USA > New Jersey > Bergen County > History of Bergen county, New Jersey > Part 10
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CHAPTER XIII. INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
BOROUGHS.
Bergen county is divided into fifteen townships, thirty-five bor- oughs and has one city and one incorporated village. The borough formation comes under the law of 1878, having for its object the secur- ing of certain improvements in water, lights, sewerage, roads, etc. Under this law each borough thus formed had the right of electing free- holders to the County Council. Subsequent enactments, however, an- nulled the right, but, nevertheless, boroughs formed parts of different townships, and had a right to elect freeholders until the law of May. 1894, annulled this privilege only under certain cases. Under the old law of 1878, citizens of municipalities secured the formation of their borough by petition, a certain number representing the taxable list of the community having the right to petition. Under the present regime the Legislature creates a borough.
Following we have a list of the boroughs of the county, the special history of each being found in the respective localities in which the borough exists:
North Arlington, Rutherford, East Rutherford, Wallington, Carl- stadt, Woodridge, Hasbrouck Heights, Lodi, Little Ferry, Ridgefield, Leonia, Undercliff, Palisade Park, Fairview, Bogota, Englewood Cliffs, Tenafly, Cresskill, Bergenfields, Schraalenburgh, Old Tappan, May- wood, Delford, Riverside, Westwood, Woodcliff. Parkridge, Montvale, Allendale, Midland, Upper Saddle River, Lower Saddle River, Midland Park, Glen Rock and Garfield.
ROADS.
The first Commissioners of Highways for Bergen county, and the first known to have been appointed in the State were John Berry, Law- rence Andries (Van Boskirk ), Enoch Michielsen .Vreeland ), Hans Diedricks, Michael Smith, Hendrick Van Ostrum and ClaesJans en Van Purmerendt. They were appointed by an act of the General As- sembly, and it is doubtful if there exists anywhere a record of their pro- ceedings. They appear to have held office a long time, for in 1694 Ger- brand Claesen was appointed in the place of Van Purmerendt.
By resolution of the General Assembly, adopted September 9, 1704. the Grand Jury of each and every county was authorized to appoint vearly at the February and March terms of court, with the approval of the bench, two persons in each county, precinct, district or township, to lay out all necessary cross-roads and by-roads, which were to be four rods wide, and also "to settle" other matters pertaining to the highways.
Beginning with the old-time wagon roads, the first in the country of Bergen was the one leading from Communipaw to the village of Bergen.
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HISTORY OF BERGEN COUNTY
The road was probably laid about the year 1660. On the 3d of June, 1718, a road was laid out from Cromkill to Weehawken Ferry, which Mr. Winfield is of the opinion was part of the present Hackensack turnpike.
The road from Bergen to Bergen Point was the old King's High- way, but the date of its construction is unknown. In 1743 James Alex- ander, of the Council, reported a bill for continuing the King's High- way to some convenient point on the Hudson, but the bill was not passed. On October 10, 1764, a King's highway was laid out from Hendrick Sickles' barn to a point opposite the Dutch Church, on Staten Island, and the old road was abandoned. The new road became a part of the great stage route from New York to Philadelphia. The Hackensack turnpike was constructed in 1804 by the Bergen Turnpike Company, incorporated November 30, 1802, to build this road from Hoboken to Hackensack.
The road from Paulis Hook to Newark over the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers was built in 1765, and was the only thoroughfare from the Hudson to Essex county for nearly thirty years. The road first known as the New Barbadoes turupike, but subsequently as the New York and Paterson turnpike, was surveyed and constructed in 1816. This road ori- ginally divided the township of Union from Lodi, and passed through Passaic. and objective points being Paterson and Hoboken.
The Belleville turnpike though not one of the oldest roads in the county, is a much travelled one, and is the boundary between Hudson and Bergen counties. The old Pollifly road was one of the first in the county, also, and was opened over two hundred years ago. It runs from Hudson county through the old townships of Union and Lodi. The Paterson and Jersey City plank road was completed about 1820; the Hackensack and Paterson road in 1826, and soon after, the road leading from Hackensack to Little Ferry was constructed. About the year 1850 the road from Lodi village to the Pollifly road was opened. The road following the course of the Passaic River, now designated as the Passaic Valley road, was an early highway opened long before the war of the Revolution. The Indians called the northern portion of this highway the Wagara road and the southern division as Slauter Dam road.
