USA > New Jersey > Cumberland County > History of the early settlement and progress of Cumberland County, New Jersey and of the currency of this and the adjoining colonies. > Part 4
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GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS.
sent to the Chief Justice, urging him to solicit the Governor to appoint a special oyer and terminer, the messenger being required to go and return in five days. Jeremiah Buck was the messenger, who of course made the journey on horseback, and was paid for six days at five shillings per day.
In 1759 it was agreed to build a new court-house of brick, two stories, 34 by 24 feet, with a cupola; Ebenezer Miller, David Shep- pard, and Samuel Fithian, all north-siders, were the committee. During the years 1760 and '61 this house was built, and stood in the middle of what is now Broad Street, opposite the dwelling- house of the jail keeper, and continued to be used until 1846, about eighty-four years. The bell was purchased by subscription, and for many years the house was used on Sundays and other days for religious meetings. Evening meetings continued to be held in it until but a few years before it was taken down. The jail yard was inclosed with the walls in 1765. In 1767 the town- ships of Greenwich and Stow Creek were authorized to have each a pair of stocks. In 1775 a fence was ordered to be put up at the west end of the court-house, and in 1777 one was ordered at the east end, to prevent ball being played there. In 1790 the present jail was built on the site of the old one. About 1809 a market house was built by private subscription, and by consent of the freeholders, at the west end of the court-house. It was never much used, except on training or other public days. The pump in the street was put there by private subscription, aided by a donation from the freeholders, the main purpose being to reach the lower springs, which only, in that vicinity, furnish good water. A liberty pole was put up by the Democrats about 1802, near where the flag-staff now stands, which remained for many years, and was sometimes degraded to a whipping-post, when that punishment was in vogue.1 Up to 1815 the clerks and surrogates kept their books and papers where they happened to live, which was not always in Bridgeton. In that year the fire-proof offices on Commerce Street were erected, being originally a low one-story building, more like a blacksmith shop than public offices.
About the year 1830 there began to be a desire to have a better
1 Since this was written the old jail has been taken down. It stood a little south of the existing brick sheriff's house and jail, erected in 1867. The street has been newly graded, and the flagstaff and pump have disappeared.
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GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS.
court-house; and in 1836 the lot on which it now stands was pur- chased, there being then standing on it a large three-storied house, built and used for many years as a tavern, but, after 1810, occu- pied by Rev. Jonathan Freeman. This produced an agitation to remove the county seat to Millville; and, in pursuance of a special law, an election was held July 25 and 26, 1837, to determine the question. After a warm contest, the result was 1284 votes for Bridgeton, 1059 for Millville, and 214 for Fairton. When the battle began to wax warm, and especially when it was found that the jealousy of some persons in Fairton would induce them to throw away their votes on that place, the people of Bridgeton were frightened, and issued hand-bills to the purport that the expense of a new building was useless, the old one being good enough. The result was a long contest in the Board of Freeholders, there being eight townships, four of which voted steadily against a new house, and the other four not only voted for a new house, but against selling the lot lately purchased. In 1843, by the efforts of two or three individuals, a law was passed establishing a new township at Shiloh, under the plea that it was a political manœuvre, and so skilfully was the matter managed, that the real object was not suspected until it was too late. When the Board of Freeholders met, five townships voted to build a new court-house, thus over- powering the four who were opposed to it. Finding themselves thus caught, the freeholders of the four eastern townships cordially united in building the present house, which was finished and first occupied in 1845. The next year the fire-proof offices on Com- merce Street were raised and much improved. The existing fire- proof record rooms in the rear were added in 1859. All disputes about the court-house and offices being thus happily ended, the inhabitants of the other parts of the county no longer opposed new townships being created on both sides of the river, which were found important for the convenience of a rapidly growing town. The new township at Shiloh, called Columbia, existed but one year.
The persons of all descriptions inhabiting Cumberland County when it was set off, did not number 3000. In 1745, there were only 6847 inhabitants in the bounds of Salem, as it then existed. An act of Assembly passed in 1752, affords some means of ascer- taining the relative positions of the two counties after the separa- tion. Of the sum of fifteen hundred and thirty pounds required
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for the state tax, the sum of one hundred and six pounds was re- quired to be raised by Salem, and a very little more than half as much, namely, fifty-four pounds by Cumberland ; and this propor- tion appears to have been substantially maintained until after the Revolution. In 1782, of ninety thousand pounds State tax, Salem was required to raise three thousand and fifty-seven pounds, and Cumberland about one-third less, namely, two thousand and twenty- five pounds. This last proportion still continues. The State tax of 1868 was 350,000 dollars, of which Salem raised 12,880 dollars, and Cumberland 8079 dollars.
