History of West Hoboken N.J.

Front matter

——BY—— | WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY | Lehne & Drescher ~PUBLISHERS~ ~ | COPYRIGHT, 1903. BY LEHNE & DRESCHER | INDEX. | CHAPTER I. First Owners of West Hoboken. | CHAPTER II. West Hoboken In Its Early History. | CHAPTER III. Streets and Improvements. | CHAPTER IV. Early Municipal Affairs. | CHAPTER V. Public Schools. | CHAPTER VI. Transit Facilities, Past and Present. | CHAPTER VII. Oil, Gas and Electric Lights. | CHAPTER VIII. Municipal Water. | CHAPTER IX. Public Library. | CHAPTER X. Consolidation with Jersey City in 1868. | CHAPTER XI. Latter Municipal Affairs. | CHAPTER XII. The Fire Department. | CHAPTER XIII. Our Churches.

VIEWS IN TOWN PARK.

PREFACE. | MY DEAR READER:— | At one time there existed in this town an organization which styled itself the "Firemen's Monument Association of West Hoboken." This association was composed of delegates from each one of our Town Fire Companies, and I was one who represented Protection H. and L. Co. No. 3. | The object of the aforesaid association was to raise funds with which to erect a monument in our Town Park to the memory of our deceased Firemen. Various ways and means were tried to collect enough funds for this object, but somehow or other our efforts were not always crowned with the success necessary to infuse enough life in the members to "push along" the scheme, and interest in the object began to lag. | One evening at a meeting, a motion was made to hold a Fair, and in connection therewith to issue a souvenir history of the Fire Department and the town in general; and also to publish various interesting views of our town in this souvenir. | I immediately volunteered to write up a sketch of the town's career, and the next day I began in earnest on the work. At first I meant only to write a short sketch, but gradually I kept on adding more and more, until I had quite a history, which I was certain would be the means of piling up large amounts of cash for the monument. When, as usual, the meetings of the Monument Association became smaller and smaller, until we could not muster together a quorum, it was seen that nothing could save the organization, and to settle it once for all we disbanded. | This left me with the history on my hands. I had spent so much time on it that it seemed like a pity to let it lie unprinted in my desk, and I resolved that I would publish it myself, and accordingly I made arrangements with my friend Lehne to furnish the illustrations. It is in this manner that I have come before you in the role of a writer, and aside from the interest I take in our old town, I submit the following pages to you. First, because West Hoboken was at one time part of one of the oldest settlements in America. Second, because no record of facts concerning the early settlement of this town has ever been printed, and I am of the opinion that such record and facts will make interesting reading for our old residents, as well as for the numerous new-comers who have settled in our midst during the past fifteen years. | I have spared neither time nor effort in making the story interesting and truthful, and as to dates and facts, I can assure my readers of their absolute correctness. | I believe I can truthfully say that no book of this particular kind has ever been published which contains so many illustrations as this one does; and I feel it my duty to bestow much praise on the person who attended to this matter—Mr. Charles F. Lehne. | In the first chapter you will perceive I deal mostly with facts concerning the county; this I had to do to establish the chain of events from the very beginning of the discovery of the county of which our town was then a part. | As regards the history of our churches, I may say that some will appear much longer than others; this can be explained by stating that some church organizations are more than half a century old, and consequently their history must be longer than others which are but a few years old; and this same rule will apply to our Fire Companies. | I do not wish to be accused of plagiarism consequently I will say that my authorities, for a large part of the first chapter of this history, was Charles Winfield's "History of Hudson County," and also his "Land Titles of Hudson County," and in regards the churches, I had frequent reference to Taylor's "History of the Clasis of Bergen." The ministers and priests of our churches very kindly furnished me with all the information that I requested of them, and I take this method of offering them my sincere thanks, and of also offering my thanks to the numerous kind citizens of our town who generously gave me any information which I requested of them. | Trusting that the reader may find the following pages interesting, and that they may bring back fond remembrances to such old-time citizens who may happen to read them, I am | Yours truly, | January 1st, 1903.

CHAPTER I. First Owners of West Hoboken.

