History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 131

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1170

USA > New Jersey > Somerset County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 131
USA > New Jersey > Hunterdon County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 131

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John Grandin about 1775 built the house now oe- cupied hy his son John. It was considered a great house in those days. The lumber used was pitch pine and came from Monmouth County. This mansion was noted for its inviting and cheering welcome, and social reunions were frequent within its hospitable walls. Dr. Grandin was likewise a famous physician, and from 1783 to 1811 (the period of his death) he rode over Hunterdon's hills for twenty-eight years. Dr.

H. B. Poole was his successor as the Hamden phy- sician, although he tarried only from 1823 to 1826. In 1852, John F. Grandin, son to John Grandin and grandson to the first Dr. John, entered upon medical practice at Hamden, and remains in practice there to this day .*

John Van Fleet and John Smith were early settlers in the Grandin neighborhood, and just east of there Peter Aller gave to the locality of his settlement the name of Allertown, by which it is still known. Peter Aller's son Henry was justice of the peace.

Mathias Cramer, the first of his name to settle in Clinton township, located before the Revolution upon the farm now occupied by his grandson, John S. Cra- mer. Mathias was taken one day during the Revo- lution from his home to Jones' tavern by Adam Run- kel and Peter Aller, who sought to induce him to enter the Federal service. Mr. Cramer, however, was enfeebled with consumption, and, that fact becoming speedily apparent to an army surgeon, he ordered Cramer's release. From that time forward he declined rapidly in health, and died in 1783.

Tunis Cramer lived before 1800 in an old log house now standing on what is known as the Runkel place, just south of J. S. Cramer's, and in that log house Adam Runkel made his home at an early day. John Emery (a distiller), John W. Sharp, Henry Huffman, and Hugh Martin lived early in that vicinity, but the information to be gleaned touching them is at this late day exceedingly meagre.

TURNPIKE, TAVERNS, MILLS, ETC.

The Easton and New Brunswick turnpike (some- times called the New Jersey pike), passing through Clinton towship, via Clinton village and Lebanon, was in its day a famous thoroughfare. Although the route was made a turnpike under a charter in 1812, there was a road over essentially the course now occu- pied by the old pike long before that time, and there were taverns and other signs of busy life upon it. John S. Cramer remembers that in 1812, when he was a lad of fourteen, he assisted in "working" the portion of that road passing through the neighborhood of what is now the village of Annandale. He recalls also having been told that that road was considerably traveled as early as 1776, and that in that year the stone house now occupied by Elijah Stout was built, as was also the house now owned by John Race. The Stout house was opened in 1776 as a tavern by a Mr. Jones.

Before or about 1812, George Henry was landlord, and in 1812 took a contract to gravel the road between Beaver Brook and Hunt's Mills. Peter Fisher suc- cecded Henry in 1816, and Gen. Hope took it, in 1830, to turn it over, however, in 1831, to John C. Wert, its last landlord, who continued to conduct its fortunes until the completion of the Central Railroad, in 1852, put a veto upon the glory of the pike.

* Seo biographical sketches at close of this township history.

535

CLINTON.

In 1816 or 1817, Henry Miller and Nathan Stiger opened a store on the pike where Mr. Boyd now lives. Farther along to the eastward, David Fraser (an Irish- man and surveyor ) kept a store in 1798, near the present John Fulkerson place, and across the way Richard (or " Derrick") Anderson had a little shop. John Ful- kerson, who learned his trade at Somerville, started a blacksmith-shop on the pike in 1821 near Beaver Brook. There was an old blacksmith-shop near Peter Iluffman's, on the road to Allertown, in which Wil- liam Jewett was the smith. William Johnson suc- ceeded Fraser in the latter's store, and, after him, Peter Ten Eyck (who married Fraser's widow) carried on the business as long as the store lasted.

Wm. Johnson built a store on Bray's Hill, and kept post-office there as early as 1820. Before that Andrew Bray had a tannery there, and afterward J. W. Bray a distillery. Soon after 1820, John Henry opened a tavern east of Johnson's store.

