<\/p>\n
Elisha Warford, Wealthiest Citizen of Croton Village<\/h2>\nStern Old Resident Accumulated a Large Fortune and 1,000 Acres
\nBought Piano for Daughter<\/h3>\n
\nBought Piano for Daughter<\/h3>\n
by Egbert T. Bush, Stockton, NJ For various reasons, I wanted to visit Croton. My young friend, Frank Carver of Rosemont, probably mistrusting uneasiness, volunteered to take me wherever I wanted to go. So Croton it was. I wanted to see the ruin wrought by the recent fire, to sympathize with the people and with the good old place for the frequent losses by the same agency. I wanted to see again some of the heirlooms held by the Ellicott family, as well as the antiques rescued from the fire and others gathered from numerous sources. But most of all, I wanted to gather data on the life and activities of that remarkable old man, Elisha Warford, memory of whom is still fresh after three score years.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The reason Frank Carver did not want Mr. Bush to go to Croton on his own was probably the fact that at this time, Mr. Bush was 83 years old, and probably getting a little frail. Frank Carver was a 27-year-old school teacher who lived in Rosemont with his wife Dora Reading. He was the son of William S. Carver and Laura B. Emmons.<\/p>\n Among the many family relics is found an interesting old piano, one of the finest of its day, made over a hundred years ago by a German named Hoppman, whose factory was in Baltimore, and who took pride in making fine instruments for those who could afford them. Two pianos and only two were made just alike and called the \u201a\u00c4\u00faDolly Madison.\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 One of these went into the White House, then the home of President Madison; the other was bought later by Elisha Warford for his daughter, Mary Ann, then nine years old and living with a relative named Rachel Colvin in the city of Baltimore. The price paid was $1,000\u201a\u00c4\u00eea big sum for that day. But it was a fine instrument of exquisite workmanship, with a lion carved from wood and couchant at the feet of the player.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Rachel Colvin was born about 1745. I have struggled to find out exactly how she was related to the Warford family, but have not found anything definitive yet. The common relatives were James Warford (1751-1822) and wife Rachel Cain (c.1755-c.1834). After Rachel Colvin\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s death, both Warfords and Cains claimed to be heirs-at-law. My best guess is that her parents were John Colvin (c.1715-1771) and Elizabeth Warford (1723-1777), daughter of John Warford and Elizabeth Stout. Elizabeth Warford was the great aunt of Elisha Warford, making Rachel Colvin and Elisha Warford first cousins once removed. John and Elizabeth Warford Colvin moved to Hampshire County, Virginia around 1742, so Rachel Colvin was probably born there.<\/p>\n Many Fires at Croton<\/strong><\/p>\n Croton has suffered much from fires during its life as a busy hamlet. In 1847 the store house and all its contents were destroyed. The upper story was filled with flax dressed and ready for the city market. This is said to have made it a spectacular fire. But the dwelling house only a few feet away was saved. The property was then owned by John Hockenbury, who immediately built another house on the old foundation. This was burned down some sixty years later, and again the dwelling house was saved. The wheelwright shop on the southeast corner, so long labeled \u201a\u00c4\u00faJersey Square\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 in bold and symmetrical letters by an unknown artist, was burned down in 1885. Here Holcombe Warford, son of Elijah, worked at this trade from 1838 and for many years kept the post office. He rebuilt the shop near the site of the old one, but died soon after. In 1886 the property was sold to George W. Ellicott, whose brother-in-law, George Cronce, kept a store there for many years and was then succeeded by his son, Lambert T. [sic] Cronce.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n John Hockenbury has appeared frequently in previous posts. (I suggest entering his name in the search box above to find all the articles.)<\/p>\n Holcombe Warford was born about 1812, the only child of Elijah Warford and Amanda Holcombe, making him the nephew of Elisha Warford. He married Margaret Case (c.1812-bef 1880), daughter of George Case. Margaret Warford Case must have died before the 1880 census, for in that year, Warford was living with his daughter Emeline and her husband William R. Cronce. He was 68 years old, widowed, and still a wheelwright. He died on October 11, 1886, age 75 years 6 months.1<\/a><\/sup> His wife Margaret seems to have died on January 11, 1879 and was buried as Margaret Case, wife of Holcomb Warford, in the cemetery at Cherryville.2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n The 1851 Cornell map shows that the hotel and residence of G. W. Shordy was occupied by A. Trimmer; the school appears to be on the Raritan twp. side of Rte 579, and also shown were the mill and the church.<\/p>\n George W. Ellicott (1858-after 1930) was the grandson of Elisha Warford, youngest child of Benjamin H. Ellicott and Mary Ann Warford. Lambert T. Cronce was actually Lambert P. Cronce (1866-1941), according to his gravestone. (The only census record that shows his initial is the 1940 census, but to me the initial is unreadable.) The connection between Cronce and G. W. Ellicott is that George W. Ellicott was married to Sarah M. Baker, sister of Mary Ellen Baker who married George Cronce, and had son Lambert P. Cronce. The sisters\u201a\u00c4\u00f4 parents were Peter H. Baker and wife Matilda Dilts.<\/p>\n Other fires in and near the hamlet have been too numerous for comfort. But the most destructive of all was the fire of February 3, 1931, which broke out in the barn on the old sawmill property. From this the southwest wind carried sparks or burning fragments a hundred yards to the big Ellicott barn, which was destroyed with contents valued at $7,000, mostly antiques. From this barn the fire was carried to the old one on the original store property. This too was entirely destroyed, but again the dwelling house was spared. Ellicott had partial insurance on his building but none on the contents. He takes his loss philosophically, and rejoices that the house did not burn with its many precious relics, tho the sparks flew over the house and started fires between it and the barn.<\/p>\n Elisha Warford<\/strong><\/p>\n However, the chief object of this visit was to find matters relating to the life and family of Elisha Warford, so well known over a wide circle in the earlier days for his appearance, his disregard for conventionalities in dress and language and for his remarkable success as a speculator in local real estate.