History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 28

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 28
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 28

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between these transactions and the famous 'negr plot of New York in 1741. Another 'rising' was feared in 1772, but precautionary measures were adopted, and the excitement passed off."

" An act had been passed as early as 1713 levying . a duty on the importation of negroes, but it seems not to have been enforced. It was forty shillings in East New Jersey, and six pounds in West New Jersey." This inequality in the tax was obviated by subsequent enactments, which continued in force until the Revu- Jution.

" It vught to be noted, also, as an evidenre in favor of the grutleness and muurnity of domestic slavery in our country, that when the slaves were invited by the British in the Revolution to abandon their homes unul week refuge in their armies, very few of thetu responded, The In- dinns were deceived Into activity and fought bravely for their natural enemies, but the claves remained in quietness. There were, in fact, slaves cinnigh in the country to have decided the contest against us, if they had generally entered the armies of our enemies.

" When Sunday's hool were introduced the negroes were largely benelited by them" [and many became members of Christian churches . " But in the old church of Butitan, after the Great Revival, was the largest number. At one communion season sixty-eight colored permitir came down from the galleries and sat down at the table, spread then, according to older customs, in the middle aisle of the church. Most f these are now no more, but during their life they maintained a consistent demeanor, and died in the hope of n better condition."'

From Feb. 24, 1821, dates the first legislative action having for its object the abolition of slavery. It provided that the children of all slaves in New Jer- sey born subsequent to July 4, 1804, should have their freedom upon attaining to the ages of twenty- five and twenty-one for males and females respec- tively. Under the operations of this humane legisla- tion slavery gradually expended its existence. The people of this section generally favored the emanci- pation, and many even anticipated legislation in free- ing their slaves. Moore Furman in 1784, " the heirs of George Opdyke in 1796, the heirs of Richard tireen in 1798, Joseph d'apner in 1799, John Lambert, Jr., in 1808, and a host of others, manumitted slaves prior to any legislative action looking to their liberation.

It is an honor to Somerset County that one of her citizens, Rev. Robert Finley, D. D., was the pioneer in efforts for the formation of the " American Coloniza- tion Society," -an institution which has done much in the past for the amelioration of the condition of the colored rare and in christianizing Africn.

· Boy. Abraham Mussler, D D.

We find in the records of the Hunterdon County clerk's office, date I Jan. 7, 1784, that the sheriff executed the following:

" TH AIL. CHRISTIAN PEOPLE TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL UI AR1. TING: I, Moore Fil man, being emvinced of the Iniquity and i. humanity of slavery, and desire of din maging the same, have man- umitted my negro than slave Thomas, and do by theas presents mannmit, set free, mol discharge my negro man Thomas from all bonds and alas ory to me, my beurs, and arm ns forever.

" MOORE Fr . MAN."

. Daly's Woodbridge and Vicinity, p. 73, et seq.

+ Ibid., p. 71.

* Ibid., p. 218,

& This is not the only Justance of this mode of punishment. Burning Jor capital offenses was the fashion, rather than hanging, in the early duyn, In Perth Amboy two slaves were burned within two works of the time of the perpetration of the erline.

" We have notice of a case of arron suc ceded by a public rechtan, and also of the murder of one have to another." -Moeder's Hut, Somer- Net County, p. 12s.

The case of aryin here mentimed lo Dr. Masler must be that of Tobey, negro clave of Mary Middagh, of Hillsborough, Somer et I've tried, found guilty, and hung in 1786, an example of swift Jersey Jastico. He was executed four days after the indi (ment !

106

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

CHAPTER IX. INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

I. Roads .- The Minieink Path-The Old Burlington Path-The " Upper Road" and "Lower Read"-The Old "York Road" -- The New Jersey Turnpike Compauy-New Germantown Turnpike Company, etc. II. Stages and Stage-Lines,-First Public Conveyance previous to 1702- Stage-Line between Trenton and New Brunswick-" The Swift-Sure Coach-Line"-The Trenton and Flemington Mail-Coach-Post-road from New Brunswick to Flemington-Express Lines, etc. III. The Delaware and Raritan Canal .- Its incipiency, Construction, and Com- pletion-Lengthi, Cost, etc. IV. Railroads .- The Central Railroad of New Jersey-South Branch Railroad-High Bridge Railroad-The Delaware and Bound Brook Railroad-The United New Jersey Rail- road and Canal Company-" The Belvidere Delaware Railroad"-The Easton and Amboy Railroad, etc.

