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 65
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 65
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 65
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' Furnished by Charles M. Carter.
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
Wood's Window-Glass Works .- The window- Mr. John H. Sixsmith took charge of flint glas. glass works are situated on the ca-t bank of the river, on Columbia Avenue, between that street and the river. They were built in 1863, by Richard D. Wood, and on his death they became the property of his son, Edward R. Wood. They were operated by the firin of Sbarp & Westcott, composed of Ferdinand F. Sharp and Aaron Westcott, and at Westcott's death the firm became Evans, Sharp & Co. The business did not prove remunerative, and the works passed under Edward R. Wood's control, who retained them until 1851, when Jones & Townsend leased and took charge of them. The works consist of two large furnaces, a flattening-house, pot.houses, ete., and are capable of producing six thousand boxes of window- glass monthly. They employ about two hundred and fifty incu.
Whitall, Tatum & Co.'s Glass-Works .- About isOG James Lee and others started n window-glass factory on the bank of the river where are now the Glasstown works of this firm. The work- passed into the control of Gideon Scull, who managed them for a while, and then Nathaniel Solomon was manager for a company of blowers, who occupied the works, but who made a failure. They then passed to Burgin, Wood & Pearsoll, who soll them to Scattery ood, Haverstick & Co., and they, in 1834, sold them to Whitall & Brother. In IS49 the firm was changed to Whitall, Brother & Co., and in 1857 to Whitall, Tatum & Co., which has remained the title to the present time. When Whitall & Brother bought the works there were six furnaces there, and there are only five at the present day, but at that time they were very small, the production of all of them not equaling two of the present ones. Glass bottles were originally made in clay moulds, but iron moulds were almost entirely substituted between 1855 and ISto. The glass now manufactured at these works con-ists entirely of green- glass bottles, the ordinary ware. Between five hun- dred and six hundred hands are employed at these works, producing annually about six million pounds of glass, of an approximate value of $300,000.
In 1832, Frederick Sebetter came from Baltimore, and built glass-works about one-third of a mile below the town. The village which grew up about the works was called Schetterville for many years, but of later years the neighborhood is called South Millville. The intervening space between here and the town has been mostly built up, and the two towns are practically one. Mr. Schetter owned them until 1844, when he failed, and Lewis Mullord, in connec- tion with Messrs. William Coffin and Andrew K. Hay, comprising the glass manufacturing firm of Coflin & Hay, of Winslow, bought them, and carried them on under the management of Mr. Mulford until 1:51. when they were sold to Whitall, Tatum & Co. At that time the works con-istel of two green-glas- factories. In 1962 the firm began the manufacture of flint-glass, but with only partial success. In 1864,
making, and a new flint-glass house was built. an ! in 1869 the firm had only two factories of that kin.l. The making of flint-glass became a success, and siner 1570 the progress in that branch of the business has been quite rapid, so that at the present time there are ten flint-glass furnaces, and one tank-furnace for the manufacture of colored glass. Between cleven and twelve hundred men are employed at these work-, and the annual production of flint-glass is abou: twelve million pounds, of an estimated worth of about one million dollars. The products of the-e works consist principally of chemists', druggists', and perfumers' glassware. They are the largest works of the kind in the United States, and will well repay a visit to them.
Branch tracks from the railroad have been laid to both the Glasstown and South Millville works, to fur- nish more convenient methods of transportation. The one to the South Millville work< was laid in Isz, and the one to the Glasstown works was completed in October, 1883, the first train upon it being run ou October 27th.
The Quinton Packing Company .- This company was established by Sharp, Fries & Co. and F. L. Mulford about 1865, and carried on by them nutil about 1868, when Mr. Sharp retired, and it was con- tinned by Mr. Malford and Mr. Fries, and afterward- by Mr. Mulford alone. He then associated with him- self the firm of Reeves, Parvin & Co., of Philadel- phia, wholesale grocers, and took the name of the Quinton Packing Company, with Eugene Ely us manager for the last four years. They do a large business during the season, and are quite prosperous.
