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Old Hunt Farm A Place of Interest

August 14, 2012 By Marfy Goodspeed in E. T. Bush, Stockton Tags: cemeteries, houses, land titles

Ancient “Plantation” Has One of the County’s Oldest Dwellings
Workman Leveled Stones

by Egbert T. Bush, Stockton, NJ
published in the Hunterdon Co. Democrat, June 4, 1931

The following is a transcript of the article written by Egbert T. Bush. My comments and annotations are in the footnotes. Unlike the articles by J. M. Hoppock in the Democrat-Advertiser, there were no pictures published along with the Bush articles in the Hunterdon Co. Democrat. So I have taken the liberty of adding my own.

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Federal Twist Road

August 12, 2012 By Marfy Goodspeed in Delaware Twp, Johnson, Quinby Tags: "The Bridge", ferries, roads, taverns

This is an update and reworking of one of the first articles I wrote for “The Bridge,” the Delaware Township newsletter, in September 1992. The road is part of the Raven Rock neighborhood, so it might be considered an extension of my series on that village.

Saxtonville Tavern’s Last Chapter

August 10, 2012 By Marfy Goodspeed in Bray, Delaware Twp, Families, Raven Rock Tags: Bull's Island, Going, houses, land titles, taverns

The Saxtonville Tavern started business with the Delaware & Raritan Canal, declined after construction of the Belvidere-Delaware Railroad, and closed not long after the Civil War. For the tavern’s first chapter see this post.

Saxtonville Tavern’s First Innkeeper

July 20, 2012 By Marfy Goodspeed in Amwell Twp, Barber, Delaware Twp, Hunterdon, Raven Rock Tags: Bull's Island, D&R Canal, houses, land titles, Nath'l Saxton, politics, taverns

And a Farewell to Nathaniel Saxton

Here is Egbert T. Bush’s description of the Saxtonville Tavern:

“This community was well supplied with taverns in the old days and somewhat later. Far up in old Saxtonville stands an interesting tavern house, with its four stone chimneys and low stone walls. It seems to be at least 150 years old, but has no date stone to prove its age. The builder is unknown, as are also the early keepers. It was no doubt built expressly for that purpose, everything about it seeming to spell tavern. This was evidently included among the Nathaniel Saxton properties. Bryan Rogan is known to have kept the old tavern 75 years ago. After him came one—Kiley, and then Austin Bray. Thomas McAlone bought the property later. It is now owned and occupied by his son Wallace W., teacher of the Sergeant’s School. No tavern has been kept here for about 60 years past.”¹

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The Last Chapter of the Saxtonville Mill

June 22, 2012 By Marfy Goodspeed in Amwell Twp, Barber, Delaware Twp, Hunterdon, Raven Rock Tags: banks, Bull's Island, D&R Canal, debt, mills, politics

After John R. Hamilton disappeared, leaving James Major, Mindert Wilson and Geo. Holcombe with the mill lot on their hands, the State Bank at New Brunswick sued either James Major or Mindert Wilson (I’m still not sure which) in chancery court for the outstanding mortgage. The court ruled in the Bank’s favor, and issued a writ of fieri facias to seize the mill lot at Saxtonville “whereon Myndert Wilson formerly resided,” along with its appurtenances (dwelling house, grist mill and saw mills), and offer them for public sale. Sheriff John Cavanagh conducted the sale on March 17, 1820. John Bray Esq. bid on behalf of the bank, and the property was conveyed to the State Bank at New Brunswick on April 1, 1820 for $4000.¹

Saxtonville Mill Entangled In Debt

June 12, 2012 By Marfy Goodspeed in Delaware Twp, Families, Headquarters, Holcombe, Raven Rock Tags: Bull's Island, debt, mills, Nath'l Saxton

Myndert Wilson, who purchased the mill lot from George Holcombe for an outrageous $13,000, was smart enough to hand it off a year later to someone else. On March 22, 1815, two months after the Battle of New Orleans, he sold it to James Major of Kingwood.¹

Checking My Compass

June 9, 2012 By Marfy Goodspeed in Uncategorized Tags: thoughts

On June 11, 2009, I held my breath and pushed the “Publish” button for the first time; it was my first history blog. Since then, I have posted 152 articles, which seems incomprehensible to me. With the three-year anniversary approaching, I can’t help but ponder what this website has turned into, and what I want it to be in the future.¹

Painter’s Ferry

May 28, 2012 By Marfy Goodspeed in Delaware Twp, Raven Rock Tags: Bull's Island, ferries, maps

This Delaware River ferry was located on the Pennsylvania side at the village of Lumberton in Solebury Township, which is easily confused with Lumberville, further north.¹ On the New Jersey side, the ferry began at Johnson’s Tavern near the end of Federal Twist Road, about ¾ mile south of Bull’s Island.

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