History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 2, Part 32

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 994

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1 A writer, in 1860, said of this marl region,-

"Squaukam marl took its name from the village of Squan- kum, which lies on the northern extremity of the marl distriet. Marl was first discovered about 1830, in sinking a mud sill in building a dam aeross the head of Squan River, at New Bargain Mills, and for the last twenty years immense and increasing quantities have been used yearly. It is safe to say that it has made what was ouce a very poor seetion of Monmouth County one of the most fertile distriets of the State. It has raised the price of land in many places fromu five dollars to one hundred dollars per acre, and has placed land-owners-of whom it was said the more land they owned the poorer they were -in very afflucut circumstances. The marl district be- gins on the stream which forms the head of Squan River, a little above New Bargain Mills, and on both banks of the stream, for a distance of six miles, good marl is found convenient of access. On the Mingumahone Brook good marl is found from Upper Squakum to the conjunction of said brook with the New Bargain stream, a distance of four and a half miles, and there is so little top soil on this stream above the marl that in many places, for a half- mile back on either side, marl can conveniently be got ont

LOWER SQUANKUM lies in the southeast part of the township, on the Manasquan. In 1820 one Lloyd was the owner of a grist-mill at this place. In 1834 there where here two taverns, one store, a Friends' Meeting-house, a grist-mill and fulling-mill and twelve or fifteen dwellings. In that year the " Free Meeting-House " was built here. William Clayton, William K. Van Note, Ephraim B. Wainwright, George G. John- son and Jolin Woodmansie were elected trus- tees. The house has been oceupied mostly (though not regularly) by Methodist ministers, anywhere; in fact, the whole land can be dug up. On the

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HOWELL TOWNSHIP.

Gordon's "Gazetteer " of 1834 says of New Bargaintown, upon Manasquan River: "It contains a grist-mill and some half-dozen dwell- ings, surrounded by a pine forest." The mill is now owned by Henry Layton. On the same stream, farther up, is a grist-mill now called Fairfield Mills, owned by C. R. and James O.

Mathews, formerly known as Pipe Longstreth's mill, and still earlier as "ye Leonard's mill," there being several "Leonard's mills " in the country before 1730. Still farther up the stream, and south from Blue Ball, are the Barkalow or Barraelo Mills, which have been in the family over one hundred and fifty years.

BLUE BALL is a small village or settlement on the western line of Howell township, adjoin- ing Freehold, and about three and a half miles south of the court-house. A short distance north of the hamlet is Shumar's Mill, which, in the time of the Revolution, was known as Richmond's Mill. It was there that Colonel Daniel Morgan lay with his famous corps of riflemen during the whole of the day of June 28, 1778, impatiently waiting for orders to move up and take part in the battle of Mon- mouth.

This settlement as it was in 1834 is described briefly in the "Gazetteer " of that year as follows: " It contains a tavern and store, ten or twelve dwellings, one Presbyterian and one Methodist Church." The Presbyterian Church here re- ferred to stood on the site of the Fairfield Baptist Church. The Methodist Church men- tioned was built here nearly a century ago, as will be noticed in the history of that church.

Blue Ball derived its name from the tavern which was erected here about 1800, and was kept by David Conover till 1826. At that time Aaron Brower became the landlord and kept it many years. It is now kept by J. B. Titus. About 1827, John Hall and Ebenezer Scott started a small store; the latter kept it until 1853 and sold to Aaron Combs, who con- tinued several years. The store is now kept by Mrs. E. E. Hall. In 1850, D. C. Perrine

main branch of Shark River marl is found from Shaftoe's saw mill down to the river, a distance of about five miles."

built a store building and established a branch store at this place (his main business being in Freehold). This was kept until 1856, when he sold to John S. Forman, who continued a few years and sold to Francis Patterson, who, in 1868, admitted to partnership his brother, George W. Patterson. The store was afterwards burned, but was rebuilt, and is now owned by Charles H. Brower.

The post-office was established after 1834. John Hall was the first postmaster. He was succeeded by John S. Barton, John L. Corlies, George L. Britton, John C. Patterson, Dr. Isaac N. Beegle and Mrs. E. E. Hall, who still holds the office ..

Dr. Richard T. Stoutenburgh, a graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York, located here in 1846 and practiced a few years, then retired. De Witt W. Barclay set- tled at this place as a physician in 1847, prac- ticed a number of years and retired to a farm, but after a few years returned to practice and continued till his death, in 1867. Dr. Joseph B. Goodenough came here about 1850 and re- mained till his removal to Long Branch. Dr. Isaac N. Beegle also settled here. He is now at Ocean Grove. Dr. Harry Neafie recently in practice here, is now located at Freehold.

