USA > New Jersey > Salem County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 1 > Part 59
USA > New Jersey > Gloucester County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 1 > Part 59
USA > New Jersey > Cumberland County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 1 > Part 59
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Pioneer Manner of Living, Dress, etc .- The earliest inhabitants of old Greenwich lived in a very
humble and frugal manner. They had neither tea. coffee, chocolate, of sugar, and were too poor to buy any intoxicating drinks, or vessels to distill them in. The first settlers drank at table as a substitute for tea a decoction of sassafras; and even in 1748 they mixed the tea they then used " with all sorts of herbs," says Kalm, "so that it no longer deserves the name of tea."" For a long time they continued to make their candles and soap from bayberry-bushes. Their buckwheat enkes, which were a standard dish, were baked in a frying-pan or on a stone. The men wore caps, breeches, and vests of the skins of various ani- mals. The women wore jackets and petticoats of the same material. Their beds, except the sheets, were composed of the skins of wolves, bears, panthers, and other beasts with which the forests then abounded. They made their own leather for shoes and other articles, dyeing it red with chestnut-bark or the moss of a certain tree not now known, or black with a preparation of the common field sorrel.
Poor as were the Swedish pioneers, far worse was the condition of pioneer Finlanders. Instead of shoes these poor wretches were content with mocca- sins of skins rudely sewed together, and for dishes for their tables they seooped out the knobs of the ash-tree, as the Siberians now do.
Pioneer Wedding Customs .- Among the customs mentioned by Kalm as peculiar to the pioneer Swedes of what is now Greenwich, Logan, Woolwich, and East Greenwich townships there was one which we trust we will be pardoned for adverting to. When a man died in such circumstances that his widow could not pay his debts, if she had an offer of a second husband, she was obliged to marry him en chemise. In this plight, on her wedding-day, she went out from her former house to that of her new spouse, who met her half-way with a new suit of clothes, which he presented to her, saying he only lent them, " lest," says Kalm, "if he had said he gave them, the cred- itors of the first husband should come and take them from her." If this be a fair sample of the civilization of the pioneer Swedes we can readily believe what the professor says, that the Swedes were already half- Indian when the English arrived.
Pioneer Stock, Grain, and Fruit .- In March, 1749, Professor Kalm paid a visit to Nils Gustafson, who lived near Raccoon. Gustafson had seen nearly a hundred years, had taken much timber to Philadel- phia when that city was in its infaney, yet, with his venerable locks and nearly fivescore of years, he re- tained a vigorous frame and a bright memory. Kalm questioned him particularly as to the origin of the domestic animals then in West Jersey, and was told that the English procured their horses, cows, oxen, sheep, hogs, geese, and ducks from the Swedes, who had brought them over from Sweden. He also said they owed to the Swedes the first seed of many of the
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I See Professor Kalm's grave dissertation on the loss of teeth which the Raccoonites and other Europeans on the banks of the Delaware suf- fered, vol. i. p 360.
2 ]bid., p. 370.
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235
TOWNSHIP OF GREENWICH.
most valuable fruits and herbs, and of wheat. rye, , made of white-oak and the latter of the Spanish oak. barley, and oats. Peach-trees were in the pioneer . Gustafson remembered when the horses ran wild in days very numerous, but where the Swedes got them the woods, and in his boyhood days one eow gave Gustafson could not tell. In his infancy the Indians as much milk as four did in later times, owing to had many little maize plantations, but did not take . the great abundance of good grass which they at first much care of them, preferring to live upon the fruits . had. of the chase, or upon different roots and whortle- berries.
Other Interesting Notes of Pioneer Life .- Pre- . the customs and manners of the pioneers of old Green- vious to the arrival of the Swedes the Indians had no . wich township. agricultural implements save the historic old stone
hatehet. With this they peeled the large trees when , the official list of this township from 1831 to 1883 iu- they had lost their sap, so they would die, and the clusive. The minute-books prior to 1831 could not small trees they pulled up by the roots. The field . be obtained, and probably are not in existence. The town-meeting in 1831 was held in the old Greenwich Academy, at Clarksboro.
thus opened to the rays of the sun was dug up with sharp branches or pickets, and the maize was then sown. In the winter the Indians kept their corn in holes under ground.