Gen. Hope was at one time concerned in the own- ership and management of the stage-line, and, among others, his son William was one of the most famous " whips" known to the road. On the pike in Clinton there were the Hope tavern, at Clinton village, and the Ramsey tavern, at Potterstown, where a Ramsey kept also a store. The store and tavern have been from the outset in possession of the Ramseys. James Ramsey, the first of that family in Hunterdon County, settled in Readington about 1790, at which time An- drew Van Syckel settled at Potterstown. In 1800, James Ramsey, Jr., son to James, located in Clinton, adjoining another son, Alexander. On the Alexander Ramsey farm now lives Nelson Ramsey, son to the James Ramsey last mentioned. On the pike just east of Lebanon was a grist-mill, owned in 1812 by Peter Huffman, who bought it of "Big" Michael Shurts,-doubtless the builder. Peter Intman owned also, in 1812, a mill on Beaver Brook, near where Annandale now is, and shortly afterwards bought Michael Shurts' Prescott Brook mill. Peter Huffman owned these three mills at one time.

On and near the pike, close to Clinton village, William Yauger settled in 1823, John Race in 1823, David Miller in 1826, and Adam Stiger in 1833.

TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.

Clinton township was organized by act of Legisla- ture, dated March 11, 1841, from a portion of Leba- non township, as will more fully appear by reference to a copy of the aet, which appears below. Clearly, the township was called after Clinton village, which lay within the limits of the township, and which began its existence in 1828. To whom belongs the honor of having suggested the name cannot now he said, nor is it, perhaps, historically important to know. Under act approved March 29, 1871, a portion of Clinton was set ofl' to High Bridge, and by aet ap- proved the same day, " that portion of the township of Tewksbury lying and being southeast from where

a straight line running from the point where the townships of Tewksbury and High Bridge intersect each other, at the end of the fifth course in the act creating the township of High Bridge, to an arch bridge over Cold Brook, in a line between the town- ships of Tewksbury and Readington," was annexed to the township of Clinton.

The act organizing Clinton is as follows :

" An Act to set off from the township of Lebanon, in the county of Hunterdon, a neto township, to be called the township of Clinton.

"SECTION 1. Be it enacted, That all that part of the townsbip of Leba- non, in tho county of Hunterdon, lying to the southward of the following line,-to wit, beginning on the north side of a certain bridge over Spruce Run, near the buildings of William Alpaugh, and at & point where said bridge is crossed by the line dividing the township of Lebanon from the township of Bethlehem, and running thence on a northeasterly course, nud In n direct line, across the said township of Lebanon to the southeastorly corner of a school-house, situate on the lands of Frederick I. Huffman, near the Tewksbury line, and thence, continuing on the same course, to the lino dividing the township of Lebanon from the township of Towk«bury, and to end there, shall be, and the same is hereby, set off from said township of Lebanon, and established as a separate township, to be called the township of Clinton."

Section 2, of the above act, gave to the " inhabitants of the township of Clinton all the powers and privileges enjoyed by the other townships of the county." Sec- tion 3 provided that the first annual town-meeting should be held at the inn of John C. Wert. Section 4, that the town committees of the two townships should allot and divide all property and moneys on hand or due between the townships of Lebanon and Clinton "in proportion to the taxable property and ratables" of cach ; Section 5 relates to the support of paupers ; and Seetion G declares " that this aet shall take effect on the second Monday in April next, and not before."

In conformity with the provisions of the aet, the in- habitants of the township met at the inn of John C. Wert, the second Monday in April, 1841, and then and there elected the following officers: Moderator, John Rockafellow; Town Clerk, David B. Huffman; Assessor, Lucas Voorhees; Collector, John Lowe ; Commissioners of Appeal, Peter II. Huffman, John Rockafellow, and Michael Shurts; Freeholders, Peter HI. Huffman and John Rockafellow ; Highway Sur- veyors, Thomas B. Apgar and David M. Kline; Town Committee, Peter H. Hutl'man, John Rockafellow, George Alpaugh, and John H. Huffman ; Overseers of the Poor, John HI. Cregar and Lucas Voorhees ; Constable, Mahlon Smith ; Poundkeepers, John C. Wert, Charles Menau, and Joseph Congle; School Committee, William G. Alpaugh, Peter Haver, Peter Emery.

