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 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28
1829-The Stone Academy on Dickerson street, opposite the old frame building also known as "The Academy," was erected by Henry McFarlan, Sr., for use as a school and partly for religious meet- ings. The McFarlans took an active interest in the welfare of the community. Under their régime we find constant traces of a head and heart planning for the good of the people in their home life as well as for the community as a whole. They were pioneers
34
in "community planning." For instance, not liking the shabby appearance of the houses, Mr. McFarlan laid in a supply of paint which he distributed to the inhabitants for the purpose of using it on their houses, thus improving the appearance of the village. Maple trees were set out along the street-the first trace of a "Shade Tree Commission"-except that Jacob Losey set out a row of willows where East Blackwell street is now. The last one has just been cut down, near The Advance office.
1830-The death of Henry McFarlan, Sr., occurred suddenly. He was succeeded by his son Henry, who conducted the business until 1869, assisted by Mr. Guy M. Hinchman as superintendent. Mr. McFarlan and Mr. Hinchman, on opposite sides of the main vil- lage street, carried on a friendly rivalry in cultivating beautiful gardens. An interest was taken in actually beautifying this town of smoky iron mills and developing the spirit of love for the "home town." The older inhabitants bear witness to this in their reminiscences.
1831-The Morris Canal was completed to Newark. The first canal boat, The Dover of Dover, made its maiden trip under the com- mand of Captain Byram Pruden. The people gathered at the Canal Basin and gave them a great "send-off." The Freight House on the Basin became a busy center of new prosperity for the town-it is now a neglected ruin. The railroad has changed all that.
1832-Mr. Thomas B. Segur came to Dover to be cashier of the Dover Bank, which was established by Phelps, Dodge & Co., of New York. He resided in the building since known as the Stone Hotel, and the bank was in the same building. Barter was now assisted by banking, another step in the progress of the village. Thomas B. Segur left three sons: Elisha B., Anson, and Warren. The latter was cashier of the Union Bank of Dover, which stood where the Trust Company now is.
1834-Dover has a bank, two academies, a Sunday school, thirty dwell- ings, iron works, blacksmithing establishment, canal, the Mansion House Hotel, new streets; things are picking up, building lots on the main streets are being taken up (see Dover History, pages 460-462), and the place begins to look more attractive. Business and population begin to come to Dover instead of going to Ran- dolph, Mill Brook, Mt. Pleasant, Mine Hill-owing to the canal, and the McFarlans, and some other "town-builders." Next we need a church of our own. What is a town without a church? Why, they started a church the first thing in Newark! Before they started the town!
1835-April 23. The First Presbyterian Church of Dover was organ- ized, under the Presbytery of Newark, with a membership of seven men and thirteen women. Services were held in the Stone Academy until 1842.
1836-Dover population about 300. Sunday school has 150 scholars
35
and 28 teachers. 1144753
1837-Business depression affected the country.
1838-The First Methodist Episcopal Church was organized and a build- ing dedicated in December. The Methodist Church at Mill Brook was erected at the same time.
1839-Rev. Burtis C. Megie became the stated supply of the Presby- terian Church at a salary of $500, with donation visits.
1839-We hear of a Dover Lyceum or literary society, at which poems were read-a new departure for the iron town.
A poem by Dr. Jacob Lundy Brotherton, a Quaker, of Randolph, celebrates the beauties and advantages of Dover.
Dover in 1839 had less than 400 population. The houses were on the low land. The hills were covered with forests. A stage coach arrived from Newark three times a week. There was a stage to Morristown. No busses or street cars were known then in New York City, the city limit of which was at Tenth street. The First Presbyterian Church of Dover had 37 members.
The Sons of Temperance (S. of T.) was founded by Mr. Segur. A library for them constitutes Dover's first public library. Dover becomes the banner temperance town of New Jersey, and this was one of the considerations that influenced Wm. Young (1847) to leave Brooklyn with his family and set up his bake shop on Dickerson street, corner of Sussex. It is worth while to have a' reputation as a banner temperance town if it induces a man like Wm. Young to become a member of the community. He became a school trustee and a "leading citizen.'