The Paramus road running from Pompton to Hoboken was asso- ciated with the historic days of the Revolution. It was the thoroughfare of the old Goshen and Hoboken stage line, and created a demand for the numerous taverns which lined its course. This road came through New- burgh, N. Y., to Closter, and passed through Old Hook to Westwood and from thence southwest to Paramus.
The Stone Arabia road beginning at Hackensack and following a northeastly, then a northerly direction to Rockland county, N. Y., a .: an important thoroughfare during the early part of the present century. as was also the Spring Valley road, which was opened about the sam time. and run through the central part of Midland township, north.
The Wieremus road, so christened by the Indians who in early times followed it as a trail, ran through Pascack Ridge to New York State
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HISTORY OF BERGEN COUNTY
and was also one of the important roads in the northern portion of Ber- gen County.
These are a few of the earliest roadways in Bergen County import- ant in this connection only because of their use in colonial and Revolu- tionary days.
That New Jersey is a friend to good roads is shown by the report of State Commissioner Budd. During the last year eighty-five miles of new roads have been built under State aid, making three hundred and eighty-five miles, since the State made appropriations for the purpose in 1893, at total cost being $565,826.
Bergen County excels in its roadways, in fact they constitute an interesting feature of the county, the drives being equal to the shell roads of the South and West.
The various trolley lines running through Bergen County are fast changing not only the old mode of travel, but are also opening up new fields for country homes which steam car lines fail to reach.
The Bergen County Traction Company was formed March 6, 1896. The President of this road is William T. Barrows. The road runs from Undercliff to Englewood. A branch line from Leonia to Hackensack is now in operation.
The Hudson County Railway was built in 1893, then known as the Palisade Railroad. This trolley line enters the county at Hudson Heights and extends as far north as Cortesville. David Young is its President.
The Rutherford and Hackensack trolley line was built in 1897. It begins at Arlington and is built as far as Woodridge. On January 27. 1899, this road was sold to William C. Giles for the Re-organization Committee representing 90 per cent. of the bond holders. It is intended now to build the road to Hackensack. The Hoboken. Passaic and Pat- erson trolley line was built recently. It runs through the places named its title and is an important road and does a large business.
FERRIES.
The ferries which connect the old portion of Bergen County with New York City are numerous. There are . 1) the Communipaw, (2) the Weehawken. (3) the Jersey City. (4) the Hoboken. (5) the Pavonia. Besides these. are still in operation, there were severalothers of an early date which have long ceased to exist. These latter were Budd's Dock. in Harsimus Cove to New York, established in 1802, and continued a few years ; Bull's Ferry, at the upper line of the present County of Hudson, well known during the Revolution, which took its name from a family by the name of Bull residing there. Winfield gives the names of the - lessees of this ferry as follows : Cornelius Huyley, 1778-'92 ; Theodore Brower, 1792-1805 ; Garret Neefie, 1805; Lewis Concklin, 1800 : Abraham Huyler, 1808.
De Klyn's Ferry was started by John Towne and Barnet De Klyn. from the wharf (south and north of the State Prison to Hoboken in
80,
HISTORY OF BERGEN COUNTY
1796. No record is found of this ferry later than 1806.
For many years the farmers and others in the northern part of Ber- gen County reached New York by means of the Weehawken Ferry established by Samuel Bayard about the year 1700. The charter for this ferry was granted by George II in 1752 to Stephen Bayard.
The Hoboken Ferry was established to connect the Corporation Dock at the " Bear Market," in New York with Hoboken in 1774, and was leased to H. Tallman for £50 a year. During the Revolution this ferry was subject to the army occupying New York. In 1789, the ferry was owned by John Stevens, the proprietor of the Hoboken. In 1811 Mr. Stevens completed a boat,, which he put on trial in September. announcing " the trial trip of the first steam ferry boat in the world."
The Pavonia Ferry was established by letters patent from King George II, January 17, 1733, to Archibald Kennedy his heirs and assigns.
Dows Ferry over the Hackensack, a little north of the New Jersey Railroad was a noted place during the Revolution. Mr. Winfield thinks it was constructed about the time that Colonel John Schuyler constructed Belleville turnpike, during the French War, and that it remained in operation until superseded by the bridge erected in 1794. It received its name from John Douw, a friend of Colonel Schuyler. The ferry and Douw's tavern were on the west side of the Hackensack. It was at this ferry that boats had been provided on the night of Major Lee's attack on Paulus Hook to facilitate the retreat of his forces. The ferry Jersey City was established June 18. 1864.
RAILROADS.
