USA > New Jersey > Morris County > History of Morris County, New Jersey > Part 39
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97
Early in the afternoon a booming cannon announced his arrival at Whippany; and an hour later a second salute told the expectant throng that he was approaching Morristown. He came accompanied by Governor Wil- liamson, Colonel Ogden and William Halsey, a joint committee from Paterson and Morris, a deputation from the committee of arrangements who met him at Whip- pany, and a military escort of the Morris cavalry, who had joined him at the county line. He was conducted through the throng directly to the platform, where an address of welcome was delivered, to which he briefly responded.
The band played, the choir sang patriotic airs, the people cheered, and the general no doubt felt satisfied with the reception which Morristown tendered him, honorable alike to himself and to the people whose guest he was.
THE SPEEDWELL WORKS
were built about 1812, by Stephen Vail. They were closed shortly after his death, which occurred on the 12th of July 1864, and have not since been in operation. Their importance, however, during the period of their activity warrants a somewhat extended account. They are located a mile north of the Morristown Green. They have been the principal, and we may say the only, manu- facturing interests in the town.
THE VAIL INVENTIONS.
Speedwell may be called the home of the electro-mag- netic telegraph. The following letter from Prof. Morse has, we believe, never before been published:
"NEW YORK, November 25th 1862.
" MY DEAR SIR:
"Your favor of the 21st inst. is this moment received. On the subject upon which you request some observa- tions I would say that I well remember the trials made at Speedwell of the operations of the telegraph. The date, January 6th 1838, I believe to be correct in regard to those experiments. In 1835 the telegraph was operated | Read, 8vo. Cincinnati, 1873.
in my rooms in the university, but with only a short line of wire. Your nephew, Alfred Vail, was shown my ex- periments in 1837, he being then a student in the university, and he took from that time a strong interest in the invention, and became associated with me in labors and expenses and profits of the invention. Through this interest of Mr. Alfred Vail I was furnished with the pe- cuniary means to procure a greater length of wire and more effective instruments, which were made under my superintendence at Speedwell. Ten miles of wire, in two spools of five miles each, were prepared at the university to exhibit to Congress the operations of the telegraph at Washington, and the trial at Speedwell was made when about three miles of the wire had been completed. You will see in Mr. Alfred Vail's work, "The American Electro-Magnetic Telegraph," at pages 74 and 75, the re- sults of an experiment on a short wire of 1,700 feet, which I made on the 4th of September 1837, in the university; but the line of about three miles at Speedwell was the longest which at that time had been used.
" Yr. mo. ob. sert., "SAM'L F. B. MORSE."
" To Dr. William P. Vail, "Johnsonburg, N. Jersey."
On the 11th of January 1838, five days after the trial above mentioned was made, the public was permitted to see the wonderful performance, when hundreds came from the surrounding country to witness it.
It is in point here to state that the public has never done justice to Alfred Vail for the part he took in this great enterprise of giving the telegraph to the world. Nor did Prof. Morse himself pursue that generous course toward him which Mr. Vail had the right to expect. He claimed, or at least allowed himself to receive, all the honor of the inventions of Mr. Vail, which the latter ab- stained from claiming, owing to a delicate sense of ob- ligation incurred by his contract with Prof. Morse, "to devote his personal services and skill in constructing and bringing to perfection as also in improving the mechar .- ical parts of said invention, * * * without charge for such personal services to the other proprietors, and for their common benefit."
Alfred Vail first produced in the new instrument the first available Morse machine. He invented the first combination of the horizontal lever motion to actuate a pen or pencil or style, and the entirely new telegraphic alphabet of dots, spaces and marks, which it necessitated. The new machine was Vail's, not Morse's. To Alfred Vail alone is due the honor in the first place of inventing an entirely new alphabet; secondly, of inventing an en- tirely new machine, in which was the first combination of the horizontal lever motion to actuate a pencil or pen style, so arranged as to perform the new duties required with precision, simplicity and rapidity; and, thirdly, of inventing, in 1844, the new lever and grooved roller, which embossed into paper the simple and perfect alpha- betical characters which he had originated.
