USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Dover > Dover dates, 1722-1922 : a bicentennial history of Dover, New Jersey , published in connection with Dover's two hundredth anniversary celebration under the direction of the Dover fire department, August 9, 10, 11, 1922 > Part 3
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1745-May 30. Joseph Shotwell bought from the Proprietors, 91 acres of land (beginning at a house with lower part of brick, on West Blackwell street, beyond the viaduct), taking in the main business part of present-day Dover.
The Shotwells are an extensive Quaker family.
Soon iron works, together with a forge, were in operation on the: Rockaway river. About this period of time we meet with refer- ences to the "Quaker Iron Works."
1748 There was a Quaker meeting conducted at Lamson's farm, south of Dover, before the present Quaker Church building was put up. On the map of 1832 Morris street is indicated as "The Road to Lamson's Farm."
1748-1750 There was a great advance in the iron trade.
1749-Middle Forge was set up at Picatinny by Jonathan Osborn.
1750-An Act of the English Parliament forbade the colonists to set up. rolling mills or to manufacture iron into articles of use. They must ship it to England in the bloom. The English manufac- turers would produce the articles of commerce made from iron and then send these back to the colonists to be sold for a price that would cover all expense of such double and distant trans- portation. To this the colonists objected. Whatever manufac- turing they did had to be done in secret and the iron business received a great setback, if not a complete quietus.
Gov. Belcher reported to England that there was only one iron mill in New Jersey (one at Trenton), and that diligent search revealed no others.
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1734-to 1750 was the period of "The Great Awakening"-George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards were friends of Gov. Belcher and were entertained at his house in Elizabeth.
John Jackson was compelled to sell out at sheriff's sale in 1753, and his farm and woodland, the 527 acres, was bought by Harts- horne Fitz Randolph, a well-to-do Quaker of Monmouth county, for about five hundred pounds. It seems to have been a case of getting back an equivalent for moneys advanced as loans or other- wise, as was the case later, when Blackwell and McFarlan took over the property of Canfield & Losey.
THE NAME
John Jackson is said to have gone to West Virginia, where the town of Jackson was named for him, an honor which did not fall to the lot of Dover. Dover is thought to have gained its name from Moses Hurd, the first associate of Jackson in Dover, who is said to have come from Dover, New Hampshire. But there seems to be some uncertainty about it. The town once had the name of "Old Tye," which remains unaccounted for.
1753-When Jackson left Dover (1753?) we do not know that this place was known by that name. Nor do we know the exact date of the name Old Tye and its continuance in use. But the name "Dover" is found in an old account book, in a reference to "the Dover Store," January 13, 1798. See Dover History, page 477. The name "Old Tye," as applied to Dover, has puzzled antiquar- ians. Its origin is a subject of conjecture. Let us again consult the oracle of Morris county history, Rev. Joseph Tuttle.
1776-In 1776, Gen. Winds (then Lieut-Colonel) and many men from this part of New Jersey were at Ticonderoga, New York. Among them was one Joseph Tuttle, who kept a diary, in which he con- stantly refers to Ticonderoga as "Tie." October II, 1776, he writes, "Col. Winds made application to go home, but no suc- cess by reason of the senior officers devilish lies told to the Gen'1; the old Col. is shamefully abused and belied." Nov. 5th and 6th he notes that Col. Winds got an order to "be off" and left Ticon- deroga with 105 men of our Battalion, some say with scandal, but Col. Winds says with honor. On the basis of such memo- randa we may venture a guess. Some old soldier, returning from this expedition, may have referred to his experiences so frequently or in such a way as to gain the nickname "Old Tye," and if he lived here, as Gen. Winds did, the name may have passed over to this locality. Perhaps both names, Old Tye and Dover, were synchronous for a while, and Dover "won out" after 1790.
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Mr. Canfield has shown me a map published in 1777, from sur- veys made in 1769. On this map we find "BEMEN'S" where Dover should be. "Beman's" is referred to in a letter of 1790 written by Jacob Losey.
1756-63-French and Indian War.
1756-The sheriff's sale and the advent of Hartshorne Fitz Randolph mark the end of the first period of Dover's history. Close upon this followed the advent of another notable man, General Winds (or Wines), who came to East Dover from Southold, Long Island, in 1756. He bought a farm of 275 acres from Thomas and Richard Penn, situated where the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western carshops used to be. He was a dominant char- acter in the county, as has been so well shown by Rev. Joseph F. Tuttle, D.D., in a biographical sketch of this "hero of Morris county."
