History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 49

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 49
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 49


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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In 1722, when Hunterdon County embraced the five townships of Hanover, Amwell, Maidenhead, Trenton, and Hopewell, the tax-roll contained the names of 188 men subject to taxation, 16 of whom were single men. It shows also 11 slaves, 785 cattle and horses, 487 sheep, and 2 mills, the latter owned by Philip Ringo, now Moore's, and the other by Cornelius An- derson, in Hopewell. The number of acres of land then in possession was 16,995. The tax-list is here given, as much for its record of early settlers as for its statistical information :*


llue Standland, cattle and horses, 9; sheep, 2; acres. 50.


Thomas Smith, cattle and horses, 16; sheep, 15; acres, 200.


Richard Arnal, cattle and horses, 3; acres, 50.


Nicholas Hagerte, cattle and horses, 3; acres, 130. Joshaway Ward, enttle and horses, 3.


Eldad Davis, cattle and horses, 4; acres, 1(H).


John Feald, cattle and horses, 13; sheep, 12 ; aeres, 200.


Robert Darck, cattle and horses, 2; sheep, 2.


Abraham Laru, cattle and horses, 8; sheep, 6; acres, 50.


l'eter Laru, cattle and horses, 10; sheep, 10; acres, 50.


James Laru, cattle and horses, 6; sheep, 4; acres, 50. Thomas Woacer, cattle and horses, 3.


John Allbado, cattle and horses, 6; acres, 200.


Samuel Bouldwin, cattle and horses, 6; aeres, 500.


Francis Ilege, cattle and horses, 7; acres, 600.


Ely Allbado, cattle and horses, 8; sheep, 2; acres, 200.


Cornelius Allbado, cattle and horses, 5; acres, 150. Francis Fonnoy, cattle and horses, 10; acres, 150. Robert Shaw, cattle and horses, 7 ; aeres, 140.


Timothy Titus, cattle and horses, 6 ; slaves, 1; acres, 200.


Thomas Roberds, cattle and horses, 4; acres, 40.


William Reede, single.


Joseph Huff, single.


James Evanse, cattle and horses, 6; acres, 200.


Robert Maclelean, cattle and horses, 7 ; acres, 100.


John Johnson, cattle and horses, 4; acres, 100.


Roger Woolverton, single.


Andrew Millburne, single.


Jonathan Stricklin, Sr., single.


Henry Heldren, single.


John Bennett, single.


John Murched, cattle and horses, 16; sheep, 25; slaves, 1; acres, 200.


John Coe, cattle and horses, 4; acres, 40.


Ezekel Oleno, cattle and horses, 1.


Nathaniel Moore, cattle and horses, 16; sheep, 25; acres, 300.


Charles Huff, cattle and horses, 4; acres, 100.


Jonathan Stickler, Jr., single.


Joseph Hart, single.


John Smith, cattle and horses, 12; slaves, 1; acres, 160.


William Merrell, Jr., cattle and horses, 20; sheep, 7 ; acres, 130.


Hezekiah Bonham, Jr., cattle and horses, 5 ; acres, 150.


Philip Ringo, mills, 1; cattle and horses, 4; acres, 50. Benjamin Drack, cattle and horses, 17 ; acres, 260. Joshua Andrus, Jr., cattle and horses, 6.


Frederick Debough, cattle and horses, 7.


Aran Funhuck, cattle and horses, 10; neres, 200.


Tunus Huff, cattle and horses, 4; acres, 50.


Andru Routtenhors, cattle and horses, 5 ; acres, 110.


Danel Deno, cattle and horses, 1; acres, 50. Samuel Runyoun, cattle and horses, 2; acres, 50. Jesse Hide, cattle and horses, 9; acres, 200.


Danel Geano, cattle and horses, 7 ; acres, 100.


Steven Geano, cattle and horses, 6; acres, 50. Joseph Combs, single.


William Merrel, Sr., cattle and horses, 24; sheep, 20; slaves, 2 ; acres, 300.


Benjamin Merrel, cattle and horses, 5.


Nehemiah Bonham, cattle and horses, 2; acres, 150. Jabes Jarvis, cattle and horses, 4; acres, 100.