Space forbids adducing proofs of the above claims; for them we would refer those interested to the follow- ing works, where they will find the claims abundantly substantiated.
"Up the Heights of Fame and Fortune," by F. B.
161
INVENTIONS BY ALFRED AND STEPHEN VAIL.
New York Sun for September 25th 1858; an article by its editor, Moses S. Beach.
Scribner's Hours at Home, September 1869; an article by Dr. William P. Vail.
A pamphlet entitled "History Getting Right on the Invention of the American Electro-Magnetic Telegraph," 1872.
An Historical Sketch of Henry's Contribution to the Electro-Magnetic Telegraph, etc .; by William B. Taylor (from the Smithsonian Report for 1878), Washington; Government Printing Office, 1879; pages 84-87.
From the last named work we quote the concluding paragraph (p. 87): "Surely it is time that Alfred Vail should receive the tardy justice of some public acknowl- edgment of his very ingenious and meritorious inven- tions in telegraphy, and of grateful remembrance par- ticularly for his valuable contribution to the ‘Morse system ' of its practically most important element."
Mr. Vail died January 18th 1859. At a meeting of the directors of the Magnetic Telegraph Company, held at Philadelphia on the 16th of February 1859, for the pur- pose of giving expression to their feelings in view of his death, the Hon. Amos Kendall said: " If justice be done the name of Alfred Vail will forever stand associated with that of Samuel F. B. Morse in the history of the in- vention and introduction into use of the electro-magnetic telegraph. Mr. Vail was one of the most honest and scrupulously conscientious men with whom it has ever been my fortune to meet."
Mr. Read in his book already mentioned relates a con- versation between a friend of Mr. Vail and Professor Morse during the last sickness of the latter, in March 1872. "In a conversation of two hours," says this friend of Mr. Vail, " he [Professor Morse] several times said, ' The one thing I want to do now is justice to Mr. Vail.'
* * * Just four weeks from that day he passed from earth; and I have never heard that he left one word for it. Indeed, I did not expect that he would." To this statement Mr. Read adds: "Here we leave Professor Morse and his relations to Alfred Vail. Our only pur- pose has been simply to bring the facts concerning this wonderful invention to the light of day."
On March 3d 1843, one minute before midnight and the adjournment of Congress, the " telegraph bill " passed the Senate, having already been acted upon by the lower house. Prof. Morse, utterly discouraged and wearied out by his anxiety, had gone to his lodgings, having given up all hope, as at 9 o'clock in the evening nearly a hun- dred bills still remained upon the docket. The next morning, as he was about to sit down to breakfast, the servant announced that a young lady desired to see him in the parlor. It was the daughter of Henry L. Ells- worth, a college classmate of Prof. Morse. She had called at her father's request to announce the passage of the telegraph bill. As an appropriate acknowledgment of her kindness and sympathy Prof. Morse promised that the first message by the first line of telegraph between Washington and Baltimore should, be indited by her. When the line between these two cities was completed he
apprised her of his readiness to comply with his promise. A note from her enclosed these words: "What hath God wrought." And this was the first dispatch sent over the electro-magnetic telegraph, the date being Monday May 27th 1844. Alfred Vail was the operator at the Wash- ington station, and H. J. Roger at Baltimore. The only one remaining of these two original instruments has been until recently preserved at the " Headquarters " in Mor- ristown, and is now at the Metropolitan Museum, New York city.
