USA > New Jersey > Mercer County > Trenton > History of the city of Trenton, New Jersey : embracing a period of nearly two hundred years, commencing in 1676, the first settlement of the town, and extending up to the present time, with official records of the population, extent of the town at different periods, its manufactories, church history, and fire department > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38
" Mr. Coxe then told him that there was a flaw in the indict- ment, of which he might avail himself. After hearing an explanation from Mr. Coxe respecting the nature of the error, Mr. Tennent declared that he would rather suffer death than consent to such a course. Mr. Stevens, however, seized the opportunity afforded, and was discharged.
" Mr. Tennent assured his counsel that his confidence in God was so strong, and his assurance that He would bring about his deliverance, in some way or other, was so great, that he did not wish them to delay the trial for a moment.
" Mr. Coxe still urged Mr. Tennent to have the trial put off, and considered Mr. Tennent's refusal as manifesting a want of Christian meekness and prudence. But Mr. T. insisted that they should proceed, and left them, they not knowing how to act, when the bell summoned them to court.
" Mr. Tennent had not walked far before he was met by a man and his wife, who asked if his name was not Tennent.
"He told them it was, and asked if they had any business with him ..
" The man said they had come from the place in Pennsylvania or Maryland where, at a particular time, Messrs. Rowland, Tennent, Anderson, and Stevens had lodged, and in the house where they were; that on the next day they had heard Messrs. Tennent and Rowland preach; that a few nights before they (the man and his wife) had left home, on waking out of a sound
F*
66
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
sleep, both had dreamed that Mr. Tennent was at Trenton, in the greatest distress, and that it was in their power, and theirs only, to relieve him. This dream was twice repeated to them both, and so deep was the impression made on their minds, that they had come to Trenton, and wished to know of him what they were to do.
"Mr. T. took them before his counsel, who, after examining them, and finding the testimony of the man and his wife full and to. the purpose, were perfectly astonished. Before the trial began, another person came to Mr. T., and told him that he was so troubled in mind, for the part he had taken in the prose- cution, that he could find no rest, till he had determined to come out and make a full confession. Mr. T. sent this man to his counsel. Soon after Mr. Stockton, from Princeton, appeared, and added his testimony.
"On trial, the advocates of the defendant so traced every movement of Mr. Tennent, on the Saturday, Sabbath, and Monday, the time of the theft and robbery by Bell, that the jury did not hesitate to acquit Mr. Tennent.
" Thus was Mr. Tennent, by the remarkable interposition of Divine Providence, delivered out of the hands of his enemies."*
* Log College, by A. Alexander, D. D., p. 189.
CHAPTER VI.
First Courts in Trenton-Original boundaries of the town-Place of the first Court-House of the County of Hunterdon-Trenton Bank-The town named Trenton-Colonel William Trent- First families-Mr. Trent's first residence-Naming the town- Builders of Friends' Meeting-House-First borough charter from George II., including from Crosswicks creek to Amwell- First borough officers-Division of the town and country Con- gregations-Trenton made the seat of government.
I [N September, 1719, the county courts were held for the first time in Trenton, but whether in the house of William Yard, as before, or in some house south of the Assanpink, we are not informed, for at this time the place on the south side of the Assanpink was known as Trenton, as will hereafter be seen. .
At this time it does not appear that the court-house was built, but probably was about a year after, or it might have been in course of erection at that time.
The following order was issued in regard to constables: "to find themselves with constables' staves, painted upon the upper end with the King's coat of arms, and to have them by next court, on penalty of being fined."
In March, 1729, "the court ordered that the bounds of Trenton be entered on record as followeth : beginning at the landing on the Delaware river, in Nottingham, running up said river to the mouth of Jacob's creek ; thence along said creek to the King's road, to a run called Jacob's run ; thence up said run to Thatcher's swamp, along a run that runs into Shabbakonk, and over Shabbakonk, including Ralph Hart's plantation, to the line that divides Hopewell from Maidenhead ; thence along said line till it comes to the line of Mr. Trent and Thomas Lambert's
68
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
land ;* thence along said line betwixt Mr. Trent and Thomas Lambert to the Delaware river, and so along said river to the first-mentioned station."
Gordon's description of the bounds of Trenton, in his Gazet- teer, ; if the above be true, must be incorrect. He says, " Tren- ton was founded by William Trent, a few years prior to 1720. The place that was then known as Trent's-town received its name about this time, but was founded by Mahlon Stacy and others, about the year 1678-9."
