USA > New Jersey > Burlington County > Burlington > History of Burlington and Mercer counties, New Jersey : with biographical sketches of many of their pioneers and prominent men > Part 54
USA > New Jersey > Mercer County > History of Burlington and Mercer counties, New Jersey : with biographical sketches of many of their pioneers and prominent men > Part 54
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The locality immediately adjoining the Assanpink ou the south side was in early times called Kings- bury, aud afterwards Kensington Hill, but when it came to be a considerable manufacturing place its name was changed to Mill Hill, and it continued to be so designated till it was incorporated with Blooms- bury and made the borough of South Trenton, which was united to Trenton in 1851.
Lamberton, which, as before stated, was named from Thomas Lambert, was annexed to the city in 1856.
In 1726 exclusive ferry privileges were granted by the Legislative Assembly to James Trent, the oldest son of William Trent. This grant included the use of the Delaware River two miles above and two miles below the Falls. The ferry above the Falls was from the foot of Calhoun Street, and was in use till about thirty-five years since. The one below the Falls was on the route between New York and Philadelphia, · and was used till the erection of the Delaware bridge in 1804-5. The route lay through Queen (now Greene) Street, and over Mill Hill to the Eagle Tavern, and thence to the ferry.
William Yard, who with his sons Joseph and Wil- liam came here in 1712, purchased in that year from Mahlon Stacy about two acres of land on both sides ! of Front Street, between Warren and Greene Strcets. Joseph Yard, one of the sons, lived in a fraine house on the corner of Front and Greene Streets. William Yard, the other son, resided with his father in Front Street, and continued his residence there after the | in 1858, the farm of L. E. Decon was taken from the death of his father.
It was stated by the Widow Mary Mershon that she had heard her grandfather, Joseph Yard, say "that theirs, if not the first, was among the first families who settled where this city is built. Col. William Trent, son of Judge William Trent, after his pur- chase of the Stacy tract, in 1714, resided in a framed house which had been crected by his father for a sum- mer residence on the site subsequently occupied by the Third Presbyterian Church.
Of the history of Trenton during three-fourths of a century, from its incorporation as a borough and the surrender of its charter in 1750, only meagre and disconnected records are left. It was not again incor- porated till it became a city in 1792, though during the session of the Legislature of 1785-86 an act of incorporation was pas-ed by the House of Assembly, but rejected by the Council. From a population of five hundred or six hundred, which it probably con- tained in 1750, it had only come to number three
Incorporation, Officers, Etc .- After the surrender of the borough charter, in 1750, Trenton remained a township till Nov. 13, 1792, when the city, with the usual corporate privileges, was chartered. Its bound- aries were defined as follows: "Beginning at the mouth of Assanpink Creek, and running up the same to Bernard Hanton's mill-dam (now Millham) ; from thence along the road to the line between Trenton and Maidenhead ; thence along said line to the road leading to the road leading from Trenton to Maidenhead; thence on a straight line to tlic northeast corner of a lot late of David Brearley, deceased ; theucc on a straight line to the northwest corner of the land of Lambert Cadwalader, whereon he now lives; thence down the western line thereof to the river Delaware; thence down the same to the mouth of the. Assanpink."
These limits included nothing below the Assan- pink. The borough of South Trenton was incor- porated Feb. 28, 1840, and included the villages just below the Assanpink. By an act of the Legislature in 1851, South Trenton was annexed to the city of Trenton. The boundaries of the city have at different times been changed. In 1851 the farm of Gen. Cad- walader was set off from it, and in 1844 another por- tion was annexed to the township of Lawrence. Then, city and annexed to Ewing. From time to time amendments and supplements to the charter have been enacted, by none of which have radical changes becn inade. The city has been divided into wards, and the number and limits of these wards have been changed to suit the changing circumstances of the city. The present number is seven.
The mayors of the city have been as follows :
Moore Furman, Nov. 30, 1792. Aaron D. Woodruff, Feb. 19, 1794. James Ewing, Nov. 8, 1797.
