USA > New Jersey > Passaic County > Paterson > Paterson, New Jersey : its advantages for manufacturing and residence: its industries, prominent men, banks, schools, churches, etc. > Part 5
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Thus it will be seen that the title to nearly or quite every part of the city of Paterson south of the Passaic river is easily traceable to the Society U. M., or to some of the descendants of the original patentees, or to grantees whose title is so well esstablished as to require no further inves- tigation. Indeed, it is a simple matter to trace the title of this section to the original patentees in 1665.
Totowa, as the Indians called it, being the northern part of Paterson, lying north and west of the Passaic river, and west of Clinton street, was conveyed by the Board of East Jersey Proprietors to George Willocks by patent dated Nov. 3, 1696, and by him to Anthony Brockholls (Lieu- tenant-Governor of New York), Helmegh Roelofse and Roelof Helmeghse, who in 1722 divided the 1,500 acres into three lots-Numbers 1, 2 and 3. Brockholls taking 2 and 3, and the other owners-now known as the Van Hloutens-taking lot No. 1, lying to the extreme west of the tract, and retaining possession of that section until within a very recent date. The Brockholls heirs sold 100 acres out of Lot No. 3, in 1755, to the Rev. David Mar- inus, who in 1760 conveyed to Gerrit Van Houte, who dying about 1790-5, left his lands to his children, from whom the title is easily traced. Lot No. 2 also passed into the hands of the Van Houtens and their relatives. The remainder of Lot No. 3, comprising 628 acres, was sokt by the executors of Henry Brockholst, son and heir-at-law of Anthony Brockholls, in 1768, to Gerrebrandt Van Hou- ten, Ilelmegh Van Houten. Martin Ryerson and Abra- ham Godwin, who divided the purchase into seven tracts, which they took in severalty, and which remained in their families mostly until about the year 1825, so that the title to this whole neighborhood is easily traced.
That part of the First Ward lying cast of Clinton street was included in the Wagaraw patent, given by the Board of East Jersey Proprietors in 1709 to Frans Ryerson, in
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whose descendants the land remained until about sixty years ago, when it was mostly sold in large parcels, to in- vestors, who caused it to be mapped out into lots, which were sold by these maps during the ensuing thirty or forty years.
Another fact that simplifies the searching of titles in Pat- erson is the custom that has been followed during the past twenty-five years of organizing land companies to buy up extensive tracts and improve them. The titles of these companies have been so frequently scrutinized that it is sel- dom thought worth while to go back of them.
There exist to this day fenees marking boundary lines in
the city of Paterson that were established so long ago as 1714. Within ten years an extensive farm, known as the Van Houten tract. lying on Broadway and adjacent streets. has been put on the market and sold off in building lots, on which have been erected dwellings costing in the aggregate between five and ten million dollars, and yet until within ten years no deed has ever been given for this prop- erty. it having passed by descent or devise during a period of two centuries.
The facts given above show that it is an easy matter for any intending purchaser to satisfy himself regarding land titles in Paterson. Passaic and Acquackanonk.
Paterson's Water Supply.
BEING A HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE PASSAIC WATER COMPANY.
By Mr. JOHN J. BROWN, President of the First National Bank,
T HE first record in the books of the Passaie Water Company is the following :-
PATERSON, N. J., Feb. 11, 1854.
A meeting of the Commissioners of the Passaic Water Company was held this evening, when it was agreed unanimously that the follow- ing notice be given in the Paterson Guardian and Paterson lutelli- gencer :-
NOTICE.
The books for the subscription of the capital stock of the "Passaic Water Company" will be open at the office of C. S. Van Wagoner on Tuesday 7th, Wednes lay Sth and Thurs lay the 9th days of March. 1854, from 10 o'clock, A. M., until 5 o'clock P. M., each day.
Signed, T. D. HOXSEY, JOHN J. BLOWN, C. S. VAN WAGONER, JOHN DREV, SAMUEL SMITH.
PATERSON, Feb. 14, 1854.
At a subsequent meeting of the Commissioners held March 4th, an organization was made by the choice of Mr. Van Wagoner as President of the Commission, Mr. Drew as Secretary and Mr. Brown as Treasurer. It was order- ed that when subscriptions were made to the capital stock on the opening of the books, that ten per cent. should be paid ; namely one per cent. in cash and nine per cent. in cheeks. which should be approved by the treasurer. Pursuant to the notice, the books for subscription were 6
opened on the days named, It is possible that if this oc- currence had taken place in this year of grace iSco, there might have been. even in Paterson, a desire to push on an enterprise of so great moment, as the introduction of pure water. But at this early date, only few took interest in it. and the full amount of the subscription to the capital stock was only completed by Mr. John Ryle, who had already subscribed for the largest part. filling up the amount needed, by subseribing for the balance. This was done at the last hour of the last day, before closing the book s.
