USA > New Jersey > Hudson County > Jersey City > History of Jersey City, N.J. : a record of its early settlement and corporate progress, sketches of the towns and cities that were absorbed in the growth of the present municipality, its business, finance, manufactures and form of government, with some notice of the men who built the city > Part 28
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64
THE CATHOLIC CLUB.
The Catholic Club was organized in 1892 by Rev. Charles J. Kelly, now pas- tor of St. Mary's Church in Hoboken. A plot of land on Jersey Avenne near Third Street, was purchas- ed and a handsome club- house was erected. The
members, aided by their lady friends, held a fair in October, 1892, to raise funds for the enterprise, and in about three weeks they sccured over $16,000. The club-house is a four-storied brick building with stone trimmings. It has a frontage of fifty feet, and is one hundred feet deep. It is fitted with all the comforts and conveniences required to make it attractive. The ground floor is devoted to baths, bowling alleys and the cycling department. The second floor contains a large billiard room, a spa- cious game and smoking room, a coat room and a reading room. On the third floor are the ladies' parlor, music room and a well-filled library, all luxuriously furnish- 1 ed. The fourth floor is a well equipped 1 gymnasium, which also serves for recep- 1 tions and entertainments. The club has 358 active and 245 associate members. The associates are ladies, and they enjoy the privileges of the club on Thursday evenings, and all afternoons, excepting Sundays and holidays. The membership is open to all Catholic men over eighteen years of age. The officers and commit- tees in January, 1895, were :
Officers-Rev. James F. Mooney, presi- dent ; James R. Bowen, secretary.
Directors-John Griffin, James J. Mo- ran, Thomas Harney, E. J. Riordan, A. A. Daly, N. R. Vanderhoof, H. J. Burns.
House Committee-John Griffin, chair- man ; M. J. Fagin, Arthur Rice.
CATHOLIC CLUB.
-
:
1
HOME OF THE UNION LEAGUE CLUB, JERSEY CITY.
185
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
Library Committee-James R. Bowen, chairman ; S. H. Horgan, John J. Joyce, Daniel Reilly, Charles F. Gallagher.
Entertainment Committee-James J. Moran, chairman ; Edward H. Holland, E. M. Har- rison, N. Louis Paladeau, D. J. Sullivan.
Bowling Committee-E. J. Riordan, chairman ; B. J. Laverty, J. C. Minihan, D. F. Mallon, Thomas Cavanagh, T. F. O'Brien.
Billiard Committee-Thomas Harney, chairman ; G. F. Farrell, B. B. Anderson, Frank Riordan, E. J. Devitt, J. A. Shields, J. W. Mullins.
Athletic Committee-N. R. Vanderhoof, chairman ; M. McInerney, John Reilly, James Donohuc.
Cycling Committee-A. A. Daly, chairman ; John Stone, Thomas Kennedy, Joseph Duane, Joseph Hayes, George Moersdorf.
Committee on Games-H. J. Burns, chairman ; Thomas J. Meskill, John F. Relish.
The management of the club is in the hands of a board of directors, with the Rev. James F. ยท Mooney, of St. Mary's Church, as president of the board. Each member of the board is also a chairman of one of the several departments of the club, with authority to appoint his own as- sistants in that department. Reports, suggestions and resolutions of the several departments are presented at the meetings of the board of directors, and acted upon to the best interests of the departments themselves and of the club in general. No effort is being spared by the board of directors to make the club attractive in every feature and department.
THE UNION LEAGUE CLUB.
