History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 1, Part 65

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 974

USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 1 > Part 65

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1883.

President : Rev. G. C. Maddock, Freehold.

Vice-Presidents : Peter Rue, Freehold; John Baw- den, Freehold; Lafayette Schenck, Holmdel; John H. Heyer, Holmdel.

Treasurer : William Statesir.

Recording Secretary : James J. Conover, Freehold. Executive Committee: Rev. Frank Chandler, D.D., Rev. I. P. Brokaw, Rev. William Reiley, D.D., Rev. Theodore W. Wells, Benjamin Griggs, James S. Yard, Andrew Perrine.

1884.

President : Rev. Theodore W. Wells, Marlboro'.

Vice-Presidents: John Statesir, Jr., Colt's Neck ; La- fayette Schenck, Holmdel; G. H. Van Mater, Red Bank ; John Baird, Marlboro'.

Treasurer : William Statesir.

Recording Secretary : John B. Conover, Freehold. Executive Committee : Rev. I. P. Brokaw, Freehold ; Rev. Frank Chandler, D.D., Freehold; Rev. George Swain, D.D., Allentown; James S. Yard, Freehold; Andrew Perrine, Freehold; D. D. Hunt, Colt's Neck; William Spader, Matawan.

1885.

President : Rev. George W. Swain.

Vice-Presidents : John Statesir, G. H. Van Mater, Lafayette Schenck, John Baird. Treasurer : William Statesir.

Recording Secretary : John B. Conover.

Executive Committee : Rev. I. P. Brokaw, James S. Yard, Andrew Perrine, William Spader, Rev. G. W. Labaw.

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365

THE MONMOUTH COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

THE MONMOUTH COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY 1 commenced its existence in December, 1853. Earlier in the fall of that year, while a large number of gentlemen of Monmouth County were traveling by railroad to attend the annual fair of the Agricultural Society at Jamesburg, Middlesex County, one of their number (Hon. Joel Parker) remarked to some of the others that the people of Monmouth ought to have an agricul- tural society and annual fair of their own, instead of traveling many miles to attend those of the less important (agriculturally) county of Middlesex. The idea met the approval of those present ; the proposition was made and concurred in, that such a society be formed in Monmouth County, and a committee was informally ap- pointed to make the preliminary arrangements to carry the project into execution. That committee, composed of James S. Lawrence, of Upper Free- hold ; Joel Parker, of Freehold ; Andrew Simp- son, of Howell; James Thompson, of Marlboro'; Hendrick Wikoff, of Raritan ; Samuel W. Jones, of Atlantic ; and George A. Corlies, of Ocean township, attended to the duty with which they were charged, and on the 26th of November issued the following notice, which was published in the Democrat and Inquirer, of Freehold, and the New Jersey Standard, of Middletown Point, viz. :

" MONMOUTH COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY- NOTICE .- A meeting will be held at the house of N. S. Rue, in the village of Freehold, on Saturday, the 17th of December next, at 12 o'clock M., for the pur- pose of organizing an Agricultural Society for the County of Monmouth. A Constitution will then be reported, and the officers of the Society elected.

"The Committee, who were requested at a former meeting to give the above notice, deem it a duty to urge upon the citizens of the county to attend at the above time and place. A general attendance of the Farmers, Mechanics and others interested in the ob- ject of the meeting will insure the success of the Society."

1 " The Monmouth Agricultural Society" was organ- ized ata meeting held for the purpose, at Freehold, on the 26th of April, 1838,-William I. Bowne, secretary. This is learned from the newspapers of that time ; but beyond this, and the fact that a special meeting was held February 25, 1839, with regard to the annual dues of members, nothing has been ascertained of the history of that old so- ciety, which was, doubtless, of very short duration.

The meeting was held at the appointed time and place, and although the day was stormy, a large number of people from various parts of the county were in attendance. James S. Lawrence, of Upper Freehold, was called to the chair, and Charles Sears, of Atlantic, was appointed secre- tary of the meeting. An adjournment was had to the court-house, where the Hon. Joel Parker made a brief statement of the circumstances which originated the project to organize a county society for the promotion of agriculture and kindred interests, and presented the value and advantage of such an organization. He referred to the action of the committee, and offered, as the result of their labors, the draft of a consti- tution and by-laws, which were adopted unani- mously, and the blanks filled by a vote of the meeting. The constitution then adopted de- clared that the object of the society should be " the advancement of agriculture, horticulture and manufactures ;" that " each resident or con- tributing member shall pay the sum of one dollar per year ; and the payment of ten dollars at any one time shall constitute a member for life, without any further contribution ;" that the annual meeting of the society should be held on the third Saturday in January, and quarterly meetings on the third Saturdays of April, July and October, together with many other pro- visions, embracing, in all, fourteen sections.