It appears from the census of the two counties taken at different periods, that Cumberland has gained on Salem in population, but not in wealth.
Census of Salem and Cumberland.
1790
1800
1810
1820
1830
Salem
10,437
11,371
12,761
14,022
14,155
Cumberland
8,248
9,529
12,670
12,668
14,093
1840
1850
1860
1865
1869 estimated
Salem
16,024
19,467
22,458
23,162
Cumberland
14,374
17,189
22,605
26,233
24,000 33,000
4
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BRIDGETON.
CHAPTER III.
BRIDGETON.
IN 1754, Daniel Elmer, who was a surveyor, and the oldest son . of Rev. Daniel Elmer, pastor of the Fairfield Presbyterian Church, laid out for Alexander Moore a town on the east side of the Co- hansey, which it was proposed to call Cumberland. The streets were laid out at right angles, and the squares contained each 183 square perches. It extended from what is now Jefferson Street to a little north of the present iron works on the north, and from the river to about as far east as where Orange Street now is. Some of the old title-deeds refer to this plan, but the streets were never opened. Most of the site was then the original forest.
The road to Deerfield was laid out in 1768, upon the old travel- led track from the bridge to near the corner of the present Com- merce and Pearl Streets, thence northerly, a little south of where Pearl Street now is. In 1785, the road to Fairfield was changed, and laid out to begin at John Westcott's stone house-then a low one-story stone house-standing at the southeast corner of the pre- sent Commerce and Pearl Streets, afterwards for years owned and occupied by Mark Riley, the lot extending up to where Orange Street now is; thence southward along the present Pearl Street, over the dam made by Col. Enos Seeley, and thence along what is now the left hand road to the brick-kiln corner, and thence south along the old road over Rocap's Run.
John Moore White having been licensed to practise law, and married, came to Bridgeton in 1791 and erected a handsome dwell- ing, now forming a part of the hotel at the corner of Commerce and Laurel Streets. He procured the road to be changed and to run as it does now, called Laurel Street. He laid out himself and fenced some of the other streets to correspond. His lot, in- closed with a handsome fence, and well improved with shade and fruit trees, and an extensive, well laid-out garden, extended on Commerce Street from the corner of Laurel to the present Water Street, and on Laurel Street from the corner to James Hood's line.
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The present livery stables were his barn and stables, the tide in the river flowing up to near the building. North of him it was an open woods, in which the laurel was so conspicuous as to give the name Laurel Hill to the elevated ground still called by that name. The present Pearl Street was by him called Middle Street. Bank was called Freemason Street, and Washington was called Point Street. The road to Deerfield, after passing the first run north of the town, was very crooked. It was made straight in 1796 about half way, and a few years later as the turnpike now runs. The turnpike was made in 1852. The straight road to Fairton was opened in 1799; that to Millville in 1805. In 1810, the road to Buckshootem was laid. The turnpike was made to Millville in 1853.
The road from Greenwich to Bridgeton, through Bowentown, was in use by the early settlers. In 1769, it was regularly laid out as a four-rod road, and then passed the court-house, down the hill to Water Street (now Atlantic), thence a straight course to the foot of the bridge. The road, however, was a deep gully below the court- house until about 1802, when George Burgin, a prominent citizen, who had built the stone storehouse at the corner of Broad and Atlantic Streets, made the road passable for carriages, and caused the wharf it leads to to be erected. In 1800, the present Atlantic Street was laid as it now is ; but for several years the old road pass- ing in front of the Parvin House continued to be used by carriages, and was the foot-path until that house was taken away in 1825. The road from the foot of the bridge up the hill, and thence along what is now Franklin Street, was laid nearly as it now is in 1771. For many years, however, this road up the hill was a mere sandy track, but little used. In 1825, the late Dr. Ephraim Buck, having had the office of overseer imposed on him, put it in good order, at an expense much complained of by the tax-payers, but which soon made it the main thoroughfare of travel, and proved an excellent improvement. The old middle road down the hill, which was never regularly laid out, was shut up in 1815. The straight road to Roads- town was, after several futile attempts, laid out and opened about 1798. Broad Street was formerly called Main Street. Until after the Revolution, Bridgetoh was but an insignificant hamlet, having not more than from 150 to 200 inhabitants. The houses built up to that time were in the neighborhood of the court-house, and on Vine and Main Streets, and on Commerce and Laurel Streets, south
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BRIDGETON.
