The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 131

Author: Prowell, George Reeser, 1849-1928
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Richards
Number of Pages: 1220

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In May, 1838, Richard Stafford, Joseph Porter and Benjamin W. Cooper were school commission- ers of Waterford township, embracing what is now Waterford, Delaware and Stockton townships, and in accordance with a school law recently passed, divided the township into ten districts, giving the boundaries of each. The taxable inhabitants of each district were requested to meet at the school- houses and choose directors. The following are the school-houses designated as meeting-places and the districts to which they belonged :

District No. 1, Union School-Houee.

District No. 2, Abel Curtis School-House (afterwards Rosendale District).

Dietrict No. 3, Morgan'e School-House.

District No. 4, Ellisburg School. Houee.

District No. 5, Horner's School-House.

District No. 6, Stokes' School-House.

District No. 7, at meeting-honse at Borton'e Mill.

District No. 8, school-house at Long-a-Coming.

District No. 9, school-house at Jackson's Worke.

District No. 10, echool-house at Waterford Works.

Districts Nos. 1, 2 and 3, were within the limits of what is now Stockton township. The township at present is divided into four districts, three of which are nearly the same as those of 1838. Following are the names of districts, value of school prop- erty and number of pupils in attendance :

Dietrict. Name.

Value of prop. No. of children.

3 Union

$3000

155

4 Rosendale

3700

257

6 Greenville

2000

43 Wrightsville

2500

161

EARLY TAVERNS .- The first tavern within the limits of Stockton township was kept by Humph- rey Day, in 1733. He owned the property which in later years was owned by the Shivers, on Coop- ers Creek. There is a doubt of the exact locality of the ferry. It may have been the John Cham- pion ferry, on the Barton farm, on the line of Delaware township, or he may have kept for a short time the Spicer ferry.

There is a dim tradition of the "Cherry Tree Tavern," but few facts can be obtained as to who kept it. It was located on what is now known as the Colestown or Church road, and on the Thomas Spicer property, built by Thomas Spicer about 1733, and is said to have been used as a tavern until 1782, when William Rudderow, son-in-law of Thomas Spicer, moved to the place and resided until his death, in 1808: The property now belongs to Joseph Hollinshead and the line of Stockton and Delaware townships passes through his house. That part of the house which is in Delaware township is the old "Cherry Tree Tavern."

Among the old papers of Thomas Spicer was found, a few years ago, an account for a trifling sum, which was receipted, and on the back of it was an order, in Spicer's hand-writing, to the land- lord, evidently to give the bearer a mug of beer.

About 1800, and perhaps earlier, a house was erected on the Moorestown road and on the Ostler property, which was used as a tavern and had for its sign a half-moon. It was kept by - Cattell and - Warrick, and about 1825 came into pos- session of Charles Buzby, who changed its name to the "Spread Eagle" and kept it several years. He sold to William Hinchman, who, about 1846, sold the property to John Vernier, who kept it until his death, about 1876. The Sorrel Horse Tavern was opened early in the century and in 1807 was kept

753

754

HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

by William Vansciver, and later by his son Jon- athan and grandson Augustus and John Lawrence, who was succeeded by his son Jacob, and at pres- ent by the widow of the latter.

OLD BREWERIES .- On the old Burlington road, now the Camden and Westfield turnpike, where it crosses Pensaukin Creek, about 1854, Budd & Comly erected a frame building, about forty by eighty feet, for the purpose of a brewery. They conducted a large business, and in connection had at one time five thousand hogs, which were fed from the grain after it was malted. The business was abandoned about 1863. In 1866 the building was fitted by Reed & Sheldon as a grist-mill, and later operated by Sheldon & Brother, who sold to Middleton & Brother, and it finally came to the possession of Dory Middleton, who now owns it.

FISHERIES. - The fisheries along the river- ' man Club of Philadelphia. The club is composed front in the township extended from Cooper Creek to the Second Cove road. The first was operated by the Woods and before 1790 was owned by Sam. Cooper, who also came into possession of the fishery as far up the river as the Pea Shore Com- pany's land, which was left to his son Benjamin, The Sparks Club-House, adjoining the above, is leased by the Sparks Club, of Philadelphia, com- posed of twelve members, who leased the grounds in 1884 and fitted up the house. and by him, in 1842, to his son, Benjamin W., who, in 1852, sold the part in front of the tract of the Pavonia Land Association with the land, and within the next year or two the fishery from Pa- vonia to the Cove to David R. Maddock, whose heirs still own it. Later an exchange of land was made with William B. Cooper, by which he came into possession of the lower fishery, which he later sold to Moro Philips, whose heirs are still in pos- session.

