History of Morris County, New Jersey, Part 64

Author: Halsey, Edmund Drake, 1840-1896; Aikman, Robert; Axtell, Samuel Beach, 1809-1891; Brewster, James F; Green, R. S. (Rufus Smith), 1848-1925; Howell, Monroe; Kanouse, John L; Megie, Burtis C; Neighbour, James H; Stoddard, E. W. (Elijah Woodward), 1820-1913
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell & co.
Number of Pages: 540

USA > New Jersey > Morris County > History of Morris County, New Jersey > Part 64

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).

When Humphrey Davenport bought his tract Joseph Kirkbride and Richard Bull owned land just north and northwesterly of it. Immediately north of the " Daven- port tract," and partly bounded by the river on the south, Richard Bull and Uriah Roe in 1715 took up a tract of 650 acres, extending north nearly to the village of Upper Montville.

In 1715 John Scott, a merchant of Newport, Rhode Island, by virtue of a warrant from the council of pro-

Proceeding north of this we come to a neighborhood settled in the beginning principally by families of the | prietors, had surveyed for him a tract of 1,000 acres of

269

FIRST LAND PURCHASES IN PEQUANNOCK TOWNSHIP.

land lying westward and extending up the river to a point just above where the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad crosses the stream at Boonton. Scott lived and died at Newport, and doubtless bought this tract of land on speculation; he died possessed of it and it descended to his heirs. The heirs it appears owned it in 1745, as on the 23d of April that year they sold the whole tract, for £400 York currency ($1,000), to Jacob Piere and John Vreeland, of Newark. Piere and Vreeland no doubt bought this land intending to settle upon it, as they came here at once, and with them came a num- ber of relatives of the same name, to whom they disposed of one half of the whole tract; they divided the whole tract into four parts and numbered them 1, 2, 3 and 4. The third tract they sold to Simon Vreeland, who sold it to Abraham Low September 25th. 1749; in 1765 Low sold 150 acres of it to Edmund Kingsland. The first and second quarters Jacob Piere and John Vreeland divided between themselves. The fourth tract, the most westward, extending to Old Boonton and up the river to a point near the Boonton iron works, in the present town of Boonton, they sold to Thomas Piere. This fourth tract has remained in the possession of the de- scendants of Thomas Piere (now spelled Peer) to the present time, with the exception of a small part sold about 1829 and 1830 for the use of the New Jersey Iron Company, and some since disposed of for building sites.

As a considerable part of the town of Boonton is built upon a part of the fourth tract above mentioned it may be of interest to state more particularly the exact location of this thousand acres purchased by John Scott in 1715, and sold by his heirs to Jacob Piere and John Vreeland in 1745, and give the description of the bound- aries thereof. The beginning corner of this whole tract is at a point where once stood a white oak tree, on the north bank of the Rockaway River, in the line of lands now owned by William G. Lathrop and the sons of Henry Banta. We copy from the original map and survey made by John Reading jr., deputy surveyor, May 5th 1715, the following description:

"By virtue of a warrant from ye coun'l of prop'trs bearing date ye ioth of March 1715 surveyed this Tract of land unto John Scott in ye last Indian purchases made by ye s'd coun'l, above ye branch of Rarington, between ye river Delaware, ye bounds of ye Eastern Division of ye s'd Province, fronting upon Rockaway River; beginning at a white oak tree, corner of Richard Bull's land, thence along said Bull's line N. eastwardly forty-two degrees, ninety-seven chains to a white oak tree, corner of Jacob Kirkbride's land; thence along his line N. easterly eighty degrees, sixty-nine chains to a black oak corner tree; thence S. westwardly fifty degrees, one hundred and forty-five chains to a gum tree standing by ye side of ye aforesaid River; thence down ye River ye several courses thereof to ye first mentioned corner; containing one thousand acres, besides ye usual allow- ance for highways."

This was approved by the council of proprietors and ordered to be recorded August 23d 1715. This original John Scott tract was resurveyed and mapped by Lemuel

Cobb in 1796, and reported by him to contain 1, 115 acres; this gave each of the four divisions a little over 275 acres.