The original subscribers to the stock were as follows :
John Ryle. R. L. Colt. Thomas D. Hloxsey, John J. Brown, Andrew Derrom, Thomas Thorp. William Ryle. Jr., C. S. Van Wagoner. Peter Ryle.
The amount of the capital stock thus subscribed for was $100,000. On the urth of March notice was given by the commissioners. in the papers before named, that the stock- holders would meet for organization. This meeting took place on the 30th of March and resulted in the election of the following. as a Board of Directors :
John Ryle, Roswell L, Colt, Cornelius S. Van Wag- oner, Thos. D. Iloxsey. John J. Brown. Peter Ryle, Thomas Thorp.
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On the 13th day of April. the first meeting of the Board of Directors was held. At this meeting Thomas D. Hox- sey was elected president, William Ryle, Jr., treasurer, and Thomas Thorp, secretary, all for one year. It may be mentioned here that Mr. William Ryle, Jr., was the late Mr. Ryle, so well known as a large manufacturer and importer of silk, and not the present Superintendent of the Company, who bears the same name. At this meeting also, it was resolved that John Ryle. C. S. Van Wagoner and Thomas D. Hoxsey should visit and inspect the water works at Buffalo, Cincinnati and Philadelphia at the ex- pense of the company.
Thus was started into being a company almost without friends : quite without money, with an utter lack of experi- ence : with a very inadequate conception of what a water supply to a city meant ; with everything to learn and at a period when only the larger cities had introduced water. As may be imagined, an enterprise like this, requiring so to speak a giant's strength with only the power of a child could only be attended by a world of care, anxiety and trouble, and could only be accomplished after many mis- takes. As has been mentioned, the force of circumstances compelled Mr. Ryle to take a larger part of the capital stock of the company, than even his very liberal ideas and hopeful disposition had prompted him to do. This be- came a somice both of weakness and strength to the com- pany. The position of Mr. Ryle was one of power by reason of his having large rights to the waters of the Pas- saic river, derived from agreements with the Society U. M. He also had pumping facilities at the "Gun Mill" and had control of the waters of the lower basin below the falls. This gave him the power of being greatly useful to the company which now his large ownership of the capi- tal stock made him, of course, willing to be. On the other hand the large subscription which he made involved large cash payments, too large indeed, to come from one pocket. It may be borne in mind. by the older readers of this sketch, that dollars in those days meant a good deal more than they do now. Paterson had then no reservoirs of capital such as national and saving banks to go to, and neither real estate, nor silk machinery nor even silk it- self, such little as was here at that time, could build water works. Ilence the early records of the Water Company show a series of trials, delays, makeshifts and disappoint- ments from this lack of eash means. Some of these were foreseen and inevitable, some as may be supposed, came unbidden, but all alike were unwelcome.
As an illustration of the value of the dollar of that day. and also of what we in this extravagant age might call a grim joke, the following resolution was passed at a meet- ing which provided for the election of directors for the second year :
" Resolved. That Thos. D. Hoxsey be paid the sum of one hundred dollars , for his services as President for the past year, and that the Secretary and the Treasurer be each paid ten dollars for the same term."
From the very first, and it may be added here, to the very last Mr. Ryle took an intense interest in the Water Company. This did not grow alone out of his large hold- ings of capital stock, nor ont of his connection with the in- terest he had in the valuable water privileges before named. His mind was a broad one, and took in large interest aside from that of gain, so that in the development of this great boon to the city of Paterson, his money interest in the Company compelled him to go on, but it was subordinate to his public spirit and desire for the public good which constantly led the advance. Ilis intimate friends know quite well, that a good deal of his life was spent in what he, in his sometimes use of the Yorkshire dialect called "worreting" over his business troubles. He lived to see the promised land of the great success of his cherished scheme. He scarcely more than entered it, but he doubt- less felt that he could leave to his children some of the results of the eare, anxiety and trials of a generation of years. He was able in the later years of his life, in refer- ring to the terrible disaster which swept away his fortune by the burning of the "Murray Mill," to say "I was ruined by fire, I was saved by water."