The Fish Point Fishery was in possession of Isaac Fish in 1762, and later came to his son, Charles Fish, and George L. Browning, and about 1843 to Samuel Browning and is now owned by his heirs.

Small fisheries along the river were owned by the Evauls and Morgans.

The fishing-grounds along the Delaware River in Camden County are divided into two districts, of which the northern extends from Pensaukin Creek to Federal Street. John McCormick is fish warden. The catch for 1886, with the number of men employed and nets used, are here given, ---

Pavonia: David Bennet employs 30 men with a net of 300 fathoms ; catch, 8500 shad. From Pen- saukin to Coopers Point, 60 gill nets of 10,800 fathoms are used ; 20,000 shad were caught. From Coopers Point to Federal Street, Camden, 8 gill nets were used and the catch was 2000 shad.

CLUBS .- Tammany Pea Shore Fishing Com- pany, composed of Philadelphians, about 1809,

formed a company under the above name and pur- chased a few acres of land on the shores of the Delaware, at the place now known as " Pea Shore," on which they erected a brick club-house, which became a summer resort for the members and their friends. In 1834 the old house was remodeled and again in 1886. The original members are mostly numbered among the departed and the few that remain are well advanced in years.

The Mozart Club, of Philadelphia, composed of twelve members, about 1869, purchased a plot of six acres, containing a dwelling-house lying on the river and near Beideman Station, which they fitted up as a club-house and grounds. A landing and a fine dancing floor were provided.

The Beideman Club-House, a short distance be- low the Mozart Club-Honse, is leased by the Beide- of eight members, and was organized October 10, 1878. The grounds were leased in 1879 of the Beidemans and the club took its name from the station near which it is situated. The house is the old Ross mansion.

MABBETT & WILES' HOT-HOUSES .- An interest- ing and extensive industry is carried on by Messrs. Mabbett & Wiles at their vegetable or " truck " farm, where are located what are said to be the largest hot-houses in the United States. They have twenty-eight houses in all, each twenty- one feet in width and varying in length from forty- eight to three hundred feet. In fourteen of these houses Hamburg grapes are grown and the others are devoted to a general line of hot-house vegeta- bles for which a market is found in New York and Philadelphia and other cities of the Eastern and Middle States. The number of men employed is from ten to twenty-five, according to the season. The enterprise was established by Truman Mabbett Jr., in 1875, and Theodore Wiles became a part- ner in 1877. The firm has a place of business at 130 Dock Street, Philadelphia.

PAVONIA.

This is the title of a land association which was incorporated February 11, 1852, with eighty- five stockholders, principally wealthy citizens of Philadelphia. The company bought eighty acres of lawn ground, near the Delaware River, from Benjamin W. Cooper, and divided the same into nine hundred and sixty building lots. They also built a large wharf, at a cost of three

755

THE TOWNSHIP OF STOCKTON.

thousand dollars, as the landing to be used for a ferry connecting with Philadelphia by boat. The stockholders gradually lost interest in the venture and the place was neglected for many years. No buildings were erected by the associ- ation. The first house built was by Camden City, in 1854, for the engineer of the City Water- Works. Recently the place has received a new impetus, through the efforts of Alfred Cramer, Esq., founder of Cramer Hill, who, since 1880, bought the interests of the principal stockholders, and has, in turn, sold the lots to persons who are building upon them and improving them. The town takes its name from the land association. Over one hundred lots have been sold, and the town is handsomely laid out with wide streets and is well provided with shade-trees. The main street is seventy feet wide and other streets sixty feet in width. The town contains the Camden Water-Works, reservoir and pumping station, a large mansion-house and grounds formerly occu- pied by Benjamin W. Cooper ; also one hotel and a few shops. There are about fifty neat and substan- tial dwellings, which are occupied by the owners, principally mechanics who are employed in Cam- den and Philadelphia. Quite a number of dwell- ings are now in course of construction, and the rapid sale of lots gives great promise of improve- ment, both in number of buildings and population.