Abraham Low paid Simon Vreeland £200, equal to $500, for one-quarter of the whole tract. Edmund Kingsland married for his second wife Anna Low, a daughter of Abraham Low. In 1816 Edmund Kingsland sold to John Low, for $750, 25 of the 150 acres that he purchased from Abraham Low. This serves to give some idea of the appreciation of desirable lands in those days. North of and adjoining the 1,000-acre tract of John Scott a tract of 3,650 acres was taken up by William Burnett and Courtlandt Skinner; this included a part of Rockaway Valley, and extended on the west side of Rockaway River into Hanover township. On the 31st day of October 1765 Burnett and Skinner conveyed this tract to David Ogden, who a few years before had come into possession of an adjoining tract further down and on the west side of the river, including the iron works at Old Boonton. This latter with the 3,650-acre tract made a tract of 4,066 acres, afterward known as the " great Boonton tract."

East of and adjoining the 1,000-acre tract which was divided as above related, in 1715 Joseph Kirkbride, of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, and John Job, of Middle- town, Monmouth county, N. J., took up a tract of 1,250 acres, extending eastward toward the bog valley on the west of Pompton Plains. On the 14th of April 1718 John Job conveyed his interest to Joseph Kirkbride, and on the 5th of May 1719 Joseph Kirkbride sold out to John Koarta. In 1722 John Koarta sold 288 acres to Jacob Demouth, who sold the same in 1730 to Martin Van- duyne. These and other similar facts as they appear upon the records show conclusively that families of the names of Demouth (or " Demoudt," as originally spelled), Miller, Hoppler and others had settled in what is known as Rockaway Valley at an early date-some time prior to 1722; and that the purchase made by Martin Van- duyne as above stated marks the settlement of that family in the neighborhood of Montville. The name " Koarta" is probably the same as that now spelled Courter, which is a name quite common in the township.

Montville and its vicinity were first settled by a few families probably about the year 1716. Prominent among those who first located in this neighborhood were the names of Hyler, Vanduyne, Miller and Parlaman. The forefather of the Hylers was probably one Peter Hyler who came from Holland; he had sons Nicholas and Philip, and daughters Mary and Elizabeth. Nicho- las married Rachel Davenport in 1733, Humphrey Da- venport jr. married Elizabeth Hyler in 1731, and Mary Hyler married John Parlaman.

Among those who first settled in Rockaway Valley and what is now the upper part of Boonton and Montville townships were persons named Miller, Hoppler, De- mouth, Van Riper, and a little later Kanouse, Tucker, Fredericks, Ockabock, and Stickle; many of them were of Dutch descent, some English.

The Kanouse family were of German origin, the name

270

HISTORY OF MORRIS COUNTY.

being originally spelled "Knauss." All of that name in this vicinity and in the vicinity of Newfoundland are traceable to two brothers who came from Wurtemburg, Germany, about 1750. One, Jacob, settled in Rockaway Valley, near Powerville, and the other, called " Honiery," settled in Bergen county (now Passaic), near John P. Brown's hotel at Newfoundland; his old homestead farm is now the property of John P. Brown, who is his great- grandson. There is a well authenticated tradition per- taining to these two brothers that they emigrated to America before they had attained to full age, and were accompanied by a half brother who was older, a son of their mother by her first marriage; that they were pro- vided with a moderate amount of means, enough to give them a start in the world and pay their expenses. When the vessel arrived in New York their half brother, in whose keeping the funds had been placed, under some plausible excuse, but possibly in collusion with the cap- tain, went ashore first, and failed to return. They were then told that their passage had not been paid, and that they would have to be sold to service to pay their ex- penses, which the captain proceeded to do. Such it ap- pears was the practice with captains of ships in those days. The brother Honiery was sold to Luke Ryerson, who resided on the east side of Pequannock River near Pompton Plains. While serving there he became ac- quainted with a German girl working with the same fam- ily, and who had been bought by Ryerson under like circumstances. Honiery after serving out his term also served for the balance of the girl's term, and took her for his wife. There are descendants of Luke Ryerson living, who distinctly recollect hearing their ancestors speak of this circumstance of young "Knauss " and the German girl, and that after they were married they went away and settled near Newfoundland, where in after years he became the owner of a nice farm. Jacob after serving his term settled prior to 1766 at Rockaway Val- ley, near Powerville, in Pequannock township. The records of Pequannock township show that in 1766 a stray heifer was posted by him, and the county records show that he bought land in 1768, in the description of which mention is made of a brook running near the house of Jacob Kanouse, thus warranting the inference that he had previously bought land and built a house. That homestead, an old-fashioned frame building, is standing and occupied by the widow and children of Daniel Kanouse, who was a grandson. Jacob Kanouse died in 1821, at an advanced age.

