History of Sussex and Warren counties, New Jersey, with Illustration and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers, Part 176

Author: Snell, James P; Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1140

USA > New Jersey > Sussex County > History of Sussex and Warren counties, New Jersey, with Illustration and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers > Part 176
USA > New Jersey > Warren County > History of Sussex and Warren counties, New Jersey, with Illustration and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers > Part 176

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A cemetery is located south of New Village known as the "Weller Cemetery." A sum of money was left by Mr. J. P. Weller to maintain the ground, which is inclosed by a stone wall bearing the follow- ing inscribed tablet in marble :

"Erected by G. H. Weller, executor of J. P. Weiler, deceased. Com- menced in 1851. Finished in 1876."

The remains of various members of the Fritts, Willever, and Weller families are here interred. Many of the graves are very old and marked by rude limestone tablets, upon which the inscriptions, if any existed, are now defaced by the elements. Among the legends the following are copied :

"Sacred to the memory of Lena, wife of John Powers, and daughter of Philip and Elizabeth Weller, who departed this life Sept. 24, 1830, aged 93 years, 5 months, &c.

" Rest gentle corps beneath this clay, Since time has swept thy cares away : Surely you can rest in ease, Since no one can disturb your peace."

" Here is interred the body of Margaret Weller, daughter of Philip and Mary Weller, who departed this life January 4th, 1809, aged 3 years, 1 montb, and 25 days."

" In memory of Jacob, son of J. P. Weller,-born the 6th of January, 1820,-who departed this life on Ist of March, 1822, aged two years, one month, and twenty-three days."

" In memory of Sarah, wife of David V. Weller, who died March 27th, A.D. 1830, aged 27 years, 7 months, and 5 days."

VIII .- VILLAGES AND HAMLETS. ASBURY.

This village was formerly known as Hall's Mills, and was settled as early as the period of the Revolu- tionary war. In the year 1800 the corner-stone of a small Methodist Episcopal church was laid by Bishop Asbury, and the hamlet from that time was known as Asbury.

The earliest settlers were the Hunts, Richeys, Wool- evers, and Mcculloughs. It is probable that of these families, the Richeys and Woolevers were the first to arrive. Little is recollected of the early years of the hamlet. The advent of Abram Woolever occurred prior to 1776. He built a log house near the Asbury Mills, in which he resided with his family. His death occurred in 1815, his remains having been in- terred in an old burial-place on the banks of the Mus- conetcong River, which has long since been aban- doned.

John and Daniel Richey came at a very early date, and located near Asbury. John Richey had three sons,-William, John, and George,-all of whom were located in the immediate vicinity, where they lived and died. The widows of John and George, together with their children, still reside in the village. Daniel and David Hunt made an early purchase of land and followed farming pursuits. None of the children of the family are now residents of the township.

Col. William McCullough became a resident of As- bury in 1784, and with his presence an era of enter- prise dawned upon the little settlement. He pur- chased a tract of land on his arrival, to which he made later additions, until many of the most produc- tive farms of the neighborhood were his. He erected two grist-mills, a saw-mill, and an oil-mill, and con- ducted an extensive business. Through his efforts the first church in the village was erected.

In 1817, Thomas and James D. Wiggins built a fac- tory of stone, which was for a while managed by them, and later sold to Col. Mccullough. ' After suc- cessive ownerships it was purchased by John Allen, who continued proprietor until it was consumed by fire, in January of the present year. Silas Dunham, in 1810, erected a store on the site of the present hotel, and placed in it a stock of goods. Joseph Wil- son also erected a store and was an early merchant. Philip Wilson was the earliest worker at the anvil and forge. There are now in the village two churches, one academy, two hotels kept by Miss Vanderbilt and Charles Hazard, two stores owned by Messrs. Watson & Williamson and Messrs. Simonson & Gano, two blacksmith-shops managed by - Dalrymple and James Lott, two wagon-shops kept by William Carlin and Mahlon Johnson, a harness-shop owned by Josiah Boughton, and a cabinet-shop of which G. C. Light- cap is proprietor.

Henry Thompson is the postmaster. The place has also two physicians,-Dr. Alfred Gale and Dr. Welch. Martin Wyckoff, Esq., represents the legal talent of the village.

J. M. Hoffman's flouring-mill at Asbury is erected on the site of the mill originally built by Col. McCul- lough, Mr. Hoffman having, in 1863, purchased the property and erected the present structure. It has four run of stone, is run by water from Musconetcong River, and has a capacity of 200 bushels per day, though its average product is 100 bushels per day.

James Lomergono

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FRANKLIN.

