USA > New Jersey > Union County > History of Union County, New Jersey > Part 56
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* Probably of Elizabeth, as we read : " September 17, 1760, Paid Thomas Woodruff, for himself and expenses to Prince Town, and shewing a hors for to cary Letter to ye Pressbetiry, {1. u. 8."
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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY
Martin Runyan, 1840-2 ; Elisha Runyan, 1843 ; Frazee Lee, 1845; William Clark, Jr., 1848; David W. Clark, 1849-51 ; David Miller, 1852-4, 1863-4 ; Zophar Hetfield, 1855-7 ; Stewart E. Clark, 1858-9 ; Joseph S. Darby, 1860 ; William C. Stanbery, 1861-2 ; J. M. C. Marsh, 1865-9 ; Isaac Littell, 1870 ; Frank S. Baker, 1871 ; Philemon E. Coe, 1872-3 ; W. W. Connolly, appointed by town committee to fill Mr. Coe's unexpired term ; George Squire, 1874-7; Isaac F. Scudder, 1878; W. W. Connolly, 1879-81 ; D. T. Pierson, 1884-7 ; A. K. Gale, 1888-97 ; Addison H. Clark, 1897.
Town Committee,-Ezra Darby, 1794-5, 1798 ; Captain Charles Clark, 1794-1814 ; Samuel Winants, 1794; Daniel Marsh, Esq., 1795-1801 ; Ezra Darby, 1796-1804 ; Phile- mon Elmer, 1798-1800; Luke Covert, 1798-1800; Ephraim Marsh, 1801; James Brown, 1801; Ralph Marsh, 1802; Jesse Dolbier, 1802; John Tucker, 1803; John Squier, 1803-5; James Ross, 1804, 1817-21; David Osborn, 1804; Jonathan Woodruff, 1805; Azariah Clark,: 1805; John Darby, Jr., 1805, 1807-12; Joseph Quinby, 1806, 1822-4; Joseph Sayre, 1806; Melvin Parse, 1806-1831; Jonathan Woodruff, 1807-25, 1827-8, 1847-8; Jona- than Meeker, 1806; John Wilson, 1807-14, 1816, 1822-4; Samuel B. Miller, 1807-27; Ben- jamin Cory, 1808-21, 1829; Ezra Crane, 1813, 1815-16; Recompense Stanbery, 1814-21; Frazee Coles, 1815; William Marsh, 1822-4; Israel R. Coriell, 1825; Daniel Shotwell, 1825-6, 1837-8; Henry Baker, 1826-8, 1840; Ira F. Randolph, 1826; Abner Miller, 1826, 1830; Samuel B. Miller, 1820-29; John Randolph, 1827-8, 1830; Jacob Manning, 1827-8, 1842; Trustum Manning, 1829, 1833; David W. Clark, 1829, 1831, 1837-8, 1846-8, 1858; Andrew H. Clark, 1829, 1831-6, 1844, 1858; Ephraim Clark, 1830, 1832, 1837; Nathan Vail, 1830; Elijah Shotwell, 1830-2; John M. Clark, 1831; Isaac French, 1831-6; Ezekiel Ludlum, 1832; John Layton, 1833, 1846; Jotham Frazee, 1833-6; Ebenezer Connett, 1834-6; John J. Cook, 1834-6; Martin Runyan, 1837-40; John Littell, 1837-9, 1841-2; Zachariah Web- ster, 1838; Randolph Marsh, 1839-45; John Miller, 1839-40; William Osborn, 1839-40; John M. Hand, 1840; Caleb Freeman, 1841; Samuel Lee, 1841-4, 1847-51, 1853-4; Levi Hatfield, 1841-4, 1851; Henry Baker, Jr., 1841-4, 1848, 1856-7; Cornelius Boice, 1843-4; Zophar Hetfield, Jr., 1843, 1855; Samuel Badgley, 1845; James Enders, 1845; Corra O. Meeker, 1845; Simeon Lambert. 