DOVER'S INVENTIVE GENIUS
1840-Joshua H. Butterworth made patent locks in 1846. He was a Scotchman and was headman for McFarlan. He invented rivet machines. He owned the corner since known as the Baker corner, at Blackwell and Warren streets, southeast. Here he had his dwelling. About where Hummer's real estate office now (1922) is, he had a little shop where he made clocks, repaired watches and tinkered in his spare time and when the iron works were inactive. His lot, bought in 1840, comprised 11,000 square feet.
Mr. Butterworth invented a shuttle for a sewing machine and is said to have been the father of modern bank combination locks. Mr. Canfield has two specimens of such locks made by Butterworth, requiring five or six keys to operate them.
1842-Presbyterian Church dedicated its first building.
1844-There was great social unrest. The present State Constitution was adopted, and needed reforms were made in regard to impris- onment for debt and bankruptcy and the legal status of married women.
36
1840-48-Market day was an institution at Dover, wagons coming in from the country with produce, and people gathering around them to buy from the producer direct .- D. H., p. 384.
1846-47-The Mexican War. Oregon acquired in 1846. California ceded to the United States at the close of the Mexican War. These acquisitions of territory, together with the acquisition of Florida and Jefferson's purchase of the Louisiana territory, called for a great migration to take up the new land-one reason why more people did not come to Dover.
In "The Daily Advertiser" of Newark, 26 February, 1848, is a letter describing the first temperance meeting held in Dover in 1833, February 12, at which Rev. Dr. Tuttle gave an address. About that time one store sold $2,000 worth of ardent spirits in one year.
"The Jerseyman" of March 2nd, 1848, quotes from "The Newark Daily Advertiser" thus :
Dover, in 1833 had 133 families, 753 inhabitants. 1839 I28 961 "
1845 210 1,20I 66
(These figures differ from statements given in Dover History, pages 417, 450, 478.)*
Monday, July 31, 1848, the Morris & Essex Railroad was formally opened to Dover.
* In 1840 the school trustees of Dover reported 136 children between the ages of five and sixteen. In 1853 there were 275 enrolled.
1848-The Morris & Essex Railroad comes to Dover. The first train offers a free ride to Morristown. A big time and a public dinner. More facilities for transportation and business. Here is where Dover forges ahead of Mill Brook.
1849-Gold discovered in California. John W. Hurd and Sandy Young go to California. (Hurd, the donor of Hurd Park, later.)
1849-St. John's Episcopal Church is established under the charge of Rev. Charles W. Rankin, of Morristown. Henry McFarlan was appointed lay reader. He donated the property on which the church stands, and was a liberal supporter of it. Their first meetings were held in the upper room of the Stone Academy.
1850-Dover claims 700 population. The names of many citizens may be found on page 384, D. H. A railroad station is established nearly opposite Wm. Young's bake shop and not far from Wm. Ford's residence. Probably Wm. Ford found it necessary to remove his machine shop to Sussex street on the lot that was later occupied by the Morris County Machine Shop. He removed his residence also. The railroad needed his Dickerson street property.
The Quakers are advocating the Abolition of Slavery and past- ing Whittier's poems into their scrapbooks at Randolph.
37
1856-"The era following the close of the War of 1812 until the open- ing of the Civil War was one of stupendous activity. Interrupted only by the financial depressions of 1817 and 1837, and slightly retarded by the Mexican War, the progress of New Jersey was beyond the wildest dreams of the enthusiast, Alexander Ham- ilton. Jersey City, Newark and Paterson were growing great. The public school system was established, reforms instituted in the care of the defective, delinquent and dependent classes of society, railroads and ferries built, banks established, post offices opened and newspapers printed."-Legislative Manual of New Jersey.