Joseph Davis, cattle and horses, 3.


Ananies Olen, cattle and horses, 12; sheep, S; acres, 350.


Elward Butler, cattle and horses, 1.


Barth Corvino, cattle and horses, 3; acres, 100.


Johannes Hendrikx, cattle and horses, 13; sheep, 10; acres, 149.


Samuel Fitch, cattle and horses, 1G; acres, 200.


John Everit, cattle and horses, 5; acres, 100.


John Framton, cattle and horses, 14; sheep, 6; acres, 100.


* The orthography of the original is here retalned.


13


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HUNTERDON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.


Samuel Furman, Jr., cattle and horses, 3; acres, 50. Jonathan Furman, cattle and horses, 5; sheep, 4; acres, 50.


Thomas Runyon, cattle and horses, 15; sheep, 16; acres, 150.


Viencien Runyon, cattle and horses, 2.


Roger Parke, Jr., cattle and horses, 16 ; sheep, 16 ; acres, 200.


Roger Parke, Sr., cattle and horses, 4; sheep, 9.


John Park, cattle and horses, 15; sheep, 20; acres, 300.


John Reede, cattle and horses, 16; sheep, 4; acres, 240.


John Sharp, single.


William Whited, single.


Joseph Longlee, cattle and horses, 3; acres, 60.


Samuel Furman, Sr., cattle and horses, 10; sheep, 6; acres, 100.


John Capender, cattle and horses, 5; acres, 90.


Joshua Ely, cattle and horses, 10; acres, 200.


Richard Smith, cattle and horses, 10; acres, 100.


Joses Lombard, cattle and horses, 2.


Joseph Stout, cattle and horses, 28; sheep, 18; acres, 230.


Hezekiah Bonel, cattle and horses, 1; acres, 10. Isaak Asstoll, single.


Thomas Combs, cattle and horses, 10; acres, 140.


David Stout, cattle and horses, 10; sheep, 1; acres, 250.


Thomas Evans, cattle and horses, 5; sheep, 8; acres, 100.


Thomas Curtes, cattle and horses, 15; sheep, 14; acres, 150.


William Brient, Sr., cattle and horses, 6; sheep, 6 ; acres, 100.


Robard Blackwel, cattle and horses, 8; acres, 250.


Enoch Armitage, cattle and horses, 11; sheep, 4; acres, 250.


Ralph Hunt, cattle and horses, 9; sheep, 6; acres, 300.


Thomas Huf, sheep, 6.


Henere Hendrix, sheep, 6; acres, 100.


Jeremiah Hendrix, single.


Peter Hendrix, single.


Addom Bratten, sheep, 3; acres, 50.


William Larason, cattle and horses, 11; sheep, 9; acres, 160.


John Titus, cattle and horses, 22; sheep, 10; acres, 200.


Efrom Titus, cattle and horses, 4; acres, 100.


Ralph Hunt (stone brock),* cattle and horses, 7; acres, 100.


John Hunt, yoreng ; cattle and horses, 2; acres, 100. Elisha Bord, cattle and horses, 5; acres, 40.


Elnathan Boulder, cattle and horses, 18; sheep, 20; acres, 100.


Thomas Reede, cattle and horses, 8; acres, 200.


John Hart, cattle and horses, 10; sheep, 6; acres, 200.


Samuel Hunt, cattle and horses, 9; sheep, 10; acres, 200.


John Hunt, cattle and horses, 13; sheep, 11; acres, 200.


Edward Hart, cattle and horses, 4; acres, 50.


Isaac Herren, cattle and horses, 9; sheep, 7; acres, 260.


Thomas Merrel, cattle and horses, 9; acres, 100.


Peter Ringo, cattle and horses, 1; acres, 50.


William Cornel, cattle and horses, 20; sheep, 30; slaves, 1; acres, 200.


Andru Foster, cattle and horses, 1; acres, 100.


Jemse Terrel, cattle and horses, 4; acres, 3.


Calap Carman, cattle and horses, 4; acres, 90.


Andru Smith, cattle and horses, 25; sheep, 15; slaves, 1; acres, 500.


John Hickson, cattle and horses, 14; acres, 100.