Both custom- and merchant-work are done. The market for flour is found in adjacent portions of the State.

BROADWAY VILLAGE.

The earliest owners of the land covered by the ham- let and its immediate neighborhood were the members of a family named Probosco. A portion of the estate came into possession of Col. William McCullougb, and remained in litigation for a period of years, but was finally adjudged to Mr. Mccullough. \ hotel was erected, of which Benjamin MeCullough was the landlord. It was sold to one Eveland, but reverted again to its former owner. The first store in the place was erected by Peter Blazer for William Warne, who was for several years its proprietor, and in connection managed a woolen-factory, saw-mill, and plaster-mill. He ultimately disposed of the property to Henry M. Winter, who conducted it for several years and sold to Jesse L. Fritts, who in turn disposed of it to Samuel Weller. After an ownership extending over a period of ten years he sold to the present proprietor, William Warman, who rebuilt the store and house. The mill and factory have gone to decay. The earliest black-

Lawrance Lomerson, father of onr subject, born in smith was John Willever, who after a residence of , 1770, married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert and Jane eight years removed to Illinois. He was followed by Richard Van Horn, and he by Henry V. Anderson, after which Robert Reding, now of Hackettstown, conducted the shop. It has since that time had suc- cessive owners. The earliest physician was Dr. Weller, who arrived about 18440 and practiced his profession He was followed by Dr. Samuel Glenn, who remained a short time and removed to Washington. He was succeeded by Dr. Creveling, the present physician of the village. (Todd) Caskey, who was born .Aug. 23, 1781, and died Dec. 20, 1841. She was a woman of excellent moral worth, a devoted wife, and possessed a kind and sym- pathizing heart towards the poor. Her mother was a sister of Maj. Todd, of Revolutionary fame. The children born of this union were Jane C., wife of in Broadway for three years, when his death occurred. . Samuel Weller, born April 6, 1803, and died in 1843; William, born Oct. 18, 1804, and died May 30, 1849; Robert C., born Aug. 9, 1806, and died March 15, 1839; Eliza Ann, wife of Philip D. Weller, born Dec. 18, 1807, and died March 20, 1852; Margaret, wife of Broadway now has two general stores owned by William Warman and Charles Blazer, one grocery kept by Henry Nukirk, and one blacksmith-shop managed by Isaac P. Hull. William Warman holds the commission as postmaster. Cornelius Carhart, born March 29, 1810, and died Oct. 18, 1873; Julia Ann, wife of William Carhart by her first marriage, and wife of Philip D. Weller by her second marriage, born April 21, 1812, and re- sides at Stewartsville; James, born March 22, 1814; Rebecca, wife of George H. Weller, born Jan. 29, 1816, and died July 12, 1849; Mary, wife of Adam Wandling, born Jan. 15, 1818, and died March 26, 1852; Caroline, born March 7, 1820, died young ; Sa- rah, wife of William McCullough, born Aug. 22, 1821, died Dec. 20, 1870; Lawrance, born May 4, 1824, died Oct. 18, 1872.

The grist-mill located near Broadway and owned by N. Warne was erected by Benjamin Warne on Mill Brook. It has three run of stone and a capacity of 100 bushels per day, which can be increased as ne- cessity requires. It does custom-work principally, and enjoys an extensive patronage from the surrounding country.

NEW VILLAGE.

This hamlet, located upon the Morris Canal, is but a mere collection of houses, with but little pretension to business enterprise. The first settlers were John An- drews and John Wooster, who followed their respect- 1

ive trades, the former having been a hatter and the latter a blacksmith. Each erected houses of logs, which they occupied. James Bell, a weaver by trade, came soon after, and, purchasing a lot, erected a dwell- ing. Other houses were built by Abner Parks and John MacElroy. The land on which these buildings stood was owned by one McEntire, who also kept a

tavern cast of the village. The first store was opened by Jacob Mellick. This place of business is now kept by Thomas Thatcher. There are also two blacksmith- shops and a wheelwright-shop owned by Stewart Kinney.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

JAMES LOMERSON.

His paternal grandfather came from Germany and settled near Belvidere, in Oxford township, Warren Co., N. J., about the middle of the eighteenth cen- tury. He was a Tory, and refused to fight for the independence of the colonies, and by secreting him- self kept out of the ranks. Ile died soon after the close of the war.

Ilis children were John, Jacob, James, Lawrance, Julia Ann, wife of John Fitts; Lena, wife of Mr. Ben- ward ; Elizabeth, wife of Mr. Crawford ; and Barbara, died unmarried.

