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 28
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 28
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conceived right and in accordance with the law, be- fore either judge or jury, gained him not only the very high esteem of the legal profession, but com- manded the respect of the people at large.
At the first meeting of the bar after his death, among others the following resolution was passed : " That while the public services of the deceased, ren- dered to the State and to the city in which he lived, have justly entitled him to the respect of his fellow- citizens, and while his many virtues endeared him to friends, his ability as a lawyer, his unvarying probity and uprightness in the discharge of the deli- cate duties of our profession, his uniform courtesy and kindness to his brethren at the bar have won our re- gard and love in an eminent degree, and have left us an example that we may all be proud to follow."
For several years Mr. Rogers contributed regularly to the Rahway Advocate, then published by Mr. Green, and about 1843 or 1844 he became the editor and pro- prietor.
He was a religious man, and his zeal increased in later years. He was a member of St. Paul's Episco- pal Church, of which he was one of the founders, and a warden and treasurer for twenty-seven years.
Mr. Rogers took an active part in local politics and State legislation; was elected State senator by the Whigs of Middlesex County in 1850, to succeed Adam Lee ; was one of the early advocates of Republican principles, upon the founding of that party in 1855 and 1856, and he was a delegate at large to the Chicago Convention that nominated Abraham Lincoln for his first term to the Presidency, and one of its vice-presidents.
The City Council of Rahway passed the following resolutions upon the occasion of his death :
" Resolved, That hy his death we lose a citizen who filled every position which he occupied with dignity and worth. We mourn a professional counselor whose advice was sound and conscientious, a legislator whose ideas were philanthropic and progressive, and a Christian whose piety was pure and unassuming.
" Resolved, That we desire especially to express our grief at the loss of one who organized the city government and was ita earliest chief magis- trate, who loved his country with a zeal which grew warmer the more it was imperiled, who was gentle as a child to the influences of truth and right, and unyielding as a rock to all that was false aod wrong."
His widow and one son survive him.
ENOS W. RUNYON was born near Green Brook, Somerset Co., N. J., in 1825, and was admitted to the bar in 1854, having studied law with the late Joseph Annin. He was elected to the Legislature in 1867, and in the House was a member of the judiciary com- mittee. He was appointed law judge of the county of Union in 1873, and held the office till 1878. From 1854 to 1859, Judge Runyon was a law partner of Cornelius Boice, but is now associated with his brother, Nelson Runyon, in law practice at Plain- field.
The latter was born near Green Brook in 1840, and was admitted to practice in 1862. In September of that year, however, he joined, at his country's call,
118
HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.
the Thirtieth Regiment New Jersey Volunteers, under Capt. Hubbard, and after serving his time in the army began the practice of his profession at Plainfield.
JOSEPH ANNIN was a son of the late Judge Joseph Annin, of Somerset County. He was admitted to the bar in 1842, and practiced for a short time in Jersey City, removing to Plainfield in 1848, and practicing there until his death in 1863. He was killed in the riots of that year in the city of New York. He was highly gifted, an able and persuasive speaker, and strongly attached to the institutions and liberties of his country, ready at all times to defend what he believed to be right and true in an earnest and able yet candid and pleasing manner. He was very highly respected in the community in which he lived.
CHAPTER XVIII. CIVIL ORGANIZATION.
