USA > New Jersey > Somerset County > Centennial history of Somerset County [New Jersey] > Part 12
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I am assured also, that there was in a very early day, a mill on the Raritan just above the Flemington Railroad Bridge, and below it was the ford used in crossing until the covered bridge was erected. There was also a dam in the river a short distance above the landing bridge, the only one in the river, which gave dissatisfaction to the inhabi- tants above because it prevented their shad fishing in the spring. With these local remembrances we close our no- tice of the interesting localities and historical houses.
CHAPTER XII.
ROADS.
There was an Indian path, very much travelled by the aboriginees, leading from Minisink Islands in the Delaware below Port Jeryis, to Shrewsbury and the ocean side. It passed north of Morristown, crossed the mountains west of Springfield, followed Rahway River, and passed the Rari- tan at a place known as Kent's Neck. about four miles west of Amboy. But it was not in any sense a road.
There was a kind of road or way when the country was discovered, between the Raritan and Delaware, kuown as the Indian Path, which seems to have been formed by the aboriginees for the purpose of transition to the sea shore. It diverged from the present road about 300 yards west of the mile run brook, and ran in a more northerly direction between the present French and Somerset streets, passing in front of Mr. French's residence to the river, a short dis- tance above the Ferry and below the ford, where the Indi- ans had long crossed at low tide. The French house stood on. the right side nea: where the residence of Judge 'Ter- hune is now located. He was a highly respectable citizen, but his house was humble and unostentatious, consisting of wood, long and low, and of one story only. Indeed there were few which aspired so high as have added to them a second story. The well which supplied water is the same that coutains to day the pump in Washington street, a few feet west of George street in New Brunswick. It stood as late as the year 1812. Philip French owned in 1745, 400 acres of land in Franklin Township, and was a prosperous opulent farmer. Just beyond the mile run brook in early
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days, a Public House was in existence call French's Mile Run House. The earliest names which occur as land owners along this road are John Van Houten, Tunis Quick, Dollius Hageman, Frederick Van Liew, Jacob Ben- net,. Abraham Bennet, Fulkard Van Nostrand.
Along the Indian path the first settlers in Franklin Township purchased lands and built . houses. When it began to be passable for vehicles we are not able to state, probably soon after 1699. In that year there is an account of a traveller named Edmonson, who attempted to pass from the Raritan to the Delaware, and proenred an Indian guide to conduct him, but he lost his way, and after a fa- tigueing march through the forests found himself some where beyond Six Mile Run, Overtaken by the closing day, and after encamping all night in the woods, succeeded in effecting a return to Innian's Ferry the next day. Later, Kalm, a Sweedish traveller, coming from Princeton says : "the country is pretty well peopled ; there were however, great woods in many places. The ground was level and did not seem to be everywhere of the richest kind. Al- most near every farm house were great orchards ; the hous- es commonly built of timber and at some distance from themselves stood the oven for baking, consisting common- ly of clay .
. Previous to 1675 and 1677, when the legislature adopt- ed some general regulations for the opening of roads, the only road laid out properly within the limits of New Jer- sey. appears to have been that by which the inhabitants at New Amsterdam communicated with their settlements on the Delaware. It ran from Elizabeth Point, or its neigh- borhood, to where New Brunswick now stands ; and was probably the same as that since (widered and improved) knowh as the old road or Indian path between those places. At New Brunswick the river was fordable at low water, and the road thence ran almost in a straight line to the Delaware, (above where Trenton is now situated, ) which was also fordable. This was called the "upper road," which branched off about five or six miles from the Rari- tan, took a sweep toward the east, and arrived at the Del - aware at the site of the present Burlingtou. These roads
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however, were very little more than foot-paths, and so con- tinned for many years, affording facilities for pedestrians and horsemen principally. Even as late as 1716, when In- nian's ferry had been established at New Brunswick for twenty years, provision was only made, in the rates allow- ed by the assembly, for 'horse and man,' and 'single per- son.' Previous to that time, the road had been improved eastward, and was considered the main thoroughfare to Pennsylvania ; for, in 1695, the Inkeepers at Piscataway, Woodbridge and Elizabethtown, were taxed for five years, to prevent its falling into decay. The sum required at that time, was only ten pounds. An opposition road was opened by the Proprietaries, in the hope of drawing the principal travelling to Amboy, their seat of government ; but without success. They express a wish to Deputy-gov- ernor Laurie, in 'July, 1683, that 'it might be discovered whether there may not a convenient road be found between Perthtown (Perth Amboy) and Burlington, for the enter- taining of a land conveyance that way,' This was done by Laurie the ensuing year, and he connected with the road a ferry boat, to run between Amboy and New York, 'to en- tertain travellers.' Finding however that the other road continued to be preferred, Gov. Basse, in 1698, was direct- ed to bring the matter before the assembly, and have an act passed that would cause the public road to pass through the port-town of (Perth Amboy,) from New York and New England to West Jersey and Pennsylvania ; but Basse's authority was of such limited duration that noth- was done.
