USA > New Jersey > Bergen County > History of Bergen county, New Jersey > Part 19
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We give below a list of the chosen freeholders of the township since 1794, the date at which the freeholders became a board separate from the justices. The justices and freeholders who preceded the change made in 1794 are named in the general county history, as they are not found in the records identified with the townships which they respec- tively represent:
1794, Joseph Board; 1794, Peter Slutt; 1795, Henry Wanmaker; 1795. Garret W. Hopper; 1796-97, Peter Wend; 1796-1800, Andrew Hopper: 1798-1813, Garret Lydecker; 1801, 1803, 1806. 1812, John Hopper; 1801-2, David P. Harring; 1802-4, Abram A. Quackenbush; 1803, Albert Wilson; 1804-13-18, Abram Forshee; 1805, John Van Blarcom; 1805-12-14. C. Stor; 1806-8, Abrm. Harring; 1807-11, Peter Ward; 1809-11, Henry Van Emburgh; 1815-18, Daniel Gero, Jr .; 1819-20, John A. Van Voorhis; 1819, John Hopper; 1820-24, 1826-27, William Hopper; 1821-24, Henry Van Emburgh; 1825, David I. Christie; 1825-27, 1834-35, John Ward; 1828- 30, Martin Van Houten; 1828-30, John Mandijo: 1831, 1833, John Wil- lis; 1831, Christian A. Wanmaker; 1832, David I. Ackerman; 1832-33. Isaac I. Bogert; 1834-35, Garret Van Dien; 1836-38, William G. Hopper; 1836-38, John H. Hopper; 1839-40, Henry B. Hagerman; 1839-41, Henry A. Hopper; 1841-43, Simeon Van Winkle; 1842-44, Henry I. Spear; 1844-46, Anthony Crowter; 1845, 1849-51, John R. Post; 1846-48, Wil- liam P. Van Blarcom; 1847-48, James S. Wanmaker; 1849, 1853-54. James Van Houten; 1850-52, Stephen D. Bartholf; 1852-54, Abram Wortendyke; 1856, Garret Hopper; 1857-60, John D. Marinus; 1859-61. John Halsted; 1861-63, Garret D. Ackerman; 1862-64. David C. Bush; 1864, Daniel Ackerman; 1866-67, 1871, Garret J. Hopper; 1866-67. Samuel P. Demarest; 1868-70, Garret A. Hopper, John H. Speer: 1872- 75, Peter H. Pulis; 1876, Daniel D. Depew; 1877-78, Charles White; 1879-80, Abram C. Wortendyke; 1880-85, Abram C. Wortendyke: 1885- 86, David H. Spear; 1886-88, John R. Carlough; 1889-94, David H Spear; 1894-97, John H. Post; 1897-1900, Thomas Post.
