History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 62

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 62
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 62

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The machinery of the city government thus put in operation has continued, with some necessary modifi- cation, to the present time. In 1865 (April 4th ) an act was passed authorizing the appointment of commis- sioners to lay out streets, avenues, and squares in the

Organization of the City Government .- The first city of Rahway. An act to revise and amend the charter of the city was approved March 23, 1865, and a supplement was added to it April 6, 1871, providing that the Common Council by ordinance from time to time may vacate or alter the lines or courses of any of the streets or sections thereof in said city already laid out, whether opened or not at the passage of such

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CITY OF RAHWAY.

ordinance, provided that written application for the passage of such ordinance shall first be made by per- sons owning three-fourths of the lineal feet along the street or section thereof proposed to be altered or va- cated, and that two-thirds of the whole number of councilmen vote in favor of the passage of such ordi- nance. This act gave authority to the Common Coun- cil to license, regulate, and control the sale of spirit- nous and fermented liquors in the city, to punish the violation of ordinances on this subject, or to revoke the licenses granted. It also gave power to the mayor and city clerk to administer all official oaths or affir- mations required to be taken by any officer in the said city.

The revised charter with its varions supplementary acts was hrought fully into use in 1871. Since then no change has been made in the city government.

The mayors of the city from its incorporation to the present time have been :

1858-60. Edward Y. Rogara. 1871-72. Willianı J. Brown.

1860-61. John H. Lnfbery.

1872-74. John D. Chapin.

1861-63. Joseph W. Savage.

1874-75. Lewie S. Hyer.

1863-64. Thomas J. Lee.

1875-76. Daniel K. Ryno.

1864-66 James Henry Stone.

1876-78. John J. High.

1866-68. Dr. W. C. Hongh.

1878-79. Alpheus D. Gibbons.

1868-69. John F. Whitney.

1879-80. W. Updyke Selover.

1869-71. John C. Coddingtoo.

1880-82. Joseph W. Savage.

CITY CLERKS.

1858-59. John D. Chapin.

1870-72. Christopher D. Marsh.

1859-61. Henry Platner.

1872-73. Win. Theodore Miller.

1861-63. John B. Clark.

1873-75. Christopher D. Marsh.

1863-64. William B. Crowell, Jr.

1875-78. Ilenry N. Olivar.

1864-68. Howard R. Martio.

1878-80. Washington 1. Tier.

1868-69. William Richarda

1880-82. Lewis S. Hyer.

1869-70. William B. Crowell, Jr.

PRESIDENTS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL.1

1865-68. John J. High.

1875-76. Joseph Wooster.

1868-69. Francis Baker.

1876-78. John H. Lufhery.

1869-71. John D. Chapin.

1878-79. James L. Bodwell.

1871-73. Henry C. Vail.

1879-80. John H. Luf bery.

1873-75. James L. Bodwell.

1880-82. Willett Denike.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

CITY OF RAHWAY .- ( Continued.)

Fire Department .- In the file of the Bridge Town Museum, a copy of which we have as late as Dec. 23, 1822, we find no allusion to a fire company in Rah- way. In less than a year later, however, such an institution was incorporated by the Legislature, which became possessed of valuable apparatus and real es- tate, and was in active existence at the time of the in- corporation of the city. We quote from the follow- ing act, entitled " A Supplement to the Act entitled ' An Act to Incorporate the City of Rahway,' " ap- proved March 12, 1858 :

" WHEREAS, by an act of the Legislature of this Stata, entitled 'An Act to incorporate the Raway Fire Company,' passed December five,

eighteen hundred and twenty-three, and the Supplements thereto, a company have been organized and hecome possessed of valuable real estate, engine-houses, engines, and other fire apparatus, as provided in said act and supplement.

"AND WHEREAS, the said Rahway Fira Company are desirous of dis- posing of their property so acquired to the City of Rahway, and cease to exercise their powers as an independent corporation. Therefore,

"SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, That it shall and may be lawful for the Rahway Fire Compaoy to sell, convey, and otherwise dispose of to 'The Mayor and Common Council of the City of Rahway,' hereafter to be elected by vir- tue of the provisions of the act entitled ' An Act Incorporating the City of Rahway,' upon anch terme na shall be agreed upon between them, all real estate, engine-houses, engines, reservoirs of water, leaders, buckets, fire-hooks, aod other implemente and machines as they may now possess, to the sole use and benefit of the said City of Rahway.

" SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for the said ' The Mayor and Common Council of the City of Rahway,' and they are hereby authorized to raise by tax, in addition to the annual taxes limited in the eighteenth section of the act to which this is a supplement, any aum oot exceeding four thousand dollars, for purpose of purchasing the said property of the said " The Rahway Fire Company.'