"Such were the two routes travelled between New York and Philadelphia, under the Proprietary Government ; but no public conveyance for the transportation of either goods or passengers existed in either place. One Delaman was permitted by Gov. Hamilton to drive a wagon on the Amboy road about this time, but had no regular prices or set time for his trips.
In April, 1707, the assembly, enumerating their griev- ances to Lord Cornbury, complained that patents had been granted to individuals to transport goods on the road from Burlington to Amboy, for a certain number of years,
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to the exclusion of others ; which was deemed not only contrary to the statute respecting monopolies, but also de- structive to that freedom which trade and commerce ought to have. The governor, in his reply, gives us an insight into the facilities afforded by Delaman's wagon. After stating the difficulties which had previously attended the carriage of goods upon the road, he says, "at present, eve- ry body is sure, once a fortnight to have an opportunity of sending any quantity of goods, great or small, at reasona- ble rates, without being in danger of imposition ; and the settling of this wagon is so far from being a grievance or a monopoly, that by this means and no other, a trade has been carried on between Philadelphia, Burlington, Amboy and New York, which was never known before, and in all probability never would have been. As none of the griev- ances suffered under Lord Cornbury's administration were removed until his recall, in 1710, it is probable this wagon continued to perform its journey once a fortnight till then, if not, longer. Soon after, however, the road seems to have been more open to competition.
"The first advertisement respecting the transportation on this route, which I have met with, is in Andrew Brad- ford's Philadelphia Mercury, of March, 1732-33. It is as follows :
"This is to give notice unto gentlemen, Merchants, Tradesmen, Travellers, and others, that Solomon Smith and James Moore of Burlington, keepeth two Stage Wag- ons intending to go from Burlington to Amboy, and back from Amboy to Burlington again, 'Once every Week' or offt'er if that Business presents. They have also a very good store house, very comodious for the Storing of any sort of Merchants Goods free from any Charges, where good Care will be taken of all sorts of Goods."
About this time, also, a line by the way of New Bruns- wick commenced, and in 1734 another via Bordentown was established, running from South river, the proprietor of which would be at New York once a week, if wind and weather permit, and come to the Old-slip.
In 1744 the stage wagons between New Brunswick and Trenton ran twice a week.
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In October, 1750. a new line was established, the owner of which resided at Perth Amboy. He informed all gen- tlemen and ladies who have occasion to transport then- selves, goods, wares, or merchandise, from New York to Philadelphia, that he had a stage boat well fitted for the purpose, which, wind and weather permitting, (that never- forgotten proviso,) would leave New York every Wednes- day for the ferry at Amboy on Thursday, where, on Fri- day a stage wagon would be ready to proceed immediately to Bordentown, where they would take another stage boat to Philadelphia-nothing being said of the time when they might expect to arrive there. He states, however, that the passages are made in forty eight hours, less time than by any other line. This was probably the case, for the route was so well patronized that, in 1752, they carried passengers twice a week instead of once, endeavoring to use people in the best manner, keeping them, be it observ- ed, from five to seven days on the way.
The success of this line seems to have led to an opposi- tion. in 1751, originating in Philadelphia, which professed to go through in twenty-four or thirty hours, but which nev- ertheless, appears to have required the same number of days as the other. Great dependence was placed upon the attractions of the passenger boat between Amboy and New York, described as having a fine commodious cabin, fitted up with a tea table, and sundry other articles.
