USA > New Jersey > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, New Jersey, 1664-1920, Volume I > Part 34
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The Washington Benevolent Society was organized December 2, 18II; it was a patriotic society opposed to President Madison and his foreign policy. A hall was built by Nicholas Van Brunt, for the use of the organization, which was formally dedicated July 4, 1813, with appro- priate ceremonies
Mid-19
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The ferry across the Raritan river accommodated the public for over a century. The Inian rights were acquired by Thomas Farmer in 1716, by an Act of Assembly, toll rates were fixed for a horse and man, four pence, for a single person two pence. In 1732 Thomas Farmer conveyed his ferry rights to Philip French in consideration of £300. It was not, however, until 1790 that agitations were started to build a bridge; that year James Parker, of Perth Amboy, gave notice that he would apply to the legislature for a toll bridge across the river Raritan. This movement coming from a citizen of Perth Amboy was not entirely for the benefit of New Brunswick. Perth Amboy was then a seaport with consider- able foreign commerce, and the object of the people of that city was to shorten the distance of the agricultural districts around New Bruns- wick so trade could be diverted to their own seaport. The legislature having passed an act to build a bridge at New Brunswick, appointed commissioners to designate a site. They met February 21, 1791, at the tavern of John Lane. Subsequent meetings were held and it was decided to build at the foot of Albany street. The bridge, completed in 1796, was an open structure. The stone for facing the original piers was freighted from Blackwell's Island, the outside casing of stone was filled with shale quarried on the east side of the Raritan river, mixed with cement. The original cost of the bridge was $86,695.71.
At the commencement of the second war with England, a majority of the citizens of New Brunswick were opposed to the acts of the national administration. On April 15, 1812, a requisition was made by the United States government on the State for 5,000 men, who were furnished and placed under the command of Major-General Ludlow. A company of ninety men of the Fifth Regiment, United States Infantry, encamped at New Brunswick on the night of April 17, 1812, on their way from Ellison's Island to Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Governor Ogden passed through the city November 2, 1812, traveling to Trenton. He was met at Clarkson's Tavern by Captain Veghte's company of Light Dragoons and a large number of citizens on horseback, who accompanied him to the heights, where Captain Neilson's company of artillery and Captain Scott's com- pany of infantry, attended by the artillery band, awaited his arrival. He was officially welcomed at the Queen's Hotel by Mayor Schureman, and after dinner was escorted by the dragoons and a delegation of citizens as far as Princeton. The New Jersey legislature on November 9, 1812, passed an act deprecating the war, but on the 16th a general order was issued requiring all companies whether of cavalry, artillery, light infan- try, or riflemen, to hold themselves in readiness to take the field on twenty-four hours' notice. The city companies made all necessary preparations, and reported themselves ready. The patriotism of the citizens was intensified on the receipt of the intelligence of Captain Decatur's victory over the frigate "Macedonian." On December 10,
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1812, the day following the battle, seventy of the brave tars of the "Wasp" passed through the city on their way to Washington. As the war progressed, politics grew bitter, a memorable campaign took place in January, 1813, when James Schureman was elected to Congress on a peace ticket. He was succeeded in the mayoralty chair by James Bennett. Party feeling was antagonistic; the city was divided on the war issue, John P. Cowenhoven, Bernard Smith, James Randolph and Jarvis Brewster were the leaders of the war party ; and the Schuremans, Neilsons, Hardenberghs and Elmendorfs lined up in favor of peace. The political pot was boiling; meetings were held on one night to denounce the war, and on the next in favor of it. The elections were dominated by the peace party. At this time, the city was partly in Middlesex and partly in Somerset county, the center of Albany street forming the boundary line, to the considerable annoyance of voters. As the war progressed, the citizens did not fail in their patriotism, as New Brunswick was well represented in the army and navy. The citizens dreading an attack by the British, every man by suggestion of the common council, was required to provide himself with a gun and twenty- four rounds of ball cartridges. A code of signals was arranged with Perth Amboy, to be used in case the enemy should enter the river at that place. No definite action was taken looking towards the safety of the city, which was the central meeting place of the militia for sur- rounding country. The brigade judge advocate for Middlesex county, William Dunham, and the brigade board, met once a month for trans- action of business relative to the militia of the county, at Colonel Peter Keenon's tavern in New Brunswick. There was great animosity between the regular troops and the militia. The companies that volunteered from New Brunswick did so with the understanding that they were to defend the river and city in case of an attack. The militia claimed they could not be forced to do garrison duty or any of the other duties required of the standing army, nor could they be compelled to leave their own State to wage a foreign war. The militia were drafted and driven from their homes into camps and placed under regular army officers. To add to their discontent, they were not properly cared for and could not obtain sufficient food. This caused groups of the militia to desert and leave for their homes. A party of these discontented militia reached New Brunswick July 5, 1813, and had hardly entered the town before they were captured by a troop of regular cavalry, and this pre- cipitated a free fight, in which the town people took part. Such dis- turbances became frequent until Mayor Schureman appointed a special committee to make a protest against any more of the militia being sent out of the State. Robert Boggs was also appointed to call the atten- tion of the governor to the defenseless condition of the city ; the execu- tive promised to do what he could, but nothing was accomplished.