The first railroad in America was laid in old Bergen County. Mr. L. Q. C. Elmer. of Bridgeton, N. J., says in the Springfield Republican. " Reading the very interesting account of the Hoosic Tunnel in your paper of November 28th, I find a new illustration of the difficulty of ob- taining correct historical data. The writer states that in 1826 Dr. Phelps presented the first proposition ever made for a railroad before any legislative body in the United States. This is a mistake. About April, 1811. Colonel John Stevens, of Hoboken, N. J., presented a men- orial to the Legislature to authorize a railroad in New Jersey, and in February, 1815, a law was passed incorporating . The New Jersey Rail- road Company, authorizing a road from Trenton to New Brunswick.' This road was not built. In 1820 I saw at Hoboken Colonel Stevens' short railroad, laid as an experiment. Locomotive steam-engines had not been perfected. and the best engineers did not suppose there would be sufficient traction in plain wheels to draw a heavy weight. The railway put up by Stevens was provided with a middle rail having teeth for a driving-track. This gentleman was father of the Messrs. Stevens who built the first railroad in New Jersey by virtue of the Act of 1842. He entered into competition with Fulton to run the first steamboat on the waters of the Hudson, and thus obtained the monopoly granted by the law of New York, but falling a little behind in time, he sent his
·
37
HISTORY OF BERGEN COUNTY
boat round to the Delaware, and I was carried by her in 1812. The family maintained a line of boats on the Delaware individually or by the company until their death."
The Paterson and Hudson River Railroad Company was incorpor- ated January 21, 1831. The road went into operation between Paterson and Aquackanonk (now Passaic) June 22, 1832. The rolling-stock at that time consisted of " three splendid and commodious cars, each cap- able of accommodating thirty passengers," which were drawn by " fleet and gentle horses." It was thought to be a " rapid and delightful mo le of traveling." The trial-trip over that part of the road was June 7. 1832. It connected with the New Jersey Railroad at West End. The road was leased to the Union Railroad Company September 9. 1852. This lease was assigned to the Erie Railway Company, and the road is now part of the main line of the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad. The assignment and transfer of the road was confirmed by the Legislature March 14, 1853.
The Erie Railway Company was first recognized by the laws of New Jersey, March 14, 1853, as the New York and Erie Railroad Company. then as the Erie Railway Company. After leasing the Paterson and Hudson River Railroad and the Paterson and Ramapo Railroad, which two roads formed a direct line from Jersey City to Sufferns, Piermont was abandoned as a terminus, and the cars were run to the depot of the New Jersey Railroad Company in Jersey City until May, 1862. " The Long Dock Company," incorporated February 26, 1856, in the interest of the Erie Railway Company, completed the Bergen Tunnel January 28, 1861. The first passenger train passed through it May 1, 1861, at which date the Erie traffic was transferred to its present terminus at Long Dock. In 1865 the Erie Company constructed a telegraph line through the Bergen Tunnel, so that managers of signals at either end could be duly warned of approaching trains, and collision thus avoided. The interior of the Bergen Tunnel was arched over in 1867.
The New York and Oswego Midland Railroad Company was incor- porated January 1, 1866. Construction began June 29, 1868. The first train ran over the western end of the road November 5, 1869, and the first through train August 18, 1873.
On Monday, December 19, 1871, the first locomotive was put on the New Jersey Midland at Hawthorne, a station on the Erie, one mile from Paterson. The locomotive was built at the Rogers' Locomotive Works in the City of Paterson, and was named the " Passaic." Another loco- motive put upon the road the following July was named " Bergen, " this plan of naming the locomotives after the counties traversed by the road being adopted by the company.
The New Jersey Midland Company was incorporated March 18. 1867. March 18, 1870, it was announced that $75,000 had been sub- scribed by those interested in having the road go through Hackensack. Additional sums were subsequently raised. increasing the amount to $100,000, the sum required to be raised by Hackensack and vicinity.
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HISTORY OF BERGEN COUNTY
Other liberal sums were contributed along the entire route. On Mon- day, March 18, 1872, the first passenger train ran through between Hackensack and Paterson, at 8.30 a. m., carrying about thirty passen- gers. After that trains ran regularly.