His theological studies were pursued under Dr. James Richards at Newark, and with Gideon N. Judd at Bloom- field. In 1818 he was licensed by the presbytery to preach. In the latter part of the year 1818, accompanied by his youngest brother, John G., then just married to Miss Elizabeth Dod, and the Rev. Mr. Jewell of Newark, he sailed from New York for the country of the Choctaw Indians, via New Orleans. John George Kanouse and Miss Dod, the first aged 19 and the latter 16, were mar- ried at the house of her stepfather, Judge Harrison, at Caldwell, Essex county, N. J., and started the next day upon this hazardous journey into the country of uncivil- ized Indians. Two months were occupied in reaching their destination, on the Yazoo River near Vicksburg, Mississippi. The Rev. Peter Kanouse and the Rev. Mr. Jewell went to labor as missionaries. John George Kanouse, who had learned the trade of a carpenter, went to have the supervision of business in the erection of mission buildings. They remained about two years and returned. These Choctaw mission buildings were within the late battle ground before Vicksburg, and some who were with Grant in 1863 reported these buildings as then standing, and an object of interest, evincing the 'substantial manner in which they had been erected.

After his return from the Indian mission John G. Kanouse removed to Newark, Wayne county, N. Y., where he pursued his trade several years. He too cher- ished a desire to enter the ministry, and after pursuing a course of preparatory study was licensed. For several years he was pastor of a church at Saline, Mich. He then removed to Wisconsin, near Madison, where he re- sided until his death, which occurred a few years prior to the death of his brother Peter.

The Rev, Peter Kanouse was settled as pastor of the Presbyterian church at Succasunna Plains, Morris county, January 23d 1823. He labored here with success until June 1828, and then went to Wantage church, Sussex county. Here his preaching was wonderfully successful. He next accepted a call to the Clinton Street Free Pres- byterian Church, Newark; afterward he officiated as pastor at Beemerville, Sussex county; at Unionville, on the borders of Sussex, and at Poughkeepsie; then he re- moved to Wisconsin, where he remained but a short time. The larger part of his public career was spent in Sussex county, N. J. He returned from Wisconsin to Decker- town, N. J., where he was settled as pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church of Wantage. Here he built a house Peter Kanouse, his oldest son by his last marriage, was born August 20th 1784, at Rockaway Valley, in Pe- quannock township. He learned the trade of a black- smith and for several years worked at it in the upper part of Rockaway Valley, near Denville and Rock- away. He also at the same time owned and cultivated and resided until his death, which occurred May 30th 1864. We quote in regard to him the language of Rev. Joseph F. Tuttle, president of Wabash College, Indiana: " In person he was tall and very comely; his face was a fine one, and when lighted up with preaching or conver- sation was not to be forgotten. He was a most attrac- a small farm. While at work at his trade he had indulged tive conversationist; he was, in his best mood, a very a wish to study for the ministry, and after the death of his wife he set himself resolutely to the realization of his purpose; he pursued a limited course of study at Bloom- field Academy, under the charge of Amzi Armstrong.

eloquent* preacher-logical, scriptural, tender, vehement, grand. He was a noble Christian man, and for once at least proved that a good blacksmith may become a good preacher."

271

PIONEER ECONOMY IN PEQUANNOCK TOWNSHIP.

EARLY CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE.

One hundred years ago and fifty years prior thereto most of the people in this region were engaged in clear- ing and tilling the land. Up to 1760 there were few roads adapted to easy tran sportation and travel; con- sequently very few visted the neighboring towns, and there were many who did not leave their own township from one year's end to another. The liberalizing in- fluence of social intercourse was little felt or appreciated, except so far as regarded the occasional meeting of res- idents in the vicinity for mutual aid. When a building was about to be erected, and the frame was ready, peo- ple for a number of miles around would come to the " raising," as it was called; and such aid was the more necessary then, when frames were made of larger and heavier timbers, which required the help of many strong arms to put them in place. The smallness of the de- mand for the surplus produce of the farm made money scarce, and the people, generally unable to hire, were compelled to rely mainly upon helping themselves in their farming work, except at times when they would invite the people in the vicinity to come to a "bee," or " frolic," as it was called, to effect a speedy accomplishment of cer- tain kinds of work. Thus they had their " stone frolics," which were to pick up and haul off stones from a lot; frolics for drawing out manure; frolics for plowing, and mowing frolics, at which there would often be a strife among the young and strong men to see who could mow the best and the most. From 1760 to about 1830, a period of seventy years, the use of intoxicating liquors as a beverage was quite general among the people of all classes. It was then the prevalent opinion that harvest- ing could not be done without a pail of water and a bot- tle of whiskey in the field, for quenching the thirst and supporting the strength of the reapers and mowers. It often happened that some among the mowers or reapers, whose thirst led them to imbibe too freely from the bottle, became so dizzy and weary that they were obliged to seek rest for a while under the shade of some bush; and hence no doubt the origin of the saying, "Look out or you will get bushed before night."