Joshua Wright, Nov. 10, 1803. Stacy Potts, March 12, 1806. Robert McNeely, Feb. 9, 1814. Charles Burroughs, Nov. 1, 1832. Samuel Evans, 1847.
Eli Morris, Nov. 1, 1847. Samuel R. Hamilton (elected by
the people), April, 1-48. .
William C. Howell, April, 1849. William Napton, 1850. John R. Tucker, 1852. William Napton, 1854.
William T. Sherman (appointed), April 3, 1855.
John R. Tucker, April, 1855.
Joseph Wool, 1856.
Franklin S. Mills, June 1, 1856.
William K. Mckean, April, 1861.
Franklin S. Mills, 1863. Alfred Reed, 1867. William Napton, 1858. John Buest, 1871.
Wesley Creating, 1875.
Daniel B. Bodine, 1-77. William Rice, 1879.
Garret D. W. Vroom, 1881.
667
CITY OF TRENTON.
The clerks of the city have been :
Benjamin Smith, Dec. 10, 1792.
Jacob Benjamin, April, 1796.
Peter Forman, April, 1807.
Samnel T. Machette, April, 1822. David Johnston, Jan. 28, 1828. John R. Tucker, September, 1836. Thomas Macpherson, April, 1837. Henry C. Boswell, 1842.
Alexauder M. Johnston, 1844. Lewis R. Justice, 1848.
Charles W. Jay, 1849.
Alexander M. Johnston, 1850. John O. Raum, 1857. William N. Nutt, 1859.
Matthew Brown, 1862.
Benjamin Naar, Jr., August, 1864. Alexander M. Johnston, April, 1866. Benjamin Moorhouse, 1871.
Frederick S. Ic Neely, 1873.
Alexander C. Gard, 1876. William II. Earlly, 1881.
The financial officers of the city since 1800 have been :
COLLECTORS.
William Rippon, 1801.
Isaac Barnes, 1806.
Samuel T. Machette, 1827. Abram P. Atkinson, 1829.
Peter Howell, 1810.
Samuel Colemiau, 1830.
Israel Moore, 1814.
TREASURERS.
Samuel Evans, 1831.
Jesse M. Clark, 1859.
William C. Howell, 1841.
- Peter Crozer, 1862.
Jonathan Fisk, 1851.
John O. Raum, 1863.
James HI. Clark, 1852.
Joshua Jones, 1870.
Jonathan S. Fish, 1853.
Philip 11. Wentz, 1873.
Jesse M. Clark, 1855.
Thomas S. Stevens, 1876.
Jonathan S. Fish, 1856.
Joseph R. Encke, 1881.
William M. Force, 1858.
From the incorporation of the borough of South Trenton till its consolidation with the city of Trenton its chief burgesses werc :
James M. Redmond, 1840.
Richard J. Bond, 1841.
: Samuel B. Stafford, 1847. James W. Southard, 184S.
Franklin S. Mills, 1842-43.
Jolin Valentine, 1849.
Andrew Stilwell, 1844-45.
Orrin Packard, 1850.
John S. Gustin, 1846.
The assistant burgesses during the same period were :
1840. James H. Sims. 1845. Samuel B. Stafford.
Bailey A. West.
1846. Sanmel B. Stafford.
1841. Wallastau Redman.
William B. Paul.
Joseph Yard.
1847. Charles Gorden.
1842. James H. Smith. William B. Paul.
Daniel Lodor.
1848. Henry MI. Lee.
1843. David Lloyd.
Joseph W. Bond.
Samuel Sutton.
1849. Abner Mlershon.
1844. William McGill. Jacob Berdine.
Jacob Berdine.
1850. Andrew Ross.
1845. Jacob Berdine.
William P. Mulford.
The clerks were :
Jacob B. James, 1810.
Joseph O. Rickey, 1844.
Robert Wilson, 1841.
Jolını J. Duswald, 1845.
Jacob B. James, 1842.