After his marriage, Lawrance Lomerson settled in Belvidere, where he worked at his trade as a mill- wright, and during the spring season he ran Durham boats and acted as steersman of rafts on the Dela- ware, shipping lumber to Philadelphia and bringing back goods on the return. During these days those in charge of a raft were obliged to force the raft up stream by means of long poles, and the journey in re- turning was often long and tedious. In 1810 he pur- chased a farm of one hundred and six acres, and sub- sequently one of thirty-four acres, and another of one | hundred acres in Franklin township, it being a part of

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WARREN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

the Joseph Shippen tract, taken up by him and en- tered in the land-office at Burlington in September, 1744, where his son, James Lomerson, now resides. His first dwelling was a log house, but he erected two substantial brick residences on his property, and com- modious barns, which are standing and in good re- pair in 1880. He was a man of little book knowl- edge, but his ideas were practical, and his judgment based upon good common sense. Although not a member of any church until in old age, he was a pro- moter of church interests. By his own industry and judicious management he became the possessor of a large property, which he left for his children. He died Nov. 19, 1864. James Lomerson, son of Lawrance, succeeded by will to the possession of the homestead property at his father's death, to which he has added by purchase nearly three hundred acres of contiguous land. This farm, comprising, as it does, several hundred acres of the most productive land in Warren County, and reaching entirely across Pleasant valley, is one of the most desirable parcels of real estate to be found for agricultural purposes.

Besides carrying on his farm, Mr. Lomerson has found time to engage in other matters of a local na- ture demanding his attention. He assisted largely in the erection of the Presbyterian church edifice at Washington, N. J., has been one of the trustees, and president of the board since 1846, and a member of that church since 1840. Following the political line of his father, he is a member of the Democratic party. He was chosen town clerk in 1851, and held the office for five years, and about the same time served for several years as one of the township commit- tee. He served with the late Judge Vliet for two years as school superintendent, and is, in 1880, serving his second term as freeholder. He has been a stockholder and director of the Phillipsburg National Bank for many years. On April 1, 1873, Mr. Lomerson, asso- ciated with the late Joseph Vliet, Peter T. B. Van Doren, and William C. Van Doren, purchased and laid ont the new cemetery plot near Washington borough, the corporation being known as the "Wash- ington Cemetery Association," since which time he has been president of the board of trustees of this association. In all places of a public or private char- acter that Mr. Lomerson has been called to fill his in- tegrity' has never been questioned, and his far-seeing judgment and good business ability have given him rank among the substantial business men and best financiers of Warren County. On Dec. 12, 1837, he married Catharine, daughter of William and Ann (Weller) Miller, of Washington township. She was born Dec. 2, 1813. She united with the Presbyterian Church at Washington in 1840. The children born of this union are Tamzen, wife of Samuel Stewart, of Mansfield; Elizabeth, wife of P. G. Creveling, M.D., of Broadway; and William Miller Lomerson, who occu- pies a portion of the homestead, and married Miss Jennie, a daughter of the late Benjamin Fritts.

JOHN CLINE.

His grandfather, Lewis Cline, came from Germany, landed at Amboy, and in 1740 settled on two hundred acres of land between Phillipsburg and Stewartsville, in Warren Co., N. J. He died in 1798. His wife was Catharine Bordelmay, who bore him the follow- ing children : Michael, Mrs. Burke, Mrs. William Teel, Mrs. John Teel, Mrs. Dumond, and Lewis. At the time Mr. Cline settled here the country was almost an unbroken wilderness, there being only a small settlement at Stewartsville in the vicinity, and the Indians and wigwams holding claim to the vast domain were scattered over the country. Nearly a century and a half have passed away, and the subject of this sketch, third in regular line of descent from the progenitor of the family here, having passed four- score years, can see the rich fields of grain in place of unbounded forest, fine farm buildings and stately mansions dotting the beautiful valley, showing the advance of civilization and the work of the hardy pioneer and the more advanced agriculturist.

Lewis, son of Lewis Cline, and father of our sub- ject, born in 1766, married, in 1790, Elizabeth, daugh- ter of Jacob Weller, who, with his brother Philip, came from Germany with their father about 1740, purchased a quantity of land, and before their death became the possessors of over one thousand acres apiece near New Village, in Franklin township. She was born in 1774. Their children were Jacob, born April 26, 1791, a miller and farmer in Lopatcong, and died aged sixty-four years; Anna (deceased), born Nov. 19, 1792, became the wife of Peter Winters, and resided in Greenwich ; Mary (deceased), born Oct. 14, 1794, wife of Thomas Reese, and resided at Phillips- burg; John, born Jan. 4, 1797 ; Lewis, born Jan. 11, 1799; Eliza, died at the age of sixteen, unmarried ; Christiana, born in June, 1804, wife of Archibald Da- vison, resided near Belvidere; William, born in 1806, died at Chambersburg, Pa., where he resided; Mi- chael, born in 1808, resides on the old homestead, in Greenwich, adjoining the farm settled by his grand- father, and Garner Hunt Cline, who has been a resi- dent physician of Harmony for forty years.