An item from Dr. William P. Vail may not be out of place in this connection:
"Allow me to call attention to a matter which deserves a place in the History of Morris County. In the begin- ning of this century Jeremiah H. Pierson, of Ramapo, N. J., started the first nail factory in the United States, and the first cut nail ever made in this country was made there. Stephen Vail, then a very young man and a born mechanic, who could understand a machine at sight, heard of this strange thing and he longed to see it. Accordingly he went to Ramapo, but how to get the coveted sight was the question, as it was against the law of the establishment to admit spectators. However by some means he found his way inside, in the character of an unskilled, curious country boy, and wandered around in apparently stupid wonder at what he saw. At length Mr. Pierson, who had just come into the factory, saw the country lad intently looking at the cut nail machine. Instantly waving a bandana handkerchief, he beckoned him to the entrance, telling him very bluntly that he had
no business there. Making an affectedly awkward apology he took his leave, but he took that cut nail ma- chine away with him, in his head. He had seen enough. Not long afterward a cut nail machine was at work in Dover, Morris county, N. J. When Mr. Pierson heard of it for the life of him he couldn't tell how it got there. Many years afterward Mr. Pierson and Mr. Vail, both being iron men, formed an acquaintance. One day Mr. Vail asked Mr. Pierson if he knew how the nail factory in Dover came to be started. Of course Mr. Pierson didn't know; whereupon Mr. Vail, who loved a joke and a hearty laugh, told him all about it, and then they en- joyed the joke and the laugh together. This history Judge Vail gave me many years ago, and at my request he repeated it to me a short time before he died, which was in 1864, at the ripe age of 84, still a hale, vigorous man."
FIRST STEAMSHIP BOILER AND CAST-IRON PLOW.
The fame of Speedwell is not confined to the tele- graph. It has the honor of having manufactured the first boiler for the first steamship which crossed the Atlantic.
The London Times of June 30th 1819 says: "The ' Sa- vannah,' steam vessel, recently arrived at Liverpool from America, the first vessel of the kind that ever crossed the Atlantic, was chased a whole day off the coast of Ireland by the ' Kite', revenue cruiser on the Cork station, which mistook her for a ship on fire."
The same paper on June 21st 1819 contained the fol- lowing, credited to Marwade's Commercial Report of that week :
"Among the arrivals yesterday at this port we were particularly gratified and astonished by the novel sight of a fine steamship, which came around at 772 P. M. with-
162
HISTORY OF MORRIS COUNTY.
out the assistance of a single sheet, in a style which dis- played the power and advantage of the application of steam to vessels of the largest size, being 350 tons bur- den. She is called the 'Savannah,' Captain Rogers, and sailed from Savannah, Georgia, United States, the 26th of May, and arrived in the Channel five days since. During the passage she worked the engine eighteen days. Her model is beautiful, and the accommodations for pas- sengers elegant and complete. She is the first ship of this construction that has ever undertaken a voyage across the Atlantic."
Some of the lighter machinery of the " Savannah " was made ai Elizabethtown. The heavier parts were made at Speedwell by Judge Stephen Vail, the father of Alfred Vail. Dr. William P. Vail, the brother of Stephen, writes : "I well remember seeing parts of it [the engine] from time to time loaded on wagons for the transporta- tion to Elizabethtown Point, there to be shipped to New York." This was in 1819.
Tradition also says that the first cast-iron plow was made at Speedwell. In answer to a letter of inquiry on this point Dr. William P. Vail writes :
"" As to when, where, and by whom the first cast-iron plow was made, I can tell only what I have heard from an honored relative, Mr. Jacob Johnson, who lived many years an active, useful and respected citizen of Newark, N. J., but who was a native of Morris county, N. J., learned the trade of a printer with Jacob Mann, of Mor- ristown, the editor of the old Palladium, and who now sleeps there in the old cemetery of the First Presbyter- ian church. He assured me that his father, Mahlon John- son, of Littleton, Morris county, N. J., was the real in- ventor of the cast-iron plow, which was afterward pa- tented by Freeborn, of New York, whose name it bore. This statement I have no doubt is altogether correct."
It seems a pity that after the noble history of the Speedwell works they should now stand disused and for- saken.
BUSINESS CORPORATIONS.
BANKS.