John H. Morris, 1846-47.
Samuel B. Stafford, 1843.
Lewis R. Parker, 1848-50.
The population of Trenton in 1810 was 3000; in 1820, 3942; in 1830, about 4000; in 1840, about 6000, including South Trenton, which was annexcd in 1840; in 1850, 8437 ; in 1855, 11,169; in 1860, 17,228; in 1865, 20,508; in 1870, 22,919; in 1875, 25,031; in 1880, 29,910.
Trenton in the French War .- During the French war, which continued eight years from 1755, Great Britain had troops stationed at Trenton, and for these barracks were erected in the spring of 1759. These formed three sides of a hollow square, commencing
on Willow Street, extending west toward the State- House, then south across Front Street, and cast to Willow. When Front Street was extended west in 1801 it ran through this building, dividing it into two buildings. The north wing of this building is now occupied as a Widows' and Single Women's Homc.
Old Fort .- In 1873, Charles Megill presented to the Historical Society of New Jersey the following ac- count of an old English fort or block-house at the corner of Ferry and Warren Streets, in the city of Trenton :
" This fort, or block-honse, appears to have been built or in exist- ence at least forty-six years previous to the declaration of indepen- dence, and was built in an octagon form, or what may be termed at the present period of time an eight-square, and having interior transverse ways of walls.
"The size of the building appears to have been about sixty feet in diameter. The foundation walls were composed of hard gray stone, and laid about two feet thick with mortar, and running six feet deep. The walls had four openings, each opening about three feet wide, and facing to the north, south, east, and west. On the outside of the walls, facing the Delaware River, there was built up against the same a brick wall about one foot thick and four feet deep, of hard burnt bricks, intended. as is supposed, as somewhat of a protection to that part of the fort facing the river, and against the effects of cannon or musketry.
"On the northwest corner of the building there was an old stone and brick chimney, about six feet wide and six feet deep from the surface to the foundation ; awl in one corner of the chimney, near the said foun- dation, there was found three copper coins. One of the pieces was quite thick and perfectly smooth on both sides, but nothing legible as to date. The other two pieces were what are called English half-pennies, and bore the inscription of George the Second, of England. The date of one is very clear, 1730, and the other 1732.
"This fort, or block-house, is supposed to have been built by the English government; and from its peculiar nature and construction is worthy of further interest and investigation, as there is no history con- cerning its uses or purposes, but it is supposed to have been built as a protection to the ferry at this point, or as a defense of the inhabitants against the destructiveness and hostilities of the Indians. The oldest inhabitant of Treuton now living cannot give the least account of it."
Trenton a Century Since .- The following sketch of Trenton in 1776-77 was prepared by Adjt .- Gen. William S. Stryker from the most authentic sources of information that were attainable :
" In the beginning of the eighteenth century the land whereon Trenton is built appears to have been mostly Mahlon Stacy's tract, bounded by Heath's land, Petty's plantation, and the Beakes property.
"In 1712, William Yard bought of Mahlon Stacy the property wow. on Greene Street south of State Street to Washington Street, and in depth one-half the present squares, in all about two acres. In 1714 he mmt- chased of Andrew Ileath one hundred acres adjoining the Beakes estate. on what is now called Brunswick Avenue.
"In the same year, 1714, William Trent, a Philadelphia merchant. purchased a considerable tract of land here, and a village was sunt- menced, called, after him, Trent's-town.
" The land east of what is now Greene Street and sonth of Front Street was called Littleworth. All the ground south of Front Street and west of Greene Street to the creek aud the river was called ' the Meadows,' and was low and swampy. The land lying on each side of the road ) Bordentown, south of the creek, was then called Littleboro', also King .. bury, the farm west of that road Bloomsbury, and the village along I've chore below Bloomsbury farm called Lamberton, after Thomas Lambert, whose tombstone is now to be seen in Riverview Cemetery.
