The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-01-29

DINBD LAFAYETTE.
Sketch of the Old Lyons
! Tavern, Which IS Now
B Part Of colgate's
!! Soap Works.
THE RESORT OF EARLY NOTABLES
Near the Ferry TO New York, II
Was patronized by Travellers
Great and Small.
THE RESORT OF EARLY NOTABLES

HUI Alol1NA
their country. their State or their indl-
gidual locality, moved and had their
being: the scenes amid which they passed
their every day common existence OF
helped to shape the destinies of the nation
he labors in which they engaged; the
sports and pastimes in which they louno
relaxation. or the means by which they
were carried from point TO point an
have an interest for us however demo-
cratic we may be and however much We
! may despise pride in race. blood ana
lineage. ;.
Jersey City is by no means deficient IN
s,ch relics. The first soil on which Henry
Hudson,s men landedwhen they discovered
the river which now bears the great
nayigator's name, and the scene OF many
stirring events in the history OF the HeVo-
luton. it has many old landmarks which
are entitled to the veneration OF those
who love the history of their State. one
If these old relics which now stands, al
! thansh 50, changed and altered as to nave
lost almost completely its identity, is the
ola Ivons tavern. which is now built into
and become a part of the vast plant OF
C~oleate's soap works. which occupy the
MOCK DeINSG 1Oih Sit 0AoAtN,
md Greene streets. Its outlines can YET
lie traced and no difficulty is experienced
In locating it. 1t was built about 1904, IN
which year the associates of the Jersey
Company were Incorporated and secured
possession of the old ferry which nad
for some years led a precarious existence
between New York and that part OF Jer-
sew CITY then called Powles or Paulus
Hook. The ferry originally ran from
what is now the foot of Grand street to
the foot of Cortlandt street. New York.
But when the Associates came into
possession they moved the landing on
this side of the river a short distance
north, to a point about midway between
Grand and Hudson streets. This was all
owing TO the hotel or tavern.
= There was not much business, many in
habitants or anything else in those days
in that part of Jersey City. which is now
one of the businest manufacturing dls-
tricts of the city, and the only advantage
the old tavern had was those from Pnlla-
delphia, Camden, Brunswick n the IN
terror OF the State, who drove down to the
Hudson's banks on their way 10 New
York. 1t was to accommodate these pa
irons of the ferry that the old tavern was
built. 1t stood about in the centre OF the
block now occupied by Colgate,s soap
works. 1t was an imposing old Colonial
structure, with its fiuted columns and
wide porticos. Up TO these the stage
coaches and carriages would drive deposit
their precious loads of wealthy merchants
rscn land owners and fair colonial DANES
and dansels. and then the horses would
he led away to the vast stable a snort
distance in the rear. where the horses
would be carefully taken care OF While the
owners and their families took the old
fashioned row boats. or later, the funny
cigar shaped craft which constituted the
- LI.- f1-rx- IN EncA do and
that was the beginning of the great Penn
sylyania ferries of today with their mag
nificent double deck palaces and twin
screw boats, which made the trip across
the river in less time than it took the
boats of IT'S venerable predecessors to get
away. 1t was in order that the owners of
the carriages might sigma from the boat
that they were coming. and be seen by
those at the tavern and their carriages be
ready for them when they reached the
shore. that the landing was changed,
tho1gh why the signals could not have
been made Just as well from Grand street
history. which solemnly gives this reason
for the change. has failed to record.
The tavern received its name from Jo-
seph Lyon from Elizabethtown, who was
the ferrymaster. The traffic in those
DAYS was very light, and Joseph pieced
out his income by furnishing entertain
ment for man ana beast. He was an ex-
ceileBt entertainer as well as a T~errynan,
and his hosiery became famous among
those whose pleasure or busines carried
them across the ferry. No one thought of
passing that way without stopping in and
partaking of some of Joseph's good liquor
with which they absorbed the choice gos-
sip of East Jersey.
Things progressed as surely in those
days if not as rapidly as they do now, and
in course of time they improved so that it
outgrew the boats propelled by oars. next
By a paddle wheel turned by horse power
and was equipped with floats run by
steam. and large enough TO accommodate
the private carriages and vehicles of the
merchants and farmers going to New
York. This in a measure lessened the
trade of the old tavern. but in no way
diminished its glory. The stage coach
sstiii clattered up to its broad porticos
and discharged its cargo, both animate
land animated. and the old tavern had
still enough custom to warrant it in keep
ing up to its standard. In 1872 steam was
hrsl successfully used at the old ferry,
land ia February of that year the event
was celebrated with a grand entertain
ment at Lyons tavern. The guests of
honor on that occasion were the Mayor
worthy gentlemen had the proprietors Of
we're iss and & & vas sas n hsssssar : (! e
conciliate them and keep them in
ferry could not land in New York and
without a land in that city it was of not
much account as a dividend producer. So
the associates of the Jersey Company
seized upon the Introduction of steam as
a fitting occasion to give the New York
authorities a little junketing trip in the
new DOat ana an excellent QlQDef DIT It's
close in all of which may be found a
precedent for some later day occurrences.
Of course there were other notables
present including the authorities of the
towns of Van Worst and Bergen, and
Robert Fulton, the inventor of the steam
boat. who had constructed the two funny
cigar shaped cataIaaran like craft, which
.ornprised the new equipment of the
larry. AT his banquet in which from
MI accounts, Joseph Lyon laid himself
put so excel all previous affairs" Fulton
read a description of the construction and
machinery of the new boats.
But the browning glory of the old
Tavern was. its reception to Lafayette.
When that great Frenchman, friend of
Washington and valiant soldier in the
eatise of American Independence, made
his famous visit to this country in 1924.
he crossed the old ferry on September %,
and landing in front of Lyons. There
he was met by the authorities of the
place and the usual bowling. cheering.
exchanged he was escorted to the big
reeeption room of the tavern. where he
was presentd to Isaac H. William. Gov
nrnor of New Jersey, Peter J. Stryker, of
Somerset. Vice President of the Counsel
and President of the Senate; David john
son. of Hunterdon. Speaker Of the As
gembly: George Cassidy, Representative
Of this district in Congress and other
state and local officials. The Governor
delivered an address of welcome. which
abounded in all the -extravagant rhetoric
81 those days, which was responded to by
~f,afayette in a similar strain. Then all
3artook OF one of Joseph's famous repasts
hen LAFAYETTE began his journey across
he State to Philadelphia. When he
sea Il the FIFE Corners on his way to
Newark he found gathered there almost