It was voted to raise $800 road-tax, $600 poor-tax, and that the roads be worked by tax. Overseers of highways were appointed as follows; John A. Apgar, John Il. Ilutiman, Aaron Groff, George S. Shurts, Henry Rockafellow, Godfrey Emery, Simon Kinny, Peter Apgar, Sr., Henry Stiger, John Demott, Wil- liam Butler, John II. Cregar, Lucas Voorhees, John T. Huffman, John .A. Quick, Nelson Bennett, Peter

536

HUNTERDON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Yauger, William Hackett. At a meeting of the town committee, April 17, 1841, at the inn of Charles Menau, John Rockafellow was elected treasurer.

The persons chosen annually from 1842 to 1880 to be moderators, town clerks, assessors, and collectors are named in the following :*

MODERATORS.

1842-44, J. Rockafellow; 1845-48, J. H. Huffman; 1849, W. Emery ; 1850-53, J. H. Huffman ; 1854-55, J. R. Kline; 1856-62, T. H. Ris- ler; 1883, P. A. Beavers ; 1SG4,+ P. F. Hoffman ; 1865-68, W. Cregar; 1889, I. Hummer ; 1870, P. F. Hoffman ; 1871-73, L. L. Grippen; 1874, J. Fritts; 1875-77, L. L. Grippen ; 1878-79, S. Radley; ISSO, A. W. Lowe.

CLERKS.

1842-43, D. B. Huffman ; 1844-46, W. Emery ; 1847-49, M. Shurts; 1850- 53, J. H. Rockafeller ; 1854-61, P. A. Beavers; 1862-66, A. E. Sander- son ; 1867-69, J. S. Clark ; 1870, P. T. Haver; 1871-73, B. E. Tine; 1874-76, J. Shurts; 1877-78, N. W. Hoffman; 1879-80, P. Rocka- fellow.

ASSESSORS.

1842-43, A. Bellis; 1844-45, P. P. Huffman; 1848-47, J. M. Webster; 1848-49, T. Risler; 1850-51, M. Shurts; 1852-53, P. P. Huffman ; 1854, A. McCoy ; 1855-56, J. H. Rockafellow ; 1857-58, N. Hoffman; 1859-60, S. Carhart ; IS61-62, D. K. Hoffman ; 1883-85, M. Shurts; 1866-67, G. N. Apgar; 1868-69, M. Shurts; 1870, W. Lance; 1871, D. E. Potte; 1872-73, J. B. Cougle; 1874-75, B. E. Tine; 1876, N. Hoffman ; 1877-80, G. N. Apgar.

COLLECTORS.

1842-43, J. P. Yauger; 1844, G. R. Emery ; 1845-48, G. A. Apgar; 1849- 50, W. S. Welsh ; 1851-52, P. Rockafellow ; 1853-54, P. Fritts; 1855- 57, J. N. Stoor; 1858-59, J. Cox ; 1860-61, J. McCloughen; 1862-84 G. A. Apgar ; 1865-66, P. Rockafellow ; 1867-68, D. E. Potts; 1869- 70, W. Cregar; 1871-72, J. S. Clark ; 1873-74, A. Van Syckel ; 1875- 76, S. H. Leigh; 1877-SO, N. Hilderbrant.

LEBANON VILLAGE.

As early as 1820 or thereabout there was on Bray's Hill a post-office named Lebanon, of which the post- master was William Johnson, who also kept a store. Southeast from there something more than a mile is now the village of Lebanon, then occupied by "a commons," according to the language of a present dweller in Lebanon then familiar with that locality. William Huffman was then living in a log house on the site of Rev. Robert Van Amburgh's residence, and about that time, or perhaps shortly thereafter, one John Tway had a blacksmith-shop near the brook just west of the old graveyard at Lebanon. The Easton and New Brunswick turnpike then tra- versed the route now followed by Church Street, and on that road, about 1825, David M. Kline opened a store near where the Dutch Reformed church now stands, There was a brick church in the old grave- yard, and there, also, was the house of Jacob Corson, a tailor.

