USA > New Jersey > Bergen County > History of Bergen county, New Jersey > Part 24
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Signed sealed & Delivered &c in the presence of L. B. L. Burgh Johannis Jlyngsrlurd ( Slinkerland ) John Conrad Codwere Then follows their peculiar signitures.
The title of the deed is Deed of Conveyance from the Indians to Albert Zaborowsky for Weeromnensa.
The following Memorandum is written on the left hand corner of this deed:
"That on the twenty-third day of May, in the Twelfth year of the Reign of our Soverign Lady Anne by the Grace of God our Great Bri- tain, France, Ireland, Queen Defender of the Faith &c Anno Doni 1713 personally appeared before me Peter Soumans Esq of her Majestys Coun- cil for the Province of New Jersey, Johannus, Slingerland within named who being sworn upon the holy Evangelist of Almighty God declared that he saw the within Named Indians execute the Instrument on the other side as their free and voluntary Act and deed and heard them de- clare their meaning and intention to be as the other side to mentioned on the day and year the rein Specified.
PETER SOUMANS."
On the reverse of the Indian deed is a conveyance of half of the Weareomensa tract by Albert Zaborowsky to Thomas Van Boskerk. This deed is dated March 29, 1708, and is signed by Albert Zaborowsky. This document is at present in the possession of J. Hosey Osborn, of Paterson. It is said that this is the only signature of that famous indi- vidual who was the ancestor of the Zabriskie family of the present day. There is little doubt but that Thomas Van Boskerk was the first settler of the Saddle River Valley, and his descendants to-day occupy a con- siderable portion of the land which Albert Zaborowsky bought from the Indians and conveyed to their progenitor. Other early settlers were the Ackermans, Ackenbachs, Conklins and Baldwins. John George Achen- bach located on the Eastern hill overlooking the Valley. He was a German Shepherd boy who ran away with his employer's daughter, and the eloping pair never communicated their whereabouts to their relatives in the Fatherland. The graves of these early settlers are located on a promontory overlooking the Saddle River Brook a few rods south of the land of Thomas Eckerson. A flat stone gathered from their farms, marks their resting place, but the winds and storms of a century and a half have effaced the rude inscriptions that denoted their individual graves. The only person from Saddle River to actively participate in the American Revolution was the notorious Lieutenant Colone WVan Buskerk, who joined the Royalists and led predatory bands of Tories in a number of raids into Bergen county. With one exception the sym- pathies of the Van Buskerk family was with the Royalists. The Acker-
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HISTORY OF BERGEN COUNTY
111ans were divided in their sympathies, and the Achenbacks were de- cidedly in favor of the rebels, as was Louis Conklin, whose brother-in- law, Henry Esler, of Rockland county, was an officer in the rebel army. A portion of Washington's army at one time passed through the valley and encamped for one night on the farm now belonging to the estate of Henry G. Ackerman. This was supposed to be Colonel Burr's regiment on one of its raids.
The war of 1812 found Mrs. Valleau, an estimable and patriotic lady, the occupant of what is at the time of writing the Dewsnap prop- erty. One of her sons, Ming Valleau, enlisted in the American army and was killed. His brother Lieutenant John Valleau went to the front to avenge his brother's death and was likewise killed in the gallant charge on Queenstown Heights. Valleau Cemetery at Paramus in later years, was named for this patriotic mother who sent her sons to do battle for their country. Foremost among those who made Saddle River famous in the early days of the nineteenth century was David I. Acker- man the proprietor of the works known as the Triphammer.
Mr. Ackerman, the grandfather of ex-sheriff and present surrogate David A. Pell of Bergen county was an energetic business man, a large landed proprietor, and slaveholder, who was noted for his liberality a nd philanthropy. Andrew Esler a millwright and builder was widely known as the builder of the tide water Mills on the Hackensack River, and as the architect and builder of the Lutheran Church at Saddle River. Trade unions were unknown in the twenties and Esler and his men shouldered their tools on Monday morning and walked to the Hacken- sack River a distance of ten miles in time to commence work at sunrise. Garret Zabriskie, a descendant of Albert Zaborowsky, a school teacher and land surveyor, was also widely known. Thomas Van Buskerk, a descendant of the first settler by the same name, was noted as a large slaveholder and one of the last to own a slave in the vicinty of Saddle River. The last slave owned by the old gentleman was incited to run away by William Osborn, Mr. Van Buskerk's son-in-law. Garret Acker- man, another large Landowner and the ancestor of a great many of the Ackermans of the northern portion of Bergen county was widely known and Abram Van Riper, Sr., a manufacturer of cotton goods, was one of the leading spirits of his time. Thomas Achenbach, father of George Achenbach the first president of the Hackensack Bank, was, together with David I, Ackerman one of the founders of the Lutheran Congrega- tion. John Van Buskerk, great grandfather of the present sheriff of Bergen county, Jacob Van Buskerk, was one of the first mill owners in the valley and was widely noted for his corporosity, being of such breadth that he was unable to tie his own shoe laces.