1757-Following General Winds came his brother-in-law, Josiah Bea- man, who purchased, in 1757, the forge and dwelling of John Jackson, situated in Dover. We conclude that by this time Jack- son had left or did leave Dover. Beaman also bought from Shotwell 107 acres in Dover, mostly north of the river. We find in Dover History, page 475, that Josiah Beaman acquired the "plantation" known as the Baker Homestead at Mt. Pleasant at some time subsequent to 1774 and sold it to Jeremiah Baker in 1792, when he sold his iron works in Dover to Canfield & Losey.
1758-The "Old Quaker Church" bearing this date is a well-known landmark. It stands facing "The Great Road," as mentioned in the deed of land, and occupies a commanding site with a magni- ficent view. The Quakers could not foresee the coming of the canal and the railroad, but they located along the great thorough- fare of their day, and chose the finest upland of this region for their farms and their rural community of Randolph.
Continuing the memoranda of these early settlers which have been so carefully gathered by Dr. Tuttle and published in his "Centennial Collections of Morris County," we observe that the Quaker community on the hills south of Dover kept growing. Henry and Richard Brotherton, two brothers, and Richard Dell, married daughters of William Schooley, of Schooley's Mountain. Dell removed from Schooley's Mountain in 1759, to a tract of land which he purchased from the heirs of Wm. Penn. His son, Thomas Dell, bought land of the Kirkbride heirs in 1786. Daniel Carrell settled at Center Grove in 1739, on lot No. 7, Kirkbride Division.
1761-There is a note to the effect that one Joseph Prudden sold land in Dover to Josiah Beaman in 1761.
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THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR
1754-63-Turning back our historical searchlight, we must note that the French and Indian War was going on from 1754 to 1763. Men from this vicinity enlisted and went north to aid in the conquest of Canada. Gen. Winds was one who was called upon to serve in the field. To quote from Ashley's United States History, "The French and Indian War decided the fate of the French empire on the continent of North America." John Fiske believed that "the triumph of Wolfe marks the greatest turning point as yet discernible in modern history." Gen. Winds had a hand in deciding this turning point, and other men from Dover were with him. This is not the only "turning point" in world history in which the men of Dover have had a hand.
1763-The Peace of Paris gave England control of North America east of the Mississippi, except Florida.
1765-Following the French and Indian War the British Parliament, under George III, passed the Stamp Act to recover the costs of the war, in part at least, from the colonies. Stamps were required on law papers, etc. The colonists resented this Act. Law papers must be made out on stamped paper sold for the purpose. The Sons of Liberty adopted the motto, "Liberty, Property, and no Stamps." Patrick Henry stirred the people by his resolutions. There was great excitement.
1765-Gen. Winds, then Justice of the Peace, refused to use the stamped paper in making out his legal documents and maintained his independence by using birch bark.
This local incident of Dover was a prelude to the Boston Tea Party of 1773, and points to the next great event in Dover history as associated with the destiny of the nation, for the Colonies became the United States of America as a result of the Declara- tion of Independence in 1776.
1768- John Jackson's brother, Joseph, is said to have bought part of John's forge in 1768, selling it, next year, to his son Stephen Jackson of "Mendom," who afterwards became owner of the fine mill property at Rockaway, with large tracts of valuable lands. He once had the honor of entertaining Gen. Washington at his house. He was a man of great energy and died in 1812. Rev. Joseph F. Tuttle thinks that Rockaway may have been settled in 1725-30 by the building of a small forge.
1772-The American colonies have great sea power. Help make Eng- land an empire.
Richard Faesch bought up the Richard mine (named after him) which was afterwards operated by the Dover Company of Can- field & Losey, and by Blackwell & McFarlan, and sold by the latter to the Thomas Iron Company in 1856. Mines and forges are the backbone of Dover history. Further details can be found in Munsell's History of Morris County and in the State Geo-
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1776-1783, and New Jersey was no longer under a royal governor. The Revolutionary War occupied the attention of Dover folks from 1776 to 1783 and Morris County was particularly con- cerned in the struggle because of the Winter Camps of Washing- ton and the American army at Morristown, and because of the demand for iron products in carrying on the battle for freedom. Dr. Tuttle has been the intimate historian of the experiences of Morris County people during the Revolution. The "Ballads of New Jersey in the Revolution," based chiefly upon his local sketches, further illustrates the times.
