History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 94

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148

USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth county, New Jersey > Part 94

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

" Read and considered the petition of Bartholomew Appelgadt, Thomas Appelgadt and Richard Sadler requesting in substance that they may be allowed to purchase from the Indians a tract of land situate about two leagues on this side of Middle Towne, near the Nevesings, fit for a settlement of 6 a 8 families, etc. Whereupon it is ordered : The Petitioners' re- quest is allowed and granted, on condition that after the land be purchased, they take out patents in form for it, and actually settle it within the space of two years after having effected the purchase, on pain of forfeiture."

At another council held by Governor-General Colve on the 18th of the same month,

"John Bound [Bowne] and Richard Hartshooren [Hartshorne], residing at Middletown, both for them- selves and partners, give notice that the land granted to Bartholomew Appelgadt, Thomas Appelgadt and Richard Sadler on their petition, is included in their, the Petitioner's, patent, requesting therefore that said land may again be denied to said Appelgates: Or- dered : Petitioners shall, within six weeks from this

date, prove that said land is included within their patent, when further order shall be made in the pre- mises."

There is little doubt that the Applegates sus- tained their claim, as some of the family lived and owned land in that vicinity for many gen- erations.

Port Monmouth is in the north part of the township, on Shoal Harbor, and at the northern terminus of the Raritan and Delaware Bay Railroad, now the New Jersey Southern.

Prior to 1854 the place, which afterwards be- came Port Monmouth, was known in general terms as Shoal Harbor. In this year a plank- road was built from Middletown village, through Chanceville (now New Monmouth), to the point then for the first time called Port Mon- mouth. The land on which it is situated was a part of the Thomas Seabrook estate.

The Port Monmouth Transportation Com- pany was incorporated April 5, 1855, with a capital of fifty thousand dollars, and with the following-named directors : Charles Morford, Aaron Seabrook, Jacob Conover, William Mor- ford, John B. Crawford, Garret Van Dorn, Elias Morford and William W. Murray. This com- pany built a long pier out into the bay to deep water, and built the steamboat " Eagle," to run from their pier to New York. A large hotel was also built, ealled the Port Monmouth Hotel.

Upon the opening of the Raritan and Dela- ware Bay Railroad to this point, making a route to New York by the connecting steamers, a large business was done, particularly during the War of the Rebellion. The steamers "Tama- nend," "Jesse Hoyt" and others ran at different times on the line from the railway terminus to New York. During the time in which the railway traffic and travel passed by way of Port Monmouth it was a place of ex- tensive business, but after the opening of the New York and Long Branch Railroad it de- clined rapidly, and is now a place of much less importance than formerly.

THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH of Port Monmouth was organized in 1864, and the present church was creete in 1866. Tlie

545

MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP.

pastors have been the Rev. Ananias Lawrence, C. C. Eastlack, S. II. Asay, J. F. Heilenman, E. T. Tunnicliff, J. Garrison, W. A. Massey, W. Franklin, E. Waters, L. A. Beeman and J. F. Seachrist, the present pastor. Harmony Church is now connected with this church, and the membership of both is one hundred and fifty.

The Port Monmouth post-office was estab- lished at the terminus of the railroad in 1861, with the Rev. William V. Wilson as postmas- ter. He still holds the office.

An enterprise was begun along the shore in 1871 of packing menhaden (fish) in oil. The business was carried on by Coit & Co., Ameri- can Club Fish Company and Stanley & Co. It was carried on for four or five years, but finally abandoned. A. Osborn & Son, David Vail and Daniel Vail are now using large quantities of menhaden, extracting the oil for painting and selling the refuse for fertilizing purposes.

Leedsville is in the south part of the township, a short distance from Swimming River, which there forms the boundary against Shrewsbury.

In this locality William Leeds purchased of the proprietors a large traet of land on Swim- ming River, and March 29, 1680, he purchased the Indian right of Cherewas-Melileth, Cherles, Puropa, Lendreck, Iraseef, Mestoa, Poruras, Leoples, Secoes and Metopeek. Traseef was called the sachem of Wiekoton. Upon this tract of land William Leeds built a house which is mentioned in a road record of 1687 as "Wil- liam Leeds' new house." A great portion of this land was left by Leeds in his will to the Epis- copal Church of Shrewsbury, at that time em- bracing Christ Church of Middletown. This was held by the two congregations in common until 1855, when the property was divided.