The custom in those days as regarded the corn crop was, when the grain began to glaze, to "top " the corn by cutting off the stalks just above the setting of the ears; these tops were tied in bundles, and when dried were stored for winter fodder. When the ears remaining on the standing stalks were thoroughly ripened and dried in the husks the farmer went through with his wagon, plucked the ears and put them under shelter. Then would come an invitation to his neighbors to a "husking frolic," as it was called; old men, the middle aged, young men and young maidens would respond, and coming together at an' early hour in the afternoon would proceed to work. A strife often sprung up among the workers to see who could husk the most or find the greatest number of red ears of corn; and thus, with some indulgence in gossip, or merry song, the hours sped pleasantly, and in a short time hundreds of bushels of ears of corn were stripped

of their husks, and made ready for the owner to crib the next day. When darkness approached an adjourn- ment was made to the house, where the good wife had prepared and spread upon her tables a bountiful supper, in which that most popular dish of the day, a chicken potpie, formed the chief item, accompanied by a liberal supply of pumpkin pies. Supper over, the young people would amuse themselves by singing or dancing, or in some kind of games for a time, and then the young men would see the young maidens safely to their homes; and thus ended the "husking frolic " of those days.

Beside those already mentioned there were apple-par- ing "bees " or "frolics," at which young people would meet and have a pleasant time in aiding to peel, core and slice apples, to be dried for future use. Young women of an industrious and persevering turn would often dry apples enough to bring quite a number of dollars, which they were allowed to apply to their own use. Then there were quilting bees, at which neighboring women would meet to quilt blankets for family use. Thus it was that much tedious and hard work was accomplished by a sys- tem of mutual aid and combined effort. Those who participated in it were none the poorer for it, and had the satisfaction of contributing to the comfort and pros- perity of their neighbors. Such neighborhood gatherings constituted the principal social intercourse of the people, not only during the early days of the settlement, but for a long period thereafter.

The habits of the people as regarded the keeping of cattle in the early days of the settlement here, and for about a hundred years subsequent, were widely different from the practice of the present day. Then the prevail- ing idea appeared to be that horned cattle required no shelter, that to house them would have the effect to weaken and degenerate them; consequently no shelter was provided save perhaps a small barricade of logs or brush, or a board fence to break the force of the wind and thus afford a little protection from the cold of win- ter. At length some improvement was made on this by the erection of an attachment to the barn, so constructed as to afford storage for hay above, while the lower story was left open on one side, facing to the south or east, for cattle to go under. This was called a cow-house, and to some extent answered a good purpose; but where the stock kept was numerous the room was monopolized by a part, while the more timid animals were crowded out. The more observent among the people were not slow to discover the good effect of better shelter upon their stock; that it tended not only to a general improvement in appearance and condition, but as regarded cows to in- crease the yield of milk and butter. The rapid and great increase in the population of neighboring cities and towns has made an increased demand for milk and butter, milk being in brisk demand at five or six times the price sev- enty-five years ago, and butter readily bringing from one to three hundred per cent. more. One consequence is that cattle are now stabled and better fed. This change has been found not only conducive to economy in prov- ender, but to give more remunerative results.

272

HISTORY OF MORRIS COUNTY.

In those early days no butcher drove up to the farm- er's door with a supply of fresh meats; salted meats were the almost universal food during the greater part of the year. Now and then a calf, a sheep, or a lamb fell a victim to the necessity for a change. To make use of fresh meat thus procured, it was the custom for a farmer, when he wished to kill a calf, sheep or lamb, to go to his neighbors and see who would take a part; to be repaid in kind when a neighbor might wish to kill one of his own. To keep meat fresh as long as possible resort was had to suspending a piece by a rope in the well.

Salted mackerel were not known in the market in those days. It was the prevailing custom for a long time for farmers to make a trip to Newark or New York in the spring, taking with them such produce as they had for sale, and procure a supply of fresh shad, which were salted down in barrels for summer use.

