture of wrought iron.
In 1845 James Fuller and Mahlon Hoagland erected a foundry on the bank of the canal in Rockaway, which was an extensive and complete plant. On September 18, 1850, the entire plant was destroyed by fire, causing a severe loss to the owners and throwing sixty men out of employment. Free- man Wood then purchased the land, rebuilt the foundry and rented it to Aaron D. Berry. From Mr. Wood the title passed to the Morris County Bank, from whom Nelson Hoagland, one of the original owners rented it for a time and finally purchased in association with Robert F. Oram and William G. Lathrop, trading as the Union Foundry Company. In 1873 Mr. Hoagland became the sole owner but continued as the Union Foundry Com- pany, building up a large volume of both foreign and domestic trade in heavy rolls, ore and stone crushers.
In Rockaway township in what is known as the Passaic belt, many valuable iron mines have been operated, some of them from an early date, including Mount Pleasant, a very old and deep mine; the Mount Hope mines, which perhaps have produced more ore than any other in the county ; the Swedes, so called from the quality of its ore; the Hibernia, of previous mention ; the Richards, a very old mine; the Baker, whose vein suddenly pinched out in 1877; the Allen, Teabo, White Meadow, Beach Glen, Hickory Hill, and dozens of others. In 1881 the Hibernia mine was the eleventh iron mine in the United States in point of tons of production, the Mount Hope mine the nineteenth in rank. Thus the mineral wealth of the rugged and hilly township has more than compensated for its lack of agricultural lands.
The Hibernia Mine Railroad Company was incorporated March 18, 1863, with a capital of $25,000, with authority to build a railroad from the Hibernia mines to any point on the Morris canal in Morris county ; also to connect with the M. and E. railroad, and to build spurs to any adjacent iron
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mine. The road was built to Rockaway and until 1868 was operated by horsepower. In March of that year the charter was amended to allow the use of steam and the transportation of freight and passengers. In 1871 the capital stock was increased to $200,000.
The Mount Hope Mineral Railroad Company was incorporated in March, 1866, with a capital of $200,000, and authorized to build a road from the Mount Hope mines to the M. and E. railroad and Morris canal; also to construct spurs to other mines. This road was built to Port Oram (Whar- ton) on the M. and E., running to the Mount Hope mines, taking in the Richards, Allen and Teabo, with a spur to the Mount Pleasant and Baker mines, all in Rockaway.
The Dover & Rockaway Railroad Company was organized under the general railroad law of the state in 1879, and in 1880 and 1881 built a road from Port Oram to Rockaway village, and opened the same for freight and passenger traffic in May, 1881.
The Piccatiny Powder Depot is the name of a tract of 1900 acres of land, mountain and valley, purchased in 1880 and 1881 by the United States government for a military supply depot and powder manufactory. It is located about three miles from Rockaway in the Middle Forge Valley. Both the army and navy have departments there. The Split Rock Forge and Mining Company was incorporated November 22, 1879, with a capital of $20,000.
At the first census taken after its erection as a township Rockaway reported 3,139 inhabitants; in 1860 there were 3,551 people living in the township, and in 1870, 6,445, this being the largest population of any town- ship in the county. In that same year the taxable value of the property in the township was $1,469,350. In 1880 the population was 7,366 but property value had fallen owing to the long depression in business. In 1890 the census showed 6,033 inhabitants, but in 1900 had fallen to 4,528, entirely accounted for by the incorporation of the borough of Rockaway in 1894, and reporting a population of 1,483. In 1910 the thirteenth federal census gives Rockaway township a population of 4,835, Rockaway borough as 1,902. For the year 1913 the taxable value of real estate in the township was $1,534,570; personal property value, $96,579. Rockaway borough real estate was valued at $767,000, personal property at $94,733.
The villages of the township are Beach Glen, Denmark, Greenville, Lower Greenville, Lower Hibernia, Upper Hibernia, Lyonsville, Meriden, Middletown, Mount Hope, Powerville.
The early history of the township is that of Pequannock and Han- over townships from which it was erected in 1844. The settlers of this part of old Pequannock, however, bear different names and came from different localities. At Denville, David Broadwell settled, as did Job Allen, William and Joseph Henchman. At Franklin and Pigeon Hill were families named Garriguse, Ayer, Hill, Cooper and Smith. Samuel and David Peer settled down the valley below Denville, as did John Husk, John P. Cook, Peter Hiler, Adam Miller, Joseph Scott, David Smith, William Ayer, Gawn Miller, Frederick Hopler, Peter Hopler and Jacob Kanouse.
During the Revolution, John Jacob Faesch, of Mount Hope, the early ironmaster, took 250 Hessian prisoners to board for their work, and erected five log houses for them. General Washington visited Faesch at Mount Hope, partly to arrange with him the terms of taking these men. After the war the British had a certain number of days to gather up
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these hired soldiers as they were required to pay for every one they did not return to the old country. Some of them refused to return and force was used to compel them, but not all were taken-one, Leopold Zindle, ending his days at Mount Hope, a very old man, leaving three sons and four daughters.