The village of Leedsville is on the northern boundary of the Leeds tract, and as early as 1800 it acquired the name of Sandy New, by which it was known many years. Hendrick Bennett kept a tavern at the place from 1800 to 1820. It was later kept by Benjamin Lever- son and by Gilbert Clayton, who was the last. In 1841, John H. Adlem bought the tavern property, and still owns it. Joseph Stillwell erected the present hotel about 1829.

A post-office was established here in 1841. The postmasters have been Samuel T. Holmes, Joseph Thomson, Cyrenus Thompson, Frank Ryan, Henry II. Adlem, Constant Ingling and Tenbrook Davis. The office was abandoned several years ago.

THE BAPTIST CHURCH AT LEEDSVILLE WAS organized in 1846, and October 10th in that year elected James Grover, John N. Johnson, Daniel Polhemus and Horace Gleason trustees. The society was incorporated February 25, 1847. A site was procured and timber was made ready for the raising of a meeting-house, when some financial difficulty occurred and the project of building was abandoned. It was again started in 1868 and a chapel was built, which was dedicated February 17, 1869. In 1876 the society was involved in financial diffi- culty and the house was sold to John Bergen and John Sutton, two Baptists of Red Bank, and in 1880 the society purchased and now own it. The pulpit has been supplied by the Red Bank Baptist Church from the first, and it is now a part of that church.

New Monmouth (formerly Chanceville) is situated in the western part of the township, north of Middletown village.

The land on which New Monmouth stands was in the hands of the Morford family before 1840, when William and Charles Morford opened a store and kept it from that time for many years. A post-office was established and Henry Morford became the postmaster. Heafterwards went to Keyport and published the New Jersey Standard, and became a writer of some note. He was succeeded as postmaster by Howard Van Tassell, and H. J. Frost, who is the present postmaster.

THE BAPTIST CHURCH AT CHANCEVILLE was organized in 1854, largely from members of the First Baptist Church of Middletown. In the next year the present church building was erected and also a chapel. The church was re- modeled and enlarged in 1860. The present membership is one hundred and forty-four. The Rev. William V. Wilson, of Port Monmouth, has been pastor of this society from its organization.

546

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH was organ- ized in 1876 and has a membership at present of six hundred souls. The corner-stone of the church was laid June 21, 1878. A mission was begun here several years before by Father Danielson, and in 1876 Father John J. F. ()'Connor became rector, and is now in charge. Morrisville Catholic Church is also under his care.

At " Holland," on the west line of the town- ship, stands the Lyster house, which was built in 1730 by one of the family who came from Long Island and settled there. Dur- ing the Revolution there were two brothers, Peter and Cornelius Lyster. The latter was the grandfather of Hendrick V. Lyster, now living near there. Peter lived and died on the homestead. John P., his son, was a soldier in the Revolution. Emma and Catharine Lyster, granddaughters of Peter, now live in the old homestead house.

Morrisville is a settlement on the township line between Holmdel and Middletown. The place has a store, a school-house and a few dwellings.

Prior to 1833 a Methodist Society was or- ganized at Scott's Corners (now Morrisville), and on March 30th in that year it was incor- : porated and trustees chosen. A lot was pur- chased not far from the Corners and a meeting- house erected upon it, which was also used for school purposes. On the 28th of March, 1845, the lot was sold by John B. Crawford, Samuel H. Smith and David H. Bennett, trustees of the church, to the school trustees. No perma- nent organization seems to have been held from this time.

THE BAPTIST CHURCH at what was soon afterwards known as Chapel Hill was organ- ized as the "Independent Baptist Society and congregation at High Point, Middletown." June 17, 1809, the following-named trustees were elected : Rev. John Cooper, John Stillwell, Henry Johnson, Job Layton, William Norris and John Johnson. A meeting-house was erected which was known as High Point Chapel. How long the Rev. Mr. Cooper re- mained in charge has not been ascertaincd. The society was not incorporated until January 14, 1829.

A Methodist Episcopal Church was organ- ized and incorporated at the place October 13, 1828, with the following trustees: James Lewis, William Baker and John Taylor. This society, early in 1829, purchased the High Point Chapel, and used it until the Methodist Episcopal Church was erected at Navesink, when it was abandoned and the house sold to Deacon An- drew Brown, of the First Middletown Baptist Church. Among the ministers of the Method- ist Church were Revs. Loudenslager, Andrews, Jaquett, and in 1859-60, William A. Brooks. Af- ter the purchase of the chapel by Deacon Brown services were held occasionally by the pastor of the Middletown Baptist Church, and upon Dea- con Brown's decease he left the chapel, by will, to the First Baptist Church of Middletown, who now use it as a place of worship.

