History of Warren County, New Jersey

The aim of this work is to give such a description of important events relating to the region now known as Warren County, New Jersey, as will enable us to understand the development of conditions as we know them to-day.

Written history is a narrative of the deeds of men and of the motives that actuate them. The reader will pardon, therefore, if much of this History of Warren County is narrated as a part of the lives of men whose deeds are the history proper.

It is purposed to give only as much of the State and National histories as will render clear the part that Warren County and her sons have played in them. Official records have been examined at Trenton, Burlington, Newton, Morristown and Belvidere, as well as every known historical work bearing on the subject, a list of which may be seen in the Bibliography. A previously published work has given important material in our history between 1800 and 1880.

In this work will be found published for the first time a great deal of material dealing with the early history of our county. It has been a real pleasure to look up much that was not clear in our history before 1750. The author is much indebted to Miss Mary Clark, of Belvidere; Dr. John H. Griffith, of Phillipsburg; ex-Mayor Nicholas Harris, of Belvidere; and to many others, for valuable aid in collecting material for this work.

 

Table of Contents

CHAPTER I — From the Earliest Times to the End of Proprietary Government, 1609-1702 — Explorations by Verrazano and Hudson — The New Netherlands — Covenant of Corlear — The Old Wime Road — Conquest by English — Grant to Berkeley and Carteret — Temporary Reoccupation by the Dutch — The Twenty-four Proprietors — New Jersey a Part of New England — New Charter Given by Queen Anne 1

CHAPTER II — From End of Proprietary Government to the First Settlement, 1702-1725 — Purchase of Indians' Possessory Rights — The Delaware, Indians — John Reading Jr.'s Journal — Early Surveys 9

CHAPTER III — From Earliest Settlements to the Formation of Sussex County, 1725-1753 — Early Visitors — First Settlers — Early Counties of New Jersey — The Log Jail 22

CHAPTER IV — From the Formation of Sussex County to the End. of the French and Indian War, 1753-1763 — Rapid Growth in Population — The Indian Walk — Indian Hostilities — Tom Quick — Block Houses 27

CHAPTER V — From the French and Indian War to the End of the Revolution, 1763-1783 — Map Published in 1777 — The Stamp Act — Resolutions on Closing of Boston Harbor — John Cleves Symmes — Committees of Safety — Articles of Association — Tory Association — Battles of Lexington and Concord — Battle of Bunker Hill, and Death of General Warren — New Jersey Militia — New Jersey's Declaration of Independence — Confirmation of Constitution — Max- well's Brigade — The Indian Campaign — Tories — Jane McCrea 32

CHAPTER VI — From the End of the Revolution to the Formation of Warren County — Money — Post Roads and Stage Routes — Progress of a Century — Durham Boats — War of 1812 — Merino Sheep Fever — Coal — Division of Sussex County 56

CHAPTER VII — The People of Warren County— Hollanders, English, Scotch- Irish, German — Effect of French and Indian War on Population — Recent Immigration 72

CHAPTER VIII — From the Formation of Warren County to the End of the Civil War, 1824-1865 — Militia — Morris Canal — Slavery — Benjamin Lundy, the Original Abolitionist — The Civil War 76

CHAPTER IX — From the End of the Civil War to the Present Time, 1865-1911 — Development of Towns - Organs — Railroads, Trolleys and Macadamized Roads — Telephones, Bicycles and Automobiles — Newspapers 87

CHAPTER X — History of the Development of the Physical Features of Warren County — Geology, Coastal Plain, Elevation, Erosion, Great Glacier, Lakes, Meadows — Minisink 96

CHAPTER XI — Civil List of Warren County — Members of Congress, Governors, State Senators, Assemblymen, Surrogates, County Clerks, Judges, Sheriffs, Prosecutors 100

CHAPTER XII — Civil Divisions of Warren County 106

CHAPTER XIII — Allamuchy — Quaker Settlement— Lundy — Wiretown — Meadville 108

CHAPTER XIV — Belvidere — William Penn Tract — Colonel Alford Tract - Early Settlers — Water Power — The Alfred Thomas Industries — Banks- Churches — Schools — Park 112

CHAPTER XV — Blairstown — Early Surveys — Blair — Titman — Wildrick — Blair Hall — Churches — Banks 124

CHAPTER XVI — Frelinghuysen — Green — Lanning — Armstrong — Johnsonburg — Old Log Jail — Marksboro — Shiloh — Southtown - Kerr's Corners — Paulina — Yellow Frame — Dark Moon 130

CHAPTER XVII — Franklin — New Village — Cline — Asbury — McCullough— Cummins — Richey — Shipman — Woolever — Broadway — Warne — McKinney — Lomerson — Cole 136

