History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 157

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts
Number of Pages: 1224

USA > New Jersey > Middlesex County > History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 157
USA > New Jersey > Union County > History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 157

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Below is a copy of the first part of one of the oldest deeds of the property :

"This indenture, made the eleventh day of February, in the thir- teenth year of the reign of our Sovereign, Lord George the Second, by the grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, defender of the faith, etc., and in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hun- dred thirty-nine and forty. Between Court Van Vorhuise of the corpo- ration of New Brunswick, in the province of New Jersey, yeoman, of the one part, and Richard Gibbe of the same place, mariner, of the other part, witnesseth that the said Court Van Vorhuise, for and in consider- ation of the sum of fifty pounds current money of the province afore- said, at eight shillings per pound to him in hand, before the ensealing and delivery hereof well and truly paid by the said Richard Gibbs, the receipt whereof he the said Court Van Vorhuise doth hereby acknowl- edge himself to be therewith fully satisfied, contented and paid, and of and from every part and parcel thereof, doth absolutely, fully and fairly requit, exonerate and discharge bim the said Richard Gibbs bis heirs, executors and administrators forever by these presents, liath given, granted, bargained, suld, aliened, enfeoffed, released, conveyed and confirmed by these presents, do give, grant, bargain, sole alien, eu- feoff, release, convey and confirm unto the said Richard Gibbs, his heirs and assigns forever. All that certain lot of land sitnate, lying and being in the city of New Brunswick afuresaid, beginning upon the line of the said Richard Gibbs upon the street, thence running as the street runs to the brook, thence along the said brook as the brook runs at low water to low water mark in Raritan River, thence up the said river to the line of the said Richard Gibbs, thenco along the line of the said Richard Gibbs to the line afvresaid or place of beginning, etc., etc."

After the deed, which is very long and minute in its description, comes the following :

"ACKNOWLEDGMENT.

"Be it remembered that on the ninth day of July, 1745, personally appeared before me one of his Majesty's counsela for the Province of New Jersey, John Cholwell, one of the subscribing witnesses to the within instrument, who being of full age and duly sworn on the lloly Evan- gelist of Almighty God, did declare that he did see the within-named Court Van Vorhuise, party to the within instrument, execute the same as bis voluntary act and deed for the uses therein mentioned, and that he signed bis name as a witness thereto, and that he also did see Noah Barton sign his name, also a witness thereto.

" EDWARD ANTILL."

A very interesting description of New Brunswick in 1748 is given in the account of the travels of Peter Kalm, a professor of the University of Abo, in Swe- dish Finland, who visited North America as a natur- alist, under the auspices of the Swedish Royal Acad- emy of Science. " Abont noon," he writes, "we arrived in New Brunswick, a pretty little town in a valley on the west side of the river Raritan. On account of its low situation it cannot be seen coming from Pennsylvania before coming to the top of the hill which is close to it. The town extends north and south along the river. The town-house makes a pretty good appearance. The town has only one street lengthwise, and at its northern extremity there is a street across. Both of these are of considerable length. One of the streets is almost entirely inhab- ited by Dutchmen, who came hither from Albany, and for that reason they call it Albany Street. On the road from Trenton to New Brunswick I never saw any place in America, the towns excepted, so well peopled.

"The greater part of its [New Brunswick's] trade is to New York, which is about forty English miles dis- tant. To that place they send corn, flour in great quantities, bread, several other necessaries, a great quantity of linseed, boards, timber, wooden vessels, and all sorts of carpenter's work. Several small yachts are every day going backward and forward be- tween these two towns. The inhabitants likewise get a considerable profit from the travelers who every hour pass through on the high road." 1

The City Charter and Government .- New Bruns- wick was incorporated as a city in 1784, when the first president, directors, etc., were appointed. The presi- dents and assistants were afterwards (till 1801) elected annually by the people. In 1801 a new charter was obtained, and under it a mayor and aldermen were appointed by the Legislature, and six common coun- cilmen elected by the Legislature and six common councilmen elected by the people. Since 1838 all these municipal officers have been elected by the people.

The following have been presidents and mayors of the city since its incorporation :

1 It has been pointed out by Dr. Steele and others that Professor Kalm was mistaken in some of his statements ; for instance, in reference to " two German Churches, one of stone and one of wood," and that " the Presbyterianis were building a church of stone" at the time of his visit.

644

HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

1784. Azariah Dunham.

1853-55. Joho B. Hill.

1796-1801. Abraham Schuyler.

| 1855-56 Abraham V. Schenck.