In December, 1720, the court "required the justices and freeholders to meet at the court-house on the 25th of that month, to levy taxes to defray county charges." And yet in March following they ordered the public-house keepers to meet at the house of William Yard (in Front street, where the court had been held for years before), to take out license.±
The lot on which the court-house was built is owned by the Trenton Banking Company, and upon it their banking-house now stands. It was conveyed to the Trenton Banking Company by the board of chosen freeholders of the county of Hunterdon, May 8th, 1814, just one hundred years after it was purchased by William Trent, by whom it is said (though by what authority I know not, except it be tradition), the lot was given to the county.
The year in which the old jail was built, as stated above, is not known. It stood upon the same spot where the Trenton Bank now stands. It was a two story building erected of grey sand- stone, with stuccoed front. The cells were in the lower story. The upper story was used as a court room, the entrance to which was by a number of stone steps, erected on the outside of the building and surmounted by an iron railing. The steps extended over the pavement, commencing from the gutter, and persons
* This line commenced at the Eagle tavern and ran to the Delaware river : Mr. Trent's line being north, and Mr. Lambert's south, and is the same that is now called Ferry street.
+ Gordon, p. 250.
į Minutes of Hunterdon court, vol. i., p. 61, clerk's office, Flemington.
69
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
going into the court room were compelled to ascend from the street. Pedestrians going up and down the street passed directly under these steps.
In this court room the Baptist denomination held their first meetings in Trenton, and here the Rev. Peter Wilson, of Hights- town, delivered his ever-memorable discourses.
The jail was kept for many years by Jacob Wrighter.
The steps were afterward removed from the street and placed crosswise upon the front of the building, commencing from either corner, on the north and south sides of it, and meeting at the top, in the centre of the building, forming a pyramid, so that any one going into the court room could ascend either from the north or south of it. Subsequently these steps were removed and placed inside the building.
It is probable the grant above mentioned was made by Mr. Trent to the county about the year 1720, and that as a compli- ment to him for the gift, the place was called Trenton, or as it was first written, Trent's-town.
Until this time, what is now known as the city of Trenton and townships of Hopewell and Ewing, was known as Hopewell.
The courts of the county, until 1719, were held at William Yard's and A. Heath's, in Hopewell.
Colonel William Trent was a gentleman of great respectability, and was for several years speaker of the house of assembly of Pennsylvania, and in September, 1723, he was chosen speaker of the house of assembly of New Jersey. In this year William Trent and John Reading were appointed commissioners for the county of Hunterdon. Mr. Trent died December 25th, 1724 .* It is supposed by some that he died in Philadelphia, but I believe it is not known to a certainty.
The following incident was related of Mr. Trent by Mr. Joseph Reed. Mr. R. said that he remembered having heard when a boy, that Mr. Trent was in some way thrown from a boat into the Delaware river, and although a number of persons were on the shore they could afford him no assistance, as there was no other boat near, and all expected that he would be drowned.
* Smith's History, p. 419.
70
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
Mr. Trent had a large dog which stood on the shore, and by whistling through his fingers he called him; the dog swam out to his master, who, taking hold of the dog's shoulders with one hand, and swimming with the other, reached the shore in safety.
In 1726, the legislative assembly granted to James Trent, the oldest son of William Trent, the exclusive use of the river Delaware for a ferry, two miles above and two miles below the falls. The ferry above the falls has been in use until within the last twenty-five years, and was at the foot of Calhoun street, while the one below the falls was used until the Delaware bridge was erected in 1804-5. This last ferry was on the direct route between New York and Philadelphia. Persons traveling between the two cities came by the old York road (now the straight turnpike) through Queen (now Greene) street and over Mill Hill, to the Eagle tavern; thence crossing the ferry,* reached Philadelphia by the way of Germantown.
Mr. William Yard, the ancestor of the families of that name in this part of the country, came from Devonshire, in England, and settled first in Philadelphia; he had four sons. With two of his sons, Joseph and William, he afterwards moved to Trenton. The other sons remained in Philadelphia.
William Yard, the father, in 1712, purchased of Mahlon Stacy about two acres of land lying on both sides of Front street, and between Warren and Greene streets.
Joseph Yard lived on the corner of Front and Greene streets, in a frame house.
William Yard, the other son, lived with his father in Front street, and after the death of his father he occupied the property.