CHAPTER I. | First Owners of West Hoboken. | The Town of West Hoboken is 41 years old having been incorporated as a Township on February 28, 1861. Previous to its being incorporated, it was a part of the Township of North Bergen, which latter Township was at one time a part of the ancient County and Township of Bergen. | The first inhabitants of our town were undoubtedly descendants of the early Dutch settlers of the aforesaid County of Bergen; it is not known exactly at what time the first house was erected within the present limits of West Hoboken. but it is very likely that it was in the last quarter of the 18th century; and when the town began to take on the aspect of a village, quite a number of French people settled here, and to-day some of our oldest inhabitants are numbered among our French population. | Every schoolboy who has commenced his course in history has read of the discovery of our county by Henry Hudson, the commander of the good ship "Half Moon," who sailed into the lower bay and so on up into the beautiful Hudson one bright September day in the year 1609. | The first reference in the annals of New Netherland to the place now called "Hoboken," is found in the journal of Robert Juet, the mate of Hudson's ship, the "Half Moon," under date of October 2, 1609. | More than twenty years passed before another reference is made to the place; then the Director and Council of New Netherlands, in behalf of Michael Pauw, Lord of Achtienhoven, purchased from the native owners (the Indians) the land spoken of by Juet. {| align="center"

EDGAR A. LOVERIDGE, ASSEMBLYMAN. | AL. KIELBERG, HEALTH INSPECTOR.

ANTON DITE, | THEO. BERNHARDT,

FREEHOLDERS.

The deed conveying this property bears date July 12, 1630, and conveys all of what is now Hudson County, except that part which lies west of the Hackensack River.

In a short time Pauw got into disfavor with the New Netherland government for reasons now unknown; and they, in 1634, took his land away from him.

The first white inhabitant of the northern end of the county was Hendrick, son of Cornelius Van Vorst, who lived in a small hut in Hoboken, in the year 1636; he stayed for three years, and in the summer of 1639 returned to Holland and died.

On February 15, 1640, Aret. T. Van Putten secured the place, he, without delay, began to improve his home, he cleared the land, fenced in fields, and maintained a general farm. He erected a brew house and thus became the first brewer in the State and Hoboken, the place where beer was first brewed.

On the breaking out of the Indian War in 1643, Van Putten was away from home on a trading expedition and was killed near Sandy Hook. His farm and buildings were destroyed and burnt, and such was the fury of the Indians that the place was abandoned by every white settler.

The Indians must, at this time, have gotten complete control of this entire part of the county, for we find another deed, conveying this property to the whites, which is, in part, as follows:—

"On the 30th day of January, 1658, the Indians sold to the Noble Lord Director General Pieter Stuyvesant and Council of New Netherlands a tract of land lying on the west side of the North River.

"Beginning from the Great Clip (Dutch for stone, referring to the Palisades) above Wiehachen (note the spelling), and from there right through the land above the Island Sikakes (meaning Seacaucus) and therefrom thence to the Kill von Coll, and so along the Constables Hoeck again to the aforesaid clip above Wiehachen."

Perhaps the price paid for this vast piece of land now worth many millions of dollars, would interest you. This tract was purchased for 80 fathoms of Wampum, 20 fathoms of cloth, 12 brass kettles, 6 guns, 1 double brass kettle, and half barrel of strong beer, valued in all at $675.00.

Before this tract of land was settled there was a settlement made at Bergen, which is the oldest town in this State; it was settled in 1616 by Dutch colonists, and the first house was located about where Bergen Square is now.

Originally all of Hudson County, and the southern end of Bergen County, was included in this Township of Bergen, and although there were in latter years settlements in different parts of the county, they were all governed by Bergen township.

On Octobr 14, 1656, Nicholas Verleth married Anna, the sister of Governor Stuyvesant, (mentioned in aforesaid deed) who was also the widow of Samuel Bayard. and on February 5, 1663, he received from Governor Stuyvesant a grant of 138 morgens of land, which is now Hoboken and North Hudson. Varleth died while in possession of this land in 1675, and from his heirs, Samuel Bayard, his step-son derived title. William Bayard, one of the latter's descendents, was the owner, and in possession when the Revolutionary War broke out.

