USA > New Jersey > Salem County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 2 > Part 22
USA > New Jersey > Gloucester County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 2 > Part 22
USA > New Jersey > Cumberland County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 2 > Part 22
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The two stores, the hotel, and the brick and tile manufactory mentioned, two school-houses, a chapel, a colored Methodist Church, a post-ofice, a depot and express- and telegraph-office, and a few scatter- ing dwelling, make up the sum total of the village, which has a small but thrifty population.
Richmanville. - This is a hamlet about a mi !- north of Yorkstown, containing three or four dwe". ings, a store, and a black-mith-shop. One of the most prominent residents is Mr. C. Kirby, formerly long extensively engaged in the meat trade, now a well known farmer. This place was the locality of the settlement of the Richman family, mentioned elsewhere.
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The saw-mill, fulling-mill, and foundry formerly located here are referred to in the sketch of the industries of Pilesgrove township. A store w :- opened by Joseph Harker about thirty years ago. It had several subsequent occupants, and while occu- pied by Charles MI. Miller it was burued, in March, IS78. Among former merchants at this old stand were Benjamin Dubois, Capt. William Main, and David Bank -. The store of Moses MI. Richman was built and opened by the present proprietor in the spring of 1878.
There have at different times been several black- smith- at Richmanville. The most prominent amiong thein was Iredell Butcher, now living near by, but for a long time out of the trade. The present blacksmith is Artis C. Seagrave.
Other Settlements. - Bu-ltown, Duel's Corner., aud Eldridge's Ilill are the local names of settle- ments in various parts of the township, which are scarcely entitled to consideration as hamlets. Mill- town is the name given to the locality of the Rich- man grist-mill, near Richmanville. Baileytown is a cluster of buildings east of Salem Creek, which is included in Woodstown borough, but was formerly so called.
SOCIETIES AND ASSOCIATIONS.
Woodstown Lodge, No. 158, I. O. O. F., wa- in- stitutel Ang. 9, 1571. The following named were the charter members : Albert Walton, Alfred Mounre. Charles Clark, William Taylor. F. B. Elkinton, George Hann, F. M. Borden, William H. Kirby, 1. C. Shinn. The first officers were F. M. Borden, N. G .; Charles Clark, V. G .; I. C. Shinn, Sec. : William Taylor, Treas. The successive Noble Grand- have been as follows : F. M. Borden, Charles Clark. T. C. Dubois, William II. Kirby. Charles D. Coles. I. C. Shinn, J. E. Jaquett, and John H. Turner, In September, 1852, Israel Renner was N. G .; J. E. Jaquett, V. G .; Franklin Fliteraft, Sec. ; and James Abbott, Treas.
Eagle Lodge, No. 64, K. of P., of Sharptown. was instituted Dee. 4, 1871, with the following charter members and first officers :
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Henry Gardiner, C. C .; Chart-s D. Heritage, V. C. ; Heury B. Rich- man, M. A .; Charles S. Springer, M. E. : J R. Grer, K. R. : Jub .: Writein, M. F .; Lowie F. Vanhier, P .; Willian P. Fast on, Clar !-. P. sning, William 31. Riley, John M. Mill-, Richari Bin! !. in? ... J. Nelany Carry. Cuaties P. Keen, Elton li ,gers, Charles G. stauts ... John I :. Humphreys. Jeoph Avis, Thomas Wright, Heury Itvy. Chark+ B. Robinson, Eleazer smith, John S. Mitter, Richar) >. Copia, and Joeph Breves. The principal others aring in "i"
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457
TOWNSHIP OF PILESGROVE.
Harmony Council, No. 56. 0. U. A. M .- This society was instituted at Woolstown, Jan. 11, 1871. The charter members were
T. M Taylor. J'reJerick Borden.
F .. Snellbaker. C. P. Kerves.
T. Grecu.
M. J. Edwards. J. B. Coll ..
1. F. Bradway.
Jolin 11. Turner.
Juseph Taylor.
Mark Kirby.