Adelphia Lodge, No. 65, K. of P., was in- stituted at Farmingdale, January 15, 1872, and removed to Turkey (Blue Ball), April 15, 1878. Meetings were held for a year in Emmons' wheelwright-shop, and upon the completion of Adelphia Hall, in 1879, the lodge moved to that building. The membership is now about sixty.

THE BETHESDA METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH at Blue Ball is the most ancient of the churches of that denomination in Mon- mouth County, dating back more than a cen- tury. Being located within about three miles of the village of Moumouth (now Frechold), and being the only Methodist Church in that vicinity (the Freehold Church not being formed until a half-century later), it was for many years known as "the Methodist Church of Monmouth." The Rev. John Atkinson, in his " Memorials of Methodism," says of it,-

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

"The Methodist Society at Monmouth must have been formed at an early period, probably about 1780, as in that year Job Throckmorton, of Frechold, was converted under the ministry of the Rev. Richard Garretson, and became a member of the society. He was one of the first members in that region. The Methodists were much persecuted there at that time. His house was a home for preachers, and very likely Bishop Asbury was entertained at his dwelling during his visits to Freehold. Everitt, Freeborn Garretson, Ezeziel Cooper, Ware and others were accustomed to stop at his house. He was accustomed to relate inei- dents of Rev. Benjamin Abbott's powerful ministry, one of which is as follows : 'On one occasion meeting was held in the woods, and after Freeborn Garretson had preached, Abbott arose and looked around over the congregation very significantly, and exclaimed, "Lord, begin the work; Lord, begin the work now ; Lord, begin the work just there !" pointing at the same time towards a man who was standing beside a tree and the man fell as suddenly as if he had been shot and cried for mercy.' "

Of Methodism in Monmouth one hundred years ago (says Major Yard 1) the records are of the most meagre character. Previous to 1774 the whole State was included in one circuit, sup- plied by two preachers. That year it was divided into two circuits,-Trenton and Green- wich,-but still there were but two preachers assigned to the State, - William Watters to Trenton Circuit, and Philip Ebert to Greenwich, exchanging at the end of six months with Daniel Ruff and Joseph Yearby, from Chester (Pa.) Circuit. Watters was the first native-born Methodist itinerant in America. Richard Owings, also native-born, was a local preacher before Watters entered the work, but he did not join the traveling connection until after Watters. Freeborn Garretson visited New Jersey in 1779, and doubtless traveled through the State. Greenwich and Trenton Circuits disappear from the Conference Minutes in 1776, and New Jersey and Philadelphia appear as separate circuits until 1779, when they appear that year as one eireuit, with Philip Cox, Joshua Dudley and Daniel Ruff as preachers.

The Methodists of this region in 1779 must have been few in number, as there were but one hundred and forty reported in the State. They perhaps formed a society-or a " class,"

as we would now call it-which counted its members scattered through a wide district. Bhie Ball may have been a centre for its meet- ings, and Freehold on its borders. This is probable, for while Methodist meetings were frequently hield at the court-house, there was no society in Freehold until abont 1833, and the members previous to that time were connected with the society at Blue Ball.

In 1786 Trenton Circuit ineluded Trenton, Pemberton, Mount Holly, Burlington and Mon- month. Revs. Robert Sparks and Robert Cann, preachers. In 1787 the Rev. Ezekiel Cooper and Rev. Nathaniel B. Mills were the preachers. In 1788, Revs. John Merrick, Thomas Morrell and Jetters Johnson, preachers.

The first mention of Freehold Circuit is in the Conference Minutes of 1793, when James Wilson and John Fountain were appointed to the charge. In 1793 Trenton Circuit reported five hundred and six members, while in 1794, after Freeliold Circuit was cut off, it reported only one hundred and seventy-four, while Free- hold reported four hundred and seventy-seven. This probably included all the Methodists in this section of the State east of Trenton.

In 1782, 1785 and in several later years Bishop Francis Asbury passed through this section, and preached here, being entertained at the houses of Job Throckmorton and Simon Pyle, and perhaps others of the vicinity. The following are extracts from his journals of those tours :

"September 14th, 1782 .-- I came to New Mills [Pemberton]. I passed through Monmouth in Upper and Lower Freehold. Here lived that old saint of God, William Tennent, who went to his reward a few years ago.

