Mayor - Ordinances - City Hall
1883 - 1891
Oliver Elected Mayor - Ordinance for
Better Observance of the Sabbath - Newman Elected Mayor- Street
Names Changed- Liquor License Increased- Electric Lights - New
School - Free Mail Delivery- Hospital Founded- Establishment of
Public Library- Growth of Population- New City Hall- Martin Act.
In 1883, D. W. Oliver was elected Mayor
on the Democratic ticket.
An ordinance for the better observance
of the Christian Sabbath was passed in October, 1884. This
prohibited public parades, accompanied by music, within the
limits of the city, except, of course, military organizations
parading with appropriate sacred music on funeral occasions.
In 1885 the annual assessment included
$25,597 for support and maintenance of public schools; for
salaries, $11,200; for support of Fire Department, $3,000; for
street improvements, $15,000.
The first bank in Bayonne, the Mechanics
Trust Company, was organized the following year (1886), and
located at Bergen Point.
John Newman was elected Mayor in 1887 on
the Republican Citizens' ticket, to succeed Oliver.
The names of sixty-seven streets were
changed by ordinance passed January 3, 1888:
Latourette Street to Sixth Street; South
Street to Seventh Street; Fifteenth Street to Linden Street;
Sixteenth Street to Eighth Street; Humphrey's Street to Ninth
Street; Meigs and Elm Streets to Tenth Street; Eighteenth and
Robin Streets to Eleventh Street; Van Buskirk Avenue to Twelfth
Street; Nineteenth Street to Thirteenth Street; Twentieth Street
to Fourteenth Street; Twenty-first Street to Fifteenth Street;
Twenty-second Street to Sixteenth Street; Twenty-third Street to
Seventeenth Street; Twenty-fourth Street to Eighteenth Street;
Twenty-fifth Street to Nineteenth Street; Summit Street to
Twentieth Street; Twenty-sixth Street to Twenty-first Street;
Twenty-seventh Street to Twenty-second Street; Twenty-eighth
Street to Twenty-third Street; Twenty-ninth Street to
Twenty-fourth Street; Thirtieth Street to Twenty-fifth Street;
Thirty-first Street to Twenty-sixth Street; Thirty-second Street
to Twenty-seventh Street; Thirty-third Street to Twenty-eighth
Street; Thirty- fourth Street to Twenty-ninth Street; Chestnut
Avenue to Thirtieth Street; Maple Avenue to Thirty-first Street;
Oakland Avenue to Thirty-second Street; Bayonne Avenue to
Thirty-third Street; Huron Avenue to Thirty-fourth Street;
Division Street to Thirty-fifth Street; Southview Avenue to
Forty-first Street; Seaview Avenue to Forty-second Street;
Fair-view Avenue to Forty-third Street; Cadmus Avenue to
Forty-fourth Street; Bayview Avenue to Forty-fifth Street;
Westview Avenue to Forty-sixth Street; Northview Avenue to
Forty-seventh Street; Forty-first Street to Forty-eighth Street;
Forty-second Street to Forty-ninth Street; Forty-third Street to
Fiftieth Street; Forty-fourth Street to Fifty-first Street;
Forty-fifth Street to Fifty-second Street; Forty-sixth Street to
Fifty-third Street; Forty-seventh Street to Fifty-fourth Street;
Forty-eighth Street to Fifty-fifth Street; Forty-ninth Street to
Fifty-sixth Street; Fiftieth Street to Fifty-seventh Street;
Fifty-first Street to Fifty-eighth Street; Fifty-second Street
to Fifty-ninth Street; Fifty-third Street to Sixtieth Street;
Fifty-fourth Street to Sixty-first Street; Fifty-fifth Street to
Sixty-second Street; Fifty-sixth Street to Sixty-third Street;
Avenue B south of South Street to Meigs Avenue; Avenue O to
Rathbun Avenue; Avenue P to Humphreys Avenue; Avenue Q to Newman
Avenue; Avenue R to Avenue C; Avenue S to Avenue D; Avenue T to
Lord Avenue; Avenue U to Lexington Avenue; Avenue V to Hobart
Avenue; Avenue W to Clinton Avenue; Brighton Street to Brighton
Avenue; East Street to East Avenue; Crescent Avenue to Avenue E.
An ordinance was passed by the Council February 21, 1888, to
provide for the numbering of houses by consecutive numbers for
convenience and identification.
On April 17, 1888, the price of a
license to keep an inn and tavern was increased from $75 to $250
by an ordinance passed on that date and approved by Mayor Newman
on April 19. A license to keep a restaurant and beer saloon was
increased from $50 to $250 by the same ordinance.
In the same year an ordinance was passed
September 7, authorizing the Bayonne Electric Company to erect
and maintain a system of poles and wires for electric lighting
in the streets and public places in the city. This was the first
contract for electric lighting of the streets. As compensation
for the privilege granted, the company was to furnish and light
in the streets, free of charge to the city, an arc lamp for
every fifty subscribers for private lighting. The city was also
to be allowed to stretch the police and fire alarm wires on the
same poles.
In December of this year (1888), School
No. 6, which was being erected on Thirty-Eighth Street between
Avenues C and D, at a cost of $21,000, was opened for occupancy.
On February i, 1889, the free mail
delivery system was put into operation. At this time Thomas
Brady was postmaster.
The Bayonne Hospital and Dispensary had been incorporated on
March 2, 1888. This hospital was opened March 3, 1890, in the
building on East Thirtieth Street, which was donated to the
association by Mrs. Alice Story Rowland and Mrs. Abbey Story
Marshall. It was furnished by Mrs. Rufus Story with
accommodations for forty patients. No restrictions as to age,
sex, color or religious belief were imposed. It was to be
supported by contributions, endowments, etc.
A meeting was held at Schuyler Hall on
Monday evening, April 2, 1888, under the joint auspices of the
Land and Labor Club and the Bergen Point Debating Club, for the
establishment of a Public Library. Speeches were made by
prominent citizens, and resolutions were adopted favoring the
establishment of a library under provision of an act of the
Legislature passed in 1884. On April 8, 1890, the question was
submitted to a vote of the people and was carried by a large
majority (1,897 in favor, 193 against). On August 5, 1890, it
was organized by the election of officers, and incorporation
papers were signed August 25.
The population of the city at this time
was estimated at 19,033. The growth of the city warranted more
improvements. More improvements require more labor on the part
of the city officials, and more labor required a larger space to
transact the numerous affairs. Consequently it was thought at
this time advisable to erect a new City Hall.
On December 2, 1890, the contract was
awarded for a large two-story and basement brick building to be
erected on the south-west corner of Avenue E and Thirtieth
Street; contract price being $46,999.
The actual number of dwellings in 1890
was 2,820, and the estimated persons to each dwelling were 5.9.
During the last term of Newman's
administration, the removal of garbage by the city was first put
in operation.
It was also during this administration that Bayonne first took
advantage of the Martin Act. This was an act that had been
passed whereby a city like Bayonne could appoint commissioners
to go from ward to ward, looking up delinquent tax payers,
seizing property in lieu of unpaid taxes, justifying claims and
assessing property at what they judged was its real value.
Source: First History of Bayonne, New
Jersey, by Royden Page Whitcomb, Published by R. P. Whitcomb, 24
East 37TH Street, Bayonne, N. J., 1904.
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