William Larance, cattle and horses, 12; sheep, 5; acres, 200. - -


Henery Oxly, cattle and horses, 15; sheep, 7; acres, 200.


William Huff, cattle and horses, 5; sheep, 1 ; acres, 500.


William Briant (Stone bruk),* cattle and horses, 13; sheep, 28; acres, 300.


Cornelius Andrus, Sr., mills, 1; cattle and horses, 17; sheep, 3; acres, 134.


Samuel Everit, cattle and horses, 9; sheep, 4; acres, 100.


Joseph Reeder, cattle and horses, 7; acres, 200.


William Miller, cattle and horses, 2; acres, 120.


Joseph Reed, Sr., cattle and horses, 5; sheep, 13; acres, 80.


Thomas Finne, single.


Joseph Reede, Jr., cattle and horses, 4; acres, 60.


Jemes Melven, cattle and horses, 9; sheep, 1; acres,


500.


David Price, cattle and horses, 3.


William Lin, cattle and horses, 5; acres, 200.


Joseph Nasbet, cattle and horses, 1.


Nicolas Roberds, cattle and horses, 3.


Jorge Wolse, cattle and horses, 11; acres, 200.


Thomas Burrus, cattle and horses, 13; sheep, 18; acres, 297.


These particulars of the early settlement of Hope- well are given not only because it was a part of Hun- terdon County at that time and for many years, but because its settlement was intimately connected with those other portions of the county now known as Hun- terdon. It will be seen, by examining the foregoing names and comparing them with the lists of public officials (see Civil List in another chapter), that by far the greater portion of them were officers of Hun- terdon, and prominent in many ways in civil affairs of the county. But we leave it now, to consider that portion embraced within its present limits.


The first settler of Amwell township, without doubt, was John Reading, who settled near Lambertville in 1703, or soon after. He was recorder of Burlington from 1693 to 1701, was one of the proprietaries of West Jersey, and was a prominent member of the Provincial Council. He was a member of that body in 1701, and immediately after engaged in surveying the West Jersey Society's lands in what is now Hun- terdon County. While thus engaged he selected several fine tracts for himself, which he soon after- wards purchased. These lands were north of Lambert- ville, in the vicinity of Prallsville and Barber's Station; also about Centre Bridge, which was called "Reading's Ferry" until 1770, when it went by the name of " Howell's Ferry." These lands were pur- chased of the Indians in 1703, and John Reading was one of the three commissioners appointed to treat with the natives, his associates being John Wills and William Biddle, Jr.


Other early settlers in Amwell were the Stouts, in the south part of the township, the Ringo family, in


* Stoney Brook.


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LAND TITLES AND SETTLEMENT.


the centre and eastern portion, and John Holcombe and the Coryells, in its western part,-most of whom were occupying their respective plantations as early as 1720, and some of them even earlier. John Hol- combe purchased lands as early as 1705, but did not occupy them for several years. He was the ancestor of the Holcombe families of Hunterdon County. From one of the Stouts the township is said to have taken its name, but it is more likely that it was named from Amwell, in England. When we consider that all the early settlers of this section were English- men, and that many of their settlements were called after places in their native land, it seems reasonable that sneh should have been the case in this instance. It may appear like sacrilege to destroy the old tradi- tion of " I hope you're well," and "I am well," which has not only been treasured for years as the origin of the names of Hopewell and Amwell townships, and handed down from one generation to another, but quoted by the historian and interwoven with the an- nals of the church and home circle; yet honesty demands, and that future for whom these records are being prepared calls for, the proof or verification of the tradition, Having an ardent desire to verify this statement, the writer has labored hard and made dili- gent search, but not one stroke of the pen among all the records now existent points to such an origin for the names. And, while this is so, there is indubitable proof that "Hopewell" at least had a different, and even an earlier, origin, in evidence of which is the following fact: May 20, 1688, Cornelius Empson, of Brandywine Creek, sold to Andrew Smith two hun- dred acres, which traet, the deed says, he, the said Empson, "doth enfeoff' and confirm unto the said Andrew Smith, heretofore laid forth in the county of Burlington aforesaid, and also settled upon, and by him the said Andrew Smith called and to be called Hopewell."