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HISTORY OF BERGEN COUNTY
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
Cornelius Schuyler, son of Arent Schuyler, was one of the first set- tlers in Franklin township in 1730. The Carretson from Bergen Town came and settled near where the Ponds Church now stands. The Van Allens owned six hundred acres on the Pond Flats. George Ryerson and Urie Westervelt (1709) purchased an extensive tract of the Indians, ex- cepting the land at Sicamac and land on the present farm of Isaac D. Van Blarcom, as it was an Indian burial-ground. The Berdan family settled at Preakness, in this vicinity, in 1720. John Stek, now Stagg. "settled back of Knickies' Pond." in 1711. This is undoubtedly part of the Judge Millard farm at Sicamac. Stagg and his descendants lived on this farm till about sixty years ago. Yan Romaine, yeoman of Hacken- sack, purchased 600 acres, located in the vicinity, from the Willcox & Johnson patent, May 19, 1724, and sold 200 acres to Rulef C. Van Houten, March 17, 1737, for seventy pounds. This property in modern times has been occupied by John V. Hennion, William De Baun, and John Acker- man. Simeon Van Winkle came in 1733 and settled on the property lately belonging to Teunis Van Slyke. For four or five generations the Van Winkles honored the consistory of the Ponds Church. August 17, 1720, found John and William Van Voor Haze, yeomen of the county of Bergen, buying of John Barberie, Peter Fauconiere, and Andrew Fres- near, merchants of New York City, 550 acres of land at Wikhoof (so spelled and said to be of Indian origin ), present Wyckoff, The fifty odd acres were allowed for roads. William Van Voor Haze was married first Susanah Larne, May 17, 1717, and second to Maria Van Gildee, January 2, 1728, and died July 17, 1744, leaving five sons and four daughters. An extract from his will says, "I give and bequeat unto my eldest son, Jacobus Van Voorhees, the big bybel, for his first birthright, as being my heir-at-law. I will that my youngest dater, which I have by myn dear beloving wife, which is named Marytie Van Voor Haze, that she shall have for her poorshon the sum of £19." To his other daughters. he gave twelve pounds each. His son entered the king's service and died in 1767. His son Albert lived on the present Uriah Quackinbush farm, and Abraham lived on the Lewis Qouman's farın. He died Feb- ruary 5, 1830, aged ninety-four. Near his dwelling, at twilight, shortly before his death, seeing a light upon the knoll, he chose that spot as his resting place, and there he slumbers; and beside him sleeps his wife, Margaret Hinter, who followed him to the grave in the May following his own death. John lived on the Henry Blauvelt farm.
The Alburtises were also early settlers here, near the Van Voor Haze property. The Winters, Courtins, Youngs, Storms, Ackermans, and Quackenbushes all came before 1760, and the Van Gilders about 1730. The Pulisfelts (now Pulis) lived on the Peter Ward farm, and the Bogerts on the Henry Vandenhoff property, going into Yaupough Valley. Vandenhoff is said to have lived in a cave for some time about 1760. These are the names of many of the early settlers in what is now
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Franklin township. Many more there may have been, but their names are lost or forgotten.
Early in the eighteenth century purchases were made of the Indians of tracts of land lying to the southward of the "Wilcox and Johnson patent." Arent Schuyler, of Albany, and Anthony Brockholst, of New York City, were interested in these lands. The Garretsons from Bergen, the Van Allens, the Berdans, the Staggs, the Romaines, the Van Wink- les, and the Van Voorhises were purchasers of extensive tracts in this section forty, fifty, or sixty years before the Revolution. 100 years ago in the present township of Franklin the lands were generally taken up, although the territory was sparsely inhabited. Extensive tracts were under limited cultivation. Then there was scarcely a manufacturer in the township. Cornelius Wortendyke, it is true, was manufacturing about 100 years ago at Newtown, but nearly all the industry was con- fined to the raising of corn, wheat, and potatoes. These same abundant crops to-day at present prices would make any economical farmer rich in a few years.
This township in the Revolutionary period became important as a place of refuge and retreat. The courts of Bergen County were driven hither from Hackensack. Washington and his army were hovering in the vicinity, keeping an eye on the British invader; a British Tory was hung by Sheriff Manning near Oakland, in this township, as is recited elsewhere in this history. Cornelius Schuyler, son of Arent Schuyler, was one of the earliest settlers in Franklin township in 1730. The Garretsons from Bergen Town were also early settlers.
VILLAGES AND HAMLETS.
There are no large villages in this township; the people generally are devoted to agricultural pursuits. Abundant crops of grapes, both wild and cultivated, are grown in this township, the apple crop is also abundant. The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad, for- merly the Midland, and before that the New Jersey Western, which had its first inception in this township through the energy and enterprise of Cornelius A. Wortendyke some years since, gave a sudden impetus and excited the highest hopes for the future growth of the township. This road enters Franklin from Ridgewood township, about one mile below Midland Park, and passing nearly midway through it till con- fronted by the Ramapo Mountains. In crossing the river near Oakland it runs along the foot-hills of these mountains, leaving the township for Pompton about one mile from Oakland. Thus it runs about ten miles through this township.