of Commerce. The bridge had no draw, and was a subject of con- siderable contention. The Rev. Philip Fithian, then a tutor in Vir- ginia, visited the place in 1774. He records in his journal under the date of April 26, "visited Nathan Leak (in Deerfield). He told me the beginning and continuation of the quarrel of the magistrates, free- holders, and other officers, about raising money for repairing Cohan- sey Bridge." This quarrel grew out of a dispute about its location ; a strong party, headed by Col. Enos Seeley, owner of the property on the creek below Jefferson Street, being in favor of putting it opposite Broad Street, while Alexander Moore and his friends in- sisted upon retaining the old site. Nothing but indispensable repairs was done to the old bridge until after Mr. White took pos- session of his property. He was desirous of having a draw, so that he might erect wharves above; and to induce the freeholders to incur the necessary expense, agreed to defray the cost of the draw, and keep it in good repair five years; and he also deeded to trus- tees a lot of land on the river, where the rolling and pipe-mills now are, to be used as a free public landing for wood and lumber. The lot was so used for many years, but becoming less and less important to the community, Mr. White-on the ground that the conditions of his grant had not been complied with-some twenty- five years ago took possession of it and sold it. The town is cer- tainly far more benefited by its present use than it could be if held for its original purpose. From 1799 to 1801, the present stone abutments were put up, and the bridge was built on piles, and raised much higher than it had been, and at this time the dispute about its location was renewed, George Burgin being desirous of having it placed opposite Broad Street .* Old inhabitants speak of the tide having risen above the floor in former times. The draw has been several times altered. For many years it was raised up; but it was a constant source of trouble and expense. There not having been any previous law authorizing this bridge, one was passed in 1834. The existing structure was built in 1849. The street on both sides of the bridge has been raised from five to eight feet.
An actual enumeration of the inhabitants made in 1792, found that they numbered 300. About this time General Giles built the
* Now, in 1869, arrangements have been made for building a bridge at Broad Street, so that soon, instead of only one, there will be three.
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BRIDGETON.
house on Broad Street, now occupied by Rev. Dr. Jones, and shortly after this, several pretty good houses were erected. That occupied by Mrs. Read was built by Ebenezer Miller; but it has been en- larged and much improved. All the houses occupied in 1748 have long ago disappeared. Among the early business men of the town was Col. David Potter. His wharf and store-house were on the west side of the river, next below the Mason line. His dwell- ing-a wooden structure at the northwest corner of Broad and Franklin Streets-was burned about the year 1780, and he then built the present brick dwelling and store at the same place. In his day, a considerable quantity of wheat, raised in Hopewell, Deerfield, and Pittsgrove, was brought to this place and exported to Philadelphia, and the Brandywine Mills. He died in 1805. Next after him were Seeley and Merseilles, who had a store near the southeast corner of the bridge. Merseilles built the store-house at the southeast corner of Commerce and Laurel Streets. He also built a good dwelling-house opposite, now a part of Grosscup's building. The town being at the head of navigation, a considera- ble business in carrying wood and lumber to Philadelphia grew up; but up to the beginning of the present century not more than three or four vessels were owned in the place, nor did the stores fairly compete with those at Greenwich. In 1780, a letter-of-marque schooner, called Gov. Livingston, was built on the Cohansey, at the place now occupied as a lumber yard by Messrs. Mulford, which made one successful trip. Upon her return from her second voy- age, with a valuable cargo, she was captured near the Delaware by a British frigate.
