USA > New Jersey > Morris County > A history of Morris County, New Jersey : embracing upwards of two centuries, 1710-1913, Volume I > Part 44
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The first schoolhouse within the limits of the borough of which any definite record exists was that known as the "Old Academy." This build- ing was located on the north side of Main Street on the present site of the Episcopal Chapel. This structure was erected about the year 1800 and was used until 1873. It contained two stories. On the first floor the common public school was held, and part of the time the upstairs room was used for Sunday School purposes. Eventually the school was divided into two parts; one, a select school in which the pupils paid for their tuition, and the other, a common free public school. This was one of the many academies estab- lished throughout the state in the early part of the nineteenth century through the solicitation of Yankee schoolmasters who came down from New England and sought patronage from the parents in various vicinities. These teachers "boarded around" and charged a certain amount for the tuition of each pupil in addition to their board and lodging which was furnished by the patrons. The bell of this academy is at the present time on the colored meeting house in Madison and bears the date 1806. Herein is a clue respect- ing the time when the building was erected.
The names of many of the teachers of this academy have been lost. However, among some old papers found in the possession of Mr. Washing- ton Bond were discovered receipts given to Thomas Bond who was a trustee of the academy in the early part of the century; and from these the follow- ing names have been assembled: Under the date February 26, 1803, N. C. Everett was the teacher; March 24, 1804, Anthony Cameron; March 28, 1836, Thomas M. Dooley ; October 26, 1840, Mary M. Walker ; 1846, John O. Day, George H. Cook; 1855 (?), Richard Robinson, Lewis Case Carpen- ter, Dr. Forgus, Mr. Howard, Mr. Morey, Mr. Fox, Benjamin Felch, Hugh Cox, Mr. Henderson; June 23, 1865, William F. Morrow, Jessie Cutler, Thomas H. Briggs, Thomas T. Collard. The following receipt is typical of the evidence from which a number of these names were taken :
Chatham, March 24th, 1804.
MR. THOMAS BOND, To ANTHONY CAMERON, DR.
Jan. 15, 1804-To teaching your son Maxfield, Latin, 40 days at 4d. per day
£o I3s. 4d.
Melissa, 45 days.
0
7
6
Tom Bond, 45 days
O 7
6
To bal. of a former account O
5 9
£1 14S. I
Notable among these teachers was Geo. H. Cook of Hanover, for many years State Geologist of New Jersey. One of the most reputable teachers of
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this list was Mr. Thomas H. Briggs, who was said to be the severest of all schoolmasters. Mr. Briggs had but one leg, and was consequently con- fined to the use of a crutch. Men now living who attended his school report that his favorite method of discipline was by throwing the dried up pigtail which he always kept at his right on the desk to the unruly boy, requiring him to bring it forward to receive punishment. Mr. Briggs was very dex- terous in going about the schoolroom. By means of his crutch he was able to cover the distance between his desk and the pupil in a surprisingly short time.
Many were the unruly acts committed on the teachers by the pupils of the "Old Academy." These outbreaks of deportment toward the new teachers frequently led to violence. It is said that some were "smoked out," by locking the master in, closing the shutters, and then sealing up the chimney. Occasionally a disreputed teacher was snowballed out of town. Then too, the big boys who attended in the winter would often pick a quarrel with a likely master and give him a thrashing. It is reported that previous to the coming of Thomas Briggs there had been four schoolmasters driven out successively. Each one stayed no more than a month. The jokes and unruly conduct were not committed toward the men teachers alone ; however respect for the women of the profession never permitted any to commit acts of violence. The story is told of a rather bold joke on Miss Elizabeth Magee. It appears that she had a young man admirer by the name of Solomon Parsons. His attentions to Miss Magee were so well known by the boys that jokes about him became frequent in occurrence, and successively more harsh in character. The climax was reached when some culprit of the school took a jackass from the stable of a townsman and led him to the Academy. On the arrival of Miss Magee in the morning, she was put in much of a quandary on her approach to the school, because of the frequent clinking of the school bell. She hurried to the building, anxious to find the cause. On opening the door at a glance all was explained. The rogue had taken the donkey into the building and tied him to the bell rope; but that was not all. In large letters on a placard fastened about the animal's body was the inscription, "I am Sol Parsons." Miss Magee saw at once the whole intent of the joke. The beast was hastily removed, and the punishment inflicted on the culprit, were he discovered, it might be inferred, was severe.