FIRST SUPPLY AND POWER.
To go back in our history ; Mr. Ryle had before this time acquired possession of a part of the Falls property now owned by the Water Company. He had constructed the reservoir now known as the "lower reservoir " then, however, quite small in extent ; and he had at the "Gun Mill" a surplus of power beyond the needs of the mill. He proposed to the Company, for a certain sum per annum, to supply them with water from his reservoir, the water to be forced into the reservoir by his power from below. This was all in anticipation of the mains to be laid by the Company. This inadequate and costly scheme for lifting water to that altitude, with all the risks of piping so rapid a stream as the Passaic often is. so near the falls. was after considerable negotiations adopted ; and this first supply, and for several years after the only supply, was by this crude and make-shift method of sending the very water back, which had just tumbled over the falls, and which again came back through reservoir and mains to the streets below. So great a mistake must be attributed to inexperi- ence, to lack of means for a more perfect way, and per- haps charitably, as one of the same kind of mistakes which nearly always attend new enterprises.
LAYING MAINS.
In the autumn of 1855 various cities and towns were vis- ited to ascertain the relative value of the so called eement pipes. Full reports were made on the subject, especially by General Hoxsey, the President, and in June, 1856, the directors voted to adopt the cement pipes for street mains. The sizes for the various streets were determined upon and a contract was entered into with The Patent Water and Gas Pipe Co., of Jersey City for a quantity of the pipes and the laying of the same. It is worthy of record, that the first contract made with that Company contemplated the
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laying of over fifty thousand feet of mains, or over ten miles. The contract for trenching was given to Thos. A. Quin, a contractor then living in this city.
ISSUE OF BONDS.
It need scarcely be said after mentioning the inadequate means with which the Company was launched into being, that money would have to be bo rowed sooner or later ; and so it was ; only it was "sooner" and not "later." At this early time, with large expenditures before them, and the expectation of revenue only in the future, it need not be wondered at that the contract with the Pipe Company contemplated the payment of a part of the work in bonds. These bonds were accepted by the Pipe Company, and thus was issued the first of a class of securities which have become nearly as familiar to the investors of Paterson as the municipal bonds of the city itself. These bonds were not for a large amount and of course have been long since paid. There have been some days since that time, which might well be called dark days for the Company ; some days when it was difficult to raise all the money that was needed for their many wants. but never from that early day of small things to the present has there been a day when the bond-holder waited for the payment of his interest coupon.
CONTRACT WITH THE CITY.
As might have been expected, the company made early application to the City Council for a contract for the use of hydrants for fire protection. As is often the case in matters of this kind, the company were met by many de- lays and questions, though not quite by refusals. Still the questions would arise as to the pressure, the quantity, the capacity of the pipes, the strength of the pipes ; and then above all, the compensation. Without settling these ques- tions the company went on steadily with the work. The mains were laid, and from lack of better directions, the hy- drants placed where it was thought they wouldl do the most good. Before the final agreement and while still the mains were only partly laid and the city partly supplied, a fire took place at the corner of Main and Van Houten streets, where the Continental Hall building was afterward erect- ed. The prevention of a large conflagration by means of the new hydrants was so clearly demonstrated that most of the questions were answered at once, and they being re- moved, satisfactory agreement was arrived at. Since that time there have been several contracts made between the two corporations, for the supply of hydrants and other public uses, always it is believed to mutual satisfaction.
QUIET PROGRESS.
In the beginning of 1857 the Company purchased from Mr. Ryle so much of the falls property as was then deemed necessary for their use. This was the first pur- chase of real estate which in later days has assumed large proportions. About this time the Company engaged an office for themselves. Hitherto they had used the treas- urer's office. As a commentary on those early times and limited ideas which were the rule, it may be named that it
was voted "to lease the rooms above Burnett's book store, lately used by the City Council, for five years, at eighty dollars per annum " These rooms be it known had been previously occupied by the city as a Council Chamber at sixty dollars per annum. "Great Scott !" some one cx- claims, "the Paterson City Hall at sixty dollars a year." Bear in mind, gentle reader, that this was in the year of grace 1857, when city officials furnished their own offices and their own furniture.
During this and the succeeding year the services of Gen- eral Hoxsey as President were deemed so efficient and val- uable that his salary was fixed at $200 per annum, and the sum of $500 was voted to him as extra compensation for services as engineer and counsel for the Company ; $50 per annum was likewise deemed the proper figure for the salary of the secretary. During this and the following year the mains were laid and water was supplied to what was then called the North Ward. This was by means of a pipe laid on the stone piers under the flooring of the county bridge, permission having been previously obtained from the Board of Freeholders.