After the Swedes came and began to cultivate apple- and peach-trees, the Indians, true to their na- ture, often stole the fruit. Sometimes, too, the In- dians would steal from the Swedes their hogs as they ran wild in the woods, and these they taught to follow them familiarly. The only domestic animals the In- dians had on the arrival of the Europeans were a species of little dogs. Being very fond of milk, for which they were dependent upon the Swedes, the savages made an artificial liquor very like it by pounding the dried kernels of walnuts and hickory- nuts, and mixing the flour thus made with water. In hue and sweetness this liquid much resembled milk.
According to Gustafson, the Indians in oid Green- wich used to worship a certain red-spotted snake as a deity. Walking once with one of the red men, he says they met one of these snakes, and he took a stiek to kill it; but the Indian begged him not to touch it, as he adored it. This only confirmed the pions Gustafson's resolution, and he killed the snake at the risk of being himself sealped.
During the youth of Gustafson the Indians at times very much annoyed the Swedish colonists. They killed several of the men and stole some of the ehil- dren. On one occasion they scalped a little girl, who survived, and afterwards was married and had many children. Upon one occasion some strange savages attempted the life of Mr. Gustafson's mother, but she, being a powerful woman, succeeded in saving her own life.
Previous to the arrival of the English the Swedes had a custom of bathing every Saturday. Christmas- time was celebrated with various games and by serving up peculiar dishes at table, as was usual in old Sweden. When Gustafson was a boy there were two black- smiths at Raccoon, now Swedesboro, who made ex- cellent knives, seythes, and hatchets, like the Swedish ones. They then made their cart- and wagon-wheels by sawing thick horizontal sections out of liquid- ambat trees, but when the English eame they began to use spokes and felloes in their wheels, the first .
TOWN CLERKS.
1831-33, 1837-44. Samuel Sailor. 1856-58, 1867-50. John A. Louden-
1834-36. John C. Gill. slager.
1845-46. David B. Gill. 1862-64. I. N. Hughes.
1847-50. Edmund Wetherby. 1865-66. J. H. Preston.
1851. John H. Bradway.
1873-74. Charles Davall.
1852-55. Charles Green. 1875. H. C. Loudeuslager.
1859-01, 1671-72. James A. Wolf.
1876-83. W. G. Cowgill.
ASSESSORS.
1831. Burr Miller.
1851-52. J. B. Albertson.
1832. John Driver. 1853-53. Jonathan Egee.
156-58. Edwin Craft.
1833, 1835-36, 1841-43. Bowman Sailor. 1879-61, ISKS-70. David B. Gill.
1831. Joseph Bowman. 1862-61, 1871-52. J. C. Dawson.
1837. H. Bradshaw.
1865-67. C. K. Wolf.
1838-40. Benjamin Allen.
1873-79. C. R. Murphy.
1844-17. William Haines.
i 1880-83. Julin Stetser.
1848-50. Jeptha Abbott.
COLLECTORS.
1831-32. William Haines.
1860-62. S. H. Miller.
1833-36. John B. Miller. 1863. T. Hughes.
1817-39. Samuel Pedrick. 1804-66, 1881-82. J. J. Cowgill.
1840-43. Edmund Weatherby. 1867-6S. E. L. Reeves.
1:41-45. Andrew H. Weatherby. 1869-70. A. Lawrence.
1846-48. James MI. Wolf.
. 1871-76. M. I. Tanner.
1843-31. John Stetser.
1877-50. C. K. Wolf.
1852-54. James Thompson.
1881-82. I. J. Cowgill.
1855-31. Samuel B. Warner.
1883. J. M. Rowe.
1838-50. George T. Ford.
CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS.
1831-32. Samuel Sailor. 1855. Jolin II. Bradway.
Charles French. J. M. Rowe.
1833. William Haines. 1856. S. II. Miller.
Sammel Sailor. J. H. Bradway.
1831-35. Charles Reeves. William Haines.
S. H. Miller.
1800-38 Joseph Lodge, Jr.
1859. A. J. Peaslee. M. Gill. 1860-61. Henry Allen.
Charles French.
A. J. Peaslep.
1840-42. Charles French. Joseph Gill.
1862. J. I .. Reeves. Henry Alleu.
1843. Simel Sailor.
1863-64. J. R. Paul.
J. C. Gill.
J. L. Reeves.
1844-47. John Gauntt. Samuel Sailor.
1865. D. S. Adams. J. R. Paul.
1º4 -- 31. Jesse Miller. William Haines.
1/32. David B. Gill. John Diniels. E. G. Miller.
1853-54. James M. Inwe.
1868-69. E. G. Miller.
David B. Gill.
1857-58. Matthew Gill.
Charles Reeves.
1×33. Charles Reeves.