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Besides those already mentioned, Millville has a ship building establishment on the west side of the river, south of the turnpike, formerly Furman L. Mulford's, now Owen N. Worstall's since JFr. Mul- ford's death, in March, 1881. A large vessel is now building on the stocks. Cramer & Sparks started a . machine-shop in 1982, and have plenty of business. Richard Ireland and Clark & Bishop are manufac- turers of carriages, and Lemi Kurtz and Hund & sou manufacture cigars.
Langley's Grist-Mill .- This mill belongs to the estate of R. D. Wood, and is run by the water from the dam. Richard Langley and his son, George B. Langley, first leased the mill and conducted a mill- ing business at this place, but the father has sinen re- tired, and George B. Langley is proprietor of the business, which is quite extensive.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
JOIN L. SHARP.
Hon. John L. Sharp, a widely-known and highly- respected citizen of Millville, died at his residence in
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that city, Aug. 6, 1850. He was born at Mount Holly, of Quaker parentage, in the year 1924. His parents removed to Buckshutum when he was about fourteen years old, where he taught school in after-years. and then engaged in the brick-making business, which he continued largely and successfully after his removal to Millville. In 1856 he was elected to the State Senate as a Democrat, and filled the position with great credit to himself and his party. Ile was an active politician. but honorable in his career. He was widely known throughout this part of the State. He was a member of City Council for nine years, and hell several other city offices. The late Mr. Furman C. Mulford mar- ried his sister, now also deceased. He was a kind husband and father. His estimable wife died about two years before. He left two daughters.
CHAPTER XVIII.
TOWNSHIP OF COMMERCIAL ..
Incorporation .- This township was set off from Downe township by an act of the Legislature, ap- proved Feb. 27, 1874. By this net all that portion of Downe included within the following bound-, viz. : beginning at the mouth of Dividing Creek, and run- ning up the middle of that creek to where the branch called Hansey's Creek empties into it ; then up Han- sey's Creek to the bridge across it, near where Frazier Glanu formerly lived; then a straight course to the bridge over the same creek, known as the Indian Going-over, on the ohl road from Dividing Creek to Port Norris; then a northerly course to the west end of Lore's mill-dam, in the line of David Lore's land : then a north course to the Ackley road, leading from Baileytown neighborhood to Newport; then along that road westward to the road from Dividing Creek to Millville ; then along the east side of that road to Buckshutum Creek, the line of the city of Millville; then down that creek to Maurice River, and down that river to the bay, and up the bay to the begin- ning, was set off' to the new township.
Downe township was one of the largest in the county, but had increased in population and resources slowly, owing to the lack of ready means of commu- nication with other places, and to its inhabitants being engaged in the coasting and oyster trades, pre- venting that attention to the development of the re- sources at home which otherwise would have taken place; but the opening of the Bridgeton and Port Norris Railroad (now the Cumberland and Maurice River Railroad) gave a new impetus to this part of the county, and led to the setting off of this town- ship.
and a half miles wide at the lower end to four miles towards the northern end. Small creeks emptying into Maurice River intersect the mainland, making it more rolling along the river than are some other portions of the county.
Settlement .- A few of the carly settlers of the county seated themselves in the bounds of this town- ship, as has been mentioned in the chapter on the early settlements of the county. They occupied the lands lying along the river, the best and most pro- ductive in the township, the lands lying back from the river being a much lighter soil. The growth of the population was slow, and nothing of historical interest took place. A large part of the male inhab- itants along Maurice River became engaged in the coasting trade, and while that business has in general been prosperous, and money has been acquired by many of them, their absence from home in the pur- suit of their basiness has prevented that developmer : of this portion of the county and its resources which would undoubtedly have taken place if these enter- prising men had acquired their means from other sources.
The township contains two small towns, l'ort Norris and Mauricetown, and the village of Haley- ville. The population of the township in 1880 was two thousand two hundred and sixty - five.
VIL.LACES.