In 1756, a stage line between Philadelphia and New York, via. Trenton and Perth Amboy, was established, in- tended to run through in three days. This was followed in 1765, by another to start twice a week ; but nine years had worked no increase of speed. The following year a third line of good stage wagons, with the seats set on springs, was set up, to go through in two days in summer, and three in winter. These wagons were modestly called 'Flying Machines.' The title soon became a favorite with all the stage proprietors. These lines ran, I believe, by the way of Blazing Star Ferry and Staten Island, and soon put an end to the transportation of passengers on the old Amboy ronte.
From 1765 to 1768, attempts were made by the legisla-
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ture to raise funds, by lottery, for shortening and improv- ing the great thoroughfares ; but without success. Gov. Franklin, alluding to them, in a speech to the assembly, in 1768, states that even those which lie between the two principal trading cities in North America, are seldom passable without danger or difficulty, Such being the condition of the roads it was a great improvement to have John Merserean's 'flying machine,' in 1772, leave Paulus Hook three times a week, with a reasonable expectation that passengers would arrive in Philadelphia in one day and a half. This time, however, was probably fonnd too short, for two days were required by him in 1773-74.
The mails, being carried on horseback, moved at this time with rather greater speed than passengers ; but they had been a long time acquiring it. To Col. John Hamil- ton, son of Gov. Andrew Hamilton, of New Jersey, (him- self at one time acting governor, as president of the coun- cil,) were the colonies indebted for devising the scheme by which the Post-Office was established. This was about the year 1694. He obtained a patent for it, and afterward sold his right to the crown. It is presumed that it was soon made to carry the mails regularly ; but speed was little regarded.
In 1704, in the pleasant month of May, a New York paper says, the last storm put our Pennsylvania post & week behind, and is not yet com'd in.
In 1717, advices from Boston to Williamsburg, in Vir- ginia, were completed in four weeks, from March to Decem- ber, and in double that time in the other months of the year; but there is a probability that the mails south of Philadelphia did not continue to be carried regularly until some years later.
About 1720, the post set out from Philadelphia every Friday, left letters at Burlington and Perth Amboy, and arrived at New York on Sunday night; leaving there Mon- day morning, on its journey eastward,
In 1722, a Philadelphia paper states that the New York Post was three days behind his time, and not yet arrived.
In 1729, the mail between the two cities went once a .weck in summer, and once a fortnight in winter; and this
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continued to be the case till 1754, when Dr. Franklin be- came superintendent, and improved the condition of the Post Office materially. In October, notice is given that un- til Christmas the Post would leave the two cities three times a week, at eight o'clock, A. M. ; making it thirty three hours After Christmas, being frequently delayed in crossing New York Bay, (the route being via. Blazing Star ferry, ) it would leave only twice a week. Further im- provements were made in the following years, and in 1764, 'if weather permitted,' the mails were to leave every alter - nate day, and go through in less than twenty-four hours ; and such was the rate at which they travelled until the revolution put a stop to their regular transmission.
In 1791, there were only six Post-offices in New Jersey- Newark, Elizabethtown, Bridgetown, (now Rahway,) Brunswick, Princeton, and Trenton. Somerset seems to have had no mail facilities at all. The total of the re- ceipts, for the year ending October 5th, 1791, was $530, of which the postmasters received $108.20-leaving $421.80 as the nett revenue.
The first road along the Raritan branced off from what we have called the "old road" at New Brunswick, and fol- lowed the north side of the river up to the junction of the two Branches. from which it ran west to New Hope, on the Delaware. Below Bound Brook its location has not been altered in any essential particular up to the present time ; but the opening of the New Jersey Turnpike led to its being closed westward of Bound Brook. Its location was south of the turnpike all the way between Somerville and the turnpike gate at Bound Brook-just north of the farm houses on the banks of the river; and it came into Somerville where the shop of Leonard Bunn still stands; passed quite close to the front of the Brick Church, and went north of the houses in Main Street, crossing the turnpike again where John Whitenack's shop was since built, and so continued up until near Raritan, where the present road is located. Opposite the mansion of the late Gen. John Frelinghuysen it threw off a branch which ran to the Mills at North Branch, and on to Easton. How soon, after the first families settled on the Raritan, this
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road was opened we are not informed. It was probably a gradnal affair. The earliest legislative action in reference to roads in Somerset County which we have seen was in 1694 ; and it refers to a previous action of the same char- acter, by which John Royce, Peter Vaness and John Tuni- son were appointed commissioners of highways, in the place of several who had died; and it was enjoined upon them not to change the localities of roads without necessi- ty, and to lay out and open new ones where required. These acts probably mark the time when what were really roads, first began to be formed for the convenience of the residents of Somerset County.