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It was not until the second presidential call for troops, on July 14, 1814, that New Brunswick's patriotism was thoroughly aroused, and she promptly furnished four fully uniformed and armed companies- the New Brunswick Artillery, Captain Neilson; New Brunswick Horse Artillery Captain Van Dyke; Captain Scott's Light Infantry; and the New Brunswick Rifles under Captain Mckay. These companies were. ordered to hold themselves in readiness to march under orders from Brigadier-General William Coleman, who was in command at Paulus Hook.
The people were still in fear of an attack, and a committee was appointed by the common council, September 1I, 1814, to inquire into the defenses of the city. They reported that the four companies had been ordered outside of the State, and that the three companies still remaining in the city were not armed; they suggested that a demand should be made for the return of the volunteer companies, and a requi- sition made on the governor for arms for the three companies of militia. While this report was received and adopted, no practical results were obtained. On receipt of the signing of the treaty of peace in February, 1815, in response to a proclamation of the mayor the public buildings were illuminated, flags and banners waved, and cannons boomed. The citizens welcomed the return of peace and relief from the weary days of war.
After the restoration of peace, New Brunswick became the depot for the reception of grain from the counties of Warren, Hunterdon, Sussex, Somerset, also Northampton, Pennsylvania, and the country along the upper Delaware. Large wagons drawn by four and six horses and carrying twenty-eight barrels of flour, sometimes as many as five hundred a day, came down the valley of the Raritan. At Raritan Land- ing were large store houses which received the grain, the sloops would take on a half a cargo, then drop down to New Brunswick, complete their load, and proceed to their destination. The White Hall tavern was headquarters for news, where the grain merchants could congregate, consult a New York paper, and fix the market prices. The New Bruns- wick shippers paid cash for merchandise, while at Newark and Philadel- phia barter was used.
The successful application of steam for the purpose of navigation was to revolutionize the slower methods of transportation. The State of New York had granted to Livingston and Fulton the exclusive right of steam navigation. Under this right, John R. and Robert James Livingston had purchased the right of navigating the waters of the Raritan to New Brunswick-the head of navigation on that river. They placed on this water route the steamboat "Raritan," but in 1818 Thomas Gibbons placed upon the same route the "Bellona," a steamer of one hundred and sixteen tons, regularly registered at the port of Perth
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Amboy for the coasting trade under the United States law. The Liv- ingstons secured an injunction restraining Gibbons from using his boat, claiming the exclusive right of steam navigation on the Raritan. Gibbons denied this right and sued for damages; the ablest legal talent of the period was employed; after elaborate arguments by learned attorneys and exhaustive opinions by the presiding justices, judgment was rendered for the plaintiff, thus establishing an important judicial principle, namely, the right of comity in steam navigation between adjoining States under the Federal Constitution. Competing lines were soon organized, and rivalry became active and exciting, the inhabitants turning out in crowds to welcome the arrival and departure of the steamboats. The region surrounding Bordertown and Burlington was a great peach growing section, and wagon after wagon load of this delicious fruit was sent to the wharfs at New Brunswick for transporta- tion to New York and other eastern points. The Delaware and Raritan canal was completed during the year 1833, and the shipment of products was stimulated; the annual exportation of corn reached 300,000 bush- els ; rye, 57,000 bushels ; and a few years later 1,000,000 bushels passed down the river. Such was the magnitude of trade that the Raritan was rated as one of the three greatest rivers in the country as to ton- nage. This increase of business called many other steamboats into requisition.