John Ringo, however, gave his name to a settle- ment which has become historic in this section, and which enjoys the honor of being the only village and post-office of the name in the known world.


Coryell's Ferry was established about 1732 by John Emanuel Coryell, who came from Somerset County. The settlement now known as Lambertville has a much earlier origin, -the tradition says in 1707,-and it is very likely that both John Holcombe and Emanuel Coryell came there between 1705 and 1710, Holcombe having purchased his lands, as before stated, in 1705. John Lambert, from whom the vil- lage was named, in 1812, in compliment to his efforts in proenring its post-office, was a son of Gershom Lambert, who, with his brother John, settled (near each other) about three miles from Lambertville, and were the first of the name in Amwell. They came about 1740. His son, Joseph, purchased the ferry of the Coryells, and it was thenceforth, and until 1812, known as Lambert's Ferry.


Adventurous settlers pressed farther up the Dela-


ware, purchasing tracts in Kingwood and Alexandria townships, even so far north as the Musconetcong Mountain, establishing settlements at Baptisttown, Quakertown, and in Bunn's Valley, a little later at Frenchtown and Milford, and up the Musconeteong Creek at Bethlehem and German Valley, in what is now Bethlehem and Lebanon townships. Quaker- town was settled prior to 1744, for the records of its " meeting" date back to that year. Among the ear- liest settlers in that vicinity were the Kings, Wilsons, Rockhills, and Stevensons, all members of the Bur- lington Quarterly Meeting. The Dalrymple family, numerous in Kingwood, were of Scotch origin. Many others from "Old Scotia" settled in the north part of the county, among whom were the heirs of James Alexander, and notably William (Lord Stirling), Walter Rutherford, etc. In 1740, John Bowlby pur- chased a tract-five thousand and eighty-eight acres -reaching from Asbury to Hampton Junction ; while he was running his boundaries Col. Daniel Coxe was laying out an adjoining tract on the cast, and there was great strife as to which should first get his survey on record, in order to secure as much of the Muscon- eteong Creek as possible. Bowlby was snecessful.


The settlement of German Valley, in the north part of the county, in the early part of the eighteenth century, was due to accident rather than design, as the emigrants who located there had a very different destination. A colony of German Reformed people who had been driven by perseention to Rhenish Prus- sia, and from Holland had embarked for New York with intent to settle on the banks of the Hudson, but had been carried by adverse winds into Delaware Bay instead, attempted to make their way overland to the point for which they set out. "They started from Philadelphia and went up to New Hope ; there, cross- ing the river, they took the Old York Road. Pre- cisely where this band struck the mountainous region is not known, but their vision was charmed with the tempting nature of the soil and the streams. They found this whole section astir with pioneers, who were prospecting and settling. Abandoning, therefore, their original intention, they resolved to establish themselves on the good land around them. From then and their descendants Germantown and German Valley derive their names. The names of many of these pioneers are yet found on the church record- of Lebanon. Probably at New Germantown a few Eng- lish people had already settled,"* but they were few and scattered. Yet this point, now known as New Germantown, and early called "Smithfield," was the first point occupied in what is now Tewksbury town- ship. Robert R. Honeyman, after searching among the records of New Germantown to prove the truth or falsity of many of the local traditions, prepared an able article, which was published in "Our Home" in 1873, and from which a pertinent extract is made :


* History of Hunterdon County, Rev, George S. Mott, D.D., 1878, p. 14.


188


HUNTERDON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.


" It is impossible to ascertain who was the first settler, or the date of the first settlement, at New Germantown. Our local sources of informa- tion on these points are ecant, and we are quite well assured that no ac- cessible recorde at Burlington or Treutou would furnish more light. But, with the information at hand, we can safely assert that New Germantown was the first settlement in Tewksbury township, and that it was settled by the English. . . . Johnson, Thompson, Cole, Plat, Ireland, Carlisle, and other English names appear cotemporaneously, and soon disappear. But Smith was the ruling man,-a large landowner, wealthy, and am- bitious of founding a town. The street now running east and west through the village formerly known as the 'Potterstown Road' (but called ' Church Street' in the existing survey of James Honeyman, 1818, and ' King Street' in the survey of Edward Wilmot, 1755) was first called "Smith's Lane.' A tract of ground lying between the Fox-Hill Road- so called from its first existence -- and Smith's Lane was called ' Smith's Field,' and the first name by which the settlement was known was Smithfield. But the Germans were rapidly filling up the country, and Smithfield was destined to become a German town in fact as well as in name."