' SEC. 3. And be if enacted, That upon the purchase by the said "The Mayor and Common Council of the City of Rahway' of the said property, the said ' The Rahway Fire Company' chall he disbanded, and the act incorporating the same and the supplements thereto shall be and the same are hereby declared to be repealed.

" SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That this act shall take effect immediately."

The original fire company, which was disbanded by the above act, was in operation in 1834, as we learn from Joseph O. Lufhery's description of the town at that date. It was superseded by the present fire de- partment of the city, organized under the charter.

The present organization of the fire department is as follows : President, D. R. Parker ; Treasurer, John F. Lufbery ; Chief Engineer, Lewis Gehring ; Assist- ant Engineers, J. Lester La Forge and William H. Randolph.

Washington Hose Company, No. 1, Milton Avenue. Foreman, James D. Miller.

Franklin Hose Company, No. 2, Seminary near Church. Foreman, John Gehring; Assistant Fore- man, Augustus Lang.

Warren Hose Company, No. 3, Main Street near Elm Avenue. Foreman, Michael Boyne.

Independent Hook-and-Ladder Company, No. 1, Seminary Street near Grand. Foreman, Caleb Ward ; Assistant Foreman, John Hughes.

The Rahway Gaslight Company was chartered on Feb. 18, 1853, but no organization was effected under this charter. A supplementary act was ap- proved March 20, 1857, incorporating the following- named persons as the Rahway Gaslight Company, viz .: Josephus Shann, Isaac Osborn, Edward Y. Rogers, Joseph S. Smith, Amos C. Watson, Joseph T. Crowell, Jonathan Woodruff, Jacob R. Shotwell, Francis La Baw. The capital stock was placed at $20,000, with the privilege of increasing it to $50,000. A further supplement was passed March 6, 1873, au- thorizing the directors to increase the capital to any amount not exceeding $200,000.

The company was organized on Oct. 3, 1857; Jacob R. Shotwell, Joseph T. Crowell, Francis La Baw, Joseph O. Lufbery, and Isaac Osborn, directors. At the first meeting of the directors, Jacob R. Shot-

1 Elected by the Council under the revised charter, which came in force May 1, 1865.

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HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

well was elected president, and Edward Y. Rogers, secretary and treasurer. Mr. Shotwell is still presi- dent, and has been for a number of years treasurer.

On Oct. 6, 1857, a contract was made with William D. Parrish, of Philadelphia, for the erection of the gas-works. Mr. Parrish fulfilled his contract, and the works were accepted by the directors in December, 1857. They have since been greatly extended, and their capacities and facilities increased to meet the demands of a growing city. The company commenced making gas on the 17th of December, 1857. There are now nearly twelve miles of mains in the city.

In 1861 the first contract was made with the Rah- way Gaslight Company for supplying the streets with gas. The first lamp district in the city was adopted by ordinance Aug. 2, 1859. On June 16, 1874, the district was extended so as to embrace the following boundaries : Beginning at the junction of Union and Whittier Streets; thence along Whittier Street to Harrison Street; thence along Harrison Street to St. George's Avenue.

Rahway Library Association .- The Rahway Li- brary was opened June 15, 1858, under the auspices of an association of ladies, with a collection of books presented hy a previous organization, numbering one hundred and forty-four volumes.

This voluntary association continued six years, during which time such additions were made to the library as the small amount of money received from subscribers would permit.

An increasing desire for the prosperity of the library being apparent in the community, it was thought best to have the interests connected herewith secured and enlarged by an act of incorporation. The charter printed herewith was obtained from the Legislature of this State in 1864, and the present organization was formed under its provisions.

The need of a better and larger room, coupled with a desire to have a permanent building for the library, induced the trustees to make great efforts to obtain money enough to purchase a lot, and to build thereon a structure that would be a credit to them and to the city of Rahway.

These efforts were so far successful that they were enabled to construct a substantial brick building in a central location, at a cost, including the lot, of about ten thousand dollars.

The books were removed to the new building at the corner of Seminary and Irving Streets in the summer of 1869, and the library was opened to the public with fifteen hundred volumes upon its shelves.

On the 1st of June, 1871, a lady of the city, well known for her liberal contributions to many and va- ried objects of philanthropy, presented the association with the sum of ten thousand dollars, to be securely invested, and the interest derived therefrom to be used for the purchase of books of science, biography, history, travels, etc., and the better class of periodical literature.

