Cholera - Boundaries - Town Officials

1830-1857

Description in 1830 - Pursuits - Cholera - Boundary Line in New York Bay - Morris Canal Through - Hudson County Erected - New Cemetery - Town Officials Chosen in 1855.

At this time farms were established and flourishing. A fringe of farmhouses ran along the shore and a few along the middle road Constable's Hook was Van Buskirk property, and several farms were situated there. Terhune's grist mill was situated at the Hook. Here the farmers in the neighboring country took their grain to be ground. Frank Miller kept a store at Bergen Point (now Avenue C and First Street). His building was just east of the Latourette House. He kept groceries, tobacco, etc. In the rear of his property, Berger, a Frenchman, kept a cider press. Children on their way to school would stop here and suck cider through a straw to their full capacity. An apple orchard stood on both sides of the road at that time. Hartman Vreeland's tavern was situated at about Forty-ninth Street. There was no post office. The inhabitants had to go or send to Jersey City for their mail. Abraham Van Buskirk and Colonel Cadmus each kept a few slaves, and John Van Buskirk, of the Hook, kept about a dozen. In these days, the inhabitants gossiped about local affairs principally, for outside news was scarce. When someone had been "in town" and returned with a New York "Evening Post," that person was usually surrounded by a group, eagerly listening as the news was read aloud. Worship was held every Sabbath in the "new" Bergen Neck Reformed Church on the Bergen Point Road, where the folks went "to hear Minister Boyce preach."

Hon. Anthony H. Ryder describes the inhabitants in Shaw's History of Hudson County as follows: "The current of life ran evenly at the fireside. There sat the venerable Bergener, silently puffing his pipe, looking into the fire with half-shut eyes, meditating for hours together; the good Vrouw, on the opposite side, would employ the time in spinning yarn or knitting stockings.. . . In their quiet way, the inhabitants are said to have followed their callings, principally agriculture. Shad fisheries and the oyster grounds furnished fields for busy enterprise and a profitable employment."

They enjoyed life, too. Currie's Woods was the objective point for picnics, and the good, old-fashioned Dutch descendants, with their families, would participate in a day's rolicking. The boys, upon growing up, would be sent out to learn a trade, but evidently it was a hard matter in those days to keep an apprentice to his work. Whether it was because of hard masters, or stubborn dispositions on the part of the boys, it is difficult to say. The following advertisement appeared in the Newark "Daily Advertiser," Tuesday, February 28, 1837:

"One Cent Reward.

"Ran away from the subscriber on or about the middle of August last an indented apprentice to the Harness, Collar and Whip making business, named Joseph Smith. Said apprentice is about 4 ft. 5 or 6 inches high, dark hair and eyes, aged about 14 years. Whoever will return said apprentice shall receive the above reward but no charges.

"Shugard & Macknet."

Another one that was published about the same time reads: "One Cent Reward.

Ran away on the 21st inst. from the employment of the Subscribers an Indented Apprentice to the Sash and Blind making Business, named Wm. A. Perry. Said boy is about 5 feet 4 inches high, rather slim built, is fond of Rum, and too lazy to work. All persons are forbid to harbor or trust said boy, under the penalty of the law.

"Merchant & Roff."

Cholera visited this section during the years 1830 and 1832, resulting in numerous deaths.

By an act of Congress, approved June 28, 1834, the boundary line between New Jersey and New York was finally settled. This gave New York exclusive control over the waters of New York Bay, Bedloe and Ellis' Islands, and the waters of Kill von Kull, between Staten Island and New Jersey, while to New Jersey was given the ownership of land under the waters west of the middle of the bay and Hudson River.

In Gordon's Gazetteer of New Jersey appears the following short description in 1834:

"Pamrepau, small scattering settlement, in Bergen t-ship, Bergen Co., on New York bay, about 5 miles below Jersey City, occupied by descendants of the original Dutch settlers."

In 1835, John Carragan, who conducted a little school at the junction of what is now Avenue D and Twenty-fourth Street, started a store in the rear of A. Dege's present store on Avenue D near Twenty-second Street. This was among the first, if not the first, general shop in Bayonne, and was patronized quite freely.

In 1836, the Morris Canal, bounding Bayonne on the north, was put through.

At this time Bergen County extended as far south as Constable's Hook. In 1840, by legislative enactment, part of Bergen County, including the Bergen Neck, was changed and erected into County of Hudson, so named in commemoration of Henry Hudson.

In 1849, the dreaded cholera again broke out and was not checked until numerous deaths had resulted from it. In consequence, "Cobby" James Van Buskirk, of the Hook, laid out the new burial grounds on Constable's Hook, East Twenty-Second Street and Avenue I.

At the annual town meeting in the spring of 1855, it was decided to hold the spring and fall elections at Egbert Wauters' hotel on the Plank Road, to elect three constables, and to raise $3,300 for support of schools, $500 for repairs to roads, and $300 for the poor. James H. Farrant, George Anderson and Aaron Y. P. Jones were elected as Town constables.

Other officials chosen that spring were:

Chosen Freeholders, Mindert Van Horn, Jacob A. Van Horn;

Superintendent of Schools, John Welsh;

Commissioners of Appeal, Hartman Van Wagenen, William Stringham, Edmund C. Bramhall;

Assessor, James W. Welsh;

Town Clerk, Abraham P. Newkirk;

Judge of Election, James M. Jones;

Justice of the Peace, Francis P. Miller;

Surveyors of Highways, Richard Vreeland, Daniel Van Winkle;

Collector, Henry R. Welsh;

Pound-Keepers, George Anderson, John V. H. Clendenny, James H. Farrant;

Overseers of the Poor, James J. Van Boskirk, Abraham Speer;

Overseers of Highways, Abraham P. Vreeland, James J. Van Boskirk, Henry Brinkerhoff, Henry G. Van Reypen, Hartman Van Wagenen;

Town Committee, Andrew P. Simonson, John Brinkerhoff, Garret Van Horn, Henry Newkirk, Winfield Stringham, Daniel Vreeland, John Mandeville, Peter Rowe, Garret G. Newkirk, William Stringham, Nicholas S. Vreeland, Peter Jones;

Game-Keepers, Benjamin Hueston, John Wauters, Michael J. Vreeland.¹

1. Shaw*s History of Hudson County.

Source: First History of Bayonne, New Jersey, by Royden Page Whitcomb, Published by R. P. Whitcomb, 24 East 37TH Street, Bayonne, N. J., 1904.