They were Presbyterian families, and Mr. Joseph Yard was trustee in the church for many years.
The widow Mary Mershon, who lived in the same house until her decease a few years since, stated that she had heard her grandfather (Joseph Yard) say, " that theirs, if not the first, was among the first families who settled where this city is built."
* The ferry-house on this side of the river was the large brick house on the corner of Fair and Ferry streets, now occupied as a tavern, and the large brick mansion on the Pennsylvania side was also used for the same purpose.
71
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
Colonel William Trent purchased the Stacy tract about the year 1714, and removed to this place, into a frame house built a few years before by his father for a summer residence, on the site where the Third Presbyterian Church now stands.
There is in possession of a citizen of Trenton a deed bearing date January, 1719-20, given by William Trent, of the city of Philadelphia, to James MacCombs, of the town of Trenton, county of Hunterdon. This William Trent no doubt refers to Judge Trent, of Philadelphia, father of the Major, who purchased the Stacy tract. He owned land here at the time of his son's purchase, and from him, and not the Colonel, the place received its name.
As the court recorded the bounds of Trenton in 1719, we may reasonably conclude that in this year Trenton received its name.
Mrs. Mershon also observed, " that at the time the people were about fixing upon a name for the place some proposed calling it Yard's-town, and others Trent's-town. As Trenton was considered the handsomest name they concluded so to call it."
Whether this cause or the one before mentioned gave the place the name of Trenton is of little importance.
From the best information which can at present be obtained it appears pretty evident that there were but very few buildings in the place until after 1730 or 1735. About the year 1740, several buildings were erected. Mr. Plasket built the Friends' meeting-house, on the corner of Hanover and Montgomery streets in 1739, and Obadiah Howell, a great uncle of Obadiah Howell, late of this city, informed the late Thomas Ryall, a mason of this city, who died a few years since at an advanced age, that he put the date of 1739 on the house himself, being then an apprentice to Mr. Plasket.
In the year 1740, Thomas Tindall, (a great grandfather of the compiler of this work) built the two story brick house on the northeast corner of Greene and Hanover streets. The initials, T. T., 1740, were placed in the gable of the house fronting on Hanover street, in bricks colored black. Hanover street at that time ran from Greene street to the Friends' meeting-house, and there terminated. About the same time a frame house was
72
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
erected east of the above, which was for a number of years used as a parsonage.
In 1748, there were nearly a hundred houses in the place. The flourishing condition in which the town appears to have been at that time, and its advantageous location for business, led the inhabitants to anticipate its rapidly increasing growth and prosperity, and supposing that both would be promoted by an act of incorporation by the crown, conferring borough privileges, in the nineteenth year of the reign of King George II., (1746), Governor Lewis Morris and a number of the inhabitants of this district of country sent a petition to the king, stating that Trenton was the head of sloop navigation, and that a variety of circumstances rendered the place favorable for business, and that its interests would be greatly promoted by such an act.
Accordingly a royal charter was granted for a borough, the limits of which were described as follows, viz., "Beginning at the mouth of Crosswicks creek; thence up said creek to the mouth of Doctor's creek ; thence up the said creek to Keith's line, between East and West Jersey; thence along said line including Maidenhead and Hopewell, between Hopewell and Amwell, to Delaware river ; thence down said river to the place. of beginning ; to be known as the borough and town of Trenton."
Thomas Cadwallader, Esq., was appointed chief burgess ; Nathaniel Ware, recorder ; David Martin, marshal ; and Andrew Reed, treasurer. The other burgesses were William Morris, Joseph Warrell, Daniel Coxe, Andrew Smith, Alexander Lockart, David Martin, Robert Pearson, Andrew Reed, Theophilus Phillips, Joseph Decou, Samuel Hunt, and Reuben Armitage.
The common council were Joseph Paxton, Theophilus Severns, Benjamin Biles, Jasper Smith, Cornelius Ringo, Jonathan Stout, Jonathan Waters, Thomas Burrowes, Jr., George Ely, John Hunt, John Dagworthy, Jr., Joseph Phillips, John Welling, William Plasket, Daniel Lanning, and Benjamin Green .*
But the inhabitants not experiencing the benefits which were:
* Liber A A A, Commissioners, p. 266, secretary's office.