1801-13. James Schureman.1

1856-57. Lyle Van Nuis.

1813-21. James Bennett.1

1857-58. John B. Kirkpatrick.ª

1821-24. James Schureman. 1824-29. Angustus R. Taylor.

1858-59. Tunis V. D. Hoagland. 1859-60. Peter C. Onderdonk.

1829-38. C. L. llardenbergh.

1860-61. Ezekiel M. Paterson.

1838-40. August R. Taylor.

1 1861-63. Lyle Van Nuis.

1840-41. David M. Vail.

1863-65. Richard McDonald.

1841-42. Littleton Kirkpatrick.

1865. Augustne T. Stout.ª

1865-67. John T. Jenkins. 1867-69. Milee Ross.

1842-43. Fitz Randolph Smith. 1843-45. John Acken. 1845-46. William 11. Leupp. 1846-47. John Van Dyke. 1847-48. Martin A. Howell.

1869-71. George J. Janeway.

1871-73. Garret Conover.

1873-75. Thomas M. De Rusey.

1548-49. Augustns F. Taylor.

1875-77. 1saialı Rolfe.

1849-51. David F. Randolph.

1877-79. Lyle Van Nuis.

1851-52. Peter N. Wyckoff.

1879-81. T. De Witt Reiley.

1852-53. John Van Dyke.

1881. William S. Strong.

ALDERMEN.

First Ward, James Hurley, 1881 ; Cornelius Farley, 1882. Second Ward, James Neilson, 1881 ; John N. Carpenter. 1882. Third Ward. Francie M. Oliver, 1881 ; John S. De llart, 1882. Fourth Ward, John C. Scott, 1881 ; Charles B. Herbert, 1882. Fifth Ward, Alexander M. Way, 1881; Henry Waker, 1882. Sixth Ward, John Fitzjerald, 188]; Charles McCormick, 1882.

Assessor, Cornelius W. Castner, 1881-83; Collector, Robert G. Miller, 1881 ; Solicitor, Howard MacSherry; Treasurer, Lewis R. Dunham; City Clerk, Edward Tindell; City Physician, Staats V. D. Clark; Overseer of Poor, Peter J. Stults; City Weigher, Stelle F. Randolph.

Chosen Freeholders .- Director, Cornelius Powelson ; Clerk, William M. Cox ; Solicitor, A. V. Schenck ; Janitor, Robert S. R. Pierce.

Boundaries .- The corporate limits of New Bruns- wick are inclosed within the following boundaries : Beginning at the mouth of Mile Run Brook, south- westerly up to where it crosses George's road, thence east to Lawrence's Brook, following said brook to the Raritan River, crossing said river, and following the south boundary line of Piscataway (now Raritan and Piscataway) township, up said river to a point' oppo- site Mile Run Brook.

Ward Boundaries .- First Ward .- Bounded on the north by New Street, on the east by the Raritan River, on the south by Lawrence's Brook, and on the west by George Street, Clifton and Neilson Avenues.

Second Ward .- North by New Street and Living- ston Avenue, on the west by the boundary line of the city of New Brunswick, on the southeast and east by Neilson and Clifton Avenues and George Streets.

Third Ward .- East by the Raritan River, south by New Street, west by Neilson Street, and north by Washington Street.

Fourth Ward .- South by New Street, west by George Street, north by Washington Street, and east by Neilson Street.

Fifth Ward .- South by New Street and Livingston Avenue, on the west by the boundary line of the city of New Brunswick, on the north by Somerset and Albany Streets, and east by George Street.

Sixth Ward .- West by the boundary line of the city of New Brunswick, north by the Mile Run Brook and the Raritan River, south by Albany, Somerset, and Washington Streets, on the east by the

Raritan River and George Street from Washington Street to Albany Street.

Geological Features .- Within the boundaries of this city the red sandstone and shale predominate, which are of a soft and argillaceous character, decom- posing rapidly when exposed to the action of the atmosphere. There are only a few layers scattered through it which furnish a stone that is considered of any value. The soil resting on the top of it presents a tinge of color which has been derived from its de- composition. In many places it comes so near the surface that the growth of trees is rendered difficult and uncertain, and the vegetation produced on it is peculiarly liable to injury from drought. Yet in a good season it yields the farmer a profitable remuner- ation for his labor, and when it has been treated with lime, which absorbs and preserves in time of drought the moisture of the atmosphere, it claims to be called fertile land.