Mr. Thomas Collard taught both in the old academy and the new school building which was constructed on Passaic Avenue in the year 1873. Miss Elizabeth McGee, niece of Rev. Joseph Meeker Ogden, and daughter of Dr. McGee of Elizabeth Town, for many years during the 50's conducted a select school upstairs in the old academy. Miss Alice Arnold and a Miss Genung were also teachers in this select school.
On the occupancy of the school on Passaic avenue, there were but two teachers, Mr. Collard and Miss F. H. Megie. Following Mr. Collard in 1877, Mr. Peter Garabrant was the teacher. A most unique coincident accompanied his conducting the school. Mr. and Mrs. Garabrant were the sole teachers in the school, their home was in the rooms of the building up- stairs, and their children were part of the school. The enrollment at this time was about 130 pupils.
A complete list of the teachers from the time of Mr. Garabrant until the present is herewith presented : 1883-85, Albert Brugler ; 1885-87, Walter D. Wheat ; 1887-90, J. L. Snook; 1890-96, Frank O. Payne ; 1896-97, Russell M. Everett; 1897-99, W. L. Sprague; 1899-1900, A. F. Stauffer; 1900-01,
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Ralph W. Jones; 1901-05, W. A. Ackerman; 1905-09, Arthur E. Lovett; 1909 -- Charles A. Philhower.
In 1909 it was found necessary to make further provisions for the children of the town. The old building was more than filled, and for seven years Kelly Hall on Main street had been used for the overflow. In accord- ance with this demand a new building was erected on Fairmount avenue in 1910, and occupied at that time with an initial enrollment of 310 pupils and 13 teachers. This was an increase of four teachers over the number in the old school. At the present time the enrollment of the public school is 425.
Various private schools have been conducted in the town. Most popular of these were Miss Cooley's school above Dr. Swain's drug store, Miss Hannah Bower's school on Bower Lane, and Miss Thring's school on Main street, near Passaic avenue.
Previous to the year 1856 the schools of the State were governed by township superintendents. Mr. Stephen Ward, of Chatham, was one of the first to act in this capacity, and for many years was employled as superin- tendent of Chatham township. The Rev. J. M. Ogden was - the leading trustee in this township, and in the Report of the State Superin- tendent of Education in the year 1856, Mr. Ogden gave a very excellent account of the status and progress of the schools of Chatham. At that time the township was made up of a number of one-room schools. In the im- mediate vicinity of the town there were three schools : one was situated south of Coleman's Hill on the right hand side of the road going down Budd Lane, one at Union Hill, and another which probably antedates these two was situated on Long Hill where the present red schoolhouse is located.
The school at Union Hill continued until the year 1863 and was located at the corner of Division street and Kings Road. The building was eighteen by thirty feet, and had a large fireplace with a great stone chimney in one end. About the year 1846 this fireplace was removed and a tinplate stove was substituted. It is thought that this building was erected somewhere about the year 1800. In 1862 in consequence of the reconstruction of school districts a new building was erected west of Union Hill and north of Main street in the borough of Madison. The various teachers of the original Union Hill School of Chatham as accurately as they can be recollected by Mr. Frank Bruen were: Miss Hannah Bower, Miss Marietta Tuttle, Mr. John Condit; Dr. Forgus, Mr. James K. Magie, Miss Sarah A. Carter, Mr. Parsons, Mr. Charles Sayre, Mr. Ashbel Wright, Mr. Henry Smith, Miss Anna E. Thompson, Mr. Stephen H. Ward, Miss Johanna B. Thompson, Mr. Van Cleve, Mr. Francis Smith, Mr. Richard Robinson, Mr. Wilbur F. Morrow, 1863. (The Public Schools of Madison, N. J., by Fred B. Bardon, P. 57.)
From these crude and illy kept country schools many men of note received their early education. However the great mass of pupils in the district frequently suffered for want of attention denied them on account of the demands of a few brighter pupils in the school. The present practice of grading the schools is a great departure from this old method of conduct- ing these public institutions. Under this system each pupil in the grade receives equal attention. The school at the present is composed of an up-to-date kindergarten, eight well regulated grades in the grammar depart- ment, and a four-year high school which offers three courses; classical, scientific, and commercial. The first two courses mentioned admit pupils to college without examination. The high school was placed on the State Ap- proved List in the year 1910.