1779-Jonathan Dickerson, in partnership with Minard Le Fevre, began to buy out the Kirkbride interest in the Succasunna mine.
1790-The following postoffices were established in New Jersey : Eliza- beth, Newark, Princeton, Trenton, East Bridgeton (Rahway). 1791-Only six post offices in New Jersey.
1792-The rage for building canals and turnpikes broke out. Reached Dover later.
1793-These postoffices were added: Amboy, Bridgeton, Morristown, Rockaway (which then served for Dover), Woodbury, Woods- town.
1792-Canfield & Losey bought from Josiah Beaman the iron works in Dover, situated on the Rockaway river. They built the dam, a rolling mill, a slitting mill, a nail factory and also a dwelling house for Mr. Losey, who lived in Dover and conducted the business. In his house was a store and the first known post office, of which he was the postmaster, as testified by Mrs. Livermore. Jacob Losey was her great uncle. This is the first mention of a "Dover store." Israel Canfield acquired title to extensive min- ing tracts outside of Dover in northern New Jersey. Mr. Losey's garden was notable. He was the first to cultivate the tomato in Dover. His hospitality famous.
1794-99-In an old account book of Baker & Ludlow, at Mt. Pleasant, are found the names of 173 persons living in Dover and vicinity, trading at the store or named as members of the family of per- sons having accounts there. Business had to be conducted in English money, pounds, shillings and pence, even at that date. The English colonial government had discouraged the circulation of money and the habit of trading by barter had long been estab- lished in the colonies. Also credit would be given by transfers on the accounts of persons trading at the one store, in a manner to supply, in a way, the use of bank checks. The entries in the old books throw much light upon the habits and doings and method of living of that day, as well as providing the nearest sub- stitute for a census of the population with lists of family names. It is said that Dover was at this time (end of the eighteenth cen- tury) full of infidelity and wickedness. (Munsell). Followers of Tom Paine disseminated his sentiments. Standards were low. This was not limited to Dover, for at that time, after the Revolu-
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tionary War, French infidelity was rife in our States. The "Age of Reason" affected this country as well as Europe. Dr. Dwight, president of Yale College at that time, preached a series of ser- mons on the evidences and claims of Christianity and did much to stem the tide.
THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
By this time we see that Dover is an industrial town, and that its prosperity is largely dependent on the mines by which it is sur- rounded and the manufacture of the iron which they supply. In look- ing to the future, in planning to establish or to carry on a community, present-day methods of efficiency would demand a study of those ele- ments which belond to any well-developed community, and would doubtless recognize as such elements-
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I. Industry, or the means of making a living.
This involves the rendering of some service to the world of which we are a part.
2. Communication with the outside world, by letter, by travel. Hence roads.
3. Transportation : The means of carrying our products to dis- tant places and of bringing back the products that we need. Hence, more and better roads, canals, railroads-anything that will carry-even airplanes.
4. A medium of exchange. Barter, or exchange of products, is the foundation of trade; but a monetary and banking system may facilitate business.
5. Family life, involving marriage and the home.
The industrial foundation of life is only a foundation on which to rear the edifice, humanity.
6. Education, or the training of the young, demands a place in the complete community.
Hence schools, teachers, books, a public library.
7. Furthermore, Religion is a part of life. Hence churches.
8. Entertainment and social life refuse to be overlooked. Hence, places of recreation, outdoors and indoors.
9. Government and all departments of public welfare must be provided for. Hence, municipal organization, public officers.
IO. Protection of life and property call for a police force and a fire department, to fight crime and fire.
II. Various public works are devised-water, gas, electricity. Some of these affairs are conducted as private enterprises, but they all enter into the history of a town.
12. A Court and a legal profession will administer the law.
I3. Physicians will watch over life and health.
14. Many kinds of private business, and of arts, trades, and sciences will find a place.
15. In carrying on all these activities personal character is devel- oped ; men and women make their mark on the common life of their fellow citizens. Biography becomes a great part of his- tory.
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When looking forward we may build ideals for each of these inter- ests. In looking back through Dover history we may search for the answer that Dover has given to all these demands of human life. When we discover that answer we have the history of Dover.