On the 17th of March 1812 Aaron Kitchel, Edward Condict, Jonathan Ogden, Charles Carmichael, and Ebenezer H. Pierson, commissioners, opened subscrip- tion books for the State Bank at Morris. The officers were: President, Daniel Phoenix; directors-John Res- to (?), David Welsh, Isaac Southard, Richard Hunt, Wil- liam Brittin, Solomon Doty; cashier, H. J. Browne.
This bank continued business for a number of years, in the building on the corner of Park place and Bank street, now belonging to the estate of Aug. W. Bell. It finally went into bankruptcy.
The same fate overtook the old Morris County Bank, which for a considerable time carried on a flourishing business in the building now occupied by F. S. Freeman as a hardware store. It was incorporated February 24th 1836. The incorporators were Henry A. Ford, Dayton I. Canfield, George H. Ludlow, Joseph Jackson, Richard S. Wood, James Wood, Henry Hillard, Jephtha B. Munn, Silas Condict, Timothy S. Johnes, Jonathan C. Bonnell,
George Vail, and William Brittin. The capital stock was $100,000. James Wood was the first president. After his death he was succeeded by his son Nelson Wood.
For a long time this was the great bank of the county. In the financial troubles of 1857 it was obliged to sus- pend for a while, but was able to meet its obligations in full. At last, however, about 1865 or 1866 it finally closed its doors.
National Iron Bank .- This bank was started at Rocka- way in 1855 or 1856, under the name of the Iron Bank of Rockaway. It was moved to Morristown in February 1858. Its first directors after the removal were Simeon Broadwell (president), Horace Ayers (cashier), C. S. Hulse, Samuel W. Corwin, John Bates, James Holmes, George S. Corwin, Francis Lindly and Henry C. Pitney. Its original capital stock was $50,000, which was increased to $100,000, and again in July 1871 to $200,000, at which figure it still remains. Up to 1865 this was a State bank, since which time it has been a national bank. Mr. Broadwell remained president until 1869, when he was succeeded by the present incumbent. Mr. Craig became cashier in 1861. In 1870 the present banking house was built, at a cost (including lot) of $40,000.
The present officers are : President, Hampton O. Marsh; cashier, Daniel D. Craig; directors-Henry C. Pitney, George E. Voorhees, H. B. Stone, Edmund D. Halsey, James S. Coleman and Byram K. Stickle.
The First National Bank of Morristown was organized April 4th 1865. May 27th 1865 authority was given by the controller of the currency to commence the business of banking. June 21st 1865 it commenced business, with a capital of $100,000. The first board of directors con- sisted of Daniel Budd, William G. Lathrop, John F. Voorhees, J. Boyd Headley, Henry M. Olmstead, Theodore Little, Columbus Beach, George T. Cobb, and Louis B. Cobb. The first officers were: Theodore Little, president; Louis B. Cobb, vice-president; Joseph H. Van Doren, cashier.
The present capital is $100,000. The directors are Theodore Little, Alfred Mills, William G. Lathrop, Charles H. Dalrymple, David A. Nicholas, Charles E. Noble, Edward C. Lord, Augustus Crane, and Robert F. Oram.
The present officers are: Theodore Little, president; Augustus Crane, vice-president; Joseph H. Van Doren, cashier.
The bank is located at the corner of Park place and Washington street.
The Morristown Institution for Savings was incor- porated April 9th 1867, by George T. Cobb, Austin Requa, Lebbeus B. Ward, Joseph W. Ballentine, Augustus W. Cutler, Louis B. Cobb and William C. Caskey. The first deposit was made May 25th 1867. The first officers were: President, Louis B. Cobb; vice-president, Joseph W. Ballentine; secretary and treasurer, J. B. Winslow.
The present officers are: President, Charles E. Noble; vice-president, William G. Lathrop; counsel, Thodore Little; treasurer, D. A. Nicholas; secretary, E. E. Crowell; managers-William G. Lathrop, Henry M.
مـة
MAPIE CUTTAGE, RESIDENCE OF MRS, WILLIAM.H HOWLAND, MORRISTOWN, N. J.