1846-7; Jarias A. Freeman, 1846; Ezra D. Hetfield, 1846; Gideon Ross, 1847; Joseph Darby, 1848; Simeon Frazee, 1849-50, 1852; Cooper Parse, 1849-52; Erastus Miller, 1849-50; Clark Williams, 1849-51; David Miller, Jr., 1851-2; William Clark, Jr., 1852-5, 1857; Isaac Littell, 1852-4, 1860-1; Josiah Crane, Jr., 1853-9; Vincent L. Frazee, 1853-4; Squire Radley, 1855-6; Philip Randell, 1855; Joseph S. Darby, 1856-7; Joseph Cory and Charles Marsh, tie, 1857; Addison S. Clark, 1858; William Stanbery, 1858-60; John R. Clark, 1859; John H. Martin, 1859-60; Isaac F. Scudder, 1859, 1861-9; Squire Pierson, 1860; George W. Pierson, 1860-6; John H. Martin, 1861-7; John Grant Crane, 1861; Squire Radley, 1862-7; Jacob D. French, 1862-9; Dr. Joseph Clark, 1867-9; Thomas H. Clark, 1868-70; Aaron Hatfield, 1868; Stephen S. Mapes, 1869; Theodore Hetfield, 1870; Philemon E. Coe, 1870; Levi Darby, 1870-1; Joseph G. Hanson, 1871; George R. Nicholl, 1871; Levi Cory, 1871-2 Algenora Buck, 1871-2; Evert M. Pierson, 1872-3, 1879-80; A. D. Shephard, 1872; William A. McQuoid, 1872-3; James A. Baker, 1873-5, 1877; E. D. Chamberlain, 1873; Samuel M. Foster, 1873-4; Orrin Pierson, 1874-6; Levi Darby, 1874; Henry Wilson, 1874-5; Jacob D. French, 1875-7; John S. Irving, 1875-7; Joseph A. Patterson, 1876-7; John S. Burhans, 1877-8; Stephen S. Mapes, 1878; George W. Pierson, 1878; Ludlow V. Clark, 1878; James L. Miller, 1878; Robert M. Fairburn, 1879; Jacob H. Worth, 1879; Robert R. Sinclair, 1880-1 ; Oliver M. Pierson, 1880; Henry F. Alpers, 1881 ; James Moffett, 1881 ; Evert M. Pierson, 1882 ; David Sayres, 1883 ; James L. Miller, 1884 ; Levi Cory, 1884; Effingham Embree, 1884; Kilbourne Tompkins, 1886; Joseph R. Connolly, 1888 ; Charles G. Endicott, 1889; Addison S. Clark, 1890 ; N. B. Gardner, 1891 ; Charles F. Conant, 1892 ; Martin Welles, 1893 ; N. B. Gardner, 1894; Charles G. Endicott, 1895 ; George H. Embree, 1896; Christian Harding, 1897.
Members of Assembly,-John M. Clark, 1854 ; Albert A. Drake, 1870 ; Charles N. Codding, 1894-5. Inspector of Registry and Elections, 1866, Addison S. Clark. Surrogate, Addison S. Clark, November 11, 1867-77, two terms; Senator, James L. Miller, 1887.
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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY
Chosen Freeholders,-Captain Benjamin Laing, 1794-5 ; Ephraim Marsh, Esq., 1794-5 ; Captain Recompense Stanbery, 1796-1800 ; Colonel Moses Jaques, 1796-1803 ; Ezra Darby, 1801-4 ; Charles Clark, 1804-7, 1814 ; John B. Osborn, 1805-7 ; John Squire, 1806-14, 1817 ; Joseph Quinby, 1808-13, 1815-17 ; William Clark, 1811 ; John Wilson, 1815-16, 1822-24 ; David Osborn, 1818 ; Jonathan Woodruff, 1818-25, 1827-9 ; Dennis Coles, 1819-21, 1825-8 ; Frazee Coles, 1826, 1830, 1832, 1845 ; James Fraizer, 1829; Ira F. Randolph, 1830 ; John Denman, 1831, 1833-4 ; John Layton, 1831-6 ; Benjamin Radley, 1835-6, 1849-54 ; Gideon Ross, 1837-8, 1857-60; James Leonard, 1837-8; Zachariah Webster, 1839-42, 1844; Aaron Coe, 1839-42, 1844, 1846-7 ; Elias Kirkpatrick, 1843 ; Andrew H. Clark, 1843 ; Ephraim Clark, 1845, 1847-8; James Ayres, 1846; Simeon Lambert, 1848-54, 1862, 1867-8 ; David Miller, 1855-6; Isaac Little, 1855-6 ; Charles Marsh, Sr., 1857-8 ; Addison S. Clark, 1860-1 ; Amos P. Scudder, 1861-2, 1867, 1869-71 ; Francis E. Morse, 1872-4 ; C. W. L. Martin, 1875-7 ; John S. Irving, 1878 ; James L. Miller, 1879-80 ; Stephen S. Mapes, 1881-2 ; James T. Pierson, 1883-92 ; Mulford M. Scudder, 1892 ; Addison S. Clark, 1894.