The defcat of Mr. George F. Perkins, the republican nominee for mayor of Jersey City, was a severe disappointment to the better element in the community. If the people had been satisfied that the result was honestly obtained there would have been no protest. In arrang- ing for a judicial serutiny of the means by which the election was conducted, the absence of a comfortable place for meetings and a strong organization was severely felt. When Gen. John Ramsay proposed to organize a club on the same plan as that adopted by the Union League of New York, he found many who were willing to take part in the proceedings. The idea was first presented at a meeting held in Franklin Hall, a short time after the spring election of 1890. Among those who were present and agreed to join in the movement were : Major Z. K. Pang- born, Gilbert Collins, C. D. Ridgeway, W. E. Pearson, S. D. Dickenson, Thomas McEwan, George McDowell and General Ramsay. After talking about the plan it was decided to call a meeting for June 3d, at the same place, to organize a club. Circulars were sent to a large number of prominent republicans, and there was a large attendance when the club was form- ally organized by the election of Charles D. Ridgeway, president and Thomas McEwan, Jr., secretary. The club was incorporated the following day, and it was a success from the start. Numerically and financially it was strong. Almost the first thing done was the purchase of the handsome club-house on York Street fronting on Van Vorst Park. The building was re- fitted and enlarged. It contains everything that is required to make a social club attractive and comfortable.
It has been the scene of many popular demonstrations, and its members have been ad- dressed by prominent statesmen from all scetions of the country. The officers of the elub from its organization to the present have been as follows :
Presidents-Charles D. Ridgeway, 1890 ; John A. Blair, 1891 to the present.
Vice-presidents-George F. Perkins, 1891-92 : John J. Toffey, 1894 ; Simeon H. Smith, 1895. Sceretaries-Thomas McEwan, Jr., 1800-94 ; Robert B. Gray, 1895.
Treasurers-Dr. Pierson Rector, 1890, deceased 1891 ; George J. Medole, 1891-92 ; Frank J. Matthews, 1893 ; J. Alvin Young, 1894; W. 11. Vermilye, 1895.
Trustees-1890-John A. Blair, Z. K. Pangborn, S. Hammerschlag, James H. Love, Gilbert Collins; 1891-William E. Pearson, Oliver II. Perry, John A. Walker, George E. Watson, Edward W. Wooley ; 1892-Gilbert Collins, H. H. Abernethy, Jr., J. J. Detwiller, George R. Hillier, S. 11. Smith : 1893-George E. Watson, A. B. Dusenberry, Spencer Weart, S. F. Swezey, Robert B. Gray ; 1894-N. B. Shafer, John A. Walker, H. 11. Holmes, Harry Hill, J. R. Turner ; 1895-John Ramsay, O. H. Lohsen, John A. Walker, Flavel McGee, R. S. Ross.
186
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
THE HUDSON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CLUB.
The Hudson County Democratic Association was organized in 1888. The more prominent among the incorporators were: Dr. Leonard J. Gordon, the late Gen. Wm. F. Abbett, ex- Assemblyman George A. Heaney, ex-Governor Leon Abbett, ex-Governor J. D. Bedle, George L. Record, and Dr. Benjamin Edge. The first club-house was a dwelling on Barrow Street, owned by the late Congressman A. A. Hardenbergh. After two years, the present club-house was secured. It is located on York Street, fronting on Van Vorst Square, and is a commodious three-story and basement brown stone building. The first floor contains the pool and billiard rooms, the large assembly-room and library. The assembly-room is decorated with portraits of the Presidents of the United States and the State governors. The second floor contains a series of meeting-rooms. The membership is limited to 150, and is always full. It contains the more prominent members of the democratie party, including Governor Werts, ex-Governor Abbett, Judges Lippincott, Hudspeth, and McGrath, Robert Davis and John P. Feeney. The present officers are : George A. Heaney, president ; Dr. Wm. Perry Watson, vice-president ; Fred. S. Carter, treasurer ; Joseph D. Bedle, Jr., secretary. Board of governors : James P. Hall, chairman ; Otto Crouse, secretary, and John J. Voorhees, Thomas Egan, John L. Bonham, Fred. C. Wolbert, Dr. M. J. Smith, Geo. W. C. Phillips, Dr. Mortimer Lampson, Thomas Hinds and Dr. J. D. McGill.