The villages and hamlets locally named as such in the township are Wortendyke, Wyckoff, Campgaw, Oakland.
The Ramapo Indians sometimes visited the settlements in the town- ship. They were known formerly as the Hackensacky Indians but are more properly the race described as the "Jackson Whites." They bear little resemblance to the Indians, yet as tradition gives it they are des-
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cendants of Hessians, Indians and negroes but know nothing of their ancestry, so ignorant have they become. They dwell in huts or caves in the sides of the mountains, and subsist on fish and game, principally. When Judge Garrison was a boy, one of these people, an old man, Uncle Rich De Groate by name, would often leave his home for a visit to the villagers, coming among the people without hat, or covering for his feet and legs to his knees. When asked whether or not his lower limbs did not suffer from excessive cold he would reply by asking the same ques- tion concerning the exposure of the face. He died probably sixty years of age.
WORTENDYKE.
The village of Wortendyke, formerly called Newtown, was founded by Cornelius Wortendyke in the year 1796. Tradition says two brothers of this family located at Pascack, and from thence Cornelius removed to this place where in 1812 a wool carding mill was erected for the immed- iate county trade. Abraham Wortendyke, his son, succeeded him and in 1832 changed the business from wool to cotton. Subsequently this was changed to a silk mill. A few years since the village was called Godwinville. Another silk mill was added later on and since then these mills have been enlarged and re-enlarged giving employment to hun- dreds of hands. The mills are now operated by Francis H. Mayhew.
Cornelius H. Wortendyke procured the original charter of the New Jersey Western Railroad, and in 1867 was elected its president. In 1870 this road was consolidated with the New Jersey, Hudson and Delaware, and the Sussex Valley Railroad, under the name of the New Jersey Midland Railway Company, of which Mr. Wortendyke also held the office of President. When the railroad was built through this place a station, a hotel, and other houses were erected, the supposition being that Wortendyke would rapidly increase in population. The hotel is owned by John T. Ramsey, and the store by H. T. Lawrence, who came into possession of this property in 1881, and has operated it successfully ever since. Mr. Lawrence has also been postmaster since 1888.
The mills of Wortendyke, and the railroad shops have called hither many native Hollanders, nearly all of whom are professing Christians and members of the old Holland Reformed Church.
SCHOOLS.
In 1811 Cornelius Wortendyke leased for school purposes a small lot near where the Methodist Church now stands. Isaac Blauvelt and Jacob Quackenbush, owned this ground for twenty-five years, which was leased and on which a schoolhouse was erected, probably the first in the locality. In 1822 this structure was burned, when a new one was built this in turn being abandoned probably forty years ago, for another. It was a brick structure which stood at the foot of the hill on the road to Ridgewood ; and was erected in 1859. This was next abandoned for the new school house, built in 1880 at a cost of $2500. In the old school of 1822, Henry Westervelt, Tunis Crum, Isaac Sherr, Richard Ellsworth, Ashbel Abbott, John Turner, Rev. Matthew Mallinson, Amos B. How-
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land and Asa W. Roath, are mentioned as the teachers. The Methodists have a church at Wortendyke, which was organized December 14, 1805. Mark McCraken, Aaron Ackerman, James Dods, John Van Blarcom, Cornelius Lozier, James Stagg, Morris Sharpenstine, William Van Blar- com, and Alexander McCall were its first trustees. John Morrow, de- ceased, a worthly and most saintly man, during a long and useful life was most active and efficient in the erection of a new Methodist Church here in 1830. In 1868 another church was erected and the old one re- moved. This edifice, was greatly aided in erection through the means and efforts of Cornelius A. Wortendyke, but Mr. Morrow never ceased to be an active and efficient supporter of this church according to his means, and was a most exemplary member of this Methodist Church to the day of his death. The Methodists also have a prosperous society at Campgaw, and a church edifice erected in 1856.