HIGHWAYS-STAGE-ROUTES-BRIDGES-CANALS- -

RAILROADS.

I -. ROADS.

THE earliest highways in the State of New Jersey were the Indian paths. Mention is made of them in the early Indian title-deeds and old records of com- missioners for laying out roads. The most noted of these was the "Minisink path," which extended from the highlands of the Navesink to the Raritan, cross- ing at a place called Kent's Neck ; thence along the west side of the Rahway River to Springfield, whence it crossed the mountain and passed near Morristown ; thence to Minisink Island, on the Delaware,-a dis- tance of seventy-five miles. Besides this long path were many others. One ran from Perth Amboy to New Brunswick, where it crossed the Raritan ; from thence to Six-Mile Run, and on through the State westward to the Falls of the Delaware. The present road through Six-Mile Run, Kingston, and Princeton was laid out on this path. Another ran from Shrews- bury, through Monmouth County, southerly, after- wards known as the "Old Burlington Path."

These Indian paths were located with skill, much attention being given to a careful study of the natural advantages of the ground which they traversed. The hills were ascended by the easiest grade; the most solid ground was selected for crossing a marsh. The streams were forded at a point where they were least liable to be affected by freshets, and in nearly every instance the Indian paths were followed in the loca- tion of the roads that are to-day the great thorough- fares of the State.

Previous to 1675 the only road in the State (for the Indian paths, just mentioned, cannot be classed as roads) was that from Elizabethtown Point to where New Brunswick now stands, and probably was the same one that now, widened and improved, is known as the "old road" between those places. This road continued almost in a straight line to the Delaware above where Trenton now stands. The Raritan and Delaware Rivers were both forded at low water, there being no bridges ; but later, ferries were established. This was called the "upper road," to distinguish it from another, which later was opened to Burlington, branching off from the old road some five or six miles

from the Raritan, and arriving by a rather circuitous route at the site of the present Burlington. This road was called the "lower road."*

These roads were at the first little more than foot- paths, and the "upper" one was for most of its dis- tance laid out on the old Indian path. "Even as late as 1716, when a ferry had been established at New Brunswick for twenty years, t provision was only made, in the rates allowed by Assembly, for 'horse and man' and 'single person.' The sum required annually to keep this road in repair was only ten pounds."

The "Old York Road," which started in Philadel- phia at a point near what is now known as Fourth and Vine Streetst and ran to the Delaware, crossing at Lambertville, thence through Mount Airy, Ringos, and Reaville to New Brunswick and Newark, was one of the first wagon-roads opened in the State, although it was never surveyed .¿ In a deed for land at Rin- gos, dated Aug. 25, 1726, this road is described as "The King's Highway that is called the York Road." !!

The first public measures for the improvement or establishment of roads seem to have been adopted in November, 1675, when it was enacted that two men in each town should be appointed "to lay out com- mon highways." In March, 1683, commissioners were appointed "to lay out and appoint" in the dif- ferent counties " all necessary highways, bridges, pas- sages, landings, and ferries, fit and apt for traveling passages and landing of goods."T These boards con- tinned for several years, and under their direction the first system of intercommunication was established, and the present generation travel many of the roads laid out by them .**

The "New Jersey Turnpike Company" was incor- porated by act of the Legislature in 1806, which act authorized certain persons, named therein, to con- struct a turnpike road from the city of New Bruns- wick to Phillipsburg, passing through the counties of' Somerset, Hunterdon, and Sussex (now Warren).++ The road was completed late in the year 1809, but that portion situated in Hunterdon and Warren Counties was never kept in sufficient repair to justify the company in collecting toll thercon, and in 1838 the company surrendered it " to the inhabitants of the several townships in said counties of Hunterdon and Warren through which the same passes," in accord- ance with a special enactment of the State Legislature

* " New Jersey under the Proprietors," Whitehead, p. 236; Ilist. Coll. N. J., p. 41 ; Danker's and Shuyter's Journal, etc.

+ Established in 1697, and subsequently called " Inian's Forry," from John Jnian, who was the first grantee; the privilege to continuo during the natural lives of himself and wife at five shillings sterling per annum.

# The road still exists there (1880), and is called "York Avenue."

¿ This was not necessary, as it was laid on the bed of the old Indian path.

| Rev. Dr. Mott's History of Hunterdon County, p. 10.

T Grants and Concessions.

***** Whitehead's Enst Jersey und Prop., p. 236.

H+ Session Laws of New Jersey, 1806.

