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 45
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304
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
ST. BRIDGET'S CHURCH. The parish was organized in 1869 by Bishop Bayley, and Rev. Patrick Corrigan was its first pastor. The corner-stone was laid November 14, 1869, and a com- modious trame church was ready for service on December 25, 1869. The church stood on Mer- cer Street, and the congregation numbered about one hundred. Father Corrigan labored there six years. Rev. E. P. Smyth succeeded him in January, 1875. Rev. James Hanly followed on February 1, 1882, and on January 6, 1890, Rev. P. M. Corr was appointed. During Father Han- ly's incumbency the handsome large church at Montgomery and Brunswick streets was erected. It was only partially equipped, and Father Corr finished it. Rev. W. H. Dornin is the present pastor, assisted by Fathers D. S. Clancy and S. A. Holleran. There is a handsome rectory, a large parochial school and a Catholic club house connected with the church. The congregation numbers over 6000.
ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH. This church is the largest and finest in the city, and occupies one of the best sites the city affords. It is on the crest of Bergen Hill, on the corner of Grand Street and Bramhall Avenue. The structure is 272 feet long and 138 feet wide, built of stone. and, with the rectory, cost over $300,000. The district was a mission, attached first to Jersey City, then to Hudson City. There was a small wooden church in which assistant priests from other churches held services. In 1870 Bishop Bayley made it a separate parish, and assigned Rev. Patrick Hen- nessy to form a church. The corner-stone of the new edifice was laid by Archbishop Bayley No- vember 13, 1870, but the church was not finished, ready for dedication, until August 19, 1877. Father Hennessy is still pastor, and has been popular with the citizens generally. He was born at Limerick in 1834, graduated at Mt. St. Mary's College, Emmitts- burgh, MId., in 1859. Ilis theological course was made at the American Col- lege in Rome, and he was ordained a priest by Cardi- ST. MICHAEL'S ORPHAN VSVIUM. nal Patrizzi, in the cathe- dral of St. John Lateran,
in 1863. Father Hennessy's labors in the temperance cause have given him a national reputa- tion. Rev. James J. Shechan, the assistant priest, has also achieved deserved popularity.
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH The increase of population on the western side of Bergen Hill opened the way for a church in that section ten years ago, and Rev. B. Henry Ter Woert was commissioned to organize one. At that time the old St. James Hotel at Marion had become a tenement house. It had a large vacant room, which had once been the billiard room. This the young priest hired, and there he said his first mass on November 9, 1884. The altar was improvised with two tables borrowed from an adjoining beer saloon. There were no chairs, and the worshippers knelt on the floor. Nothing could be more simple or primitive than this beginning. A boy carried the vestments, and that boy is now Father McCrarn. Father Ter Woert's father presented him with five lots of ground on the corner of Nelson Avenue and Van Winkle Street, and in twenty-four days the young priest had a commodious frame church built on the eastern end of the plot. In most a large brick parochial school was built at a cost of $13,600, and it now has over boo pupils in daily attendance. On November 24, 1892, Bishop Wigger laid the corner-stone for the handsome Romanesque church on the Nelson Avenue front of the property. The avenue in the meantime had become the Boulevard. This church
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HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
is an ornate structure, 157 hy 57 feet, with a chapel 57 by 27 feet and a tower 252 feet high. It cost $100,000. A neat rectory was built some time ago, and the church property is now worth $150,000.
ST. BONIFACE CHURCH, on First Street, between Erie and Jersey Avenue, was built by Rev. Dominick Kraus. It is a German church. The corner-stone was laid in June, 1864. The present pastor is Rev. Wm. F. Wahl, and the assistant is Rev. Charles Mull.
ST. ANTHONY, OF PADUA, is a large stonc church recently erected for the Polish Catholics on Monmouth Street between Sixth and Seventh. Rev. L. Kukowski is pastor.
HOLY ROSARY CHURCH is an Italian church on Sixth Street near Monmouth. Rev. P. Schoenan is pastor.