Act to erect Union County .- An act to create the county of Union was approved March 19, 1857, and took effect on and after the second Monday in April following. The boundaries of the new county are thus defined in the act :
" Beginning at the Sound, leading from Elizabethtown Point to Am- boy, at the easternmost point in the division line between;the counties of Essex and Middlesex ; thence northeasterly along the eastern line of Essex County to the southeast point in the division line of the towuship of Clinton ; thouce westerly along the division line between the town- ship of Clinton and the city of Elizabeth to the division line between the townships of Clinton and Union ; thence along the northerly and westerly line of division between the townships of Union and Clinton to the northerly division line of the township of Springfield; thence dowo the east branch of the Rahway River to the junction of the east and west branches of the said river; thence up the west branch of the said Rahway River to the mouth of William and Abner States' mill- pond; thence along the middle of the said pond or ponde to the mouth of the brook that runs south and near to Wellington Campbell's paper- mill; thence up said brouk to the new road near said Wellington Campbell's mill-dam; thence up said new road to the Morris turnpike; theuce up the said turnpike to the Passaic River at a point in the west divisjon line of the township of Springfield ; thence along said line to the northerly division line of the township of New Providence; thence along the north and west division line of the towyship of New Provi- dence to the division line of the township of Plainfield; thence along the westerly and southerty division line of the township of Plainfield to the division line between the counties of Essex and Middlesex; thence easterly along the division line between said counties to the place of beginning on the Sound; including and intending to include within the said metes and bounde all that part of the county of Essex now contained within the city of Elizabeth and the townships of Rah- way, Union, Westfield, Plainfield, New Providence, and that portion of the township of Springfield included within the boundary lines herein- before described, be and the same is hereby erected into a separate county, to be called the county of Union ; and said lines ehall hereafter be the division lines between the counties of Essex, Somerset, Morris, Middlesex, and the said county of Uuion, respectively."
The original county contained the city of Elizabeth and the townships above named, to wit: Rahway, Union, Westfield, Plainfield, New Providence, and Springfield. Linden was erected from Elizabeth and Rahway by an act of the Legislature approved March
4, 1861. Clark was erected from the Fifth Ward of the city of Rahway, March 23, 1864; Cranford was set off from Westfield, Springfield, Union, Linden, and Clark townships, March 14, 1871; and Fanwood was erected from Westfield and Plainfield March 6, 1878, since which no changes have been made in the civil divisions of the county.
Union was a part of Essex County for one hun- dred and seventy-five years, from 1682 to 1857, and during that period Newark was nominally the seat of justice for the whole territory, although at an early time Elizabeth Town was the larger place, and was the seat of the first provincial government and of the higher courts of the province. She continued to have her own borough courts and court-honse and her city courts after she was chartered as a city, down to the time of the division of the county, to which have since been added the court-house and courts of the new county of Union.
County Buildings .- On the erection of the county the city of Elizabeth was made the county-seat. The court-house and grounds owned by the city were con- veyed to the county, and the deed accepted by the board of chosen freeholders Feb. 2, 1858. The same day the following resolution was adopted by the board :
" Resolved, That the building committee be authorized to purchase the lot in the rear of the court-house upon the best terms they can, not to exceed $2500."
The design was to acquire sufficient ground in the rear for the enlargement of the court-house and the erection of a suitable jail for the county. The lot was purchased of Meeker Wood for $1500, and the com- mittee reported, May 10, 1858, that $955.34 had been expended on the buildings, probably for temporary repairs. In addition to the lot bought of Mr. Wood, a lane belonging to Dr. James C. Blake and a strip on the north side adjoining the burying-ground of the First Presbyterian Church were also purchased by the board in order to make suitable ground for the proposed buildings. This last strip of ground was conveyed by the trustees of the First Presbyterian Church, and another strip was subsequently bought of them on the north side extending to the street, when the building was enlarged in that direction.
The jail of the old court-house was simply a lock- up for local prisoners, and the county prisoners, by provision of a special act of the Legislature, were sent to the Essex County jail at Newark till 1862, a committee being appointed by the board each year to look after them. Another act was procured to ex- tend the time of keeping the prisoners at Newark, and we find in the minutes of the board of freeholders in 1860 that a resolution was adopted to extend the time five years after that date. But it proved not to be necessary, as the Union County jail and enlarge- ment of the court-house were completed in 1862.