A committee of five, composed of Michael Taylor, D. P. Van Dorn, Tunis Hubbard, James I. Conover and Joel Parker, were ap- pointed to report nominations for officers of the society, to hold their respective offices until the annual meeting of 1855. The committee reported the following-named persons, who were all elected, without opposition, as the first officers of the Monmouth County Agricultural Society, viz. :

President : William Henry Hendrickson, of Rari- tan.

Vice-Presidents : James S. Lawrence, of Upper Freehold ; Thomas Baird, of Millstone, John M. Per- rine, of Manalapan; John S. Denise, of Freehold ; Andrew Simpson, of Howell; Colonel Abram Os- borne, of Wall; John W. Ely, of Marlborough ; Samuel W. Jones, of Atlantic; Pierson Hendrickson, of Shrewsbury; Benjamin W. Corlies, of Ocean; Robert Allen, of Middletown; Peter Smock, of Raritan.

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Recording Secretary : Bennington F. Randolph. Corresponding Secretary : Joseph Combs. Treasurer : Henry Bennett.

The organization being effected, and a series of resolutions passed, the presiding officer, Vice-President James S. Lawrence (President Hendrickson being absent) appointed the fol- lowing-named persons a committee of ways and means, viz. :

Charles Meirs, James I. Conover, Upper Freehold ; . Thomas M. Perrine, James M. Smith, Millstone; Joseph Ely, James A. Perrine, Manalapan; William H. Conover, John H. Vanderveer, Freehold; Charles Butcher, James Cooper, Howell; Thomas Lafetra, Robert Laird, Wall; Joseph H. Vanderveer, Daniel Schenck, Marlborough; James I. Taylor, Henry Buck, Atlantic; Michael Taylor, Henry H. Conover, Shrews- bury; Jordan Wooley, Francis Corlies, Ocean ; Thomas S. Field, William V. Conover, Middletown ; John S. Hendrickson, Tunis Hubbard, Raritan.

At this first meeting thirteen gentlemen be- came life members of the society by payment of ten dollars each, viz. : Daniel B. Ryall, Joel Parker, Daniel D. Denise, William T. Sutphin, of Freehold ; James S. Lawrence, of Upper Freehold ; Benjamin B. Hance, of Shrewsbury ; Samuel W. Jones, of Atlantic ; John W. Ely, of Marlborough ; Andrew Simpson, of Howell; Peter S. Conover, of Raritan ; and Dr. Joseph C. Thompson, of Manalapan. And the follow- ing named became members, by payment of one dollar each: Michael Taylor, Asher Hance, Joseph B. Lewis, of Shrewsbury ; Dr. John T. T. Woodhull, J. F. T. Forman, John Bowne, Orrin Pharo and Daniel W. Ellis, of Freehold; Jacob S. Jones, William L. Jones, James J. Taylor, James C. Taylor, Charles Sears, John B. Angell and John French, of Atlantic; Tunis Hubbard, Daniel B. Strong and Henry Mor- ford, of Raritan ; Hendrick Conover and Henry D. Ely, of Marlborough; Edward J. Clayton, of Millstone; and Robert Dye, of Manalapan. After the adjournment of the meeting several others became members of the society. At the first annual meeting, held at the court-house, on the 17th of January following, the number of life members, reported was thirty-three; an- nual members three hundred and twenty-three, -total membership, three hundred and fifty- six.

At a special meeting held at the court-house, May 12, 1854, the following communication from citizens of Freehold was received :

"To the Monmouth County Agricultural Society :

"Believing that the citizens of Freehold should furnish the ground for the Fairs, free of charge to the Society, and understanding that Hudson Bennett will rent a lot of land of about ten acres, situated on the east side of his new street, for $50, for the use of the Fair the coming fall, we, the undersigned, do agree to furnish the said lot for that purpose, and hereby tender the use of it to the Society for the next Fair, free of charge.

"Aaron R. Combs, A. T. Manning, U. Smalley, J. H. Russell, William Middleton, J. R. Patterson, Henry Bennett, Applegate & Woodhull, R. Hulse, Joseph Combs, Elias Hart, Joel Parker, D. C. Cono- ver, A. H. Reed, W. A. Walton, William D. Davis, R. A. Ellis, William H. Conover, on behalf of them- selves and others.

"May, 1854."