About 1827, William Johnson, the storekeeper and postmaster on Bray's 1Till, died, and, no one succeed- ing to his business, the post-office was transferred to David M. Kline. In that year the Easton and New Brunswick turnpike was straightened at Lebanon, and Kline moved his store over to the line of the

road, upon the site now occupied by S. J. Shurts' store, which contains the original structure built by Kline. Tway, the blacksmith, had also built a stone house upon the new road, and near it a stone smithy. The house he converted into a tavern, and, being a staunch admirer of Gen. Jackson, not only called his taveru the Jacksonville Hotel, but christened the place by that name, and tried hard to have the post- office title changed to suit the case, but, as there was a Jacksonville in Burlington County, the scheme miscarried, and Lebanon after a time replaced Jack- sonville as the village name, that territory being then in Lebanon township. The tavern opened by Tway -still standing opposite the present village inn-was kept by him until 1830; then, transferring its pos- session to Austin Clark, he opened a store,-the second in the village.

To follow the post-office succession, it may be briefly stated that Kline was succeeded by Jolin Tway, after whom came Adam Bellis, the harness- maker; Samuel Clark, storekeeper; Henry Dilley, the shoemaker; and David K. Hoffman, the present incumbent. Mail was from the first received daily by stages over the Easton and New Brunswick pike.

Lebanon of the present is located upon the New Jersey Central Railroad, and contained in July, 1880, a population of 314. It boasts of two fine churches, an excellent public school, and many pleasant-looking homes. Lebanon station is a milk-shipping point for a large dairying district.

LEBANON DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH.

The history of the Dutch Reformed Church of Leb- anon goes back farther than recorded testimony takes it, but just how much farther is pure conjecture. The oldest church records extant begin with 1769, while other documentary evidence, traveling back to 1747, cites the fact that in that year there was a church at Lebanon. The presumption is that the early settlers in Round Valley and at Lebanon set up a temple as early as 1740, and conducted worship according to the forms of the German Reformed Church. They built a log church, and presently laid out about it a church- yard or burial-place. The old graveyard still marks the spot, but no church stands there. The old log house was replaced by a frame edifice in 1780, and in 1817 a large brick church was reared upon the site. Its foundation-walls are still there, but the structure it- self parted company with the graveyard in 1854, in which year the present roomy and handsome temple was erected at a cost of $6000.

In 1746 the Church of Holland appointed a Swiss minister to visit America as an exploring and super- intending missionary to look after the numerous Dutch Reformed Churches and supply them with ministers, Bibles, and such help as they needed gen- erally. ITis name was Michael Schlatter, and, fortu- nately for the historian, he kept a journal of his American experience. In it he wrote :

* For Chosen Frecholders see page 264 of this work.

+ Office of Judge ef Elections substituted.

537

CLINTON.

" On the 3d of July, 1717, I received a vory earnest letter from the con- gregations at Rockaway (Lebanon), Fox Hili, and Amwell, in the region of tho Raritan, distant about 70 mlles from Philadelphin." They urge me with the strongest motives-yen, they pray mo for God's sake-to pay thom a visit, that I may administer to them the Lord'e Supper, and by baptism incorporato their children with the church, who have already, during three or more years, remained without baptlem. November 13th of that year I undertook a journey to those congregationa, and on the Hth cumo to Rockaway (Lebanon). Here I received twenty young persona into the church after they had made a profession of the faith, proached a preparatory sermon on the 15th, and on the following day ad- ministored tho Holy Supper in a small charch to an attontivo and reverent assembly."