1566. Joseph: Warrington. D. S. Adams.
1567. D. S. Adams.
1. N. Hughes.
All this and much more did Gustafson tell Pro- fessor Kalm, but space forbids further details as to
Civil List .- For want of records we can give only
236
HISTORY OF GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
1670. I. N. Hughes.
1877-78. 1. J. Cowgill.
John 11. Locke. George Craft.
1×71-72. J. 11. Locke.
1879. G. Craft.
G. H. Gauntt.
S. M. Shoemaker.
IN80. S. M. Shoemaker.
1873. G. H. Gauntt. L. T. Miller.
As this township originally extended from Mantua B. Heritage. to Ollman's Creek, it was, after about a century, felt 1874-75. L. T. Miller ISNI. I. B. Allen. C. K. Wolf. S. 31. Shoemaker. by the inhabitants of the lower part (now Woolwich 1876. C. K. Wolf. IS82-83. D. L. Davall. I. J. Cowgill. E. B. Allen. and Logan townships) to be advisable to set up for themselves. Their spontaneous election of overseers TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE. and nomination perhaps of a constable, ratified at first by the County Court and afterwards by the Colonial 1831 .- John Driver, Joseph C. Gill, Henry Bradshaw, John C. Gill, and Joseph Chatham. Legislature, gave rise, about 1750, to the township of 1832-33 .- Joseph Lodge, Jr., J. C. Gill. J. Chatham, Henry Bradshaw, and J. C. Gill. Woolwich. This latter took its name from a town on the Thames, famous for its naval school, while Green- 1834 .- Charles I'rench, Jr., J. Chatham, Solomon W. Lewis, Charles F. Clark, and Joseph C. Gill. wich township derives its name from the English Naval Asylum, from the observatory of which all 1-35 .- Charles French, J. Chatham, S. W. Lewis, Joseph Lawrence, Jr , and J. C. Gill. Christendom reckons the meridian of longitude. The 1836 .- Charles French, S. W. Lewis, Joseph C. Gill, Joseph Chatham, and Alexander K. Long. termination wich is from the Saxon wie, signifying a 1837 .- J. B. Miller, J. C. Gill, William Haines, Charles French, John Gauntt. certain extent of territory over which an officer of the law had jurisdiction, such as bailwie, constable- 1838 .- J. C. Gill, W. Haines, John B. Miller, C. French, J. Ganutt. wie, or wick, or wich ; or, in case of a manorial terri- 1839 .- J. C. Gill, William Haines, J. Chatham, William Dieket, J. B. Miller. tory, where a person holds lands by questionable 1840-41 .- J. B. Miller, J. Chatham, Jacob Swope, Joseph Lippincott, Joseph H. Moore. titles from some foreign king, prince, or potentate covering one, two, or more counties, as, for instance, 1812-43, -- Joseph Moore, J. Chatham, J. Lippincott, Jacob Swope, Jr., Amos J. Peaslee. Rensselaerwic, or wick, or wych, a name given the terri- 1844-45 .- J. Swope, Jr., A. J. Peasice, J. II. Moore, Isaac C. Dilks, ; tory covering the counties of Albany, Rensselaer, Charles Reeves.
Columbia, and a part of Schoharie, in the State of New York, claimed to have been owned by Stephen Van Rensselaer, who for many generations received
1848-51 .- Joseph E. Haines, J. MI. Stout, Jolin Haines, E. Chew, J. B. ' rents of all the occupants of these lands.
Miller.
1852 .- John Haines, E. Chew, J. B. Miller, J. E. Haines, J. M. Wolf. 1853-54 .- J. B. Miller, J. M. Wolf, J. F. Thomas, Stephen H. Miller, Charles K. Wolf.
1855 .- S. HI. Miller, J. F. Thomas, C. K. Wolf, Anson S. Cade, Seoby Murray.
1856 .- A. J. Peaslee, J. F. Thomas, Thompson Huff, S. Murray, C. K. Wolf.
1857 .- J. M. Wolf, S. Murray, P. L. Kerns, J. B. Shoemaker, T. Huff. 1858 .- J. M. Wolf, P. L. Keins, J. B. Shoemaker, T. Hoff, David S. A.lams.
1859 .- J. M. Wolf, J. B. Shoemaker, D. S. Adams, S. Paul Loudenslager, Jacob Tins.
1860 .- S. P. Londenslager, P. D. Hughes, W. A. Miller, J. Titus, D. S. Adams.
