History of the city of Paterson and the County of Passaic, New Jersey

1901·36.5 MB·English

by  Nelson, William, 1847-1914

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HISTORY
OF THE
PATERSON
CITY
OF
AND THE
County
of Passaic
Mew
Jersey.
By WILLIAM NELSON,
PATERSON, N. J.:
THE PRESS PRINTING AND PUELISHING CO., 269 MAIN STREET.
1901.
COPYRIGHT
1900
By WILLIAM NELSON, A. M.
CoiTesponding Secretary NewJerseyHistoricalSociety; Chair-
manof the Public Records Commission of the State of New
Jersey; EditoroftheNewJerseyArchives; MemberCongres
InternatioEale des Americanistes; American Association for
the Advancement of Science; American Historical Associa-
tion; American Folk-Lore Society; American Numismatic
and ArohKological Society; New York Historical Society;
Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Genealogical Society of
Fennsj'lvania; PrincetonHistoricalAssociation; Correspond-
ing Member of the New EnglandHistoric Genealogical Soci-
ety,of the NewYork Genealogical and Biographical Society,
of theAlabamaHistoricalSociety; MemberMedico-LegalSo-
ciety, etc.,etc.
Authorof History of Bridgesin Passaic County, 1873; compiler
andeditorofAbstractofMinutesoftheBoardofChosenFree-
holdersoftheCountyofPassaic, 1837-1870,187.5; authorofHis-
tory of Koads in Passaic County, with Ofncial Ketm-ns of
Roads,to1837, 1876; History and Descriptionof Cedar Lawn
Cemetery, 1876; Historical Sketch of Passaic County, 1877:
History,of Schoolsin Paterson,1877; author (inpart)ofHis-
toryofBergenandPassaicCounties,1882; JosiahHornblower,
andtheFirstSteamEngineinAmerica,with SomeNoticesof
theSchuyler Copper Minesat Second River,anda Genealogy
oftheHornblowerFamily,1883; GeologicalHistoryofthePas-
saicFalls,1893; compilerandeditoroftheRecordsoftheFirst
PresbyterianSocietyin Paterson, 1883; Recordsof thePater-
sonFireAssociation, 1893; Recordsof theTownshipofPater-
son,1894; authorof"TheIndiansofNewJersey," 1S94; Gene-
alogy of the Doremus Family in America, 1897; Alexander
HamiltoninNewJersey, 1897. Etc.,etc.
— ——
CONTENTS OF VOLUME
I.
CHAPTER
I.
Geological History of the Passaic Falls.
''At His word, the formless mass,
This world's material mould, came to aheap;
Confusion heard His voice, and wild uproar
Stood ruled, stood vastinfinitude confined;
Till, athis second bidding, darkness fled,
Light shone, and order from disorder sprung." JMilton.
"Thisworld speaks plain forwhohas ears to hear." Goethe.
History of the geological formation of Northern New Jersey, particularly the region in and about Pat-
— — —
erson. The Red Sandstone. Eruption of the Trapi Rock by volcanic action. Description of the
— —
Trap Rock formation. Causesofthe extraordinary conformation at the Passaic Falls. Origin and
— —A
History of the formation of the Passaic River. Effect of glacial action upon this region. Pre-
— —
historic "Lake Passaic." Origin of Colt's Hill and Sandy Hill. The Artesian well at the Pas-
— —
saic Rolling Mill. Minerals found in and about Paterson. List of Elevations at forty places in
—
Passaic County. Analyses of Trap Rock. ~ . . . . Pages 1-12
CHAPTER
H.
The Aborigines.
"The doomed Indian leaves behind no trace.
To savehis own or serve another race;
With his frail breath his powerhas passed away,
His deeds, his thoughts, are buried with his clay.
His heraldryis but a broken bow,
His history but a tale of wrong and woe,
His very name must be ablank." Sprague.