The first committee on plan and specifications re- ported to the board Sept. 2, 1858, estimating the cost
119
CIVIL ORGANIZATION.
of the proposed jail and furniture at seventeen thou- sand dollars. Plans had been furnished by J. Gra- ham, of Trenton. The extension of the court-house in the rear was to be an addition of eighteen by thirty- three feet, and two stories high. This plan was sub- stantially carried out in 1861-62. An additional strip of land was bought of Dr. Blake, and it was resolved to expend a sum not exceeding sixteen thousand dol- lars. The committee was composed of the following- named gentlemen : David Mulford, Zachariah Web- ster, Job S. Williams, M. W. Halsey, Andrew W. Brown, Addison S. Clark, C. D. Boyleston, and Ste- phen Jackson. The contractors were Messrs. Budd and Ross. The cost of the jail and enlargement of the court-house, as appears from the report of the committee, was a little less than fifteen thousand dollars.
Several important improvements have since been made. The jail and court-honse are substantially under one roof, being connected by a building, the basement of which is used chiefly as a boiler-house, and the loft as a water-tank. Here the steam is gen- erated which comfortably warms the whole establish- ment-prison, cells, court-rooms, offices, halls, kitchen, laundry, and the family apartments of the jailor-at an expense considerably less and with much greater convenience than could be done by stoves. Both the male and female departments of the jail are neatly kept, and exhibit an air of cleanliness and comfort.
A fire-proof building contains the valuable records and papers of the county. In front of it is the com- modious clerk's office, and above this, in the second story, the hall of county legislation, where the chosen freeholders representing the different townships hold their sessions. This room is a model of order and taste, the desks heing arranged in the form of a hol- low square, and the directors' desk at one end, slightly elevated ahove the others. The other offices are con- venient and well furnished, and the court-room airy and commodious.
.
During the time when the court-house was under- going extensive repairs, a session of the court was held in Library Hall, in the rooms of the former Yonng Men's Christian Association, and one of the trials which took place before the late Judge Haines
parties aggrieved being well-known citizens. On the occasion of the dedication of the present court-room addresses were made by Rev. Dr. Aikman and others.
1
kept until Prosecutor Fay came in office. He made up a valuable book, which is now the property of the connty by purchase. Since the county was formed the jail has held seven thousand seven hundred and forty-two prisoners. The court house, the old portion of which was built in 1811, has witnessed many strange scenes. From it men and women have gone forth to prison, and others are yet to go. The bell in the tower has rung for victories to our arms, welcomed home the heroes of two wars, and tolled when great men have been borne to the tomb.
Board of Freeholders .- The first meeting of the board of chosen freeholders for the county convened at the court-house in the city of Elizabeth, May 13, 1857. Samuel Williams, of Rahway, was chosen tem- porary chairman, and A. M. Elmer, clerk. The roll of the townships was then called, and all the mem- bers answered to their names, as follows :
Elizabeth, William J. Tenny, James B. Burnett. Union, Abner Parcell, Matthias T. Wade. Springfield, Isaac Bannister, William Stites. New Providence, John S. Clark, Daniel H. Noe. Westfield, Gideon Ross, Charles Marsh.
Plainfield, Manning Vermeule, Zachariah Webster. Rahway, Samuel Williams, Stephen Jackson.1
At the permanent organization, Samuel Williams, of Rahway, was unanimously elected director, and Periam Pierce was chosen clerk of the board. The salary of the clerk was fixed at twenty-five dollars for the first year; it has since been augmented to fifty dollars. Those who have served as directors of the board since the organization are Samuel Williams, Rahway, 1857; Zachariah Webster, Plainfield, 1858; David Mulford, Elizabeth, 1859; Andrew W. Brown, Springfield, 1860-61; Job S. Williams, Union, 1862; Andrew W. Brown, Springfield, 1863 ; Amos P. Scud- der, Westfield, 1864-67 ; David Mulford, Linden, 1868; Robert A. Russell, Clark, 1869; J. Frank Hubbard, Plainfield, 1870; Gustavus J. Thebaud, Summit, 1871 ; John C. Rose, Linden, 1872-73; Nathaniel K. Thomp- son, Elizabeth, 1874-75; William C. Ayers, Plain- field, 1876; Cornelius W. L. Martine, Westfield, 1877- 78; George W. F. Randolph, Plainfield, 1879; Cor- nelius W. L. Martine, Fanwood, 1880-81.