1861 .- S. P. Londenslager, P. D. Hughes, J. Titus, G. T. Ford. -
1862 .- P. D. Hughes, J. M. Wolf, Charles Parker, G. A. Ridgeway, S. R. Dewalt.
1863 .-- J. M. Wolf, Charles Parker, G. A. Ridgeway, G. H. Gauntt, Wil- liam Burrough.
1864 .- J. M. Wolf, C. Parker, G. A. Ridgeway, G. II. Ganott, S. R. Dewalt. 1865 .- J. M. Wolf, C. Parker, S R. Dewalt, G. I. Gauntt, S. P. Eastlack. 1866 .- C. Parker, S. R. Dewalt, J. D. Hoffman, J. R. Paul, S. P. East- lack.
1867 .- J. R. Paul, A. J. Peaslee, J. S Miller, J. S. Warner, J. M. Royal. 1868 .- J. R. Paul, A. J. Peaslee, J. S. Warner, J. M. Royal, B. Heritage. 1869 .- A. J. Peaslee, B. Heritage, J. M. Royal, A. P. Hanuold, J. M. Rowe.
1870 .- A. J Peaslee, B. Heritage, A. P. Hannola, J. M. Royal, Francis Tracy.
1871 .- J. M. Rowe, A. P. Hannold, F. Tracy. J. Haines, J. D. Hoffman. 1872 .- F. Tracy, John Haines, J. D. Hoffman, I. J. Cowgill, Jobn >tetser. 1×73 .- William Stewart, F. Tracy, J. Sinclair, Johu Stetser, J. D Hoff- man.
1874 .- W. Stewart, J. Sinclair, J. J. Cowgill, John Stetsrr, J. C. Haineg. 1875 .- W. Stewart, J. C. Haines, I. J. Cowgill, J. Stelser, J. Sinclair.
1876-78 .- W. Stewart, John Rambo, J. C. Haines, J. Stetser, J. Thomp- 801.
1879 .- John Stetser, F. Tracy, William Stewart.
1680 .- W. Stewart, F. Tracy. I. G. Coxo. 15-1-82 .-- F. Tracy, I. G Cove, J. S. Miller.
1883 .- I. Tracy, J. S. Miller, J. II. Locke.
VILLAGES AND HAMLETS.
Paulsboro, the principal village in the township, is located on the northeast border of the township. on the left bank of Mantua Creek, and on the line of the Delaware River Railroad, five miles from Woodbury, the county-seat. It is a thriving little town, that has been many years attaining its present population. Previous to the advent of the iron horse its growth was quite slow, but since that time its population has more than doubled, and its business interests are quite abreast of those of her more pretentious neighboring towns.
The land lying between the ercek and Delaware Street, upon which a portion of the town is built, Was owned, previous to 1798, by Samuel P. Paul, from whom the town derives its name. From Delaware Street as far south as the village extends the land was owned by Henry Myers. Thus two men owned the large and beautiful plateau upon which Paulsboro is built.
The pioneer of what is now the town proper was Samuel P. Paul, who built the pioneer house, where Joseph R. Paul now lives, near the creek. In 1728, Mr. Paul sold two acres of land to Michael Lauden- slager, who, in 1804, built a tavern-house on the site of the present hotel. That was the second house in : what is now Paulsboro. At that time there was no road along what is now Main Street, though one had been surveyed; but for some unknown reason the road
1846 .- C. Reeves, J. H. Moore, J. C. Dilks, J. Swope, Jr., David B. Gill. 1847 .- Joseph M. Stout, Wilham Brown, Elgah Chew, Joseph Lodge, Joseph Haines.
TOWNSHIP OF GREENWICH.
237
was not laid out, therefore Mr. Laudenslager closed his a few yards south from where the brick school-house now stands in the village. This is the southeastern terminns of what is known locally as the Penn line, running from the river to this point. The survey was made with the view of making what is now Pauls- boro the great commercial centre instead of Phila- delphia. The latter place was selected nearly a year later, on account of its being upon higher ground. would-be botel until 1809, when the present turnpike, of which Main Street was a part, was built and a tavern opened. This old hostlery has never since ceased to be a haven of rest for man and beast. Mr. Landenslager was succeeded in the tavern business by his son George. The property is now owned and tavern kept by Jonathan Crammer. The third house in this town was built in 1811 by John Bowers, and it The l'aul property, upon which Joseph R. Paul re- sides, has been in possession of the Paul family for nearly or quite one hundred and fifty years. The is now owned by John Stetser. The same year Fred- erick Hannold built a house, now owned by Matthew Gill. The next was built by John E. Clark in 1811, . Myers property was in the family name for about one
now owned by MI. Gill. The sixth house in this town was built by Frederick Hannold, and is now owned by Cox & Brother, and the seventh was the brick store- house on east side of Main Street, built by D. Hen- driekson, and now owned by the llayden heirs. As late as 1825 there were no houses on the east side of Main Street except Paul's and Hendrickson's. The house in which William Huff lives was built in 1880, by Joseph Henry.