Schlatter repeated these visits twice during 1748, once in 1749, and once in 1750. In the latter year he wrote to the Church of Holland respecting the con- gregations at Fox Hill and Lebanon that "these im- plore earnestly that God may at length send forth a faithful laborer into this harvest." In response to that request, John Conrad Wirtz, who had been preaching in the neighborhood of Easton, was sent to take charge of the churches at Lebanon and in the German Valley, and served them continuously for eleven years. In 1761 he was succeeded by Rev. Cas- par Michael Stapfel. He remained only a year, but left behind him a remarkably excellent impression.

For a period of nine years after Mr. Stapfel's re- tirement, the Lebanon Church was dependent upon irregular and uncertain services, and did not have regular worship until 1770, when Rev. Frederick Del- licker, who had for some time been laboring at Am- well, took charge of the churches at Lebanon, Ger- man Valley, Fox Hill, and Alexandria, and remained with them until 1782. His successor was Rev. Cas- par Wack, who began his labors in 1782 and closed them in 1812. To the elose of Mr. Wack's pastor- ate these churches were German Reformed, and in them the preaching had nearly always been con- dueted in the German language save towards the close of it, when he spoke mostly in English. Upon his departure the churches named were neglected by the German Synod, and in a brief time were absorbed by other denominations, the Lebanon Church becoming Dutch Reformed and the others Presbyterian.

The records of the Lebanon Church make no men- tion of members' names previous to 1817, although they do observe the organization of the church to have taken place in 1762. Nevertheless, no further observation takes place therein until the first record of births and baptisms, under date of 1768. In 1817, as gleaned from the records, the church members were 52 in number, and of these 25 were females. The names of the 27 male members were John Lowe, John W. Alpaugh, George Cramer, George Apgar, Henry Aller, John I. Alpaugh, Peter Huffman, Chris- topher Baker, Jacob Nitzer, Peter Apgar, John Huff- man, John Alpaugh, Herman Lance, George Young, Caspar Backer, Morris Sharp, Cornelius J. Lowe,

Caspar Lunenburg, Frederick J. Huffman, William Alpaugh, David M. Kline, William Yauger, John IIaas, Andrew Van Syckel, Nicholas Wyckoff, David Canfield, Abram Blue.

Since 1812 the pastors of the church have been Rev. Jacob I. Shultz, 1816-32; Rev. C. P. Wack, 1833-40; Rev. Robert Van Amburgh, 1840-48; Rev. John Steele, 1848-53; Rev. Robert Van Amburgh, 1853-70; Rev. W. B. Van Benchoten, 1870-73; Rev. Joseph B. Campbell, 1873-75; Rev. S. W. Roe, D.D., IS75 to the present time (1881). The church has now a membership of 347, representing 200 families. There are four Sabbath-schools in connection with the church, aggregating a membership of upwards of 200, and loented at four different points in the town- ship. The school at Lebanon employs 12 teachers, and is in charge of J. N. Groendyeke. The church elders are James Ramsey, Moses Felmy, John A. Ap- gar, Jr., and James Van Syckel. The deacons are Morris Conover, George Winters, Jackson Cramer, and David Rhinchart.

LEBANON METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHI.

In 1870, Rev. Mr. Fort organized a Methodist Epis- copal Class in the Bray's Hill school-house with about a dozen members, of whom John E. Tiger was the class-leader. In 1872 the locale was changed to Leb- anon, and there a house of worship was built, the cost being about $6000. Since removing to Lebanon the church has been served in the pastorate by Revs. Scarles, Taylor, Van Zandt, Fall, and Tyndall. The class-leaders have been John E. Tiger and George Stout. The Sunday-school superintendent is J. C. Cramer.

PHYSICIANS OF LEBANON.

Henry Field, the first physician recorded as having located at Lebanon, lived there only during 1832, when, removing to Clinton, he practiced there until his death. George Trumpore was at Lebanon from 1842 to 1845, and, removing to Essex, remained away until 1856. He tarried in Lebanon two years after that, and disappeared. J. W. Blackfan, residing a little way out of the village, began to practice in 1845, and to the present day has continued steadily to pursue his professional lahors. Robert Fenwick was a physician at Lebanon, 1856-58; Byron Thornton, 1857-59; Henry Salter, between 1850 and 1860; and Aaron Burgess, 1859-61. Fenwick moved to New York, Thornton to Germantown, Salter to Iowa, and Burgess to Pennsylvania. Alexander Barclay occu- pied the fiekl from 1862 to 1866, and J. R. Todd from 1866 to 1871. Todd came back in 1872 and remained until his death, in 1876. William Knight was at Leb- anon from 1871 to 1872, and Sanford Roe from 1877 to 1879, his present field being in Schoharie Co., N. Y. Lebanon's only resident physician in November, 1880, was Abram Jones, who had been in the village since 1876.

