Disturbing news of late, somehow reminiscent of the lead-up to America’s first Civil War. Whilst scrolling through the Hunterdon Gazette recently, I came across an item that caught my attention, published on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1859:
Marfy Goodspeed
Posts by Marfy Goodspeed:
From One Johnson to Another
part four in the series, The Route Not Taken
This is part four of the history of the landowners living along the proposed railroad route that was surveyed for the Delaware Flemington Railroad Company in 1873 and was intended to run from Prallsville to Flemington.
Johnson Tree
First Generation:
(1) Martin Johnson (1754 – 1828) & Anna Trout (1758 – 1812)
I have very little information on Martin Johnson before his first appearance in Amwell township in 1798 when he purchased a large farm along the Delaware River from John Vancamp. His father was probably Daniel Johnson of Cumberland County, who named son Martin in his will of 1757. Martin Johnson served in some capacity during the Revolution, and may have become acquainted with Amwell Township during that time. This possibility is reinforced by the fact that in 1779 Johnson married Anna Trout, daughter of Amwell landowners George Trout and Hannah Lequear. The Trouts were present in Amwell in the 1750s. Their daughter Anna was the oldest of 11 children.
From Prallsville to Rake’s Farm
part three in the series, The Route Not Taken
This is part three of my series on the Delaware Flemington Railroad Company. Part One was an article by Egbert T. Bush describing the birth and death of the company. Part Two described the reasons for the company’s failure and how its directors fared afterwards. This article will focus on the route that was planned for the new rail line.1
A Mystery Solved
A Guest Post by Pamela Jean Milam
Great Granddaughter of Jane Bell Lockerbie Wilson
Last April, I received an email from a reader, Pamela Milam, describing a tragic incident in her family’s history. I was struck by how unusual and dramatic it was and encouraged her to write it up. But she knew it needed more research, so she set to work. Each version she sent me was better than the previous one, and in time she finished the story, as it is presented here. I hope Pamela’s experience will encourage others to consider writing up a chapter of their own family history. It can be very rewarding.
Aristocratical Stocktons
Party Politics in 1803
Recently, my son, Ben Zimmer, sent me a clipping that a friend of his had found in the Trenton True American for March 7, 1803. This friend, Barry Popik, was researching the expression “Uncle Sam,” (see “New Light on “Uncle Sam”), and had found an instance of its use in this letter to the editor:
Stockton Tree
This example of a Stockton family tree is very tentative. I have not done a lot of research on this family and expect to be making additions and corrections over time. My purpose in compiling this tree is to show how the family of Richard and Annis Stockton of Princeton, featured in my article “Aristocratical Stocktons,” connected with the rest of the Stockton family. I have underlined the names of those mentioned in that article.
Sand Brook Hostilities
My next article on the proposed route of the Delaware Flemington Railroad is not ready for publication. However, a few years after the railroad company collapsed, one of the company’s directors found himself confronted by an angry man.
Higgins Family Tree
This family tree should be considered a work in progress, as the Higgins family of Raritan Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey is large and complex, more than enough to work on without including Higgins family members who migrated west. They are for the most part left out.
Kessler & Co.
part two in the series, The Route Not Taken
This is part two of my series on the Delaware Flemington Railroad Company. Part One was Egbert T. Bush’s history of how this company failed. He provided us with lots of information derived from the company papers that had been saved. But so many questions were raised, and not addressed, starting with the people who thought up the idea and promoted the company.