PIONEER BUSINESS INTERESTS .-- The pioneer store was built by Samnel P. Paul, where Joseph R. Panl now lives, during the war of 1812.
The stone store-house, now ocenpied as a dwelling by Matthew Gill, was built in 1816 by John E. Clark. The Clark family lived on the high point of land on Mantua Creek, below Paulsboro.
David Hendrickson built the little old brick store standing on the east side of Main. Street in 1825. Peter Rambo succeeded Hendrickson in the brick store. lle was followed by - Price, then came - Lawrence, who was succeeded by -- Rogers, and he by - Hayden, who was the last merchant in the old brick store.
In 1827, Joseph Baker built where Cox's blacksmith- and wheelwright-shops now stand.
In 1816 or 1817, George Clark commenced the blacksmith business in Paulsboro, his shop standing near the turnpike bridge.
The pioneer shoemakers of Paulsboro were John Collis and John Bowers, each locating here as early as 1811 or 1812, and the pioneer stone-mason was Joseph Henry, who was here as early as 1815.
The pioneer physician was Dr. Charles Clark, who located here in 1825.
The pioneer postmaster was Matthew Gill, who kept the office in his store.
As late as 1820 Paulsboro, or what there was of it, was almost on an island, as the creek was on one side and swampy timber land was around the other sides. Soon after that date clearings and patches of im- proved land began to appear, until, in 1853, Paulsboro was surrounded by a very fertile farming district. In 1826 or 1827, when William Huff was yet in his teens, he assisted in reaping a good piece of rye in a field how covered by a heavy growth of pine timber, just south of the Methodist cemetery.
In the latter part of 1681, a large stone was planted
hundred and twenty-five years when, but a few years ago, it passed out of the family.
SOME OF THE OLD MIEN OF PAULSBORO .- John . Stetser was born near Paulsboro, in Deptford town- ship, April 6, 1808, and has lived in and near the town all his life, and for many years has been one of the officials of the township, and at present is its assessor. He has been twice married, the last time to Rachel Ann Simmons, of Wilmington, Del. He has four children, - Wilson, William, Matilda, and Robert, all living.
Capt. William Huff was born in Camden, N. J., Dec. 7, 1808, and remembers well when there were but twenty houses in the place. He came to Panls- boro in 1832, and located where he now resides, having lived in the one house for fifty-one years. He is a seafaring man, and followed sailing until 1872. Ile was married in 1832 to Miss Harriet Me- Elwaine, of Paulsboro. Ile has four children .- Amanda, Louisa, Harriet, and Lydia, all living.
The Paul family are of English descent. Philip Paul, father of Samuel Paul, left England Sept. 5, 1685, and landed in "Virginy" on the 5th of No- vember of the same year.
Samuel l'aul was born Dec. 25, 1733, and was mar- ried Oet. 6, 1758, to Miss Rebecca Delavoe, who was born Dec. 23, 1739. Mr. Panl died April 21, 1772.
Samuel Philip Paul was born Sept. 17, 1763; mar- ried Miss Nancy Clark, Feb. 10, 1786. Mr. Paul died July 11, 1831, and Mrs. Paul, Oct. 3, 1845. Their children were Joshua, Anne, Martha, Samuel, Eliza- beth, Adrian C., and Ann C.
Adrian C. Paul was born July 24, 1800, and married Maria Ford, who was born March 22, 1796. Mr. Paul died Aug. 31, 1826. Their children were Anna Maria. Joseph R., and Adrian C. Joseph R. lives in Pauls- boro, on the homestead of his grandfather, Samuel P. Paul, and Adrian C. lives in Haddonfield. Joseph R. Paul married Elizabeth Eggman, of Haddonfield. Their children are Adrian, born Feb. 28, 1856, and Charles E., born Jan. 18, 1859.