Port Norris .- Port Norris, the terminus of the Cum- berland and Maurice River Railroad, twenty-two miles southeast of Bridgeton, is beautifully situated on the last fast land ou the west bank of Maurice River, near the bay, and is, on account of the oyster trade, grow- ing rapidly in size and importance. Up to 1810 it had been called Dallas' Ferry, from Jonathan Dallas, who established a ferry at that place. In that year Joseph Jones, who had inherited large wealth from his father, a rich coffee merchant in Philadelphia, settled here. Joseph was universally called from this fact "Coffee Jones," Like many such inheritors of wealth, he entered into schemes of speculation of doubtful expediency. He purchased large tracts of land at Port Norris and elsewhere in the county. He owned hundreds of acres in this locality, principally woodland and marsh. The tavern-house yet standing near the landing, on Main Street, but no longer need for that purpose, was built by Jones for John Ogden and Norton Harris, who became two well-known citi- zens of the county, the former at Port Norris and the latter for years a resident of Bridgeton, where he died upwards of forty years ago. Not far from the tavern, on the high land on the south side of the road, ~too:l an old-fashioned windmill. The other buildings in the neighborhood at Coffee Jones' accession were a house occupied by Abrabain Stull, and another near where the depot now is. Ogden lived in the tavern, and farris in a house built for him which stood near
Description .- It is about ten miles from the north line of the township to Delaware Bay, and from two by. Oglen and Harris carried on the wood business
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
for Jones, who had the wharf built. Several vessels were kept running to Philadelphia loaded with wood. The " Plow Boy" was one of these craft. She was launched at Port Elizabeth by Mes-rs. Brick & Lee. During the last war with Great Britain, which oc- curred soon after the purchases made by Jones, this vessel was captured by the British in Delaware Bay, and was soon thereafter ransomed for one thousand dollars in specie.
Port Norris was named by Jones, soon after he set- tled there, in honor of his son Norris. The place was then rather insignificant, and showed no evidence of becoming important. The father being of a specu- lative turn of mind and rather chimerical. went largely into the sheep-raising business, and engaged several meu as agents in buying up sheep all through South Jersey. He induced a shepherd named David Owen, a Welshman, to come to this country. lle bought three Merino rams, and paid nine hundred dollars for them, they having just been brought into the country. At that day the price was deemed by the people to be extraordinary. Hle erected a sheep- fold not a hundred yards from where the depot now is, eight skillful carpenter- coming from Philadelphia to do the work. This sheep-pen was three hundred feet long, sixty feet wide, divided into rooms holding fifteen sheep each. There were literally thousands of sheep owned by him. Many of the lambs were caught by foxes, which were then numerous in that locality. The sheep appeared to thrive well enough for awhile, but after the great northeast storm, about the time of " Nimrod's Propbecy," in Is12, which our old people recollect, in which the large sheep- fold was blown down, all of them died save about three hundred. It is said that the poor animals died faster than two adepts could take off their pelts. ยท Wool was worth then one dollar a pound. The three hundred which survived were sent to log Island, up the Delaware, and thus ended the sheep speculation at Port Norris. There are now few, if any, sheep in the neighborhood .. Coffee Jones, disheartened and disgusted, made a lottery of his real estate, selling the ticket, wherever he could. Ogden drew the tavern property, which has been in the hands of his heirs ever since, and many of the finest buibling lots now coming into market belong to them. It might be added that Jones' cleared and meadow land was di- vided into four-aere lots, under four thousand seven hundred panel of fence, but a man gunning for a fox one day accidentally set fire to the meadow grass and almost totally burned the fence up. Occasionally one of the old burned posts can yel be seen standing.
During the occupation of the tavern by MIr. Ogden, Port Norris was a pretty lively place. The roadway . leading to the landing, Main Street, was for a number of years a great avenue for horse-racing, which sport, except at parks and fair-, bas alno-t entirely gone out of fashion, as it should for obvious reasons.
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Trade of the Town .- Port Norris, after the lapse
of seventy years, has ceased being the shipping por: of cord-wood, and has become the great wyster ship- ping mart of Delaware Bay. There are three hun- dred and sixty-five boats registered under the Oyster Act. There are over two hundred boats sailing to Port Norris, employing between eight and nine hundred hands. A dozen or more firms are engaged in ship,- ping oysters to all parts of the country to regular customers. The oysters are put up in strong coar-e sacks, each holding about seven hundred and fifty prime, or eleven to twelve hundred cullings. Tle average shipment by rail i- ninety car-loads a week. about twenty thousand oysters to the car. Some idea of the immense trade in this article of commerce can be gathered from this statement. Cash returns are reg- ularly received by the dealers. The oysters are of excel- lent quality, and the demand for them is constantly increasing, it keeping pace with the supply. The busi- ness in the trade, formerly carried on altogether along the oyster wharves in Philadelphia and New York, i- now centred at Port Norris, so far at least as the bay oysters are concerned. The cultivation of oysters seems to be yet in its infaney, and the knowledge of propagating this luscious bivalve is far greater than a few years ago. It has been clearly demonstrated within a short time by the oystermen that the best things to spread upon the grounds to catch the spat are clean, fresh oyster-shells, and thousands of bushels are now brought here from Baltimore shueking-house- for that purpose.
