USA > New Jersey > Hudson County > Bayonne > First history of Bayonne, New Jersey > Part 3
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In the "Pennsylvania Evening Post" of October I appears this :--
*American Archives. Fifth Series.
** About Hobart Avenue.
*** Ibid. Fifth Series.
BAYONNE.
45
OYSTER
-E
W-
BAY
VAN BUSKIRK HOUSE
VAN BUSKER POINT
W. FIRST LANDING PLACE THE BRITISH IN N.J.
BIRDS POINT
'CONSTABLE'S
HOOK
L VAN KULL
ISLAND
BERGEN NECK
REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD.
Ir HOUSES. SCALE
7
BAY
NEWARK
D
STATEN
46
HISTORY OF
the same day (Wednesday last) there was a smart firing from Bergen point at two tenders, a sloop and a schooner that lay near Shutter's Island, at the mouth of Newark Bay."
Bergen Neck was evacuated by the American troops in Octo- ber, 1776, shortly after the capture of New York by the British.
A letter written on October 4 says :- "To-morrow we evacu- ate Bergen. Bergen is the narrow neck of land accessible on three sides by water, and exposed to a variety of attacks in different places at one and the same time. A large body of the enemy might infallibly take possession of the place whenever they pleased, unless we kept a stronger force than our number will allow. The spot is not an object of our arms ; if they attack, it would but cut off those who defended it and secure the grain and military stores. These have been removed, and when we are gone, a naked spot is all they will find."*
In April, 1777, Colonel Abraham Van Buskirk was in com- mand of the British forces at Bergen Point.
The following incident, which occurred a few months later, appeared in a Tory newspaper :-
"Last Friday Night a Party of Rebels, consisting of some Officers and twelve Men, proceeding on an Enterprize to seize the Person of Wm. Van Buskirk, at Bergen Point, were inter- cepted on their Return through the vigilance of Col. Turnbull, Commander at Powles Hook, whose Men fired upon them, and Mr. Livingston, said to be a junior Brother of Col. Livingston, who was taken at Fort Montgomery, was killed on the spot, and another Person, named Van Dolsan, taken Prisoner, who was brought to Town the next Day, and safely lodged in the Provost.
"The above Gentry plundered several Houses in and about Pemerapough particularly Barent Van Horne, Mr. Vreeland, Mr.
*American Archives. Fifth Series.
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BAYONNE.
Van Wagenen, and Walter Clanderon, and in the House last men- tioned Mr. Livingston received his Wound."
-- New York "Gazette and Weekly Mercury," December 8, 1777.
In this year the British forces occupied the works at Bergen Neck, which they called Fort Delancey in honor of Oliver De- lancey, the great Tory of Westchester .* This was garrisoned principally by Tories or "refugees," as they called themselves, who spent more time plundering and murdering their old neigh- bors, than in honorable warfare.
The following item goes to show that the whole district was overrun with spies and marauding parties, both of the British and militia :-
"Last Wednesday, Jan. 13th, a Mr. Allen, ensign in the Rebel army, with three Jersey Militiamen, were apprehended on Bergen Point by a party from Captain Anstrulher's company of the 26th Regiment."
-"Rivington's Gazette," January 20, 1779.
In the winter of 1779-80 when fuel was very scarce in New York, Bergen Neck was covered with fine timber valued at £II per acre. Consequently the Tories cut the timber and sold it to the British in New York. Winfield says :- "To make it safe for them to enter upon their business, it was necessary to have re- doubts, breastworks, or block houses into which they could re- tire at night and to which they might fly in case of attack by day." They occupied Fort Delancey with Captain Tom Ward in command. Ward was a notoriously vicious character, and his band were the worst types of desperadoes and runaway slaves, and were greatly feared by the inhabitants. The character of Ward can be understood from the fact that on one occasion, on
*Winfield's History of Hudson County.