Rev. Thomas Hall is now pastor of the church. Rev. H. Luback is pastor of one of the Reformed churches, the other churches not having a pastor at this time.
WYCKOFF.
Wyckoff, is a beautiful little village in this township on the Sus- quehanna railroad, twenty-eight miles from the city of New York, and owes its existence to the railroad.
Abram Van Vorhis probably built the first house in the place. He owned a store, cider mill, distillery and blacksmith shop on grounds now occupied by Samuel Winters residence. He afterwards removed to Wortendyke where he bought property in Midland Park.
Among the early settlers at Wyckoff and vicinity should be men- tioned Abram Van Voorhis, James Van Blarcom, William Winters, Jacob Stur and David Folley. The sons of William Winters were Henry, William, Cornelius, John, Barney, Abram and Peter, all of whom settled in this vicinity. Henry, son of Henry, now eighty-three years of age, and Samuel Winters, his grandson, still live here. Cornelius Ackerman and Andrew Ackerman lived here in an early day. John P. Ramsey. one of the original owners of the village, rebuilt the hotel now leased to Benjamin Coleman, At an early day a cotton mill stood below the hotel on the Van Blarcon estate. No manufacturing is now in the place save a cider mill erected about 1890 by Daniel Winters.
Daniel DePew was the first agent of the railroad and the post office was kept in the depot. After Mr. DePew came, one or two changes were made, when the present agent, Mr. Peter S. Pulis, took charge of the station July 1, 1883.
Stoat & Board, Samuel Pulis, the De Pews and Mr. J. E. Mowerson have all been merchants in the place. Mr. Mowerson, present owner of the store and also postmaster, has done a large business here since 1877.
CAMPG.AW.
This hamlet has a store, post office, saw mill, grist mill and a shop or two all under the name of Peter H. Pulis & Son. Mr. Pullis was the
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HISTORY OF BERGEN COUNTY
first agent of the road here, and under his management business always kept on the increase. His son, Samuel Pulis, and grandson, William G. Pulis, are now in charge.
THE REFORMED CHURCH AT WYCKOFF.
In 1803 a movement was made for a new church, and out of this grew the building of a church at Wyckoff. Many of the members of the Ponds Church lived near Wyckoff.
The Reformed (Dutch) Church at Wyckoff was established about ninety-two years ago. It has a large and convenient structure, built of stone on foundations solid enough to last for centuries.
The old church had stood for sixty years, and a new edifice seemed necessary. Judge J. A. Van Voorhees, A. Stevenson, and others of Wyckoff and vicinity prevailed, when the old church was partly taken down and a new one erected, but in 1840 to 1845 the old hexagonal church was restored and reconstructed, much in the shape it is at pres- ent, a parallelogram or oblong square. The deed for the Wyckoff Church is dated September 27, 1805, to William Pulisfelt, Conrad Stur, Lawrence Ackerman, and James L. Ackerman. the consistory of the Ponds Church, with Judge Van Voorhees as treasurer and general ad- viser or director. The steeple was struck by lightning in 1829. In 1811, Rev. John Demarest became pastor of the church or society at the Ponds and of the Wyckoff Church. Mr. Demarest was born and edu- cated in Hackensack, at the famous school of Dr. Wilson, and studied theology under Dr. Froeligh. Mr. Demarest subsequently became a member of the True Reformed Dutch Church, and at one time owned the farm on which Major Andre was executed at Tappan. He died April 8, 1837. The two congregations at the Ponds and Wyckoff were divided May 10, 1822, and the Ponds Church was reorganized. The two churches were incorporated in 1824. The division line between them commenced at the house of Garret Post, near High Mountain, thence to John Ackerman's house, thence to Abraham Winter's house, and thence to Yaupongh. Rev. Zachariah H. Kuypers, son of the pas- tor of that name at Hackensack, in April, 1825, became pastor of the Ponds and Wyckoff Churches. He also was educated under Dr. Wilson. He was succeeded by Rev. W. J. Thompson in 1842. Thompso 1 was a graduate of Rutgers in 1834, and appointed tutor of ancient languages there in 1838, and filled that position with great credit. These churches now entered upon a new and brighter day of activity and success. He remained pastor till 1845. From this time they have had separate pas- tors. Rev. B. V. Collins became pastor of the Ponds Church, Novem- ber, 1845, and remained there to January, 1868. Rev. A. G. Ryerson became pastor of the Wyckoff Church April 7, 1846, and remained till May 24, 1864, the church prospering under his ministry. He was suc- ceeded by Rev. William B. Van Benschoten, April 11, 1865. Van Ben- schoten was a graduate of Rutgers College and Theological Seminary. He remained there about six years, and died while pastor of a Reformed Church at Ephrata, in the State of New York. He was succeeded at
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Wyckoff by Rev. S. T. Searles 1872, who was pastor many years. The Rev. A. Westeveer, successor of the Rev. William Faulker, is the present pastor.