Palaeolithic Man of NewJersey.—Origin of American Development.—The Lenni Lenape ofNew Jer-
— —
sey. Whence came they.'' When did they arrive in New Jersey.' Their Manners and Customs:
Wampum
Hospitality, food, drink, dress, implements and wea—pons, pottery, can—oes, ornaments. :
Its manufacture, its varied uses, value a—s currency. W"ampum Belt—s. Domestic Relat—ions: Mar-
riage Customs, Training of Children. Punishment for Offenses. Division of time. Treatment
—
of Diseases Medicine Men, Priest-Physicians, Big Snake Doctors, Indian Surgery. Natural
: — —
Death not understood. Burial Customs. Languages of the American Indians Description and
— :
Specimens of the Language of the Lenni Lenape. Indian Religion: Ideas of the Creation the
— — ;
Indian and his Manito Religious sacrifices and festivals. Indian Clairvoyants. Indian System of
; —
Government Tribes and sub-tribes Method of choosing Sachems. Early Sachems of the Lenni
— : ; —
Lenupe. History of the Hackensack and other Indian tribes of Passaic County. The Indian Ti-
tle to—Ihe Soil, and how it wasextinguished in New Jersey.—Indian Place Namesand their Defini-
tions. Migrations of the New Jersey Indians. " " " Pages 13-59
,
——
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
III.
The Settlement of Acquackanonk.
Ghy arme, die niet wel kond aen unoodruft raken:
Gyrijke, die'tgeluck in'tvoor-hoofd soecken wild:
VerkiestNieuw-neder-land, ('t sal niemandbillik laken)
Eergy u lijd en maclit, hiervruchteloos verspild.
Hier moet gy and'renomu dienstb'ien arbeyd troonen,
Daei-komt een guile giond, uwerck metwoeckerloonen.
Ye poor, whoknow nothow yourliving to obtain;
You affluent, who seek in mind tobe content;
Choose you New Netherlaud (which no one shall disdain).
,
Before your time and strength here fruitlessly are spent.
There have you other ends, yourlabor to incite;
Your work, will gen'rous soils, with usury, requi—te.
Jacob Steendam, 1662.
— —
First conveyance of land in Passaic County. Indian Deed for Acquackanonk. Description of Ac-
— —
quackanonk, and the Passaic Fall-s, in 1.679. -The A.cquac-kanonk-Paten.t, 1685. Subdivision of
—
the Patent. Map of Paterson in 1745, shownng the twenty-eight farms south of the Passaic Riv-
— —
er. History of the Titles to those Farms down to 1800 or later. Various ancient deeds, sur-
veys, etc., 1707-1727. Pages 60-80
CHAPTER
IV.
The First Families of Patetison.
When our children turn the page,
To ask what triumphs nrark'd our age
What we achieved to challenge praise.
Through the long line of future days
This let them read, and hence instruction draw:
"Here were the manybless'd,
Here found the virtues rest,
Faith link'd with Love, and Libertywith Law;
Here industry to comfort led;
Herbook oflighthere learning spread;
Here the vparmheart ofyouth
Was woo'd to temperance and to truth;
Here hoary age was found.
—
By wisdom and by reverence crown'd. Charles Sprague.
Biographical Sketches of the First Patentees and Earliest Settlers, with Full Genealogies of the First
Families, Copies of Wills, Early Deeds and other Records.
Genealogies of the Following Families
:
Pages. Pages. Pages.
Brinkerhoff, 80-Sl Post, - - - 135-153 Pier, - - - 188-189
Didericks, 81-82 Van Riper, - - 153-182 Stagg, - -. - 191-196
Garrison, 82-89 Speer, - - - 182-208 Westervelt, - - 208-212
Van Wagoner, 82-89 Sandford, - - 113-115 Van Blarcom, - 212-225
Van Winkle, - 89-106 Bradbury, - - 158-159 Lubbers, - - 20S-225
Vreeland, - 106-135 Simmons, - - 177-17S Bookey, Bokee, - 225-226
—
——
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
V.