In the beginning of the settlements here and for sev- enty-five years thereafter most of the clothing used was of domestic manufacture. It is true that among the more wealthy there were some who had their extras of silk and satin, fine linen and laces, jewelry etc., but gen- erally the material used was of a substantial kind and both hand and home made. Every farmer raised his patch of flax, which when cured and properly dressed was spun with a greater or less degree of fineness accord- ing to the purpose for which intended, and then woven into cloth and bleached on the grass in the sun. This made a very substantial linen cloth, that was used for under garments, sheets, pillow-cases, table-cloths and toweling. The tow, the coarser part of the flax, was in part used for making ropes for harness and other pur- poses, and a part was spun and woven into a coarser cloth, suitable for grain bags and for pantaloons for sum- mer wear. Considerable taste and ingenuity was shown by some in making a kind of duck striped with two col- ors, for men's wear. The cloth called "linsey woolsey" was made of linen and wool, with various patterns of stripes, and used for women's wear. It was the practice of almost every farmer to keep sheep, not only for the meat but for a supply of wool. In making cloth for men's wear the general practice was to first color the wool by means of a dye made with butternut bark, after which it was carded, spun, and woven into cloth, and then taken to a fulling-mill and napped and dressed. This made a cloth of a peculiar shade of brown, literally dyed in the wool, durable in wear and lasting in color. It is certain there was no "shoddy " in those cloths, and it is quite sure, as events proved, that there was, so to speak, very little shoddy about the men of those days.

The men generally wore knee breeches, long stockings, and shoes, the breeches buckling just below the knees; long pantaloons were not much in use until after the Revo- lutionary war. Many took pains to have both knee and shoe buckles made of solid silver, which were kept bright to be used on Sundays and dress-up occasions.

Woman's dress, especially among the Dutch families, consisted of the linsey woolsey petticoat and short gown, with a handkerchief pinned over the shoulders;

and also of a colored pressed flannel of domestic make, resembling somewhat the pressed flannels and cloths now in use except as to fineness of fabric and color.

In those days there were no stores for the sale of ready-made shoes. The general custom was to employ an itinerant tailoress, who would come to the house and make up clothes for the whole family ; and as regarded shoes, to employ a shoemaker who went from house to house making up shoes for the family.

In the early days of our colonial ancestors fashion had her freaks, but not so marked and varied as in modern times. The people, trained by circumstances, were plain in their manners and simple in their habits ; and in the matter of apparel paid more attention to durability and comfort than to finery and show. Ladies' bonnets then, in form and substance, were designed more for protec- tion than ornament. Women and children generally wore substantial leather shoes, and every prudent farmer took care to keep a stock of leather on hand for family use. Tanning in the colonies, although an individual industry, was sufficient to supply local demands for leather and shoemaking. The township of Pequannock from the abundance of its forests furnished hooppoles and bark for market, and by many farmers these were greatly relied upon as means of raising money ; hence in 1790, when owing to the increased demand the price of bark rose from $3.00 to $4.50 per cord, there was great rejoicing and encouragement throughout the township. In the early days overshoes were little used ; there were a few made of leather, some of carpet or stout cloth with leather bottoms, and others of soft dressed buckskin, after the style of the Indian moccasin except that they were fitted with leather bottoms. India rubber overshoes were not introduced until after 1825, and at first were in a very unsightly form compared to the present style.

These domestic manufactures doubtless were in the beginning largely the prompting of urgent necessity; in the absence of demand there was not an adequate supply of foreign fabrics; the people were generally unable to buy, because they produced but little to sell. But from 1750 to 1765 there was a change in the situation. The people, through the improved condition of their farms, had a surplus of produce to sell, and thereby were able to purchase. Considerable commerce had sprung up at New York; foreign goods were imported in larger quan- tities, and sold and distributed through the country. But the attention of the people had been attracted to the policy manifested by Great Britain in taxing the imports of the colonies as well as the exports, and in an act of Parliament forbidding the manufacture of iron in America except in the form of bars or pigs, and pro- hibiting the manufacture of some other articles; all show- ing a purpose not only to create a monopoly for English manufactories, but to tax the people of the colonies for the benefit of the mother country without their consent. When in 1765 she attempted to enforce the stamp act public indignation could no longer be restrained. Tra- dition informs us that the citizens of Pequannock were aroused, and active and decided then, as they ever have

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.