CHANGE OF POWER.
The years of (858-59 and '60 were years of gradual in- crease in the users of water; increase in expenses and a continuous demand for more money. These years also de- veloped the utter ind'equacy of the means for supplying the reservoir to meet the increased demand for water. Various changes were suggested from time to time, but not until 1861 was a determination arrived at, to make a radi- eal change in the method of pumping.
The credit of this great change should be awarded to General Hoxsey. It was that the power at the Great Falls should be utilized for pumping, while at the same time the water of the river above the Falls should be used for supplying the reservoir instead of taking it from the basin below. This common sense idea, and one very easy to see the merit of, after it was done, was a longer time in being accomplished thin would now be imagined. What any one can now see how to do was then supposed to be too large a work for the then feeble Company. Columbus and the egg over again. Still it was done. A committee consisting of the president. the treasurer and Mr. Andrew Derrom were empowered to examine methods, consult competent engineers and report as to the practicability and cost. The outcome of this was in the autumn of this year, Mr. Emil Geylene, an engineer of Philadelphia, was con- tracted with to execute the work, he being furnished with a turbine wheel from Dayton, Ohio ; rock excavation and mason work by Paterson quarrymen and the promise of means of payment by the treasurer, the whole work be- ing under the superintendence of General Hoxsey. This method of using a part of Passiic Falls still goes on. There has been need of enlargement certainly ; the turbine of that day has given place to a larger one, the excavation in the rock has been made deeper so that more power could be obtained, but the plans of General Hoxsey for the method and his promise of the results was a marked suc.
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cess, and now remains fastened in the rocks as a monu- ment of his sagacity.
SECOND RESERVOIR.
The latter end of the year brings the first mention of the need ot a second reservoir. There was however, no fur- ther actioni on it until early in the following year, when Messrs. Hoxsey. Brown and Derrom were appointed to in- terview the city authorities with a proposal for the exten- sion of the present contract for the supply of hydrants. This was as a preliminary consid. ration to aid the Com - pany before undertaking so large an expenditure of money. Notwithstanding the urgent need of meeting the reasonable demands for a better supply of water, various causes prevented action, and like many other corporations before, and as many no doubt, will do hereafter, much talk and little performance w.s the order of the day ; so that three or four years esc iped before the second, now called the middle reservoir, was built.
A DISASTER.
In the winter of 1867 an unexpected and terrific disaster befel the Company. It may be stated that the entire water supply of the city at this time. came through a large main, laid on a bridge built for that purpose cross- ing the river from the Valley of the Rocks to the "Guu Mill" yard. During a heavy freshet, either by the power of the current, or by the heavy masses of ice which came with the torrent of water, the bridge was carried away and of course the pipes with it This left the city entirely with- cut water. It needs no words to tell what this meant. Fortunately the Paterson Gas Company had at that time quite a stock of large iron pipe on hand This gave a chance to repair, with little loss of time, what promised to be one of the great disasters to the city Again Gen. Hox- sey's energy and prompt action helped to lessen the dura- tion of the calamity. New pipes were connected with the broken pipes leading from the reservoir and were laid with great rapidity on the surface of the ground (no time being taken for excavation) along the Valley of the Rocks to the bridge then standing, called the "Ryle bridge," crossing the bridge and into the Gun Mill yard, where they were attached to the pipes on the south side of the river, thus restoring the connection between the reservoir and the city. Many will remember the odd appearance of this new kind of supply pipes, lying as they did, like an enormous serpent on the highway They will remember too. the feeling of relief when the work was accomplished. The Company provided for a night patrol during the in terval between the break and the repair It may be named here that when the permanent repair was made, the pipes were anchored in the bed of the river; among the rocks where it is believed they are secure from both floods and ice. Mr. John Drew, then Superintendent of the Gas Company, rendered very efficient services on this occasion, and the Company tendered him a present of $250 for this service. Mr. Drew having signified a preference for a
watch as a testimonial. his wish was met by the presenta- tion of a watch and chain costing the same sum.
THE NEW RESERVOIR.
