Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-02-14
EARLY HISTORY OF CLAYTON.
Read at the Clayton Literary Society

Read at the Clayton Literary Society.
About the middle of the eighteenth CEN
tury there lived in Sweden wealthy fam
lily by the name Of Fisher. Times became
troublesome and it seemed probable that
there would be clash between the Protest
ants and the Catholics, and fearing the re-
suit, Felix Fisher and his family, together
with few other families crossed the Allan
tic in a small sailing vessel, sailed up the
Delaware to Raccoon Creek, and then up
the creek and landed at the place now
called Repaupo. Other Swedes had pre-
viously sailed up this creek and made a
settlement at Swedesboro.
just before the Revolutionary war Jacob,
the son of Felix, bought from the Govern
ment long, narrow strip of land extending
from Swedesboro to Fries Mill, containing
$500 acres for which he paid 629 cents an
acre. He made his home in or near the
present town of Clayton, but the exact Local
ton is not known. He had four sons. One
settled at Aura, one at Fries Mill, one on
the Harding farm, near the lake and another
where Mr.. Lawrence Fisher now lives; this
one being the grandfather of Mrs. Mary
Campbell. From that time to 1850 the
place was called Fislertown. 1t contained
more than cross roads.
In 1885 the only dwelling houses in or
about the place were the following: where
William Locke, Isaac Pancoast, Grant Gar
wood Kule Davis, and where the Carvin
farm houses now are, also small house
where Smalley's house now stands, and
Lawrence Fishers house, a part of which is
the original; the Methodist parsonage,
where Mrs. Carvin now lives, and the old
Stranger property.
The history would not be complete with
out mentioning the origin of our first school
building. In 1912 DR.. Jacob Fisher and
wife decided our present school ground to be
always used for meeting and school pur-
poses. The building which was erected in
the same year, was known as the "Useful
School House" 1t was used for school
purposes during the day, and by the
Methodist for religious meetings in the
evenings. The village being on circuit,
they had preaching every other Thursday
evening When the people wished to hear
preaching on the Sabbath they were obliged
to go to Aura. One-half of the original
school building is now used by James X.
Potter as barn.
In 1850 Jacob Fisher and Benjamin
Beckett began the manufacture of glass in
the town. This naturally gave the town
a boom and buildings began to be erected
In 1851, after conducting the work less
than a year the firm dissolved by Mr.
Beckett Withdrawing. The business was
then run by Mr.. Fisher and a partner by
the name of Edward Bacon till 1856, when
the business was purchased by John M.
Moore. In 1859 he associated with him
(ra0rnp n Hoxr,fft rha ~,
till 1863, when Mr.. Hewitt sold his inter
est in the business to D. Wilson Moore.
The North Clayton factory was built in
1880 by DIR. G. T. FISHER, Albert FISHER,
Henry Morgan and Walter Morgan. A few
years later the plant was sold to Frank
Pierce. We have learned that the fertile
lot at the western end of Maple street,
which i'll recent years has produced so much
corn for Mr.. Simpkins; once produced most
of the glass sand used at the works. The
sand was dug and hauled to the stream
running between here and the lake where
it was washed. At the beginning of the
glass industry one of the first buildings to
be erected was a new Methodist church
This was used till 1883, when it became too
small, so it was sold, moved off and the
present church erected. The old church is
now owned by A. G. Silver, and used as a
shirt factory
The Presbyterian church was organized
in 1853 with a membership of six. A
church was built the same year. In 1870,
the present church was built, the old one
becoming too small, it was bought by the
township and converted into school house,
and is now occupied by Miss Davis aud
Miss McCaughan.
The Baptist church was built in 1891.
In 1850 the name of the village was
changed to Fislerville. In 1864, by special
act of the Legislature the name was again
changed to Clayton.
Clayton is now beautiful town of $50
inhabitants. Its beauty consists in it's we'll
graded and wefl-kept streets, which run at
right angles, thus dividing the town into
blocks, its many freshly-painted, comfort
able homes and its beautiful churches Its
principal street is Maple street.
Our people are philosophical and take
great pride in our town. We are therefor
that public sentiment has not ere
this demanded central school building
that would compare favorably with our
other public buildings. Our school build
ings stand as a monument to generations
that have preceded some of us, and we can
only cast an anxious look toward our
prophet and hope for the better things.
Much that adds to the appearance of our
town has taken place within recent years
perhaps in the recollection of some of the
members Of our youthful club. We are
are told that the centre of our town was
low, and that frequently water stood in
many places, and that where the Presby-
terrain church now stands was once stag
nant pond, on whose banks, perhaps, dur
ing the warm Summer evenings sang the
greatest choral union ever held in Clayton.
Places favorable to such gatherings, how
ever, soon ceased to exist after the incor-
poration of the Borough