Gloucester County Democrat., 1903-07-16
GLOUCESTER COUNTY HISTORICAL
SOCIETY.


The second quarterly meeting of the
aforementioned society was held al
Billingsport last Monday afternoon, the
session being held on the broad veranda Of
the old hotel that for two centuries has
overlooked the Delaware, on site which
Doctor Geo. G. Laws, whose historical re-
search is wide, asserts is the Oldest place
with an English name in Anlerica-Bil-
lingsport.
President Whitall called the session tc
order at 2 O'Clock, and in the absence oi
the Recording Secretary, j. D. Carpenter
was elected Secretary pro tenn. The roll Of
officers was called and then President
Whitall introduced Hon. Henry j. Trick,
of Burlington County, whose grandfather
was in command of the American forces
stationed at the Billingsport fortress in the
War of 1912. There is some dispute
about the name of this fort, but Dr. Laws
expects to prove that this was the famous
Fort Nassau.
Senator Trick said:
I appear here to-day at the very kind
invitation of your President and my friend
of MANY years. Ex-Surrogate Livermore. !
have always been interested in looking into
the events Of the past history OF this great
and growing country, more especially OF
those events so closely connected with the
State of New jersey, and in which her
citizens bore so prominent part. nave
often heard my father, my uncle, Gen'l
VIM. Trick, 2nd, and one OF their sisters,
talk about my grandfather and his brigade,
having been called into active service IN
the War Of 1912, in defence OF the City OF
Philadelphia and the country alongside the
Delaware. My grandfather died one year
previous to my birth, therefore all that
know about his being in command at
Billings, or Billlingsport, is from the lips
Of those mentioned above, and many other
old persons formerly in the service OF our
family, and of our neighbors living at that
time.
The accounts that / have read OF the
occupation Of Billingsport are very meagre,
and / am afraid that much valuable infor-
nation has been entirely lost to future
ages. The account as given to me by my
relatives was that my grandfather, Gen'l
William Trick, 1st, was in command from
sometime in the month of September to
about Christmas, A. D., 1914 Like my
self he was a land surveyor and general
business man in this neighborhood Bur-
lington County, and l find among his
papers lots of maps and surveys, all prop
erly indexed and filed away in an old cup
board which has been in several hands
since his death, and is now in my posses
sion. | have oyerhauled these ancient
documents within the last few DAYS, and
do not find any papers in reference to his
connection with Billingsport, but during
the lifetime of my uncle, William Trick, |
had recourse to this old cupboard and
know that the muster rolls of his command
were intact, aud upoa visiting his late
home after his death, ] found the female
part of his family making lamp and cigar
lighters of these valuable papers. Protest
ing, my aunt said that | being the only
one interested in the old cupboard and con-
tents might have the remainder, and /
promptly moved them to my home and
guard them with Jealous care. On page
thirty-fve of history of Mercer and Bur-
lington counties, l find the names of the
Generals field staff as follows viz: Major,
Samuel J. Reed; Major, John Lazelere;
Lieutenant and Adjutans, William Goldy;
Secretary and Quartermaster, William Han
cock; Surgeons Mate, Charles F. Lott. These
were all Burlington County people, sur
geon Lott being practicing physician OF
this vicinity. The Company Captains were
Samuel Jones, Joseph Townsend, joseph
Hartshorn, John Selah and IsIac Kelley.
The date of their service at Billingsport
dates from September I9, to December %,
A. D., 1914, confirming what had always
been told me.
By order of the United States War De-
partment, the muster rolls of the period of
the war of 1912, in the New jersey Adju-
tant Generals Office, were withheld from the
public for some time, but | am informed
by good authority, that they will soon ap-
pear in printed form, and no doubt more
light will be thrown upon the subject that
so much interests you, and which has
awakened within me desire also for more
light, and if l can contribute anything
further at any future time, will most gladly
do so.
DIR. H. G. Laws, who was scheduled to
read paper on the subject of the old for
tress said that the task was more than two
weeks effort. He had begun his search for
data, but was not far enough advanced to
produce anything of historic value, but
would report progress and promised to give
the result of his labors at some future ses-
sion of the society He believed we were
now ON the oldest settlement with an Eng
Iish name in America and that this could
be substantiated by early resOrds.
George E. Pierson was then introduced,
and read the following interesting paper =
GROWN POINT ROAD AND BRIDGES.
The proposition to name the new Lodge
of Odd Fellows to be organized at West
vile, as Crown Point Lodge, has led to
many inquiries as to the origin of the name
of the Crown Point Road. Several theo-
les have been advanced, but no certain
explanation has yet been made as to how
the road received its name.
The writer has made some effort to solve
the explanation of the matter, and with
that end in view submits the following as
the result of his examination =
The road now known as the Crown Point
Road seems first to have been applied for
to be laid four rods wide April %, 1907,
and is described as beginning at stake at
the foot of the causeway, on Big Timfe
Creek, at the fast land ne: the house
formerly kept by Henry Wood as public
inn, thence the most direct course the
nature Of the ground will admit Of 'till it
ntersects the public road leading from
Woodbury. Dam TO Woodbury. within ten
rods of the southwesterly corner of Tread
ways burying ground thence the most
direct course to the stone at the foot of the
causeway near John Vests; thence along
the causeway TO Great Mantua Greek;
thence directly opposite on the westerly
side of said Creek direct course sill ii
intersects the Barnsboro road at William
Beckett's line, and near Reuben Hickman i
house. The Surveyors were as follows:-
Greenwich-Jeptha Abbott, Isaac Pine
Gloucester Township = Jacob Sickler,
John Bait.
WOoIwich-John Howey, Jehu Wilson
The name of Crown Point does not ap-
pear in these first proceedings.
The Surveyors, however, only recon-
meuded the laying of the road from Tread
ways Burying Ground to Beckett's lane,
and ordered it opened August 1, 1907.
Subsequent to this date, however, the Road
Record Books in the Gloucester County
Clerks Office seem to indicate that the
road now known as the Crown Point road
running between Westville and Paulsboro,
was finally laid out in four separate divis-
ions. The first part was ordered laid
November IL, 1903, 3 rods wide, and open.
ed March 1, 1909. 1t is described as be-
ginning at a stake near Isaac Stephens
orchard, thence III chains in north
easterly direction to a stake in the Wood