The village began to be called by the latter name ahout the year 1750. In the charter for the old Lu- theran Church, procured from George III. in the year 1767, appear the following German names, indicating many of the settlers of that period, and somewhat the earlier settlers of this portion of the county : Law- rence Rudolph, Philip Weigs, Jacoh Klein, Peter Rish, Christopher Vogt, Balthus Pickel, Anthony Melick, etc., and the Rev. Henry Muhlenberg, Sr., who succeeded Paul Bryzelius, who followed John Albert Waygand, the first pastor (dating from 1748), save the Lutheran missionaries, who preached here as early as 1742.


Other early settlers in this section were John Honeyman, John Bergen, George Wilcox, Adam Ten Eyck, and Frederic Bartles. The latter was in the cavalry service of Frederick the Great, and was the grandfather of Charles Bartles, Esq., of Flem- ington.


At Fairmount, originally called Parkersville,* the first settlers came about 1740. There was preaching at the church of Fox Hill as early as 1747, according to Michael Schlatter. The name of the hill and of the settlement (Foxenburg) was derived from a man named Fox, an enterprising farmer, who introduced a new and superior kind of wheat.


One of the first settlers in the vicinity of White House was Baltus Pickel, who owned a tract at the foot of Cushetunk Mountain, now better known as " Pickle's Mountain." Abram Van Horn, from Mon- mouth, came about 1749, and settled on both sides of the creek, along the turnpike (south of the railroad) ; he built a mill which, like most of those of the Rari- tan valley, ground flour for the patriot army during the Revolution. Adrian Ten Eyck purchased in 1724, and about that date emigrated from Somerset County and located thereon. Cornelius Wyckoff, also, very early located here, settling on the Rock- away. He owned six hundred acres, and left numer- ous descendants.


The territory between the South Branch and Rin-


gos was occupied about 1740. In that year Adam Bellis located near Copper Hill, and about the same time the Stouts and Kuhls. In 1756, Samuel Fleming and Thomas Lowrey settled at Flemington, around whom clustered Philip Kase (at the Mine farm), George Creed, the first physician of the place, Joseplı Smith, John Haviland, Thomas Hunt, Robert Bur- gess, William Norcross, and James Farrar. North of Flemington, besides those before named, were Fred- erick Van Fleet, who came from Esopus, N. Y., in 1725, and bought lands of Van Etta at what was later known as Van Fleet's Corner. His son, Thomas, was the great-grandfather of the present vice-chancellor of the State. Governor John Reading, a son of the first John, located on the South Branch about the year 1715, two miles from Flemington, where afterwards he built the Reading homestead, and where he died at the age of eighty-one; it is now occupied by Philip Brown.


But it is impossible, in this connection, to enu- merate even the advance-guard of that vast army of emigrants who came in and occupied the land in the "early days," for "their name is Legion."


The most that has been aimed at in the foregoing account of early settlement has been to show in out- line, as near as possible, when the several portions of the county were first settled. In the township his- tories which are given herewith may be found more extended notices of the early families of the county.


The tide of emigration, advancing westward along the Raritan, spread along the two main branches of that stream, as we have seen, adding Scotch Presby- terians and Dutch Huguenots to the already located Quaker element, and, combining, gave, as Bancroft says, to "the rising commonwealth a character which a century and a half has not effaced." This part of Hunterdon County-the district between the conflu- ence of the branches of the Raritan and the Delaware -soon became known, and its natural advantages attracted many settlers. There was an abundance of timber, oak, hickory, beech, and maple, and the forests were full of game and the streams teemed with fish. The Raritan was navigable up to the union of the North and South Branches. Long afterwards much of the heavy produce was carried to market on those streams. In seasons of freshets the farmers up the river conveyed their grain to New Brunswick in flat-bottomed boats, floating them down and pulling them back. Old persons tell how, fifty years ago, brooks were double their present volume. No won- der, then, that East and West Jersey joined hands over Hunterdon County, and that the children were attracted away from their old homesteads at an early day, for that same eagerness to occupy the frontier and push farther west which has been the ruling passion for the last half-century possessed and aui- mated the sons of the settlers in the seventeenth century.