"Friday, Sept. 9th, 1785 .- Heard Mr. Woodhull preach a funeral discourse on 'Lord, thou hast made my days as a hand-breadth.' In my judgment, he spoke well.

"Saturday, September 10, 1785 .- I had liberty in preaching to the people of Monmouth on Joshua 24: 17, and felt much for the souls present." No doubt Freehold village is here meant, as it was then called Monmouth Court-House, and often simply Mon- mouth.

"Friday, September 22d, 1786 .- We dined at Am- boy and reached Monmouth at night.

" Monday, September 5th, 1791 .- I rode through much rain to Monmouth, N. J., where I preached to

1 Major James S. Yard, in an address delivered at the centennial of the Bethesda Church, September 4, 1879.

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a considerable congregation on 'The just shall live by faith ; but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.'

"October 28th, 1795 .- We came to Monmouth ; we would have gone to Shrewsbury, but time and our horses failed us. I learn that the ancient spirit of faith and prayer is taking place below. . We

rode twenty miles to Emley's Church, where the great revival of religion was some years ago. I felt a little of the good old spirit there still.

"May 30th, 1806 .- I preached at Lower Freehold. I came home with Simon Pyle. Ah! what a death there is in the Leonard family."

In 1812 the number of members in the Free- hold Cirenit was seven hundred and thirty-six. In 1813 the Rev. William Mills was sent here as a preacher. Mr. Mills was born in Free- hold about 1758; entered the Revolutionary army in 1776; was taken prisoner and sent to England; returned, and in 1799 became a Methodist preacher. He died at the house of Mr. Lippincott, at Long Branch, December 6, 1813.

The exact date of the building of the old church edifice at Blue Ball is not known. A tradition, remembered and related by Mr. John I. Cottrell, runs, that the society here held their first meetings in a barn on the farm adjoining this church, now owned by Jonathan Croxson. This was about one hundred and ten years ago. The timbers that are in the barn now standing on the premises are the same timbers that were in the old barn ; it has simply had new siding and a new roof.

Judge Joseph Murphy, of Freehold, born in 1797, remembered that the only building in this section for public worship owned by the Methodists was the one at Blue Ball. The Methodists of Freehold and all the conntry around, from Keyport and Bethany and Cheese- quakes on the east to Bennett's Mills on the south, came here to worship. Among the preachers in early times, he remembered Major Thomas Morrell (an officer of the Continental army, who was wounded at Germantown and Long Island. Thomas Neal, David Bartine, Thomas Stewart, James Long, Joseph Holdich, I-ane Winver, John K. Shaw, Daniel Fidler, Edward Page, Joseph Lybrand, Charles Pit- man mid Anthony Atwood. The Quarterly Meetings were were always held here, and were

great gatherings. This was the only Methodist Church organization in the county when he first recollected it. The next society was formed at Long Branch. They built a church at what is now known as Mechanicsville. The third Methodist society was organized at Chapel Hill, in Middletown. From that place it was the custom for the circuit preachers to come to his father's house, at Bethany, on Fridays, and preach. The seats in the church at Blue Ball had no backs and the walls were unplastered. The pulpit was built high up on the wall. The building was very much out of repair. It would seat about one hundred and fifty people, but on Quarterly Meeting occasions a great many more could be crowded in. He remem- bered that Joseph Goodenough was a leading member of the church when he first knew it.

An amusing ineident concerning the old church building at Bhie Ball, related by For- man Rogers (born in 1805), is that when he was abont five years old, and attending services there with his parents, the preacher appeared in the pulpit with his spectacles on wrong side up, whereupon young Rogers spoke out and called attention to it, which caused a laugh in the con- gregation. The preacher on this occasion was James Quail, whose name appears as preacher on this circuit in 1812. Mr. Rogers' father, William Rogers, then lived near Freehold, and this was the only Methodist Church in this sec- tion. Among those who were members at his first recollection were his father and his grand- father, Richard Rogers, William and Job Throckmorton, Job Clayton, Joseph Haviland (then an old man), Solomon Ketcham and Joseph Goodenough (of Upper Squankum, now Farmingdale), Joseph Patterson, Simon Pyle (at one time a circuit preacher, but at that time living on a farm at Colt's Neck), Negro Bob (a slave of Judge Henderson's, living near what is now West Freehold), Tunis Lane and Henry Timis, Henry Coniue and wife, Moses Bennett (of Bennett's Mills), Houce Richmond1 (then an old man), Mr. Reynolds and wife (from Har- mony) and Stephen Barkalow and wife. Mr. Barkalow run the grist-mill here, and was

1 Said to have been the first Methodist in all this region

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

grandfather of the late Thomas P. Barkalow, of Freehold. Within the recollection of Mr. Rogers, the old church was ceiled inside with boards ; previous to that time it had no other inelosure but cedar weather-boards. The pulpit was raised as high as the galleries of the present church, with a flight of stairs on each side; it was about eight feet long, with a bench running the length of it ; the breast of the pulpit was raised so high that only the head and breast of the preacher could be seen by the congregation. In front of the pulpit was a wide altar, with a railing and a kneeling-board covered with a cushion.