"Trenton, north of the creek. from the writings of Elkanah Warson. who was here several days in 1977, contained about seventy hommes. I think there were about thirty dwellings south of the creek. The most of the houses were situated on two principal streets, called Kit :_ (now Warren) and Queen (now Greene, Streets, These two streets, running neatly parallel and alnost north and south, united at the upper oud of
668
HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
the village, from which point the roads diverged to Pennington and to Dlaidenhead, now Lawrenceville. The latter road is now called Bruns- wick Avenue. There were two other important streets in Trenton; one, Front Street, began at Queen Street, passed through the lower end of King Street, and thence turned northward on what is now Willow Street to the River road; the other, running parallel to Front Street, called Second (now State) Street, began on what is now the corner of State and Willow Streets, crossed both King aud Queen Streets, and after passing the Presbyterian Church dwindled into a country road, leading through an apple-orchard to Henry's iron fonudry and steel- works on the creek. The Assanpink Creek, a small stream fordable at many places, ran along the easterly and southerly line of the town, and emptied by two outlets into the Delaware River. Petty's Run, passing through the village in about the channel it is at present, instead of flowing direct into the river, made a sudden turn to the left, and passing along near where the bed of the water-power is, entered the Assanpink a few yards from the mouth of the creek. King Street did not extend below Front Street, but Queen Street crossed the creek by a long and narrow bridge. The present Ilanover Street, east of Queen Street, was . called Third Street, and that part between King aud Queeu Streets. which was much less than one-half its present size, was called Pinker- ton's Alley. The street now known as .Academy was called Fourth Street, but was little more than a lane. Perry Street did not exist. There was another alley between King and Queen Streets, just north of the Eng- lish Church, called Church Alley. Dark Lane commenced on Queen Street, running easterly, abont on the line of the present Feeder. There was an alley running west from King Street near where West Hanover Street is, and this led off into the River road. It was called DeCow's Alley. The River road commenced frou Front Street, passed Second Street, curved to the left nearly into what is now Quarry Street and the bed of the feeder, and after several turns came into what is now State Street, about in front of the present residence of Mr. Montgomery, Qneen Street, crossing the creek, became the road to Bordentown and Cross- wicks. A wagou road leading down what is now Market Street to the Bloomsbury farm-house, uow the residence of Mr. E. Il. Stokes, turned there and led to the ferry. The Ferry road started from what is now called the Eagle Ilotel to the Trenton Landing on the river Delaware.
"On the Brunswick road we find the first house on the westerly side of the road occupied by William Cain, and the next was the Fox Chase Tavern, owned by Cain, whose widow afterwards married Joseph Bond. She managed the establishinent. Some distauce farther on was a shanty owned by an old colored man, and beyond it the house of Thomas Sel- vidge. There was a lane from the junction of King and Queen Streets northward, on what is now called Princeton Avenue. This lane led to the house aud stable of the Beakes estate. The first house on the left side of the Pennington road was that of Mr. David Cowell, a bachelor, an eminent physician and surgeon : and his brother, Ebenezer Cowell, a lawyer, lived with him. Some distance beyond, on the opposite side, Richard W. Furman resided. Opposite to what is now Calhoun Street, Alexander Calhoun lived and kept a store for general merchandise, and a dwelling-house and property next to him belonged to John Chambers. Abraham Cottnam lived a short distance above Calhoun, on the other side of the road. He died there in 1776, and his sons, George and War- rell, the latter a lawyer, lived there until 1779, when they sold the house to Col. David Brearley, afterwards chief justice of the State, who had married their sister. Richard Howell and his son, Arthur Howell, both coopers, lived just beyond, on the north side of the roadway. Mr. Howell's house was the alarm-bouse and picket-post of the Hessian troops in December, 1776. On the outskirts of the village, on the right side of the road, but some distance from it, Nathaniel Furman lived on the place now occupied by MIr. Israel Hendrickson. A lane led from opposite Alexander Calhoun's house, down what is now Calhoun Street, crossed the River road about at the Feeder bridge, and ended at Beatty's Ferry, at the head of the falls, on the river just back of the present resi- derce nf Dr. Pearson. This was undoubtedly a road much used during the last century.
