History of the city of Paterson and the County of Passaic, New Jersey, Part 101

Author: Nelson, William, 1847-1914
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Paterson : Press Printing and Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 466

USA > New Jersey > Passaic County > Paterson > History of the city of Paterson and the County of Passaic, New Jersey > Part 101

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WEDDING DAYS.

As a rule, the wedding ceremony was celebrated in Old Acquackanonk at the Dominie's house. Among the plain people the custom was for the bride and groom, accompa- nied by a few friends, to repair to the parsonage, and after the marriage the party returned to the home of the bride's family, where all their friends were gathered to partake of a handsome supper, and to enjoy a merry time. The next day the wedding party journeyed to the home of the bride- groom's parents, where similar festivities took place. On the third day the young couple had a house-warming in their own home, prepared in advance for their occupancy, and where their friends and relatives were gathered to wel- come them. The rest of their honeymoon was enjoyed by themselves in their new abode.

The belief is almost universal among aged persons, that in former days the young people married much earlier than is the custom now. An examination of one hundred pages of the genealogical data given in a preceding chapter, indi- cates that the reverse of this popular belief is true. For example, the details there given show that the average age of 186 men married prior to 1800 was 24 years and six months, while the average age of 124 men married since 1800 was 23 years; of the women, 161 married prior to 1800 averaged 21 years, and 123 married since 1800 averaged 20 years and four months at the time of marriage. In other words, the men married in this century were on the average a year and a half younger than those who became benedicts

in the former days, and that the women were eight months younger than were their grandmothers at the time of mar- riage. Further: before 1800, only about one man in twelve was married under 21 years, while in this century the num- ber has been as one iu seven. Similarly, as to the women, the number of early marriages has been greater proportion- ately since 1800 than before that period. Of young brides, it may be noted that before 1800, of 161 women married, three were under sixteen years, one being 15 years 2 months: another two months older, and a third lacking ten days of her sixteenth birthday; four others were under seventeen; eight more were under eighteen, and eighteen had just reached that age. On the other hand, of 123 women mar- ried since 1800, one was two months under fifteen; four oth- ers were under sixteen; three more under seventeen; twelve others under eighteen.

Perhaps one reason for the later marriages in the last century was the law passed by the New Jersey Legislature, March 27, 1719, requiring all persons under twenty-one years of age to have the written consent of their parents or guardians before they could be lawfully married; upon pre- senting this consent to an officer appointed by the Governor, they were further required to enter into bond, with two sureties, in the sum of £500, that there was no lawful im- pediment to their marriage, and thereupon they were given a license authorizing any competent person to marry them forthwith. They might also produce the written consent and give bond to the county clerk, whose duty it was there- upon to post a notice of the intended marriage at three of the most public places in the county, and unless objection was made to him within three weeks thereafter, he could then give the young couple a certificate, which would au- thorize their marriage. It appears to have the practice in the Dutch churches in the earliest times, to give notice of intended marriages from the pulpit three weeks before the ceremony took place. The frequent mention in the records of marriages "by license" is thus explained.

Merry were the wedding parties in the olden days. A marriage was an event of the deepest concern to the whole neighborhood, and to all the relatives, far and near, of the young couple, and they manifested their interest by their personal attendance on the festivities incident thereto. A sweet young bride who lacked two months of her sixteenth year, went to the Dominie's to be married, in 1804, wearing a black silk dress (she was only a farmer's daughter, and had never worn anything more expensive than calico before, but insisted on this extravagance for this occasion), long drab silk gloves coming above the elbows, a light blue ker- chief folded across her bosom, and her abundant light tress- es concealed by a thin cambric cap bordered with lace and tied under her chin. The bridegroom wore a coat of brown cloth, linsey woolsey trousers, a sky blue cloth vest with a small figure through it, cowhide shoes and a castor hat. Among the guests at a wedding party in the middle of the last century, you might see women dressed in short-gowns and petticoats; in winter the gown would be of flannel, wov- en in stripes of various colors and sizes, perhaps with cuffs . of different colors; at other seasons it would be of black and

