History of Sussex and Warren counties, New Jersey, with Illustration and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers, Part 185

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 185
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 185

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).

In political affairs Mr. Ayers has always been a con- sistent and active Democrat. He served on the town committee during the period of the late war, and was in active sympathy with the Union cause. He was free- holder of the township from 1875 to 1878, and in the latter year was elected collector, a position of which he is the incumbent at the present writing. In 1880 he was chosen a director of the Hackettstown Fire Insur- ance Company. He has one child, Miss Carrie E. Ayers, a pupil at the Newark Methodist Episcopal Conference Seminary, Hackettstown.

741

INDEPENDENCE.

1833, the death of Vineent Runyon made a vacancy in the Session, and Robert Shafer was chosen to sup- ply the place. In the course of a year Mr. Shafer left the neighborhood, and on July 11, 1835, Andrew Ketcham was chosen and ordained to the eldership.

In 1841 the Rev. Joseph Worrell was installed pastor of the Danville Church, giving part of his time to the Tranquillity Mission field, in Sussex County. This position he continued to fill until the fall of 1844, when his relations with this charge were dis- solved. The church numbered at this time 53 mem- bers, an increase of 36 in thirteen years. For the six months following Rev. Worrell's retirement Rev. James B. Hyndshaw supplied the pulpit. Their next pastor was Rev. Charles Milne, who commenced his labors in 1846. The Rev. Alexander MeCandless was installed pastor in 1848. He died at Danville, Dec. 9, 1849, aged fifty-two years. The congregation called the Rev. Ephraim Simonton, Sept. 18, 1851. At this time the membership of the church had been reduced to 33. Mr. Simonton was pastor for nearly sixteen years, or until the 24th of April, 1867. During the latter part of his labors the church grew rapidly, the membership increasing from 33 to 124. In 1863 the congregation remodeled the church to its present condition,-one of the most beautiful and comfort- able in the Presbytery. On the 13th of October, 1867, the Rev. Alpheus H. Holloway was installed pastor. At the beginning of his term the fine parsonage ad- joining the church was purchased. The elders at this time were J. H. Fleming, Andrew Ketcham, John K. Teel, Daniel Leigh, and David Fleming. Mr. Hollo- way's pastorate terminated April 16, 1873. The pres- ent pastor, Rev. J. P. Clark, was installed on the 18th day of November, 1873.

The church now owns valuable property, is free from debt, and has a membership of about 100.

The present members of the Session are David Fleming, Daniel Leigh, C. HI. Albertson, and George Quick.

THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, VIENN.N.

This church was first organized at C'addington, now called Petersburg, at the house of Matthias Cum- mins, by Elder J. V. Morris, April 14, 1839. At this meeting the following was adopted and recorded :

" Ist. That we covenant and agree to watch over ench uther In luve, and Bu fulfill the law of Christ. 2d. That the Lord Jesus is the only head of the church, and ull that obey him ure our brethren. 3d. That we ac- knowledge the name 'Christian' as our rightful seriptarel name, and the Old and New Testaments as our only rule of faith and practice. 4th. That In reading the Scriptures we reserve nnto ourselves nud accord to all others the right of private judgment. 5th. That this church shall be known as the Christian Church at C'wellington. Signed by Mathias Cum- mind, Jacob Cummins, Christian C. Huutanmn, Margaret Shampanore, Hannah Cummins, Mariah Cummins, Mercy shummuore, and Mary Shumpanoro."

About 1839 the church at Caddington was built, and occupied till the summer of Isis. During this period the church had flourished to such an extent that a more commodious house of worship was thought necessary, also a more central location desirable, and for these reasons the new church was erected nt

Vienna. The building was formally dedicated in the summer of 1858. This is a nice frame structure, standing on the main street, about the centre of the village. The old house of worship still stands at Caddington, and is sometimes used as such, but has been converted into the school-house for that distriet. Elder Morris, under whose care the church was organ- ized, remained in charge until 1843, when he was suc- ceeded by the Rev. Nicholas Summerbell for one year. In 1844, Rev. Job J. Harvey entered upon his labors for the church, and was succeeded by the Rev. William Bradley. From 1845 to 1856, Revs. William D. Potts, W. Lane, and John S. Maxwell. In 1856, Rev. E. M. Jackson was installed pastor for one year, and was succeeded by Rev. John Hunter, who retained his position for three years. It was during his pastorate that the present church at Vienna was built. Mr. Hunter was succeeded by James Lower; he, in 1862, by Rev. Henry Black, who remained two years; in 1864, Rev. C. A. Beck ; 1868, Rev. McGlouflin ; 1873, Rev. Tenney ; 1876, Rev. Godley. The present pastor, Rev. William D. Lane, entered upon his duties May 12, 1868.