There was a road at any early day from New Brunswick to Millstone by way of Middlebush; and the road from Bound Brook to Pluckamin was also opened before the Revolution. From the Raritan road there also branched off another which crossed the river a little west of the old church, and went to Millstone. On this road the first bridge across the Raritan was built, some time before the Revolution, but what year we have not ascertained. This bridge was situated some distance below the site of what we now call "the old bridge." The church stood in the second field east of the present road, not near the river, but on the high ground north of it. By this bridge Wash- ington's army crossed after the battle of Princeton on their way to Pluckamin; but the exact line of march we are not able to point out ; if by the usual public highway then it must have been through Somerville, along the road to the mountain by Fritt's Hotel. The road from the upper part of the village is later in time and it could not have been by this, because not then in existance
The Landing bridge was begun previous to 1772, as is evident from the fact, that in that year, an act was passed to enable the inhabitants of Middlesex and Somerset to tax themselves to complete that bridge, said to have been "already begun." These bridges continued for many years to be the only points of passage along the river ; the other places of crossing were fords. The New Jersey Turnpike built their bridge about 1809, and the "covered
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. bridge," at first a "chain bridge," was erected in 1815 or 1816.
How the first settlers made their way up to Bound Brook and Somerville, we are left to conjecture. It may have been on horseback, and it may have been by means of canoes or small boats ; both were used in transporting their produce to a considerable extent in early times ; and in winter they had a splendid road on the ice and used it to their comfort and advantage. Wheat and corn are known to have been brought down, even out of the South Branch in boats in the early days, when the water in the river was full,
The necessity of the case, made the work to be done, difficulties notwithstanding.
The road from Brunswick to Pluckamin ought to be mem- orable for a Revolutionary incident, which, singularly enough, has found no record in any history of those times. We refer to a visit of ceremony and congratulation made to Major McDonald, of Pluckamin, by a company of mounted men from Gen. Howe's army at New Brunswick. It must have been in the autumn of 1776 or the spring of 1777. Asa matter of precaution, on their way up, they threw out videttes on both sides of the road from Bound Brook upward ; but they were not molested until they ar- rived at "Lafferty's Hill " immediately cast of the village, when they were fired upon by some person or persons con - cealed in the woods on the mountain side, and one of the party was wounded. This attack incensed them greatly and when they arrived at the hotel in Pluckamin, then kept by Christian Eoff, they were very violent and noisy, and forcibly possessed themselves of some of the sheets from the beds in the house, which they tore up for bandages for the wounded soldier, Having provided for his immediate wants, they repaired to Major McDonald's house, and sa- luted him It is understood that he had been an officer in the British service, in his early life, and was living here, probably on half pay. He received the compliment, and to show his appreciation of it, rolled out a barrel of whiskey from his cellar, and gave them such refreshments as could be extemporized for the emergency. After tasting the
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"apple jack" and consuming the bread and cold ham offer- ered to them, they again mounted rather hastily, calling in their videttes as they proceeded on their return. At Bound Brook, a few men had collected, but making a rush, they passed that point in safety, and reached the camp at New Brunswick without any serious molestation The fact was, that the inhabitants had suffered so severely from the British foraging parties, in the autumn, winter and spring of 1776 and 1777 that they were afraid to molest any com- pany of military men, for it only provoked them to inflict increasing damages. The people were at their mercy and could only endure. The time had not vet arrived for them to avenge their injuries but it came ; and before the year 1777 closed, Gen. Howe had evacuated New Brunswick, leaving Somerset County to return no more forever. The question of where was the McDonald House, seems to be settled by the fact that he is represented as owning a Mill on Chamber's brook. This Mill stood cast of the little bridge over Chamber's brook on the road along the moun- tain from Somerville to Pluckamin. It seems to have been afterwards called the Lafferty house.