The following have served as clerks of the board : attracted considerable interest in the community, the | Periam Pierce, 1857-59; Oliver Pierce, 1860-74; Lewis S. Hyer, 1874-76; John M. Wilson, 1876-77 ; Oliver Pierce, 1877-78; John L. Crowell, 1878-81.
The county collectors, elected annually by the board, have been : Moses M. Crane, Union, 1857-61 ; Samuel Williams, Rahway, 1862-63; Stephen O. Horton, Plainfield, 1864-66 ; Thomas B. Budd, Eliza- beth, 1867-71; Elias R. Pope, Plainfield, 1872-73; Patrick Sheridan, 1874-81.
The county jail has held prisoners at various times who have been guilty of every degree of vice. There have been three executions within its grim walls,- Grady, Glennon, and Quiller, the latter a colored man. Grady was concerned in the killing of Fergus Collins, on Elizabeth Avenue, during the war ; Glen- Officers of the County .- The first officers of the non murdered his wife in what is known as "Castle county were designated by the act of organization, Garden," on Morris Avenue ; Quiller killed his wife near Westfield. It is impossible to give the list of 1 For lists of chosen freeholders for the several towns, see the township histories in another department of this work. convictions, from the fact that no accurate record was
120
HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.
and held till their successors were elected and quali- fied. Some of them were their own successors by election, and filled the offices for which they were chosen for many years. We give below a list of the principal officers of the county from its organization to the present time, with the dates of election or ap- pointment and the period of the service of each :
COUNTY CLERKS.
llenry R. Cannon, Nov. 6, 1857; served four consecutive terme to Nov. 6, 1877.
James S. Vasseler, Nov. 13, 1877 ; term expires November, 1882.
SHERIFFS.
Meline W. Ilalsey, sworn into office Nov. 16, 1857.
Thomas W. Reynolds, Nov. 16, 1860.
Nathaniel Bonnell, Nov. 16, 1863.
Edgar Pierson, Nov. 16, 1866,
Joseph Oxhorn, Nov. 9, 1869.
Seth B. Ryder, Nov. 12, 1872.
Nathaniel K. Thompson, November, 1875.
Seth B. Ryder, November, 1878.
SURROGATES.
Jonathan Valentine, Nov. 6, 1857. Robert S. Green, Nov. 10, 1862.
Addison S. Clark (two terais), Nov. 11, 1867-77.
James J. Geeber, Nov. 13, 1877 ; term expires 1882.
JUDGES OF THE COMMON PLEAS.
George W. Savage, April 1, 1857
William Gibby, April 1, 1869.
Apollo M. Elmer, April 1, 1857.
Theodore Piersoo, April 1, 1857.
J. M. Ropes, Oct. 19, 1860.
David Mulford, April 1, 1862.
Theodore Pierson, April 1, 1863.
Joseph Alward, March 30, 1877.1
William Gibby, April 1, 1864.
llugh Il. Bowne, April 1, 1867.
David Mulford, April 1, 1868.
Robert S. Green, April 1, 1868.
PRESIDENT JUDGES OF THE SPECIAL SESSIONS.
Robert S. Green.
Enos W. Runyon, Thomas F. McCormick.
PROSECUTORS OF THE PLEAS.
John J. Chetwood, commissioned March 20, 1857.
Robert S. Green, appointed by court Dec. 3, 1861.
Edward Y. Rogers, commissioned Feb. 6, 1862.
William J. Magie, commissioned March 5, 1867.
J. Augustus Fay, Jr., commissioned April 17, 1871 ; reappointed April 19, 1876; held till April 19, 1881. William R. Wilson, commissioned April 19, 1881.
CORONERS.
Charles S. Chandler, Nov. 6, 1857.
Stephen Jackson,
Nov. 16, 1868.