CATHOLIC COMMUNITIES.
Fathers of the Society of Jesus, 107 Grand Street ; Rev. J. Harpes, S. J., superior.
House of the Brothers of the Christian Sehools, 250 Second Street ; Brother Albion, director.
House of the Franciscan Brothers, 93} Mercer Street ; Brother Anthony, superior.
Convent of the Sisters of St. Dominic, Greenville; Sister M. Angelo, superior ; also 35 Van Winkle Street ; Sister M. Mecthilde, superior.
Convent of the Sisters of Charity, 561 Jersey Avenue; Sister Francis of Assisium, sister servant.
Convent of St. Dominic, mother house, 254 First Street ; Mother M. Catherine, prioress.
St. Joseph's Convent of the Sisters of the Peace, 78 Grand Street; Mother Ignatius, superior.
Convent of the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis, St. Francis' Hospital; Sister Demetria, superior.
Convent of the Sisters of Christian Charity, 15 Ferry Street ; Sister Appolonia, superior. Convent of the Sisters of Charity, 618 Grove Street ; Sister Morcia, superior.
Convent of the Sisters of Charity, 112 Grand Street; Sister M. Zita, sister servant.
Convent of the Sisters of Charity, Pavonia Avenue and Erie Street ; Sister M. Liberata, sister servant.
Convent of the Sisters of Charity, 94 Mercer Street ; Sister Maurice, sister servant.
Convent of the Sisters of Charity, 166 Hancock Avenue; Sister Maria Francis, sister servant.
Convent of the Sisters of St. Dominie, Linden Avenue; Sister M. Angelo, superior.
CHAPTER XXXI.
THE CITY OF TO-DAY-WHAT CAUSED ITS REMARKABLE GROWTH- STATISTICS OF ITS CIVIC WORK AND INDUSTRIES DOWN TO DATE.
JERSEY CITY stands at the front door of the nation. The waves of the Atlantic wash its wharves, and the land that adjoins its back doors extends to the Golden Gate, where the setting sun gilds the Pacific Ocean. Its unrivaled location has been the secret of its success. This location attracted the attention of enterprising men ninety years ago, and with the eye of faith they faintly discerned the coming city. At that time there was but a single house in Paulus Hook. In preceding chapters the story of the early efforts has been told. After forty years the future city was still a village, but the faith of its founders never wavered. The latter half of the ninety years has justified their faith, and was made pos- sible by their works. The grassy shores of half a century ago have been mailed in commercial armor, and miles of solid piers now face deep water far beyond the old landing places. The hills and valleys, creeks and marshes, have disap- peared, and broad, level, paved streets, lined with buildings, thronged with people, have blotted out these old landmarks. The trees that beautified the shores have given way to forests, whose buds are block and tackle. Every port in the world is con- nected by bounding billows with these piers, and no railway station is too remote to be linked to Jersey City by bonds of steel. The other shore of the water that laps its piers includes every shore VIEW OF JERSEY CITY FROM THE RIVER. that bounds the oceans; the other end of the rail- ways that diverge from its depots includes every railroad on the continent.
Few foreign ports have prospered without drawing on Jersey City's resources ; no western town has flourished without aid and comfort from this city by the sea. No city in the country offers more advantages for residence or business. Every source of supply for every material for profit or pleasure is in communication with Jersey City piers and depots. Coal, iron and wood, building material and everything required in manufacturing is cheap by reason of the ease of transportation. Coal by rail or water without cartage, spurs to factory yards that trans- form them into depots for every railroad on the continent, and an abundant supply of labor and material, with the best market in the world within a mile of the ferry slip, have all conspired to make Jersey City grow and prosper. These causes have made Jersey City increase from a bustling village of 6,000, when the census of 1850 was taken, to a city that now numbers 180,000, and hopes to pass the 200,000 line before the next national census is taken.
NEWARK
HACKEN SAC
ANNOAVS
vr .- f-
NEW
-
YORK
BAY
HOBOKEN CITY
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HUDSON
RIVER
By premission of J. W. Harrison, publisher.