73
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
anticipated from their charter, they surrendered it to King George II. in the twenty-third year of his reign, 1750 .*
From the above charter it will be seen that the borough of Trenton, or Trenton, included very nearly the whole of the present county of Mercer. Kalm (before mentioned), who was at Trenton two years after the above borough was chartered, (1746), might with propriety say that "Trenton was situated on a sandy plain, remote from the Delaware."
In the year 1762, the parsonage lot in Hanover street was purchased of Stacy Beakes, of Philadelphia, and others, and conveyed to Moore Furman, Charles Clark, Esq., Andrew Reed, Esq., Joseph Yard, Arthur Howell, William Green, and Alexan- der Chambers, as trustees, and to their successors and assigns, " for a parsonage for said congregation forever, to be held and enjoyed by the Presbyterian minister of Trenton, regularly called by said congregation, and approved by the Presbytery of New Brunswick."t
Although the church in town separated from the church in the country many years before, as has been already stated, it was not until 1788 that an act was passed by the legislature legaliz- ing the division, and although the two congregations had been incorporated and had chosen trustees pursuant to an act of the legislature, passed at Trenton, March 16th, 1786, yet the two congregations held the parsonage in Trenton, jointly, until the year 1790, when the congregation in the country "did, for a certain consideration, release, &c., all their estate, &c., in the parsonage property, to the trustees of the congregation in town."}
In 1790, Trenton was made the seat of government of New Jersey. §
* Liber A A A, Commissioners, p. 306, secretary's office.
+ Deed A T, folio 163, secretary's office, Trenton.
Į Ibid., folio 106.
¿ Elmer's Digest, p. 148.
G
CHAPTER VII.
Second charter of the city-First officers-Market houses-Mayors -Recorders-Aldermen-The pillory and whipping-post- Prevalence of the Yellow fever-The government office removed to Trenton-President Adams' residence here-South Trenton- Its incorporation with the city-Boundaries of the city.
N OVEMBER 13th, 1792, the city of Trenton was formed from a part of the township of Trenton with usual coporate city privileges, and the following boundaries, viz., "Beginning at the mouth of Assanpink creek and running up the same to Bernard Hanlon's mill dam (now Millham) ; from thence along the road to the line between Trenton and Maidenhead ; thence along the said line to the road leading from Trenton to Maiden- head ; thence on a straight line to the northwest corner of a lot late of David Brearley, deceased ; thence on a straight line to the northwest corner of the land of Lambert Cadwallader, whereon he now lives ; thence down the western line thereof to the river Delaware ; thence down the same to the mouth of the. Assanpink."
Thus we see while the first charter embraced all that land below or south of the Assanpink, afterwards known as Kingsbury, and more recently Mill Hill and Bloomsbury, the charter of 1792 comprehended nothing below the Assanpink. December 2Ist, 1792, the officers who had been appointed by the legisla- ture, held their first meeting. They were Moore Furman,*
* Moore Furman was a grandfather to the late Captain William E. Hunt, of this city. He had charge of the commissary department in the American army during the Revolution in 1776. He lived in the State Street House, in State street ; his office was a one story brick building, and stood on the same spot. which the Chancery building now occupies.
75
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
mayor ; Aaron D. Woodruff,* recorder ; Samuel W. Stockton, t Abraham Hunt, and Alexander Chambers,§ aldermen; Charles Axford,|| Abraham G. Claypole, [ William Tindall, ** Bernard Hanlon, tt and Aaron Howell,ff assistants ; and Pontius D.
* Aaron D. Woodruff resided on the corner of Greene and Hanover streets, where Hendrickson & Leigh's store now is, and in the house erected by Thomas Tindall, in 1740. He was for many years attorney-general of the state, which office he filled at the time of his death.
Samuel W. Stockton lived in the mansion-house in Front street, now in the occupancy of Ralph L. Warner, dentist. While going to Philadelphia in company with his son, in his own carriage, he saw in the neighborhood of Bristol some very fine cherries, and in an effort to get them from the trees, he fell, and so injured his skull that he died in a few days from the effects of it.
į Abraham Hunt kept a store in that row of brick buildings in Warren street co.nmencing at the corner of State street, belonging to Samuel K. Wilson, and now occupied by C. B. Vansyckel and George A. Bennett, as stores. He resided in the northern part of the building; the front entrance to his house was on Warren street, and the store now occupied by Henry C. Furman as a har- ness-maker shop, constituted his parlor.
¿ Alexander Chambers was also a merchant; his residence and store was on the northeast corner of State and Willow streets.
|| Charles Axford lived in a stone house south of the feeder of the Delaware and Raritan canal, in Warren street. The house was torn down at the time of digging the feeder of the canal.