The Hackensack and New York Railroad Company was incorporated March 14, 1856. Work was begun on the road in the spring of 1869. It was opened northward to Hillsdale, twenty-one miles from New York, and the first excursion train ran over it on Saturday, the 4th of March, 1870. The officers of the road at that time were D. P. Patterson, Presi- dent; G. S. Demarest, Vice President; H. G. Herring, Secretary, and J. D. Demarest, Treasurer. The extension of the road to Grassy Point. about two miles above Haverstraw, on the Hudson, was chartered by the New York Legislature in the spring of 1870, and during the fall was put under contract to Messrs. Ward & Lary for construction. From a report made in January, 1872, we learn that through the untiring ex- ertions of Mr. J. A. Bogert, at Nanuet, $90,000 had been subscribed, over $40,000 of which had been paid in. Subscriptions also to the amount of $230,000 had been secured by Mr. Patterson, the President of the com- pany, and of this sum $130,000 had been paid in. At the northern ter- minus at Grassy Point the company received a donation of 2500 feet of river frontage from Mr. David Munro. The eastern terminus of this road is in the Erie depot, at Long Dock, and it is under the same man- agement as the Erie.
The Northern Railroad Company of New Jersey was chartered February 9 1854, and the road was completed October 1st, 1859. In 1869 it was leased to the Erie Railway Company. This road passes through the eastern part of Bergen County, along the table- land of the Palisades, many portions of which it has been the means of redeeming from forests and converting into beautiful parks and villas. Englewood, on this road, one of the most delightful suburbs of New York, has been entirely built up since the road was opened.
The Jersey City and Albany Railroad was opened to Tappan July 30th, 1873. This road passes through Bergen County from the Midland. at Ridgefield Park, in a direction nearly parallel with the Northern road.
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CHAPTER XIV. SCHOOLS.
EDUCATIONAL REPORT.
The first apportionment of the school fund of the State was made to Bergen county by the trustees in 1831 and consisting of one thousand, two hundred and ninety-nine dollars and ninety-two cents. Benjamin Zabriskie and Cornelius Van Winkle were appointed a committee of the board of Chosen Freeholders to apportion the amount among the several townships which resulted as follows: Bergen, $214.56; Lodi, $108.38; Saddle River, $168.19; New Barbadoes, $94.10; Hackensack, $142.94; Harrington, $226.55; Franklin, $181.55; Pompton, $163.65.
The Legislature of New Jersey passed an Act in 1837 appropriating the surplus revenues of the general government for school purposes in the several counties of the State, placing the several amounts appor- tioned to the counties under the management of the respective boards of Chosen Freeholders.
A report made to the board on the 2d day of May, 1838, showed that the sum of $41, 132.14, surplus reventie, had been received from the State treasurer, and that the same had been loaned out in various sums through the county. The interest on this money has been collected annually on the 1st of May and devoted to the support of public schools.
Upon the division of the county the following adjustment was made of the surplus revenue :
TOWNSHIPS.
STATE TAX. COUNTY TAX. TOTAL.
Bergen, including Jersey City
$664.75
$1047.44
$1712.16
Lodi.
252.40
658.65
911.05
Saddle River
324.34
875.57
1199.91
Hackensack
267.90
830.65
1098.55
Harrington
346.12
1127.44
1473.56
Franklin.
292.57
874.18
1166.75
New Barbadoes.
201.82
457.80
659.62
Pompton.
142.84
381.54
524.68
West Milford.
147.35
376.43
523.78
$2640.06 $6630.00
$9270.00
Before the division of the surplus revenue took place the towns of West Milford, Pompton and a part of Saddle River was annexed to Passaic County, leaving the sums from these towns to be deducted there from. The County of Hudson having been erected February 22, 1840, the sims allotted to the towns of Bergen and Jersey City, and a part of Lodi, under the names of Harrison were also to be deducted.
After the division of the county in 1840 the amount apportioned from the school fund was $1000.50, divided among the townships as fol- lows, and so remained until the new school appropriation was made :
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HISTORY OF BERGEN COUNTY
New Barbadoes. $138.69; Lodi, S66.45; Saddle River, $52.41 ; Hack- ensack. $234,09 ; Franklin, $216.02 ; Washington, $174.19; Harrington. $118.75.
The interest on the surplus revenue began to be available for school purposes May 1, 1838. The sum of $1490 hal then accrued, and was divided among the townships as follows :
Lodi, $164.40 ; Hackensack, $174.50 ; Franklin $190.56 ; Saddle River. $80.96 ; Harrington, $225.36 ; New Barbadoes, $131.40 : Bergen, $298.70; Jersey City, $134.12. In 1839 the interest on the fund amounted to 32 -. 655.38. In 1840 the interest was $3, 112.05.
Continuing the history, John Terhune, Superintendent of Bergen County Schools, says :
"Prior to 1867 the schools of Bergen County were in part free. They were under township supervision, and the buildings in rural dis- triets were of a very primitive type.