107

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

passed Jan. 31, 1838 .* The indebtedness of the com- pany had not been extinguished, or any dividend paid to its stockholders, until 1841, or later,-over thirty years after the road was first opened.+

In the year 1813 the "New Germantown Turnpike Company" was chartered and organized. It com- meneed at North Branch, Somerset Co., intersecting and branching off' from the Easton and New Bruns- wick turnpike, and ran through New tHermantown to its terminus at German Valley. James Honeyman was president, and one of the principal stockholders.

Other turnpikes, chartered by the State Legislature between the years 1800 and 1828, running through either Hunterdon or Somerset Counties, were the fol- lowing : March 12, 1806, "Hunterdon and Sussex ;" Feb. 9, 1811, " Farmers'," from Springfield, through Pluckamin, to the Jersey turnpike, near Potterstown ; 1813, "Spruce Run," from Clinton, Hunterdon Co .. to the Washington turnpike, near Sherrard's mill, (now) in Washington township, Warren Co. ; and in 1813 the "New Germantown," above mentioned. Gordon, in his "History of New Jersey," gives the last turnpike constructed in the State as the " Passaic," in 1828; a few years later the canal and railroads di- verted capital from turnpikes into other channels.

In another portion of this work; will be found a detailed account of the early roads of Somerset County, many of which also extended across Hunter- don County.

II-STAGES AND STAGE-LINES.

The only public conveyance through the province previous to the surrender to Queen Anne (1702), of which any knowledge has been obtained, was a wagon on the Amboy road, which, under authority from Governor Hamilton, ran at irregular times and with- out established rates, in connection with the packet- boat to New York.& Whitehead remarks that this may have been " the Post" between East Jersey and Pennsylvania, several times referred to in the Penn- sylvania Colonial Records.

The earliest mention of stages is found in an ad- vertisement in the Philadelphia Mercury, dated in March, 1733, as follows :

" This is to give notice unto Gentlemen, Merchants, Tradesmen, Travelers, and others, that Solomon Smith and James Moore of Burling- ton : keepeth two Mage Wagons Intending to go from Burlington to Amboy, and back from Ambry to Burlington again Once every Week, or off'or if that Business prevents," ate.

About this time, a line ran by way of New Bruns- wick, and in 1734 the first line ria Bordentown was established from South River to New York, "once a week, if wind and weather permit, and come to the Old-slip." In 1714 the stage-line between Trenton and New Brunswick was established, and ran twice a

" Session Laws of New Jersey, 1838.

+ Arte of General Assembly, 1811, pp. 83, 81.

I See Chapter V. Conoral History of Somerset County.

& Smith's New Jersey, p 22.

Col. Records, i., pp. 4 , 17, 540.

week. From New Brunswick it continued cast to Amboy, crossing at the Narrows, and thence to Flat- bush and New York. David Mizner, now eighty-two years old and still living at Kingston, was the driver of one of the stages of Robert Bailes for twenty sue- cessive years. T

In 1791 there were only six post-offices in New Jersey,-Newark, Elizabethtown, Bridgetown (now Rahway), Brunswick, Princetown, and Trenton. Somerset seems to have had no mail facilities at all.

"The Swift-Sure Coach-Line" was established very carly,-before the Revolution, and possibly as carly as the Trenton and New Brunswick line,-and ran between Philadelphia and New York, over the "Old York Road," by the way of New Hope, Flemington, Somerville, Bound Brook, Plainfield, Elizabethtown, etc. At the first, possibly, but one trip a week may have been made, later increased to two, and at least as early as 1826 (no doubt carlier) making three trips a week .**

The Trenton and Flemington mail-coach con- menced running about 1828 or 1829. From an ad- vertisementtt of this line, dated "Bloomsbury, Aug. 17, 1829," we learn that the coach lett the " Union Line oflice, Trenton," for Flemington, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and left Nathaniel Price's inn, Flemington, for Trenton and Bloomsbury, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The fare through was one dollar, and we are told that the line was well patronized.

In 1832 the "Swift-Sure Mail-Line" was revived between Philadelphia and New York, and "splendid Troy coaches" put on by the proprietors, George Car- ter & Co., Philadelphia, John A. Weart, Trenton, and Anderson & Mccutcheon, New York. It con- nected with the steamboat "John Marshall" at Eliz- abethtown Point for New York City. Three trips per week each way were made, lodging at Flemington, and the fare was four dollars and twenty-five cents.