48
HISTORY OF
becoming involved in a financial difficulty with a neighboring farmer, he paid three of his negroes to murder him, which they did with terrible cruelty.
This whole territory was overrun with these notorious char- acters and was the scene of murders, robberies and all kinds of outrageous acts. Farm houses were looted and several were de- stroyed by fire. The old Close homestead on Twentieth Street was one of several houses that figured conspicuously during the war. It was "marked" to be burned, but somehow escaped destruction.
Constable's Hook was an important place at this time, and was also the center for numerous executions both lawful and un- lawful. In 1779 Thomas Long, a New Jersey Tory, was hung on a persimmon tree near the old tide mill at this place. Stephen Ball, of Rahway, was falsely accused by Hatfield's party (also Tories with bad reputations) as being a spy, and was executed, or rather murdered, by them on Bird's Point, Constable's Hook, January 25, 1781.
Ward's plunderers, thieving and raiding by night at Bergen Point, Pembrepogh, Elizabethtown, Newark and along Bergen Hill, kept the people terror-stricken.
Pembrepogh was the scene of numerous skirmishes between his band and the militia. In October, 1780, a small battle took place here. About one hundred and fifty American troops came over the King's Highway along Newark Bay to attack and cap- ture Ward, if possible. They were discovered approaching through the woods, and were immediately fired upon by the occu- pants of the fort. A company of British in small boats anchored in Newark Bay, hearing the firing, started a cannonade. Fear- ing an attack from that direction by an overwhelming number, the militia retreated, doing little damage to the refugee post.
A Tory account of the affair was described as follows in the New York "Gazette and Weekly Messenger," October 16 :-
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BAYONNE.
"On Saturday morning last the Refugee Post at Bergen Point under command of Captain Thomas Ward, was attacked by a party of rebel infantry and horse consisting of about 200 men. After receiving a smart fire from the artillery and mus- ketry of the Refugees, assisted by a cannonade from the gallies* they were forced to retreat."
An extract from the New York "Packet," August 30, 1781 :- "Last Friday night a party went from Newark and captured two sloops lying near the Refugee Post on Bergen shore, out of which they took 8 prisoners, who were sent to Morristown."
The "New Jersey Journal" of September 5, 1781, says :- "Last Wednesday night a party of Ward's plunderers from Ber- gen Neck, came to the neighborhood of Hackensack, where they collected a number of cattle which the inhabitants retook and killed and wounded several of the miscreants."
A few months later, after one of the raids, the following news item appeared in the "New Jersey Journal" under date of De- cember 12, 1781 :- "Last Thursday sennight Captain Baker Hen- dricks, with a party of men in whale boats went down Newark Bay near the Kills, where he boarded and stripped two wood boats and took one prisoner, and on Thursday night last, he landed a small party of men at Bergen Neck, near the Refugees Post, ** where he took two prisoners ; and on his return took three noted villains."
In the same paper on February 13, 1782, there also ap- peared :- "Last Thursday morning a detachment of the Jersey Brigade, under Capt. Bowmay, who were joined by a party of militia, went across the sound (meaning Newark Bay) on the ice to the Refugees Post on Bergen Neck, where they captured three
*The British gallies patroled Newark Bay to protect Bergen Neck.
** Foot of West Fifty-sixth Street was a favorite landing place.
50
HISTORY OF
of the miscreants, one of whom was of a sable hue; they bayon- etted the negro, who refused to surrender. No artifice could in-
J
exander
'04
Drawn by Edwin H. Alexander.
FORT DELANCEY.
5I
BAYONNE.
duce them to sally out, therefore no other trophies were obtained than those above mentioned."
A Tory account of the same occurrence follows :--
"On Thursday morning before sunrise, two hundred Rebels from a New Jersey Brigade, attacked Fort De Lancey, commanded by Major Ward. They had meditated the attack for some time and lay for two nights upon their arms. The advanced sentinel, a negro, was bayonetted. They were driven off. They then formed in three columns on the ice, were again attacked and fled."