The earliest utilization of the water power of the Saddle River was a grist and saw mill owned by Garret Ackerman upon the site of John R. Achenbach's grist mill. In the early years of the nineteenth century the " Triphammer" was widely known. The " Triphammer" forged the farmer's tools in vogue in those days. In the early fifties it passed
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HISTORY OF BERGEN COUNTY
into the hands of John Woodruff who ran a foundry and also manufac- tired farmers' tools. Parker & Terwilliger succeeded Woodruff and they in turn were succeeded by W. W. Packer & Son, who still manu- facture tools and also have added two warehouses, in which a large stock of wagons are stored.
In 1822 John Van Buskirk built a grist mill upon the present site of Thurston & Clark's hosiery mill. In 1856 Dr. Oblenis and John Demarest purchased the property and began the manufacture of woolen yarn, under the firm name of Oblenis & Demarest. In 1860 Dr. Oblenis purchased the interest of Mr. Demarest continuing the business for nearly twenty years, when J. Augustus Bogert became the partner of Dr. Oblenis, and the new firm manufactured Cardigan Jackets. H. W. Thurston succeeded Oblenis & Bogerty and hosiery was manufac- tured until the mill was burned October 31, 1897. Thurston & Clark then erected the present hosiery plant.
A mill for the manufacture of cloth, was erected in the early thirties, on the present site of Hardy's Ice Houses. In a few years Abram Van Riper became the owner. This mill burned and Mr. Van Riper erected a shingle mill, which in the early fifties was turned into a basket factory, by Abram Van Riper, Jr. In 1863 the basket factory was torn down and a mill was built for the manufacture of woolen yarn, the owners being Van Riper & Blessing. This property in 1868 passed into the possession of W. W Ward, who for many years manufactured high grade mechanics' tools. In addition to these in the early half of the nineteenth century yarn was manufactured at what was known as the Blue Mill, now the Hamlyn property.
A hat factory was run near the "Triphammer ". A tannery was operated on property now owned by Thomas Van Buskirk, and also a shoe factory. Cigars and tobacco were manufactured by Henry and George Esler, in the early forties. M. M. Smith's basket factory was started in 1878, and is still running.
The first school building in the Saddle Rivery Valley was erected before the dawn of the ninetweenth century. The exact date of its erec- tion is shrouded in mystery but it served as a shelter to those who acquired a knowledge of the rudiments of the "three R's" until 1825. The building was of stone, fitted up with rude desks and slab benches, and was heated by a huge fire place, which in summer was used as a place of imprisonment for unruly boys ; a fireboard being fitted so as to close the fire place when not in use. A loose partition was used to make the room larger or smaller as the attendance required. After this building was torn down, the then rising generation supplied themselves with slate pencils found on the site of the old building, which had been lost by their fathers through the chinks in the floor. The building was located a few yards west of the present residence of William Henry Osborn. In 1825 a two story frame school house was erected where the Hall of the Ladies Social Union now stands. The land was donated by David Ackerman, for school purposes and reverted to his heirs when the school was moved
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HISTORY OF BERGEN COUNTY
to another site in later years. The ground floor of this building was used as a school room and the second story as a lecture and class room for the Lutheran Sabbath School. The early furniture was slab benches and home made desks, but during the last years of its use it was fitted with lid desks and neat wooden benches which were arranged around the onter edge of the room with scholars facing the wall. This building when too delapidated for school purposes was sold to William Osborn who for many years thereafter used it as a paint shop. One of the first teachers who taught school in this building was Garret Zabriskie, a direct descendant of the original Albert Soborowski. He was a local celebrity who taught the village school, pulled teeth, and surveyed his neighbors lands besides giving good advice to all who applied. Another teacher was a Mr. Dunspaugh of Columbia county, N. Y., who is still remembered by many for the thorough manner in which he taught the multiplication table, and the Rev. Matthew Waltemire who having been diciplined by the Lutheran Conference, and debarred from preaching because of confessed immorality, taught school in the old red school house and made a record that drew pupils from neighboring towns. The build- ing was abandoned in 1855 for school purposes but before being entirely discarded had to be