The present church was built on the opposite side of the road in the old cemetery lot. The corner-stone of the church was laid June 7, 1849. The building was finished in the following spring, and was dedicated April 11, 1850. The ministers who have served the church since 1874 are as follows : 1874-75, T. D. Sleeper ; 1876-7, A. M. Lake; 1878 to 1880, E. Hutchins ; 1881, J. J. Graw ; 1882 to 1884, R. B. Steverson.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHI AT LOWER TURKEY (now Fairfield) was in existence in 1828, when a chinreh edifice was erected on the site of the present Baptist Church. The Rev. William Woodhull was in charge. It was dis- continued about 1840, and the building was finally sold to Charles Buteher, who is now using it as a barn. About 1857, Austin H. Pat- terson, then in the Legislature, succeeded in getting a bill passed authorizing the people of the district to decide, by a two-thirds vote, to which denomination the church lot should pass. The vote gave it to the Baptists, and the trustees of the Presbyterian Church conveyed it to the trustees of the Baptist Church, who soon after ereeted the present Baptist Church build- ing upon it.

THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF HOWELL was organized November 10, 1859, by twenty- eight members of the Baptist Church at Free- hold, residing in and contiguous to the village of Fairfield (formerly called Lower Turkey), and on the following September 7, 1860, it was duly recognized as properly organized by a council

of Baptist ministers and laymen from various surrounding churches. On January 22, 1861, they elected as deacons the following persons : Abraham Havens, Sr., Abraham Havens, Jr., Charles Butcher and Jonathan C. Croxson. Abraham H. Croxson was chosen elerk, and Levi G. Irwin treasurer. The trustees elected were Charles Butcher, Levi G. Irwin, Abraham Havens, Jonathan C. Croxson, Oliver Huff, James Donahoy and Job Cottrell. In October, 1860, the Rev. Henry Westcott became their first pastor.

Religious services, thus far, were held in a school-house at Fairfield. Opposite this house was an old dilapidated Presbyterian meeting- house. Attached to it was a graveyard, in which were buried many of those who died years ago. The graves were exposed to intrusion and deseeration. The fence was broken down and the mounds left to the ravages of time, and the hoofs of cattle trod on earth sacred to the mem- ory of the departed. The old church build- ing was fast falling into ruins. The pews had fallen down, the galleries in their unfin- ished state looked bare and the stamp of ruin seemed placed on every part of the building.

Those who had friends buried in the grave- yard felt a strong aversion to the condition of the ground and a desire to render it secure from vandal intrusion; hence citizens of the commun- ity drew up a petition to the Legislature of the State, requesting that body to give authority to sell the house thus neglected, and devote the proceeds to build a fence around the graveyard, and coupled with the proviso that the ground be given to any religious evangelical denomina- tion which would engage to build a house of worship thereon (having first obtained the assent of at least two-thirds of the district in which the cemetery was located). This petition was presented by the member of the Legislature then residing in the township of Howell, and the bill passed the Legislature.

The newly-organized church realized their favorable chance to procure the let, and having obtained a requisite number of names of the resident citizens, the property was seenred to the Baptist denomination, subject to the proviso that they should erect thereon a house of wor-

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HOWELL TOWNSHIP.

ship. The grant being secured, the inhabitants of Fairfield soon erected on the premises a neat and commodious meeting-house, which was dedicated August 14, 1861. They also repaired, fenced and adorned the old graveyard.

Twenty-five years have passed since the or- ganization of the ehureh at Fairfield and the erection of their meeting-house. Within that time the church has had the following pastors : Henry Westcott, David B. Jutten, Asa C. Bron- son, Asa J. Wilcox, C. G. Gurr, Edwin S. Brown, William Archer and Henry Westcott, the present pastor.