II. Snellbakel.
Jane Conover.
Charles Adkinson.
Jeremiah Smith
The first officers were T. M. Taylor, C .; D. F. Bradway, V. C .; J. B. Cobb. R. S .; Jeremiah Smith, A. R. S .; Frederick Borden, F. S .; E. Snellbaker, I .; John JI. Turner, Ex .; J. Tyler, I. P .; T. Green, O. 1' .; C. l'. Reeves, Treas. The officers in September, 1882, were as follows: E. Sibley, C .; Benjamin Nixon, V. C .; T. M. White, R. S .; J. B. Coles, A. R. S .; E. Snellbaker, F. S .; T. M. Taylor, 1 .; William Seagraves, Ex. ; Elmer Wible, I. P .; Josiah Daniels, O. P .; Joseph Turner, Jr. Ex. C .; Joseph Taylor, Sr. Ex. C .; Joseph S. Taylor, S. M. White, N. R. Daniels, Trustees. The following are the names of the successive presiding officers :
T. M. Taylor. D E. Bralway.
M. T. Edwar 1 .. Jorepli Turuer. Levi Prickel.
J. 11. Turner.
3. B. ( 1b. Willian Brown.
J. W. Otinger.
Misha Reed
Charles Kech.
Jarar] Conover. Edward Sibley.
Regular meetings are held in Riley's Hall, Tuesday evening of each week.
Woodstown Lodge. No. 138, F. and A. M .- This lodge was organized Feb. 3, 1874, with the following charter members : \. 31. P. V. II. Dickeson, Howard Bassett, L. A. D. Allen, James D. Lawson, JJohn HI. Peterson, Henry B. Richman, Benjamin F. Straughn, Francis HI. Walker, Robert G. Sheppard.
The following were the first officers : A. M. P. V. 11. Dickeson, W. MI .; Howard Ba-sett, S. W .; L. A. D. Allen, J. W .; James D. Lawson, Treas. ; John II. Peter-on, Sec. The names of the successive pre- siding officers are as follows : A. MI. P'. V. II. Dicke- son, L. A. D. Alien, Howard Bassett, Charles D). Coles, Edward Wallace, N. Y. Lippincott, Charles II. Richman. In September. 1852, the officers were Charles H. Richman, W. M. ; Isaac C. Dubois, S. W .; Richman Coles, J. W .; James D. Lawson, Treas. ; John HI. Peterson, Sec.
Meetings are held on or after the full moon of each mouth, and two werks thereafter. Place of meeting, Masonic Hall.
Mosacsa Tribe, No. 42, I. O. R. M .- This society was organized in 1872, with the following charter D:cmbers :
William Brown. Wiliam MI. Walters
Edward S. Davis. Robert Kron.
Joseph J. King.
Julin Denchle.
Jantes > I'ngle ..
Robert R. Akorn. Frank Green.
Jacob t'riou. Chant To. J. King.
Jusph Nichols. Couper A. Many.
William Jess. A-a Reeve. Nathaniel R. Smith. George Klingstine. W. B. Hitchner.
The following were the first officers: Charles L. Watson, S. ; William MI. Walters, S. S .; Edward T. Davis, J. S .; William Brown, P. ; George Watson, C. of R. ; Cooper A. Money. K. of W. The follow- ing officers were serving in September, 1882 : William Ferguson, S .; William M. Walters, S. S .; Charles Knoar. J. S. ; James S. Engles, P. ; Edward S. Davis, C. of R. ; Samuel Broadway, K. of W.
John D. Foster Post, No. 57. G. A. R .- The post was organized in September, 1881. The following were the charter members :
James & Engles. ).dwanl B. Sibley. Joseph Conimith.
Israel Renurr. John II. Peacock. l'rinh Gifman.
Jacob Moore. William 3l. Murrison.
Moses I. Banks. Eliner Open.
Jonasthan shull. John Maxwell.
Jotın Fos.
John Neusteal. Benjamin Maull. Ellsha W. Reed.