The sons of Col. Potter first kept the store at the southwest cor- ner of Commerce and Laurel Streets. The most influential citizens in 1800 were Dr. Jonathan Elmer, Col. Potter, Ebenezer Seeley, Jonathan Bowen, Dr. Samuel M. Shute, James Burch, Zachariah Lawrence, Enoch Boon, John Moore White, and Gen. Giles. Ebenezer Elmer, who had been previously in practice as a physi- cian, and was a prominent public man, moved on to a farm at Bow- town in 1795, from whence he returned in 1807. Col. Enos Seeley had become disabled by disease, and Judge Ephraim Seeley, son of Col. Ephraim, died in 1799, soon after finishing his house at the corner of Commerce and Bank Streets.
We have no means of knowing what was the precise number of inhabitants at this epoch, but they may be estimated to have been
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BRIDGETON.
about four hundred. Nearly every house then existing can be identified. On the east side was the old Seeley mansion at the mill, now gone; a house on Commerce Street nearly opposite the Methodist meeting-house, built by Mr. Fauver, on a lot at the south- east corner of John Moore White's property ; the house at the corner of Commerce and Bank Streets, built by Ephraim Seeley ; the academy on Bank Street, having, as now, the Masonic lodge in the upper story, and the house on the north side of Irving, front- ing Bank, then owned by Ebenezer Seeley ; a house on the south side of Irving, west of Bank Street; the old stone house at the southeast corner of Commerce and Pearl Streets, long owned by Mark Riley; five houses on Pearl, south of Commerce ; house near the saw-mill, then owned by Col. Enos Seeley, long known as the house of Widow Jay; the house of his son, David Seeley, now Mrs. Buck's, fronting on Laurel; the old Boyd mansion opposite; five houses on the east side of Laurel, south of Commerce; one stone house on the west side; store-houses at the south corners of Com- merce and Laurel Streets; a house and a shoemaker-shop a little west of it, built by James Burch, on the south side of Commerce Street (now James Potter's) ; a store-house near the southeast corner of the bridge; the old mansion of Alexander Moore, then a tavern, and two houses near thereto; White's mansion house, now the hotel ; the house of Eden M. Merseilles, now a part of Grosscup's build- ing; a house east of this built by Reuben Burgin; a blacksmith- shop at the corner of Commerce and Pearl ; a house on the east side of Pearl Street, now S. W. Seeley's; a house where the brick Pres- byterian church stands; one nearly opposite owned by James Hood, a Scotchman, then following his business of making wrought nails, and his shop; a blacksmith-shop on Washington Street near the corner of Laurel; the stone house on the side of Laurel, nearly opposite Irving Street; two small houses near thereto; three houses above on the same street, and a store-house at the northeast corner of Laurel and Irving.
On the west side were the old Parvin House near the foot of the bridge and a stone house north of it, on Commerce Street, the old Cotting House, then Enoch Boon's; four other houses on Atlantic Street; a house on Broad Street below the jail ; three houses on the north side of Broad near the court-house, one of which was then occupied as a tavern; two houses on the west side of Franklin Street; Col. Potter's house and store at the corner of Broad and Franklin ; two or three houses between that and Giles Street; the
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BRIDGETON.
mansion of Gen. Giles; two or three houses above on the same side; six or seven houses on the south side of Broad Street; three houses on the west side of Fayette Street; a large three-storied house where the court-house now stands, long occupied as a tavern, and. five or six houses on Vine Street; a one-story school house where the public school now is, and the old brick Presbyterian church. The court-house stood in the middle of Broad Street. The only wharves at this time were a small one just below the bridge on the west side, another of better construction lower down on the same side, belonging to Col. Potter, and one on the east side constructed by Seeley & Merseilles, about twenty rods below the bridge, with the remains of the old Smith Wharf on the property now Mrs. Buck's. The wharves above the bridge were not built until after the draw was made, so that masted vessels could pass through. Among the first were those of Laurel Hill, now disused. Goose Hill above got its name from the circumstance that the owner of the farm opposite accused Abraham Sayre, who lived at the northern end of the town, of plucking the feathers from some of his geese, and shortly afterwards some of his pigs happening to go astray, he set up advertisements offering a reward for them, and hoping that Squire Sayre had not mistaken them for geese and pulled off the hair. This brought on a suit for libel, about 1810. The suit was settled by an arbitration; but the name Goose Hill became the popular usage.
About the year 1800, Levi Leake, of Deerfield, brother of the eminent lawyer Samuel Leake, and a warm Federalist, commenced building a new house on a lot he owned near where the pipe-mill stands. Before it was finished, Mr. Jefferson was elected President, which so displeased him that he made a vow that he would not complete the building until the Federalists came again into power. As this never happened, the building remained near twenty years unoccupied, until on his death it was sold and removed, standing now on the north side of Laurel Street, near to the corner of Wash- ington.