Besides services held in the church at Fair- field, the pastor offieiates in Jerseyville, Pleas- ant Grove and Fort Plains, in sehool-houses, to encouraging eongregations, and the eongrega- tion at Fairfield is comparatively large and at- tentive, thus affording hope relative to the future. In April, 1884, a lot was purehased adjoining the church, and on it a parsonage has been ereeted.

The officers of the church are as follows : Pastor, Rev. Henry Westcott; Deacons, Levi G. Irwin, John Dillatash, James H. Buteher ; Church Clerk, Horatio Croxson; Treasurer, Levi G. Irwin; Trustees, Levi G. Irwin, John Dillatash, James S. Morris, A. H. Patterson, James H. Butcher.

BETHEL is comparatively a new settlement, located in the southwest part of the township. Here, in 1865, a lot was donated by Israel Reynolds, on which to ereet a Methodist Church. It was built in 1866. The Rev. Sam- uel Asa was the first pastor. The present pas- tor is the Rev. S. M. Hilliard. The ehureh has about seventy-five members. About 1870 a school-house was ereeted. In 1872, Henry H. Williams opened a store, and in 1882, John T. Reynolds also opened a store and was appointed postmaster of the office named "Southard," which was established at that time.

JERSEYVILLE, in the northwest corner of Howell township, is a small hamlet which, prior to 1854, was known as " Green Grove." On Saturday evening, June 3d, in that year, the inhabitants of the neighborhood met at the

house of John I. Cottrell, for the purpose of adopting a different name for the plaee. R. V. Lawrenee was ealled to the ehair, and Nason Borden was chosen seeretary. By a vote of the meeting, the place was then given its present name,-Jerseyville.

In 1849 a sehool-house was ereeted here, in which Methodist worship was held at times, until the completion of the Methodist Church edifice, the corner-stone of which was laid in the fall of 1869. The lot was donated by Sid- ney Hampton. The society was organized at about the same time. The church building eost four thousand two hundred and forty dollars, and was dedieated January 19, 1872. The ehureh at this place is under care of the neighboring churches of the denomination.

" Our House " is a tavern-stand on the road leading from Blue Ball to Farmingdale. It was first built as a store, but was opened as a tavern over seventy years ago. In 1841 it was kept by John Mariner, and later by Samuel Naylor, John Wheeler and (from 1851 to 1881) by John Antonides. It is now kept by T. H. Clayton.

THE "INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH " of Howell was in existenee more than a een- tury ago. On the 22d of February, 1808, John F. Longstreet, living near where now stands " Our House " tavern, between Blue Ball and Farmingdale, sold a lot of land to Zenas Conger and others for the nse of the Independ- ent Methodist Church Society. On this a house of worship was commeneed, but was never fin- ished. Serviees were held in the woods near by, with preaching by Zenas Conger, Matthias Barkalow and others. The place was aban- doned after a few years. When the transfer of the property of the Independent Methodist Church was made to the Methodist Protestant Church, about 1850, this lot was also conveyed to the latter, who sold it in 1858, and the pro- ceeds were used in the creetion of the Methodist Protestant Church at Hopeville.

SCHOOLS OF HOWELL TOWNSHIP .- In 1847 the township contained twenty-one school dis- tricts. By the erection of Wall township, in

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

1850, from part of Howell, the number was reduced to fourteen, and in 1851 to nine dis- tricts. The township now contains twelve dis- tricts and one thousand and sixteen children of school age. The school property is valued at thirteen thousand three hundred dollars.

Blue Ball District, No. 101, contains eighty- three children of school age. In this locality the first school house stood adjoining the old church on the opposite side of the road from the present Bethesda Church. It was built about 1820. On May 1, 1841, A. Simpson, John Hall, Jesse Cowdrick, Abram Ackerson and Thomas Croxsou, school trustces, leased for twenty years of Miles Cooper a lot containing one-quarter of an acre of land, "on the north side of the road leading from Blue Ball to Mar- riner's tavern " (" Our House "). To this lot the old house was removed, and it is still in use.

Jerseyville District, No. 102, contains one hundred and sixteen children of school age. For many years there stood, a short distance from the village, a log school-house, which was kept in use till the present briek school-house was erected, in 1849.

Turkey District, No. 103, has now eighty- seven school children. A school-house was built about 1835 nearly on the site of the pres- ent one at Fairfield Haven. It was fifteen by sixteen feet in size, and is now a carriage-shed at the Baptist parsonage. A new school-house (the present one) was built about 1855. The old house was used until this was built.

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History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 2, Part 32

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co. Number of Pages: 994

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 994