CHAPTER XVIII — Greenwich — Straw Church — Kennedyville — Bloomsbury — Stewartsville — Hulshizer — Cline 143

CHAPTER XIX — Hackettstown— Helms — Hackett — Ayers — Churches, Schools and Hotels — Industries — Centenary Collegiate Institute — Sully's Grove 148

CHAPTER XX — Hardwick — Bernhardt — Shafer — Schools— Lakes — Industries — Hankinson 155

CHAPTER XXI — Harmony — Montana — Churches — Rush — Shipman — Upper Harmony, Lower Harmony — DeWitt — Vanatta — Rocksburg — Martin's Creek — Brainerd — Totamy — Hutchisons 159

CHAPTER XXII — Hope— Green— Howell — Moravians— Green's Pond — Silver Lake — Mount Hermon — Honeywell — Beatty — Albertson — Swayze — Free Union — Kispaugh Mine — Townsbury — Vliet 167

CHAPTER XXIII — Independence — Wiggins — Cumminstown — Vienna — Fleming —Great Meadows — Vliet— Barker's Mill— Petersburg 177

CHAPTER XXIV — Knowlton — Schools — Ramsaysburg — Delaware — Cummins — Adams — Harris — Columbia — Hainesburg — Most Beautiful Bridge in America — Zion Chapel— Brands — Centerville — Warrington — Polkville — Slate Industry 184

CHAPTER XXV — Lopatcong — Phillipsburg — Low's Hollow — Delaware Park — Peach Orchards — Soapstone 193

CHAPTER XXVI — Mansfield — Schools — Beattystown — Labar — Karrsville — Timberswamp — Jackson Valley — Oxford Tunnel — Port Murray — Anderson — Rockport — Mount Bethel— Egbert's — Penwell — Oxford — County House 194

CHAPTER XXVII — Oxford — Green — Axford — Scott's Mountain — Mount No More — Jenny Jump — Oxford Furnace — Shippen — Scranton — Buttzville — Bridgeville — Titman — Banghart — Boyer — Hixson — Hope Station — Sarepta — Manunka Chunk — Hazen — Foul Rift — Lommasson — Butler — McMurtrie — White — Mackey — Prall 201

CHAPTER XXVIII — Pahaquarry — Mount Tammany— Mount Minsi — Water Gap — Blockade Mountain — Kittatinny — Buckwood Park — Dupui — Manwalamink — Old Mine Holes — Old Mine Road — Van Campen — Minisink 218

CHAPTER XXIX— Phillipsburg — Chintewink — Coxe — Feit — Roseberry — Martin's Ferry — Bridges — Churches — Schools — Industries — Hotels — Banks — Trolleys 226

CHAPTER XXX — Pohatcong — Railroads — Schools — Industries — Riegelsville — Laubach — Carpentersville — Alpha — Warren Paper Mills — Hughesville — Finesville — Siegletown — Springtown — Straw Church 240

CHAPTER XXXI — Washington Township — Port Colden — Changewater — Carter and Parks — Jackson Valley — Wyckoff — Roaring Rock — Wandling — Bower's Foundry — Fitts — Pleasant Valley — Weller 245

CHAPTER XXXII — Washington Borough — Mansfield Wood House — Col. McCullough — Early Land Owners — Churches — Schools — Industries — Banks 251

CHAPTER XXXIII — Organizations — Meeting Houses — Presbyterians, Lutherans, German Reformed, Friends, Baptists, Episcopalians, Methodist Episcopal, Christian, Catholic — Warren County Bible Society — Sunday School Association — Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Red Men, American Mechanics, Junior American Mechanics, Maccabees, Grand Army of the Republic, Daughters of Liberty, Sons of Veterans — Medical Society — County Fair — Farmers' Picnic 259

CHAPTER XXXIV — Bibliography 268

 

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Warren county, named in honor of the gallant General Joseph Warren, who died at Bunker Hill, came into existence on November 20, 1824, by an act of the legislature of the State of New Jersey. But before we can speak of the region as Warren county, there are two centuries of American history to consider, which is sadly interwoven with that of Europe. Although Verrazano doubtless visited the Bay of New York in 1523, that does not detract in any way from the honor due to Henry Hudson, who anchored his ship, the "Half Moon," on the 3rd of September, 1609, within Sandy Hook, having previously entered Delaware Bay on August 28th, for from this visit resulted the first settlements on the soil of New Jersey and New York. He spent a week examining the neighboring shores, during which one of his men, named John Coleman, was killed by an arrow shot through his throat during an attack on a ship's boat by twenty-six Indians In two canoes. On this visit, white men for the first time set foot on the soil of New Jersey.