Town Clerks,-David Osborn, 1794-1822; Jonathan Osborn, Jr., 1823-37; Dennis Coles, 1838; Cornelius Boice, 1839-40; Frazee Coles, 1841; Robert Anderson, 1842-4, 1846; Samuel R. Stevenson, 1845; Isaac H. Pierson, 1847-8; Samuel Y. Clark, 1849-51, 1853; Frederick A. Kinch, 1852; Charles Clark, 1854-5; Erastus Miller, 1856-7; Josiah S. Ferris, 1858-9; Samuel D. Ball, 1860; Stewart E. Clark, 1861-6; George Squire, 1867-9; Matthias Clark, Jr., 1870; John L. Miller, 1871; F. T. Baker, 1872-3; Charles R. Clark, 1874-80; Luther M. Whitaker, 1881-8; Charles R. Clark, 1889-92; E. N. Brown, November 3, 1892, to March 14, 1893; Irving I. Ross, 1893.
Justices of the Peace,-Daniel Marsh, 1794-5; Ephraim Marsh, 1794-7; Colonel Jedidiah Swan, 1794-6; James Ross, 1795; Captain Recompense Stanbery, 1796-7, 1800, 1812, 1814, 1816-17, 1820, 1824, 1826, 1830; Benjamin Laing, 1796-7; Captain Charles Clark, 1800, 1804, 1807, 1811, 1813; Moses Jaques, 1800, 1804; Ezra Darby, 1804; Caleb Maxill, 1806-8-10-18; Aaron Ball, 1815; Jonathan Woodruff, 1819-21, 1823, 1825, 1827, 1829, 1833, 1845; David Ross, 1810; Gideon Ross, -; John Manning, 1822; Andrew H. Clark, 1831, 1860; Ira F. Randolph, 1832; James Frazee, 1834; Aaron Coe, 1836, 1847; Elias Kirkpatrick, 1840; Isaac H. Pierson, 1845, 1870; John M. Clark, 1843, 1854-5, 1860; Corra O. Meeker, 1845; Cooper Parse, 1850, 1855-7; Joseph S. Darby, 1858; James E. Pugsley, 1859; L. H. K. Smally, 1862-7; Erastus Miller, 1867; J. W. R. Bennett, 1868; Cornelius A. Leveridge, 1869; Samuel T. Clark, 1860; Dr. Joseph Clark, -; Dennis Coles, 1839; Edward Hartnagle, 1874; George Godfrey, 1877; Anson Frazee, 1878; J. D. Jaques, 1878-81; Addison S. Clark, 1882; J. W. R. Bennett, 1883; J. S. A. Wittke, 1884; P. C. Pearsall, 1887; Levi E. Hart, 1887; E. R. Collins, 1888; P. C. Pearsall, 1888; Henry F. Cristy, 1889; J. S. A. Wittke, 1891; Levi E. Hart, 1892; P. C. Pearsall, 1892; E. R. Collins, 1893; Levi E. Hart, 1894; Granville B. Toucey, 1897.
NEWSPAPERS.