1861-The Civil War. How the boys and girls of Mr. Hall's School in Dover made and raised a school flag is told in D. H., page 387. The Memorial Day services conducted every year in Dover under the auspices of the Grand Army of the Republic bear witness to the part that Dover took in that great struggle for the preserva- tion of the Union and the Abolition of Slavery.
1869-After the Civil War, business being dull, Mr. McFarlan closed up the affairs of the Iron Works and suspended operations. Little of consequence was done with these works until Mr. McFarlan sold them in 1880 to The Dover Iron Company, organized by Judge Francis S. Lathrop. This company repaired buildings, made improvements, and revived the enterprise which means so much for the prosperity of Dover. The High Bridge branch of the Central Railroad of New Jersey was extended from Port Oram to Dover and Rockaway in June, 1881, causing an increased demand for labor. It is the Longwood Valley R. R. from Ger- man Valley .to Wharton.
1869-A Town Charter was obtained for Dover, April I. See "Charter of Dover" with by-laws and ordinances. George Richards, Mayor.
1873-The panic that followed the Civil War affected Dover.
Dover Fire Department organized.
38
"PUTTING DOVER ON THE MAP"
When did Dover first "get on the map?"
In my "Ballads of New Jersey in the Revolution," there are two old maps of the seventeenth century. One was made from a MS. map of R. Eskine, F. R. S., used by the army in 1778-80. As shown by the note below this map, Dover was not on it. Hibernia, Mt. Hope, Mt. Pleasant Forge, Longwood Forge, "Backshire" Forge, Franklin Forge and Benson's Forge were shown, but not Rockaway or Dover, although iron works existed at both places previous to that date.
On the other old map, made when Philadelphia was the national capital, previous to 1800, Rockaway and "Percipany" are shown, but not Dover. It would be interesting to find a copy of the first map on which Dover appears. Some of the things that have "put Dover on the map" are referred to in the following rhymes, entitled "The Dover Primer." There was once a "New England Primer," you know, that was quite famous. It contained the following rhyme-
Z-"Zacche-us he, did climb a tree His Lord to see."
1722-THE DOVER PRIMER-1922. Of blessed memory is he Who knows his Dover A, B, C. A-Stands for AGE, and our DOVER, we hear, Has really arrived at her two-hundredth year. A-THE ADVANCE, whose two Editors seek To give you the news of the town twice a week. B-Is for BEMAN, who followed the lead Of JACKSON in trying by iron to succeed. B-Is for BLACKWELL, our Dover "Main Street," Where the great congregation of people doth meet. B-Is for BIRCH and his Boiler workshop,
Where Stacks, too, are made, to go over the top.
C-Stands for CANFIELD, who built dam and mill, With LOSEY as partner, to run things at will. C-Is for CANFIELD and LOSEY; 'bout then "Old Tye" grew to DOVER, but who knows just when? C-Stands for CHURCHES, and Dover has some; If you want to hear more, to the Meeting House Come. C-Is for CENTRAL, a branch that comes down From High Bridge to gather up freight from our town. D-Stands for DOVER; D. D., DOVER DATES; Dover's found on the map of the United States. D-Is for DRILL WORKS, whose trade, it appears, Extends to the nations of two hemispheres. E-Is EAST DOVER; a hero lived there,
Renowned for his voice, heard in battle or prayer. E-Is EAST DOVER, and there they make FROGS- The kind that were never long-tailed Polliwogs. F-Is for FIREMEN, who at the alarm
39
Fight the flames, risking danger to save folks from harm. F-Stands for FORGE, and a Forge, it is said,
Was the cradle of Dover-we still "Forge Ahead !" G-Stands for GEORGE; George the First was our king When Jackson's trip-hammer first made anvil ring. G-Is for GUENTHER, whose Athletic Field O'er lovers of sport fascination doth wield. H-Is for HOSKINS, elected to steer Our town through her great bi-centennial year. H-Is for HOSPITAL, please lend a hand ; A place we all visit when Doctors command. H-Is for HURD-and HURD PARK, near the spot Where the Hurds of oldtime had their first building lot. I-Stands for IRON, the magnetic kind, That long from our neighboring hills has been mined. I-Is the INDEX, in which may be found News items from Dover and sections all 'round.