The post-road from New Brunswick to Flemington was established by Congress carly in 138, and the " New Brunswick, Millstone, and Flemington Stage" commeneed running that year, making tri-weekly

' Ralph Voorhees, 1873.

** The following advertisement appears in the Hunterdon Gazette, Flemington, of date Jan. 3, 1-27 :

" NEW YORK A PHILADELPHIA MAIL STAGE, in Note Hope, Flemington, Som vereille, Be and Brook, Hun old, I. La beth-

P PASSENGERS In the How will Have Philadelphia d sucha k A.s. of

Mon ays. Wollteulsy= anl Fridays. bddk. at Cintresilh, anla /w in New-york at 2 1 M. ( the mu reading diye Itheute las Yra. York at hat-past 10 3.v. of the day alone mined, to patt civile and reach Philadelphia nt I r . of Tuoulass. Thur lisa, and saatunless l'air through , it Way passengers i propri n. Allah at the risk of the Int s.

"14 2", 1526.

4 Hunt den County Grette, Aug 26, 1s. ..

108

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

trips between Joline's hotel, in New Brunswick, and Mahlon C. Hart's, in Flemington, " via Millstone, Flaggtown, Shannock, Clover Hill, and Greenville." This stage connected at New Brunswick with the cars for New York, and stages for Princeton, Trenton, and Philadelphia .* The proprietors were J. V. D. Joline and Frederick Ten Eyck.

It seems essential to take this retrospective glance at the old coaching-times in order properly to under- stand the vast change which the iron rail and steam propulsion hath wrought.

" Where is the coach ? where is the mail ? The coachman, where is he ? Where is the guard that used to blow His horn so cheerily ?"

It is, of course, understood that country stages have not altogether disappeared from our midst. They still exist in both Hunterdon and Somerset, yet essen- tially changed from the old-time stage-coach de- scribed by Washington Irving in his "Sketch-Book," or by Dickens on the occasion of the journey of Pick- wick and his friends on the " Muggletown Telegraph," to spend Christmas with the Wardles at Dingley Dell. Such scenes, however, were daily enacted in this sec- tion less than half a century ago.

Before the era of railroads, travel between New York and Philadelphia increased to such an extent that thirty-two stages were frequently run each way per day to carry the passengers. On days of extra- ordinary travel the farmers in the neighborhood of places where horses were changed were in readiness to furnish additional vehicles and teams if circum- stances required.

" In 1825, on the day Lafayette passed through the State to review the troops at Trenton, assembled to do him honor, there were one hundred and sixty-eight horses ready harnessed and exchanged at Kingston. The general passed through in a splendid baronche drawn hy six gray horses, driven (says Mizner) by David Sanderson, now of White House, Hunterdon Co., then a youth of nineteen years of age. The stages, on their way to New York, would often separate a short distance east of Kingston, some taking the Trenton turnpike, others erossing Rocky Ilill to New Brunswick by the way of Six-Mile Ron."+

About this time there was also an express-line be- tween New York and Washington whose route lay through Somerset and Hunterdon Counties. The express-rider found a fresh horse ready saddled and bridled as he came to each of the stations, at short intervals, on the route. It was by this means that the New York papers published, in advance of the mail, the vote on Mr. Clay's tariff-bill the day follow- ing its passage in the House, at Washington.

There was also an immense travel across the State at this time independent of stage- and express-lines. It consisted principally in conveying produce to mar- ket at New Brunswick from Hunterdon, Sussex, and Somerset Counties. Large wagons heavily laden with flour, flax, flax-seed, or other produce, frequently

drawn by six horses, passed over the Amwell road to New Brunswick, while those from Sussex and the north went principally by the way of Bound Brook. At a certain time the keeper of the toll-gate at Mid- dlebrook kept an account, and stated that five hun- dred vehicles of various kinds had passed through the gate in one day on their way to the "Landing" and New Brunswick markets. In 1748 the Raritan Landing was described as "being a market for the most plentiful wheat country for its bigness in Amer- ica."}

From about 1808 until the railroads were built Messrs. Fish, Hill & Abbey ran goods across the State from Trenton to New Brunswick, from thence to New York by sloops, and later by steamboats. This firm is said to have carried on even at that early date a very extensive transportation business.

III .- THE DELAWARE AND RARITAN CANAL.