"Starting down King Street, on the westerly side, we find first Isaac Brearley, then Samuel Tucker, who was president of the Provincial Con- gress of New Jersey in 1775, justice of the Supreme Court in 1776, and took protection from the British while treasurer of the State for the pur- pose of preserving public funds and private trusts then in his possession. Josiah Appleton lived next, then Samuel Bellerjean and Jacob Benjamin. Charles Axford lived about where the Feeder now crosses the street, and It was near his door that two of the Hessian catenon were captured. Next to Mr. Axford, Polly Brown kept a little shop where she sold spirits. Stacy Potts' commodious frame house was opposite what is now Perry Street. This was tho headquarters of Col. Rahl, the Hesslan commander,
and the place where he died after the battle. An alley above Stacy Potts' honse led to his tan - yard, a large tract, through which Petty's Run flowed. the yard containing, as advertised. " sixty-fonr fats.' Miss Rebecca Coxe lived south of Mr. Potts, opposite the English, uow St. Michael's, Church. It will be remembered that it is related as an incident of the fight that a little daughter of Mr. Potts, then in Miss Coxe's house, was slightly
HEADQUARTERS OF COL. RAHL, 1776.
injured while trying to reach her father's house, MIrs. Hill lived below and sold * refreshments,' and then James Wilson, the silversmith, had a little shop, where he worked at his trade. Under the same roof was the shop of Jolin Fitch, then a gunsmith and maker of buttous for the American army. He was at one time apprenticed to Wilson, and afterward Wilson worked for Fitch when ho had a large order for repairing arms, and employed, it is said, sixty men in the business. Fitch's shop was burned by the British. He went to Pennsylvania, and afterwards became the successful steamboat inventor. Thomas, Mary, and Sarah Barnes lived on the ground how occupied by the Third Presbyterian Church. Mr. Barnes was a druggist, and his ad- vertisement of salves, ointments, etc., appears in Isaac Collins' Trentou Gazette. Isaac DeCow lived on the north side of DeCow's Alley. Col. Isaac Smith, who commanded the regimeut of militia in and about Trenton, and who was the first president of the Trentou Banking Com- pany, a physician by profession, and at one time a judge of the Supreme Court, lived where the American Hotel now stands. He was a man of great integrity and patriotism, and was a friend of Washington. Ile is always described as a very corpulent man. James B. Machett's honse was opposite Pinkerton's Alley. Joseph Brittain, the shce- maker, lived where the United States Ilotel is, and some think Mrs. Brittain kept a public-house there. The celebrated Dr. Nicholas Belle- ville, when he settled in Trentou in 1778, and became a partner of Dr. Bryaut, boarded at the house of MIrs. Brittain. Joseph Higbee's house was the text on that street, and on the northwest corner of King and Second Streets was the store and residence of Abraham Hunt, the rich merchant. In his parlor he entertained Co !. Rahl on the night of Dec. 25, 1776, and the following morning still found Rahl enjoying his Christ- mas hospitality. On the southwest corner, where the Mechanics' Bank now stands, Francis Witt kept the Blazing Star tavern. It is evident Governor Livingston lived at this house during his residence in Trenton. It was afterward occupied by Samuel Henry, who owned the iron-works, which he built in 1769, near where State Street now crosses the As-an- pink. Witt left the tavern in 1777, and engaged iu the auction business. Archibald William Yard owned all the rest of the property to Front Street, and lived in the middle of the block. Conrad Kotts occupied a little house just below Mr. Yard, but surrounded by property owned by the latter gentleman. On the opposite side of Front Street lived D.miel Yard, who was an assistant to Maj. Peter Gordon in the quartermus- ter's department.