.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE BENCH AND BAR-BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF NOTED JURISTS AND A COMPLETE LIST OF THE PROFESSION IN JERSEY CITY,
HE bar of Hudson County dates from the formation of the county in 1840. The first court was opened in Lyceum Hall on Grand Street, Jersey City, on April 14, 1840. Chief Justice Joseph C. Hornblower presided. The court was held in this place until September 19, 1843, when it was removed to the Newkirk House at Five Corners. There they met until March 11, 1845, when the court house was opened. At the time the first court was opened at the Lyceum there were only eight lawyers living in the county, and all were residents of Jersey City ; six of them were men of ability and prominence ; two were young men who died before they had made their mark in the community.
The members of the bar in Jersey City have always borne a good reputation, and quite a number of them have achieved eminence in their profession. Even the individual members who have failed to fulfil public expectation have been faithful to their trusts, and the records show a remarkable scarcity of moral wrecks.
The first practitioner who lived in Jersey City was JAMES WILLIAMS. He was admitted at the May term, 1812, and opened an office soon after. The population was small and there was but little litigation. He was glad to abandon the field after four years' unfruitful efforts to build up a practice. He left his office to SAMUEL CASSEDY in 1816. Cassedy was born in Hack- ensack, the county seat, on June 22, 1790. He was one of three brothers, each of whom achieved prominence. George, the elder brother, was a distinguished member of the Hackensack bar. He was three times elected to congress, and candidates at that time had to run at-large in the State as there were no districts. He served in the XVII, XVIII and XIX Congresses, from 1821 to 1827. John Cassedy, the other brother was a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, represented Bergen in the State council, of which he was president in 1842. He was a senator from Hudson County in 1850, after the conneil had become the senate. He was a member of the constitu- tional convention of 1844. and is on the record as "gentleman, age 47." Samuel was educated in Hackensack, and moved to Kentucky, where he was admitted to the bar in 1814. He re- turned to New Jersey, and was admitted as an attorney in 1816. He located in Jersey City at once, and became popular and successful. He was a volunteer in the war of 1812, and was a lieut .- col. on the staff of Gov. Vroom. He was Prosecutor of the Pleas in Bergen, when it in- cluded Hudson County. He died August 30, 1862.
JONATHAN DICKINSON MILLER was born at Somerville, Somerset County, January 22, 1804. His family lived there for many generations. He was admitted to the bar in May, 1827, and became counselor in May, 1831. He was the second lawyer to practise in Jersey City and was a prominent citizen for forty years and took an active interest in its progress. He married Ann Eliza, a daughter of John Van Vorst, a grandson of that Cornelius Van Vorst known in history as "Faddy." Mr. Miller became quite wealthy and died in June, 1867.
LEWIS D. HARDENBERGH was the third lawyer resident in Jersey City. His grandfather was the first president of Queen's (now Rutgers) College, in New Brunswick. His father, Jacob R., was admitted to the bar at the February term, 1805. Lewis D. was born in New Brunswick in 1803. He was admitted to the bar at the May term. 1825, and became counselor 1828. He went to Utica to practise and while there Horatio Seymour, afterwards governor of New York, was a student in his office. He returned to New Jersey and was appointed Prosecutor of Bergen County in 1836. He resigned, and in 1840 was appointed Prosecutor in Hudson County. He was one of the organizers of the Park Reformed Church and one of its first deacons. His health failed and he gave up his practice to accept the secretaryship of the Hudson Mutual
188
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
Insurance Company, a position he held until his death, in 1857. His son, Jacob R., practised in Jersey City a number of years, but removed to Omaha, Neb., where he resumed his practice.