The project of a canal to connect the waters of the Delaware and Raritan Rivers was earnestly considered even as early as the year 1804. At that date a route was examined by a company of intelligent, experienced men, and a law was passed by the Legislature author- izing its construction by a private company. Of this the late Judge Morris was president, and the late Gen. Braley of Hunterdon, the late Mr. Garnett of Somerset, with others, were directors. But these gen- tlemen, with all their zeal, did not succeed in their project ; the state of trade at that time, and inex- perience with works of this character, prevented its execution. Nevertheless, in 1816, and again in 1823, its practicability was demonstrated by commissioners appointed by the Legislature to explore the route. Its practical utility was also realized by many as being one of the links of the great chain of internal navigation which would greatly foster the domestic trade of the country. With the completion of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, this one only was wanted to complete an entire inland navigation from Newbern, in North Carolina, to Providence, R. I. Therefore another effort was made. A second joint- stock company was authorized to build this canal. It paid to the State treasury the sum of one hundred thousand dollars for the privilege ; but, failing to ob- tain the sanction of the State of Pennsylvania to the use of the waters of the Delaware River, it was com- pelled to abandon the enterprise. The State refunded to it the premium which it had paid.

This enterprise was by many at that time deemed visionary,¿ while not a few rejoiced in this second

Ibid., p. 555.

¿ It may sound strango to the present goneration, -so familiarized with railroads and " rapid transit. "-but it is a fact, that many of the people of Hunterdon and Somerset sent remonstrances in 1829 to the Legisla- ture " against the passage of a law to anthorize the formation of a canal along the South Branch of Raritan from Hunt's Mills in Ilunterdon to Perth Amboy," alleging that it " would not only injure, but entirely de- stroy, the many valuable mills located upon the Raritan, and in injuring them would also injuro us as citizens in the vicinity of snid mills."

$ Advertisement in Hunterdon Gazelle, Ang. 1, 1838.

f " The Raritan and its Early Dutch Sottlers," Voorhees, In "Our Home," 1873.

109

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

failure, by which the power of constructing the canal reverted to the State, thinking that if it were feasible she would soon build it. The friends of the measure were active. Many petitions were presented to the Legislature in 1828-29, committees were appointed and reported, and there was much agitation of the subject and earnest efforts put forth to induce the State to undertake its construction. A bill introduced for this purpose was defeated. The State refused to build it or ineur obligation thereby.

Although abandoned as a State measure, its friends still were confident, and efforts were revived to pro- vide for its erection as a private enterprise. In Feb- ruary, 1830, it was committed to a joint-stock com- pany, with certain beneficial restrictions to the State. The act of February Ith provided that " subscription- books to the capital stock of the 'Delaware and Raritan Canal Company' shall be opened, within six months after the passing of this act, by James Parker and James Neilson of Middlesex, John Potter of Somerset, William Halsted of Hunterdon, and Garret D. Wall of Burlington." The capital stock was " to be one million dollars, divided into shares of one hundred dollars cach, and when five thousand shares are subscribed the stockholders shall elect by ballot nine directors," and annually thereafter said directors to elect a president. The act gave them corporate rights, powers, and privileges, and empowered the company " to construct . . . a canal or artificial navi- gation from the waters of the Delaware River to the waters of the Raritan, and to improve the navigation of the said rivers, respectively, as may from time to time become necessary below where the said canal shall empty into the said rivers, respectively; which canal shall be at least fifty feet wide at the water-line, and the waters therein be at least five feet deep through- out; and the said company are hereby empowered to supply the said canal with water from the river Dela- ware by constructing a feeder, which shall be so con- structed as to form a navigable canal not less than thirty feet wide and four feet deep, to conduct the water from any part of the river Delaware."

The first directors were (1830) Robert F. Stockton, Garret D. Wall, John Potter, James Parker, James Neilson, William Halsted, John R. Thompson, James S. Green, Joseph MeHlvaine, who chose R. F. Stockton president of the board, James Neilson treasurer, and J. R. Thompson secretary,

The construction of the canal was commenced late in the year 1830, and it was completed and in opera- tion in June, 1834. The entire work was under the direction of l'anvass White, chief engineer, who lived only a few months after its completion. The eastern se tion was built under the superintendente of John Hopkins; the middle section, George T. Olmsted; the western section and lower part of the feeder, Edward A. Douglas ; and the upper part of the feeder under the direction of Ashbel Welch, of Lambertville.

The Hon. Ashbel Welch, in a letter to Solomon W.

Roberts, Esq., dated Trenton, June 27, 1834, so neatly portrays the event of the opening of the canal that some extracts are here given, by permission :

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History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 28

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