In my previous post on Delaware Township’s first meeting. I gave brief biographies of the Township Committee members, but neglected the rest. So, here are some of the other officeholders. (I will save Overseers of Roads for the another post.) Many of these biographies are incomplete, either because records are poor, or because I have not spent enough time researching them. Continue reading »
Tag: politics
Delaware Township’s First Town Meeting
By Marfy Goodspeed in Barber, Delaware Township No Comments Tags: 1838, local government, politics
This is a revised version of an article first published April 2, 2008
on the website “The Delaware Township Post”
In light of the politics involved in the division of old Amwell Township and the local distress it caused, Delaware Township did not have a very auspicious beginning. But once the furor died down, local residents got to work and did what was necessary to set up a new township government. Continue reading »
Joseph Moore, “the Maverick Democrat”
By Marfy Goodspeed in Amwell Township, Delaware Township, Hopewell Township, Hunterdon County, Raritan Township No Comments Tags: 1838, early legislation, politics
This next chapter in the creation of Delaware and Raritan Townships involves a lot of politicking, a lot of ‘inside baseball.’ But it is the story behind the story, and should not remain hidden. I’ve leavened the article with some passing references to mad dogs, passenger pigeons and Lincoln’s first speech. The previous episodes in this saga can be found here: Part One and Part Two. Continue reading »
The Division of Amwell, part two
By Marfy Goodspeed in Amwell Township, Delaware Township, Hopewell Township, Hunterdon County, Raritan Township No Comments Tags: "The Post", 1838, early legislation, politics
This year residents of Delaware Township in Hunterdon County celebrate the 175 years since the township was created. Five years ago, in celebration of its 170th anniversary, I published a series of articles on the website “The Delaware Township Post.” It seems appropriate to republish those articles this year on my own website, slightly edited. Here is part two: Continue reading »
The Division of Amwell Township, 1838
By Marfy Goodspeed in Amwell Township, Delaware Township, Hopewell Township, Hunterdon County, Lambertville, Raritan Township, Stockton 4 Comments Tags: "The Post", 1838, early legislation, local government, politics
This year residents of Delaware Township in Hunterdon County celebrate the 175 years since the township was created. The story of how this came about is a surprising one, and a little disheartening.
Five years ago, in celebration of its 170th anniversary, I published a series of articles on the website “The Delaware Township Post.” It seems appropriate to republish those articles this year on my own website, slightly edited. Here is part one: Continue reading »
Letters of John Lambert, 12/11/1807
By Marfy Goodspeed in Barber, Delaware Township, Families, Hunterdon County, Lambert No Comments Tags: farming, John Lambert, politics
beginning in 1807 when Lambert was a member of Congress
ending in 1815 when Lambert was in his last year as a U. S. Senator
It has been nine months since Lambert’s last letter to his granddaughter. The last one was shortly before the Ninth Congress adjourned on March 4, 1807. A very unsatisfactory treaty with Great Britain had arrived the day before, but President Jefferson declined to order the Congress to remain in Washington to consider it, for he was too dissatisfied with it to present it to them. So Congress adjourned, and Lambert spent his time back at home tending to his farm and his library, as well as his extensive family, which was increased on July 28, 1807 when his grandson, James Larison, was born. Continue reading »
John Lambert’s Letters, 2/22/1807
By Marfy Goodspeed in Barber, Delaware Township, Families, Hunterdon County, Lambert, Larison 3 Comments Tags: John Lambert, politics
beginning in 1807 when Lambert was a member of Congress
ending in 1815 when Lambert was in his last year as a U. S. Senator
I have transcribed the letters as Lambert wrote them, which is why there is an absence of commas and periods. I have added paragraph breaks to make reading the letters easier. Continue reading »
John Lambert’s Letters, 12/26/1805
By Marfy Goodspeed in Delaware Township, Families, Hunterdon County, Lambert No Comments Tags: John Lambert, politics
John Lambert Esq. to Thomas Dennis1
I am going to backtrack a couple years from the first letter that Lambert wrote to his granddaughter Susan Hoppock in 1807. Continue reading »
Saxtonville Tavern’s First Innkeeper
By Marfy Goodspeed in Amwell Township, Barber, Delaware Township, Hunterdon County, Raven Rock-Saxtonville 1 Comment Tags: Bull's Island, D&R Canal, houses, land titles, Nathaniel 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 Continue reading »
The Last Chapter of the Saxtonville Mill
By Marfy Goodspeed in Amwell Township, Barber, Delaware Township, Hunterdon County, Raven Rock-Saxtonville 4 Comments Tags: banks, Bull's Island, D&R Canal, 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 Continue reading »