On the 23d of December, 1880, we note the first issue of a regular weekly paper, with Sydney Genung, formerly of East Madison, New Jersey, as editor and publisher. It was called the Westfield Monitor ; terms two dollars per annum. In his salutatory he says : "To-day we launch the Westfield Monitor on what we trust may be a career of use- fulness to our fellow citizens, and of at least moderate prosperity to its publishers. We shall treat all of whom we may be able to speak with judicial fairness, applauding virtue and condemning vice in public places, whenever and wherever found. * * * We propose this shall be a journal for all the people, and, believing that free and open discus- sion is the surest way of arriving at the truth, we extend to all our readers, without regard to party or sect, an invitation to use our columns,
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The Union County Standard,
Westfield, New Jersey.
FOR FREEDOM, TRUTH AND THE RIGIITS OF MAN.
HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY
UNION COUNTY STANDARD BUILDING
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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY
as far as our time and space will permit, and to express their views on all subjects of public interest."
Soon after Editor Genung left Westfield, another and much larger paper was edited here, by Edward Baumgard, which was called the Westfield Telegraph. It was an independent paper, published every Saturday morning ; price "one dollar a year, in advance."
The Union County Standard was started, as the Independent, in November, 1885, and became the Union County Standard in November, 1887. Here is its own story : It has met and overcome not only the regulation obstacles that beset the way of a young newspaper enterprise, but has also been tried by fire, and survived a conflagration memorable in the annals of Westfield. For on that lurid night of January 3, 1892, families were made homeless and a block of business property destroyed. The Standard was among the sufferers, and was literally "fired out." One of the most complete newspaper outfits in the state went up in flames ; but with the American flag, that symbol of pluck and per- severance, streaming above a lot of salvage piled in the street, by the light of the fire, one of the Standard's force wrote a bulletin which read : "Temporary quarters of the Union County Standard, now open for business." That afternoon the Standard had on the street an extra, describing in detail the losses by fire, and, incidentally, its own. This spirit explains the Standard's splendid success. How the force built a wigwam, and how, for the rest of the winter, the compositors stood on hot bricks to keep their feet from freezing, as with benumbed fingers they "stuck " type ; and how, with never a murmur, "the boys " stood by through all the trials and tribulations ; and the paper went on making friends until finally the stars and stripes and the Standard burgee floated in triumph from its present handsome home, is all a matter of history and local pride. In politics the Standard is independent, but never neutral.
The Westfield Leader was organized in 1890, with the able and intelligent Professor E. Francis as its first editor. The entire public- school system of Westfield was then under the charge of Professor Francis, and the duties of this position soon became so arduous that he resigned in favor of Edwin Ralph Collins, who had formerly been on the staff of Texas Siftings. Better remuneration being found in other channels, in 1892 Mr. Collins gave up the editorial chair to Dr. Willard H. Morse, a physician of Westfield. During these years J. H. Cash has been the publisher. The Leader is Republican in politics.
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
It is a pleasure to look into the history of one of the most important of our institutions, namely : the Public Library Association. It has been essentially a woman's work, and is the outgrowth of the Every Saturday Book Club (known in town as far back as 1874), whose one
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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY
hundred and fifty-six books and twenty-six dollars in cash formed the nucleus of the present library. It was incorporated October 27, 1877, finding a home first on the top floor of the Prospect street school house, through the kindness of the Atlas Lodge. Subsequently the town room, located near where the Leader office now is, was tendered, and later a place in the Lyceum (Ætna or Arcanum hall). Thus for seven years this young corporation was relieved of the burden of rent. It is managed by a board of seven women trustees, with an advisory board of five men. From its small beginning, with little outside assistance, rapid growth could hardly be expected, but it may be faithfully recorded, as a result of twenty years' patient work, that there are now three thousand well selected volumes on its shelves.
Within the past year the library has been opened daily, a reading roomn arranged, well equipped, having nine of the most popular magazines, besides a number of papers and weeklies on its tables. It also has a complete set of the Encyclopedia Britannica and many other books of reference, accessible to all. The most modern system, -tliat of the card catalogue, -has been adopted. The resources of the library are derived from subscriptions (two dollars per annum), weekly rental of books (five cents each), annual entertainments and occasional donations. The service is volunteer. All money, after defraying the actual running expenses, is promptly expended in books. The organ- ization is free from debt, and has two hundred and twenty-five dollars in bank as a possible building fund.