Henry liodrien.
The following officers were serving in September, 1882: John Neusteal, C .; Israel Renner, S. V. C .; Benjamin Maul, J. V. C .; James S. Engles, A. ; Joseph Commith, Q .; Uriah Gilman, S. Meets every Thursday evening in Temperance Hall.
Pilesgrove Library Association .- The Woods- town Library Company was instituted March 31, 1810, and incorporated May 12, 1814. There are no records extant which throw any light on its subse- quent history for many years. It was in existence in 1851, and its directors were Jonathan Cawley, Samuel Lippincott, D. C. Paneoast, Joseph Barnes, Josiah Engle, and David M. Davis. It seems to have ecased to be soon afterwards.
About the year J858, Lavinia T. Reed, residing near Woodstown, began to canvas the project of a library among her acquaintances, the result of which was that quite a number of the citizens of Woodstown interested in such matters agreed to become members of a library organization by payment of a member- ship fee of one dollar, and several donations of books were made. Many of these books may now be seen upon the shelves of the library, bearing upon the fly- leaves the names of the donors, long since gone to rest. Some of them bear the label of the ohl Woods- town Library. Mrs. Reed also organized a course of lessons on history, which continued for nearly a year, an admission fee of live and ten cents being charged ; the proceeds at the end of the course amounted to about forty-eight dollars, which sum was turned over to the treasury of the library and expended in books and necessary appliances.
In January, 1260, the project had attained sufficient hold to warrant the formation of a regular society. A constitution was prepared by Dr. I. D. Clayson
Juhu W. Goforth.
Joseph S. Taylor. N. R. Daniels. 1. M. White. E. Snellbaker.
458
HISTORY OF SALEM COUNTY.
and William M. Cawley, and submitted and adopted at a meeting held in the old town hall, Jan. 7. 1-60. at which meeting the following officers, etc., were elected : President, Jon. William S. Clawson ; Vice- President, Rev. Chester Bridgman : Secretary, Wil- liam M. Cawley ; Purchasing Committee, Hon. I. D. Clawson. David D. Hollingshead, Isaac V. Dickinson, Lavinia T. Reed. Elizabeth B. Ilinchman ; and at a subsequent meeting held Jan. 28, 1860, Daniel Ware was appointed librarian, and Omar Borton treasurer.
At the meeting last mentioned it was reported that over eighty books had been collected. and further do- nations were promised, and that an interview had been had with Smith Bowen, who had willingly granted the use of a lot free of expense on which to erect a library building. The lot offered was the same that is now occupied by the post-office building, and it was held vacant by Mr. Bowen, ready for the occu- paney by the association, for a number of years. It was further reported that seventy- five dollars in money and labor had been subscribed towards the expense of the building, and Dr. Clawson gave information that a large number of congressional works, public doeu- ments, etc., which were obtained by him during his service in Congress, were at the disposal of the asso- ciation. These books were accepted and ordered to be removed to the shelves of the library in the town hall, and formed the basis of the present large and valuable collection of public papers owned by the as- sociation.
were delivered by the clergymen of Woudstown. The proceeds amounted to seventeen dollars, and were donated to the library treasury. A proposition was made about this time to William S. Clawson to ervet a builling on the lot offered by Mr. Bowen, taking a lien upon it until the association should be able to pay the debt. To this he agreed, and arrangements to that effect had been partially made. The library associa- tion was to collect and pay into his hands all the funds they could obtain, he becoming responsible for the bal- ance until the association should relieve him by pay- ment. But the death of Judge Clawson. in the spring of 1861, in connection with the exciting incidents of the war, put an end not only to this project, but to all other efforts in behalf of the library. In the mean time the library had been removed to a front room in the house of Daniel Ware, who had kindly consented to receive the same, the town hall being no longer avail- able, and there it remained until after the war in care of his daughter, Pauline S. Ware, who acted as libra- rian.