In 1828 the city's population was about 5,000; there were 750 dwell- ings, over a hundred stores, and twenty taverns. The city's compact population was bounded by George and New streets; south of New street, houses could be numbered on the fingers of one hand, barring out Burnet street, which led to the steamboat dock. The old stone mansion on the corner of Livingston avenue and Carrol place, was built in 1760 by Henry Guest; here Tom Paine was barricaded by his hosts, the Guests, from the violence of a royal mob, seeking to punish him for his treasonable writings. Here, too, were written those poems of the son of Moses Guest, afterwards published in Cincinnati, among which figure that gem, "To Pave or Not to Pave," and the humorous satire, "Toll Bridge." The aristocracy lived on Little Burnet street, in a row of elaborately finished brick houses. The dry goods marts were on Burnet street, the shops on Church street, grain warehouses on Water street, where also were the hotels for traders. The trade was largely wholesale, the northwestern counties of the State and the country along the Delaware forwarding grain, and supplied in turn with fish, salt, dry goods and merchandise. The country south of the city towards Mon- mouth county was little better than a desert of sand; this was before the mines of marl had been exploited.
The death of Mayor Bennett causing a vacancy, James Schureman was again appointed mayor ; he filled the office until 1824, when Dr.
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Augustus R. Taylor became his successor for a term of five years. David F. Randolph became postmaster February 15, 1819, succeeded May 12, 1820, by William Meyer, who removed the office to Church street, above Neilson street, afterwards to Albany street, near Neilson street, and finally to what was known as No. 30 Albany street, where it remained until 1841.
In the early part of June, 1817, when President Monroe inaugurated the presidential swing around the circle, he was entertained by the citi- zens of New Brunswick. In October, 1824, General Lafayette came and was lionized by the common council, who extended him a reception at an expense of two hundred and fifty dollars. The General passed through the city again on July 15, 1825, when he was given another reception by the citizens. The Asiatic cholera in 1832 caused the authorities to create the office of health officer. The first incumbent was Dr. William Van Dursen; the second and last was Dr. A. R. Taylor. The cholera continued forty-seven days, with 174 cases, of which fifty- two proved fatal. Another presidential reception took place in 1833, when General Andrew Jackson was entertained by the common council, June 12, 1833, at an expense of $500 for a banquet, etc. The city on June 19, 1835, was visited by a tornado. Two dark clouds appeared on the heavens, and joining together a full blown tornado swept on a path of devastation, through Six Mile Run and Middlebush towards the city. It was about five o'clock in the evening when the hurricane with a fearful violence took an easterly course, threatening Albany and Church streets, actually striking at the heads of Paterson, Bayard, Liberty and Schureman streets, whence it took its destructive way across Neilson and Burnet streets, killing several people in its path ; thence it proceeded over the Raritan to Piscataway, and on to the seacoast. Schureman, Liberty and Burnet streets were a mass of ruins; over one hundred and twenty dwellings, exclusive of stores and store- houses, were destroyed or greatly damaged. The loss reached $150,000; the razed parts were speedily rebuilt, and the industry and commerce of the city received no serious check.
The third city charter was obtained in 1838. The Whigs that year had obtained the popular ear in New Jersey, as well as a few years before in New Brunswick. The party wanted to obtain control of the common council, then in possession of their opponents; by the aid of their assem- blyman, George P. Molleson, the political cards were shuffled and a new charter granted. It made all the City Fathers elective for one year ; though not changing their number or composition, they were to form only a single chamber. The judicial power of the aldermen was sac- rificed, justices of the peace being appointed for five years. Though there were remonstrances and attempts by the members of the com- mon council, to thwart the act of the legislature, thus quietly lifted
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from official life and patronage, they were obliged to bow to the inevit- able. Jacob R. Hardenbergh (1829-30) and Cornelius L. Hardenbergh (1830-38) were the two last occupants of the mayoralty chair by appoint- ment. The first mayor under the new charter was Dr. Augustus Taylor.