The officers at present are: President, Mrs. W. W. Baker; secre- tary, Mrs. Fred. M. Van Emburgh; treasurer, Miss Ella Ferris; librarian, Mrs. J. B. Harrison. The presiding officers from the beginning have been: Mrs. Samuel Harris, 1877-9; Miss Emma L. Bridges, 1879-83; Mrs. J. L. Miller, 1883-5; Mrs. Williamn W. Baker, 1885-6; Mrs. J. L. Miller, 1886-7; Mrs. J. B. Harrison, 1887-9; Mrs. William W. Baker, 1889-97.
FREE MASONS.
Atlas Lodge, No. 125, F. & A. M., was organized October 19, 1871. It held its meetings in Folian hall until July 1, 1876; then in the Prospect school building until September 1, 1888; then in Arcanum hall (Love's building) to May 1, 1894; then in their present roonis, third floor of bank building, since May 21, 1894.
The Worshipful Masters have been as follows: William A. Mac Quoid, 1871-2; Henry E. Harris, 1873; Addison S. Clark, 1874; Richard S. Canfield, 1875; Sherman Cooper, M. D., 1876; Francis T. Baker, 1877; William C. Hall, 1878; Frank R. Pennington, 1879-80; Charles Haberley, 1881-3; Joseph R. Connoly, 1884-5; Andrew Z. Chambers, 1886; Charles Haberley, 1887-9; William W. Gilby, 1890-1; John F. Dorval, 1892-3; Leonard G. Venn, 1894-5;
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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY
John O'Blenis, 1896; John B. Green, 1897. The present membership is forty-five.
ROYAL ARCANUM.
Fireside Council, No. 715, R. A., was instituted on October 19, 1882, at Masonic hall, in the public school building, Prospect street, with twenty charter members. The first officers elected were as follows: Regent, Alfred J. Westbrook; vice-regent, R. R. Sinclair; orator, Charles F. Conant; past regent, Edward Harbison; secretary, William H. Elston; collector, Chester M. Smith; treasurer, David Sayers ; chaplain, Anson F. Grant ; guide, Eugene K. Shrope ; warden, B. J. Crosby ; sentry, William C. Barton; medical exam- iner, Sherman Cooper, M. D .; trustees,, James L. Miller, George W. Van Boskirke, Jacob S. Ring. The council in a short time moved to its new rooms in Folian Hall, and while there they had the name of the building changed to Royal Arcanum hall. After a few years in these quarters they moved again into the new block directly opposite,-Etta hall. In 1896 they moved
once more, this time into the new Schmidt-Bird building, on the corner of Broad and Elm streets. They call the beautiful rooms now occupied Arcanum hall. Twelve deaths have occurred in the ranks of Fireside Council, and thirty-six thousand dollars have been paid the beneficiaries. The present membership is one hundred and eighty-three. The following is a list of those who have served the council as regents up to the present time: Edward Harbison, A. J. Westbrook, Robert R. Sinclair, Charles F. Conant, Anson F. Grant, Frederick A. Kinch, M. D., Benjamin J. Crosby, S. W. Reese, Charles B. Peddie, C. M. Smith, J. B. Green, L. A. Lightfoot, George H. Brown, C. B. Hann.
ANCIENT ORDER OF UNITED WORKMEN.
Upchurch Lodge, No. 50, was instituted on February 24, 1890, by Grand Master John W. Diefendorf, assisted by members from Central Lodge, of Plainfield, and Success and Newark Lodges, of Newark, New Jersey, in Arcanum hall, with twenty charter members. They adopted the name of Upchurch in honor of J. J. Upchurch, the founder of the order. Since its organization it has lost three of its members by death, two of them being charter members. The lodge now numbers forty- two, of whom thirteen are original charter members. Its meetings have always been held in the beautiful Royal Arcanum rooms, changing when the latter changed, and it meets every second and fourth Tuesday of each month.