To make that history complete is more than we can attempt in the time and space available, but some contribution to such a history may be outlined. History is not a mere mathematical statement of facts and dates. Behind the dates lie countless episodes of comedy and tragedy, and a ceaseless struggle between the forces of good and evil. There is a constant wrestling to achieve destiny, a story of varying success and failure. The dates are merely the frame of the map, marked off to show latitude and longitude.
COMMERCE
We have traced the vicissitudes of the iron business of Dover from 1750 to 1792, showing how John Jackson was sold out in 1753, and how others took up the work. We have also alluded to family history, to world events, and the Revolutionary War as it was related to Dover and this locality. The prosperity of Dover does not depend upon its own industry alone. We cannot consume all our own iron. Our industries must find outside markets. And such markets are affected by tariff laws, embargoes, wars, peaceful industries of other places, finance, thrift and enterprise the world over.
The water in the guage of a steam boiler pulsates with an up and down movement (when the guage is in working order), that reveals the level of the unseen water in the boiler ; and Dover, with its industries in iron, becomes a guage of world conditions, indicated by its smoke stacks.
For example, in 1783, after peace was declared with England, British ships thronged our harbors, bringing British goods. United States commerce suffered. In 1793, the United States, as a neutral nation had a great opportunity for trade at sea when England was at war with the French Republic. No doubt Canfield and Losey, of Dover, profited by this. From 1789 to 1807 there was an unparalleled growth of American shipping and trade. Dover iron, doubtless, had a share in this prosperity. In 1803, the United States was the great carrier of the world's goods by sea. In 1805 Jefferson's Embargo stopped the commercial prosperity of the United States. In 1810, when the embargo was lifted, the foreign commerce of the United States became very great, during the Napoleonic war. In the War of 1812-14, the blockade of the United States coast caused great distress.
An extended essay might be written on this theme-The Prosperity of Dover as affected by world conditions during the past two centuries. See Kraft & Moriss's "Sea Power in American History."
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TURNPIKES
1804-The Union Turnpike was made from Morristown to Sparta. 1806-The Washington Turnpike from Morristown to Phillipsburg. 18II-The Newark and Morris Turnpike from South Orange to Mor- ristown. These turnpikes had a great influence in developing the resources of the country.
1812-A branch of Union Turnpike from Dover to Ledgewood.
CIRCUIT-PREACHERS
1801-Methodist preachers tried to make an appointment to preach in Dover, but were driven out by threats of a riot.
Early in this century circuit preaching was in vogue among Quakers, Presbyterians and Methodists. People were engaged in the struggle for a livelihood. Preachers had scattered parishes. Meetings were held in barns and schoolhouses for want of a regular church building, and at infrequent intervals. Phebe Baker, at the age of ninety-nine, testified that the people attended church in the old stone barn on the Chester road, and came gladly to hear Mr. Sherman when the children brought word from school that there would be preaching next Sunday.
1807-Rev. Barnabas King was settled at Rockaway Presbyterian Church, having for his parish Dover, Berkshire Valley, and Sparta. Previous to this the church at Rockaway, although organ- ized and partly finished, had services from time to time. People from Dover would ride or walk to Rockaway to attend church or religious meetings, the children walking barefoot to save their shoes. Barnabas King was pastor for more than fifty years. Then came Rev. Joseph F. Tuttle, D.D., author of the Centennial Col- lections of Morris County.
1810-Dover had ten to fifteen dwellings.
1812-The War of 1812 grew out of embargoes on sea traffic. In Dover Byram Pruden was probably the last veteran of that war. 1816-Rev. Barnabas King organized a Sunday school in Dover. Prayer meetings were also held here. Although I have never seen a prayer meeting mentioned in a school history, I take the liberty of recording the fact that prayer meetings have long been held in Dover, but they are not so largely attended as some other meet- ings.
1816-December. Petition of Iron Masters of Morris County sent to Congress.
1817-Blackwell & McFarlan of New York City took over the prop- erty of Canfield & Losey in Dover, to settle accounts due. It is said that there were scarcely twelve dwellings in Dover at that time. The iron business had been depressed after the War of 1812.
1820-There was a post office in McFarlan's office. Jacob Losey was postmaster.
Fourth census of the United States.