The report of the State Board of Education for 1866. which was the last year of the township method of Superintendents, gives the total population in the nine townships 21,619, and the school census 6,888. The total amount of money to be expended was twenty-five thousand, seven hundred, forty dollars and seventy-four cents, received from the following sources : Raised by tax, eleven thousand. twenty-nine dollars and eighty-one cents : from State three thousand, fifteen dollars and thirty-nine cents; other sources one thousand, six hundred, twenty-two dollars and forty-twocents; raised for building and repairing two thousand, seven hundred, seventy dollars and ninety-nine cents ; from tuition fees, seven thousand, five hundred, forty-six dollars and seventeen cents. There were thirty-seven male teachers at an average salary of forty- three dollars per month, and thirty-eight female teachers at an average salary of thirty-two dollars per month. There were fifty-five schools. seven of which were free.
The office of County Superintendent was created by Act of the Leg- islature, approved March 21st, 1867. Under this svetem the number of schools in 1899 is one hundred an1 four with three hundred andl nineteen teachers, of which sixty-two are males at an average monthly salary of ninety-three dollars and sixty-fourcents, and two hundred and fifty-seven females with an average salary of fifty-two dollars and sixty-one cents. The total amount of monies to be expended the present year is as follows :
Balances, $53,866.57 ; apportioned by County Superintendent, $130,- 984.89 ; raised by district tax $232, 143.59 ; from State for Manual train- ing $3,200.00, making a total of $420,195.05. The school census for 1898 was 88,028. The school buildings with but few exceptions are scientifically lighted, heated. ventilated and decorated ; and the grounds as a rule are planted with shade trees and flower beds, due to Arbor Day. This day was set apart by law in 1884, and has caused much improve- ment in school surroundings. The Arbor Day programmes issued by the present Superintendent, John Terhune, have become popular, and are used in nearly every county in the state.
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HISTORY OF BERGEN COUNTY
At the last anniversary, held April 28th, there were 4271 visitors in attendance in the several schools of this county.
The school library question has also improved under his administra- tion, and the number of books taken out increased from 3561 in 1885, to 65,421 in 1899. They are now an indispensable factor in the education of the children.
Bergen County was the first to establish a professional library for teachers, which now contains 1400 volumes of pedagogical books. It was the first county to secure an office which now is an educational centre, and contains numerous cabinets of school work for inspection, a model school library, a teachers' library, and, besides, is an object lesson in school decoration. Copies of the most important school periodicals and school devices are found at this office, known as Educational Hall, and it is constantly visited by teachers and educators.
A uniform course of study for primary and grammar grades has been in operation since 1895, and the work in general is being done sys- tematically and progressively. There are now fifty-five school districts, of which eighteen are townships, thirty-four are boroughs, two are special charters and one a city.
CHAPTER XV. NEW BARBADOES.
ANCIENT AND MODERN BOUNDARIES-EARLY SETTLEMENT-CIVIL ORGAN- IZATION-FREEHOLDERS-HACKENSACK -- ITS SCHOOLS, CHURCHES,
NEWSPAPERS, HOSPITAL, IMPROVEMENT COMMISSION, SOCI-
ETIES, LODGES AND CLUBS, BANKS, MILITARY, MANU- FACTURES-BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
In 1693, two centuries ago, New Barbadoes was a township in Essex County, and comprised the territory lying between the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers, from Newark Bay on the southeast to the present boundary line of Sussex County. The present boundaries are limited to New Bridge on the north and Little Ferry on the south, with an average width of about two miles on the west side of the Hackensack River, the whole length being only about five miles. Along the Hackensack the land is generally level, in some places below high tide, rising to a greater elevation in the western portion. There are some marsh lands, but they are mostly capable of cultivation. The clay lands are valuable from their proximity to the Hackensack River, and much of this land is under a high state of cultivation, while the clay is extensively used in the manufacture of brick.
The Hackensack River, which is navigable to New Bridge, is well confined within its banks, varying in width from one hundred to five hundred feet. The origin of the name " New Barbadoes" is more a matter of conjecture than of history. It is supposed, however, that the earliest proprietors of the township, who emigrated from the islands of Barba- does, gave the name by prefixing "New" to the name of their former home. In 1868 Captain William Sandford secured a title to 15,308 acres of land running northward from the junction of the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers. Captain John Berry, and others associated with him, secured a title to all the land north of the Sandford possessions, compris- ing the territory within the limits of Hackensack and the present town-
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