Club, of Woodstown, made a proposition to un . their library with that of the Pilesgrove Associate. asking in exchange for their books a membership the library for each member of the club. The pr ... osition was accepted, and the library increased then over one hundred volumes.
Pursuant to authority granted by the association .. the executive committee in 1866 removed the liber.t. and furniture from Mr. Ware's house to the store . John Il. Peterson, who was appointed librarian, at . annual salary of fifty dollars, the books being ace ... sible at all times during business hours. At the as. nual meeting in 1867, C. C. Lippincott, John >. Barnes, and William 11. Reed, a committee pr. viously appointed, presented a draft of' a revised ron- stitution, which was adopted. The constitution in- creased the membership fee to two dollars and fifty cents, and the annual dues to fifty cents, and pro- vided also for life memberships on the payment of ten dollars, such life memberships to be clear of al. dues and assessments. At this meeting the following officers were elected under the new constitution : President, William H. Reed ; Vice-President, I. V. Dickinson ; Secretary. John S. Barnes; Director>. 1. D. Clawson, Daniel Ware, Lavinia T. Reed, Su-an W. Seull, Mra. E. C. Hires. During this year the as. sociation sustained a severe loss in the death of C. Carroll Lippincott, the treasurer. In 1868 the ass,- ciation was incorporated under the general laws of the State of New Jersey, by the name of " The Pil- grove Library Association." The following gentir. men were elected trustees for the purpose of incorpo
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During the following winter a literary society was formed by the ladies of the library association and others, under the auspices of which several lectures . ration : I. D. Clawson, I. V. Dickinson. William It
Rred, Charles 11, Richman, John S. Barnes,
At the annual meeting of 1870 the constitution was amended by changing the membership fee from two dollars and fifty cents to three dollars, and the annual dues from fifty to seventy-five cents, and the number of shares of stock in the association wa- limited to one hundred. During this year the as-o. ciation purchased a small frame building, then stand- ing on the site now occupied by Jolin HI. Turner'- store and residence, and the books were removed thereto. John S. Barnes was elected librarian, and performed the duties of the office until 1872.
At the annual meeting of 1871 the offer of a >ite for the library building on the lot adjoining the Friends' meeting-house was accepted, and it wa- ordered that the building be removed thereto as s0 1;1 as convenient. This proposition met with consider- able opposition, but was carried by a small majority, and in the spring of 1871 the removal was effectei At the annual meeting of 1872, William 11. Reed wa- elected president ; I. V. Dickinson, vice-president : William HI. Pancoast, secretary ; L. A. D. Allen, trea -. urer; I. D. Clawson, Daniel Ware, William %. Fli !. craft, George W. Smith, and Van R. Tindall, director -.
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In 1865 a successful attempt was made to revive the lony dormant interest in the library. The annual meeting was held in 1866, and William HI. Reed was elected president ; John S. Barnes, vice-president ; and At the first meeting of the board Mr. Barnes ten- William Cawley, secretary. The Daniel Webster . dered his resignation as librarian. William 11. Pan-
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459
TOWNSHIP OF PILESGROVE.
coast was elected in his stead, at an annual salary of ten dollars, and filled the office until the following March, when he resigned that office together with the secretaryship, and William Z. Flitcraft was elected secretary and librarian in his stead, and acted as librarian, assisted during a portion of the time by his brother, Isaiah Fliteratt, until April, 1875, without compensation.
During 1872 the association was called upon to . no progress, and were discharged, and the matter of mourn the death of Vice-President Isaac V. Dickin- son, who had been identified with the organization from the beginning, nearly all the time serving in some official capacity.