The meeting resolved to accept this tender of grounds for the fair of 1854, and also to pay the owner " any reasonable damage that may be done to the fencing on the day of the exhibi- tion." The committee of arrangements then appointed was composed of Nathaniel S. Rue, Daniel D. Denise, B. F. Randolph, Jacob M. Rue, Joel Parker, Joseph H. Rossell, William H. Conover, Henry Bennett, Daniel P. Van Dorn. The committee of reception of dele- gates from other societies was composed of Daniel B. Ryall, Colonel William D. Davis, John A. Morford, Dr. John B. Throckmorton and Henry Morford. The fair was held on the 21st of September on Mr. Bennett's land (near where now stands the buildings of the Freehold and New York Railroad), and was a very suc- cessful exhibition.

At the second annual meeting of the society, held at the court-house, January 20, 1855, it was resolved to rent the same grounds for the fair of that year, at a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars, the citizens of Freehold agree- ing to contribute a generous proportion of the expense. At a meeting held on the 19th of May following it was " Resolved, that the Com- mittee procure a tent, not to exceed in cost two hundred and fifty dollars; and, if they deem it expedient, rent stands on the fair-grounds. That the trial of reaping and mowing-

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THE MONMOUTH COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

machines be held in the vicinity of Eaton- town."

The fair of 1855 was held on the 27th of reason of such transfer and the payment of eight

September on the same ground that was used in the preceding year. The financial success shares are taken, to pay the same as others."

attending the fair of 1855 was shown by the ary 19, 1856, viz. : Amount of receipts during past year, $1473.49 ; expenses, including pre- miums ($554), tent and printing, $1187.43; leaving a balance of $286.06 in the hands of the treasurer.

At the annual meeting, held on the 17th of January, 1857, it was voted to procure an act of incorporation and reorganize the society as a stock company. The incorporation was effected by an act of the Legislature, approved March 5, 1857, providing that "Samuel W. Jones, Horatio Ely, John C. Smock, Andrew Simp- son, James I. Conover and Ezra A. Osborne, of the county of Monmouth, and their asso- ciates and successors, shall be, and they are hereby, constituted a body politic and corporate, by the name of ' The Monmouth County Agri- cultural Society.' . . . That the said corporation may purchase, use, hold, possess and enjoy such real estate as shall be necessary to promote the objects`of the society. Provided, that such real estate shall at no time exceed in value the sum of ten thousand dollars. . . . " Under this act the society was reorganized at a meeting held. in the court-house, June 13, 1857, and formed into a stock company, with a capital stock of four thousand eight hundred dollars, in three hundred shares at sixteen dollars each ; the officers of the company, to be a president, two vice-presidents, a secretary, treasurer, and a board of twenty managers, to include the presi- dent and vice-presidents ; the annual meetings of the society to be held on the third Saturday of January in each year at Freehold. The fifteenth section of the new by-laws (adopted at the meeting of June 13th) provided that " The moneys and property of the Monmouth County Agricultural Society, heretofore existing, shall ·be transferred and become the property of this

incorporation, and the life members of said society shall be entitled to shares in this by dollars additional on one share, and if any more

At the meeting held in January, 1857, the report made at the annual meeting, held Janu- committee on grounds reported that a lot of twenty acres of land could be purchased of Colonel W. D. Davis, at $150 per acre, and the meeting " Resolved, That not less than fifteen acres be purchased ; " and " Resolved, That the society accept Colonel Davis' proposition for his In 1856 the fair of the society was held on the 24th and 25th of September on land of Andrew Perrine. land." At a meeting held on the 13th of June following, the committee reported "that they had rented grounds of Mr. Henry Brinkerhoff for sixty dollars, provided the society does not purchase any." The society did not purchase at that time, and the fair of 1857 was held on Wednesday, September 23d, on Mr. Brinker- hoff's land, south of the village.

On the 20th of March, 1858, the society re- solved to purchase the tract offered by Colonel Davis, and to fit it up as a fair-ground: The purchase was made in accordance with the reso- lution, and on these, the society's fair-grounds (lying just outside the town of Freehold, towards the southwest), the yearly fairs have been held to the present time. Since the first purchase, an additional one of five acres has been made, which, however, is nearly balanced by a sale of four and four-tenths acres, leaving the grounds about the same in area as at first.

In 1875 the fair-grounds were improved by the society at an expense of $983.79. A race track (half-mile) was laid out and graded, andl in the summer of 1877 a grand stand was erected at a cost of $1650. In 1881 the track was improved to its present excellent condition. The track and the horse department are the leading features of the annual fairs, the trials of speed being under the rules of the National Trotting Association, with which the Monmouth Agricultural Society is in connection and mem- bership.