MAP OF JERSEY CITY, N. J.
3º7
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
The city occupies a peninsula. The Hudson and Hackensack rivers bound it on the east and west in the northern portion, and New York and Newark bays on the east and west of its southern section. It has a water front on each side of about six miles, the eastern six miles fronting on the best harbor in the world. It is at the focus of travel and commerce. The railroad lines having ter- mini in Jersey City number their incoming and outgo- i ing trains by thousands. The passengers carried an- - nually by the eight lines of ferries leaving Jersey City have passed the billion line in number. More ocean steamships sail from Jersey City piers than from those of any city in the Union except New York, and the breeze that cools the toil- SCENE ON MONTGOMERY STREET. ers in her shops also lifts the flags of every nation along her shores. The grain elevators on the river front are among the largest in the world. Among the manufactories in Jersey City are some of the largest of their kind ; business firms whose names are household words the world over ; whose labels are printed in every language known to trade ; whose products grace the shelves of store- keepers in every nation. Factories, like the Lorillard Tobacco Works, where more than three thousand wage-earners are employed ; sugar houses, with an output approximating seven thou- sand barrels a day; soap works, like Colgate & Company's immense establishment, whose product forms part of every perfect toilet ; pencil factories, like Dixon's, whose product is to be found in every stationery store. These and many others have found busi- ness homes in Jersey City, and have carried its name through every business artery known to com- merce. Smoky plumes from tall chimneys, and gushing steam jets, cover the business section of the city, like banners waving over the busy haunts of the artisans, who are provid- ing for the wants of the people wherever people have wants.
SCENE ON NEWARK AVENUE.
south direction longitudinally through the city. This hill is about eighty feet high and about a mile in width. Natural grades give access on the west slope to the meadow land along the
The city is divided into east, west and hill sections by Bergen Hill, a trap-rock formation, which extends in a generally north and
308
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
Hackensack River and Newark Bay. The elevation decreases toward the south, and is scarcely noticeable at the southern end of the city. In the upper half of the city the hill shows quite
SCENE ON NEWARK AVENUE FROM GROVE STREET.
an abrupt bluff on the east and affords fine views of New York and the harbor. This elevated plateau is about a mile in width and is rapidly becoming the favored residence section. Building lots can be had there at prices ranging from $500 to $2,500, ac- cording to location. In the business section the range is from $5,000 to $25,000 a lot, the city lot being 2,500 square feet, with a street frontage of 25 feet. Real estate has rapidly appreciated in value, as will be seen by reference to the annual return of ratables on an- other page. The area of Almost one-third of the area
the city is now 12,288 acres, but nearly one-half is marsh land. has been absorbed by railroads and canals, and every lot bought by these corporations is taken from the local list of ratables to be taxed by the State. The State refunds the tax collected to the municipalities affected. In spite of the withdrawal of nearly a third of the ratable area the ratables have increased from $60,726,887 in 1871 to $86,470,970 in 1894. The value of the railroad and canal property approximates $30,000,000, and the increase of the individual holding has been over $26,000,000 since 1871. This is within $4,000,000 of an increase of 100 per cent. The business of the city has grown in like manner. New sections have been invaded by stores and workshops. Merchants have enlarged their stores and opened branches in many instances to accommodate more re- mote sections of the city. The banks have increased in number and have en- larged their premises. The First National Bank re- cently enlarged its bank- ing house, and the Hudson County and Provident Sav- ings Banks have erected handsome new buildings. The Title Guarantee and Trust Company has built a fine building. The Second National put up a commo- dious building a few years ago. These are but in- SCENE ON GROVE STREET. stances. An enumeration of new business enterprises would resemble a business directory for a less active community.