A post-office was established at Chapel Hill about 1850, with Cornelius Mount as postmas- ter. He was succeeded by Alexander Waters, who kept store at the place. In 1882, Peter S. Conover succeeded him and is now postmaster. D. S. Bennett occupies the store in which the post-office is kept. The Chapel Hill beacon is near this place.

In 1684, John Loofburrow was in possession of a mill on Maclise Creek. As late as 1815 the creek was navigable for słoops and schoon- ers within a half-mile of the mill. The farm is still in possession of the family ; the mill passed into other hands about twenty years ago.

Chapel Hill village is in the northern central part of Middletown township, two miles east of Middletown village and nearly the same dis- tance south from the shore of the bay. This płace had been known as "High Point " for many years prior to 1800. Soon after that date it began to be called by its present name, HARMONY METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH because of the erection there of a Baptist meet- is situated near the west line of Middletown ing-house or chapel. township, northwest of Middletown village.

547

MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP.

In 1829, Miss Hannah Herbert (afterwards Mrs. Joseph Collins) opened a Sunday-school at her house, in Harmony, and also invited preachers to visit her house and preach. Among those who did so were the Reys. Bartholomew Weed, Thomas G. Stuart, James Moore, James Long, Isaac Felch and Mulford Day. A so- ciety was organized soon after 1829, which was incorporated February 23, 1835, with John B. Dennis, James C. Polhemus, Peter C. Dennis, Joseph Johnson and Stephen Pangborn trus- tees. A lot was bought June 24, 1840, of Silas Newman, under the condition that a church should be erected thereon. It was built soon afterwards and was used until 1864, when it was enlarged and repaired. At this time it was under the pastoral charge of Rev. G. H. Neal. It was dedicated November 3, 1864, by Bishop Simpson. The pastors since that time have been Revs. Ananias Lawrence, C. C. Eastlack, S. H. Asay, J. F. Herbert, J. T. Heilenman, E H. Tunnicliff, J. Garrison, W. A. Massey, E. Gifford, A. J. Gregory, J. Wagg and J. T. Seachrist, the present pastor. This church is under charge of Port Monmouth,

The Fair View Cemetery is situated on rising ground between Middletown and Red Bank.

The Fair View Cemetery Company was in- corporated March 28, 1855. The grounds are finely laid out into lots, walks and avenues, and well set with evergreens and deciduous trees. They were laid out by Ezra Osborne, of Mid- dletown.

Oak Hill Nurseries (owned by Elnathan Fields) are situated west of Hedden's Corners and north of Nut Swamp. Fruit-trees, ever- greens and deciduous trees and shrubs of all kinds are raised for the market.

The peninsula of Sandy Hook, from its northern extremity southward to a point three- fourths of a mile below the Highland bridge across the Navesink River, is within the juris- dietion of Middletown for township purposes, though it is the property of the United States for military and other public uses.

The first owner of the lands of Sandy Hook was Richard Hartshorne, who came to this part of the country in September, 1669. In 1703

he made a deed of gift of the Highlands and Sandy Hook to his son William, who died in 1748, and left it to his sons Robert and Esek.

In 1762 the light-house on Sandy Hook was established. On November 16, 1790, an act was passed declaring " That the jurisdiction of this State in and over a lot of land situate at the point of Sandy Hook, in the County of Mon- mouth, containing four aeres, on which a light- house and other buiklings are erected, shall be, and the same is hereby ceded to and vested in the United States of America for ever here- after."

The title of the property passed to the United States February 26, 1806, from Richard Hartshorne (son of Robert), Tylee Williams and Nimrod Woodward, who owned the portion formerly owned by Esek Hartshorne. In March, 1846, an aet was passed giving to the township of Middletown jurisdiction in and over all Sandy Hook, owned by the United States, lying north of an east and west line through the mouth of Young's Creek at low water, and extending across the island or cape of Sandy Hook from shore to shore.

The Sandy Hook light-house was established in 1762 and refitted in 1857. The light is ninety feet above the level of the sea ; height of tower from base to light, seventy-seven feet. Its lantern is of third order lens, fixed, and at an elevation of fifteen feet above the sea visible fifteen nautical miles. It is said to be the oldest established light-house in the United States, with the exception of Brant Point light, a small affair near Nantucket, Mass., which was built in 1759. During the Revolution the Sandy Hook light-house was fortified by the British, inelosing a camp or cantonment which was occupied by Tory Refugees (black and white), and known as " Refugees' Town." The east and west beacon lights, on Sandy Hook, were established in 1842. The east beacon is forty-eight feet above the level of the sea. It went out in 1850 and was rebuilt. In 1880 a new iron tower was built on the site, and the light was used for the first time on the 15th of March in that year. A first-order steam fog syren signal, giving blasts of six seconds at intervals of forty seconds, is attached to the cast

548

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

beacon light, north point of Sandy Hook. The west heacon tower is forty-five feet above the level of the sea and thirty feet from the base to the focal plane.