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New Jersey was the first State to encourage the development of public school libraries. This was done by a law which provided that for every $20 raised by a school district for the establishment of a public school library, the State would give an equal amount, and during each succeeding year thereafter, on the event of the district raising $10 for the further develop- ment of said library, $10 would be donated by the State. The originator of this bill was the Hon. Nathaniel Niles, of Union Hill, whose estate is located on Division street. Mr. Niles was at this time, 1871 and 1872, a mem- ber of the Assembly from Morris County, and speaker of the house in '72. He was the staunch supporter of the public schools of the State. To his honor lies the credit of establishing the school system of the State on a firm financial basis. This was done by means of an annual redistribution of the State school tax according to the school population of each county. Through its operation for the past forty years this law has proved most practical and has enabled the poorest county of the State to offer to its children school advantages equal to any. [Modern Battles of Trenton, Sackett, p. 78.]
Travel-From the time the earliest settlers came to Chatham the great thoroughfare of travel was over the "Road to Elizabeth Town," the course of which was determined by the Minisink Indian trail leading from the upper Delaware to the coast. In 1790 a stage coach was running from Wm. Par- rott's hotel in Chatham to Paulus Hook, Jersey City. It is recorded that this stage also stopped at Timothy Day's hotel in Chatham. From Jersey City to New York there was a relay which enabled the traveler to go from Chatham to New York and back in three days. The main turnpike road led to Elizabeth Town.
The Newark and Morris Turnpike was built on the old stage route in the year 1840. Toll gates were located near the present Canoe Brook Golf Club and at Union Hill. Mr. George Lees who died recently at the age of eighty-three for many years kept the toll gate near the Canoe Brook Golf Club. As a result of these toll gates the present Watchung avenue was used as a "Shunpike" over which wagons loaded with produce on the way to Elizabeth or Newark could shun the tolls of these two gates. On account of this practice the road became known by that name.
In order that the original names of the roads in and about Chatham be not lost, a list is herewith presented including some which heretofore have been referred to incidentally: Main Street, known as Minnisink Path, road to Elizabeth Town, and Morris Turnpike; Passaic Avenue, Budd Lane; River Road, road to Turkey; Watchung Avenue, Shun-pike; Fairmount Avenue, Long Hill road; Red Road, Maple Avenue (changed back to Red Road), named Red Road because of outcropping of red shale; Jockey Hol- low road, ran from Summit avenue along the river to Watchung avenue, was abandoned when the second track of the railroad was laid ; Lafayette avenue, Tyson Lane; Summit avenue, New Road.
The Morris & Essex Railroad was built in the year 1837 and marks a great step in the means of travel to and from New York. This road ex- tended at first from Newark to Morristown. The rails of the tracks were made of wood with a thin strip of iron on the top. The locomotive first used was a queer sort of "dinky" engine with a single driving wheel. Wood was used for fuel. There were three trains daily each way, and it was not until the year 1899 that regular Sunday trains were put on. The business of the road became so profitable that in 1867 a second track was laid. At this time the Jockey Hollow road was done away with.
For a number of years about 1860, Chatham was a kind of terminus
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for the western coal traffic. It was not an uncommon sight to see dozens of trains made up of "coal jimmies" lying in the switches at this junction. Chatham was a reserve coal station from which train loads of coal were taken to the cities as needed. The Lehigh Valley railroad ran most of its coal over the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western at this time. Crews com- ing in on loaded coal trains would lie over here for a day and then return to the coal fields of Pennsylvania on empty trains. On account of this custom, many reckless trainmen were brought to the town, and through their conduct about the hotels and saloons they became quite intolerable to the inhabitants. So aggravating was their behavior that in 1870 through the efforts of George Shepard Page, all hotels and saloons were closed.
Until the year 1902 an engine house was located in the railroad yard south of Summit avenue. This was used for the engine of the Chatham accommodation train. At one time six engines were housed in this building.
For a long time the low marshy land north of the old railroad station was an unsightly menace to the town. In 1896, through the efforts of the ladies of Chatham and Mr. Reasoner, superintendent of the Morris & Essex railroad, this land was purchased and filled in. The ground was graded, shrubbery planted, and a park laid out, which was named for Mr. Reasoner.
At one time there were four stations within the present limits of the borough. They were located, one at Stanley at the River road crossing, one on the northeast corner of Passaic avenue and the railroad tracks, one at King's Road crossing, and one at Division street. Ultimately there was but one station, which was situated in Reasoner's Park. On the event of the ele- vation of the tracks in the fall of 1913, the site of the station was changed from Reasoner's Park to its present location west of Fairmount avenue and south of the tracks, where a new station was built.