The fair of 1884 was held on the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th of September, and was the most successful one in the history of this society. In its report of this fair the Monmouth Demo- crat said,-

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. HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

"In the whole history of the society we venture to say that there never was a fair which was conducted in a more orderly, judicious and successful manner than this one of 1884. President Spader, Secretary Ward, Treasurer Butcher and their fellow-directors had spared no pains in preparing for the event.

"The grounds were placed in excellent order. The track was in fine condition. The fencing and build- ings were in good repair, and were bright with paint and whitewash. A neat new building for the art and fancy-work department was an attractive feature, and a much-needed improvement. Heretofore the speci- mens of art and ladies' work have been exhibited in the main building, where they were not only subjected to a miserable light, but were also liable to damage ' from exposure to dust and dampness. In addition to these improvements, we noticed that the rules and regulations which had been adopted for the manage- ment of the fair were faithfully enforced, not with harshness, but with a gentlemanly firmness which commanded respect. This was noticeable particularly in the conduct of the trotting and racing. The judges applied the rules strictly, yet impartially, so that there was no unseemly disorder in the vicinity of the judges' stand. The utmost good order prevailed also on every other portion of the grounds, which were under the surveillance of a corps of special policeman, with Marshal John Neafie as chief."

The following-named persons have served as president of Monmouth County Agricultural Society from its commencement to the present time, viz. :

1854. William Henry Hendrickson.

1855. James S. Lawrence.

1856. Horatio Ely.

1857. Samuel W. Jones.

1858-59. William P. Forman.

1860. Peter S. Conover.

1861. Charles Butcher.

1862-63. William H. Conover.

1864-65. Gilbert H. Van Mater.

1866-67. Tunis V. Du Bois.

1868-69. Richard A. Leonard.

1870. Peter L. Cortelyou.

1871-72. Michael Taylor.

1873-74. Dr. J. C. Thompson.

1875-81. Nath. S. Rue.

1882-84. William Spader.

For the years 1883 and 1884 the entire list of officers of the society is given below, viz. :

1883.

President : Hon. William Spader, Matawan.

Vice-Presidents : Hon. George W. Brown, Ocean; . Hon. Charles D. Hendrickson, Middletown.

Board of Managers: William Spader, Nath. S. Rue, W. H. Davis, L. F. Conover, J. V. N. Willis, Edward Martin, John H. Denise, Henry Camp- bell, W. C. Taylor, John R. Du Bois, John B. Conover, Hal Allaire, Azariah Conover, Charles D. Hendrickson, Samuel T. Hendrickson, Charles H. Butcher, George W. Brown, Thomas E. Morris, George F. Ward, Edgar Schenck.

Treasurer : Hon. Charles A. Bennett, Freehold. Recording Secretary: George F. Ward, Freehold.

Corresponding Secretary : James J. Conover, Free- hold.

General Superintendent: Tunis Denise.

1884.

President: Hon. William Spader, Matawan.

Vice-Presidents: Hon. George W. Brown, Long Branch ; Col. Charles D. Hendrickson, Keyport. Board of Directors: William Spader, N. S. Rue, George W. Brown, L. F. Conover, Azariah Con- over, John W. Parker, Edward Martin, John H. Denise, J. V. N. Willis, Thomas E. Morris, C. D. Hendrickson, Hal Allaire, Cornelius Ackerson, C. H. Butcher, G. F. Ward, C. D. B. Forman, James H. Butcher, W. H. Davis, Theodore Aumack, Sherman B. Oviatt.

Recording and Corresponding Secretary: George F. Ward, Freehold.

Treasurer: Charles H. Butcher, Freehold.

DAVID DEMAREST DENISE, son of John S. and Catharine Thompson Denise, was born on the 23d of September, 1840, on the home- stead in Freehold township, his youth having been spent in the pursuit of his studies, first at the school in the immediate neighborhood of his home, and later at the Freehold Institute. He had meanwhile removed with his parents to Freehold, and become interested in the calling of a farmer, which has since that time, to a greater or less extent, engaged his attention. He was married, on the 20th of January, 1864, to Miss Julia P., daughter of Abel R. Taylor, of Mercer County, N. J., whose only child, Edith Taylor, born October 11, 1876, died August 31, 1879. Mr. Denise, in 1864, again made the township of Freehold his residence, and for eight years devoted his energies exclusively to farming, after which he returned to the town, which is his present home. He has made agriculture the study of his life and been largely identified with every movement, both in the county and State, having for its purpose the advancement of the agricultural interests of the.

369

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

county. He is a director of the Monmouth County Agricultural Society, and was one of the leading spirits in the Grange movement, which resulted in the organization of the Monmouth Grange, No. 92, of which he was the first secre- tary, and in which he has held various other offices. He is the secretary of the Monmouth County Board of Agriculture, and holds the ap- pointment of delegate from the county to the

CHAPTER XV.