T Abraham G. Claypole lived in a mansion in Warren street, which stood "on the spot where James S. Gray now has a hardware store, and Ellis B. and Albert D. Smith have a saddlery and hardware store.
** William Tindall lived in a frame house on the east side of Warren street; the building was removed to the opposite side of the street at the time the feeder was made. It is now the second door north of the feeder on the left- hand side of the street.
++ Bernard Hanlon lived in the stone house at Millham, opposite Pratt and Howell's flouring mills.
įį Aaron Howell lived in a frame house which stood on the lot in Warren street, where Mrs. L. Lafaucherie keeps a boarding-house; it was afterwards removed around into Perry street, on the lot\now occupied by the Trinity M. E. Church. Howell, son of Aaron, built the house south of it, now owned by Dr. Daniel Warman.
76
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
Stille,* treasurer. At this meeting it was resolved to sell the old market-house ; and at a meeting of the common council on the 29th of the same month, Mr. Charles Axford, who had been appointed for the purpose, reported that he had sold it " for five pounds one shilling ten-pence."
This market-house stood in Warren street, commencing at State, in front of Abraham Hunt's store, and extending north about sixty feet up said street. Like the market-houses recently torn down, it occupied the middle of the street. "At the southern end of it, and about the centre of the crossing from Vansyckel's to Dill's corner, stood the old town pump, and near the pump stood those relics of barbarity, a whipping-post and the stocks or pillory. The latter instrument of torture differed somewhat from the modern instrument bearing the same name, in that the one here erected confined the hands and feet and not the head. The pillory was afterwards removed to the jail and when the city came into possession of a town-house or city prison the pillory was abolished, but the whipping-post was erected and remained for a number of years, when it, too, was abolished. It disap- peared in the night, and no one knew who removed it.
July 19th, 1793, the council agreed to build a new market- house "in the middle of Second street, (now State) between King (now Warren) street, and Queen (now Greene) street, between Messrs. Claypole and Milnor's corners," (the former now owned by the heirs of George Dill, and the latter by Messrs. Murphy and Bechtel), "leaving a square from King street to the market-house of fifty-eight feet." Messrs. Charles Axford, James B. Machett, and Aaron Howell were appointed the building committee, and in the fall of the same year the market-house was built. There were two separate buildings erected, similar to
* Pontius Dillery Stille lived in the house now occupied by the family of the late William Potts, in Warren street. Perry street was not opened until some twenty years after; but south of Stille's residence, adjoining Saint Michael's Church, was an alley called Stille's alley; his store was on the corner of Warren street and this alley. It was in 1813 (when Perry street was opened) abandoned as far as Stille's line ran; the remnant still remains, coming into Greene street between the residence late of Samuel McClurg and the Madison House.
77
HISTORY OF TRENTON.
the market-houses recently removed, though of much smaller dimensions. The first one, starting from Warren street, was used as a meat market, and the second as a truck market. In conse- quence of the small size of the buildings, the space between the two were used as markets for the sale of truck.
About midway between the two markets there was a horse- shoe firmly imbeded in the stone flagging, and I well remember when a boy, of the hours of amusement afforded me watching countrymen in their endeavors to remove it from its position. Who put it there, or in what way it was fastened, was in those days a mystery.
There was also a market-house on Market street, fronting on Broad street, Mill Hill; this, too, stood in the middle of the street. What year this market-house was built, or who were the projectors, there is no means of ascertaining, as I have tried every way in my power to find out, but without success. The second story, or room above the market, was used as a school-room; it was supported by eight strong brick columns, raising it about twelve feet from the ground. On the southeast end was a box stairway which afforded ingress and egress to the school-room above. This building was called the Mill Hill Academy, and was used as a primary department, while in the Trenton Academy the higher branches belonging to an English educa- tion were taught.
The market-house attached to the Mill Hill Academy was never occupied to my recollection, and some of our oldest inhabitants state that it was occupied but a very short time for the purpose for which it was erected. At that time the popula- tion of Mill Hill was so small, and the markets in Trenton being so much larger, a competition between the two could not be maintained, and therefore the smaller was compelled to give way to the greater. This market contained but five stalls, three upon the north side and two upon the south. The school-room, or upper story, was surmounted by a steeple containing a bell, which rang daily to summon the pupils before the august presence of their pedagogue.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.