IX .- CEMETERIES.

There are three cemeteries in Independence, be- longing to the three different churches there located. The one belonging to the Methodist Episcopal Church dates back to about 1810. The Presbyterian Church at Danville, and the Christian Church at Vienna, pur- chased burying-grounds, which were laid out as such at the time they acquired their property. As previ- ously stated, there was an old graveyard in a field near Vienna, which has long been obliterated.

Many of the residents of the township belong to the Hackettstown Churches, consequently when they and their friends have deceased, they have been buried there.

X .- INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS.

This township being almost entirely an agricultu- ral district, agriculture is, of course, its principal in- du-try. C. M. Titus owns a tannery, which was erected in 1848. It is still in operation, being run most of the year round. J. B. Martin also operates a small tannery on the road to Vienna. There are two grist-mills, run by water-power. One is owned by the William Rea estate, and located near Haek- ettstown, at what is called White Hall. It was built about 1820, and was first used as a woolen- and carding- mill. The other grist-mill is owned by Charles Bar- ker, and is situated in the southwest part of the town- ship, near the Mansfield line. It was built, as near as can be learned, about the year 1815; it has two run of stones, and is in good repair.

Near the Barker mill is an old feed- and plaster- mill, built in about 1820 by William W. Wilson, and a short distance below the mill is an oldl saw-mill, on the same stream, built a short time after, also by MIr. Wilson.

ALLAMUCHY.

I .- DESCRIPTIVE.

THIS township, situated in the southeast corner of Warren County, is bounded on the north and east by Sussex and Morris Counties in the order named, on the west by Frelinghuysen township, and on the south by Independence. It has a farming area of about 9500 acres. Total number of acres 13,260, of which 2495 belong to the Great Meadows. The greater part of this swamp laud is untillable, though some portions have been reclaimed by drainage.

The taxable property in 1880, as shown by the as- sessors' duplicate, was $166,000, and the rate of tax- ation for all purposes was $8 per $1000. This evi- dences a very healthy condition of affairs. There are 170 voters in the township. Allamuchy was taken bodily from the township of Independence, and its lines are best described by its act of incorporation, passed in 1873, and given elsewhere.

II .- NATURAL FEATURES.

The surface of the township is quite rough and broken by a high range of hills, at the base of which lies a large body of water, well known as the Alla- muchy Pond, the outlet of which runs two grist-mills.

The township is plentifully supplied with water from the small streams which flow down from the hills. The principal water-course is the Pequest River, which enters the township about 100 rods be- low the township line of Frelinghuysen, on the north, and runs through the entire township in a southwest- erly direction. There is a small stream that flows from the pond above mentioned, which, owing to its rapid current, has power enough to keep two mills running most of the year. The farming land is prin- cipally rolling, although some is quite level, and it is as well adapted to the uses of agriculture as any in the county. The soil is chiefly limestone, though along the valleys it is a dark rich loam. The farms are con- sidered very valuable, are held at a high figure, and are in a good state of cultivation.

TILE GREAT MEADOWS.

This is a tract of marsh or bog land lying along the Pequest River, extending through Hope, Independ- ence, and Allamuchy townships, in this county, and Green township, in Sussex County. It comprises about 6000 acres. There being no outlet sufficiently low to carry off' the spring freshets, the whole territory em- braced in the meadows remained thoroughly perme-

ated with the water thrown over it from the Pequest River, and its larger tributaries,-viz., the Johnsons- burg mill-stream, the Bear Creek, the Allamuchy mill-stream, known as Trout Brook, the Schmuck, the Stinson, and the Hoagland mill-brooks. These tributaries, being all mountain streams in their sources, rapidly threw upon the meadows after every rain-fall a large quantity of water to remain or over- flow summer and winter, producing most injurious effect on the health of the people in that region. These baneful effects were noticed most in chills and fevers, and other types of malarial disease and dysen- tery. No agricultural operations whatever were pos- sible.

Commissioners were appointed by the Supreme Court in 1872, as provided by law, and constituted a board of managers for the purpose of draining the "Great Meadows."

The commissioners of the Pequest drainage were Amos Hoagland, of Townsbury; James Boyd, of Vienna ; and William L. Johnson, of Hackettstown. Their engineer was Abraham R. Day, of the latter place.

