The Passaic County Historical
Society
Lambert Castle, Paterson, NJ
Reminiscences
of Paterson
Reprinted from
Passaic County Historical Publication Volume
1971 – Number 1
Note:
The following “reminiscences” are dated May 23, 1867, and May 24,
1867. It is not known who compiled the material; however, the
articles provide wonderful information about early Paterson and some of
its residents.
(Click
on a name in the table below to jump
to
the first mention of that individual.)
| Allen, Stephen |
King, John |
| Butler, Mrs. |
Law, Joseph |
| Colt, John |
McCullock, Mr. |
| Daggers, Mr. |
Moses, Horatio |
| Day, William |
Munson, Mr. |
| Derrom, Mr. |
Rutan, Paul |
| Ellison, Dr. |
Turner, Mr. |
| English, John |
Van Blarcom, Dr. |
| Flood, John |
Van Horn, David |
| Flood, John K. |
Van Houten, Jacob |
| Geroe, Justice |
Van Houten, Yoppy |
| Hogan, John D. |
Van Winkle (Property) |
| Jacobs, William |
|
~~~~~~~~
We have conversed with one who seemed more intimately acquainted with
Paterson in early times than John K. Flood.
Mr. Flood was for ten years judge of our county court and of course knows
everything of old time people here. His father, John
Flood, at one time bought 110 feet front in West street opposite Justice
Geroe’s office (44 West street) for $88. The street at the time was
called the Paterson and Hamburg Turnpike, but was afterwards changed to
Bridge and then to West street. This was in 1810 and at the same
time the Society (S.U.M.) offered him both sides, the whole street (excepting
the Van Winkle property near the bridge)
for one hundred pounds (about $240). The reason he did not buy was
because it was a greater price when it was worth – a greater part at that
time being a swamp, the turnpike (West st.) having been laid right through
the pond, which was on both sides of the road with water about five feet
deep where Derrom’s shops and residence now are.
Mr. Flood says it was as mirey place as he ever saw, and that the
mud beneath the water was thirteen feet deep, as he himself ran a fifteen
foot rail down easily and found no bottom with the length perpendicularly
under the soft mud. This pond ran up above Derrom’s dwelling to where
Mr. Daggers now lives, which was on higher ground
on the edge of the pond and occupied at the time by the Flood family.
The pond ran down to nearly where Mrs. Butler’s
brick house is on one side, coming up the easterly side of the street above
where Mr. Munson’s house now is. Mr. Munson’s
house being built like Mr. Derrom’s, on made ground. It was one pond
before the road divided it and was about the same length both sides.
The turnpike across the pond sank several times, and strange to say, everytime
at night. At one time it went entirely out of sight, each time making
the pond shallower; but not showing when it pushed up the ground as the
water was of such depth. The pond extended back as far as Mulberry
street (the old road) and on the easterly side to the rear of the houses
now on Main street. The pond was filled generally twice a year, spring
and fall by the overflow of the Passaic, the banks not being raised for
protection then. This pond Mr. Flood says was fairly alive with cat
fish and when the pond was filled up to within ten to fifteen feet in about
the year 1826, every load of dirt thrown in would force up the mud mixed
with cat fish on the opposite side in such quantities as to excite the
pity of the people about, who finally made up a purse and gave it to Paul Rutan,
old Paul, an old fisherman, and he gathered four or five barrels of the
fish and let them go again in the river, they not being considered good
at the time, the water being stagnant in so far as to deprive it of the
atmospheric air necessary to keep them in a healthful condition.
Dublin Spring brook did not run into the pond, although sometimes it overflowed
its banks and went into this pond. The brook crossed the turnpike
where it now crosses West street and ran down in the rear of the pond.
May 23, 1867
THE OLD YORK ROAD
Broadway of today and the “Old York Road”, the old Weasel Road and the
“River Road” of the past are the same. This was the direct road to
New York through Acquackannock, going out to the crossing of the road and
so through “Peace and Plenty” to what is now Willis (Park) Avenue and taking
another hitch there and so diagonally coming out on Market street a half
mile or so from the Dundee Bridge (via what is now called Vreeland avenue
we believe, on which Mr. Turner lives).
By reference to a city map it will be readily seen where the old road marked
the way on down towards the river its course being diagonal and explaining
the position what is now one of our main avenues, whilst all other streets
and avenues not old roads are mainly at right angles. There was no
turnpike then directly leading to what is now Passaic, and the York Road
followed the river and is now what is called the Dundee Road.
FIRST BUTCHER
in Paterson was John King, whose place was on
the Old York road where Dr. Van Blarcom’s
office (95 Broadway) now is – the same house which is now modernized.
He kept a stall and was the only butcher till he died, when David Van
Horn started a shop in Stanfords Alley, then called Yoppy’s
Alley, after Jacob Van Houten, a queer genius
of olden times. (This Yoppy got his jaw out of joint and went away
to Acquackanonnock with his mouth side open where Dr. Ellison
was holding the Battalion court. When he got there he could not speak,
but the doctor who saw what the matter was, at once gave him a tremendous
slap on the jaw and said “go home again.” Whether the doctor spoke
to the jaw out of joint or to Yoppy, the jaw went back and Yoppy went home
rejoicing). The third butcher was named Law,
who kept a stall in a little wooden shantee where the Continental Hall
now is, on the corner in front of where a great rock rested in the road
till Kings store was built when it was blasted and taken away. This
rock was formerly a general place of congregation for all the boys and
young men of the neighborhood. Law the third butcher referred to
is still living in Newark, N.J., and keeps a real estate office, and is
active although over 80 years of age. This Joseph Law as one of the
Methodists here, and William Jacobs, the first
Methodist preacher here, was the founder of Methodism in Paterson.
The first Methodist preacher was a bookkeeper for John Colt
and preached on Sunday and erected the lst church, for a long time called
the Methodist chapel. It was the first Methodist church in use here
and was located precisely where the Prospect street Methodist church now
stands. William Jacobs, this first preacher, has his name inscribed
on the old Paterson and Orange stone of Masons as the chaplain forty three
years ago. Mr. Jacobs built Prospect street chapel the first Methodist
church referred to by private subscription gotten principally from hands
engaged in weaving duck cloth in the mills. Jacobs preached here
eight or ten years and died in 1832 of Cholera.
FIRST TOBACCONIST
was William Day, who also was one of the early
Methodists and an exhorter and afterwards a preacher. He first opened
his Tobacco and pipe store in what was recently the old wire mill latterly
destroyed by fire (Nov. 1866) at the foot of West street. He kept
store there till he moved into Van Houten street, and continued in Van
Houten street till he sold out to Stephen Allen,
who was an apprentice of his and who still continued in the business.
Mr. Day went afterwards to Portland and it was his daughter that the late
John English married as his second wife.
FIRST TINMAN
was Horatio Moses, also one of the early Methodists
and who started a shop on the spot now occupied by John D. Hogan’s
residence in Bank street. Mr. Moses afterwards removed to Van Houten
street where he kept store for years till he sold out to Mr. McCullock
and went to California, as most of our people know. He sacrificed
a great deal for Methodism here, entertained the preachers and in fact
for years bore a great portion of the burden. His house at times
has been a regular refuge for poor Methodists; but he afterwards became
poor and got into financial difficulties, unfortunately. It is often
said he sacrifices his wealth for his religion.
May 24, 1867
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