The rocks of the red sandstone and shale forma- tion of this vicinity are all regularly stratified, and have a uniform dip to the northwest, except when they have been subjected to some disturbance from the upheaval or protrusion of other formations. The dip varies from five to twenty degrees. The State geologist, Professor Cook, gives the thickness of the red sandstone in this vicinity as twenty-seven thou- sand feet, or more than five miles.

" If the mode of computation is right, the result must be accepted. Those who think the strata was once horizontal, and were thrown into their present inclined position at some later period, adopt this con- clusion ; others, who think the strata were deposited on a slope, as we now find them, do not consider the above as being the true thickness. They suppose that the strata on the southeast border were first de- posited on the northwest slope, and then that the upper edges were worn off, and the material carried farther northwest, to be again deposited and form new strata upon the lower parts of those already deposited. Without any addition of material there would then be, in this way, a multiplication of strata, all having the same dip; and such a process could go on until the formation had widened out to its present extent. Such a mode of formation would not require that the whole series of strata shoud be more than a few hun- dred, or possibly a thousand, feet in thickness." 3

There has been sunk a well in New Brunswick some four hundred and fifty feet, several at Newark to a greater depth, and one in Paterson thirteen hun- dred feet, all in the red sandstone and shale; and all observations unite in showing that the red sand- stone and shale of New Jersey are of sedimentary character. The materials composing them must have been deposited in water during the progress of many ages, and since an analysis shows so little trace of any of the ingredients of the salt water of the ocean, we may add deposited in fresh water.

1 Died in office.

2 Resigned. Hoagland and Jenkins elected to fill vacancies.

3 Geology of New Jersey, p. 175.

645

CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK.

The prevailing red hue of the strata is obviously due to the fact that they contain a portion of the red oxide of iron. Some of the beds of the shale and fine-grained sandstone from local causes have a bluish- green hue, while other large tracts have a dull brown color, the effect of the heat of the adjacent trap rock, and in some localities they have been so baked that they have a ringing sound when struck like clink- stone.

We give an analysis of the red shale in the vicinity of New Brunswick, which will show all the materials of which it is composed :

In 100 parts,-73 silicic acid and quartz ; peroxide of iron, 10; alumina, 3.20; lime, 4.93; magnesia, 0.98; potash, 0.73; soda, 0.97, with a trace of sul- phuric and carbonic acid and water.

The lime, iron, potash, soda, and magnesia are specially noticeable as valuable ingredients. There remains only one more circumstance of importance to be mentioned respecting the red shale and sandstone. It seems to have been subjected at some period after its deposition to a process of denudation, by which the upper surface of the strata or the outcrop has been abraded and worn away, exposing them almost naked to the action of the weather.

Copper has been found in the red sandstone and shale, and exists in almost a pure native form as a red oxide, as a basilicate, as a gray sulphuret, and as py- rites or yellow copper ore.

At an early date copper was discovered in the vi- cinity of the city, and promised quite a "boom" to the little hamlet. Some one in passing the fields of Philip French, about a quarter of a mile from the town, observed a large flame rising from the ground. Previously two hundred pounds of virgin copper in lumps had been plowed up.

Iu 1751 a shaft was sunk about three hundred yards from the river, and the miners struck a vein of blue- stone two feet thick, covered with sheets of pure cop- per having the consistency of gold-leaf; the stone itself contained grains of copper, and occasional lumps were found. A stamping-mill was erected in the hollow between the college and seminary, and supplied with water from Mile Run. Many tons of pure copper were exported to England. Several other spots in the vicinity were worked with temporary success. There have been several more recent at- tempts to renew old Elias Boudinot's enterprise, but they have failed.

There has been found a compound of the carbon and oxide of copper associated with the red oxide. It resembles some dark earthy substance, and is easily crushed between the fingers. On examination with a microscope small black shining particles were dis- cerned diffused through the mass, found to be carbon, probably anthracite. Heated in the flame of an alco- hol lamp it burned, and continued in a red-hot state until the carbon was consumed. Heated to three hundred degrees it loses seventeen per cent. of its |

weight. When treated with nitric acid after being ignited, a residuum of twenty-five per cent. was found to be silica. It is an important fact that so large a portion of carbon (35.50) should be associated with this copper ore. This is unusual. Gray sulphuret of copper is massive, sectile, has a dark lead-gray color, and is seen sometimes in the form of roundish grains in the altered shale rock.