This board was authorized to prepare plans of drainage for tracts of wet land under specified con- ditions. The work, however, was not fairly begun until 1874, and was somewhat delayed by difficul- ties incident to such a large work, the financial em- barrassment of the times, and opposing litigation. There is a marked difference of opinion as to the benefit derived from this drainage. Some, who own property along the river, owing to the peculiar loca- tion of their farms, have succeeded in reclaiming part of their lands. Among these are Alfred Buckley, who has been able to utilize nearly all of his swamp- land, 32} acres; James Ayers, who has reclaimed some 10 acres of his land; and William Vreeland, who has reclaimed 40 acres. The assessment was in some cases as high as $28 per acre, and, considerable trouble was experienced in collecting the money.

The drainage begins at James F. Fleming's land, a half-mile above the Townsbury mill-dam, running along and through lands of David Fleming, Daniel aud Isaiah Leigh, Simon A. Cummins, Andrew J. Cummins, and Lewis Merrell to the Vienna bridge; thence along the line of lands of Ephraim Simonton, Mr. Metler, Morris G. Parks, S. T. Scranton & Co., to what was formerly known as the Larison bridge, one-half mile above and west of Vienna; thence

* By S. II. Hadley.

742

743

ALLAMUCHY.

through lands of Jebiel G. Shipman, Charles Seran- ton, Sarah Freeland, Mary V. Wurtz, Silas Hibler, Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Coal and Iron Company, to a point near the Allamuchy line; thence through lands of J. Waterfield, Abner Wil- son, Eli Lundy, Nelson N. Cummins, James Shot- well, Daniel Cummins (deceased), the estate of W. C. Hlibler, John Rutherford, Alfred Buckley, estate of Phoebe Shotwell, and the land of Moses Applegate, and stops about 25 yards above the Long Bridge. Through the locality named above the fall is one foot per mile. The current in the channel is on an average 150 feet per minute, and is claimed by the commissioners to be in most respects a successful undertaking. Messrs. Stephens & Fagan were the contractors, who dredged from the Long Bridge to the Danville bridge.

III .- EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The history of the early settlers of this township will, perhaps, be more appropriately given in the history of Independence township and Hackettstown, of which it was until recently a part. About the be- ginning of the present century, as near as can be ascertained, the most prominent man doing business in Allamuchy was Joseph Demund. There is no actual record as to the time of his settlement in the place, but, from all that can be learned from the oldest citi- zens now living, it was about the year 1800. Mr. Demund was a very enterprising man, and operated on a scale the magnitude of which was entirely uu- known to the easy-going people of that day. He pur- chased 640 acres of land about where the village now stands, planted fine orchards, of which some trees are said to be alive and bearing fruit at this date. He also built a large mill, which was run by water-power and was used as a grist-mill and distillery. The mill is yet standing in tolerably good repair, and is used in grinding wheat and corn. The capacity of the distillery was 60 bushels a day. Apple-jack, so dear to the early settlers of New Jersey, was also made here in great abundance.

It appears Demund soon got the confidence of his neighbors ;* he succeeded in borrowing large amounts of money and in getting the farmers to indorse his paper heavily. The large amount of business done by this carly speculator induced other men of capital to gather there, and from that date until 1820 there was more business done at Allamuchy than at Ilack- ettstown.

In 1820, Demund, who had been doing business largely on borrowed capital, began to fail to meet his obligations, and one mortgage for $14,000 was fore- closed by John Rutherford, Sr. His downward course was rapid from this time, and, unfortunately, he dragged many down with him who had become his security. Among these may be mentioned James Wilson, a Quaker. Ilis farm was seized, and it did

* In 1813 he was a chosen freeholdor of the township-Independence.

not satisfy the debt. At that time Warren County was a part of Sussex, with the county-seat at New- ton, and, as the law was then, if a man could not pay his debts he was liable to imprisonment. The officers eame after Mr. Wilson, and found him at work in the swamp taking out some sled-runners which he had placed there to soak and toughen. When told their business he politely asked them to help him finish his work and he would accompany them. IIc was finally allowed to go out on "jail limits," which consisted of the limits of the town.

Nathaniel Hart was also a victim, and lost his farm by going surety for Demund. It may be men- tioned that the prosperity of this thrifty place began to wane about 1840. The Morris Canal and the Dela- ware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad traffic were the means of locating trade in other places, and at this time (1881) there are left only the large old- fashioned residences and mills to indicate what had been the lively and growing village of former years. The mill doing the largest business, and built by Joseph Demand, is now owned by John Till. Among the oldest dwellings now standing is a stone house, near the Long Bridge, owned by J. C. Runyon. It is known as the Shotwell house, and bears the date of 1770. It is in pretty good repair, and is at present occupied by two families.