* Schlatter was then in charge of the old German Reformed Church at Philadolphin.

538

HUNTERDON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

VILLAGE OF ANNANDALE.

Annandale, containing in July, 1880, a population of 380, is a station on the New Jersey Central Rail- road, and consequently a place of more or less activity. Eighteen passenger-trains stop each twenty-four hours, while the freight- and coal-trains are innumer- able. Lime-kilns in the vicinity supply the country round about and furnish annually 200 cars of lime. The railway shipments of milk average annually eighty cans per day, while the receipts by rail of lum- ber, coal, and malt amount to a handsome exhibit.

The village took its rise simultaneously with the completion of the New Jersey Central Railroad, June 20, 1852. N. N. Boeman, a tavern-keeper at White House, George M. Frech, the station-agent at that point, Jacob Young, a merchant, and James Keuna and Thomas Kinney, railway employees, moved from White House to occupy Clinton Station (as Annan- dale was called). Frech was transferred to that point to be the station-agent, Boeman went there to put up a tavern, Young to build a store and begin trading, Kinney and Kenna to work for the railway company. Upon their arrival they found the present site occu- pied by the farms of the widow of Peter Young, the widow Jane Huffman, and John H. Cregar. Boeman purchased the first village lot, and built thereon the present village tavern, of which he was the landlord from 1852 to 1879. Frech, the railroad agent, lived in the station-building erected in 1852, and Jacob Young, losing no time, built a store and grain ware- house. July 4, 1852, the first through-train for pas- sengers from New York to Easton passed Clinton Station.

The village bore the name of Clinton Station until 1873, when the then president of the Central Railroad, John T. Johnston, suggested the present name upon being requested to re-christen the place. The pre- sumption seems to be that he called it after a town in his own native Scotland. The only resident physiciau the town ever had was William Knight, now of Clin- ton, who practiced from 1872 to 1878. Theodore Risler was the first village postmaster, and was suc- ceeded in turn by Josiah Cole and John Lair. Be- sides the ordinary village enterprises, Annandale has a sash-and-blind-factory, whose proprietors, B. E. Young & Co., carry on also a large lumber trade.

THE REFORMED PROTESTANT DUTCH CHURCH.

Annandale has had but one church organization, and that has continued to flourish. There was a meet- ing of the people of the village, June 1, 1866, to nomi- nate officers of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church " to be formed at Clinton Station." Rev. Robert Van Amburgh presided and George M. Frech was chosen clerk, whereupon Archibald Huffman and John H. Cregar were chosen elders and George M. Frech and George H. Rowland deacons. June 28, 1866, Revs. James Le Fever, Robert Van Amburgh, and P. P. M. Doolittle, with Elders Frederick Frelinghuysen and

John A. Apgar, met to organize the church. On that occasion Archibald Huffman, Mary Huffman, John H. Cregar, Anna Cregar, George H. Rowland, Mercy Rowland, George M. Frech, and Barbara Frech pre- sented certificates of dismission from the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Lebanon, and were or- ganized as the Reformed Protestaut Dutch Church of Clinton Station. April 20, 1867, an addition of sev- enteen was made to the membership, and in 1868 the present house of worship was built.

Rev. J. A. Van Dorn, who preached as supply at the first, was on Sept. 9, 1869, called to be the stated pastor. He resigned April 8, 1873, and was succeeded by Rev. Robert Van Amburgh, to whom, Nov. 12, 1877, followed Rev. George H. Cleaveland, the present pastor.

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History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 131

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1170

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1170