New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-06-13
A GREAT DAY FOR PASSAlC.
CELEBRATING A BI-CENTENNIAL.

bright ana uncommonly busy yesterday celebrating
bcentennial The anniversary was that Of the settle
mani OF the Acquacksponk Tract-a region now In
cuded in the City of Passac part OF the Township of
Little Falls the whole OF the Township of Acquacka
monk and something like iourihs OF the city Of Pater
son The specific event commemorated was the
granting In les4. by the Lords Proprietors
OF the Province OF East New-'ersey
of the Of about 1000 acres
TO sturdy Hollanders who with one or TWO ea
ceptons settled the and became the ancestors
OF large proportion OF the jersey Dutch STOCK whch
gives its peculiar character TO Northern New-Jersey
The OF the fourteen grantees are preserved ooth
in the tradition. descendants who preserve to
great their hardy Dutch virtues OF thrift honesty
and sober sense and in original grant ITSELF time
stained parchment: now the possession OF ex-Judge
Henry p simmons, OF Passaic City, who at least per
forms the functions OF d" the Oldest inhabitant OF the
region These names Hans Cieierick. Garrett Gar
retson walliug Jacobs, ELIAS Machelson Hartman
Machielson. Johannes Machielson, Cornelius Machel-
con. Adrian Post, Urian Tomasaon. Cornelius Row.
olson Symon Jacobs John Uendrick spesre, Cornelius
Iubbers and Abram Bookey. Several OF these names
are among the Jersey Dutch stock OF
AcQuaokanonk to-day. ana yet the Van Wagoners rec
lands Van Ripers. Van Houtens. Van Blarcoms and
Wesiervelts Psssac Paterson and the rural townships
OF Passaic County the descendants OF the "ArreE
sons Jacobses Machielsons and Rowlofsons OF 'he
original colony, though some OF the names OF the
grant ees such Garrson) Post and spear
are among the most frequent the present popula
ton. This among the early Dutch settlers
surnames they used now were infrequent Elias
Machielson Elias the son OF Machel and would
probably have named his eldest son Machiel Lasson
But In later years families took the names OF the
villages in Holland from which their ancestors came,
whence the Van Blarcoms Van HOutens. Van Giesens,
Westervelts etc.
The AcQuackanonk tract may be roughly described.
Judging from the lines given in the grant as running
from northern boundary Of the town OF Newark TO
tha f.lls az "a
range which runs northwest 10 rning from what is
Athena to Paterson the Carrot Mountain This whole
region sold by the lords propretors to the four
teen for nifty pounds sterling and annual
Quit-rent Of fourteen pounds The phrsseoogy OF the
document does vary greatly from the legal language
OF to-day except IN eccentrices OF spelling. but
in it such relics OF antiquity as the inca
OF Rawlings and fowngs." The pro9retors also
themselves half part of the gold and silver
mines" piece OF description that Gid not prove OF
great value to the or diminish revenue Of their
successols apprecaby. The spelling OF the name
Grant HaqHequennnk." which only from
dozen SO which appear in ancient records; Among
these varieties are AquIck tnucke HocKquenuns.
AckQuekenOn. HOckquackonong and AchquegenoncK.
The put upon the name by antquar ans
is varied as The selling ana no one theory as 10 What
II means have gained clear title The name ia
such origin OF the community winch yesterday
with not he pO%p ana parade as WEI s rs earned
tennia OF AckQuackanODk.
In truth II lad been celebrated before and at time
ANNIVERSARY In March, 1855 a celebration gotten
up mainly under the auspices of the Passac County.
Board OF Freeholders and the clerk OF that Board
William Nelson studlous aniignarian READ an elao,
celebration in great measure was an episode na Win
grant, and sudge simmons ana nls veneraoe pir9h-
ment were not at the exercises IN the FIRST Re, Re,
Judge happened to have just been appointed by
Governor Albeit superintendent OF Public schools IN
wa agey So tbe jude .ued in nj. spacious
sfralf Ouse
posed in the of hi. strong box. Those who
W Hamst p e out re.oTed to get up another
ceebra and the result was :een Yesterday In the
Old First Church filed with people; Judge
sna biz la' procsslon oi ma Grand Army
Posts, fremen and "citiZens generally marched
Ths caur che where the Mere held
fitting place for the commemCraSn OF The virtue,
Protestant Dutch Church OF Ackquackanonk dates back
IL about 1904. Domino Cullen Bertholf the nrst
regularly settled pastor of religious body in New
jersey preached to the coonsts, minstered to their
spiritual wants and taught their children their letters
until 1924 line OF eleven pastors succeeded MN,
has been the pastor since 1868. new church ednce
was built In 1900 ana curious bit OF history is that
for for NV means Of a lottery 1t enlarged in 1859
About ls23 the great secession took place from the
people or seceders. into existence Their first
pastor Acquackanogk was Domne Peter
who for period Of ysx years to tae present
ago that Dominic Berdan used to preach once IN Dutch
and once in English every Sunday. He is hale and
tiawart OF e.ghty-nne and still breaches every
Tne little city was alive with sght-seers and gay with
Albeit and his god-laced staff drew up at the Erie
station With the Governor came William Walter
Phelps Mayor Cleveland OF Jersey city. Mayor Haynes
OF Newark. and state School Superintendent ,sia
I conpany B, was drawn up across the street
aud noisy te cannon was sounding ws s6S
Go soT''d the ey u First ''' Reformed Church where
When the seated the organ played Luthers
man called for order and introduced Mayor wiIett
come aud introduced Judge simmons The
s sepe.aso H S reaa hi. address
Judge simmons said that history he had 70 relate was
translate IL into English. he went back to the times Of
the Pompton Indians who once Inhabited inc region
portant place There were traditions OF Thlte men
VISITING there IN 1873 F Ihsse we're nnd ues sspseS
Bassett, who had rude tannery ana vt tap
In IG7s Chrstop Hoogand bought from the Indians
patent OF 27s acres at what Is now Dundee Inc Judge
daughter read the grsnt in fine clear voice Inc
long. These fourteen grantees he Judge SAID were III
second generation from those VINO settled al begen
after Hendrck Hudson discovered the great river Tue
grantees brought with them surveyor Jonu an
WHO the tract into farms The speaker dsscrlOed
teenth century ne snGc from ohn a. Post VINO
lived to be ninety-seven land lies buried in yonier
chnrchyard" Post captain in Washihgton's
army Ills wife lived to be one hundred ana
nvo and the speaker with his own hands
h.lned TO lay her the grave. The laO0rs ana
the recreatons OF the ante-revolutoDary days we're
described-ihe hard toll and the hearty simple merry
masirrs now when one got bebindhand with farm
work the neghbors turned out At "Dee 10 help. and
the day wound up with supper and oanoo l" Oiu
Tom" the nddler-. music. ... 49,,
Ihe Judge then related The local Revolutionary MS
tory Of Acquackanonk When Washington tn retress
ter tho battle OF Long Island crossed the hudson AZ
Fcrt -e and marched 10 over the Hackcnsack,
win Lord Howe IN hot pursuit Robert Drnmmon. VINO
feen major
merchant III his new home, anu VINO
married a daughter OF Hartman Michaelson one OF the
AcouackanOnk patenees. and owned the "HoO2!ahu
nateut" raised OF l72 Tories joined Howe and
rlorad him To the bridge church