Archibald Ayers was also one of the carly settlers who afterwards became prominent in Allamuchy. Ile was a son of Ezekiel Ayers. Ile was born in Hackettstown in 1781, in an old frame house which is now standing and owned by Mrs. Wagner. It is located about mid-way between the railroad and canal, on the road to Vienna. Ile moved to Alla- muchy in 1809, purchased a large farming property there, and for a time owned and worked the distillery below Thomas A. Haggerty's mill. He had ten chil- dren, five sons and five daughters, of whom all are living but one. Three of his sons, John, George H., and James, now live in Allamuchy township. Archi- bald Ayers died in 1865, aged eighty-four years.

Jacob Young came from Ireland in 1786, and bought what is now commonly known as the John M. Young farm. He had five children, -John MI., George, Martha, Anna, and Mary. John M. Young was born in 1801. He lived on the home place, mar- ried, and was the father of twelve children, of whom D. A. Young, the present township clerk, is one.

QUAKER SETTLEMENT.

At an early day (the exact date of which it is im- possible to ascertain) a settlement was made by a colony of Friends at what is known as Quaker Set- tlement, in this township, northeast of the Great Meadows. The colony was formed in Kingwood, Hunterdon Co., and took along to the new location all the frames and lumber for their first dwellings. The first house built by them for by any one, in all that region) was about a quarter of a mile west of

744

WARREN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Allamuchy village, upon the farm now occupied by William Clifford. Indians were living in the vicinity at that time, and an old Indian village had been located near by. At a later day there was still an Indian encampment between where Alfred Buckley and Silas Hibler now live. Mrs. Buckley says her mother, Mrs. Lundy, used often to relate stories of her visits to the encampment when a girl. Indian relics are still found in the vicinity." They are gen- erally found upon the high ground, and abound more or less throughout the whole region.

The lands purchased and settled by this colony were all contiguous, and located in this and the ad- joining township of Green, in Sussex County. Among the early families who composed this settlement were the Lundys, Schooleys, Willsons, Stephensons, and Buckleys, One branch of the Schooley family set- tled in the locality now known as Schooley's Moun- tain, in Morris County. The Schooleys and Willsons were connected by marriage.

Gabriel Willson, grandfather of Mrs. Jesse Adams, settled where Moses Applegate and Mrs. Staley now live, and Joseph Willson where John N. Gibbs re- sides. These members of the Willson family were de- scendants of Samuel Willson, who was born in Scar- borough, England, in 1681, settled at Chesterfield, N. J., prior to 1707, where were born to him and his wife, Hester, eight children,-Samuel, Robert, Esther, Sarah, James, Ann, John, and Gabriel, the latter being one of the colonists of Allamuchy. Samuel Willson, the elder, removed to what was then Kingwood town- ship, now Franklin, in Hunterdon County, and died there in 1761. "The old Willson homestead lies a little more than a mile southwest of Quaker- town. It was bought by Samuel Willson of Jacob Doughty, in 1730, and from that time to the present has never been out of the family. . . . The stone house was built by Samuel Willson in 1735."+

The Lundys were descended from Richard Lundy and his wife Sarah, who removed from Exeter, Pa., to Kingwood, in 1747 ; and from Thomas, who came from Maiden Creek in 1745. Jacob Lundy married (1748) Mary Willson, and Joseph married (1758) Sarah Willson. Isaac Lundy removed to Hardwick, Warren Co.

The Stephensons were among the earliest families in Kingwood, but the name of the emigrant settler is not known, nor the date of his coming. The first mentioned in the Friends' records are Thomas and Sarah, whose children (John, Sarah, and Mary ) were all born at Quakertown, N. J., the eldest in 1732. They married into the King, Webster, and Husted families.

The Friends in Allamuchy built a meeting-house

in 1764 upon a slight eminence at what is now at least the junetion of several roads leading through the settlement, and a deed was given to the Society by William Penn, for the purpose of "a Friends' meeting-house forever." The church was a substan- tial stone building, situated in a natural grove. This meeting-house, the first one erected by the Friends in this portion of the State, was standing until a few years since, when it was torn down and a frame building of two stories, devoted to the double purpose of education and religion, erected on its site. In that old church the Quakers worshiped every First and Fifth day, according to their own peculiar form. In the foundation of the new building is a stone bearing the date "1764," which was in the old stone meeting- house, near the chimney, and marked the year of its erection.