On the 1st of May, 1872, the " trustees of the Rah- way School for Colored Children" made the associa- tion a gift of six thousand dollars, on conditions and with restrictions similar to those in the donation mentioned above.

These trust funds now yield the annual sum of eleven hundred and twenty dollars, nearly all of which is expended in the purchase of standard works.

At this time the library contains six thousand nine hundred and eighty-three volumes.

The act of incorporation is as follows :

"WHEREAS, A number of ladies, inhabitants of the city of Raliway, of this State, have now an association koown as 'The Rahway Library Association,' it is appreliended that the object of the said association will be promoted by ao act of incorporation ; therefore,

" 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, That William C. Squier, Jacob R. Shotwell, and Benjamin M. Price, and their associates are hereby constituted a budy politic aod cor- porate, in fact, name, and law, by the name of 'The Rahway Library Association,' and by that name they and their successors shall bave per- petual succession, power to sue and he sned, plead and be impleaded, answer and answered unto, in all courts and places whatever, to make a common seal and alter it at pleasure, to purchase, take, have, hold, receive, and enjoy any lands, tenements, hereditaments, in fee simple or otherwise, any goods, chattele, legacies, donations, anquitiee, or other personal property of whatever kind or quality svever, by gift, grant, de- vise, bequest, or otherwise, and the same to grant, convey, assign, sell, or otherwise dispose of for the purposes of said corporation ; provided, alwaye, that the clear value of said real estate shall not exceed the value of ten thousand dollars.

"2. And be it enacted, That the property, affairs, and conceros of said corporation shall be managed and conducted by nine trustees, to be elected on the first Monday in June next ; the same corporation shall name nine ladies, now associated with the stockholders of the Raliway Library Association, residing in the city of Rahway or its vicinity, as trustees of the said association, and the persone 80 named shall constitute the first board of trustees, and in case any vacancy aball happen in the said trustees by death, removal, resignation, or otherwise, such vacancy shall be filled by the said board, and the seat of any trustee who may have neglected to attend four successive meetings may be vacated and the va- cancy filled by a majority of the board of trustees. The trustees shall meet annually, on the first Monday in June, and choose by ballot from their oumber a first and second directress, secretary, and treasurer, and euch other officers as may be expedient, and the duties and powers of such officers shall be defined by such by-laws as the board of trustees may make.

"3. And be it enacted, That the object of said corporation shall be the establishment of a circulating library in the city of Rahway. A ma- jority of the trustees shall constitute a quorum to transact business, who shall have power to make and provide such by-laws as to them may eeem needful for the purposes of said corporation not inconsistent with this act and the laws of the State.

"4. And be it enacted, That this act he and is hereby declared a public act, and the Senate and General Assembly of this State at any time may hereafter annul, repeal, or modify the same.

"5. And be it enacted, That this act shall take effect immediately."

The first trustees were Mrs. William C. Squier, Mrs. B. M. Price, Mrs. W. E. Bloodgood, Mrs. John Woodruff, Mrs. J. L. Woodruff, Mrs. F. La Baw, Mrs. Jos. T. Crowell, Mrs. W. B. Oliver, Mrs. J. R. Shot- well.

The present trustees are Mrs. William C. Squier, Mrs. A. V. Shotwell, Mrs. A. F. Shotwell, Mrs. J. U. Underhill, Mrs. J. R. Shotwell, Mrs. Leslie Lupton, Mrs. Thomas Martin, Mrs. II. H. James, Mrs. J. Ed- ward Marsh.

Officers .- First Directress, Mrs. W. C. Squier ; Second Directress, Mrs. J. R. Shotwell ; Secretary, Mrs. J. U. Underhill ; Treasurer, Mrs. W. C. Squier.

John Wrmslow

John Urmston is a lineal descendant of an Episcopal clergy- man of England, who spelled his name " Armstrong," and is supposed to have changed it to Urmston, and who came to America in search of his son, and died at Charleston, S. C., shortly after his arrival.

This son, an only child, chafing under parental restraint, left his native country at about the age of fourteen, and is sup- posed to have landed at New York, for subsequently he married a lady of New Brunswick, N. J. Among the effects of his father left at his death in Charleston he found a book, " Body of Divinity," with the name Abraham Urmston (Armstrong) written in it, but it is not known that his name was Abraham; the book was dated "1743."