HOMESTEND OF GEOR GODER INOHER HOFF AND BIRTH PLAC OF DR NÝ, WAFAIR CHILD
RES. OF D! STEPHEN FAIRCHILD,
PE
RESIDENCE OF MP3. R.V W. FAIR CHILD, HANOVER , TP. MORRIS, CO. N. J
163
MORRISTOWN BANKS-GAS COMPANY-CORPORATE HISTORY.
Olmsted, Robert F. Oram, John R. Runyon, Augustus Crane, P. C. Barker and Alfred Mills.
The business of the bank is now being closed up. One hundred cents on a dollar have already been paid to depositors, and there will be a surplus of about $30,000. From May 25th 1867, when the first deposit was made, to February Ist 1881, when deposits ceased, there were deposits amounting to over $1,520,000. The largest amount of deposits at any one time reached above $540,000.
The Morris County Savings Bank was incorporated March 3d 1874, by William L. King, Henry W. Miller, Theodore Ayers, George E. Voorhees, Henry C. Pitney, Thomas B. Flagler, James A. Webb and Augustus C. Canfield. Mr. King was elected president and John B. Byram secretary and treasurer on the 7th of the same month. Mr. King was president until the Ist of January 188r. Mr. Byram still occupies the position to which he was first elected. The president is Henry W. Miller; vice-president, Aurelius B. Hull; managers-Augustus C. Canfield, Aurelius B. Hull, Henry C. Pitney, Charles Y. Swan, George E. Voorhees, Philip H. Hoffman, James S. Coleman and Hampton O. Marsh.
The deposits were about $200,000 until February Ist 1881, when the Morristown Institution for Savings began to wind up its business, since which time they have in- creased until at present (September Ist 1881) they are $500,000.
THE MORRISTOWN GAS LIGHT COMPANY
was chartered February 19th 1855, Messrs. John F. Voorhees, William N. Wood, Albert H. Stanburrough, Augustus W. Cutler and George T. Cobb being the in- corporators. The first gas was not made until October 1859. The business of the company has so increased that it has been necessary to augment the capital stock to $40,- 000. Most of the stores and the more opulent private houses have discarded the lamp for the safer, more pleasant and more brilliant gas. In 1874 the receipts of the company was $17,628, the price of gas being $4.50 per thousand feet. In 1875 the receipts were $17,347, the price being $4 per thousand. Seventy street lamps are supplied with gas and light the town at night. The gas works are at the corner of Water and Spring streets.
January Ist 1879 the price was again reduced, being now $3 per thousand feet. The gross receipts for 1880 ing April Ist 188t was a little more than $14,000.
were $14,650.
The present officers of the company are: President, E. B. Woodruff, M. D .; secretary and treasurer, Edward Pierson; directors-E. B. Woodruff, M. D., H. B. Stone, E. D. Halsey, James R. Voorhees, Samuel Pierson, M. D.
MORRISTOWN'S MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
The act to incorporate Morristown was approved April 6th 1865. The city limits are as follows:
".Be it enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, That all that tract of land situ- ate, lying and being within the limits and boundaries hereinafter mentioned and described-that is to say: be-
ginning on the Basking Ridge road, at and including the house of Joseph Thomson; thence in a straight line to the New Vernon road, to and including the house of William H. Howland; thence in a straight line to the Spring Valley road, to and including the house formerly owned by the Rev. J. M. Johnson (and known as the Bellevue House); thence in a straight line to the Madi- son road, to and including the house of John Sneden; thence in a straight line to the Whippany road, to and in- cluding the house of Mrs. Joseph M. Lindsley; thence in a straight line to the Horse Hill road, to and including the house of Mrs. G. Meeker; thence in a straight line to and including the house of E. Boonen Graves; thence in a straight line to the Morris Plains road, to and includ- ing the house of Gordon Burnham; thence in a straight line to the Walnut Grove road, to and including the house of Byron Sherman; thence in a straight line to the Mendham road, to and including the house of Jacob T. Axtell; thence in a straight line to the place of begin- ning on the Busking Ridge road, containing about one thousand acres-shall be and the same is hereby ordained, constituted and declared to be a town corporate, and shall henceforth be called, known and distinguished by the name of Morristown."