The father of these children received two hundred acres of land from his father, near the old Straw church, where he was born and where he resided most of his life. To this he added some two hundred acres. He was a representative farmer, and a man of a liberal education for his time. For many years he was an elder of the Presbyterian Church in Harmony. He died about 1847. His wife was a worthy Chris- tian woman, and made remarkable cures among the sick, who came to regard her as possessing superior knowledge of disease, its effects and cures. She died March 31, 1857.

John Cline received limited opportunities for any book knowledge during his boyhood. He married, Sept. 9, 1819, Ruth, daughter of Rev. Garner A. Hunt, who was for forty years a Presbyterian clergyman

John Cline

WILLIAM MCKINNEY.

Among the substantial families who early settled in the beautiful valley in the vicinity of Broadway, in the township of Franklin, was that of Mckinney. The progenitor of this family here was William Mckinney, who was born in Ireland on Aug. 20, 1723, and who while a young man emigrated to America and settled on some five hundred acres of land about half-way between tho villages of Broadway and New Village. Little more is known of this sturdy pioneer than that he found his new home a wild tract of uncultivated land and resided upon it during the remainder of his life. He died on Oct. 24, 1777, just at the beginning of the war for independence in this country. His first wife, Hannah, was born Sept. 9, 1730, and died March 18, 1765.

Of their children, John was father of our subject, and suc- ceeded to the homestead. He was born Sept. 11, 1757 ; married, March 29, 1786, Eleanor Davison, who was born March 24, 1761, and died June 8, 1843. Ile died Feb. 8, 1838. llis life was spent on this farm, on which he erected a stone house and stone barns, the latter of which are standing and in good repair in 1880, having been built in 1805. Besides carrying on bis farm, he built a distillery, which was carried on by his son for some time after his death. His children were Hannah, born Sep- tember, 1787, died Oct. 5, 1797; William ; Mary, died Nov. 2, 1812; Jemima Taylor, born Dec. 15, 1794, died Sept. 24, 1797 ; Eleanor Stinson, horn Feb. 26, 1792, died Oct. 4, 1797; Sarah Davison, born March 24, 1797, died Sept. 24, 1819 ; James Davi- son, born June, 1799, died Sept. 24, 1819 ; and William, born Oct. 15, 1801. It will be readily seen by the above dates that nearly this whole family of children were swept away by death in early life. John McKinney reached his majority just as the colonies began to free themselves from the yoke of the mother-country, and, patriotic to the land of his birth, he served as a soldier in the American army.

William, youngest of these children, was born and has lived on the old homestead during his life, and, now nearly fourscore years of age, he can look back through the decades and mark

the advancement in every department of industry, and contrast the labor-saving machines with the hand-work of a half-century ago, when he was in the prime of manhood. His life has been spent as a farmer on the land first settled by his grandfather, near the middle of the eighteenth century, and during his long and useful carcer he has been known as a man of sound judg- ment, unassuming in his ways, honest in his dealings, and Christian and moral in his character.

Mr. Mckinney married, in 1824, Mary, daughter of Henry Winters, a man well known in Warren County as sheriff, and whose son, William Winters, was clerk of the county at the time of his death. She was born in 1804, and died Ang. 15, 1879. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mckinney were formerly members of the Greenwich Presbyterian Church, but, upon the organization of the church at Stewartsville, were among its founders, and have continued their relations with that body of Christians.

Mr. MeKinney has officiated as one of the trustees of the church for many years. IIe has been an unswerving member of the Democratic party since he reached his majority, but no seeker after place, although he has not shrunk from the duties of a citizen, having held some minor offices in his township. Soon after his marriage, about 1835, he built a new stone house on his place, in which he resided until 1865, when he erceted a fine wooden residence and commodious outbuildings on another part of this farm, where he resides in 1880. His children are John, who married, Oct. 19, 1849, Mary, daughter of Archibald Davison, and since 1865 has resided in the stone house erected by his father, and is the possessor of a part of the original homestead; Ellen, wife of Abraham Stewart, a justice of the peace at Washington, N. J .; Catharine, wife of Peter Fritts, a farmer at Andover; Sarah Elizabeth, deceased, who was the wifo of James Richoy, deceased, leaving three children, George W., Lizzie, and James Franklin ; Henry, deceased ; James ; llannah, wife of John T. Oberly, a farmer in Franklin town- ship; and Belinda, wife of James M. Hoffman, a grain-merchant and miller at Asbury.