There are three old brick mansions on the Dela- ware River front, opposite Petty's Island, two of which belonged to the Cooper estate and were built many years ago by the father and grandfather of William B. Cooper, now a resident of Camden. Both of these buildings are situated in the town of Pavonia. The one nearest to Camden is a large, three-story brick mansion, with dormer win- dows, and built in the olden style. Upon the wall nearest the river, formed in black bricks, are the initials of the builder and date of erection, as follows :

S C 7

9 P

The house was built in 1790 by Samuel Cooper, the grandfather of William B. Cooper. At the present time (1886) it is occupied by Benjamin Engard. A short distance east of this mansion, and below the location of the celebrated Cooper shad fishery, is another old brick mansion. This mansion, built of old-fashioned bricks, is three stories high, or, as called in olden style, two stories and attic with dormer windows, and is nearly as large as the mansion occupied by Benjamin En-

gard. When it was erected is unknown, but the old residents along the shore affirm that it was built about 1771 or 1772. It is still occupied and is in excellent condition, and the extensive lawn surrounding it and extending to the river-banks is most carefully and neatly arranged, surrounded by large shade-trees, which conceal the building from view. A few rods distant, on the high bank, on the farm of Lemuel Horner (and now within the boundary of Cramer Hill), is probably the oldest mansion erected on the river-front, in Stock- ton township. This is a three-story building, forty by twenty feet, built of old English brick, with hip-roof and dormer windows. A frame ex- tension, two stories high and twenty feet square, was built on the west end in 1820, making the en- tire front sixty feet. The brick portion of the man- sion was built at different periods. Upon the west- ern wall, in large figures in black brick, is the date when built,-1765. During the Revolution this house was the headquarters of the Tories, and while the British occupied Philadelphia many meetings and secret conventions between the British and Tories were held in it.

The entire mansion is still in excellent preserva- tion. The present proprietor, Lemuel Horner, was born here in 1832 and has since resided in the man- sion, conducting the large farm belonging to the estate. Previous to 1832 it was occupied, for many years, by the Wood family. Jeremiah Fish and the Stone family also occupied it, but for how long a time is unknown.

Two rods distant from the mansion, and on the estate, is a very old burial-place of half an acre in extent, surrounded by a board fence, though somewhat neglected. It is known as the " Woods Burying-Ground." The remains of very many of the early settlers are entombed there. Very many of the early graves are unmarked, or have only large field-stones at the head and foot, and on many of the marble slabs still standing the surface of the stone is chipped and falling in scales, so that the record cannot be traced. A few, however, are still in a good state of preservation, and one in black marble, one hundred and twenty-four years old, as perfect, apparently, as when placed in position.

The oldest legible inscription is "In worthy memory of Abigail, wife of Samuel Spicer, who departed this life ye 24th April, 1762, aged 26 years and 7 months." Adjoining is a slab erected by John Keble, evidently many years later, "To Jacob, son of Samuel and Abigail Spicer, who died September 4, 1769, aged 24 years." A large tablet, lying flat, raised by brick-work about a

756

HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

foot from the ground, was erected "In memory of Abigail, wife of John Keble, who departed Aug- ust 27, 1807, aged 60 years and 9 months." Others are as follows : Eleanor, wife of John Wessels, died 1798, aged 28 years ; John Wessels, died 1827, aged 55 years ; Henry Wood, died June 18, 1814, aged 56 years and 9 months; Hannah, widow of Henry Wood, died August 23, 1856, aged 87 years, 9 months ; Zachariah Wood, died May 5, 1847, in his 54th year ; Eldridge, son of Henry and Han- nah Wood, October 1, 1814, in his eleventh year ; William E., son of Henry and Hannah Wood, November 2, 1817, in his 21st year. The other graves are, many of them, designated by small low head-stones, withont inscription or initial.

PAVONIA STATION is on the line of the Amboy Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, at the junc- tion of the Mount Holly Railroad. The Burling- ton County Railroad trains also stop at the station. The citizens of Pavonia, Cramer Hill and Wright- ville have easy access to this station.

WRIGHTSVILLE .- The site of this town is on the four hundred acre tract of land bought by Samuel Spicer of Samuel Coles, in 1687, and passed to his son Thomas, and from him to his daughters, Rebecca and Sarah, who married, respectively, William Folwell and Joseph Cowperthwait, who settled at the place before the beginning of the present century. The residence of William Fol- well is now owned and occupied by Captain Emor D. French. The residence of Joseph Cowper- thwait stands on the east hank of Coopers Creek, a short distance north of the Federal Street bridge. It is still occupied as a dwelling, but is quite dilapidated. It was probably the residence of Thomas Spicer, the grandfather of Rebecca and Sarah. At this place a ferry across Coopers Creek was established by Samuel Spicer, about 1736, and in 1748 an effort was made to build a bridge, which was not successful until 1764. The main route of travel then passed over this ferry and bridge from Burlington to Philadelphia. The locality was known as Spicers Ferry, and later as Spicers Bridge.