On January 3, 1836, a new locomotive named "New Brunswick," with thirteen cars full of guests, and decorated with banners bearing the names of the counties, cities and villages along the route, operated by the New Jersey Railroad and Transportation Company, was received by a committee of citizens in carriages, who escorted the visitors over Albany street bridge to a hotel, where a sumptuous feast was served. At this time all trains stopped across the river, and passengers were transferred across the bridge in stages at a cost of six and a half cents each. The railroad company built a bridge during the year 1837, the first train crossing the river to the depot on Somerset street, January I, 1838. The company bought the franchise from the New York and Philadelphia Turnpike Company, rebuilding the bridge and using it until they constructed a wooden railroad and wagon bridge on the site of the present railroad bridge. The advent of a railroad and the com- petition of the canal practically killed the shipping trade of New Bruns- wick, as it allowed the farmers to send their products direct to market from stations near their farms, and New Brunswick became a deserted village when the railroad came to town, to be revived, however, in the future, by her manufacturing industries.
At the opening of the fourth decade of the nineteenth century, New Brunswick doffed the swaddling clothes of an infant municipality and assumed the air of a modern city. Though the marshal had been since 1784 a regular official of the city, either elected by the people or chosen by the council, also a night watch established, it was not until 1835 that a police force was organized. In August of that year, Peter V. Spader and John Nafey were duly appointed to protect the citizens from crime and disorder. This primitive force has gradually increased, and in 1857 a chief of the force was for the first time elected.
The second mayor under the new charter was David M. Vail, who held the office one year and was succeeded in 1841 by Littleton Kirkpatrick. The newly elected mayor was a son of Chief Justice Kirk- patrick and his wife Jane, daughter of Colonel John Bayard, a distin- guished patriot and soldier of Revolutionary fame. He was a graduate of Princeton College, a lawyer by profession. He afterward became a member of Congress for one term, and had been surrogate of the county for five years. On the appointment of Samuel C. Cook, August 7, 1841, who succeeded as postmaster Ephraim F. Randolph, who held the office six months, the location of the office was changed to No. 217 Neilson street, where it remained for twenty years. Mr. Cook was succeeded March 9, 1843, by John Simpson, and the latter in turn by Henry San- derson on March 14, 1849.
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The destinies of the city were presided over for the next score of years by able citizens who had gained distinction as manufacturers, bankers, or members of the legal and medical professions. The suc- cessor of Mayor Kirkpatrick was Fitz Randolph Smith, who served one term; his successor in 1843 was John Acken, who was reelected. The next mayor was a member of the Middlesex county bar, William H. Leupp, who was succeeded in 1846 by a brother attorney, John Van Dyke. Judge Van Dyke was afterwards a member of Congress (1847-1851), also a judge of the Supreme Court of New Jersey ; he was agair. inayor after his retirement from Congress, from 1852 to 1853. In his later life he removed to Minnesota. The next occupant of the mayoralty chair was Martin A. Howell, and succeeded in 1848 by Dr. Augustus F. Taylor, this being his second election to the office. Dr. Taylor was a son of a medical practitioner, a native of the city who had been New Bruns- wick's mayor, 1824-29. The elder Taylor was a son of a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy in Queen's College, who removed to Schenectady, New York, to occupy the same chair in Union College. In that city the newly elected mayor was born ; graduated from Rutgers College, studied medicine and though he had not been licensed to practice, during the period of the Asiatic cholera in the city he was placed in charge of a hospital devised by the citizens. His successor in 1849 was D. Fitz Randolph, who was reelected, and was followed in 1851 by Peter N. Wycoff. As stated before, his successor was Judge Van Dyke. For the next two terms John B. Hill occupied the executive chair. He was a descendant of an English family that settled in New Brunswick when it was in its infancy, and at the time of his election was president of the National Bank of New Jersey. His successor, Abraham V. Schenck, was a native of the city, and an attorney of high repute. His successor in 1857 was John Bayard Kirkpatrick, a brother of Littleton Kirkpatrick, who had been an official of the United States Treasury. Mayor Kirkpatrick was elected for two terms but resigned and was succeeded in 1859 by Tunis V. D. Hoagland, who in turn gave place to Peter C. Onderdonk, a prominent manufacturer ; he was suc- ceeded in 1860 by Ezekiel M. Paterson. The thirteenth mayor under the new charter was Lyle Van Nuis, who was also mayor for two terms from 1861 to 1863.