After the City of New York had fallen into the hands of the enemy, and the patriot army had been driven back toward the Delaware, Mr. Bayard, who at first had been active in the cause of the colonies, withdrew his assistance, and on May 1, 1777, joined the army of the King; for this act his property was confiscated to the State, and advertised by the commissioners of forfeited estates to be sold. On August 25, 1784, the tract of land which comprises West Hoboken, was sold by Commissioner Wm. Herring, and among the buyers at this sale were John Stevens, who bought almost all the property north of Stevens street, this property afterwards became the property of the Hoboken Land Improvement Company. On May 6, of the same year, Wm. Jackson became the owner of a large tract of land adjoining Stevens parcel. On March 21, 1785, Cornelius Van Vorst bought another large piece of this land which comprised the middle western part of the town.

A short time after these sales the owners sold parcels to other people, among whom were the De Motts, Traphagens, Van Reipens & Van Winkle's.

A large tract of land in the southeastern part of our town was in 1770, owned by a man named Merselis. From his heirs it passed into the hands of our late citizen, John Syms.

As I stated previously, all of this territory was part of the Township of Bergen, but this old town was soon to become a thing of the past, because one by one, boroughs began to seceed from her, until on February 22, 1840, the whole southern part of Bergen County was formed into the County of Hudson, and instead of Bergen Township being the only municipality, the new county was divided into five townships, viz.:—Bergen (which comprised all of North Hudson and what is now Bergen in Jersey City), Harrison, Jersey City, and Van Vorst.

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HORSESHOE CURVE ON HILLSIDE ROAD.

At this time the population of the county was 9,436, and there were only 60 houses from Hackensack south to the Jersey City line. | On February 10, 1843, old Bergen Township was again divided in half, when all that part lying north of what is now the Pennsylvania Railroad cut and Snake Hill, was set off from it and named the Township of North Bergen. This latter township, the same as old Bergen, has from time to time been despoiled of its territory for cities and towns, until to-day it consists chiefly of swamps and cemeteries. The breaking up of the Township of North Bergen began when Hoboken seceded by becoming the Township of Hoboken on March 1, 1849, and being incorporated as a city in 1855; then came Hudson City, which was set off from North Bergen on March 4, 1852, and then Weehawken parted company from Hoboken March 15, 1859. The Town of Guttenberg also become incorporated in 1859, then came the Township of West Hoboken and the Township of Union (now West New York), which adopted a government of their own on February 28, 1861; then the Town of Union (Union Hill) divorced itself from the Township of Union (West New York) on March 24, 1864. | It is perhaps proper to say a few words here in regards the name "Hoboken," although our town is only 43 years old. The name West Hoboken is perhaps 100 years old, because all the land between South street, Jersey City, and the Hackensack Plankroad was known by that name in the latter part of the eighteenth century. It has been said by many writers that "Hoboken" is a Dutch name, but Chas. Winfield, in his "Monograph of Hoboken," has the following to say on this much discussed subject:— | "In the first deed from the Indians conveying this property to the Council of New Netherland the name was spelled Hopoghan. Hackingh meaning "Hopokhan" smoking pipe, and "Hackingh" the land, which would infer that the Indian name of Hoboken, was the land of the smoking pipe. This is all the more true because at Castle Point there was a certain kind of stone from which the Indians made pipes. The name was also used by the Indians in a symbolic sense to express crookedness, and may have been used in reference to the shore of the river, which, at that time, was very irregular at Hoboken. | Considering these facts it is nonsense to believe that Hoboken is a Dutch word, even if there is a town in Holland by that name, it is not to be expected that the Indians knew of that city and copied its name for their land, because it was called by that name by them before the advent of the white man in

HACKENSACK TURNPIKE, 1850.

HUDSON BOULEVARD.

this country. The name is Indian and nothing else. "Hopoghan Hackingh," the land of the smoking pipe, or symbolically, "the land of crookedness." | TOWN HALL, CLINTON AVENUE AND CHARLES STREET. | {| align="center"

POST OFFICE. | PUBLIC LIBRARY.

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CHAPTER II. West Hoboken In Its Early History.