April 20, 1875, at a meeting of the association. a committee appointed to pre-ent a revised constitution embodied several material changes, which brought the association into closer conformity with the laws of the State governing library corporations. This con- stitution was adopted, and it is still in force without change. By it the annual meeting now falls in April instead of January, and at the meeting April 29, 1875, the following board of trustees was elected : William HI. Reed, Dr. L. A. D. Allen, William Z. Fliscraft, O. B. McCurdy, Hannah C. Lord, Mrs. E. B. Humphreys, John S. Barnes, and pursuant to the modified constitution the trustees, at their first meet- ing, held May 1, 1875, elected the following officers, who were ec officio officer, of the association also: President, William H. Reed ; Secretary, William %. Flitcraft ; Treasurer, Dr. 1 .. A. D. Allen. Isaiah J'literaft was engaged as librarian, and served as such for a short time. At the expiration of his term of service Mrs. I. V. Dickinson filled the office gratui- tously until June 8, 1877. Mrs. Joanna Fliteraft was chosen as her successor, and has served continuously to the present.
At the meeting of the board of trustees, held April 23, 1877, William %. Flitcraft resigned his position as trustee, and Dr. I. D. Clawson was elected trustee to fill the vacancy, and John S. Barnes, serretary, until the annual meeting, which was held April 24th in the public school room. At this meeting William H. Reed, Daniel Ware, Edward Wallace, O. B. McCurdy, L. A. D. Allen, John S. Barnes, and J. E. Jaquette were elected trustees, and the board organized by electing Messrs. Reed, Barnes, and AAllen as presi- dent, secretary, and treasurer respectively.
At the annual meeting in ISsy, William H. Reed, Daniel Ware, Edward Wallace, O. B. MeCurdy, Isaac K. Lippincott, J. E. Jaquette, and E. S. Fogy were elected trustees, and the board organized by electing Reed, president; Fogg, secretary ; and Jaquette, -treasurer. A committee of five was appointed at this annual meeting to devise ways and means for the purchase of a suitable lot and erection of a build- ing. all progress on the part of the library being ap- parently blocked for the want of accommodations, the miscellaneous books now numbering nearly eight hundred, and the congressional works between eleven
hundred and twelve hundred volumes. It was re- solved in December to extend the privileges of the library to persons not members of the association by granting permits to take books at a weekly fee of tive cents per volume, such permits to be issued by any trustee to whom application might be made. The plan was found to work well. At the annual meeting of 1881 the committee on lot and building reported additional accommodations for the library was re- ferred to the trustees for such action as they might deem advisable. To purchase a lot and ereet a build- ing seemed impossible. In this emergency Joseph K. Riley, a member of the association, offered the board a lease for five years of the commodious rooms over his shoe-store, at the low rent of twenty-five dol- lars a year. This offer was accepted, and in May, 1881, the library was removed to its present quarters. The library now contains cleven hundred and two volumes; the congressional works number twelve hundred more. Some of them are of great value as historical and scientific records. From time to time festivals and entertainments of various kinds have been given, with more or less success, for the benefit of the library.
The Pilesgrove Dairy Association .- The object of this association is the manufacture of milk into butter and cheese and other dairy products. It was organized Jan. S1, 1881, with stock valued at six thousand dollars, divided into six hundred shares. Richman Cules was elected president ; Charles Coles, secretary ; and John W. Dickinson, treasurer. An ice-house and cheese-factory were erected near Rich- manville, aod the association went into active opera- tions, which have been erowned with success beyond the most sanguine expectations of its officers and members.
CHURCH HISTORY.
Hicksite Friends.1-The records of this society do not contain the exact date at which it was originally organized, but it is thought to have come into exist- ence about 1724 or 1725. The first meeting-house stood near the site of a dwelling-house on the south- cast corner of the lot belonging to the society. It is said to have been a small building, and the date of its erection cannot now be ascertained. The present brick meeting-house was built in 1785, and a Monthly Meeting was established in 1794 by a division of the Salem Monthly Meeting. The most prominent male members of the new meeting were not mentioned in the record, of that day. Of the female members, who scom to have been in the ascendency, Elizabeth Bas- sett, Mary Colleston, and Ann Somers were appointed elders, and Mary Ogden and Sarah Lippincott, over- >cers.
In 1827 and 1828 occurred the division of the old society into two branches, known respectively as the
1 Written fon dati furnished by Samuel Horton, of Woudstown.
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HISTORY OF SALEM COUNTY.
