The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-06-03
THE GOOD OLD DAYS,
Charles II. Winfield's Paper
on The Founding of
Jersey City"
PICTURESQUE AND ERUDITE.
Read Before the New York
Historical Society Last
Evening.
PICTURESQUE AND ERUDITE.
EARLY CIVIC STRU GGLES.
Waterfront War With New YOrl
"A Despotic Land Company.

Ex-senator Charles II. Winfield read
a most entertaining paper last evening
before the New York Historical Society
on "The Founding Of Jersey City," The
hall of the society, at Second avenue and
Eleventh street, was well, filed with
members and others interested in the
subject. among them being numerous
residents of Jersey City.
The paper, which is presumably tie
first fruit of Mr.. Winfield's recent elabo-
rate researches into the history of the
city, was fun Of curious and recondite
information. Old documents-laws, con-
tracts. deeds and the like-were freely
cited; but they were not permitted to OBJ
scure the picturesque features Of the
city's early history.
Omitting the quotations from old docu-
ments, and many other details, the main
narrative. as told by Mr.. Winfield, was
as follows:-
Jersey City, with its population of one
hundred and sixty-tnree thousand and
its territory filing the space between the
cities of Hoboken on the north and Bay
o1ne on the south, the Hudson River on
the east and the Hackensack on the
west. is not the Jersey City OF which am
10 speak. As Troy grew up around the
Hill OF Ate, Athens around the Acropolis
and Rome around the Palatine, so Jer-
sey City has grown up around Paulus
Hoeck, or Powles Hook. On its sand
hills and marsh Jersey City has its gem
esis.
Pauius Hook was part OF the district
known as Pavonia, which name was
given to the tract of land taken by
Michael Pauw when the New Neither
lands was opened to the preemption OF
the Directors of the Dutch West India
Company. The district was purchased
by the company from Pauw iE 1884 for
$1,000 horins; While yet owned by the
PATRON a dwelling house had been
erected on the Hook, and Michael Paulu-
sen, an officer Of the company, was resid-
ing In it in 1888. From him without
doubt the place received its naae,
Paulus Hoeck, in the course of time cor
rupted into powles Hook. In 1888 the
company sold I. &c Abraham, Isssesen
Planck ''for the sum of four hundred
and fifty guilders, calculated at twenty
stiyers the guilder." The company's
grant TO Planck was confirmed by Gov
ernor Carterer. acting for the grantees Of
the Duke Of York. by patent dated May
18th, 1868.
FIRST IMPROVEMENTS.
From this time until 1854 the place was
cultivated as q part Of the extensive farm
of the owner, who had his home lot In
Ahasimus. There can be no doubt that
at an early date road was constructed
across the marsh between Powles Hook
and the uplend lying TO the west. With
out such road 1t would have been inn
possible to reach the Hook, either to cul-
tivate it or to pass thence by boat to New
York. When the ferry was established,
the road was improved for stage use, and
extended across the upland To the shore
Ii was on the line of the present Newark
avenue from Henderson street 70 point
twenty-five feet north Of York street, and
two hundred feet west of Washington,
thence it detected to the east, crossing
York street at its intersection with
Greene street, thence southerly to the
ferry at the foot Of Grand street
The ferry was put into operation for
the accommodation OF the public, on
June Is. 1864, as part of the new stage
route from New York TO Philadelphia, by
the way of Bergen Point and State n
Island.
A STRATEGIC POINT.
After the war the ferry was again
started. The place soon outgrew the en-
terprise of a cabbage garden. Il became
the starting point for travel TO the south
and southwest, and stages came and went
Philadelphia they went By way Of Bergen
Point aud Blazing Star ferries. The
stage was a Jersey Wagon without
springs, and took three days to reach lis
destination. Il was modestly called q
Flying Machine. Sovereign Sybrant
fitted up new and genteel stage wagon,
which set out from Philadelphia on Mon
day and reached Trenton that day. The
next day it reached Syhrant's house
"knovn by the sign OF the Roebuck,
two and a half miles from Elizabsthtown,
where, with good assortment
of wines and liquors, aud AS
sfduity, care and despatch, he
hoped for the flavor and esteem Of tbs
public" " On "Wednesday the stage reached
Powles Hook and returned to the Roe
buck.
PRR's PRECURSOR
Mersereau left Powies Hook for Phila'
deiphia three times a week with his
machines. and good wagons, sober
drivers and able horses" were advertised
| for the patronage Of the public Another
| left Newark at sunrise and Powies Hoos
.-sun two hours high" Another left
for Hackensack, another for Morristown
another for the Great Falls or Paterson
Nerdln6 ElSWOrLn sent ont MS caraSaL
from the Hook 70 New Bridge and in
| formed the public that his horses were
svery quiet and the caravan new and il
excellent order. To and from almos
every point came and went this ceaseles:
flow Of travel, upwards of twenty stages
a day arriving at or departing from
Powles Hook. The place was rapidly
growing into importance.
Enterprising capitalists were not slow
to estimate the commanding importance
of the west shore of the Hudson. New
England could not for ever hold the con
trolling position she hal hitherto occupied
Business and population were moving to-
wards the south sud the west. and thl
natural course Of their highway wa
/ across the New Jersey shore.
EvENTFUL 1S04-
John Stevens had been in possession o
| Hoboken FOR twenty years, but il was no
uutil the early part Of the year lS04 tha
| the development of the place was begun
Then he caused the land 10 be mappss
aud laid out, aud '.The New City OF Ho
| bokenn came into being.
joan B. Coles. OF the city of New York
on February Atm, 1884. purchased tn
rights OF the conflicting claimants ia tn
! ssDutch West India Compnny's Farm,
! or as ii was known after the surrender q
. the English. the Dukes Farm" q