-New York "Mercury," February II, 1782.
On the night of March 29, 1782, still another fight took place. Some Newark militia in whale boats landed at about where Fifty- fourth Street now is. Here they captured seven prisoners who lodged in houses along the shore. A party was sent out from Fort Delancey to intercept them, and was fired upon. On their returning the fire they killed and wounded four of their own men who were prisoners, besides two or three of the militia, who made their escape over the darkened waters .*
Fort Delancey was evacuated and burned by the Refugees themselves in September, 1782, and the following month Ward and his despised followers embarked for Nova Scotia.
The ruins of this old fort remained comparatively a long time, but now there is nothing left to indicate that a fortification of any kind stood on this site. Recently a rusty cannon ball was unearthed from under an old tree in front of No. 90 West Firty- second Street. Besides this, an old bayonet and portion of a cap were dug up on the neighboring property. No doubt the property in this locality and that running toward Newark Bay contains similar relics buried under a few feet of soil.
*Rivington Gazette No. 573.
52
HISTORY OF
CHAPTER VII.
1782-1830.
Peace-Washington Greeted by the Inhabitants on His Way to New York-Slavery Declared-Immigration and Education-War of 1812-First Manufacturing Concern at Constable's Hook-Extreme Cold-Humor of 1826.
This section played no other important part during the Revo- lution.
In April, 1789, when George Washington journeyed to New York on the occasion of his inauguration as first President of the United States, his route led him through New Jersey to Elizabeth- town Point (Elizabethport), and thence through the Kill von Kull and New York Bay to New York.
The local inhabitants and those in Bergen began to arrive on the Bergen Point shore early in the day, so as not to miss the opportunity of seeing their beloved leader and cheer him on his way.
Daniel Van Winkle, in his history of "Old Bergen," de- scribes the occasion thus :- "His (Washington's) whole journey was in the nature of a triumphal procession, but nowhere was his reception more enthusiastic or his greetings more sincere than on his passage from the Point through the Kills. He embarked in a barge, splendidly decorated, and conveyed by others, with flags and music. As he entered the Kills, between Staten Island and Bergen Point, the procession was met by other boats from the shores, gay with bunting. From the shores of Bergen Point, which were lined with the citizens of 'Old Bergen,' he was greeted with the booming of cannon, waving of flags and loud huzzas of the people. Their joy knew no bounds, and until the procession receded in the distance, their applause and rejoicing continued."
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BAYONNE.
The following act was published by G. Craft at Trenton in 1798, and throws some light on the great question which in after years the people of this country had to confront. It begins :- "Slavery Declared." "An Act, respecting Slaves.
"Be it enacted by the Council and General Assembly of this State, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That every negro, indian, mulatto or mestee, within this state, who, at the time of passing this act, is a slave for his or her life, shall continue such during his or her life, unless he or she shall be manu- mited and set free in the manner prescribed by law.
"Passed at Trenton, March 14, 1798."
It was not long after peace had been declared that home- seekers from different parts of the State began to arrive, and farms gradually increased in number. Grounds were cleared of timber, fields were cultivated and a thriving section soon de- veloped.
The wise old Dutchmen and Englishmen were not slow in realizing the necessity of educating their children. Those located near Bergen Town marched their children off to the rude school there, and those in Pembrepogh and along Bergen Neck taught their children the best they knew how at home.
The following examples are specimens of those used in the instruction of that day :-
"A gentleman a chaise did buy, A horse and harness too ;
They cost the sum of threescore pounds, Upon my word 'tis true.
The harness came to half of th' horse, The horse twice of the chaise ;
And if you find the price of them, Take them and go your ways."
"Answer :- Chaise, 151. ; Horse, 301. ; Harness, 151."