It is known that there were two sons born of this union,- Thomas and Benjamin, the latter of whom settled in the Western States. Thomas was grandfather of our subject, re- sided on a farm on the mountain near Martinville, in Somerset County, N. J., where he reared a family of seven children. He was a member of the State militia during the Revolutionary war, and one of his sons, Daniel, was drafted in the war of 1812, reported for duty at Trenton, but was never called upon to serve. One daughter of Thomas Urmston settled in Sciota County in 1842, another at the age of eighty-two was at Jersey- ville, Ill., with her grandson, George Randolph, in 1868, and a third was the widow of a Methodist clergyman of Augusta, Me., at the same date. The sons were William, Daniel, and Thomas, of whom the latter settled ncar Green Bay, Wis., in 1840. Daniel, father of our subject, followed the business of turning and bub-making at Green Brook and near Bound Brook, N. J., during his active business life, and died at the latter place in 1840, aged fifty-one years. Ilis wife, Deborah Streets, whom he married in 1810, and who died in 1878, aged eighty-seven years, hore him the following children : John ; Hannah Ann, wife of Henry A. Brower; Joseph ; Mary Jane, wife of James Stout; and Rachel, who hecame the wife of Richard Ten Eyck, of Somerset County. All are living in 1882 except Joseph, who was in business in Rahway with his brother, and died in 1842, and Daniel B. and Thomas. John Urmston, eldest son of Daniel and Deborah Urmston, was boro at Green Brook, Sept. 2, 1810, and received the usual advantages for an education that the schools of his native place afforded. At the age of eighteen he began an apprenticeship with Jeremiah Par- sell in the manufacture of fancy chairs. Upon completing his trade, at the end of three years, he worked as a journeyman in

Philadelphia for a short time, returned heme and established himself in the same business in a small way, but after two years gave up the business. In 1835 he came to Rahway, and in connection with his brother Joseph, before mentioned, estah- lished a bub-manufactory near the Taurina Works, doing their turning by water-power. Here be continued business for eleven years in a small way, and carted his hubs to New York, New- ark, and other markets for sale. In 1847 be purchased a lot on the corner of Union and Ludlow Streets, in Rahway, erected a hub-manufactory, and until 1851 did the turning hy horse- power, at which time he introduced steam-power, which he has used since.

He has crected on this lot a substantial dwelling-house, store- house, and made large additions to his first manufactory, which was forty by seventeen feet, and one and a half story high. During the late civil war Mr. Urmston made the hubs for seven hundred cannon. The superiority of his work and quality of material used, together with his long experience, has made his name widely known throughout the United States and other countries, and his business has so increased that his shipments are made direct to England, Australia, South Africa, Sandwich Islands, and to the Pacific Coast.

Mr. Urmston has led an active and industrious life, and although unassisted pecuniarily when starting out for himself. he has by his judicious management secured a good competency. He was a member of the Common Council of Rahway for two years after it became a city, and for two years served on the board of education. He is interested in and a member of the First Presbyterian Church, and has served for many years on its board of trustees. Ilis wife is Latitia, daughter of Daniel Garthwait, of Westfield, whom he married in 1838. She was boro June 11, 1813. Their surviving children are Daniel G., John J., Frank, and Thomas, all in business with their father, and two daughters,-Latitia, wife of .I. E. Stiles, of Morristown, and Louisa B. Their deceased children were Mary Elizabeth, Mary Elizabeth (2), Marietta, George Wash- ington, and Deborah Ann, who was the wife of Elias Whitehead.

Daniel G. Urmston enlisted Aug. 9, 1862, in Company E, Fourteenth Regiment New Jersey Volunteers, Third Brigade, Third Division, Sixth Army Corps of the Army of the Potomac, was engaged in its numerous battles and skirmishes, ranking as orderly sergeant, and was wounded through the right side in a bayonet charge at the battle of Cold Harbor, Va., June 1, 1864, and honorably discharged from service Aug. 26, 1865.

David B. Dunham came of English and Scotch ancestry, who were among the early settlers of New Jersey. The ancestry is traced as far back as his paternal great-grandfather, Benyew Dunham, born in May, 1732. Married Mary Heath, who was born in April, 1737, and bore him twelve children, who settled in New Jersey, New York City, and one in Pittsfield, Mass.

His paternal grandfather, David, born Feb. 13, 1762, set- tled or resided at Larger Cross-Roads, Somerset Co., N. J. ITis wife was Martha Barkley, born Jan. 31, 1763. David Dunham died Jan. 9, 1826, his widow died Sept. I, 1846. They had cight children, all but one of whom (who died in infancy) were married and settled in Somerset and Hunterdon Counties. In early life they were all, with their parents, active members of the Presbyterian Church at Lamington. One ( Robert B.) dicd at seventy-five years of age, two (Mary and Nancy) died at eighty-three years of age, and four are still living, the eldest (Eliza Vanderbeek) in her ninety-first year; Martha Nevins, eighty-three; Benyew, eighty; and David, the youngest, seventy-eight. The latter still lives on the homestead farm of his father, at the Larger Cross-Roads, in vigorous health, an active, influential citizen, and a prominent and useful elder in the church at Lamington.