The town of l'ort Norris is rapidly growing: new and handsome houses are being built and others pro- jected. Tenement-houses are badly needed. A large new school-house and hall, with a bell, was finished and occupied September, 1882. There has been for about fifteen years a steam saw-mill owned by Hand. Robbins & Burt. There is also a marine railway and ship-yard for the repair of oyster-boats owned by Thomas Hand. There are shops for the manufacture of dredges and all other implements used by the oystermen.
A post-office was established here Sept. 12, 1870, Henry S. Robbins being the first postmaster. Sarmiel Shinn, the present postmaster, was appointed May 2, 1879. By the census of 1880, Port Norris bad a popu- lation of eight hundred and eighty-five, which ha- increased to about one thousand.
Mauricetown .- Mauricetown was for many years the chief place in what is now Commercial township, but is now surpassed in population and business by Port Norris. It is situated on the high land, which at this point runs to the river, about eleven miles from its mouth, and is about eighteen miles southeast of Bridgeton.
It is included in John Peterson's survey, and he was the brat settler here, about 1780. Lnke Mattor became the owner of the land previous to 1789. and had a landing here, and from him the place Le- ceived its first local name of Maitox's Landing. Like
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all the landings on the various streams in this county, this was principally used for shipping cord-wood and lumber. In 1803. George Elkinton bad a wharf here.
About 1814 three brothers named Compton became the proprietors. They laid out a town plot, sold lots. and built several fine dwelling-houses. After this the former name of Mattox's Landing gave way to that of Mauricetown, derived from the river, on the bank of which it is located. Rattlesnake- formerly abounded in the swamps along Maurice River, but at the present day few, if any, of these reptiles can be found. The following account, published in a news- paper about forty years ago, of a den of rattlesnakes found near Mauricetown about forty years before that, is as interesting as it is extraordinary, and is given as published, without vouching for its authenticity :
" In the early jart of summer Mr. Ichalex Compton, father of Mr. S. Compton, was altracted by the noise of some crows lo a entall island In a swamp lying cont guons to his farin. While In pursuit of the crew4 he was shirtle l by the alght of a large rattlesnake. Ho kille I this and another of the same kind that afternoon, and returning the next day he killed seven more, the last of which he found coming out of a hole In the ground. This circumstance led to the suspicion that this might be the plare where the whale battalion had their usual winter-quarters. fu the winter young (.Joj ton, mi compasted by tuo of his brothers, tepalted I. the spot with implements for digging, and after removing about eight Inchesof the tort, or upper surface of the ground, they found immersed In three Inches of clean water, and lying side by side, twenty -eight rittle- snakes, on- litgo spotted -vake, and four black sunkes, and to comdeto this 'interesting group" there was at least a pack of spring frogs asso- ciated with them. All of these reptiles were in a torpil state For set- eral years Immediately preceding the period alive alluded to from til to Twelve ratticalikes Jul been destroyed annually In the neighborhood. It Is also stated that several dens of a similar description bal been dis- covered In the welchborhood of Buel. hutum, In all or most of which several kinds of snakes, and also frogs, were found grouped together."
Press in Mauricetown .- A newspaper called the Mauricetoen Pilot was started in this place in No- vember, 1878, by J. B. Elfreth (now the editor of The Transcript, at Millville) and Charles S. Harlett, as an independent paper. Mr. Elfreth sold his interest to his partuer about May, 1880, who continued to pub- lish it until Feb. 1, 1852, when its subscription list was transferred to the Bridgeton Chronicle, and its publication ended.