New Brunswick in 1845, with a neighborhood of 9,000 inhabitants, presented an enterprising city with its courthouse, jail, eight churches, college buildings, bank, one hundred and twenty stores and eight hun- dred dwellings. Though the streets immediately on the river were narrow and the ground low, in the upper part of the city the roadways were wide and there were many fine buildings. Two bridges crossed the Raritan, though the Albany street bridge was dilapidated and not much used. The railroad bridge was also used for wagons and foot passengers,
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the trains crossing the river overhead on the upper portion of the bridge. This continued to be the mode of travel for several years, until the citizens deeming it unsafe, the New Brunswick Bridge Company was incor- porated and a new bridge was constructed at the foot of Albany street. This bridge was conducted by the company until July 3, 1875, when it was purchased by the county for $58,000 and made free. There had been paid in bridge tolls over $300,000 from November 1, 1795, to the time of its purchase by the county. The freeing of the bridge was cele- brated by a procession, headed by Darrow's Cornet Band, that marched through the streets of the city, the sidewalks lined with people who, to exhibit their joy, waved flags and handkerchiefs. The reason of this demonstration was that the proprietors of the bridge had for several years resisted all attempts for the purchase of the property by the county, thus retarding the growth and prosperity of the city. New Brunswick, which had been partly located in Somerset county, was by an act of legislation in 1854 freed from the Somerset jurisdiction. The custom of having officials under different names to constitute a common council for local legislation over which the mayor presided was persisted in until 1862, when the mayor and recorder were dropped from that body, and a president of the common council was elected. This action dropped the ambiguous title, "The Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen and Common Coun- cil," and from a division of four different divisions, all meeting together made a compact body of twelve aldermen.
The office of city physician was established in 1849, on the second approach of the Asiatic cholera. The first to be appointed to the office was Dr. A. D. Newell. The second period of the cholera lasted ninety- seven days, there being two hundred and twenty-one cases, of which one hundred and fifteen proved fatal. The election for the city fathers was first held in the town meetings, then election districts were estab- lished, first two, afterwards three; and in 1863 the city was divided into six wards. The town meetings were first held in the old courthouse. This building, known as "Union Hall," was purchased in 1842 by the city and named City Hall. It continued to be used until 1853, when a new city hall was built on Liberty street. It was not until after the consolidation of the city and township of New Brunswick in 1861 that any other officers than the mayor, recorder, members of the council, etc., were elected by the people. After this period there were chosen a mayor, recorder, six aldermen, six common councilmen, an assessor, collector, justices of the peace, chosen freeholders, judges of election, school superintendent, town clerk, surveyors of the highways, con- stables, commissioners of appeal and overseer of the poor; these from time to time lengthened until in 1877 the citizens were called upon to vote for ninety-nine officials, of whom three were general and ninety-six ward officers. The vote cast had largely increased; there is no record
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previous to 1844, when the ballot was taken by "show of hands;" that year the total poll was only 304; this had increased to 3,918 in 1877.
The city in 1850 having about 10,000 inhabitants, a company was formed for the introduction of gas. Owing to circumstances, this com- pany relinquished its franchises, and the following year John W. Stout, E. M. Paterson, Peter Spader, David Bishop, Benjamin D. Steele and Moses F. Webb received a legislative charter for the manufacture of gas. A company being organized, John W. Stout became president, with John B. Hall, secretary, superintendent and engineer. The erection of works was immediately proceeded with, pipes were laid, and a gas holder built on the corner of Water and Washington streets. The water supply for the city is taken from Lawrence's brook, southeast of the city limits. The works were constructed in 1864, the water being raised by steam pumps to a reservoir. The New Brunswick Water Company, the owner of the works, transferred their interests to the city April 30, 1873, which from this time to the adoption of a commission form of government was managed by a board of water commissioners, their term of service being three years.
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