The Sandy Hook light-ship lies nearly due east from Sandy Hook light and the Highland lights about fourteen miles, and is the first of the Sandy Hook lights to be discovered by ships coming in from sea. It was first placed

A fort was begun on Sandy Hook by the United States government during the War of the Rebellion, but was never completed. A signal-service tower is also at the place. The Hook is used by the government as a ground for heavy gun experimental practice. Life- Saving Station No. 1 is located at this place.

Spermaceti Cove is about half-way from the Highland bridge to the northern point of Sandy Hook. At this place, before 1812, a tavern was built, and called the Cove House. It was kept by Thomas Martin, and was destroyed by fire in ! 1854.

At the " Horse-Shoe" on the Sandy Hook isthmus, and about one mile south of the light- house, is the terminus of the Long Branch and Sca-Shore Railroad, where are located the steam- boat wharf, depot, engine-houses and water- tanks.

Besides the beacons on Sandy Hook, there are three others in Middletown township, viz. : Point Comfort, Chapel Hill and Conover. Waackaack beacon is in Raritan township, rang- ing with Point Comfort. They are all range lights established by an act of Congress approved August 31, 1852. The report of the Light- House Board says they were all completed in 1856. Point Comfort beacon is forty-five feet above the level of the sea, Waackaack seventy- six feet, Chapel Hill two hundred and twenty- four feet and Conover sixty feet. Chapel Hill and Waackaack have second order lens and the other two third order.

Point Comfort beacon is located near the shore on Point Comfort, while Waackaack, with which it is in range, is inland, on the east side of Wakake Creek. Conover beacon is on Sandy

Hook Bay, near the Leonardsville dock, and is in range with Chapel Hill beacon, which stands on Chapel Hill, about two miles inland.

SCHOOLS IN MIDDLETOWN .- The township contains thirteen school districts and has school property valued at sixteen thousand two hun- dred dollars. Fourteen hundred and thirty- nine children of school age are registered in the township. Navesink District No. 59, there in 1823 and rebuilt in 1862. It has two | embraces the territory on Clay-Pit Creek lights, each forty-five feet above the level of the sea, and is provided with a fog-bell.

south and east of Navesink, where, in what was known in early days as Witch Hollow, a school- house was standing as early as 1800 and was there as late as 1820. "Master John Stevens," grandfather of Edward A. Stevens, of Hoboken, was a teacher there. About 1840, a school-house was built at Navesink, which was repaired from time to time and afterwards rebuilt. It is a large frame two-story house, and is now occupied by the school. This district now contains two hundred and twelve children of school age.

('hanceville District, No. 60, was formed under the present system April 23, 1857. The school-house in this district was built over fifty years ago and was rebuilt about 1858, and is now used. The district contains at present one hundred and three children of school age.

Harmony District, No. 61, has seventy- two children of school age. A school-house was built near the Harmony Methodist Episcopal Church before 1837. In that year it was known as

District No. 3. Daniel C. Hendrickson, Andrew Wilson and John Eastmond were trus- tees. A meeting was held May 25, 1842, to consider the expediency of moving the school- house. A motion was made to change the site, which was carried. At a meeting June 11th, the action was reconsidered and vote again taken, and it was decided not to change. In February, 1857, another meeting was held, and the citizens were called upon to vote upon two sites,-the old one by Harmony Church and the lot near the corner of Jacob Halsey's land. The vote was taken and again lost. Soon after this time the school house was burned. No record of any ac- tion for rebuilding on the old site is found. A lot was purchased of James Willet ; the present house was built, and, with repairs, is still used. Middletown District, No. 62, embraces

549

MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP.

old Middletown village, where the first English school in the province of New Jersey was taught by John Smith, who was an associate with Roger Williams in his exilement to Rhode Island. He came to Middletown and took up Lot No. 5 in the " Town Lotts." He opened a school in the new village, and was married by John Bowne, justice of the peace, January 3, 1672. He evi- dently retired from teaching a few years later, for it is of record, June 22, 1678, that " John Smith, late schoolmaster, of Middletown in the province of East New Jersey, purchased a tract of land called by the Indians Mengache, but hereafter to be called amongst the English by the name of Smith's Field." It is not ascer- tained when John Smith taught in Middletown village, nor where " Smith's Field " was located.