The growing population has made heavy intraurban travel. The street cars of a few years
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
309
ago, that employed a thousand horses, have been replaced with electric lines, which have been extended in many directions, until there are nearly fifty miles of streets occupied, and many more authorized. The northern section of the city, where the bluff is high, has an elevated system, giving access to the Hoboken fer- ries. Electric lines have been extended to Bayonne, Newark, Orange and other suburban places, and all do a good business. Any por- tion of the city can be reached in ten minutes from any central location. The cars leaving the fer- ries form an almost 1111- broken procession night and day. A broad boule- vard has been built through the county from north to south, which affords a drive of fourteen and a half SCENE ON PACIFIC AVENUE. miles. It has a central driveway of rolled earth, with smooth Telford pavements and broad sidewalks, illuminated with electric lights, shaded by trees, and affording views of both river valleys and the harbor, from well chosen points reached by artistic curves that carry the road from one side of the hill to the other. No city in the country has a finer driveway. It is sprinkled daily, and teaming for commercial purposes is not allowed on the road. It is designed as a pleasure drive, and was built at a cost of $2,500,000. A fine class of buildings is growing up along this driveway, and real estate fronting on it has gone up in value with great rapidity. The road is one hun- dred feet wide, and over six miles of it is in Jersey City. The main thoroughfares are paved
.
r
SCENE ON KENSINGTON AVENUE
with Belgian blocks, cut from trap rock, but the city is extending a system of asphalt paving through the residence streets, and in a few years a majority of the streets will be rendered noiseless and easily kept clean by reason of their smooth surfaces. The team traffic on the main thoroughfares is very heavy. Several streets have an average of 600 vehicles an hour during business hours. This has caused the Pennsylvania and Delaware, Lackawan- na & Western railroad companies to elevate their tracks through the city. The railway depots re-
cently erected by the Pennsylvania, New Jersey Central, Lehigh Valley and Erie railway com- panies are among the largest in the country. Many special freight depots are novelties.
310
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
The milk, fowl, hay, small fruit and cattle depots are all notable buildings of their class. There are ferries running to Liberty, Cortlandt, Desbrosses, Chambers, Twenty-third and
Thirty-fourth streets in New York, and to Fulton Street in Brooklyn, and their boats are the largest and most thoroughly equipped boats of their kind in the world. They run at short intervals night and day. The public school system is taking a front rank among cities on a parity in size with Jersey City. More schools will be added during the com- ing year, and several thousands added to the seating capacity. Besides these there are a score of large private schools, some of which are noted places SCENE ON KENSINGTON AVENUE. of learning, like Hasbrouck Institute, with large buildings specially constructed for their use, and containing all improvements that experience can suggest. A number of new school-houses have been built by the city during the last five years to take the place of smaller structures ; new police stations have been built in each pre- cinct, and there is a large and efficient police force. There are now ninety-five churches in the city, and the charitable institutions include three hospitals, a Children's Home, Home for the Homeless, an Industrial Home, a Home for Aged Women, several orphan asylums and many minor charities. The social life has developed a number of clubs, some of which have erected handsome, large, substantial buildings. The statistics of the city will be found elsewhere. Its beauties can only be trans- ferred to paper by photog- raphy. Even these fail to convey an idea of the crowds that throng its thoroughfares during busy hours, or the current of hu- manity that flows through 1 the well-lighted business 1 sections in the evening.
There are some undesir- able features about the city, but they are few, and the softening hand of time will eliminate them. Each year these will be fewer, until there will be nonc. As it is, there is no more desirable place for resi- dence than Jersey City Heights, nor a better site for manufacturing than in the business sections
1.0
MINE ON COMMUNIPAW AVENUE.
NUMBER OF CITY STREETS. There are 484 streets in Jersey City, of which 74 were unoccu- pied in 1894. The police posts in the city aggregate about 300 miles. Of these streets there
311
HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
are 58 miles paved and 130 miles unpaved. The streets contain 65 miles of sewers and 185 miles of water mains.
SOME PUBLIC BUILDINGS. There are 54 public halls, 2 theatres, 3 national banks, 3 savings banks, I trust company, 52 clubs, 3 hospitals, 4 convents and 9 cemeteries.