J-Stands for JACKSON, who first built a forge On the brook that comes down from our picturesque gorge.
K-Stands for KATTERMAN'S Swiss Knitting Mill, Where garments are made that will just fill the bill. L-LACKAWANNA, whose many trains roll Through Dover with passengers, milk, freight and coal.
L-Is for LAUNDRY, and Cook knows the way To save you the trouble of Blue Washing Day.
L-Is for LIBRARY ; Dover is proud To have one, sufficiently-not too-high-browed. L-Is for LOSEY, first postmaster, he ; Far-famed as a host for his chef's cookery.
M-Means McFARLAN, a name that long stood For progress, prosperity, thrift, "making good." M-Is for MORRIS CANAL, in its day, The hope of our village; now railroads hold sway.
N-Stands for NEIGHBORS, and we have a few ; Millbrook, Wharton, Mine Hill, Mt. Fern fair to view.
O-Is for OVENS, and we make them here; The RICHARDSON STOVE WORKS promulgate good cheer.
P-PICATINNY is not far away, Where Dover folks work, and get very good pay.
Q-Is for QUAKER; the Quakers bore sway Over all of New Jersey in WILLIAM PENN'S DAY. R-Is for RANDOLPH, the township we're near, Named after the Quaker Fitz Randolph, 'tis clear.
R-Is for ROLLING MILL; that's where we make The toughest iron rivets, that bend, but don't break.
S-Is for SILK, and we have quite a trade,
For Singleton spins silk where iron was made.
40
S-Is SILK STOCKINGS, that famed ONYX BRAND That Guenther produces-the best in the land. T-Is for TEMPERANCE; Dover's the town That once had State Temperance Banner renown. T-Is for TEACHERS, who do their full share Each new generation for life to prepare. U-Is for US; here we are; look us over And see if you don't want to settle in Dover.
V-Is for VARIOUS City Departments :
Board of Health, Firemen, Streets, all in separate compartments. W-Stands for our first President, Who counted each forge, on munitions intent. W-WATER WORKS; Steffany told
How Water's provided for young and for old. X-Always stands for some factor UNKNOWN, Like the Future, that's hid till we make it our own.
Y-Stands for YOUNG, a shrewd Scot who once came To Dover and helped us maintain our good name.
Y-Is for YOUTH; may our Young People be The Jewels of Dover, delightful to see. Z-Is the end, and it may stand for ZEAL, Which keeps towns from getting run down at the heel. &-Now I must stop; but I wish I could view The DOVER of two-thousand-two-twenty-two.
P. S .- And many more rhymes may be made on this plan- Bi-centennial notes that two centuries span. To Conclude :
B-BENEDICTION: May God's Blessing crown The DOVER that you and I call our Home Town!
0
PART II Location and Environment
43
TWO OLD ROADS
In Book of Roads A at the County Clerks Office, Morristown, on page 213, we find this record: ROADS IN MENDUM.
ROAD near BEEMAN'S FORGE in Mendham. Beginning at the northwest corner of the schoolhouse near Israel Canfield's forge that was formerly Josiah Beemans thence running (we abbreviate)
I) N 36 degrees, W 5 chanes 39 links
2) N 66 W 8 21
3) ₦ 5I W 6 38
4) S 8I WI4 64
5) N 76 W I 35
6) N 62 W 2 66
7) (no figures)
8) (no figures)
9) N 88 W 3 89
IO) (no figures)
II) N 62 W 3 50 12) N 22 West to the middle of the bridge 'ledeing over a smale streme nere Josiah hurds one chane and being a three Rood Road. Dated "Mendham Town Ship, August II, 1792.