After considerable controversy between the citizens of the town and the council, whether the railroad should elevate or depress its tracks, in the year 1913 a decision was rendered in favor of elevation. The railroad com- pany began the project in the fall of that year. It was agreed to close Wil- low Street and Red Road. Great excavations were made between Summit Avenue and the river, and a freight-yard was laid out in which were located the freight-station and coal yard. An average elevation of about ten feet was made, and the double curve in the Stanley section was elim- inated. On changing the site of the station to its present location the old coal yard and brick yard pond was transformed into a park.
The traffic on this road has ultimately made it such a profitable enter- prise that the stock stands among the highest in the country and there now are instead of three trains daily thirty-two each way with nearly as many on Sunday.
It was not until the year 1912 that Chatham was favored with trolley service. At this time the Morris County Traction Company was granted a franchise over the main street. Double tracks were laid and cars run every half hour. The main street was paved with amacite and in consequence greatly improved.
Hotels, Stores, and Post Office-The early growth of Chatham must be attributed to some extent to the location of its first hotel or roadhouse which was built about the year 1755. A second was erected soon afterward. The great practice of farmers carting their produce from the central part of the State to Elizabeth Town and Newark made a demand for these hotels. Chatham lying on the turnpike road was about one day's journey from the center of the State. Farmers on their way to market were accustomed to
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stay over night at the hotels of the town. The next day by starting very early in the morning they would continue to Newark or Elizabeth Town and return in the afternoon. Men doing this would "put up" the second night in Chatham and on the third day go on to their homes. So extensive was this practice that the Rev. Joseph M. Ogden related he had seen at one time as many as forty Conestoga wagons in line coming over the hill from Madi- son on their way to Newark or Elizabeth Town. The yards of the various hotels which flourished here were frequently filled with these wagons and in consequence this little village was periodically a scene of considerable ex- citement. Loads of charcoal frequently passed through the town, and herds of cattle were often kept over night on the flat east of the river. Timothy Day was among the first who kept a hotel east of the river. This tavern was situated near where the road branches off to Turkey. About 1820 it was known as Condit's tavern. Samuel Lee kept a hotel west of Condit's tavern. In the year 1808 Israel Lum was the proprietor of an inn on the southwest corner of the Turnpike and Long Hill Road ( Fairmount avenue). From the early part of the nineteenth century the hotel west of the river and north of the Turnpike road was known as Crowell's tavern. About 1865 this tavern was kept for several years by a George Philhower. Squire Spen- cer's hotel and store combined was located west of the river and south of Main Street nearly opposite Crowell's tavern. About thirty years ago on the site of the Widow Field's mansion, William Martin built a summer hotel which is now known as the Fairview House. Some years ago the business of catering to summer boarders was extensively carried on at this hotel which accommodated in the maximum about one hundred-fifty guests.
In Revolutionary times two stores were spoken of in the New Jersey Journal. One was probably located east of the river and the other west ; the former was Jacob Morrell's, and the latter Foster Horten's. Advertisements concerning these stores are found in the N. J. Journal under the date May II, 1779.
The Rev. James Caldwell, in his capacity as deputy quartermaster- general, kept a store in the village during the Revolution. [ Proceedings of Hist. Assn. of N. J., vols. 3-4, Ist series, p. 82.] The following amusing incident is recorded concerning the parson's ammunition and army provision store. Over the door of his establishment were the letters D. Q. M. G. (deputy quartermaster general). Abram Clark, a citizen of the town, one day was found by the parson gazing intently at these letters evidently trying to interpret their meaning. "What are you looking at so earnestly?" asked the parson. The reply was, "I am trying to make out what those letters mean." "What do you think," questioned Rev. Caldwell. "Well," said Mr. Clark, "I can see nothing else in them but, Devilish Queer Minister of the Gospel," over which remark the good old parson jocularly laughed.
For a number of years the most popular store of the town was kept by "General" Mahlon Minton. This building was located opposite George Parrot's house now occupied by Mr. H. B. Stopford. Some rather exciting tales are told about the robberies committed at the old Minton store. Pre- vious to 1860 it was not an unfrequent occurrence for ruffians to come out from the cities or larger towns and successfully rob the country stores. On one particular occasion the inhabitants of Chatham were awakened on a frosty morning by the cries of fire. It was soon discovered that "General" Minton's store was ablaze. On arriving at the store it was observed that the doors were open and that a robbery had been committed in addition to the firing of the building. All joined in fighting the fire excepting Samuel Lee,
Lum Homestead, corner of Main and Fairmount Avenue, Chatham.