CHAPTER II. | West Hoboken In Its Early History. | Our town was, as may be supposed, in its infancy, composed mostly of farms, and what part of it was not farms was thick woods, mostly of cedar trees. Some of the owners of these old farms, and their descendants, still live here to-day, among whom may be mentioned the Kerrigan's, De Mott's, Van Vorst's, Syms's, Ludlows, Maskers, Rosemons, Traphagens, Dubois, Bonns, and my own ancestors, the Dreschers. All of the above owned large tracts of land in the early 60's, and some of these places were only recently cut up into building lots. | At the time the town was incorporated it was a small village of 1,500 inhabitants, the only part which, in any way, resembled a village, was in the lower end in the vicinity of Paterson avenue. In the northern end of the town in the vicinity of the car depot, there were also a few houses grouped together, but the center of population was in the neighborhood of Paterson and Clinton avenues, people living in other parts of the township wishing to acquaint others of the fact that they were going in that direction, would inform them that they were going to "the village." | One of the first houses built in the vicinity of the car stables still stands there to-day, and is occupied by Baker Lanugel. This house was erected by a man named Morris, who, on account of being minus the sight of one eye, was nick-named "one eyed Morris." One day as he was doing some work in his garden, he suddenly turned his head around, and in doing so thrust a branch of a tree in his good eye and thereby became blind. | Another old land mark in this part of the town is the house which stands on the south side of Angelique street, and is the first building east of Summit avenue. It was built by my grandfather in 1843, and previously stood where Leuly's house now stands, having been moved to its present site, when the Leuly's purchased the Florist business from Mr Drescher. Although this old building is sixty years old, it is still in good condition and serves as a comparison as to the methods employed in those days in house building and those in vogue to-day. | HOSE CARRIAGE, NEPTUNE ENGINE CO. 1. | STEAMER, NEPTUNE ENGINE CO. 1. | Still another old building is the one which is used as a stable and store house by Grocer Thomas Hopkins. This old building once stood on the corner of Paterson avenue and Clinton avenue, and was used as a school, church and tavern at different times. It was moved to its present site when Mr. Hopkins erected the present building. | Another old establishment is Cox's feed store on Hackensack Plankroad, near the Boulevard. The present building is 32 years old, but previous to the erection of this building, Cox kept a store on the corner, which was a starting place for all the travelers hereabouts, when a native of this town, living within a half-mile of Cox's corner, would give the direction of reaching his home to strangers, would invariably say:— "I live fifteen minutes north or south, east or west of Cox's corner." There were only two roads leading from this corner, one, the old Weavertown road (now Boulevard), running north and south, and the other the Hackensack Plankroad, running east and west, consequently the direction as above given, would suffice. The store spoken of above was kept by Mr. Geo. Cox (the present owner's father), who purchased the building from Mr. A. Ross, and started his grocery store in the year 1837, 66 years ago, and I do not think there is another place in North Hudson where the same business has been carried on by one family for so many years. | I have an old business card of my grandfather's, printed about 1855, and besides giving his name and that he conducted a florist business, it states his place is fifteen minutes south of Cox's corner. | As to places of amusement they were few and far between. There is one old house which still stands on the northwest corner of Hackensack Plankroad and Palisade avenue (Union Hill side), which, if it could but speak, would tell some jolly tales of the many happy hours spent beneath its hospitable roof by the beaux and belles of those days. | This place was kept by a man named Buck, and was known as "Buck's corner." | It was here that most of the balls and parties were held, and many a cock fight, one of the prevailing sports of those days, was held in this place, and it was also a stopping place or station for the stages that ran to Hoboken at that time. There are some old citizens still living here to-day in whose ears still ring the blast of the stage bugle as it came winding its way up the old high road. | COLUMBIA H. & L. CO. 1. | HOSE CARRIAGE, EMPIRE ENGINE CO. 1. | If you at any time pass this old place look at it as it is to-day, and picture to yourself the change old Father Time has made in it, and its surroundings. | The land in the vicinity of the car stables was wet and swampy. There were no streets here previous to 1860, and a board walk was built which ran from a point about where the present Ann street intersects Spring street to Buck's corner, and served as a short cut for people wishing to visit the old tavern. | In the middle of the township there was a beautiful piece of woodland, known by the name of Syms woods. This tract was bounded on the east by the present line of Spring street, on the south about 100 feet south of Syms street, on the west about 100 feet east of Central avenue, and on the north by John street. A fine spring was situated in this wood, which supplied most of the inhabitants of the neighborhood with the finest of drinking water. | In this old wood most all the picnics of those days were held. Even the people of Hoboken would journey up the hill side to this wood to hold their picnics. We find in the minutes of the town council of June, 1871, a motion to "allow the trustees privilege to maintain a bar for the sale of malt liquors said bar to be in the woods." This was Syms woods and the picnic was in aid of the Widows' and Orphans' fund of the fire department. The gate leading to this wood was situated exactly on the present site of Dusaneks saloon on Spring street. | HOSE CARRIAGE, EAGLE ENGINE CO. 3. | AMERICUS H. & L. CO. 2.