54
HISTORY OF
"Seven gentlemen who were traveling, met together by chance, at a certain inn upon the road, where they were so well pleased with their host, and each other's company, that in a frolic they offered him 301. to stay at that place so long as they, together with him, could sit every day at dinner in a different order. The host thinking that they could not sit in many different positions, because there were but few of them, and that himself would make no considerable alteration ; he being but one, imagined that he should make a good bargain, and readily, for the sake of a good dinner, and better company, entered into an agreement with them and so made himself the eighth person. I demand how long they staid at the inn, and how many different positions they sat in? Answer :- The number of positions were 40,320 and the time they staid was 110 years, 1421/2 days ; allowing the year to consist of 365 days, 6 hours."
"A Grocer's Bill. "Bought of Thomas Hartley, May 19, 181I.
s. d. 1. s. d.
3 1b. of Raisins of the Sun .at o
5 per lb. 0 3 4
15 1b. of Malaga Raisins
at o 41/2" 0 5 712
Io 1b. of Currants
at o 61/2" 0 5 5
II 1b. of Sugar at 0 41/2 " 0 4 I1/2
2 Sugar Loaves, wt. 15 1b
.at 0
9 0 II 3
13 1b. of Rice
.at
0
3
0 33
5 1b. of Black Pepper
.at I 6
0 7 6
IO oz. of Cloves
at 0 IO per oz. o 8 4
The War of 1812 did not disturb the inhabitants, although much excitement was shown. At this time the Hazard Powder house* was located at Constable's Hook on Kill von Kull, and was the first manufacturing concern in this locality. It sup-
*In after years part of this building was used for prize-fights, dog fights, etc .; only a few years ago it was torn down.
55
BAYONNE.
plied great quantities of gunpowder to ships, as well as Fort Jay on Governor's Island and forts on Ellis' and Bedloe's Islands.
Slaves were made free by a law in 1820, but most of those who were formerly slaves in these parts remained with their owners, to work for a living.
There was an extreme cold wave in January, 1821; New York* and Newark Bays were frozen solid. Many persons crossed the ice from New York, and a half way house was erected for the accommodation of travelers crossing the ice, according to Shaw's "History of Hudson County."
In looking through the New Jersey Almanac, printed in Elizabethtown in 1826, the author finds the following :- "How to destroy Flies-A Frenchman who sold powder for killing flies, gives the following recipe: 'Catch de fly and tickle him under de troat, and when he opens his mout to laugh, trow in de powdre and it will choke him."
*New York Bay, previous to this time, was called Oyster Bay, named so because of its abundant supply of oysters in colonial days.
56
HISTORY OF
CHAPTER VIII.
1830-1857.
Description in 1830-Pursuits-Cholera-Boundary Line in New York Bay-Morris Canal Through-Hudson County Erected-New Cemetary- Town Officials Chosen in 1855.
At this time farms were established and flourishing. A fringe of farmhouses ran along the shore and a few along the middle road. Constable's Hook was Van Buskirk property, and several farms were situated there. Terhune's grist mill was situated at the Hook. Here the farmers in the neighboring coun- try took their grain to be ground. Frank Miller kept a store at Bergen Point (now Avenue C and First Street). His building was just east of the Latourette House. He kept groceries, to- bacco, etc. In the rear of his property, Berger, a Frenchman, kept a cider press. Children on their way to school would stop here and suck cider through a straw to their full capacity. An apple orchard stood on both sides of the road at that time. Hart- man Vreeland's tavern was situated at about Forty-ninth Street. There was no postoffice. The inhabitants had to go or send to Jersey City for their mail. Abraham Van Buskirk and Colonel Cadmus each kept a few slaves, and John Van Buskirk, of the Hook, kept about a dozen. In these days, the inhabitants gos- siped about local affairs principally, for outside news was scarce. When some one had been "in town" and returned with a New York "Evening Post," that person was usually surrounded by a group, eagerly listening as the news was read aloud. Worship
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BAYONNE.
was held every Sabbath in the "new" Bergen Neck Reformed Church on the Bergen Point Road, where the folks went "to hear Minister Boyce preach."