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HISTORY OF PATERSON.

white stuff, striped linen, blue homespun, striped Holland, green woolen yarn with linen waip, checked linen and striped woolen, dark blue calico with light blue figure. The petticoats would be striped, a linen warp and woolen filling, in various colors, and often quilted, especially in cold weather. The cloak, of course, was an important garment, shawls being quite unknown. Cloaks were long or short, red, blue, brown, black, scarlet, etc .; sometimes lined with bengal, serge, or other material. There you might see a homespun cloak in three different colors, light green, dark orange and light blue; or a scarlet cloth coat, with binders of ribbon, red and green flowers; or a short worsted cloak, in mixed colors. The ladies' hats were usually of cloth or silk, quilted for warmth; other patterns were platted hats, without lining; palmetto; black fur, shagged on the in- side; all silk, or straw; a stylish head covering was the Persian black bonnet, or the black Bath jockey bonnet. An old lady always looked sweet in a fine Holland cap, with border of cambric or lace. The immense calash was carried by prudent women as a protection for their hats and bon- nets in wet weather. Stockings were usually worsted, blue being the color most affected, sometimes varied with white clocks. The underwear was of linen, woolen garments be- ing entirely unknown, for either men or women. The wo- men aimed at getting a new dress every spring, and then the garment which had served as "best" during the year was worn every day.

The men wore coats of blue camlet, or blue broadcloth, lined with dark blue shalloon; brown Holland, brown ker- sey, duroy, blue kersey, with slashed sleeves and brass, pewter or mohair buttons; jackets of tufted fustian, plush, striped Holland, or linen, dimity or bengal; a more substan- tial garment, favored by seafaring men, was a black pea-jack- et, double breasted, and lined with white flannel. For their nether limbs, the men might take their choice between knee- breeches of wash-leather, buckskin, sheepskin, plush trimmed with silver buttons, cloth or camlet; or trousers of osnaburg, dimity or linen, all without lining. Their stock- ings would be homespun, of course, blue or white, and milled, if they wished. For head covering, there was the massive beaver or castor, the raccoon or 'coonskin cap, the cap of cotton, or the felt hat, which might be tarred on the crown against wet weather. Waistcoats were of grey home- spun, with pewter buttons, or striped ticking, or handsome cloth in various colors. There was not much clioice in shirts-osnaburg, homespun linen, tow, garlix or Dowles. The plain, hardworking farmers and artisans of Acquacka- nonk and their wives and daughters seldom wore such finery as is described above, but such garments were to be seen in the staid community at times, and excited no little interest among the sober inhabitants.

As the wedding party assembled, from far and near you would see the older people coming along in a leisurely way in springless wagons, 1 filled with straw, in which sat the young people, while the older women occupied chairs placed in the

wagon for their accommodation. Young men would arrive on horseback, with merry girls seated on the bare back of the horse behind them, holding on to their cavaliers as much by skill as by strength, prepared to slide off to the ground whenever the horse shied, or when the young man would mischievously cause his steed to start or kick. Each arriving neighbor would bring a contribution to the feast, which else might have been too great a tax upon the hospi- tality of the host and hostess. And then what a jolly season of mirth there would be at the wedding supper! And the sport the young people would have in riding back home un- der the starry skies or the melting moon! And what new weddings were planned under the subtile spell of moon and stars, and the inspiration of the scene just left behind them, while to them

Heaven's ebon vault, Studded with stars unutterably bright, Through which the moon's unclouded grandeur rolls, Seems like a canopy which love has spread To curtain her sleeping world.

FUNERAL CUSTOMS.

Jonge luyden konnen, maar oude luyden moeten sterven .- Dutch Proverb.

"The young may, the old must die."