CHAPTER III. Streets and Improvements.

CHAPTER III. | Streets and Improvements. | In the days above mentioned there were no streets running north and south through the town, except the Weavertown road (now Boulevard), until 1870, when Palisade avenue was opened, then there was so little traffic that this street became a sort of lane, and in wet weather it was axel deep in mud, and could not be used at all. | Imagine to yourself the looks of this place when I say that even as late as 1882 there were no side streets from Stevens street north to Angelique street, and no avenues except the two aforesaid. | This whole section was composed of a few homesteads, which were all west of the present line of Spring street. East of Spring street, this section boasted of two little huts that reminded you of some rancher's huts, surrounded as they were with vast plains, on which silently grazed the cattle of all the dairymen of this section. | All this land was owned by the Hoboken Land and Improvement Company and was known as the "commons." It was on these "commons" that the U.S. Government in 1861 maintained a camp for their soldiers. | When the car stables were erected the Railroad Company leased part of the commons from the owners, fenced it in, and used it for pasturage for their horses. The lake in our town park recently filled up, was in the corner of this pasture and served as a drinking place for the horses. Part of this tract (east of Clinton avenue) was still used for this purpose twelve years ago. | Spring street was opened in 1882, and the land from Oak street to Angelique street, was so low and swampy that the new street was raised 10 feet above the surrounding land, until it intersected Angelique street, when it again reached the level. None of the side streets in this district were opened previous to 1888, and then only a few, most of them leaving been laid out during the last ten years. All these streets had to be filled in and raised from 5 to 10 feet, and this filling was mostly all taken from the "commons," which, east of Clinton avenue, were very high and hilly. | HOSE CARRIAGE, FRIENDSHIP HOSE CO. 1. | PROTECTION H. & L. CO. 3. | Clinton avenue was opened about five years after Spring street, and previously to its being graded, it consisted of a high embankment placed there by the Railroad Company for its cars. It was only wide enough to accommodate one line of tracks, and could not be used for any other purpose. | From West street, west to Summit avenue, and from Oak street, north to Jane street, there was a large piece of woodland which was only cleared off and opened up in the spring of 1890. It was known by the name of "Drecher's Woods," and afforded the nimrods of these times many a happy hour as the place abounded with birds and rabbits. I have shot rabbits in these woods in 1890, a few months before it was cleared off. | The people who live in this district now, who have moved here from other places, know very little of the looks of this place a few years ago, and as I walk through it to-day, I cannot make myself believe that it is the same old town, where in so short a time I picked wild flowers and hunted rabbits and birds in its beautiful fields and woods. | The credit for making this place what it is to-day, must be given to a man who (since deceased) has been slandered by many of the people who were his best frinds while he was in the hey-dey of his career as a business man and builder. | This man was Otto Schultz. When the Hoboken Land Improvement Company and the Drescher estate in 1890 began breaking up their properties in building lots, Schultz began building houses on the properties. He had the backing of the Improvement Company, and, through them, most of the Hoboken Banks. With one exception the first houses on Spring street between Angelique street and Highpoint avenue was built by him. This was the row between Dodd and Shippen streets. To give an idea of what Schultz did, let me say that he built by actual count, not including Schwartzenbach's silk factory, and the Casino, one hundred and sixty-seven houses in the Third Ward of our town, and a great many of these are well built substantial three-story brick houses, as the stores on both sides of Spring street prove, most of which were built by him. | Considering this work is the reason why I give him space in these pages. Efforts like his should be encouraged and not allowed to pass by unnoticed. It was mainly through his efforts that we have so many street improvements in our town to-day, and if we had another Schultz it would be a blessing to us. After all this work Schultz died a poor man. He was robbed right and left by people whom he trusted, and in the end he was found dead one morning at the foot of Shippen street with a bullet in his brain. It was the old story of wealth and happi | lost through business reverse, and the resort of a desponding man to the only relief from his misfortune and ill-luck: the revolver. | Let me say in behalf of Schultz that he was no coward, that he did not give up immediately, but on the contrary, strove hard to regain his lost fortune, but, as always happens in such cases, Schultz was down and his erstwhile friends were doing their best to keep him there. After his death, some people realizing what they had lost, spoke of erecting a monument to his memory but this only ended in talk, and now the name "Schultz" is but a memory. | When Schultz began building in 1889-90, lots on Spring street sold for seven and eight hundred dollars, and in side streets as low as three hundred dollars. | Another man who has done much, and is still doing so, for our town, is our present worthy mayor, Mr. Geo. B. Bergkamp. Many a fine residence in the Second Ward of our town owes its existence to his energy as a builder and business man. Up to date he has erected more than sixty houses in the Second Ward. | The part of the town near the present car stables was since 1857 known by the name of Bonnsville. It took its name from John H. Bonn, who purchased the tract and cut it up in building lots. When the car stables were erected many of the employers purchased these lots and erected small homes on them so as to be near their work. | PUBLIC SCHOOL No. 1. CLINTON AVENUE AND UNION STREET. | PUBLIC SCHOOL No. 2. CENTRAL AVENUE AND SYMS STREET.