This act was amended March 15th 1866 as follows:
" I. Be it enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, That the first section of the act to which this is a supplement shall be so amended as to include within the boundaries of Morristown the dwell- ing-house of John T. Foote and the dwelling-house of J. Cowper Lord; and that next after the words 'Joseph Thomson ' in said section the words 'thence in a straight line to New Vernon road ' shall be stricken out, and the words ' thence in a straight line to and including the house of John T. Foote; thence in a straight line across the New Vernon road,' be inserted; and further, that the words in said section 'to and including the house. of Gordon Burnham' be stricken out, and instead thereof " the words 'to and including the house of J. Cowper Lord' be inserted."
The city is governed by a mayor, recorder, two alder- men and five common councilmen-all unsalaried offi- cers, and elected every two years. A marshal and two assistants comprise the police force. The other ap- pendages of local government machinery are clerk, treas- urer, assessor, collector, street commissioner, city sur- veyor and police justices, all of whom are appointed by the common council. The only indebtedness of the city is $11,000 fire bonds.
On the other hand the city owns unencumbered prop- erty worth $35,000. The city tax levy for the year end-
The following is a register of the several common councils of Morristown.
Council of 1865 (term of office one year; council elected May 8 and sworn May 9) .- Mayor, George T. Cobb; re- corder, J. Boyd Headly; aldermen-William C. Baker, Isaac Bird; councilmen -- Edwin L. Lounsbury, Sam- uel S. Halsey, Silas D. Cory, Victor Fleury, Sherwood S. Atno; clerk and treasurer, James V. Bentley.
Council of 1866 (term of office made two years) .- Mayor, George T. Cobb; recorder, William C. Baker, did not accept; aldermen-Louis B. Cobb, Isaac Bird; coun- cilmen-Hampton O. Marsh, Silas D. Cory, Victor Fleury, Sherwood S. Atno, Oswald J. Burnett; clerk and treasurer, James V. Bentley.
Council of 1867 .- Mayor, George T: Cobb; recorder,
r64
HISTORY OF MORRIS COUNTY.
Theodore Ayers; aldermen-Louis B. Cobb, Jeremiah F. Donaldson; councilmen-HamptonO. Marsh, Silas D.Cory.
Council of 1868 .- Mayor, George T. Cobb; recorder, Theodore Ayers; aldermen-Jeremiah F. Donaldson, Lewis D. Bunn; councilmen-Oswald J. Burnett, Joseph W. Babbitt, Victor Fleury; clerk and treasurer, James V. Bentley.
Council of 1869 .- Mayor, George T. Cobb; recorder, Theodore Ayers; aldermen-Lewis D. Bunn, Oswald J. Burnett; councilmen-Sidney W. Stalter, William A. Halsted, Henry M. Dalrymple, Charles J. Pierson, Isaac G. Arnold; clerk and treasurer, James V. Bentley.
Council of 1870 .- Mayor, Samuel S. Halsey; recorder, Theodore Ayers; aldermen-Oswald J. Burnett, Richard Speer; councilmen-Henry M. Dalrymple, Charles J. Pierson, William Y. Sayre, Benjamin O. Canfield, George H. Ross; clerk and treasurer, James V. Bentley.
Council of 1871 .- Mayor, Samuel S. Halsey; recorder, Henry W. Miller; aldermen, Richard Speer, William L. King; councilmen-William Y. Sayre, Benjamin O. Can- field, George H. Ross, Eugene Troxell, Erastus D. Allen; clerk and treasurer, Francis R. Atno; from July 18th 1871-Sidney W. Stalter, Elias T. Armstrong, William A. Halsted; clerk and treasurer, James V. Bentley.
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.