Chatham Hotel (Crowell Tavern), East Main Street, Chatham.
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proprietor of one of the hotels east of the river, who conceived the idea that the culprit was not far on his way down the turnpike road. Jumping on a horse he set out in pursuit of the suspected burglar. Beyond Springfield he overtook a suspicious character with a load of store goods. Mr. Lee rode up and commanded him to stop. The thief drew a single barrel pistol and attempted to shoot his assailant, but luckily the weapon would not go off. Lee dismounted and a tussle ensued in which the thief was bound and brought back to Chatham. On Mr. Lee's return he found the fire extinguished. The goods were restored and the convict was sent to prison, where he died.
Another incident is related of thieves entering General Minton's house. This was one winter evening when Sarah E. Minton, the daughter, was away at boarding school in Newton. It was Miss Minton's custom to sleep in a down stairs bedroom. In the middle of the night Mrs. Minton was partially awakened for some unknown reason, and in her half conscious state noticed flashes of light on the ceiling. This phenomenon though unusual faded from her consciousness, and she dropped off to sleep. In the morning it was dis- covered that the home had been robbed, and upon investigation dirty finger prints on the white counterpane of the empty bed of their daughter Sarah, and the open window under which the bed stood revealed that this had been the source of entrance to the house. Further findings proved that Miss Minton's absence was fortunate for her, for upon the capture of the thieves to the surprise of the country folk it was found that they were two burly negroes. One in confessing his criminality stated that he stood over the bed of Mr. and Mrs. Minton with an ax in hand determined to dispatch its occupants should they awaken while his accomplice was looting the house. (Tradition from Mr. Guy Minton. )
The first postoffices established in New Jersey were at Trenton, Prince- ton, and Elizabeth Town. Chatham in the latter part of the eighteenth century was an outpost of the Elizabeth Town office, and mail was delivered at the stores by stage. This mail which was addressed Elizabeth Town reached the various inhabitants of this territory through voluntary distribu- tion by the merchant of the town with whom most of the people of the com- munity traded. Of course there was very little correspondence and a letter was seldom received. However the practice of letter writing, both of a social nature and for business purposes, grew until on July 1, 1808, Chatham be- came a postoffice station, with Daniel Crane as postmaster. Mr. Crane was succeeded on July 1, 1814, by David L. Osborne. In the year 1822 Gideon Burnett was the postmaster. Later Samuel Crane and Paul Day served in this capacity. The stage route which ran from New York to Easton by way of Schooley's Mountain passed through Chatham and left mail there at this time. In the year 1851 William R. MacDougal was postmaster and con- tinued in his relationship to the national government for thirty-one years. The office was in his store which occupied the east end of the present dwell- ing of Mr. Geo. MacDougal. After his incumbency the postoffice was located on Bower Lane. Later it passed to Hudson Minton's store on the corner of Fairmount and Main, and ultimately to the Wolfe building, in which it is located at the present time with Dr. William J. Wolfe as post- master. Dr. Wolfe was preceded by Mr. Ezra F. Ferris who was post- master in the borough for fifteen years.
A postoffice was established in Stanley about the year 1865, in con- sequence of the large paper manufactory along the river. This office, though small has had an uninterrupted existence from the above date until the present.
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The Chatham Fish and Game Protective Association, which has for a number of years been not only of great social but of considerable moral benefit to the town, was organized April 11, 1889, by a few gentlemen who were interested in field sports. The purpose of this association was to pro- tect more effectually game and game fish. Its members consisted of many noted men of New York City and New Jersey who for a few days in the year would come to the club to enjoy gnnning in the adjacent country. A great many quail were set free, the river was stocked with bass, and the smaller streams with trout. Trap shooting was indulged in to a great extent. The charter members of the club were George Shepard Page, William W. Ogden, James H. Valentine, William H. Lum, William E. Budd, William Elder, Frederick H. Lum, Addison H. Day, Josiah Jowitt, all of Chatham, and William F. Bailey of Summit, New Jersey. The first officers were George Shepard Page, president ; William W. Ogden, vice-president ; William Elder, treasurer; Edward H. Lum, secretary, and William M. Hopping, assistant secretary. In the year 1907 a large plot of land, east of the property on which were situated at the time a great many ramshackle houses, was bought, and the present beautiful lawn and tennis courts were built.
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