The locality is near the bed of a ravine, and near the Delaware and Raritan Canal, a short distance from the city, and when it is remembered that the red oxide is common in the vicinity, it will not be difficult to account for the formation of these carbonates, which seems to be continually going on. Water charged with carbonic acid dissolves a portion of this oxide, and whenever circumstances favor the escape of the excess of the carbonic acid these salts as a residuum are deposited. The mineral is manifestly the product of precipitation from an aqueous solution, and to find the above result it is only necessary to admit that the carbonates of copper are rendered soluble by an ex- cess of carbonic acid. The color varies from a light to a bluish-green, and can be scratched with a knife, and is easily broken. The fracture is uneven and slightly conchoidal. In structure usually it is opaque, but sometimes translucent and having a vitreous lustre.

We can only add if it should ever, after sufficient trial, prove to be true, it may bring into operation a new industry, and render the treasures that have long been claimed to have been hid in this soil a source of extensive wealth.

A short distance from the city west have been found the sulphate of barytes. The specimens are opaque, having a yellowish color and a foliated struc- ture, but others exhibit crystals which are translu- cent and have a bluish tint. In a commercial point it is used in chemistry, and also in the preparation of paints, and valnable as a mineral.

River and Streams .- This city is so situated that one prominent aspect of the surface is that its gentle slope in the southeasterly parts insure a proper drain- age to the Raritan River, freeing the city of all sur- face water and giving power from the river to the ex- tensive mills which are situated upon its banks. We find the South Branch of the Raritan rising in Brook- lyn Pond, in Morris County, a few miles north of Drakeville, whence it courses along the western base of Fox Hill, receives the waters of Budd's Lake, and drains the Sennon Valley; it then passes west of Round Mountain and enters upon the red shale dis- trict, flowing to the northward of Flemington, thence nearly eastward to Neshanic, where it changes its course, its direction being nearly northeasterly to the point where it joins the North Branch in forming the Raritan River, through which its waters after passing along the borders of the northeasterly parts of New Brunswick, discharge into the bay at Amboy.

The North Branch has its head near Calais, in Mor-

646

HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

ris County, and not far from the source of the South Branch, but this stream is not diverted by the range of Fox Hill, and therefore naturally finds a channel more directly towards the red shale district, and flow- ing nearly southerly meets the South Branch, and sends its waters oceanward by the same channel. It has a larger branch and a longer, called first Black River, then the Lamington, which first receives the waters of the North and South Rockaway. These principal streams discharge almost all the waters of Hunterdon and Somerset Counties. They all flow . through broad valleys, whose rich alluvial soil afford a sure reward to the husbandmen's labor. The South Branch is the westernmost stream in New Jersey which finds its way to the Atlantic.

It was of Governor Paterson that Moses Guest, New Brunswick's earliest poet, wrote, July 4, 1791, on seeing the Governor in his barge, which was ele- gantly decorated with laurel and flowers, and rowed by twelve men dressed in white :

"On Raritan's smooth-gliding stream we view --

With pleasure view-the man whom we admire, On this auspicious day with lanrel crowned ; llow gracefully the honored barge moves on ! See Neptune'e sone, all clad in white, Timing their oare to the melodions flutea. Not Cleopatra's burge,

When she, full armed with each bewitching charm, A tyrant bound in the sweet chains of love, More elegant or pleasing could appear, Nor did contain a jewel of such worth ;

Not freighted with a proud, intriguing queen,

She nobly bears New Jersey's favorite son, Our guardian chief, our friend, a Paterson."

The water used for drinking and culinary uses is said to be of the purest. It is well-nigh entirely free from the deleterious vegetable and mineral sub- stances, and this fills out the complement of its claims to healthfulness. In the State Geology of New Jersey, pp. 701-4, is the following, the first column of which gives the whole amount of solid matter in grains, ob- tained by evaporating a gallon of water to dryness (one gallon of water contains 58,372 grains) ; the second column gives that portion of the solid matter that is of vegetable or animal origin and can be burned out. Both mineral and organic matter are prejudicial to good health, the mineral matter affect- ing the kiducys; the animal and vegetable matter are recognized as especially injurious to the system ; so we give both the total solid matter, which com- prises the mineral and organic matter, and the or- ganic matter alone in a separate column :

Streanı.

Solid Matter.

Organic Matter.

Lawrence'a Brook (city water) ..

2.03

0.66

Raritan River ...

3,80

0 78

Passaic (Newark, etc., Paterson water)

7.44

2.86

Delaware ( Trenton water).

3,53

0.63

Schuylkill ( Philadelphia water).

5.50

1.24

Croton (New York water).