George Hannold, the oldest man in Paulsboro, was born in Barnsboro, N. J., in February, 1798. He came to this town in 1810, and was married Oct. 24, 1822. to Miss Ann Holmes, who died Jan. 1, 1857. Their children were Elizabeth, married Samuel Huff'; Wil- liam, an undertaker at Swedesboro; Keziah, married
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238
IHISTORY OF GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
Joseph Huff, a farmer in Greenwich township; in that year opened a small country store for the ac- Maria, married Samuel Salisbury ; Charles II., a . commodation of his neighbors. This had a tendency wheelwright in Paulsboro; George, died in the ' to draw other settlers to that locality, yet the place army ; Mary, died in 1881. , never attained to anything more than a school-house, three or four dwellings, and a store until the advent
Nehemiah Cowgill was born Oet. 19, 1781, and in 1810 married Elizabeth Jones, who was born Jan. 20, . of the railroad and the building and operating of the 1792. 'The oldest of their twelve children now living powder-works 'near by, when new life seemed to be is Abram Cowgill, of Paulsboro, who was born Jan. ; infused into Gibbstown, and it is now a place of con- 5, 1813. In 1837, Abram married Miss Keturah, daughter of Stephen Miller. Mr. Cowgill is the father of a large and enterprising family, oue of whom, W. G. Cowgill, born Nov. 9, 1852, is engaged in general merchandise business in Paulsboro.
Thomson Hutf was born in Gibbstown in 1828, and died in Paulsboro in 1875, having lived all his life- time in what is now Greenwich township. He was married in 1840 to Miss Sarah A. Galley, of Philadel- i phia, who still survives him. Their children are Maria G .; James C., married a Miss Crammer ; Henrie M. G., now an Episcopal clergyman at Potts- town, Pa .; Mary, married to Richard I. Wilson, of
Bordentown, N. J. ; aud John T. Huff, now of Phila- : that the " Manteses Plain," whereon Earl Ployden delphia.
PAULSBORO IN 1883 .- The Paulsboro of to-day is one of the wide-awake industrious towns upon the line of the Delaware River Railroad, and contains two churches, Methodist Episcopal and Protestant Episcopal; one hotel, by Jonathan Crammer; four general stores, viz., W. G. Cowgill's, built in 1869 by George Manlove; Matthew Gill, frame building op- posite the hotel; George Manlove, whose present store-house was built in 1881; John A. Wilson, on Delaware Street, in store built in 1870 by James Thomson. The lumber dealers are E. G. & S. H. Miller, on the dock below the turnpike bridge. The eoal merchants are Joseph R. Paul, who has been in the business several years, and T. C. Hannold, who commenced in 1883. Charles H. Hannold, a wheelwright and blacksmith, who learned his trade of R. Warner several years ago, in his present shop ou Main Street. I. G. Cox & Brother carry on the wheelwright and blacksmith business, also manufac- ture harrows and heavy wagons. Edward Hannold and Charles E. Paul are the boat-builders. The phy- sieians are G. C. Laws, S. T. Miller, E. L. and R. H. Reeve, who also keep a drug-store. There are also the usual number of small shops usually found in a town of the size of Paulsboro.
siderable business. Here is a new Methodist Epis- copal Church, school-house, powder-works, two good stores, several new dwellings, built in 1881-83, and a railroad station, from which is shipped large quan- tities of vegetables in their season.
Billingsport.1-The chief point of interest in what ean properly be termed the early history of Green- wich township is the town of Billingsport, which was the Roder Udden of the Swedes, or the " Mantua's Hook opposite Tinicum." where Broeu wished to set up the arms of the States-General. adversely to the Swedish empire. There is strong suspieion, not- withstanding the respectable authority of Barker, projected the Manor of Watcessit for his own august residence, was no other than this same Billingsport. Be this as it may, the place was marked out in the time of Edward Billinge as the site of a future town, and received the name of the Proprietor.
The striking advantage of this point as a military post was not overlooked by either Americans or Brit- ish during the Revolutionary war. June 12, 1777, John Hancock, then president of the Continental Congress, sitting in Philadelphia, wrote to Governor Livingston, of New Jersey, to order five hundred militia to assist in completing the works then erect- ing at Billingsport for the defense of the river Del- aware. Late in the fall of that year the British got possession of Philadelphia, and it became a matter of great importance to them that the English fleet, commanded by Capt. Hammond, should communi- cate with the city. Gen. Howe sent two regiments, under Col. Sterling, to attack the fort. Crossing the river from Chester, they marched with speed to attack the fort in the rear, and were successful. The Amer- icans were surprised, and not thinking them-elves able to resist the assault of the enemy, they spiked their artillery, set fire to the barracks, and abandoned the place.
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