Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-07-14
EARLY RECORDS
OF The STATE.
Perth AmbOy Referred TO in The
New Publication 10 be Issued
by the State Department.
spocial 70 the EYENING VIEWS:

CBtCNut ~ ~ IL W.
TRENTON, July 13.-Secretary
of State Dickinson has just finished
and has In press perhaps the most
unique and valuable compilation of
census returns ever gotten out In any
state. He has had prepared, under
the direction of j. B. r. Smith, as
sistant secretary of state, a synopsis
of all the enumerations of population
that have ever been made in New
Jersey, and has had them tabulated
by counties and municipalities In ev-
cry instance where such tabulation
has been possible. Besides all the
census figures it gives some interest,"
ing historical facts relating to Mid
dlesex county.
The tabulations comprise all the
federal censuses since 1890 and all
the state censuses since 1855, when
the first state enumeration was made.
together with all colonial censuses as
far back as 1925, which Is the earli-
est enumeration of which there now
remains any record.
1t was found that there had been
an enumeration ordered by the crown
to be taken by Governor Cornbury.
in 1902, but the most diligent efforts,
both in this country and among the
crown records in England, failed to
disclose any trace of this census, and
1t Is probable that the directions Of
the crown in this matter were either
never complied with or the records
of 1t have been lost.
Besides these enumerations the
compilation shows the date of the le-
gal organization of every municipal
ity in the state and every change In
the boundary line of said municipal
tiles which now remains on record In
the Office of the secretary Of state.
or in the record offices of the various
counties, together with a reference
to the place where the record may
be found.
The work of the compilation has
been done by Charles s. Attkfn, OF
this city, and has entailed an enor-
nous amount of work, due to the
lack of system and the inaccuracies
in the records available. Secretary
of State Dickinson says the anoma-
lous conditions which the investiga-
lions have disclosed should certainly
receive the attention of the legisla-
ture at its next session.
1t was found that municipalities
are now existing without any record
of their organization; others have
gone out of business, have associated
themselves with other municipalities
without warrant of law; names have
been changed in some places without
either a record of the change or with
out authority, and in n instance a
small community actually abandoned
its -ge4eEnmert WITHOUT assoctattp
itself with any other, and presents
the absurd condition of being without
a municipal government OF any sort.
Besides this the errors that have
crept into the official indices and edi-
lions of enumerations were found SO
numerous that 1t became necessary
not only to verify every item. but to
make a complete search of the stat
utes from the beginning. The secfe-
tary of state says that while the COM
pliers do not claim accuracy In the
present work, they do feel that they
have been able to correct many errors
that AVE been accepted as facts for
many years.
The Middlesex county historical
data is as follows: Middlesex county
was one Of the four counties into
which the province of East Jersey
was divided in 1882. Woodbridge
and Piscataqua are mentioned as con-
stituting a county for court purposes
November 10, 1875. 1t was divided
into the town of Woodbridge and
townships of Perth Amboy and Pts
Getaway in 1898. 1t was definitely
defined by act of January 2, 171O.
: The boundary between Middlesex ana
r Somerset counties was changed NO
l vember "a, 1890. Somerset county
was set off from 1t in 1888; part was
set off to form Mercer county IN
1898; part was added to Monmouth
r county in 1914; and restored IN
1S45; part of Somerset county was
added in 1850; part of Middlesex was
added to Somerset county in 1858,
and another part to Union county IN
1853.
This reference to Perth Amboy Il
: given: Incorporated in 1874. o
sisted of North Ward Of Perth Am
boy and part of Woodbridge town
e ship. First charter, 1718. Reincor
e porated, together with Perth Ambol
g township in 1914"
e BOYS ATTEMPT WRECK
t LEHIGH VALLEY TRAIN