by Jonathan M. Hoppock
Democrat-Advertiser, 11 October 1901
Washington’s Headquarters, July 1777
The Revolution
The Magic of Myths
In my last post I wrote about the durable story that George Washington visited with John Opdycke and that, as a result, the village where Opdycke lived took on the name of Headquarters. Some people will read that sentence and conclude that it happened and is not a myth. They will ignore that phrase “durable story.” Continue reading »
Washington Didn’t Sleep in Delaware Twp.
And he probably didn’t visit either. But the notion that he spent a leisurely afternoon drinking fresh water under a shady tree in the company of John Opdycke just won’t go away. It probably never will. Continue reading »
J. M. Hoppock: The Old Opdyke House
by Jonathan M. Hoppock
published July 27, 1905 in the Democrat-Advertiser
Tyson’s Mill at Headquarters
Modified from part of an article first published in The Delaware Township Post, July 21, 2006, as “A History of Headquarters Mill.”
John Opdycke sold Headquarters Mill to Joseph Howell in 1763, at the end of the French and Indian War. This was probably a shrewd decision on Opdycke’s part, since demand for flour would certainly drop off with the end of the war.
Continue reading »
Who Saw George Washington?
The question of whether Washington actually visited Headquarters has bedeviled local historians for decades. The source of the controversy was Fanny Carrell, who was interviewed by Charles W. Opdycke, for his well-known Opdyke Genealogy sometime around 1880 [pg 218-19]. Frances ‘Fanny’ Opdycke was the wife of James Carrell, and he was the grandson of Elizabeth Opdycke Arnwine, daughter of old John Opdycke Esq. Continue reading »
“Headquarters” Has Two Buildings of Historic Interest
Mill and Mansion Built at Time of French and Indian War
Name “Grover” Never Stuck
by Egbert T. Bush, Stockton, N.J
published in the Hunterdon County Democrat, November 7, 1929
While the mother countries and their colonies were scouring rifles and picking flints in preparation for that spectacular game in the Noble Sport of kings, known to us as the French and Indian War, humble workers whose names are all forgotten were quietly engaged in shaping stones, pouring mortar and cutting “B. 1754” into the date stone for a gristmill six miles west of Flemington. Four years later the mansion house bearing a date stone “B. 1758” was erected. Some say the builder’s name was Opdyke but that lacks confirmation. The stone does not bear out that statement. But by whosoever built, it was a good job then, and still gives promise of standing for another hundred years. 1
George Fox in the Revolution
Postscript to “The Fifth George Fox” (1753-1815)
Whilst researching in the County Archives for a future post on another subject, I came across a fascinating court paper [#21152] pertaining to this George Fox. Continue reading »
The Fifth George Fox
Starting with George Fox (i) the Quaker (1624-1691), and his nephew George (ii) born 1662 England, then his great-nephew George (iii) born c.1700 England, we have George (iv) born c.1729 Amwell, and George (v) born c.1753 Kingwood. Continue reading »