closed in the Winter, because it was impossible to 'keep the children warm. The school furniture was moved to a building located where Debauns grocery now stands, which had been rented of John D. Naugle for school purposes. Here a teacher who was christened by the boys "Old Fitch" taught for a single Winter. This pedagogue was noted for his love of ease and it was common for him to fall asleep during school hours, and while he soared in dreamland his pupils learned more mischief than arithmetic. In 1855 a brick school house was built on the old site. The erection of a school building by taxation was an innovation and that this building was erected by this method was due to the persistent efforts of John Demarest, Henry Esler and Henry Achen- bach, three of the most progressive men in the district who were the trustees and who led the fight. School meeting after School meeting was called and time and again they were beaten until at length Abram Van Ryper, Senior, who was the proprietor of a basket manufactory espoused their cause and with his employees carried the last meeting in favor of the erection of a school house by taxation. This building was remodeled 1868 and was used until 1886 when the present edifice was erected. John H. Morrow, now a well known citizen of Paterson, N. J., commenced his career as a teacher in this building. Cornelius P. Crouter who won the good will of his scholars and maintained discipline by persuasion mostly. but by force when necessary wielded the birch for the first time in the brick school house. John Moore, a graduate of Yale College, here also acquired his first experience with a district school. His dis- cipline was so strict that the big boys, "a la Dewey, " planned to " lick the teacher" but the trustees nipped the incipient plot in the bud. Moore afterwards adopted different tactics and won the good will of his scholars. J. Alfred Ackerman and John J. Ackerman both of whom have taught in
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HISTORY OF BERGEN COUNTY
Bergen County Schools for the past twenty-five years here commenced their careers as instructors of the young. The present school building was built in 1886 and enlarged in 1898, when it was fitted with hot air furnace and latest improved furniture. It is capable of seating one hun- dred scholars and is at the present time under the direction of Miss Elsie Stephenson, in the advanced department, and Miss Helen E. Morley in the primary department. Miss Emma Backster of Hackensack died in the Spring of 1891 while in charge of the school. Her untimely death was universally lamented as she had endeared herself to pupils and par- ents alike. J. Hosey Osborn now a Paterson book seller was also a popu- lar teacher and Arthur Ackerman of local fame also taught the school for one season. The people of Saddle River Borough are noted for their pride in the school and roads, and money for all necessary requirements is voted without hesitation.
Prior to 1820 the inhabitants of what now constitutes Saddle River Borough, worshipped in the old Reformed Church at Upper Saddle River, or the Reformed Church at Paramus. In 1801 a call was extended to the Rev. John Frederick Ernst by a small body of Lutherans but for some reason was not accepted. This movement however led to the organization of a Lutheran congregation and in 1820 the corner stone of the present Lutheran Church was laid upon land donated by Thomas Van Buskirk. The church was designed and built by Andrew Esler. Rev. Henry N. Pahlman was the first pastor. He was succeeded by the Rev. David Hendricks and he by the following pastors in the order named. Rev. Henry I. Schmidt, Rev. William L. Gibson, Rev. John Eisenlord, Rev. J. C. Duy, Rev. George Nepp, Rev. Matthew W. Waldenmeyer, Rev. Nicholas Wert, Rev. Ephraim Deyor, Rev. Laurent D. Wells, Rev. W. A. Julian, Rev. John E. Switzer, Rev. Peter M. Rightmeyer, Rev. David M. Shetler, Rev. J. V. Bodine, Rev. E. Hughes and the Rev. Charles Hutton, the present incumbent. The Rev. Dr. Schmidt after leaving the Saddle River charge became a literary pro- fessor in Columbia College, New York. William Osborn served as sexton of the church for upwards of forty years after its organization and Henry Esler served as choristor for as many years, before musical accompani- ments became fashionable. The grounds for the original cemetery in rear of the church were donated by David I. Ackerman, and afterwards an additional donation of land was made for cemetery purposes, by Mr. Ackerman, with the proviso that the money accruing from the sale of lots should be used to purchase a bell. This was about the year 1850 and the bell is still in use. The cemetery has recently been enlarged by land purchased from John H. Osborn and ground donated by John D. and George D. Berdan. In 1891 a meeting of the N. Y. and N. J. Lutheran Synod was held in the Saddle River Lutheran Church.