Ship-Yard .- The principal business carried on is the ship-building yard of JJuseph W. Vannaman & Brother, at the foot of South Street. A large number of vessels, some of them of large size, for the coasting and oyster trade have been built here. A steam saw- mill was creeted here about ten years ago, owned by John C. Weaver and others, and is still in operation. A canning establishment was in operation some years ago, but not at the pre-ent time.
Business of the Inhabitants .- A large proportion of the male inhabitants lead a seafaring life, many of whom are captains of large coasting ve-sel-, tra ling among the diferent ports from Maine to the West India Islands, and some of them to South American and European ports. These have large and very convenient residentes, and the town is one of the handsomest of the smaller place- in the county.
A post-office was established here May 15, 1820, with John Hill as the first postmaster. The present incumbent is Emma S. Howell, who was appointed Nov. 17. 1870. The population of the town, by the census of 1580, was five hundred and seventy-five.
Haleyville is a small village situated about three- quarters of a mile east of the Mauricetown Station on the Cumberland and Maurice River Railroad, and about one and three-quarter miles west of Maurice- town. It is an agricultural community, and contains a Methodist Church, around which the village has gathered. A post-office, with John W. Bradway as postmaster, was established here April 27, 1873. The present postmaster is David MeElwee, appointed Dec. 6, 1850.
Buckshittum. - The mill-pond on Backshutum Creek was raised and a saw-mill built as early as 1705, when it was enlled Daniel England's saw-mill. He did a large amount of business for that early day. His name appears in the carly court records of Salem County a number of times, generally as plaintiff' in actions of debt. At a later date it was known as Cormack's Mill, and in 1756 as Iszard's Mill, Gabriel Iszard, who was one of the early settlers along Mau- rice River, probably being the owner. As early as 1750 the neighborhood was known as Buckshutum, and has ever since retained the name. A grist- and saw-mill were both in operation until about a dozen years ago, when the grist-mill was burned, being then owned by Furman L. Mulford, and has never been rebuilt. The saw-mill is still in operation, The water-power is one of the best in the county.
Mauricetown Bridge .- In 1867 an act of the Leg- islature was obtained chartering the Maurice River Bridge Company, for the purpose of building a bridge over the river at Mauricetown. The company at once proceeded to build a wooden bridge with a pivot draw. But it proved a losing investment, and in a few years the bridge began to need repairs. They offered it to the board of freeholders, and after a law was procured authorizing it, the board bought it for six thousand dollars. In 18744 they built a new draw and renewed the east end of the bridge, and the next year the western end was rebuilt. Its location has not been satisfactory to the watermen who have had occasion to pass through it, the set of the tide being such as to render it difficult to pass without injury to the bridge or vessel.
Lore's Grist-Mill .- This mill is of ancient date, and was probably erected shortly before 1751, when a road was laid out from it to Dividing Creek. It. was then owned by Ilezekiah Lore. It is situated on the main branch of Dividing Creek. about half-way between the village of Dividing Creek and Haley- ville, and just east of the division line between this and Downe township. It has remained in the Lore family over since. John Lore owned it in 1796, and Ephraim Lore forty years later. His son Ephraim inherited it and sold! it to Nathaniel Lore, the present
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
owner, over a score of years ago. A saw-mill was maintained for many years at the western end of the dam, which was allowed to go down nearly forty years ago.
CHURCHES.
Haleyville Methodist Episcopal Church .- It is not certainly known when a society was formed here, but it was probably about 1:10. It is not known when the first house of worship was erected here, but the old house was in existence half a century since, and at that time a local preacher named Wishart, of Port Elizabeth, labored successfully in connection with the circuit preachers who served the charge. The old church building was a frame structure, with a single centre aisle, an end gallery, and a seating capacity of two hundred. It was ceiled inside, as was then the custom. In this house the congregation worshiped till about 1838, when an ad- dition wa- built to the end opposite the gallery. It is remembered that, to prevent the spreading of the sides, a chain was stretched across. This house was used till the erection of the present church building, which is thirty-eight by fifty-five feet in size, and has, like the first, an end gallery.
The pastors who have served this charge, which was a part of the Cumberland Circuit till 1855, have been as follows :
1812. William Smith. Joseph Bonnet.
1513-11. Daniel l'idler.
1615. S. lomon Sharp.
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