FRANKLIN.

in Cumberland County, Kingwood, Hunterdon Co., Harmony and Oxford, Warren Co., N. J. He died at Harmony, Feb. 11, 1849, aged eighty-four years. He was a brother of Rev. Holloway Hunt, a clergy- man nearly his whole life near Clinton, Hunterdon Co., at the old Stone church, who died Jan. 11, 1858, aged eighty-eight years. Her paternal grandfather was Maj .- Gen. Augustuine Hunt, an officer in the British army during the Revolutionary war, and who, after its close, settled in New York State, where he died. Her mother was Ruth, a daughter of Capt. David Page, of Cumberland Co., N. J., and her brothers and sisters are Dr. David P. Hunt, a grad- nate of Princeton College, who died at Marksboro', where he practiced medicine; Rev. Holloway Hunt, educated at Princeton College, and a f'resbyterian minister at Matuchen, Middlesex Co., most of his life; Sally M., wife of Lewis Cline, brother of our subject. For some five years after his marriage, Mr. Cline rented a farm in Greenwich, and in 1824 he pur- chased two hundred acres at New Village, to which he afterwards added some three hundred acres. Upon this property he resided during his active business life, and may be safely classed among the representa- tive farmers of New Jersey. He has been a snecess- ful and enterprising agriculturist, and by his industry, ceonomy, and judicious management has become the possessor of large property.

Mr. and Mrs. Cline have passed the sixty-first an- niversary of their marriage, and are among the very few persons who are spared, with comparative health and the right use of their mental faculties, to enjoy each other's society so long. Soon after their mar- riage they united with the Presbyterian Church at Stewartsville, and have been constant in their profes- sion since. They have been liberal in their gifts in building churches and for other benevolent objects outside of the church of their choice, and, while they have been blessed with abundance of this world's goods, they have remembered the needy and those in humbler circumstances than themselves. Mr. and Mrs. Cline are members of the American Bible So- ciety, and have made all their children and grand- children members of the same.

Mr. Cline was a member of the Democratic party until the late Rebellion, but, being always an anti- slavery man, he at that time joined the Republican party.

fle has never sought place or political preferment from any party, but his integrity and ability as a business man led the people to place his name on an independent ticket in 1851, and he was elected to the State Legislature, where he served for one term. His children are Holloway HI .; Elizabeth, widow of the late Martin 11. Tinsman ; Sarah, widow of the late John H. Boyer; Caroline (deceased), who became the wife of Andrew Slover, of Blairstown; John W .; and Garner A. Cline, who was born Sept. 8, 1833, and died Sept. 27, 1870.

ABRAHAM HULSILIZER.

Abraham Hulshizer, son of Jacob and Margaret (Lunger) Hulshizer, was born in the township of Franklin, Warren Co., N. J., Feb. 9, 1781.

ABRAHAM HULSHIZER.

Jacob Hulshizer was of German birth, and is said to have emigrated to this country with his parents at the age of six years. Abraham in carly life became inured to work on the farm, and assisted in clearing off' the forest and preparing the land for erops. Like most of the men of his time, his opportunities for an education in boyhood were very limited. He pos- sessed rare perceptive faculties and had a very re- tentive memory, which enabled him in after-years, by reading, to be well versed in local matters, and in all questions of interest tending to promote the prosper- ity of the country and to secure the well-being of society. He was known as a man of practical ideas and sound judgment, and his counsel was adhered to in the vicinity where he spent his life. By his own industry and perseverance he secured a good prop- erty, and at his death was the possessor of some two hundred acres of very productive land, besides own- ing village property at Asbury. The farm upon which he resided is now owned by his son, William S., to which he has made other additions, and who ranks among the representative farmers of his township.

Mr. Hulshizer was a supporter of church and school interests, and lent his aid to all worthy objects. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church at Asbury for many years, and prominent in the councils of that body of Christians. In politics he affiliated with the Democratic party, and was often selected by his fellow-townsmen to fill positions of trust and respon-

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WARREN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

sibility in his township. He was in all respects a man who depended upon himself for everything he had, and, self-reliant, prudent, and unselfish, he was es- teemed hy all who knew him. He died July 24, 1870.

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History of Sussex and Warren counties, New Jersey, with Illustration and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers, Part 176

Author: Snell, James P; Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford) Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1140

Author: Snell, James P; Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1140