Between 1855 and 1873 a number of dwellings were built on Federal Street, near Coopers Creek, and occupied hy John C. Gray, John Wright, William Starn, Joseph Folwell and Daniel Bishop, and until 1874 the village was called Spicerville. In 1874 John Wright, a prominent citizen of the village, laid out a large number of building lots, built many dwelling-houses and a town hall, with many other improvements, and the town has since been called Wrightsville. Since October, 1885, forty new brick dwellings have been built.

It contains two large chemical works, the Over- brook Mills, one varnish manufactory, one bleach- ery and dye works, two general stores, two grocery stores, two saddler shops, two carriage and smith shops, one drug store, one bakery, one china store, one flour, grain and feed store, one large hotel and a post-office and ninety to one hundred private dwellings. There is also a large, substantial three- story brick hall, forty by sixty feet in dimensions, built by John Wright, for the convenience of the citizens as a hall for meetings of various kinds, also lodge-rooms and two public schools. The Camden transfer offices and the Stockton Rifle Range with the park and pavilion, are also located in Wrightsville. The largest portion of the town is built on both sides of Federal Street. The in- habitants number about six hundred.

The large brick hotel in . Wrightsville was built in 1877 for George Fifer, but was leased to John L. Smith, who conducted it until 1885, when it was sold to the present proprietor, John Berge. The post-office is located in the general store of Charles W. Scott, at Twenty-first and Federal Streets, who is also the present postmaster. He established this store in 1876 ; E. W. Bray opened his store nearer the creek in 1881; Jonas B. Clark started a grocery store some years ago; Sharpless & Bro., have been established twelve years and are dealers in flour, grain, feed, seeds, etc. The Wrightsville District, formed from a part of the Rosendale District, has two schools. There are two teachers and one hundred and twenty scholars.

LODGES .- Cyrene Castle, No. 8, Knights of the Golden Eagle, was instituted on November 26, 1885, with forty-four members. At the present time (1886) there are one hundred members, among whom are many of the leading men of Stockton township.

The officers at institution were : P. C., George Williams; N. C., Andrew J. Morris; V. C., F. A. Buren ; H. P., Frederick Jones; V. H., David Ristine; M. of R., .R. W. Dawson ; C. of E., Howard E. Miller; K. of E., George H. Gilbert ; Sir H., Alexander H. Dick. Present officers: P. C., Emmor D. French; N. C., John D. Jeffries ; V. C., Simmons Watkins ; H. P., Thomas F. Tay- lor ; V. H., Jonathan McCardle; M. of R., Charles W. Scott; C. of E., William G. Crumley ; K. of E., Allen Hubbs ; S. H., David Austermuhl. Meets every Thursday night, at Wright's Hall, Wrightsville.

Ionic Lodge, No. 2, Shield of Honor, was insti- tuted in April, 1886, with about forty members, and is increasing, having now over fifty members.

757

THE TOWNSHIP OF STOCKTON.

The first physician in Wrightsville was Dr. Philip Beale, who located in 1879 and removed to Camden in 1884. Dr. H. H. Sherk is the only resi- dent physician.

THE CAMDEN TRANSFER LINE has its office at the corner of Eighteenth and Federal Streets. Samuel H. French is the proprietor, and it was es- tablished in September, 1876. There are two lines running from Market Street Ferry, Camden, to corner of Twenty-fourth and Federal Streets, and known as the Market Street line. Fifty-five horses and from twenty-five to thirty men are constantly employed in the running of a continual line of these coaches, making the trip every forty minutes. The line has continued without inter- ruption since first started. The transfer lines carry from eighty to one hundred thousand excursionists yearly to Stockton Park and various places in the township. Captain Emmor D. Frenc his the general superintendent.

CRAMER HILL.

For many years previous to 1874 that portion of Cramer Hill first laid out into lots on the south was unoccupied. A small colony of colored people had located to the northeast, and nearer the river, and called their settlement East Camden. The only resident on South Cramer Hill was an old colored woman, known to the residents of Spicersville as Aunt Rosy. She had a small hut on the hill, and was in reality a squatter, having taken possession of the land which be- longed to Thomas F. McKeen. In 1874 Alfred Cramer and Joseph F. McMasters bought sixteen acres of Mckean and laid out a town-plat with two hundred and forty building lots, and that year erected the first house and store at what is now the corner of Cooper Street and Westfield Avenue. Alfred Cramer occupied the dwelling, and early in 1875 the first Baptist Sunday-school in Stockton township was organized in this building. The teachers were Mr. and Mrs. Price, Miss Lydia Wright, Miss Sallie Wright and Mrs. Alfred Cramer. In 1883 the First Baptist Church of Cramer Hill was organized. William F. Miller built the second dwelling house in 1875.