CHAPTER IV. Early Municipal Affairs.

CHAPTER IV. | "Early Municipal Affairs." | The first members of the Township Committee of our town were Messrs. Sinclair, Cox and Aldcorn, three in all. Mr. W. Sinclair was the first chairman of the Township Committee, and Mr. John A. Freeland was the first Township Clerk. At that time the treasurer was elected from among the members of the Township Committee, and the first person elected to that position was Mr. Sinclair. The office of assessor and collector was combined in one, and Mr. Andrew Anderson was the first incumbent. | Mr. Anderson held the office for twenty-three years, and no person in our town has yet equalled his record as to the length of time in office. | The first meeting place of the Township Committee was in the office of Mr. John Hague, and after a while meetings were held at the houses of different citizens, but most of the meetings were held at Mrs. C. H. Piebes hotel, which was the old hotel on the Hillside road and Palisade avenue recently burnt down. | In 1868 the township erected a town hall on Palisade avenue, near High street. After a while they moved this building to Charles street, where it remained until 1888, when the present town hall was erected. The old building was purchased by Chas. E. Galbraith, who moved it to Clinton avenue, and uses it to this day as a real estate office. | The office of recorder was not created until the year 1875. Previous to this time the Justices of the Peace tried most of the cases. There were no policemen in those days, and on holidays and other extraordinary occasions, the Township Committee would engage the services of the constable to preserve the peace. After the office of recorder was created the first incumbent was Mr. W. E. Simms. | The offices of assessor and collector was separated in the year 1871, and our first assessor was Mr. Herman Brusing. | At the time of the incorporation of the township, the post office was situated on Paterson avenue, in a grocery store kept by John Freeland, who was also the postmaster. | PUBLIC SCHOOL No. 3, SUMMIT AVENUE AND ELM STREET. | PUBLIC SCHOOL No. 4, MALONE STREET. | Previous to the chartering of our town, the voting population were compelled to journey to one or the other of the following places to register their vote. To New Durham, the Five Corners in Jersey City, and sometimes to Seeley's hotel in North Bergen, there being no polling places nearer our town than the places above mentioned. When those in authority would designate the Five Corners as the polling place, it meant quite a journey to people living here, especially when you consider that in those days we had no rail transit falicities whatever, and people had to walk or else go by horse and wagon. | It would be a pleasant sight to look upon to see some of our present citizens trudging their way to one of these voting places, more especially those who to-day need a coach to carry them a few blocks, to exercise one of the highest privileges accorded to the citizens of this Grand Republic, the right of suffrage. | After the incorporation of the township the first polling place was established in Garry Van Vorst's hostelry on Paterson avenue, corner Clinton avenue, for spring elections, and the fall elections were held at Mrs. C. H. Piebe's hotel on Palisade avenue and the Hillside road. | The first street improvement made under the direction of the Township Committee was the grading of Washington street, which was done in the year 1868. | In the minutes of the Township Committee of April 25, 1870, I find a motion directing the street committee "to hire constables to remove the fences placed across Clinton avenue, below Paterson avenue," and on May 11, 1870, we find that "Mr. John Syms reported