PETER BENTLEY was the fourth lawyer in the city. He was born in the village of Half- Moon, Saratoga County, N. Y., in 1805. His early life was spent on a farm, and he was twenty years of age when he moved to Jersey City and learned to set type to secure a livelihood while he prepared himself for his profession. He read law in Samuel Cassedy's office and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1834, becoming a counselor in 1839. He practised in Jersey City forty- one years, and died September 26. 1875. He was clerk of the selectmen in 1833 and mayor of the city in 1843. He was one of the organizers of the Provident Savings Institution and a member of its board of trustees thirty years, vice-president fourteen years and counsel for many years. He was one of the organizers of the Mechanics and Traders (now the First National) Bank, also of the Jersey City Fire Insurance Company, and was a director of the Jersey City and Bergen Plank Road Company and of the Jersey City Gas Light Company. He married Miss Margaret E. Holmes October 13, 1842, who still survives. They had two children, Rosaline H., who married Thomas H. Tower, a member of the New York Stock Exchange, and Peter, who was born December 5, 1845. He was trained to the law in his father's office and admitted as an attorney in June, 1868, and as counselor at the June term, 1871. He suc- ceeded to his father's practice and became a trustee in the Provident Savings Institution and its counsel, as well as a director in the Hudson County Bank. He took an active part in munic- ipal affairs, as his father had done. though he never accepted any office. He died at his home in Jersey City.
THOMAS W. JAMES, the fifth lawyer in Jersey City and the only survivor of those who con stituted the Hudson County bar when the county was created, was born in Philadelphia in 1812. His parents were living there temporarily at the time. They were of Huguenot descent, and the family settled in New Jersey before William Penn reached America, Mr. James was admitted to the bar at the September term, 1839, and opened an office in Jersey City. Soon afterwards he admitted E. R. V. Wright to partnership. Mr. James is the oldest practising counselor in the State. He is counsel for the Second National Bank and does a profitable office business. He was one of the organizers and the first secretary and treasurer of the Provident Savings Institution. He has always been an earnest worker for the Protestant Episcopal Church, and has had part in organizing all the churches of that denomination there are in this city.
The sixth lawyer in the order of time in the city was EDWIN RUTHVEN VINCENT WRIGHT. He was born in Hoboken January 2. 1812, and died in Jersey City January 21, 1871. He was admitted at the May term, 1839, and became counselor in February, 1844. He began practice as a partner of Thomas W. James. After the partnership was dissolved he moved his office to Newark Avenue, opposite the court house. He edited a weekly newspaper called the Jersey Blue, and published in Hoboken in 1836 while he was studying for the bar. In 1843 he was elected a member of the state council. In 1850 he was appointed Prosecutor by Gov. Haines, and served five years. In 1855 he became the first mayor of Hudson City. He was the demo- cratic nominee against Charles S. Olden in 1859, and was defeated, after an exciting campaign, by a majority of 1,601. In 1864 he ran for Congress against E. B. Wakeman and was elected, serving in the XXXIX. Congress in 1865-7. He was a popular speaker and a prominent figure in State politics for over thirty years.
BENJAMIN F. VANCLEVE was admitted to practice May, 1830, and settled in Jersey City some time later.
WILLIAM S. CASSIDY was admitted in September, 1840. Both of these gentlemen were resi- dents of Jersey City in 1840. Vancleve was from Hunterdon County. Cassidy's record has not been preserved.
THE BENCH.
JOSEPH C. HORNBLOWER was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court fourteen years. He was born in Belleville, Essex County, in 1777 His father was a civil engineer, and served as a member of the legislature and as a delegate to the Continental Congress. He was chosen Chief Justice in 1832, and re-elected in 1539. In the following year he opened the first court
189
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
in this county. He took part in the ceremony of dedicating the court house, and was a favorite with Hudson County people of his day. He was not reappointed for political reasons. He was a federalist, a whig and a republican. He was an anti-slavery man of the most radical type. After leaving the bench, he was for a time Professor of Law at Princeton. He was an elder in the Presbyterian church, and took an active part in religious and benevolent work. He was one of the original members of the American Bible Society, president of the New Jersey Colo- nization Society, and president of the New Jersey Historical Society, and a member of the Tract and Missionary societies. He was one of the convention that nominated Gen. Fremont. He died in 1864.