The officers for 1897 are: P. M. W., James K. P. Duinhamn ; M. W., Andrew Jephson ; Or., John W. Singer ; Finc., A. W. Stiles ; G., F. R. Baker ; O. W., O. Young; For., Charles H. Doerer ; recorder, W. F. Smith; receiver, F. Heinecke; I. W., H. Weidner ;
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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY
medical examiner, F. A. Kinch, M. D .; trustees, John F. N. Keppler, Oswald Young, and W. F. Smith.
JUNIOR ORDER OF UNITED AMERICAN MECHANICS.
Central Council, No. 131, of J. O. U. A. M., of Westfield, was instituted in Etta hall, by E. A. Canfield, of Jersey City, September 2, 1892, with forty-nine charter members. The first officers were: Jr. P. C., W. H. Ward; C., R. B. Shove; V. C., C. Clark; R. S., W. M. Stamets; A. R. S., J. C. Hall; F. S., J. S. Burhans; treasurer, C. B. Hann; Con., R. M. Crosby; W., C. E. Cox; I. S., W. C. Town- send; O. S., H. Ferris; trustees, W. B. Goff, J. I. Collins, A. R. A. Woidt. On May 1, 1896, the council moved from Etta hall to Arcanum hall, at the corner of Broad and Elm streets. Meetings have been held every Friday evening. The council has at present a membership of seventy-two. The officers are Jr. P. C., W. J. Kelley; C., W. F. Howarth; V. C., J. Dingee; R. S., W. M. Stamets; A. R. S., G. A. Clark; F. S., J. C. Hall; treasurer, W. H. Ward; Con., R. Edwards; W., F. Packer; I. S., F. T. Young; O. S., S. W. Knapp; trustees, N. S. Archbold, W. M. Stamets, E. W. Affleck.
THE WOMAN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION.
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union was organized in 1884, with Mrs. James L. Miller as president. Owing to a division of sentiment on the question of legal prohibition, fourteen inembers with- drew in May, 1888, and on June 5th organized the Willard Woman's Christian Union, with the object, as stated in the constitution, "to educate public sentiment up to the standard of total abstinence, train the young, save the inebriate and secure the legal prohibition and complete banishment of the liquor traffic." The original union disbanded shortly afterward. The first president of the new organization was Mrs. John S. Burhans, who at the end of three months resigned on account of ill health. She was succeeded by Miss Emma L. Starr, who has served until the present time, except during the three years from 1890 to 1893, when the office was filled by Mrs. George S. Mosher. Ninety-one members have been enrolled, six have died, others resigned or removed. The present membership is fifty-two.
The union was incorporated in 1892, and purchased a building lot on Prospect street. The establishment of an evangelical mission for the Italians of the town, in November, 1895, made the need of a suitable meeting place imperative, and the union decided to erect temporary headquarters. Hence, on March 6, 1896, they dedicated a neat hall, with a seating capacity of one hundred and seventy-five, and costing, including furniture, about one thousand dollars, six hundred of which is held by the Building and Loan Association. The union still con- templates the erection of a larger hall, suited to more extended work,
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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY
as originally planned. It has at present twelve departments of work, with superintendents, and is in perfect harmony with the declared principles of the National W. C. T. U. It has also a society for children, the Loyal Temperance Legion. Faith in God is the inain- spring of all the work, resulting in a strong confidence that the patient seed-sowing of years will yield an abundant harvest in time or in eternity.
THE CHILDREN'S COUNTRY HOME.
It was in the summer of 1891 that the suggestion of having a children's home in Westfield was made by W. G. Peckham to the minis- ters of the different churches, who asked for the hearty co-operation of their people, and called a public meeting. This meeting was held in the reading room on the 30th of June of that year, and a board of managers was chosen. But the impossibility of securing a suitable house inade it necessary to postpone the opening for another year.