Jotham D. Frazee, =
Ayers Leeson,
=
Stephen Jackson,
# 11,
Louis Braun,
11, 4
James Green,
. 10, 1858.
Ayere Leeson,
10, 1869.
Jothem D. Frazee, =
16
Stephen Jackson,
15, 1870.
Ph. H. Grier,
=
=
Charles S. Chandler, 46
=
= 12,
11
Ph. H. Grier,
=
Jacob Thorn,
=
11, 1873.
Louis Braun,
Nov. 10, 1865.
=
.6
Jeremiah O. Tunison, "
Charles S. Chandler,
16, 1866 .
10, 1874.
Josiah Q. Stearns,
J. H. Grier,
Stephen Jackson,
13, 1867.
llenry C. Pierson,
1875.
Louis Braun,
«
Ayere Leeson.
"
44
Ilenry J. Stratmeyer, Jr., Nov. 12, 1879.
SENATORS.
1858-60. John R. Ayres. 1870-72. James T. Wiley.
1861-63. Joseph T. Crowell. 1873-75 J. Henry Stone.
1864-65. James Jenkins.
1876-78. William J. Magie.
1866. Philip H. Grier.
1879-82. Benjamin A. Vail.
1867-69. Amos Clark.
MEMBERS OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
1858. Benjamin W. Price.
1873. Jabez B. Cooley.
Cooper Parse. William Mckinley.
1859. William Stiles. John H. Lufherry.
Elsten Marsh.
1874. William Mckinley.
1860. Elsten Mar-h.
William HI. Gill.
David Mulford.
Elias R. Pope.
1861. David Mulford.
Israel O. Maxwell.
1862. Samuel L. Moore.
John J. Higb.
1876, John Eagan.
1863. Sammel L Moore.
Moses F. Corey. Benjamin A. Vail.
1864. Noah Woodruff. Philip Dougherty.
1865. Philip A. Dougherty.
Joseph T. Crowell.
1866. John R. Crane.
Thomas J. Lee.
1867. A. M. W. Ball.
1879. John T. Dunn.
Enos W. Runyon.
1868. John H. Whelan.
Dewitt C. Hough.
1869. John 11. Whelan.
Dewitt C. Hough.
1870. Ferdinand Blanche.
1881. John T. Dunn.
Albert A. Drake.
George T. Parrot.
1871. Ferdinand Blanche.
Frank L. Sheldon.
Joseph W. Yates.
1882. John T. Dunn.
1872. Aodrew Dutcher. William Mckinley.
George T. Parrot.
Frank L. Sheldon.
John H. Luf berry.
CHAPTER XIX.
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.
Early Status of Medicine in Union County .- Medicine as a science and an art was as far advanced in this portion of New Jersey as in any other prev- ious to the period of the Revolution, and yet it had made but little progress for a hundred years after the first settlement. The people were strong and robust in natural constitution, and the climate was generally healthful. Occasionally an epidemic prevailed in some scctions of the country, like the "throat dis- tempers," so called, of 1735, which alarmed the in- habitants, and caused the best educated men of the day, who were usually clergymen, to look into the nature and causes of the disease. Hence Rev. Thom- as Thatcher and Rev. Cotton Mather, of New Eng- land, were the first American writers on the small- pox and the measles, in 1677 and 1721, respectively. When the throat distemper became epidemic, its character was noticed first in printed form by Rev. Jonathan Dickinson, minister of the First Presbyte- rian Church of Elizabeth Town, and also a practi- tioner of the healing art. His notice is found in Zenger's Weekly Journal, Feb. 16, 1735-36. Subse- quently, in 1738-39, Mr. Dickinson wrote his obser-
Stephen Jackson, Jotham D. Frazee,
=
16, 1859. May 1, 1860.
Alexander Gibbs, Benjamin S. Dean, Edward P'. Thorn, Josiah Q. Stearns, W. C. Westlake, J. K. McConnell,
= =
John M. Duncao,
1862.