HENRY WOODHULL GREEN was the second Circuit Judge of Hudson. He was also Chief Justice, and held his first circuit in Hudson at the November term, 1846, and his last at the April term, 1853. He was born at Lawrence, Hunterdon, afterwards Mercer County, September 20, 1804. He graduated at Princeton, in the class of 1820, studied law with Charles Ewing, afterwards Chief Justice, and was admitted at the November term, 1825. He was Recorder of Trenton, represented Mercer County in the legislature in 1842, was a delegate to the whig na- tional convention in 1844, was appointed Chief Justice by Gov. Stratton in 1846, reappointed by Gov. Fort in 1853, and resigned to accept the position of Chancellor in 1860, which he held until 1866, when his health gave way and he resigned. He was a trustee of the College of New Jer- sey and also of the Theological Seminary. He was a learned judge and a christian gentleman. His most conspicuous service was in preventing New York rowdies from creating disturbances in Hudson. It was the custom for New York target companies to visit the west side of the river, and they generally indulged in riotons disturbances. The Kelly Gnards came over, and during a drunken spree discharged fire-arms on Montgomery Street, spreading consternation as far as their weapons would carry. Many of the men were arrested, and Judge Green sent them to State prison for long terms. This put an end to the outrage. He died Decem- ber 19, 1876.
DANIEL HAINES was the third Circuit Judge. He succeeded Chief Justice Green at the Sep- tember term, 1853, and served until the January term, 1856. He was born in New York City, 1801 ; graduated at the College of New Jersey, 1820 ; studied with Thomas C. Ryerson at New- ton, and admitted to the bar in 1823. He began practice the following year at Hamburg, Sussex County. He was elected a member of the State council from Sussex, was governor in 1843, and when the new constitution was adopted. In 1847 he was re-elected governor, and was appointed an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by Gov. Fort in 1852, and re- appointed in 1859 by Gov. Newell. He retired from the bench in 1866. He was one of the commissioners to select a site for a lunatic asylum in 1845, and one of the first board of managers. In 1870 he represented the State at the National Prison Reform Congress, and was for many years a trustee of the College of New Jersey. In 1873 he was one of the commis- sioners to adjust the Jersey City street and sewer assessments. He died January 26, 1877.
ELIAS B. D. OGDEN was the fourth Circuit Judge. He was a son of Gov. Aaron Ogden ; was born at Elizabethtown in 1800. He graduated at Princeton in 1819, and was admitted to the bar in 1824. He was the last lawyer in New Jersey who received the honorary title of Sergeant-at-Law. He practised in Paterson, and was Prosecutor of Passaic for two terms. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention in 1844. He was appointed an Associate- Justice of the Supreme Court in 1848 by Gov. Haines, reappointed in 1855 by Gov. Price and again in 1862 by Gov. Olden. He died February 24, 1865. He held court in Hudson from January, 1856, until he died. He was a democrat in politics, and a member of the Epis- copal church.
JOSEPH DORSKET BEDLE was the fifth Judge. He was born at Matawan, Monmouth Coun- ty, N. J., January 5, 1831. He came from a family which emigrated from Bermuda a century and a half ago. His father, Thomas I. Bedle, was a merchant, a justice of the peace twenty- five years, and a judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Monmouth County. His mother, Hannah Dorsett, descended from a family of the early settlers of Monmonth. He was edn- cated at the Matawan Academy and at the Law School at Ballston Spa, New York. He began the study of law in the office of W. L. Dayton at Trenton in 1848, and was one winter in the
190
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
law office of Thompson & Weeks at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. In 1852 he was admitted to the New York bar as attorney and counselor. Ile returned to his home, and was for a short time in the office of Henry S. Little at Matawan. He was admitted to the New Jersey bar in June, 1853. He began the practice of his profession at Matawan and remained until 1855, when he removed to Freehold. He had built up a good practice when he was offered a seat on the Supreme Court Bench by Gov. Parker. His commission wasdated March 13, 1865. In 1872 he was reappointed. He removed to Jersey City when he accepted the appointment. In 1871 he was prominently named as a candidate for governor, but he discouraged the movement. In 1874 the unanimous nomi- nation was tendered by the democratic State convention, and he accepted on condition that he should not be required to take any part in the campaign. He was unwilling to have any action of his bring politics into a judicial position. The people appreciated the high position he took, and elected him governor with the largest majority ever cast for that office in the State. After his term expired he associated himself with the law firm of Muirheid & McGee, in Jersey City, the firm thereafter being Bedle, Muir- heid & McGee. In 1875 Princeton Col- lege added the degree of LL.D. to the degree of A. M., which it had previously conferred.