CHAPTER XIII.
WASHINGTON IN SOCIAL LIFE.
When the Pennsylvania troops revolted on the 21st of June, 1783, the Congress was in session at Trenton ; and the disaffected men, three hundred in number, marched thither, surrounded the State House, placed guards at the door, and demanded a redress of their grievances within the space of twenty minutes, at the peril of having an enraged soldiery let in upon them. But Congress was firm in the pressing emergency, refused to act under restraint, declar- ed that they had been grossly insulted and adjourned to meet in Princeton. 1
On the 26th, after the mutiny had been quelled, they re-assembled there, holding their sessions in the College buildings. Washington was summoned from Newburgh to consult with them on important matters rela- tive to the close of the war. Leaving General Knox in command of the army, he repaired to New Jersey, in obedi- ance to this request, accompanied by Mrs. Washington and a part of his military family. He fixed his quarters at Rocky Hill, in a house on the east side of the Millstone river, about one-eighth of a mile from the present village, then the residence of Judge Berrian, a description of it has already been given. Here he remained until November, when he returned to Newburgh, preparatory to the enter- ing of the army into the city of New York after its final evacuation by the British troops, on the 25th of Novem- ber 1783.
While residing in this house Washington was in the habit of riding in company with some of his aids into Princeton almost every morning, for the purpose of confer-
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ence with Congress, on the many new and important ques- tions, which pressed for a solution in the existing emergen- cies ; and as he had always, after such conference, the leisure of the whole day to dispose of. he indulged himself in social intercourse with the different families residing in the village and in its vicinity ! Among these was that of Mr. John Van Horn, a wealthy and intelligent farmer liv- ing near his quarters at Rocky Hill.
Washington frequently after his morning ride, called on Mrs. Van Horn, and spent an hour in conversation with her and the ladies of the family. He delighted in this way to unbend himself from the dignity of commander in chief and give play to his social spirit ; and it is sufficiently at- tested, that grave as he was in his public life, there could be no more fascinating gentleman in the social circle, than he, on such occasions, showed himself to be.
On one of the mornings when he called on Mrs. Van Horn, a ludicrous incident occurred, the description of which has been preserved by Dunlap the painter, in his "Reminescences of Washington." He was a mere youth at the time, and had taken board for a few weeks at Mrs. Van Horn's, at Rocky Hill. His object in visiting Prince- ton was to take the portraits of some of the members of Congress; and he found the farmer's house and table, most appropriate and convenient both to his means and to the leisure which he required, in order to be better able to se- cure the needed progress in his work. We shall now let him speak in his own words, because no others could more graphically describe the scene. It throws at least a new gleam of light upon the character of the man in whom all feel so deep an interest; but who is not fully and familiar- ly known, even by those who have been most careful in studying the numerous biographies which have been writ- ten of him. Circumstances not unfrequently reveal us to ourselves, and they do so also to others. Washington at Van Horn's is a new revelation of the hero and the sage. Let us hear Dunlap :
"Before I left Princeton for Rocky Hill, I saw for the first time the man of whom all men spoke-whom all wish- ed to see. It was accidental. It was a picture. No
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painter could have grouped a company of military men better, or selected a background better suited for effect. As I walked on the road leading from Princeton to Tren- ton, alone, for I ever loved solitary rambles, ascending a hill, suddenly appeared a brilliant troop of cavaliers, mounting and gaining the summit in my front. The clear autumnal sky behind them equally relieved the dark blue uniforms. the buff facings and glittering military appenda- ges. All were gallantly mounted-all were tall and grace . ful-but one towered above the rest, and I doubted not an instant, that I saw the beloved hero. I lifted my hat as I saw that his eye was turned toward me, and instantly eve- ry hat was raised and every eye was fixed on ine. They passed on and I turned and gazed as at a passing vision. I had seen him; although all through my life used to "the pomp, pride and circumstances of glorious war"-to the gay and gallant Englishman, the tarcared Scott, and the embroidered German of every military grade; I still think the old blue and buff of Washington and his aids, their cocked hats worn side long, with the union cockade-their whole equipment, as seen at that moment, was the most martial of any thing I ever saw.
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