Among the old members were Levi Lundy, George Lundy, Samuel Laing, Christopher Schmuek, Eben- ezer Willson, Mordecai Willson, Gabriel Willson and Grace, his wife, Jesse Adams and Lydia, his wife, and Merey Buckley, wife of Alfred Buckley ; the three last named the only surviving members .? The church flourished for many years, but as the youths grew up and imbibed a disrelish for the plain manners and customs of their fathers they departed from the faith; owing to this, and further depletion of their number by deaths and removals, as years went by the society grew small and feeble, and about 1835 ceased to hold regular worship.||

About 200 yards east of the building is the old Quaker graveyard, of goodly size, and inclosed with a substantial stone wall, five feet high. It is still used for burial purposes.

The mode of worship among the Friends is peculiar to themselves, but so familiar to the people of Western New Jersey (which was so largely settled by the Qua- kers) that it is deemed unnecessary to here describe it, further than to say that it consisted in the main in silent meditation, with "speaking" from some brother or sister when the Spirit moved. Mary Stephenson, wife of John, living many years ago in the Quaker Settlement, is said to have been "a great preacher." Her maiden name was Lundy. She traveled far and near among the Friends, speaking wherever she went. She was left a widow, and afterwards married David Willson, of Farmington, N. Y. Ephraim Green and David Willson also "spoke." The Alla- muchy Society was of that branch known as "Ortho- dox."

A relic of "ye olden time" is a marriage certificate now in possession of Mrs. Abner Willson, the parties named therein being her husband's great-grand- parents. It is on parchment, 16 by 22 inches in size,

* Mr. Buckley has a number of fine specimens; one a rude dish of considerable size, made out of a soft rock resembling soapstone ; also axc-blades, arrow-heads, etc., made out of hard trap or Ilint.

+ " Ilist. Hunterdon und Somerset Conuties," J. P. Snell, 1881, p. 432. Į Ibid., p. 433.

¿ A recently published article on the Quaker Settlement adds to these three the name of Margaret Willson.

In 1865, Jesse Adamis bought the ground where the meeting-house stood, comprising three acres. The graveyard, adjoining, still belongs to the "Society."

745

ALLAMUCHY.

finely executed, and in excellent condition consider- ing its age. It reads as follows :

" WHEREAS, Ebenezer Willson of the township of Independence in the County of Sussex and State of West Jersey, son of Rubert and Mary Willson (the former deceased), and Sarah Knight of the Towoship of Middletown in the county of Bucks and Stato of Pennsylvania, daughter of Joseph and Rachel Knight (deceased), having declared their Inten- tions of Marriage with each other, before several monthly greetings of the people called QUAKERS at Middletown aforesald, according to the good order usod unioog them ; and baving consent of parties, their said proposala were allowed by the said meeting.

" Now, these are to certify whom it may concern, that for the full ac- complishing their said Intentions, this Thirteenth day of the Fifth Month in tho Your of our Lord one Thousand eight hundred and Two, they, the euld Ebenezer Willson and Sarah Knight appeared In a public moet- Ing of the said people of Middletown aforesaid, and the snid Ebenezer Willson taking the sald Sarah Knight by the hand, did on this solemn occasion publicly declaro that he took the said Sarah Knight to bo bis Wife, promising with the Lord's assistance to be unto her an affectionate and faithful Husband nutil death should separate them, and then In the same assonibly, tho said Saruh Koight did In the Ilko manner declare, that she took the wald Ebenezer Willson to bo her Husband, promising with the Lord's assistance to be unto him on affectionate and fulthful Wife, antil denth should separate them, or In words to that effect.

" And moreover, they, the said Ebonezer Willson ond Sarah Knight, sho according to the custom of Marriage umuming the name of her Hug- band, as a furthor consideration thoreof did then and thore to these prosents set their hands. And we whose names are also horeunto sub- scribod, being presont at the Solomnization of the snid Marriage and sub- scription, have as witnesses harounto set our hands the day and year above written.

" HENRY ATHERTON, JUNIOR."

This document was signed by the parties so married and by the 36 witnesses who were present on that oc- ension.

PHYSICIANS.

Dr. Ephraim Green was one of the first physicians who practiced in the settlement. lle lived in what is now Green township, Sussex Co. The most promi- nent practitioner was Dr. Henry S. Harris, He com- meneed practice in this place as early as 1837, and successfully followed his profession until 1873, when he retired and moved to Belvidere, where he is still living, at the advanced age of eighty-five years. He was also postmaster many years. There is no physi- cian now residing in Allamuchy, the people mostly being attended by the doctors of Hackettstown.

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 Sussex and Warren counties, New Jersey, with Illustration and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers, Part 185

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