The church has a membership of 160 persons, and has for its officers at the present time the following: Elders-Samuel D. Winters, Thomas H. Winters, Daniel Snyder, James E. Mowerson; Deacons-Charles F. Hopper, Charles Duryea, John J. Vanderbeck, John W. May.
OAKLAND.
The little village of Oakland is situated on the Susquehanna rail- road near the border line of Franklin township, about thirty-three miles from New York city. It is one of the beautiful and picturesque places in the county. The Ramapo Mountains on its western side give it that peculiar charm which a mountain only can give little villages, when nestled along its side under its sheltering protection. The village has a reputation worthy of an enterprising people, and with its railroad, hotel and stores, and two prominent manufacturing enterprises, it is on the progressive.
The place was known 150 years ago by the name Youghpaugh- Yoppo-and was the seat of government of the county for three or four years, dating from the year 1780. It was known also as the "Ponds," that name coming from the Church, one of the oldest in the township. There was a small pond of water in this vicinity, and a grist mill stand- ing near the church, served the people long before the Revolution. The Rev. Guilliam Bertholf probably preached here as early as 1710, and for twenty years thereafter. The worshippers in that old church, whoever they were, formed the first settlement at the Ponds. The Garretsons from Bergen Town came here as early as 1760. The Van Allens owned 600 acres on the Pond flats, and the Bogerts and others, as will be seen in the general sketch, were early on this land. At a later day, Aaron Garrison and his brother Abram, who was drowned in the Hudson River in 1804, settled in the upper end of the valley. Martin Van Houten early occupied the ground upon which the residence of George Calder now stands. A stone house was first built on that site. Still later, the Hoppers, Judge Garrison, John Bush and David C. Bush with others came into the place. The "Ponds," however, assumed no im- portance until after the building of the railroad in 1870, when the depot was erected, a post office was established, and H. W. Bush started a store where Lloyd & McNomes are now. Henry Bush was the first postmaster in the village, after which David C. Bush, to whose enterprising spirit principally, the village owes the office, succeeded to the position, which he held from time to time, for sixteen years. The hotel was built in 1882.
THE RAILROAD.
David C. Bush, at the instance of C. A. Wortendyke, became a prominent factor in the building of the railroad through Oakland. These two men probably secured more stock for the enterprise and did
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more to insure success in that undertaking than any other two men in the company. Land for the yard and depot and the right of way through the place was given by Mr. Bush, who was also one of the largest con- tributors to the present depot built by the citizens. Upon the comple- tion of the road, in March, 1869, five or six hundred people gathered, and under the inspiration of a couple of barrels of apple-jack and good cider, with the booming of cannon, the event was properly chronicled in the hearts and minds of the people. The opening exercises began at one o'clock. Beginnihg at two o'clock, speeches were made by ex-Gov- Price, Judge Garrison, Isaac Wortendyke, Dr. William Colfax, cousin of Vice President Colfax, and others, and at six o'clock refreshments were furnished, which terminated the gala exercises of the day.