Hon. Anthony H. Ryder describes the inhabitants in Shaw's History of Hudson County as follows :- "The current of life ran evenly at the fireside. There sat the venerable Bergener, silently puffing his pipe, looking into the fire with half-shut eyes, medi- tating for hours together ; the good Vrouw, on the opposite side, would employ the time in spinning yarn or knitting stockings. In their quiet way, the inhabitants are said to have fol- lowed their callings, principally agriculture. Shad fisheries and the oyster grounds furnished fields for busy enterprise and a profitable employment."*
They enjoyed life, too. Currie's Woods was the objective point for picnics, and the good, old-fashioned Dutch descendants, with their families, would participate in a day's rolicking. The boys, upon growing up, would be sent out to learn a trade, but evidently it was a hard matter in those days to keep an apprentice to his work. Whether it was because of hard masters, or stubborn dispositions on the part of the boys, it is difficult to say. The fol- lowing advertisement appeared in the Newark "Daily Advertiser," Tuesday, February 28, 1837 :-
"One Cent Reward.
"Ran away from the subscriber on or about the middle of August last an indented apprentice to the Harness, Collar and Whip making business, named Joseph Smith. Said apprentice is about 4 ft. 5 or 6 inches high, dark hair and eyes, aged about 14 years. Whoever will return said apprentice shall receive the above reward but no charges.
"Shugard & Macknet."
*See Chapters 19 and 20 for early religious affairs and travel.
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HISTORY OF
Another one that was published about the same time reads :- "One Cent Reward.
Ran away on the 21st inst. from the employment of the Sub- scribers an Indented Apprentice to the Sash and Blind making Business, named Wm. A. Perry. Said boy is about 5 feet 4 inches high, rather slim built, is fond of Rum, and too lazy to work. All persons are forbid to harbor or trust said boy, under the penalty of the law.
"Merchant & Roff."
Cholera visited this section during the years 1830 and 1832, resulting in numerous deaths.
By an act of Congress, approved June 28, 1834, the boundary line between New Jersey and New York was finally settled. This gave New York exclusive control over the waters of New York Bay, Bedloe and Ellis' Islands, and the waters of Kill von Kull, between Staten Island and New Jersey, while to New Jersey was given the ownership of land under the waters west of the middle of the bay and Hudson River.
In Gordon's Gazetteer of New Jersey appears the following short description in 1834 :-
"Pamrepau, small scattering settlement, in Bergen t-ship, Bergen Co., on New York bay, about 5 miles below Jersey City, occupied by descendants of the original Dutch settlers."
In 1835, John Carragan, who conducted a little school at the junction of what is now Avenue D and Twenty-fourth Street, started a store in the rear of A. Dege's present store on Avenue D near Twenty-second Street. This was among the first, if not the first, general shop in Bayonne, and was patronized quite freely.
In 1836, the Morris Canal, bounding Bayonne on the north, was put through.
At this time Bergen County extended as far south as Con- stable's Hook. In 1840, by legislative enactment, part of Bergen
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BAYONNE.
County, including the Bergen Neck, was changed and erected into County of Hudson, so named in commemoration of Henry Hudson.
In 1849, the dreaded cholera again broke out and was not checked until numerous deaths had resulted from it. In conse- quence, "Cobby" James Van Buskirk, of the Hook, laid out the new burial grounds on Constable's Hook, East Twenty-second Street and Avenue I.