When a death occurred, the clocks were stopped, and the mirrors covered with a white cloth. In some neighbor- hoods there was an aansprekker, whose office it was to go from farm to farm and announce to the relatives and friends that a death had happened, and to bid them to the funeral. In other localities this sad errand was performed by some friend of the family. Furnished with a dood-ceel, or list of those to be invited, he would go from place to place on horseback, and gravely announce, for instance: Vrerick is overleden, en UE (yellie) ben gevraagten op de begrafenis morgen op een uur namiddag. That is: "Frederick is dead, and you are invited to the funeral to-morrow afternoon at one o'clock." "'There were none of the modern appliances for preserving bodies, and burials took place within twenty- four or forty-eight hours after death, as a rule. This was another reason why it was essential for people to have their doodklecder, or grave clothes, ready always; as children grew up they used these garments for everyday wear, and prepared new for their larger growth. The doodkist, or cof- fin, was hastily put together by the nearest carpenter, or by the doodgraver (sexton), and at the appointed hour the Dominie arrived at the house, where the funeral services took place. Reverently then did some of the stout friends or neighbors of the deceased lift the coffin upon their should- ers, or carry it on a bier, covered with the doodkleed, or pall, owned by the church and supplied for the occasion. Slow- ly and solemnly the relatives and friends followed on foot to the burying ground, often on the bome farm, and there the final ceremonies occurred. Many of those assembled might have driveu or walked many miles to attend the fune- ral, and accordingly it was the custom to have a bountiful doodmaal prepared, whereat the "funeral baked meats" were set forth for the refreshment of the guests. Liquor was also provided without stint on such occasions. When

1 This was the common manner of going to church as late as 1830 ; springs for wagons or carriages were unknown at that date.

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EARLIEST ROADS AND BRIDGES.

Dominie Van Driessen, of the Acquackanonk church, lost his wife, the church paid the expenses of her funeral, as appears by this bill:

Ocktober D. 6-A0-1752 --- tot Agkuegnonk ontvange Van Joohan- nes Pou: Schenck Deyaken Van De kerck Een pont Seeven Schel en 8 pens voor suyker en rom en Butter voor De Begraffenes van yan van ·Drises Vrou en vollen als getuygt myn hant schreft onder

Casp-Zaboiski.1

Aside from the outlay for entertaining friends, funerals were far less expensive in the former days than now. For one thing, burial lots cost less. Thus, we read in the Toto- wa church records, June 21, 1813:

At a Meting of the Duch consistory of the totoway church have unanimous A greed that Every Person is to Pay for Laying and to Be Buyried in this Church yard, to Pay the Sum of for Twelve years and upwards is to Pay the Sum of one Dollar and under Twelve years the Sum of fifty Cents.

Gerrebrandt Van Houten, of Totowa, whose personal es- tate was inventoried and appraised April 7, 1789, at $996.93, was buried at an expense of only $10.43.

Wlien Cornelis Westervelt, of Wagaraw, died, in 1816, although he left a large estate his funeral expenses were but $17.62. Richard Berdan was paid $4.50 for making a coffin; Albert Van Saun, sexton, voorleser, etc., charged $4 for services, and Adrian Van Houten's bill for "Funeral Ex- pinces," was £3, 13s., or $9. 12. As Adrian Van Houten kept a grocery, it is probable that he contributed liquid and other refreshments for the funeral party. In December, 1816, Mr. Van Saun charged Dr. Marvin $3 for burying his wife, and $2 for burying his child. Certainly the people in those days could not be charged with wasteful extravagance in the matter of funeral expenses.

No stone in this vicinity was suitable for monuments, and the people could not afford to buy the Connecticut brown- stone; accordingly, the oldest tombstone in the Acquacka- nonk churchyard dates no further back than 1737-more than half a century after the settlenient began. Prior to that date rude bits of fieldstone only were used to mark the graves of the departed, sometimes with initials scratched on the surface, but for the most part with no attempt at in- scription.

CHAPTER XII.

THE EARLIEST ROADS AND BRIDGES.

I know each lane, and every alley green, Dingle, or bushy deil, of this wild wood, And every bosky bourn from side to side, My daily walks and ancient neighbourhood. " Comus."-Milton.