" Beginning again at the upper part of King Street, and easterly side, we find John Chambers lived in the house a portion of which is now the Children's Home. William Tindall lived below him, and this house on the digging of the Feeder was removed to the opposite side of the street, and is now the second honse north of the Feeder. William Smith, a young man of abont twenty-two years of age, had a house jost below MIr. Tindall. Two soldiers of the Jersey Continental linc, John ilarden and Jacob Keen, were the next residents of this street. Mr. Keen was not at home on the day of the battle, being with the Jersey troops at Morristown. Mrs. Keen was a very zealous Baptist, was one of the or-
669
CITY OF TRENTON.
ganizers of that church in this city, and was often called Deacon Keen. Mary and Sarah Smith occupied a small dwelling between MIr. Harden and Mr. Keen. William Patterson lived next to Keen, and Jonn Plas- kett and Richard Norris, a maker of stays, lived in the double house just above Petty's Run. MIr. Pontins Delare Stille lived in the house still standing on sontheast corner of Perry Street. Crossing Church Alley, we find the English Church, now St. Michael's Episcopal Church. This was used as a barracks by Col. Rahl's grenadier regiment. Aarou How- ell's blacksmith-shop and his house, where Ellet Howell, who was in the quartermaster's department, also lived, adjoined the church. Sheriff Micajah Howe, of Hunterdon County, lived in what is known as the Leake property, lately torn down. George Ely's honse was next to ! Howe's, then Dr. Woolsey's house and office, and next to him David Pinkerton kept a general store on the corner of the alley called by his name. There was a building where the Trenton Honse now stands, but its owner is unknown ; George Abbott afterward occupied it. Job Moore lived adjoining, and Abraham G. Claypoole's house and his office as jus- tice of the peace was on the northeast corner of King and Second Streets. The post-office was on the corner below, Abraham Innt being the deputy postmaster. The stone building now the Trenton Bank was the jail, and Peter Gulick the jailer. A shot struck this building on the evening ; of Jan. 2, 1777. Abraham llunt had a store-house on the northeast cor- ner of King and Frout Streets, but it is thought to have been built in somewhat later years.
E
RESIDENCE OF ABRAHAM HUNT.
"Turning now to Queen Street, westerly side, we find a little house oc- cupied by an old colored man, just back of William Tindall's house on King Street just mentioned. William Smith, on King Street, owned back of his own property to Queen Street, and James Linn all the ground south of Smith's line to Petty's Run. Midway between Charch Alley and Pinkerton's Alley John Yard resided, and Benjamin Smith lived and kept a grocery- and variety-store on the corner below, A man by the Joseph Vandergrift in the middle of the square, and Joseph Milnor ou what is now the State Guzette corner. William Tucker and Ellet Tucker lived on the southwest corner of Queen and Second Streets, and this honse was being plastered at the time of the cannonade of the 20 of Janu- ary. They were both hatters, and their shop was the next frame build- ing below the corner. Joshua Newbold's blacksmith-shop was on that block, and the Black Horse tavern on the Front Street corner. This tavern was kept by Robert Rutherford, whose daughter, Frances Mary, eluped some six years previons with Col. Fortescne, a British officer. Capt. John Barnes lived in the old stone house, torn down lately, just below Washington Market. Gen. Washington spent the night of Dec. 29, 1776, in this dwelling.
"On Queen Street, at what is now the northeast corner of Academy and Greene Street4, the log church of the Methodists was situated. This was built in 1772, and remained there twenty years, Robert Lindsay and John Cooper were assigned to this circuit in May, 1776. Mr. Bon- nel lived just north of the church, and below it lived Joseph and Samuel Laning, with their blacksmith -shop next door. Thomas Tindall built a house of brick, and placed its date of erection, 1740, in binck brick on
its front, on the northeast corner of Queen and Third Streets. An old frame stalle and the house of John Bellerjeau were in the middle of the next block, and Polly Hopkins owned the present City Hall corner. There was a building on the corner below, iu after-years occupied by Isaac Collins, printer of the Trenton Guartte. Thomas Ryall and Joshua Newbold lived opposite Newboll's shop before mentioned.
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