This part of the Ramapo Valley in an early day went by the roman- tic name the Indians gave it. It was subsequently the Ponds, then called Scrub Oaks, and perforce of family influence was known still later as Bushville. Upon the completion of the road, there was a meeting of the citizens to select a new name, some preferring that of Breakcliff, some Pleasant Valley, some Bushville, and so on. The meeting was held at the store of Henry Bush. J. P. Storms was elected Chairman, and Z. H. Post, secretary. Different names were offered by different parties, and after all disscussions were over, Mr. David C. Bush arose and pro- posed the name "Oakland," which was chosen, and which name it now bears.
THE AMERICAN E. C. & SHULTZ POWDER COMPANY.
This concern began operations in Oakland in 1890, for the manufac- ture of smokeless powder, for sporting purposes purely. They purchased 120 acres of land from Judge Garrison. David C. Bush, James Van Blarcom and Jacob A. Terhune, and began the erection of a number of buildings, the largest of which is thirty by 300 feet. They employ thirty men and have a capacity of 2000 pounds daily. Captain A. W. Money is the managing director and treasurer of the company.
OAKLAND HAIR WORKS.
A. D. Bogert was manufacturing fillings for mattresses, chairs, etc., under the name of the Wood Type Manufacturing Company, in and before 1876. He made his product from wood fibre, weeds, etc., and carried on the business for many years. This industry was largely increased by the Wilkens Brothers, who came to the village in 1894, and purchased from S. P. Demarest forty acres of land, upon which they erected a number of buildings. They ship fibres, hogs' hair, and various pro- ducts from every known country on the globe, by train load, and do a business in curled hair and in materials for brushes, mattresses, etc., world wide. They employ abont 100 men.
JAIL AND COURT HOUSE.
The first Court House and Jail on the public Green, Hackensack, was burned in 1780.
The second Court House and Jail was built at Youghpaugh (Oak land ) in the township of Franklin, where the courts of the county were
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held for a few years. Youghpaugh-Yoppo-was only the County Seat ad-interum, and courts seem to have been held there, or in the Ponds Reformed Church during those troublous days, to such judicial extrem- ities had the British driven us during the Revolution. The Jail was built near the Sheriff's dwelling about three hundred yards north of the station, where the foundations are still to be seen.
Abraham Manning was Sheriff of the county and resided near the Oakland station. Among others confined in the Jail, was a notorious traitor, named Noah Collington, or Kellingham, who was hung on gal- lows erected on a little mound near by which bears the traitor's name to this day. He had been indicted for murder and robbery in the county, and while attempting to escape in disguise across the Hudson near Fort Lee, in order to get within the British lines, he was captured near that place and brought to the Jail. Upon trial and conviction he was sen- tenced to be hung. During the inclement winter he was allowed a fire, whereupon he attempted one night to burn down his prison house and make his escape. Vanderhoff, the miller, while watching his dam dur- ing a freshet, discovered the threatened conflagration and giving the alarm the fire was soon extinguished, and Collington was manacled and subjected to much closer confinement. Upon Manning's return he was infuriated and beat his prisoner most severely with a club. A physician came to alleviate the sufferings of the poor man, who was hung early the next morning.
An old Englishman named "Rench" was teaching school opposite the Ponds Church. At the time the Jail and Court House was destroyed he left this school and joined the refugees at Hopperstown-now Ho- hokus. Sheriff Manning hearing the noise of guns, there, together with a few neighbors hastened to New Prospect where they saw a com- pany of Refugees or Tories, coming from Hopperstown towards New Prospect. Concealing themselves behind a stone wall they waited while the enemy approached. The old teacher was recognized by the sheriff who deliberately aimed at his head, but the bullet only passed through his hat, and hid itself in a tree. After peace was declared the old teacher ventured to the Ponds but the sheriff was too patriotic to allow him to remain.
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