The first routes of travel through the new country were the Indian trails-mere foot-paths through the wilderness, which had been worn by the aborigines as they traversed

1 October 6, Anno 1752, at Acquackanonk, received from John Paul Schenck, Deacon of the Church, one pound, seven shillings and eight pence, for sugar and rum and butter for the funeral of John Van Dries- sen's wife, in full, as witness my hand underwritten.

the forests, meadows and mountains in going from one set- tlement to another, or in quest of game. These trails were generally adopted by the whites in laying out their roads, except where they interfered too much with farm-lines. In ancient road returns the expression is often used: "as the path now goes," the reference being to the Indian trail. Such a "path" is mentioned in the first deed for land in the present Passaic county, July 15, 1678.1 In a patent for land on the Singack brook, August 10, 1696, it is described as "beginning where the Minasinks Path doeth Cross the said Brook." The Minisinks had several great trails across New Jersey, from their tribal camp-fire in the mountains to tide- water. This one probably passed through the Great Notch, across Singack, Pompton Plains and through the Wanaque or Pequannock valleys, or both. As the Indians selected the easiest routes, to avoid hills, swamps and difficult water- courses, we find the old roads laid over their "paths" wind- ing along river banks and the gentle slopes of hillsides, economy of exertion rather than of time having been the first consideration in laying them out. When Acquacka- nonk was first settled the patentees undoubtedly found an ancient Indian path along the west bank of the Passaic riv- er, and laid over it a road. The oldest reference to a pub- lic road in Acquackanonk is in a Dutch instrument, of April 10, 1693, which mentions "the King's Highway" along the river, near the Acquackanonk church-now Main avenue, Passaic, near the docks. As the patentees laid off their farms, they left "driftways" or narrow roads between them, which came in time to be recognized as public roads, without the usual formalities of official action. Van Hou- ten's lane, Franklin avenue, Gregory avenue and the Speer- town road, in Passaic and Acquackanonk, are old driftways or dwarslines; Crooks avenue, Hazel street, 2 East Eight- eenth street and York avenue, Willis street east of East Eighteenth street, and Broadway, west of East Eighteenth street, are also old driftways between farms. The oldest record we have of the laying of a public road within the present Passaic county, is dated March 26th, 1707, when a road was ordered to be opened as follows:

Beginning at the North End of Newark and running to Hockquacko- nong, as the path now runs ; thence along by the North End of Hock- quackanong Meeting House near Maunases Land, to the south West corner of John Mackelson's Land, thence by the rear of Jacob and John Mackelson's land on the north side sd Mackelsons to a White Oak stand- ing by a fence, thence by a row of marked Trees as the path runs to Pompton.

This road began at the southern line of the Acquacka- nonk patent, or near Third river, followed the river bank as the road still runs, to the old church in the present city of Passaic, so along the existing Main avenue and Prospect street, to near the line of Hermanus Van Wagoner, and on to Main avenue and to Lexington avenue, which was then

1 See p. 6r.

2 Crooks avenue and Hazel street were formally laid, one chain wide, May 13, 1796. The return speaks of the road as "a certain driftway form- erly called a cowpath in the old writings which said driftway was allowed by the patentees of Acquackanonk for Public use and it never having been opened, the surveyors met and agreed To open the same."-Hist. Passaic Co. Roads, 26.

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but a path "blazed" through the forest; thence along Lex- ington avenue, the Wesel road, Market street, Vreeland av- enue, Willis street, East Eighteenth street, Broadway, Mul- berry street, River street to near the foot of Bank street, across the river by a ford, along Water street to Clinton, up Clinton street, McCurdy street, and so along the edge of the hill to Haledon avenue, thence to the old Goffle road, and so out to the valley wherein lie Franklin Lake and other ponds, and so to Pompton and the country beyond. It will be observed that this road was simply a "path" or Indian trail from Monroe street, in Passaic, to Pompton.

Willis street was laid out from Vreeland avenue easterly to the river, Sept. IS, 1719. It was altered and relaid from the river westerly to East Eighteenth street, Aug. 9, 1762, to be one chain wide.