The Settlement of Totowa.
Thou hast histories that stir the heart
With deeper feeling; while I look on thee
Theyrise before me. I behold the scene
Hoaryagain with forests; I behold
The Indian warrior, whom a hand unseen
Has smitten with his death-wound in the woods ....
—
Ilook again a hunter's lodge is built ....
j
And loud the Indian maidens laugh
That gather, from therustlingheaps of leaves.
The hickory'swhite nuts, and the darkfruit
Thatfalls from the greybutternut's longboughs.
So centuries passedby, and still thewoods
Blossomed in spring, and reddened when the year
Grew chill, and glistened in the frozenrains
Ofwinter, till thewhiteman swungthe axe
—
Beside thee signal of amighty change. Bryant.
--------
—
The Totowa Patent, 1696. History of the Subdivisions of the Totowa Patent, to 1820 or later.
—
Map of the Tract between Haledon Avenue and Marion Street, 1769. Various Ancient Deeds
and other Documents. Pages 226-233
CHAPTER
VI.
The Settlers of Totowa.
How manyare there of us, in this
Discordant social wilderness.
Whose thriftiest scions the power gain,
Thro' meet conditions of sun and rain.
Toyield on thefairest blossoming shoot,
A mellow harvest of perfectfruit?
Howshould his life grow full and ripe,
There in the passionless haunts of Peace,
Thro' trad—e, and tillage, and wealth's increase?
"AliceofMonnio2cik," byE. G. Stedman.
Genealogies.
Pages. Pages. Pages.
Van Houten, 333-364 Hopson, 271 Munn, - - 2S1-282
Breese, Cool, " • 272-3 Van Saun, - 288-297
Stanley, 258 Godwin, 373-283 Blauvelt, - 291-296
Van Giesen, 364-272 Bensen, 283-288
— —
vi CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
VIII.
—
Wagaraw and the Goffle. The Settlement and the Settlers.
Where are thegraves where dead men slept,
Ahundred years ago?
Who, -when theywere living, wept
Ahundred years ago?
Byother men
That knew not them,
Theirlands are tilled,
Theirgraves are filled.
Yetnature then was just as gay.
And bright the sun shone as to-day,
Ahundred years ago.
— —
The Wagaraw Patent, 1696. Indian Deed for Wagaraw, 1709. History of Land Titles.
Pages 297-3CO
Genealogies.
Pages. Pages. Pages.
Ryersor:, - - 300-326 Wessels, - - 303-303 De Gray, - - 326-330
CHAPTER
IX.
The Garret Mountain Purchase.
Thou who wouldst see the lovelyand the wild
Mingled in harmony on Nature's face.
Ascend our rocky mountains. Let thyfoot
Fail not with weariness, for on their tops
The beauty and majestyof earth,
Spread wide beneath, shall make thee to forget
The steep and toilsome way. Bryant.
— -- —
The Garret Mountain Deed, 1711. Origin of the Name "Garret" Mountain. The Settlement and
the Settlers. - - - - - - - Pages 330-332
Genealogies. ------
----- Pages. Pages.
Doremus, . . . - . 332-382 Hopper, 344-350
Ackerman, 333-339 Neafie, Nevius, - - . - 360-362
CHAPTER
X.
Life in Old AcquACKANONK.
We level thatlift, topass and continuebeyond
Ages, precedents, poems, havelong been accumulating
undirected materials,
Americabrings builders, and brings its own styles.
"Leavesof Crass:'—Walt Whitman.
—
Reminiscences of the "White House," on the River Bank, near East Side Park, 1700. Wild animals
—
and game at Sandy Hill, Wesel, on the site of the Passaic Rolling Mil!, etc. Lonely lives of the
— — — —
Women. The Whites and the Indians. First Dwellings. Interior Arrangements. Inventories
— — —
offurniture. Festal Days: Christmas, New Year's, Paas, Pinkster. Fish, Flesh and Fowl. The