On July 10, 1861, he was married to Althea F., daughter of Hon. Bennington F. Randolph, of Freehold. Their chil- dren are : Bennington Randolph Bedle, born in 1862, now United States Consul at Sheffield, England; Joseph Dorsett Bedle, Jr., born 1864, now a colonel on the staff of Gov. Werts; Thomas Fran- cis Bedle, born 1865, now a major on the staff of Brig .- Gen. Wanser ; Althea Randolph, born 1871, now wife of Adolph Rusch, of New York ; Mary Howell Bedle, born 1873, died 1883 ; Randolph Bedle, born 1875, now a student in Princeton.
Gov. Bedle died October 21, 1894. He was an able lawyer, a conscientious christian, a good citizen and a power for good in the State.
MANNING M. KNAPP, the sixth Judge, was born in Newton, Sussex County, June 7, 1823. He studied law with Col. JOSEPH DORSETT BEDLE. Robert Hamilton in Newton and was admitted to the bar at the July term, 1846. He removed to Hackensack that winter and retained a residence there for the rest of his life. He was appointed Prosecutor to fill an unexpired term as Prosecutor for Bergen County and held the office over a dozen years. When Judge Bedle was elected gov- ernor he nominated Mr. Knapp for the position of Associate Justice. The judicial distriet prior to 1875 embraced Hudson, Bergen and Passaie : but the work was too much for one man and the legislature in 1875 divided it, setting off Iludson as a separate district. It was to Hudson that Judge Knapp was assigned, and he thus became the first Circuit Judge for Hudson alone. He was reappointed by Gov. Ludlow in 1882 and by Gov. Green in 1889. He was married to Anna Mattison, daughter of Capt. Joseph Mattison, United States Navy, in 1850. They had two children-Annie M., wife of W. V. Clark, of Hackensack, and Joseph M. Knapp, who was admitted to the bar in June, 1883, and practises in Jersey City. Judge Knapp fell dead while charging the Grand Jury on January 26, 1892.
GEORGE T. WERTS, the seventh Circuit Judge, was appointed by Gov. Abbett in February, 1892. He was born at Hackettstown, Warren County, March 24, 1846. He was educated at the
:
HON. JOB LIPPINCOTT.
191
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
Bordentown High School and the State Model School at Trenton. He studied law in Morris- town with Atty .- Gen. Jacob Vannatto, his maternal uncle, and was admitted to the bar at the November term, 1867. He was Reeorder of Mor- ristown from 1883 to 1885 and mayor from 1886 to 1892. He was senator from Morris from 1886 until he resigned to become Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 1892. He was elected gov- ernor in 1892 and resigned from the bench.
JOB H. LIPPINCOTT was born near Mount Holly, New Jersey, November 12, 1842. He was reared on his father's farm at Vincentown, New Jersey, and received a common school education. When eighteen years of age he attended a private academy at Vincentown, conducted by John G. Herbert, for one year. Afterwards he attended the Mount Holly Institute, under the tuition of the Rev. Samuel Aaron, for about a year. He entered as a law student the law office of Ewan Merritt, Esq., at Mount Holly, January 1, 1863. During his period of service as a law student he attended the Dane Law School of Harvard Uni- versity, at Cambridge, Mass., and in July. 1865, he graduated therefrom with the degree of Bachelor GEORGE T. WERTS. of Laws, and at the February term, 1867, of the Supreme Court, he was admitted to the bar of this State.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.