Here we find a clear reference to Dover under the name of "Beeman's Forge" in 1792, with the fact that it had now become Israel Canfield's forge. The name "Dover" apparently came into use soon after, instead of continuing the practice of using the owner's name. Otherwise the place might have been known as "Canfields Forge," and then by some other name.
At the bottom of the same page we find a description of a "Road near Beeman's Forge in Pequanack a three rod road. beginning at the end of a bridge in Pequanack, crossing the Rockaway River by Josiah Beeman's dwelling house." Dated August II, 1792.
The second road mentioned above is described as follows :
I) N 8 degrees W 3 chaines 39 links
2) N 39 W 2 65
3) ₦ 27 W 5 33
4) ₦ 60 E 5 37
5) ₦ 55 E 4 35
E 6
6) N 53 7) N 84
E 2 63
8) S 85 E IO 57
The First Road .- "Where was that schoolhouse? As the road was on the south side of the river (being in Mendham), the school- house was south of the river. A schoolhouse at the foot of Morris street would give us a good start, from its northwest corner. McFarlan located a school here later. Was there a school there from earlier times-1792cor sooner?
44
The map of 1825, Dover History, shows a road running from the foot of Morris street northwest, on a diagonal line, to the canal, then being made. The canal lock made it necessary for any road headed in this direction to be changed and brought over the Rockaway below the lock, as shown in this map, where Sussex street is indicated as a new street. But observe the direction of this diagonal road. Old roads of that time were not laid out in straight lines, crossing others at right angles. They followed old Indian trails, in conformity with the lay of the land and the winding of streams, aiming at the easiest ford or crossing of streams. Such was this road, coming from Frank- lin around the point of the mountain, keeping to the base of the moun- tain south of it to avoid the river north of it, then spreading much further than its present limits and making swampy ground.
This diagonal road, coming to the northern end of what is now Warren street, led, on the north, to a bridge over the river, and continued northward, in Pequanack township, to what is now Pequan- nock street. The remains of a stone foundation for a bridge are still shown at that place of crossing. And the river was once fordable there. The road north of the bridge, in Pequanack, is the second road mentioned on page 213 in Road Book A.
From the southern end of this bridge a road ran along the river and south of it, westward, as described, to the "smale streme nere Josiah hurds." The canal "stole this roadway" as John W. Hurd said, making a new road necessary, south of the canal, as we now have it. But the cuts through rock and the grading down to lower lines came later. Mr .. Magie tells of the road running north of Jacob Losey's house before Blackwell street was opened.
"Josiah Hurd's dwelling."-The Josiah Hurd of 1792 lived where John W. Hurd lived when he gave the land for Hurd Park. This property has recently been bought by M. Friedman, who now lives there. There was another Josiah Hurd (junior) who lived on the Phillips tract, west of the Pine Terrace Inn. That house was removed a few years ago.
Dr. Magie says that an Indian village was located where the first Hurd dwelling stands, doubtless taking advantage of the noted spring of water in Hurd Park, and' the good fishing in brook and river.
Blackwell street was not made until about 1825-1832, to supply the place of the road that was crowded out by the canal.
The Second Road .- This was near Beeman's Forge in Pequannock (north of the river), crossing the river by Josiah Beeman's dwelling house. His house was a long, low dwelling north of the river. Just north of the river and east of the road stood the Hoagland House. The site of it was between the present municipal building and the station of the Central Railroad. Perhaps the northwest corner of municipal building impinges on the site. But I leave it for some surveyor to plot the course of this second road.
0.
W fi
SI
W to th Si
B
1
45
TOWNSHIPS
Let us now elucidate the subject of townships, referred to above as Mendham and Pequannock. In 1921 reports were rendered by Frederick A. Canfield, representing Randolph Township; James B. Tonking, for Dover; and John Yetter, for Rockaway Township; together with Theodore Ayres, neutral, from Morris; Edward Howell, civil engineer; and Lawrence Day, counsel. This commission was appointed to clear up uncertainties existing in regard to boundaries of Rockaway and Randolph townships and the town of Dover. The original reports are in the Clerk's Office, Morristown, with maps and full description, furnishing the following data.