Meanwhile the board held monthly meetings, and by the following spring, $169.10 had been collected, and Alfred E. Pearsall gave for its benefit one of his popular readings. On the 9th of June, 1892, a second public meeting was held, when a constitution was adopted, and a board of managers elected. The officers were : Mrs. Martin Welles, president; Mrs. F. W. Morse, vice-president ; Mrs. George H. Embree, recording secretary ; Miss Emma L. Bridges, corresponding secretary ; and Mrs. Jolin W. Beebe, treasurer. Soon, having rented the house of Levi Cory, at Bird's corner, on July 15th, the home was opened for its noble work, and fifty-nine children were cared for that summer. In the meantime $500 had been set aside as a "permanent fund," and by April 1, 1896, it had grown to $1,246.95. The managers were now looking forward to the purchase of a suitable property in order to assure the permanency of the home. The Thomas Drew residence, with about ten acres of land, was offered to them for $6,225. A special appeal was now made to the citizens of Westfield and to charitable friends elsewhere, and nearly three thousand dollars were subscribed in a short tiine. On the 23d of March, 1896, one hundred dollars bound the bargain, and on May 16, 1896, a check for $4,125 was paid over to Mr. Drew, two thousand dollars remaining on bond and mortgage, at five per cent. This mortgage is the only indebtness of the home (July, 1897).
The new home was formally opened May 31, 1896. The Christian Endeavor societies and Epworth League aided the work, the merchants gave liberally, and the physicians contributed their services. During the first three seasons two hundred and twenty-four children were cared for, and ninety-eight more last season (1896). Thus far many suffering children have been taken from the hot and crowded city, and enabled by this worthy institution to taste the joys of the beautiful country life.
The home is not a fresh-air enterprise, simply providing an outing for city children, but rather a convalescent home where children can be
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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY
sent direct from hospitals, or in some cases to gain needed strength previous to hospital operations. The officers of the association for the year of 1897 are as follows: President, Mrs. V. O. Burtis; vice-presi- dent, Mrs. Martin Welles; treasurer, Mrs. R. R. Sinclair ; secretary, Miss Emma L. Bridges.
CAMP WOOLFE.
This fresh-air camp is located in the suburbs of Westfield and was established, in 1895, by five or six earnest city-mission workers, with a double purpose. First, giving to worthy mothers and their smaller or sickly children from the poorest tenement districts a ten-days outing in the country. Second, by evangelistic services, and under the loving influence of a better environment, leading them up to a higher sphere of usefulness as mothers and wives.
Started in a modest way, the work soon attracted the attention and support of the well disposed people of the vicinity, and early in the spring of the following year the Union Fresh Air Mission Association was organized, composed of the young people's societies of Westfield and surrounding towns. These societies assumed the responsibility of running the camp. Last year nearly six hundred mothers and children were cared for, seventeen thousand meals furnished and nearly six thousand days' outing. The first president was John S. Huyler, the confectioner, of New York city. The present officers are : George E. Woolfe, presi- dent ; first vice-president, Arthur N. Pierson ; second vice-president, D. M. Torrey ; treasurer, Miss Edith Morehouse; secretary, Miss Mary Howe Miller.
THE INDEPENDENT ORDER OF STARS.
The Independent Order of Stars was organized on April 15, 1892, with but five charter members. Originally a secret organization, it changed its nature soon after organization. Its objects and aims are threefold, -athletic, literary and social. The I. O. S. has entered some of its members in all of the athletic events held in Westfield during the past five years. In no event in which the club has entered its members have some of them failed to capture prizes. During the winter months the club gives receptions, etc., which have always been very successful. In connection with the I. O. S. there is a Shakespearean society composed of members only, which meets twice a inonth for the reading and discussion of literary masterpieces-principally of Shakespeare. Debates and other parliamentary gymnastics, chess and tennis tourna- ments, excursions and many other attractive features go to make up one of the best all-around clubs for young men in the village or vicinity. Its presidents have been: George T. Cruttenden, elected for five terms; Robert W. Harden, elected for seven terms; Theodore P. Bushnell, elected for one term; Fred. S. Taggart, elected for two terms; Lloyd S. Thompson, elected for five terms. The present officers are: Presi- dent, Lloyd S. Thompson; vice-president, Harry A. Knight; treasurer,
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