NUMBER OF DWELLINGS AND OCCUPANTS. The census of 1890 showed these faets in relation to Jersey City homes and families : Number of dwellings, 18,562 ; number of families, 34,434; average number of persons to a dwelling, 8.78 : average number to a dwelling in 1880, 8.59; the change being due to an increase in the number of flats; average number of persons to a family in 1880, 5.04 ; average number in 1890, 4-73 ; number of dwellings in 1890 occupied by 1 person, 190 ; by 2 persons, 876; by 3 persons, 1,511 ; by 4 persons, 2,007 ; by 5 persons, 2.323 : by 6 per- sons, 2,099 ; by 7 persons, 1,827 ; by 8 persons, 1,464 ; by 9 persons, 1,136 ; by ro persons, 903 ; by 11 to 15 persons, 2,011 ; by 14 to 20 persons, 944 ; by 21 or more persons, 1,271. There were 22.77 per cent. of all the dwellings occupied by 11 or more persons, and they contained 49.41 per cent. of the entire population. There was 23.53 per cent. of the population living in dwell- .ings containing more than 20 persons.
The census returns show the increase of population ; the following list of ratables show the material increase of the city from consolidation to the present :
Real Estate.
Personal.
1871
$52,281,720
$8,447,167
Total. $60,726,887
1872
58,294,070
8,259,060
66,553,130
1873
53,205,966
7,232,010
60,437,976
1874
53.318,750
7,205,290
60,524,040
1875
54,270,500
5,750,244
60,020,744
1876
54,279,543
5,614,549
59,894,092
1877
54,581,869
6,033,150
60,615,019
1878
54,503.100
5,901,181
60,404,281
1879
54,922,815
5,365,667
60,288,482
1880
53,580,043
4,831,918
58,411,958
1881
54,619,565
4,786,037
59,405,602
1882
55,238,630
4,759,000
59,997,630
1883
58,287,892
4,664,390
62,952,282
1884
59,515,030
4,661,397
64,176,427
1885
61,571,412
4,564,683
66,136,095
1886
61,075,622
5,014,718
66,090,340
1887
63,880,735
4.750,200
68,630,935
1888
64,069,305
4,971,420
69,040,725
1889
67,165,900
5,201,567
72,367,46;
1890
70,291,705
5,707,750
76,121,955
189
75,304,115
6,083,950
81,388,065
1892
77,644,800
6,811,350
84,456,150
1893
78,174,530
6,894,450
85,068,980
1894
79,551,020
6.919,950
86,470,970
CASH INVESTMENTS IN CITY MANUFACTURES. Some interesting statistical information in regard to the expenses and investments of Jersey City manufacturers is contained in a report to the Department of the Interior by the division of manufacture in 1890.
The total number of establishments reporting was 726 ; capital-value of hired property. $4,772,898 ; direct investment, aggregate, $18, 165.094 : value of plant-land, $1,933, 125 ; build- ings, $2,400.475 : machinery, tools and implements, $3.782.240; live assets-raw materials. $2,192,86; ; stock in process and finished products on hand, 82,452,403 ; cash, bills and accounts receivable and all sundries not elsewhere reported, $5.403.984.
Miscellaneous expenses, total. $1.893.926, including-rent paid for tenancy, $463,734 : taxes. $177,646 ; insurance. 8;7.256 : repairs, ordinary, of buildings and machinery, $154,468 ; amount paid to contractors. 8;2.000 ; interest paid on cash used in the business, $126,269; sundries not elsewhere included, 8822,553.
WAGES PAID. Average number of employces, 12,800 : total wages, $7,808,270 ; number of clerks over 16 years of age, 1,260 ; wages, $1,492,691 ; average number of female clerks em-
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HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
ployed above 15 years of age, 197 ; wages paid to them, $71,697 ; male operatives above 16 years of age, 8,839 ; wages paid to them, $5,295,413 ; female operatives above 15 years of age, 1,121 ;
COURT HOUSE IN 1895.
wages paid to them, $333,- 856; children employed, 317 ; wages paid to them, $47,715 ; piece workers, males above 16 years, 733 ; wages paid to them, $459,- 839 ; females above 15 years, 400 ; wages paid to them, $106,683; children 2; wages, $376.