In addition, the political institutions were so liberal


* From Janics Parker, one of the early Jersey proprietors, who owned a large tract here.


189


LAND TITLES AND SETTLEMENT.


in their character that those who appreciated civil and religious liberty were attracted. And thus it came to pass that no county in the State had so mixed a population, composed, as it was, of Hugue- nots, Hollanders, Germans, Scotch, Irish, English, and native Americans.


The carliest record in the matter of building new bridges in Hunterdon County was May 9, 1764, when action was taken upon building a stone bridge over Assunpink Creek at Trenton. Nottingham was to pay one-third of the cost, and the justices and free- holders of Hunterdon voted three hundred pounds to be raised by tax for the purpose of paying its share (two-thirds) of the cost; Aug. 13, 1765, one hundred and fifty pounds additional was voted to complete the bridge.


The first action looking to the erection of a bridge within the present limits of Hunterdon was at a meet- ing held at John Dally's, Readington, Aug. 12, 1779, "agreeable to a notice issued by Nicholas Egbert and Cornelius Polhemus, two of the overseers of the roads of said township, in order to consult about building a bridge over the South Branch of Raritan River at a place known by the name of Reading's Ford, the question being put whether it should be notice or no notice, and it passed in the negative." The bridge was ordered to be built, however, Nov. 23, 1785, and two hundred and fifteen pounds were appropriated therefor. Thomas Reading took the contract for its erection.


The first road laid out in this county of which we find official mention is called in the records "the Amwell road, that leads from Malaychik into the road that comes from Green's plantation to Cornelius Anderson's," and is of date Dee. 13, 1721 .* The draft of this road may be found in the history of West Amwell township, in this work.


Among the early mills of Hunterdon was the grist- and fulling-mill of John Grandin, on the South Branch, later known as "Johnston's Mills." It was in a ruined condition a hundred years ago. Other pioneer mills were those of Philip Ringo, in Amwell; the one near Copper Hill, built at an early day by Cornelius Stout, which was supplanted in 1812 by another on the same site ; " Hunt's Mill," at what is now Clinton ; that of Abraham Van Horn, on the ('ushetunk ; Lowrey's old red grist-mill and saw-mill at Lowreytown, later known as Mill-ford, and now Milford ; Dall's old mill, and a host of others, for Hunterdon County was noted for its mill-seats at an early day, and in no county in the State were mills more numerous. All along the North and South Branches of the Raritan, and even on some of their tributaries, they could be found, and, almost without exception, during the Revolution they supplied flour to the patriot army whilst operating in this portion of the State.


It has been published that the first religious society established in the county was the Friends' Meeting at Quakertown. This is an error. The Quaker Church there dates back only to about 1733, the date of the deed to the land on which their meeting-house was erected. The Presbyterian Church of Hopewell, at Pennington, was established in 1698, and the Baptist Church of Hopewell in the year 1705. The Reading- ton Reformed Dutch Church dates from 1719. All these, and possibly others, antedate the Quakertown Church.


Hunterdon County was noted for its patriotism during the Revolutionary struggle, and hands down to us a long list of patriots who served with its militia and the Continental line during the war. Many of her sons were prominent members of the Provincial Congress or Council of Safety, and many, too, distin- guished themselves upon the battle-field. Gen. Daniel Morgan, Col. John Mehelm, Gen. Charles Stewart, Col. Maxwell, Col. Philip Johnston, Col. Bonnell, Maj. Runyon, Capts. Adam Hope, Nathan Stout, Joseph Stout, David Schomp, William Chamberlin, and a host of other honored names, present them- selves. In the chapter upon the "Revolutionary Period," and the several township histories, will be found detailed accounts of the Revolutionary heroes.




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