S. Abernethy, Josiah Q. Stearns, John J. Daly, =
1 District Judge.
1875, William Il. Gill. Elias R. Pope. Ferdinand Blanche.
Noah Woodruff.
1877. Juha Eagan.
Moses F. Corey. Benjamin A. Vail.
1878. John Eagan, Speaker. George M. Stiles. Joseplı B. Coward.
George M. Stiles. Philip Herwood Vernon.
1880. John T. Dunn. George M. Stiles. Philip Harwood Vernon.
Hugh I1. Bowne, April 1, 1872. Enos W. Runyon, April 1, 1873.
George W. Farnham. April 1, 1873. David Mulford, April 1, 1877.
Thos. F. McCormick, April 1, 1878. Hugh H. Bowue, April 1, 1869. Nathan Harper, June 1, 1881.
121
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.
vations on the disease more in extenso to "a Friend in Boston," which were published at the instance of a few medical men in that city in 1740. These essays, together with those of Dr. Thomas Cadwalader, 1740, then a resident of Trenton, N. J., and a few others, were among the earliest contributions to medical literature in the American colonies.
At this time, and for nearly twenty years after, there were no schools of medicine in the country, and not even a course of medical lectures had been given. New Jersey had among its medical men a very lim- ited few who had received their training in the schools of Europe. But the profession was at first largely composed of those who, withont liberal edu- cation, had lived a year or two with any sort of a practitioner, read the few books on medicine which came within their reach, and then, assuming the title of " Doctor," offered themselves to the people as com- petent to cure disease. Dr. Wickes speaks of a text- book called "Salmon's Herbal," published in Eng- land in 1596, which was the text-book of a New Jersey physician of extensive practice for many years, who procured it from England at a cost of fifty pounds. It was the work of a " noted empiric," as Allibone calls its author, and contained thirteen hun- dred folio pages.
The first course of lectures on medical subjects de- livered in America was a course on anatomy by Dr. William Hunter, a Seotch physician, at Newport, R. 1., in 1754-55-66. Drs. Bard and Middleton made the first recorded attempt to impart instruction by dissection in New York in 1750. Dr. Cadwalader, upon his return from Europe in 1751, gave the first lectures on anatomy in Philadelphia. It was not until 1762 that the foundation of the first regular medical school was laid in Philadelphia by Drs. Ship- pen and Morgan, who had pursued their studies in Europe. The College of Philadelphia, in May, 1763, elected Dr. Morgan Professor of the Theory and Prac- tice of Physic, and Dr. Shippen, in September fol- lowing, Professor of Anatomy and Surgery.
This was the first regular medical school engrafted upon a college. New York followed with a similar school in connection with King's College in 1767. It established chairs of anatomy, pathology and phys- iology, surgery, chemistry and materia medica, theory and practice, and midwifery, electing profes- sors to fill them all, and graduated its two first med- ical students in 1769. Between that and 1774 eleven degrees had been conferred, when the occupation of New York by the British and the stirring events of the Revolution put an end to all medical instruction till after the war. It was not until 1792 that a suc- cessful organization of the medical college was ef- fected, although an effort had been made to revive it in 1784.
During the time that this medical college was sus- pended, in 1790, Dr. Paul Micheau, an eminent phy- sician from Staten Island, who had studied abroad,
opened a medical school in Elizabeth Town (see his memoir further on). This was probably the earliest medical school in New Jersey. It was two years later, in 1792, that Dr. Nicholas Romaine and others, of the city of New York, obtained authority of the trustees of Queen's College (now Rutgers) under their charter to establish a medical department in connec- tion with that institution. This department was con- tinued till 1816 in the city of New York, when the Legislature of that State declared all degrees conferred by any college out of the State upon students studying within its limits null and void as licenses to practice medicine, and the medical school was transferred to Hobart College, about that time established at Geneva, N. Y. There was no medical department connected with Princeton College until 1825, and its progress was subsequently arrested by the death of John Van Cleve, on whose ability the college relied to carry its plan into execution.
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