10.92

4.31

Cochituate Lake (Buston water)

3.11

1.42

Albany water supply

10.72

2.32

Troy

6.92

2.12

Here is an official report certifying that but two- thirds of a grain in nearly sixty thousand grains of

this city water is vegetable or animal matter, or one- ninety-thousandth part of it, while Newark water is four times as bad, and New York water nearly seven times. But even these are vastly superior to the wells which are even now voluntarily used by many of the citizens.

The city of New Brunswick, with her increasing population, has many facilities that many cities are without. The rich harvests of Middlesex and Mon- mouth lying to the east and southeast, the consumers are brought face to face with them, and are enabled to procure fresh vegetables and fruit in their season ; a healthy climate, well laid out streets and avenues, make it superior to many places which have not its advantages.

Revolutionary Incidents .- Capt. Peter Voorhees was killed on the 25th of October, 1779, within half a mile of New Brunswick, by a party of British horse- men commanded by Maj. Stewart, Col. Simcoe, who had been in command, having been taken prisoner by Capt. Moses Guest. This officer gives in his journal, published in connection with a collection of his poems in 1823, the following account of Simcoe's expedition into New Jersey, and his being captured in this county near New Brunswick :

"On the 25th day of October, 1779, Simco, who then commanded a regiment of horse in the British service, crossed over from Staten Island at the Blazing Star Ferry to the Jersey shore in the night with seventy- five horsemen. Ilie main object waa to take Governor Livingstone prie- oner, which he expected to do by surprise. Simco was not discovered to be an enemy until he had got seven miles north of New Brunswick, at Quibbletowo, from which place an express was dispatched to Col. John Neilson, at New Brunswick, who immediately ordered out hie regiment. We were soon marched to the bridge at Raritan Landing. From Quibbletown Col. Simco proceeded rapidly to Col. Van Horne's bonne at Middlebrook. He was much disappointed in act finding the Governor there.1 He then went on to Van Vechten's bridge on the Ravitan River, and set fire to come forage and flat-bottom boate; from which he went to Millstone, a small town S miles N. W. of New Bruns- wick ; here lie set fire to the court-house and jail. While we were at the landing bridge we discovered the smoke of those buildings. It was then thought probable that the enemy would endeavor to pase this bridge in their retreat. Col. Neilson therefore continued there, being in hopes of cutting off their retreat, and dispatched me with thirty-five men, with orders to endeavor to fall io with them, and to annoy them as much as possible. Soon after getting upon the road leading from Millstone village to the bridge, I was informed by an express thut the enemy was withia a few hundred yards of me; I had just time to get to an open piece of woods when they made their appearance. We attacked them as they came up, but they came on ao rapidly that we could only give them one discharge. Col. Simco's horse received three balle, fell on him and bruised him very badly; there was one man killed and several wounded. I left a physician with Sinico and proceeded on. We avon found his party had halted on the heights west of Brunswick. They sent a doctor and his servant to us bearing n flag. The doctor re- quested permission to attend Col. Simco, which was granted, but as the euemy was proceeding on their retreat whilat the flag was negotiating, which ia contrary to the rules of war, the doctor and his servant were considered as prisoners. After Simco fell, Maj. Stewart (a refugee who had piloted him) took the command. Soon after we dismissed the doc- tor we witnessed a scene that was truly distressing. We found Capt. l'eter Voorhees lying in the road mortally wounded, and to all appear- ance nearly breathing his last breath. He had just returned from Gen. Sullivan's and with a few militia horsemen was pursuing so close on the enemy's rear ns to cause & detachment to sully out. They aoon came up to bim and cut him with their broadeworda ja a most shocking manner,

1 The Governor was thea at New Brunswick.

647

CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK.

which caused his death in a few hours. We pursued them until we got to Southi River bridge, 8 miles south of Brunswick, at which place we received information that five hundred men had been lauded at Perth Amboy to cover lheir retreat, and that they were embarking for Staten Island.

" Many persons, I doubt not, think it strange that Col. Simco could penetrate so far into a thick settled country without receiving moore in- jury than he did. It was not occasioned by the inactivity of the Jersey militia, who had greatly distinguished themselves for their zeal and ac- tivity during the Revolutionary war in defending the liberties of their country, but it was occasioned by their getting to a considerable distance in the country enveloped in the shades of night, by their having the address to pass, in many places, for the American horse, and by the rap- idity with which they proceeded. Simco was in the Revolutionary war to the Northern what Tarleton was to the Southern army ; they were both zenlons partisans, and capable of undertaking and executing any daring enterprise." 1

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History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 157

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed. Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts Number of Pages: 1224

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts
Number of Pages: 1224