At the annual town meeting in the spring of 1855, it was de- cided to hold the spring and fall elections at Egbert Wauters' hotel on the Plank Road, to elect three constables, and to raise $3,300 for support of schools, $500 for repairs to roads, and $300 for the poor. James H. Farrant, George Anderson and Aaron Y. P. Jones were elected as Town constables. Other officials chosen that spring were :- Chosen Freeholders, Mindert Van Horn, Jacob A. Van Horn; Superintendent of Schools, John Welsh ; Commissioners of Appeal, Hartman Van Wagenen, Will- iam Stringham, Edmund C. Bramhall; Assessor, James W. Welsh; Town Clerk, Abraham P. Newkirk; Judge of Election, James M. Jones; Justice of the Peace, Francis P. Miller ; Sur- veyors of Highways, Richard Vreeland, Daniel Van Winkle; Collector, Henry R. Welsh; Pound-Keepers, George Anderson, John V. H. Clendenny, James H. Farrant ; Overseers of the Poor, James J. Van Boskirk, Abraham Speer ; Overseers of Highways, Abraham P. Vreeland, James J. Van Boskirk, Henry Brinker- hoff, Henry G. Van Reypen, Hartman Van Wagenen ; Town Com- mittee, Andrew P. Simonson, John Brinkerhoff, Garret Van Horn, Henry Newkirk, Winfield Stringham, Daniel Vreeland, John Mandeville, Peter Rowe, Garret G. Newkirk, William Stringham, Nicholas S. Vreeland, Peter Jones; Game-Keepers, Benjamin Hueston, John Wauters, Michael J. Vreeland .*
*Shaw's History of Hudson County.
60
HISTORY OF
CHAPTER IX.
1857 -- 1860.
Act to Lay Out Streets-School Improvements-Bayonne Set Off as a Township-Origin of Name-Township Government-General Description.
We next come to a period of great importance in the erec- tion of what is now Bayonne City.
An act had been passed by the Legislature, and approved March 16, 1857, "authorizing the appointment of commissioners to lay out and map streets, avenues and squares in that part of Bergen Township south of the Morris Canal in Hudson County," and the Commissioners thus appointed were Andrew D. Mellick, Jacob A. Van Horn, Jacob M. Vreeland, Hartman Vreeland and Egbert Wauters, who were required to complete their work within two years from the passage of the act. By a supplement to this act, approved April 7, 1868, Hiram Van Buskirk, Solon Humphreys, Henry Meigs, Jr., John Combes and Erastus Ran- dall were appointed Commissioners, and their powers were pre- scribed "to cease on the first day of May, eighteen hundred and seventy-three."
On May 25, 1857, a plot of ground fronting on Dodge and Fifth Streets, containing about 1334 city lots, was procured from Rosewell Graves for the site of a school house, and a Building Committee, duly appointed, was directed to build and furnish a district school house thereon, the cost of which, including the lots, was not to exceed three thousand dollars. By the report of the
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BAYONNE.
Treasurer of the Board of School Trustees, dated March 4, 1860, it was shown that the new building and furniture for District School No. 5 cost $2,190.86, and 1334 lots of ground occupied, $831.50 ; total cost, $3,025.36 .*
This building for many years was known as the First Ward school house and is now located on Dodge Street in rear of No. 4 brick school, near its old site. About one hundred scholars at- tended, and there were two teachers. It was used for a time as a police station for the Fourth Ward, and later converted into a dwelling house.
On March 15, 1861, by an act of Legislature, the Township of Bayonne was set off from the town of Bergen. The same year, Albert M. Zabriskie was appointed the first Chosen Freeholder of Bayonne.
There has been some doubt as to the signification of the word naming the locality. It may have derived its name from Bayonne in France, being pronounced Bã-yon'. There is a story that French Huguenots settled here some time before New Amsterdam was settled. They are said to have remained about a year. This, however, is probably some old fireside legend, without a particle of truth in it. The author has searched, but can find nothing to give this story foundation. He is also told that when Erastus Randall, E. C. Bramhall and B. F. Woolsey bought the land owned by Jasper and William Cadmus, for real estate specu- lation, they called it Bayonne by reason of its touching the borders and being on the shores of two bays, Newark and New York-hence Bay-on, or on the bays. This, in all probability, is the real origin of the name.
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