COST OF MATERIAL USED. Total, $22,096,462 ; fuel, $279,767 ; rent of power and heat, $14,279; mill supplies, $81,559 ; all other materials, $734,767.
VALUE OF PRODUCT. Total $37,376,322; principal products, $34,323,755; all other products, including receipts from custom work and repairing, $3,052,567.
COAL CONSUMED IN CITY. The total quantity of coal consumed in the city in 1890, includ- ing that used for domestic purposes and manufacturing, was: anthracite, 334,328 tons ; bitu- minous, 132,602 tons.
BLACKSMITHING AND WHEELWRIGHTING. Establishments, 33 ; value of property hired, $40,- 000 ; direct investment, $58,625 ; miscellaneous expenses, $5,865 ; number of employees, 97 ; wages, $66,037 ; cost of material, $27,941 ; valuc of product, including custom work and repairs, $126,629.
BOOTS AND SHOES. Establishments, 49; value of property hired, $78,500 ; direct invest- ment, $36,913 ; miscellaneous expenses, $7,293 ; employees, 76 ; wages, $42,338 ; cost of material, $32,148 ; value of product, in- cluding custom work and re- pairs, $90,648.
FANCY AND PAPER BOXES. Establishments, 4; value of hired property, $45,000 : direct investment, $236,621 ; miscellaneous expenses, $24,- 252 ; employees, 250 ; wages, $114,225 ; cost of material, $127,436 ; value of product, $369,250.
BRASS CASTINGS. Establish- ments, 3; value of hired property, $5,550 ; dircet in- vestment, $59, 132 ; miseella- neous expenses, $2,238 ; em- ployees, 45 ; wages, $29,892 : cost of material, $77,234; value of product, $122,393.
RESIDENCE OF JAMES FLEMMING.
BAKERIES. Establishments, 54 ; value of hired property, $326, 115; direct investment, $229,387; miscellaneous expenses, $29,- 372 ; employees, 258; wages, $159,691 ; cost of material, $416,156 ; value of product, $698,699.
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HISTORY OF JERSEY CITY.
CARPENTERING. Establishments, 39; value of hired property, $43,900 ; direct investment, $194,558 ; miscellaneous expenses, $9,590; employees, 378 ; wages, $302,829 ; cost of material, $445,201 ; value of product, including re- pairs, $887,571.
CARRIAGES AND WAGONS. Establishments, 24; value of hired property, $31,200; direct investment, $ 193,408; miscellaneous expenses, $8,367 ; employees, 191; wages paid, $133,789; cost of material, $118,116; value of product, including repairs, $324,605.
CAR BUILDING. Establishments, 3; direct investment, $469,668; employees, 1,628; wages, $834, 122 ; cost of material, $650,298 ; value of product, including repairs, $1,484.423.
CHEMICALS. Establishments, 11 ; direct in- vestment, $973,155 ; miscellaneous expenses, $47,494 ; employees, 169 ; wages, $142, 102 ; cost of material, $1,080,862 ; value of product, $1,804,339.
120
RESIDENCE OF THOMAS W. WRIGHTMAN. 241 Ege Avenue, near West Side.
CLAY AND POTTERY PRODUCTS. Establish- ments, 3; direct investment, $40,930; mis- cellaneous expenses, $2,892 ; employees, 30 ; wages, $17,372 ; cost of material, $23,170; value of product, $54,900.
CLOTHING-MEN'S CUSTOM. Establishments, 32; value of property hired, $160,625 ; direct investment, $117,917 ; miscellaneous expenses, $15,170 ; employees, 167 ; wages, $112,132 ; cost of material, $130,262 ; value of product, $285,951.
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