The settlement of Pompton and Pacquanac, in 1695 or 1696, necessitated the laying out of roads to that region, but the first mention of such a road is in 1707, when there is - a reference to the "Pomton Road, that Leads towards the falls Pisaike River." This probably ran from Pompton to Lower Preakness or Singack, and so to Totowa. The old Totowa road originally ran from the foot of the hill, near the corner of Hamburgh avenue and Water street, nearly on the line of Ryle avenue and Totowa avenue, to near Maple street, thence nearly to the Falls, and then diagonally in a southerly direction to Totowa avenue again, at or near Pat- erson avenue; thence along Totowa avenue to near Preak- ness avenue; thence southerly toward the river, which it followed until it again came out on the present road, and so to Laurel Grove cemetery, and thence by the Totowa or Singack road to Lower Preakness and Singack. Totowa avenue was straightened as it now is, about 1865-67. This road was relaid, three rods wide, from Singack bridge to "the Bridge across Crakall Vall near Gerrebrant Van Hou- tens," or near the West Side Park, Oct. 20, 1787.

The road laid from Acquackanonk to Pompton, in 1707, was relaid from the present Paterson, southerly, Dec. 22, 1761, thus :

Beginning at Totawaw Bridge, thence along the Bank of the River about southwest, to the Southeast corner of the mill of Hendrick Ger- retson, then about south till it comes to Hellamoe Vanboutten's line then east Eigbt Degrees South as the line runs between the lands of sd Hellamoe Vanboutten, John Vanhoutten, and Abraham Gordon till, it comes to the rear of the Lot, to the Division line; then along the Sd line, between Hellamoe Vanboutten & Hartman Vreeland till it comes to tbe Lots of Simeon Vanwincle and John Vanblarcom till it comes to the slough as by a Patten of John Verkerk; thence about South Westerly, as the Old Road now goes, that leads down to Acquack- anon River at the store House of Abraham Gordon; this Aforesd Road, we the afad Surveyors do lay out four Road Broad.

It would seem that this road has shrunk with age, at least in spots, as in Mulberry street, Willis street, and in Passaic, it being but fifty feet wide, and even less in various places. 1

1 By deed dated May 5, 1849, Aaron S. Pennington, executor of Rachel B. Wallace, conveyed to Joseph Smith, of Manchester, for $4,450, a lot at the southeast corner of Broadway and Main street, "about" 20 ft. 8 in. front on Main street, and 50 feet deep on Broadway. On July 2, 1849, Smith began the erection of a brick building on the lot, extending tbe building about three feet northerly beyond the line of Broadway, as previously built upon. He was indicted, Sept. 7, 1849, for a nuisance, in

A road four rods wide was laid March 30, 1771, from Haledon avenue to Preakness; it is still known as " the old road." West of the mountain it is now sometimes called the "Ratzer road," running nearly parallel with the former Hamburgh turnpike.

The settlement of Paterson soon caused a demand for a more direct route to Acquackanonk, and to the country west and north. To meet this need the Paterson and Hamburgh Turnpike Company was formed, and incorporated by the Legislature, March 12, 1806. The company speedily caused a survey of its proposed new road to be made, which was filed Oct. 18, 1806. Its road from Acquackanonk Landing to Paterson was almost entirely new, from about Bloomfield avenue, in Passaic, to Market street, in Paterson, and per- haps to Broadway; and thence via the present West street, Hamburgh avenue and what is known as the old turnpike, most of the way to Pompton. Part of the way it was laid over old roads.

Broadway east of East Eighteenth street was an old drift- way, but was not opened as a public highway until about 1816, when Garrison's lane was laid out in Bergen county, making a new route to Hackensack. The road over the Broadway Hill was exceedingly steep, but was gradually lowered by successive cuttings. To avoid this ascent, in part, a road was opened on the east side of the hill, from Willis street to Broadway, about 1816. This was called Passaic avenue. It has been for the most part replaced by new roads since the East Side park came into being. Broadway was straightened and widened from East Eight- eenth street to the river, about 1870.

East Eighteenth street, or York avenue, was opened from Broadway northerly to the river probably as early as 1730, to afford access to the farms for which it formed the dwars- line.