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS-POPULATION.

IN all countries and regions where the first settlers are of the Anglo-Saxon race their ¡ earliest labors are directed to the securing of practicable routes of travel, and the opening of these, however rude and primitive they may State Board of Agriculture, as also agricultural ; be, is the first step in the direction of public statistical reporter for the government. Mr. internal improvement. In interior regions,

DID. Denise

Denise is largely interested in religious and church work, having held the offices of both deacon and elder and acted as superintendent of the Sabbath-school of the Second Reformed (Dutch) Church of Freehold.

remote from navigable waters, the immigrant must bestow some labor-be it more or less- to open a route or road to the place where he proposes to make his home in the new country ; but in localities more favored by nature,-such as the early settlers found within the territory that is now the county of Monmouth,-where a vast area of eligible land is rendered accessible by reason of the numerous creeks and deep rivers that flow through it, they were not im-

370

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

mediately compelled to expend their labor in the opening of roads, for they had highways ready for their use, over the boatable waters communicating with the bays and the ocean.

Most of the early settlers in Monmouth County were from Long Island, from West- chester County, N. Y., and from New England, and for fully forty years from the time when the first of them came to make their homes in the Navesink region, sloops and other small sailing- vessels made frequent trips, during the favorable seasons of the year, from Wakake and other landings on the rivers and bays of Monmouth to New York, to Gravesend, L. I., and to Rhode Island, forming a comparatively easy com- munication between the Monmouth settlers and the relatives and friends who remained on the homestead from which the farmer had emigrated. From Gravesend a highway ran across Long Island to the Sound, opposite Throgg's Neck, where the crossing was made into Westchester County, N. Y., whence travelers reached the great public road running from New York into the New England colonies.

In the period extending from about 1668 to 1690, Christopher Allmy, who came from Rhode Island and settled in Monmouth County, made occasional trips in the summer season, in a sloop, sailing from Shrewsbury River to the Rhode Island ports, carrying passengers, and also-peltries and other articles of freight, and bringing back settlers, with their movables, and such goods as could be procured in New England, which were in demand in the New Jersey setttement. After a time, Allmy re- turned to live in his old home in Rhode Island, and it is not known that the sloop-line between that colony and Monmouth was continued by any other person. As the old settlers died, and the ties of consanguinity or early friendship became weakened by time, the intercourse be- tween the Monmouth people and those of the parent settlements in New England and Long Island gradually grew less frequent, and was finally almost entirely discontinued.

The first land highways used by the Mon- mouth settlers were the Indian paths, which generally ran over high ground, avoiding steep · hills, ravines, swamps, bogs, deep streams, and

also shallow ones where they were bordered by miry meadows or liable to be rendered impassa- ble by freshets. Of these paths there were two principal ones traversing the county,-the Minisink Path, running from the Navesink Highlands and River to the Raritan, three miles above Perth Amboy, and thence to Mini- sink Island in the Delaware, and the Burling- ton Path, running from the Delaware at Burlington, by way of Crosswicks and the site of the town of Freehold, to the Minisink Path, near Middletown, thence to Clay Pit Creek and the Highlands, and also a branch forking be- tween Freehold and Middletown and running to Tinton Falls and Navarumsunk (now called Rumson). There were also other paths, among which were the "Fish Path " and "Cedar Path," traversing the county, and along several of which, roads were afterwards laid out.

A road (and perhaps more than one) had been laid out by the Navesink settlers prior to June 4, 1668, at which time a "General As- sembly," then convened at Portland Point (the Highlands), "Ordered that upon proposition and debate for another highway in Shrewsbury, on Narumsunk, the breadth of the said highway to be two rods and not under ; the breadth over it left at the discretion of the townsmen ; likewise, that those fences which are now made, which shall be found standing in the highway, are to remain in that place until they be . . . And this highway to be understood and meant the common passage highway and street which goes from one end of the town to the other."

In 1677, William Edmundson, traveling southward from New York, went by sloop to Wakake, and thence to Middletown, from which place he attempted, with an Indian guide, to cross the country to the Delaware ; but, after wandering in the woods for a day or more, was compelled to abandon that route and to go back to and up the Raritan River to "a small landing from New York" (probably Inian's Ferry, where New Brunswick now is), and thence to the Falls of Delaware (Trenton), over a track which had been partially opened to that place, but wholly to the west of the limits of Mon- mouth County. On this journey he "saw no tame animals in all the way."

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History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 1, Part 65

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co. Number of Pages: 974

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 974