Hick-ite and the Orthodox branches. Of these the Hicksite was the stronger, numerically and finan- cially, and by mutual agreement it retained the ven- erable meeting-house, which it occupies to this day.
About 1846 it was arranged to hold two of the four Salem Quarterly Meetings annually at Woodstown, and about this time, to meet the demand for more room, an addition of fifteen feet was built to the meet- ing-huu-e.
The present membership of Pilesgrove Partienlar Meeting is about three hundred and ten; that of Pilesgrove Monthly Meeting, including Pilesgrove and Woolwich Preparatory Meetings, is about four hundred and ninety.
Orthodox Friends.'-At the division in the Piles- grove Meeting, the Orthodox branch was much weaker than the Hicksite branch, and in considera- tion of the difference in numbers, the old house of worship was formally transferred by mutual agree- ment to the Hick-ite branch.
In 1828 the Orthodox Friends erected the small, unpretentious frame meeting-house they have occu- pied to this day, on Union Street, near Elm. The principal early members of this branch were Gideon Seull and his sons, Daniel and David, and their fami- lies, and William P. and Samuel Lippincott and their families. The descendants of these men and mem- bers of other families with which they have inter- married have down to the present time been the most conspicuous members of this society, which at that time was not more than a score of members. John H. Lippincott and family, now of Haddonfield, were long members, and a son of John H. Lippincott (Joseph K. Lippincott) is a resident near Woodstown, and has been a lifelong member of note. Another former member who will not soon be forgotten was Sarah Ann Allen, also now of Haddonfield.
Rebecca Hubbs was an carly minister, and was many years in service. Later ministers of ability, zeal, and influence were Hepzibah Brooks and Saralı Scull.
Meetings are held every First Day, or Sunday. and every effort consistent with the rules and practice of Orthodox Friends to make them interesting and in- fluential i- put forth.
Old Pilesgrove Methodist Church .- No authentic history in detail of the old l'ilesgrove Methodis: Episcopal Church is obtainable at this date. It is supposed to have been organized very early, probably not long after the organization of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Salem. In the absence of rec- ords, and after such a lapse of time, it has not been found possible to present the names of early men- bers or to give a list of the successive preachers, or even to name any of those who led meetings there in the early days.
A small " class" is naturally supposed to have been first formed, and in time a school-house, near the sit. of the present old church, is said to have been the successor of the house of one or two zealous mem- bers at- a place of holding meetings when Pittsgrove became a station on the oll Salem Cirenit. Later a house of worship (a " one-story frame house, with a small gallery in front") was built, which in time gave place to that at present standing, unused and rapidly going to ruin. In time this became the chief station on a charge which included Woodstown and other points in the vicinity. A graveyard was opened close by, and in it repose the bodies of most of those who early worshiped here.
Years passed, and the second church began to neel repairs, and the centre of population in this section had shifted to Sharptown, where an enterprising elas of Methodists had grown up under the protection of the old organization, and about 1530 meetings began to be held in the school-house in that village more and more frequently, and the old church was occu- pied less and less often, until the organization of the Sharptown Church, and the erection of a house of worship there in 1833, led to a final closing of it- doors.
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Methodist Episcopal Church of Sharptown. - During a few years prior to 1833 preaching wa- gradually transferred from the old Pilesgrove Church to Sharptown, where meetings were held in the school- house. Rev. John Walker, Rev. Solomon Sharp, and other old-time preachers officiated, and the services were attended by most of the church-going people. living in Sharptown and its vicinity.
In 1833 a formal church organization was effected through the instrumentality of Rev. Mr. Walker. William Morris, and others. Among the prominca! early members were the following-named persons and their families in whole or in part : William Morri- Charles Bennett, Joseph Matlack, Jonathan Harvey. Riehman Dixon, Robert P. Robinson, and Samue! Hillman.
The neat brick church now in use was built in 1835, and dedicated and formally opened in the fall of the same year. It cost about five thousand dol- lars.
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