that a fine spring existed near Union street and Clinton avenue, and advised the placing of a public pump there." It is not recorded whether the Township Committee placed a pump here or not, but I might mention that a pump similar to the one suggested by Mr. Syms existed on Paterson avenue, where the people, who did not boast of a well of their own, were in the habit of procuring their supply of drinking water. | For the benefit of those people now living on Malone street, who only know that street as it exists to-day, let me state that on April 23, 1872, Mr. Herman Brusing informed the Township Committee that "the natural water course on Malone street was obstructed on account of a drove of cattle destroying its banks." | At this time another water course wended its way through the "commons" in a northeasterly direction, and passed on, | ST. MICHAEL'S SCHOOL, CLINTON AVENUE AND HIGH STREET. | down the Hillside, in the rear of Nienaber's hotel, in Weehawken, where, in stormy weather, it resembled a minature Niagara. From here it flowed through Frost's farm, and emptied into the Hudson River. With the establishment of the sewer system in our town the brook became a thing of the past. | The first record of a township election in the minutes of the Township Committee appear under date of April, 1863, which must have been the third election. Following is the record of this election:— | "The annual meeting for township election took place at Neptune Engine House, and from there adjourned to Garret Van Vorsts on Paterson avenue. The Board of Elections consisted of Aaron K. Nafey, judge; C. A. Buckbee, A. Anderson, and W. Sinclair, clerk. | After adjournment and the counting of the votes, the following citizens were declared elected. | Township clerk—Wm. Sinclair. | Judge of Elections—John M. Gardner. | Assessor and collector—Andrew Anderson. | Chosen freeholder—John Hague. | Surveyors of Highways—Andrew O'Keefe and Henry Wettig. | Commissioners of Appeals—Jacob Van Skiver and Joseph L. Picollo. | Overseer of Poor—Thos. Guinan. | Overseer of Highways—John P. Van Skiver. | Township Committee—Wm. Galbraith, Herman Stuckey and Jacob W. Freeland. | Constable—Jos. Everson and Thos. Brennan. | Appropriations—Schools. $1,600; roads, $1,400; fire department, $100; bounty for volunteers, $1,750; poor, $300." | A comparison might be made in regards the appropriations made at the above election, and those that are required to maintain our town to-day, if you take away the $1,750 bounty for volunteers, you will find that the total foots up $3,400, which was all that was required to maintain every department of the township. It takes this amount at the present date to maintain our fire department. | In the year 1884 the township assumed the title of town, but retained the old charter, and in that year the following citizens were elected to the town committee:— Mr. Alfred De Bevoise (who was chairman of the committee); Thos. Nolan (who was also treasurer); B. Fitzgerald, Rich E. Galbraith and Fred. Engeln. Mr. L. A. Farr was elected town clerk. In this year a regular paid police force was established, with Mr. Fred Seiler in command as sergeant. The only incumbent on the present force who was then a member is Mr. William Ludlow, who was first appointed to do police duty in the township in 1879. The special officers of the latter date were paid by the piecework system, receiving 15 cents for each hours work. In addition to this they received 75 cents for making an arrest; 50 cents for attending court; $1.48 for conveying a prisoner to Snake Hill (to which place they invariably had to walk), and $1.25 for lodging a prisoner in the County Jail. | ST. MARY'S HALL, 1861. | ST. MICHAEL'S LYCEUM, CLINTON AVENUE AND HIGH STREET.