In the spring of 1867 the project for the long talked of new reservoir began to materialize. The land now oecu- pid by the middle reservoir was selected by the directors subject to the approval of Theodore Weston, a capable civil engineer Mr. A. A. Fonda was engaged as the Company's Engineer. and a committee appointed to pur- chase the needed land. During the months of May and June surveys were made ; the property was purchased ; the plans were approved and a contract for building the reservoir was made. This contract was awarded to Mr. Thomas F. Hoxsey. Nearly a generation who have grown up, so to speak, around it, ean attest its stability and usefulness Few only remember the rough gorge which was once the site of this reservoir.
As this is the first mention of Mr. Fonda as being en- gaged a engineer for the Water Company it is a good place to state, that as long as he lived, he was the valued and skillful employee of the Company ; prompt in doing all that was required of him, and, so far as the writer can say, never made a mistake to the injury of the Company. His death was a s rious loss to the Company, as well as to a large cirele of friends as well as to the community, for his place was one hard to fill.
At the election this year Mr. Iloxsey retired from the presidency after thirteen years of faithful service. Mr. John Ryle was chosen in his place and was re-elected from time to time until his death in iSS7.
CONTROVERSY WITH THE SOCIETY U M.
In the year ISSS. a controversy arose between the Water Company and the Society U. M. as to the use of the water at the falls As might be supposed, where such valuable rights were involved, the controversy was severe, but the difficulty was kept out of the courts by mutual concessions. The settlement at that time covered several very important points, among which was making the well known open- ings in the west side of the Society's dam, which were to be for the use of the Water Company, and which are still used. Until quite recently. when a full agreement was made for the use of water, which may be named hereafter, there was a continuous disagreement over the use of water by the Company ; the Society claiming that water was used beyond what the agreement warranted. This is now probably settled for all time
By IS70 it had become very evident that the pumping power was inadequate for the supply of the reservoirs, now two in number, to meet the increasing demand for water.
A NIGHT TO BE REMEMBERED.
The principal design of this sketch is to give a plain but reasonably full history of the rise and progress of the Water Company, and therefore little else than a simple statement of the facts necessary for a proper understanding of it has been deemed necessary. A little departure from
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this method, may. however. be permitted, so far as togive an account of an occurrence, which had in it the elements of expectation, fear, joy, relief, etc., combined
The occasion was the trial point of the success or failure of these new pumps They were untried ; large. they were ealled then ; made by new men so far as such construction went ; and the results of the trial were of that painful inter- est which can only be imagined when one can think of a whole community being deprived of water. Of course every preparation was made to shorten the time which must elapse between the cutting off the old system and the connection with the new.
The pumps and their con fections were completed as far as was possible before this severance was made. A Sun- day was chosen for the time as the day when the least water was needed. The reservoirs were filled to the brim. Then all means for pumping was cut off, and the city had only the supply already in the reservoirs to rely upon, with the narrow margin of the success of the new pumps, and the time it might take to complete the con- nection. As may be surmised, no time was lost. As many as could work in the narrow limits of the wheel pit, quite below the surface of the surrounding water, were laboring in the dim light of the oil lamps, but they worked with a will. Instead of the work being completed by the close of the day as was anticipated the hours of the early night came, and then midnight came still finding some of the work incomplete. Never it seemed were bolts so hard to fasten : never screws so difficult to work. Meanwhile the rese voir had gone down at the close of the day, and the interested watchers welcomed the night, if it was only that the water would then cease being used. Still the water went down ; and so to speak, the fear went up as to what would be done in case of fire for that part of the town then without water. Midnight came and it could only be a few minutes before the last holt would be in place The anxious faces were pitiful to look at. The builders were there, care worn but reliant. Mr. Ryle had left the ground, sore hearted that there was any failure to keep up the sup- ply ; for the full moon looked down that night on a reser- voir lined with mud ; there seemed not a gallon left. Mr. Fonda the engineer, Mr. Brown the treasurer, Mr. J. C. Ryle the secretary, General Hoxsey, "Andrew" Ed- wards (still with the company) and "Rome" (Romulus Vreeland) pump tender, were with a few others the anx- ious but hopeful watchers. The word came that the water could be turned on : the turbine wheel speed on its way, and soon the great arms of the pumps began to move slowly but steadily ; but they told that the work was done. The watchers hastened to the reservoir to watch the com- ing stream. It flashed out in the moonlight, and a large part of Paterson was saved from a water famine by a narrow margin indeed. The relief was intense, and one incident of the . let up" may be named. While waiting for the water to be forced through the inlet pipe, General Hoxsey picked up a bucket which stood at hand, ran to
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