The Saddle River post office was established March 27, 1852, at which time Henry Esler was appointed postmaster. Prior to that date the inhabitants received their mail from New Prospect post office (now Hohokus) three miles distant. In the Fall of 1851 John Cole, a resident
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HISTORY OF BERGEN COUNTY
of Rochester, New York, but a frequent visitor at Saddle River began an agitation for a post office. A meeting was held at the residence of Henry Esler. Prominent among those present were John Cole, Henry Achenbach, John Demarest, William Osborn, Garret A. Osborn, Garret Ackerman, John J. Hopper, Colonel Henry G. Ackerman, John D. Ber- dan, Henry Esler and George Esler. The petition, signed by these gentlemen and others, bore fruit the following Spring in the establish- ment of the Saddle River post office. John D. Berdan secured the first contract for carrying the mail, and made the weekly trip on foot on Saturday evenings, and only once in his eight years service as mail carrier did he fail to deliver the mail promptly, and on that occasion a freshet had carried away the Hohokus bridge, thereby making it impos- sible for him to reach his destination. Henry Esler served as post- master from the time of his appointment in 1852, until his death in 1884. nearly thirty two and one half years. He was succeeded by John G. Esler who served four years, and he by John N. Leamon who held the office two years. The next postmaster William F. Barkham served four years and Frank H. Storms also served a four year term. He was suc- ceeded by John G. Debaum, the present incumbent. The mail service during Henry Esler's term was gradually increased from a weekly mail to a daily mail, and under the regime of Postmaster Frank H. Storms, the postal service was increased to a mail twice a day. The mail carrier who succeeded John D. Berdan was Peter P. Ackerman a blind man. familiarly known as Blind Pete, who performed the service on horseback. David Tice was the succeeding contractor but the mail was carried by his son John J. Tice. He was succeeded by Edward Eckerson, and Eckerson by Garret Ackerman and he in turn by Garret H. Osborn as contractor although for a long time the actual carrier was his father, William Osborn. Mr. Osborn was succeeded by the present sub-con- tractor Abram H. Ackerman. During the contract of Edward T. Ecker- son the mail ronte was changed so as to embrace Pascack P. O. In the early eighties the mail route was changed to Allendale as a terminus in- stead of Hohokus and since that time the mail service has been by way of Allendale.
From the early thirties to the commencement of the civil war Col- onel Henry G. Ackeman kept a noted hostelrie in the Saddle River Valley. Mr. Ackeman was known far and wide as "Old Tip." The sobriquet having been obtained from his ardent advocacy of William H. Harrison, (Tippecanoe ) for president.
In the days when Mr. Ackeman's hotel was in its glory, campmeet- ing at Hohokus and Haverstraw was in vogue and this inn being on the line of travel was largely patronized by those who attended these con- vocations, as accommodations for man and beast could always be secured.
The sign of a hotel which was in existence before the Revolution- ary war is in the possession of John R. Achenbach, but where it was located is not known.
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HISTORY OF BERGEN COUNTY
RESIDENCE OF JOHN H. OSBORNE-SADDLE RIVER BOROUGH
In 1860 C. S. DeBaun started a hotel on the "corner" and after a few years William Christie became the landlord. He was succeeded by Owen Rumsey, and he in turn by David Pulis. For the past twenty years there has been no hotel within the territory which now constitutes the borough.
UPPER SADDLE RIVER BOROUGH.
Upper Saddle River Borough was organized a few days before its neighbor, Saddle River Borough, and it comprises the upper portion of the Saddle River Valley. Its first officers were James D. Carlough, mayor; Samuel J. DeBain, Peter P. Bush, George Osborn, Jacob Banta, Jacob H. Zabriskie and James Hennion, Councilmen; Herman Hopper, assessor; and Herman Terhune, collector. The oldest church in the Saddle River Valley is located near the state line and is known as the "Stone" Church. The present edifice was built in 1819 and its prede- cessor, also a stone church, was erected at least fifty years previous. The first church had no pews and attendants at worship brought chairs or wooden benches upon which to sit. The denomination is Reformed and the Rev. Mr. Van Campen is its present pastor. A Methodist church familiarly known as " Little Zion " was erected in 1849 through the efforts of Abram Van Riper, James V. B. Terwilliger, Peter Crouter and Herman Tice. Its present pastor is the Rev. Joseph Ware.