Until 1739 Hunterdon County extended on the north to the Rock- away River, Dover being in Hunterdon, which was taken from Burl- ington in 1714. In 1739 Morris was taken from Hunterdon.
I740 Morris County consisted of three townships-Morris, Hanover and Pequannock, to which Roxbury was added later in 1740. 1749 Mendham was formed from Hanover, Morris and Roxbury. It included Dover's location, south of the river.
1804 Jefferson was formed from Roxbury and Pequannock.
1805 Randolph was formed from Mendham, and named in honor of Hartshorne Fitz Randolph, who made his last will March 31, 1806. Randolph took in also parts of Dover north of the river.
1831 Dover town (incorporated as a village in 1826) was formed in Randolph township.
1869 Dover was incorporated, containing 1100 acres, in Randolph.
1871 Dover limits were enlarged.
1896 Dover was separated from Randolph township.
Note on Josiah Beeman's dwelling. This dwelling (1792) is referred to as a landmark for the second road above. It was north of the river. Another reference states that "the beginning corner of Schooley's Forge was about one chain from Josiah Beeman's house." Where was Schooley's Forge? In 1768 Robert Schooley conveyed to Joseph Jackson and his son Stephen of Mendham, Bloomer, one- fourth of a property known as Schooley's Forge.
Did Robert Schooley acquire the forge property of John Jackson, who was sold out in 1753 by sheriff? It was then in Mendham. I find this statement about Schooley's Forge-"This was at Dover (named so later) back of the house recently (1876) built by Alpheus Beemer, on the south side of the road to Succasunna."
The Alpheus Beemer house referred to stood on or near the site of the Pine Terrace Inn of later years.
It looks as if Beeman first resided in John Jackson's dwelling, within one chain of Jackson's forge; then Beeman sold the property to Robert Schooley, who sold one fourth right in it in 1768. And that Beeman afterwards removed his dwelling place to the north side of the river, where his other forge and most of his land was, this dwelling being in Pequannock near the bridge over the river, as stated in the road book for 1792.
46
ENVIRONMENT
To give a complete account of Dover's environment would be a. long story. One would have to do justice to the scenery and the inhabi- tants of Mt. Freedom, Center Grove, Randolph, Mt. Fern, Crane Town, Millbrook, Union, Franklin, Shongum, Mt. Tabor, Denville, Rockaway, Hibernia, Mt. Hope, Mt. Pleasant, Bowlbyville, Richard Mine, Thomas Mine, Mine Hill, Kenvil, Succasunna, Ferromont, Berkshire Valley, Wharton, Luxemburg, Hopatcong-perhaps Stanhope and Netcong and a few others. Here is a good opportunity for historians of the future, or for our school classes in composition to distinguish themselves. We have touched on a few of these inviting topics in prose and verse.
FERROMONT, 1713
At Ferromont, Mine Hill, may be seen the old mansion of Governor Mahlon Dickerson. Across the road from the house is the shaft of the famous Dickerson Mine, which figured so conspicuously in the early history of this region. The mine is now closed. At first the ore was obtained from the open cut, to supply the forges near by, 1713 -.
In the Dover Public Library fuller information may be found about Governor Dickerson, whose career is summarized as follows:
Born, Hanover, N. J., April 17, 1770.
Graduated at Princeton College, 1789.
Admitted to the bar of New Jersey, 1793.
Commissioner of Bankruptcy, 1802.
Adjutant-General of Pennsylvania, 1805-1808.
Removed to Morris County, N. J., 1810.
Member of New Jersey Assembly, 1812.
Justice of New Jersey Supreme Court, 1813.
Governor of New Jersey, 1815-1817. United States Senator, 1817-1833. Declined appointment as Minister to Russia, 1834. Secretary of the Navy, 1831-1838.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.