Robert Barkley Dunham, the father of our subject ( the eldest of the family), was born Feh. 23, 1788, and died May 8, 1863. Ile commenced his active business life, a partner with his father, as a tanner and manufacturer of leather, but later bought a neighboring farm, and the remainder of his life was spent upon it. He was a man of strict integrity and of firm Christian principles. For nearly forty years he was an elder in the church at Lamington, and his influence for good in the community was always noted and felt. Ile married Catherine, daughter of Ralph Nevius, of Sonth Branch, Somerset Co., who was born in October, 1793, and survives in 1882. Their children are Martha M., wife of Garret Simonsen, of Lamington, now of Raritan, Ill. ; Anna E .; John N., of Brooklyn, N. Y .; David B .; and Robert B., who died at the age of seventeen. David B. Dunham was barn at Larger Cross-Roads, Bedminster town- ship, Somerset Co., N. J., Nov. 9, 1829. Hle spent his boyhood on his father's farm, was educated with a view to entering col- lege, and was being prepared for college by Rev. Dr. Blauvelt, of Lamington, when he decided upon a business instead of a professional life. At the age of seventeen he began as a elerk

in the dry-goods store of Post & De Camp, at Somerville, N. J., and after clerking four years in Somerville and New Brunswick, and one year with W. K. Post, of Rahway, he engaged as clerk in the store of J. & A. Woodruff, of Rahway, who were then merchants in dry-goods and carriage materials, and also car- riage manufacturers. He became a partner in 1856, under the firm name of J. & A. Woodruff & Co., which continued until 1860, when John Woodruff and Mr. Dunham bought out the interest of the other partners, and continued the business under the firm name of Woodruff & Dunham. Meanwhile the busi- ness had increased frem about thirty-five thousand dollars in 1852-53, to one hundred thousand dollars in 1860-61 annually. In 1863 they connected with their mercantile business the manufacture of carriages, of which Mr. Dunham assumed the management, and in 1875 became the sole proprietor us snc- cessor of Woodruff & Dunham. His aim was from the begin- ning to build only the best class of work, and to sell direct to the consumer. By a strict adherence to this principle, and close personal attention to all the details of the business, he has suc- ceeded in establishing a reputation for the production of first- class carriages second to no other manufacturer in the State. He is now the largest carriage manufacturer in Rahway (a place noted for a half-century for its carriage mannfactories), and with one or two exceptions the largest in the State, employing about sixty men, and is unable in 1882 to supply the demand for his manufactures.

Mr. Dunham has always been identified with interests tending to promote the welfare of the city since his residence there. He is a member of the Second Presbyterian Church, and has been one of its trustees for a number of years.

His wife, whom he married in October, 1857, is Emma F., daughter of George F. Webb and Julia A. Smith, natives of Connecticut, who removed to Rahway ahout 1825. Mr. Webb was aa influential citizen, and at one time a large property- owner. He was engaged in the mercantilo business for many ycars, and afterwards founded the Rahway Savings Institution and the Building Loan Association, of which he was manager and treasurer until his death in 1860. He was one of the organizers of the Second Presbyterian Church, and a ruling eller of the same until his decease. Mr. and Mrs. Dunham's children are Frederick Webb, Fannie Louise, and Carrie Nevius.

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Rahway Water Supply .- An act to authorize the construction of works for supplying the city of Rah- way and places adjacent with pure and wholesome water was approved April 7, 1868. It enacted that A. Maurice, J. Henry Stone, James Vanderhoven, John H. Durand, and the mayor of the city for the time being should constitute the first board of water commissioners, who for and in the name of the mayor and Common Council of the city of Rahway were au- thorized to take and hold any lands or other real estate necessary for the construction of any canals, aqueducts, reservoirs, basins, or other works for raising, conveying, or containing water, or for the erection of any buildings or machinery, or for laying any pipes or conduits for conveying the water into or through any places, or to secure and maintain any of the works, or in general to do any other act necessary or convenient for accomplishing the purposes contemplated by the act. Nothing having been done previous to March 6, 1871, to carry out practically the provisions of the act, and some modification of the plan being deemed desirable, it was then enacted that the board of water commis- sioners shall consist of five members, of which board the mayor, or acting mayor, and the chairman of the committee on the fire department of the Common Council of the city.of Rahway for the time being shall be members ex officio, and the remaining three members of the board shall be elected as hereinafter mentioned.

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History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 62

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