The first school house built in the Borough Limits, dates back to the early days of the ninteenth century, and was located nearly opposite the present residence of Edgar Terhune. Afterwards a school building was erected upon the site and was succeeded by the present modern structure built in 1896. About sixty years ago a small school building
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HISTORY OF BERGEN COUNTY
was erected in the rear of the "Stone " Church for the purpose of em- ploying the Rev. Mr. Brough, a Baptist minister to teach. This seced- ing school was run for abont twenty years when the school district com- prising the present Borough was again united.
The cemetary in the rear of the Reformed Church contains the remains of some of the earliest settlers of the Saddle River Valley.
JOHN H. OSBORNE.
John H. Osborne was born at Saddle River, November 19, 1832, and is the son of William Osborne and Catharine Van Buskirk.
After being for thirty-five years in the commission business in New York city he retired from active life about seven years ago, living since that time in comparative retirement.
Mr. Osborne married Miss Catharine Hossey. They have three children: William, John Hossey and Garret.
JOHN G. ESLER.
John G. Esler, senior member of the firm of J. G. & A. Esler, flor- ists of Saddle River, is genial and affable in disposition, pleasing in address, and judicious in all his dealings. Of German extraction he has the determination, aggressiveness and continuity of that thrifty race.
Mr. Esler is descended in direct line from Henry Esler, who with his father, John Esler, came to America in March 1739, from the village of Plattenburg in the province of Oldenburg, Germany, and settled near Suffern, Rockland county, N. Y. A house now standing, near Suffern, was erected by Henry in 1765 and is said to be the oldest building in the county.
Henry Esler was a Lieutenant in Washington's army during the Revolution. His son Andrew was a millwright and an enterprising man, having built a number of mills on the Hackensack river and the Luth- eran Church at Saddle River. Andrew had two sons, Henry and George. Henry who was the father of John G., was for thirty-five years post- master of Saddle River, and also followed the occupation of millwright. His wife, (the mother of John G., ) was Miss Jane Snyder, a native of Rockland county, N. Y.
Mr. Esler was born, in the locality in which he now lives, on Sep- tember 17, 1846. After receiving a common school education, he entered Bryant & Stratton's Business College in New York from which he was graduated in March 1866. Immediately thereafter he took a position as bookkeeper in the office of a commission dealer in Barclay street, from which he was eventually compelled to retire on account of his eyesight becoming impaired by the use of gaslight.
During the following two years Mr. Esler engaged in the cattle trade, but when his partner was elected sheriff of the county, Mr. Esler took charge of his father's farm, serving as clerk of Hohokus township for three years of this time. He also served as Postmaster from 1884 to 1888. In 1873 he built a small greenhouse in which he became so much interested that in 1878 he formed a partnership with his cousin Andrew Esler, for the growing of plants and flowers, to which they now devote
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JOHN G. ESLER
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HISTORY OF BERGEN COUNTY
some 10,000 feet of glass. At present he is the secretary of the Flor- ists' Hall Association of which he was one of the originators. In 1887, a few men, among them Mr. Esler, met in New York city and completed a set of by-laws for the government of this organization and through his efforts an amendment to the insurance laws of New Jersey, allowed of its incorporation in that state. In this association over 10,600,000 square feet of glass is now insured.
In addition to his labors in the different societies and other organi- zations connected with his business, he has been president of the Orvil Co-operative Building and Loan Association for ten years and is a mem- ber of the School Board and was a member of the Borough Council of Saddle River Borough for five years after its organization. He is now a director in the De Lamere Printing and Publishing Co. of New York, and has also been connected with the Hackensack Republican, besides contributing to various periodicals. Mr. Esler was married in 1876 to Miss Rosea J. C. Ward, daughter of William Ward, of English parent- age. They have three children, Lola W., Nellie J., and Mary U. In religion he is an agnostic and in politics a Republican, inclining to be independent.
CHAPTER XXII. RIDGEWOOD.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION -SCHOOLS -- MANUFACTURING-HIGHWAYS-THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD-CIVIL LIST-ORGANIZATION- NEWSPAPERS-CHURCHES-BIOGRAPHY.
Ridgewood (one of the smallest townships in the county) is remark- able for its natural beauty and the diversity of its scenery. From the ridge tops a magnificent panorama opens to view, in some instances extending miles in all directions, while the fertile valleys between the heights and along the brooks lend an added interest to this charming locality. The shady roadways and fine drives constitute an interesting feature of this township, the drives being so fine as to be much used by cyclers during pleasant weather. The town is watered by the Saddle River, which forms its Eastern boundary line, and the Hohokus, which runs through the central portion. The chief point of historical inter- est in this township is said to have been the marriage of Aaron Burr to the widow Provost, in the old Paramus Church.
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