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Mr. Bush is not playing fair with us\u201a\u00c4\u00eehaving mentioned Warford\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s appearance, he should have told us more. (For a man of such prominence, it is surprising we do not have a portrait of him.) And what about his language? In what way did he disregard conventionalities?<\/p>\n Elisha Warford was a son of James Warford, whose wife was Rachel Cain, daughter of Walter Cain, living on a farm west of the Boarshead Tavern. Elisha was born in Kingwood Township, October 20, 1785, on the homestead farm west of Locktown. In 1806 he married Mary Arnwine. For some reason the Family Bible records their ages as well as their names: his age as 20 years and six months; hers as 30 years and five months. 3<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n They settled on a 50-acre farm east of Slack\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s School-House in the vicinity often called Slacktown. There he carried on farming in connection with his trade as a wheelwright and maker of plows with wooden mouldboards. We are told that two such plows were a day\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s work for the ambitious young man, while a forgotten number of \u201a\u00c4\u00facuts\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 was a day\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s work at spinning for the equally ambitious wife. Here they worked and saved for ten years, at the end of which the accumulation amounted to $10,000. How could they? We have no details. Some of that money was made by hard work and some by strict economy; and no doubt a considerable part by shrewd speculation. Certainly none of it was made by dashing aimlessly about in fine cars, or even indulging in showy carriages and fine teams or any other extravagances.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n As Mr. Bush wrote, Elisha Warford married Mary Arnwine in 1806. She was born on March 30, 1775, the daughter of John Arnwine Sr. and Elizabeth Opdycke. They had at least three children, two of whom died as infants (Rachel and James). The third was daughter Mary Ann, born on December 11, 1815. Mary Arnwine Warford died, age 43, on December 15, 1818.<\/p>\n Married B. H. Ellicott<\/strong><\/p>\n They had five children, but only one lived beyond early childhood. This was the daughter Mary Ann, who grew up in Baltimore and married Benjamin H. Ellicott, of Ellicott\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s Mills near Baltimore, where she lived until 1861. Then she returned to Hunterdon County with her husband and family. Two years later, while engaged in remodeling the Warford dwelling as a home for them all, Ellicott was taken with a fever and died September 23, 1863. His wife died February 25, 1892.<\/p>\n Elisha used to say that after saving the first $10,000, financial matters were easy. But the path of life was not all rosy. December 15, 1818, the wife, Mary Arnwine Warford, died. Elisha then broke up housekeeping and went with his little daughter to live with his mother on the homestead farm near Locktown. There he remained for three or four years. Meanwhile he married Elizabeth Arnwine Carrell, widow of Samuel Carrell and sister to his first wife. The only child born to them was Rachel Margaret, born February 22, 1822; died very young.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n When Mr. Bush states the Elisha Warford and daughter Mary Ann went \u201a\u00c4\u00fato live with his mother on the homestead farm near Locktown,\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 I assume he meant the farm somewhat west of Locktown where James and Rachel Cain Warford lived, near Slacktown.<\/p>\n The Cornell Map of 1851 shows \u201a\u00c4\u00faE. Warford\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 at a few locations at or near Slacktown and on the road to Barbertown. A deed search would be required to pinpoint the location of this parents\u201a\u00c4\u00f4 homestead.<\/p>\n James Warford wrote his will in 1813. His will left his farm to his widow and named his sons Elisha and Elijah as executors. But the will was not proved until 1822. Perhaps Elisha and daughter did not move to the home until after that year.<\/p>\n When Elisha Warford brought his daughter Mary Ann to Baltimore to live with cousin Rachel Colvin, he was probably preparing to marry his second wife. But that second wife, Elizabeth Arnwine, was already the child\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s aunt, so one wouldn\u201a\u00c4\u00f4t expect there to be any particular problem. It is merely suggestive.<\/p>\n Warford Active Many Years<\/strong><\/p>\n In 1855, Elisha Warford bought of Elizabeth Cowdrick the old Aller property at Croton, to which he soon after removed. He was then 70 years old, but kept up an active business along his chosen line for a long time thereafter. He died at his Croton home May 16, 1872, leaving a large landed estate. It was said that at one time he could walk from Croton to Locktown, all of the way on his own land, a distance of about three miles. This block covered 1,000 acres or more, without counting his many scattered tracts. He now lies at rest in the neglected old Opdyke Burying Ground near Headquarters. How this first came to be selected as a place of burial is told in this interesting story:<\/p>\n \u201a\u00c4\u00faOld John Opdyke,\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 the wealthy builder of the Headquarters Mill and Mansion House, as well as of other mills and mansions in Amwell Township, was strolling [with his wife] one summer day over their wide acres of prosperous farm land. Coming to a fine shade tree then on this spot, they halted for rest, and the wife said: \u201a\u00c4\u00faJohn, I want to be buried under this tree when I die.\u201a\u00c4\u00f9<\/p>\n The wife died, and John remembered. She was buried here, and here she now rests with her husband and many others. But the tree was gone long ago. There is plenty of shade, such as it is; but it is far from being the fine shade and the pleasant verdure which her eyes beheld, and which her imagination pictured for the future. John set aside a liberal area, and had all surrounded with the conventional stone walls. He provided for a perpetual right of way to and from the grounds. The pity is that he did not, out of his abundance, establish a fund for perpetual care of the grounds, the fences and the graves.4<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>published by the Hunterdon Co. Democrat,\u00ac\u2020July 2, 1931<\/em><\/p>\n![\"Detail](\"https:\/\/goodspeedhistories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/1873-Croton-453x535.jpg\")
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