In 1876 Joseph Cramer, brother of Alfred Cramer, bought the store and dwelling and opened a general store. The Sunday-school teachers, with the assistance of the Trinity Baptist Church of Camden, built a frame Mission Chapel and fitted it for school purposes. A large double frame house was built by the Rev. Sumner Hale, and two double houses were soon after erected for Isaac Stone, David B. Ristine, Charles E. Allen and Al- fred Cramer. Other early settlers were William

Morse, John D. Jeffries, Henry Stoeckle and Alex- ander Dick.

In 1884 Joseph M. McMasters was appointed an Indian agent and removed to Nevada, and Alfred Cramer bought of Joshua R. Jones a tract of land and divided it into one hundred and twenty five building lots, and of the Pitman heirs land for fifty lots, and in 1885 he bought land of Samuel H. French and laid off one hundred and thirty-five lots, and in the same year extended his lines over the line of the Camden and Amboy Railroad by the purchase of one hundred and sixteen acres of farm land from Lemuel Horner, which he divided into sixteen hundred building lots. The deed for this tract contains a clause preventing the sale of intoxicating drinks. In 1886 he bought of William B. Cooper land for one hundred and twenty lots and other miscellaneous lots, making altogether three thousand building lots. Of these, twelve hundred are sold to individuals who have built and are building and improving the land.

The town-plat is well laid out; the avenues and streets are graded and sixty feet wide, with shade- trees on each side; the dwellings are set back some distance from the street, and all buildings erected must be of the required standard ; hence all the residences are well designed and many fine build- ings are now to be seen in the town. Cramer Hill at this time (1886) contains one drug store, five general stores, one shoe store, one printing house and a number of small shops, and over two thousand inhabitants. Joseph Cramer conducted the first store in connection with the post-office. Henry Stoeckle started the second store in 1883. There are four schools, with about three hundred scholars.

THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF CRAMER HILL is located on the corner of Cooper and Master Streets. This church is the outgrowth of a mission school, which was organized in the first store built in Cramer Hill, in 1875. For several years Clarence Woolston, a student of Bridgeton Seminary, and afterward a graduate of Crozer Theological Seminary, conducted services in the chapel, which was built in 1876. Wilson English, of Camden, and other students of Crozer occasion- ally assisted. In 1881 the Rev. Alfred Caldwell became the first regular pastor of the chapel. In September, 1883, the mission was organized by a conference of the delegates of the West Jersey Baptist Association, and among the constituent members were John D. Jeffreys and wife, Andrew Morris and wife, Thomas Hollows and wife, Joseph Cramer and wife, William Frazier and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Griffey and Miss Lydia Stone. The Rev.

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HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

A. J. Hay was called as pastor to the church, and at this time (1886) still officiates. There are ninety regular members of the church, and two hundred and seventy scholars in the Sunday-school, under the care of Andrew Jenkins as superintendent. Miss Mary Hill is the organist of the Sunday- school. This congregation is now organizing a mission in North Cramer Hill, at the corner of Grant and Horner Avenues, where three building- lots have been donated for that purpose by Alfred Cramer, Esq. Lemuel Horner and Joseph Cramer, each contributing one hundred dollars, and a large number of the citizens have contributed smaller sums for the same purpose. The congregation is now preparing for the erection of the mission chapel.

ST. WILFRED PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHAPEL. -A number of the citizens of Cramer Hill, who were desirous of establishing a church of this de- nomination in the town, met at the house of Ar- thur Matthews, in 1884, and determined to con- tribute weekly sums as subscriptions toward the erection of a suitable place of worship. Among the contributors were Frederick Jones and wife, Arthur Mathews and wife, George Gilbert and wife, Edward Hankin and others. In 1885 suffi- cient funds were raised, and by September of that year Jeffreys & Jenkins, contractors, had completed a neat, one-story frame chapel, twenty by thirty- three feet and twenty-four feet high, with cupola and bell. It was dedicated September 27, 1885, by Bishop Scarborough. Ministers were supplied until October, 1885, when the Rev. H. B. Bryan became the rector. A Sunday-school was also early in progress. At the present time (1886) there are forty-three members of the church, and fifty-one teachers and scholars in the Sunday-school, with Frederick Jones as superintendent.

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The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 131

Author: Prowell, George Reeser, 1849-1928 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : Richards Number of Pages: 1220

Author: Prowell, George Reeser, 1849-1928
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Richards
Number of Pages: 1220