A school-house which was in use in Mid- dletown in 1785, was doubtless the one that stood on the Dr. Edward Taylor farm and in which he attended school in 1812. This house stood there until about 1830, when it was moved. Of the teachers in this old house were John Grant, Asher McQuin, - Buell and Robert L. Austin, who was the last. He continued in the new house, which was built on the site of the present Reformed Church Jot. When it was decided to build the church, the school lot was thought the most desirable, and it was purchased from the trustees in 1835.

After that sale, there being then no school-house, a stock company was formed to build an acad- emy, to be called Franklin Academy. April 19, 1836, John L. Hendrickson, William Wil- ling, Ezra Osborn, Dr. Edward Taylor, J.S. B. Beekman, Robert Hartshorne and James Pat- terson were elected trustees.

The present two-story academy was built, and Robert L. Austin became the first principal. School was kept in this building as an academy for several years. About 1851, it was turned over to the district, and is still used. The dis- triet now contains one hundred and twenty- seven children of school age.

that in McClane's Swamp, about half a mile below Hedden's Corner, there formerly stood a school-house in which an Irish teacher, in pun- ishing a scholar who was kept after school, killed him and buried him under the school- house. The swamp for many years after, and within the recollection of some now living, was called Haunted Swamp.

As early as 1785 a school-house was built on the site at IIedden's Corner, at which Jonathan McClane attended. Jacob McClane also attended it in 1816. A new school-house was built about 1860, which was remodelled a few years ago. The district at present contains one hun- dred and eleven children of school age.

Leedsville Distriet, No. 64, is located in the southwest corner of the township. In 1818, an old school-house stood on a knoll northeast from Jephiah Clayton's house, at which Mr. and Mrs. Clayton, William Jewell and Eliza Ogden attended. The house is now on the farm of Jephiah Clayton. About 1830, Cyrenus Thompson gave a lot of ground for school purposes, and on it the present house was built. It was rebuilt about 1855. The district at pre- sent contains one hundred and three children of school age.

Nut Swamp District is in the south part of the township, southwest of Hedden's Corner, west of Red Bank and cast of Morrisville. Within the territory of this district the question of building a school-house was brought up in 1840, and on the 10th of March, 1841, a meet- ing of citizens was held at the store of Edward and John Michaus, at which time and place Joseph S. Applegate, John Michaus, William Smith, George Bowne and Thomas S. Field were elected trustees of the Association for Promotion of Learning. The society was in- corporated November 27, 1841. A lot was purchased and the present house was built upon it and called the Union School-House. It is still used for schools. The district contains forty-nine children of school age.

Hedden's District, No. 63, is in the neighbor- Chapel Hill District, No. 66, embraces the hood of Hedden's Corner, in the south part of little village or settlement of Chapel Hill, east the township, between Red Bank and Middle- town village. Jonathan McClane, the father of James MeC'lane, used to relate the tradition

of the centre of the township. The first school- house in what is now the Chapel Hill District was built in 1817 on Garret Hill. The lot

550

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

(one-sixth of an aere) was purchased Novem- ber 4, 1816, for ten dollars. It was bought of William Stillwell by William Morford, John Stout and James Hopping, trustees of the "Gar- ret Hill School." This house was nsed at the place until 1848, when it was moved to Chapel Hill, where it is still oeenpied by the school. The distriet contains at present eighty-one children of school age.

Highland District, No. 67, embraces the Nave- sink Highlands. The first school-house was built here, in 1834, by Peter W. Schenek and used for a private school for fifteen years, then abandoned. In 1845 the Highlands became a distriet, and Peter W. Schenek and Colonel William Jones erected a school-house on Jones' property, which was used for many years and then abandoned. In 1867 Ed- ward Hartshorne erected a school-house near the Twin Lights. This was used un- til 1878, when it was sold to the Catholies, who oceupied it as a chapel. Soon after the sale of this lot the district bought the present school site of Andrew Mount and built on it, and in 1880 the distriet voted two thousand dollars for the erection of a school-house. In 1884it was decided to enlarge the house, and two thousand five hundred dollars was voted for that purpose. The house was enlarged to forty by eighty feet. It is well furnished with all modern im- proved furniture. The distriet now contains one hundred and ninety-six children of school age.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 94

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co. Number of Pages: 1148

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148