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In the nineteenth century historical events of vast proportions crowd the stage of our national history, events intimately related to the develop- ment of Dover and following each other in rapid succession so that one is tempted to expand these brief "Dover Dates" into a bulky volume. But this cannot be. And it is needless. The work has already been done. Our method stands revealed. Once get thoroughly interested in the history of your home town, in its vital features, its larger interests, and the his- tory of the State and the Nation-even of the world-takes on new meaning. Looking out through the windows of these local facts and dates, one feels more keenly the succession of remoter events through their parallelism with our own story.
They say that hard times in Europe are driving some people to study more earnestly than they ever did in their school days to find out what has happened lately, why it happened, what it means, what is going to happen next and what they are going to do about it. In such a "preparedness" effort we cannot afford to be behindhand. A good drive in United States history, with all its world-wide bearings, makes a good setting-up exercise for us all. We need to find out what the United States stands for, in world history, what the nations think we stand for, what we ought to stand for. Our book mart is flooded with books of real value and of fascinating interest on these themes. Ask our free public library. And our new county library, when it comes.
Our educational institutions, in school and college, are presenting such subjects with renewed emphasis and enthusiasm to those who are still within scholastic halls. We need a generation trained and informed as never before in statesmanship, for home and foreign service. The liberty known within our borders for nearly a century and a half may indeed have done something to "enlighten the world," and we may yet- to speak modestly-trim the lights so as to cast a brighter ray across the waves.
1823-A Fourth of July celebration was held on Morris street, a sort of basket picnic in the woods, with speeches appropriate to the day, and three odes expressive of the patriotic sentiment of that time were sung. This we learn from an old program of the occasion. 1824-The Morris Canal and Banking Company incorporated, Decem- ber 31, 1824.
1825-The Morris Canal was being dug through Dover, as noted in an old letter. Completed to Newark in 1831. Fully completed 1836. (Leased to Lehigh Valley R. R. 1871.)
Blackwell & McFarlan had a map made of Dover, showing all shops and buildings belonging to the Dover Iron Works, and the streets of Dover, as laid out by them in order to effect the sale of building lots. The map was made by Van Winkle. See Dover History, page 459. A real estate boom!
1826-Blackwell & McFarlan had the village of Dover incorporated.
1827-Town lots in Dover are sold. See McFarlan's Descriptions, page 460, Dover History, and advertisement, page 467, calling atten- tion to the advantages of Dover from its location on the canal,
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the turnpikes that pass through it, the Lehigh coal brought by the canal, communication with the New York market, and that "near 100 Forge fires is in operation within a few miles of the village."
1828-Wm. Ford's advertisement of this date shows his Blacksmithing Business is in operation. He had a shop at Ford's Pond, and his residence was near it, as usual in early times.
Zenas Pruden, the wheelwright, had his shop on the corner of Dickerson and Morris streets, adjoining his residence.
Other items of the time can be gleaned from old advertisements and scattered remarks of those who contributed to the Dover History. A chapter might be written on the early stores of Dover and vicinity, such as the Hoagland store at the site of the Central Railroad Station, the Moses Hurd store on Morris street, the Old Stone Store 'next to the National Union Bank, Felix Hinchman's General Store, where Turner's is to-day, the Losey Store and others. Consult the index of Dover History and the list of additional references given with Dover Dates. The history of commerce in Dover would require a volume.
From "The Jerseyman" of August 20th, 1828:
MEETING OF THE WATERS
A number of the inhabitants of Dover and its vicinity friendly to the Morris Canal assembled on the 18th inst., at 4 o'clock P. M., to witness the meeting of waters of Lake Hopatcong with those of the Rockaway River. As soon as they were seen to mingle the following toasts were drank, each being succeeded by the firing of cannon and hearty cheers :
Ist (toast). The memory of Jonathan Dickerson-who forty years ago predicted that within one century there would be a canal formed from the Delaware to the Passaic, supplied with water from Lake Hopatcong.
NOTE :- The other toasts were not copied .- F. A. C.
1829-Complaints about the educational shortcomings of the time led to an Act of Legislature to establish schools and introduce much- needed reforms. Too many of the haphazard teachers of the country schools were addicted to intoxicating beverages, with sad results in the schoolroom. A drunken teacher has been known to "wale" a boy until the iron ferrule of his cane was embedded in the flesh of the boy's back, as I have heard from one who saw it. (The first law providing for public schools was in 1693.)
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