Redwoods avenue was laid out, April II, 1795, from To- towa avenue to Lower Preakness. That portion lying north- west of the Oldham brook was vacated about 1865, or earlier.

FORDS AND BRIDGES.

In the days of the Indians, rivers were crossed by canoes or fords. The white settlers adopted the same course for many years, until the necessities of public travel made it desirable to bridge the more important streams. At first this seems to have been left to the immediate neighborhood interested to accomplish in its own way. In 1683 the East Jersey Assembly appointed commissioners for each county,

building upon and obstructing the public highway. Tbe case was tried in June, 1850, before Chief Justice Green, twenty-three witnesses being examined, principally as to what was the true line of Broadway. Smith was convicted, and his conviction was affirmed by the Supreme Court, at tbe July term, 1851, and by the Court of Errors and Appeals, at tbe June term, 1852. Smitb was thus compelled to abate the nuisance, wbich he did by cutting off so much of the north side of the building as projected over the street; this wall was of brick; be substituted boards, and so tbe building remains (1896). Smith was one of the leading butch- ers of the town, but this litigation and otber attendant troubles ruined him, and he died in the almshouse. It is a noteworthy fact that although the same offence is popularly believed to have been repeated constantly since bis time, nobody bas been indicted tberefor in Passaic county.

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EARLIEST ROADS AND BRIDGES.

to "make, lay out, fit and Place" roads and bridges, where they saw fit, the bridges to be "made, maintained, repaired and kept up at the respective Charge of every respective Person, Town or Township to whom or where they are most serviceable, or do or shall most immediately belong or ap- pertain." In 1716 it was enacted that the overseers of the · highways should call out the inhabitants of their respective towns, divisions or precincts annually, "for the mending and repairing of all such High-Ways, Bridges, or Cause- ways" as might have been laid out. In 1719 the Legisla- ture recognized the fact that "there are many large Bridges within this Province, which belong to particular Towns and Precincts to amend and repair, which cannot sufficiently be repaired by Day Labour, without the Assistance of particu- lar Handicraftsmen," and accordingly enacted that where there were such bridges two justices of the peace of the county, the two chosen freeholders of the town, precinct or division adjacent to such bridge, and the surveyors of the highways of the town, upon the call of the overseers of the highways, should assemble together and contract with com- petent tradesmen and others for building, rebuilding or re- pairing the bridge; the expense was to be assessed and col- lected in the town or place where the bridge belonged. If the bridge lay between two towns, both shared the cost. This law worked hardship in many instances, as for exam- ple in Acquackanonk, whose inhabitants prayed the Legis- lature for relief, with the result that on November 4, 1741, an act was passed, the preamble of which sets forth that "the Precinct or District of Achquachanack, in the county of Essex, is, for a considerable Space in Length, bounded on the River Pissaick, which divides the said County of Es- sex from Morris County and Bergen County, over which River Pissaick several very large bridges are already built, and more Bridges over the same River may hereafter be thought necessary to be built, the one half of the Expence and Charge whereof the Inhabitants of the said Precinct or District of Achquachanack are, by the General Laws of this Province, liable to, whose Situation being very particular, the Taxes on the said Inhabitants to the Purposes aforesaid, are thereby much greater than those to which the Inhabit- ants of the other Townships in the said County of Essex are subject, for whose equal Use, Conveniency and Advant- age the said Bridges are and may be built and maintained." The act therefore provided that where any bridge over the river Passaic required carpenter work, in the building, re- building or repairing, in the county of Essex, one-half the cost should be assessed on the county at large. The other half was presumably a charge upon the township. In 1760 the whole cost of bridge work was made a county charge. By an act of March II, 1774, it was enacted that small bridges should be built and kept by the townships, only the larger bridges being maintained by the county. This act remains substantially the basis of the existing law.

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History of the city of Paterson and the County of Passaic, New Jersey, Part 101

Author: Nelson, William, 1847-1914 Publication date: 1901 Publisher: Paterson : Press Printing and Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 466

Author: Nelson, William, 1847-1914
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Paterson : Press Printing and Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 466