Moses Tuttle was an old settler at Mount Pleasant. He was a son- in-law of Colonel Jacob Ford, Sr., and came to the township in 1760 to manage Colonel Ford's forge property. Dr. Jonathan Hunting was the first physician to locate within the township bounds, being a pew-holder in the church prior to 1774, the record stating that his son, Matthew, occupied from that year the same pew his father had occupied.
The men of Rockaway were honorable and conscientious, it being stated that notes were seldom given for loans, a man's word being sufficient. Samuel S. Beach once bought some land of an old lady and in part payment gave his note for $80. This note was not presented for payment for twenty years, the holder then presenting it to Mr. Beach with little hope of pay- ment being made as it had long been outlawed. Mr. Beach assured him that his notes were never outlawed, and paid it, principal and interest.
Churches-The Presbyterian church at Rockaway village (now bor- ough) is one of the very old church organizations of the county, and was for many years the only church in the township, although no church organ- ization or building was in existence until about 1758. On March 2, 1758, two papers were drawn up and signed, the first reciting :
We the subscribers do by these mannerfest it to be our desier to Joyn with Porsipaney to call and settle a minnester, to have the one half of the preachen at porsipaney and the other half at rockaway and each part to be eakwel in payen a minnester. (Then follows the names of the signers) : Job Allen, Seth Mehman, David Beman, gibbard nedy, Andrew Morrison, Isak ogden, John pipes, Samuel Shipman, John Minton, Samuel Whithed Jr., Joseph burrel, wilyam wines, nethanel michel, Josiah beman, James losey, abraham Mascara, henery stag, Samuel Burwell, John Goble, Abraham Johnson, John Cogswell, John Hunting- ton, Gershom Gard, John kent, Amos Kilburn, william Danels, Samuel Moore.
The second paper contained the agreement on a site for the church, and the names and amounts subscribed: "We the inhabitants of rockaway pigen hill and upper inhabetence at the colonals forges and places agesant being met togethr In order to consult together about a place to set a meeting hous and being well agreed that the most sutable place for the hol setelments Is upon the Small plain a letel above bemans forge which is below the first small brok upon that rode up to Samuel Johnson, and we the subscribers oblig ourselves to pay toward building a house at that place the sums to our names affixed." Job Allen's name also headed the subscription list with five pounds. He is later known to have put in the galleries and to have furnished the house with walls and seats.
David Beaman, whose name appeared on both papers, was one of the leading men in the church movement. He was an old settler and owned a forge, grist mill and saw mill, personally working in all. He was also chor- ister, sexton and deacon; represented the church in the presbytery and looked after pulpit supplies when no regular minister was present. Sub- scription papers show him to have been one of the most liberal supporters of the church for fifty years. William Winds was the General Winds of the Revolution. Obadiah Lum, or "Deacon" Lum, was an original contributor and a liberal supporter for many years. John Huntington, also a signer, was a deacon, lined the psalms, until that method of singing was discontinued, much to the disgust of Deacon Beaman who led the singing.
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A frame church was built in 1759 and in 1760 was enclosed and the floors laid. There was no ceiling, plastering, stove or fireplace, the only seats being planks supported on blocks of wood. On August 24, 1762, Benjamin Prudden conveyed to the trustees "for the use and benefit of the Presbyterian Church of Rockaway" * * * "ten acres and thirty perch" of land, which is the old church lot. Lord Stirling also gave the parish 100 acres of land one mile from the church for parsonage purposes.
In April, 1768, Rev. James Tuttle Jr. was installed the first pastor of the Rockaway and Parsippany churches, continuing until his death two years and seven months later, at the age of twenty-nine years. The church remained without a pastor over thirteen years, and preaching was at irregular intervals. Finally, in February, 1784, Rev. David Baldwin accepted a call and was duly installed. The church was regularly incorporated March 6, 1787, and trustees elected to serve the "First Presby Congregation at Rock- away in the County of Morris." During Rev. Baldwin's pastorate the lining the hymns was bitterly fought over, but in the end settled by the older mem- bers submitting to the younger, not, however, until William Ross and David Beaman had resigned as elders.
Rev. John J. Carle was the next pastor, and from that time the church has been continuously active and well served. In 1820 the first effort was made to warm the church, a stove being purchased and installed, the pipe running out of the window. In 1830 the farm devised to the church by General Winds was sold and in November, 1830, it was resolved to use this and other moneys in the erection of a new church. A brick church was erected about fifty feet in front of the old one and was dedicated in 1832.
Mount Hope Baptist church was the second church erected in the town- ship, it being built of logs, standing a short distance north of Mount Hope.
The oldest Methodist church organization in the county is the Rockaway Valley Methodist Episcopal church, now the Denville church, which dates its existence from 1799. About a year later the society had erected a build- ing and had a regular minister. This building stood about a mile from Denville, on the left side of the road leading past the Catholic Protectory to Boonton, at a place known as "Cook's Corner." It was a small building and known as Cook's Church. In April, 1841, the trustees moved the building to the Hiler lot near the school house in Denville. In 1880 the church was incorporated as the Methodist Episcopal church at Denville. The church now has a membership of 96; a Sunday school numbering 105; a church valued at $4,000, and a parsonage valued at $3,000; Rev. Henry D. Eifert, pastor, 1912-13.
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