The following houses have at different times been occupied as taverns: A house on the west side of Laurel Street above Irving, which was burnt in 1826; the hotel, the old Moore mansion, the old Parvin House, the double stone house on the west side of At- lantic Street, the house opposite the jail, the Cohansey Hotel, a large house standing on the present site of the court-house, the
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BRIDGETON.
house of Dr. Hampton, on Vine Street, and the house at the south- west corner of Broad and Giles Streets.
The number of families in 1829 was found to be 342, and the population 1736. Just previous to this the east side of the river began to outnumber the other side. There were then four taverns and ten stores. Twenty-five vessels belonging to the place were employed principally in the wood trade, besides several oyster boats. Upwards of 25,000 cords of wood were sent annually to Philadelphia.
In 1838, the number of inhabitants was found to be 2315, of whom 1513 were on the east side and 802 on the west. The growth during the preceding ten years had been almost exclusively on the east side. There were still four taverns and about twelve stores. At this time the streets were named as they are now known. The streets since opened are Orange, Pine, Walnut, Church, Cedar, and Elmer Streets on the east side, and Academy, Oak, and Hampton Streets on the west side. In 1850 the popula- tion of the town was 3303. In 1860 it had increased to fully 5000, which may be considered as the present population .- Two taverns are now found sufficient instead of the four maintained when there were not half so many inhabitants.
The journal of a young lady who visited Bridgeton in 1786, before mentioned, gives the name of the place Cohansey, and it is to be regretted that this old Indian name was not adopted as the name of this town, instead of being only the name of one of the townships (and since dropped entirely), containing hardly one third of the inhabitants. She mentions leaving Cooper's ferry (Camden) about 12 o'clock, part of the company in Mr. Potter's family wagon, Mr. Moore and I in his carriage, the latter being the old-fashioned one horse chaise, then lately introduced. They travelled through Gloucester, Woodbury, Greenwich, now Clarks- boro, to the Pine Tavern, where they passed the night. This was a well-known wayside inn, now disused, about four miles beyond the Pole Tavern, which was also a noted house of entertainment before the Revolution. It was cold, and she complained of the scanty clothing on the beds, and that the windows were not glazed, and had no shutters, only boards nailed up, and these an inch apart. They left at 6 A. M. and called at Dr. Harris', in Pitts- grove, who married a daughter of Alexander Moore, some of whose descendants are still living. She records frequent visits to Moore
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BRIDGETON.
Hall. On Sunday went to church at New England Town. The next Sunday Mr. Grier preached in the court-house; visited Mrs. Boyd, mother of the then wife of Colonel Potter, where she was staying. "We strolled about in her garden; it is situated along the creek, and is really beautiful. Well might a poet sit under the rural willows and contemplate the beauties of nature and art. There were many beautiful flowers. Three sloops came up whilst we stood there, and cast anchor." This dwelling and garden have long since disappeared. It was one of the old time mansions, which the writer remembers to have seen more than fifty years ago dilapidated and empty. It was just above where the new bridge from Broad Street is to cross. Mrs. Boyd was one of those excel- lent Christian women whose memory deserves to be perpetuated. Her husband, from the north of Ireland, came over to this country about the year 1772, leaving his wife and three children in their native home. After following the occupation of a peddler for a short time, he succeeded in commencing a store at Cohansey Bridge, and then sent for his wife and children. They left Ireland in the fall of 1773, but on their arrival, found that Mr. Boyd had recently died. The widow took upon herself the charge of her husband's store, and aided by an excellent clerk, James Ewing, the father of the late Chief Justice Ewing, whose mother was her eldest daughter, she succeeded in maintaining her family in comfort. Her only son, at the time of his father's death about six years old, was a promising young man, but having entered into business in Phila- delphia, died of the yellow fever in 1795. The youngest daughter became the second wife of Colonel Potter, with whom her mother resided for some years before her death, ending her days in 1812 at the good old age of 80 years. The margin of the creek, on the east side, with the exception of the wharf near the bridge, and that of Seeley & Merseilles' lower down, was a low meadow until within the last twenty years.
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