The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1907-07-10
An Old "WauuOn BOdie. -

The following "Articles of Agree
ment" show when the "Bodie" was
made and under what rather peculiar
circumstances.
Articles of Agreement made this
Twenty first Day of March one Thons-
and Seven Hundred and Ninetv-iiye.
Between Samuel Hunt, of Amwell.
iiunterdon county, of the one pnrt
and Henry Van Dolah of the other
part witnesseth TINT aforesaid Samuel
Hunt hath bargained aud sold aud by
these presents doth bargain and sell
unto Henry Van Dolab certain piece
or parcel of land being part of the
plantation wheron the said Hunt now
lives and said Van Dolah doth agree
to give five pounds per acre for the
said land and payments IN the follow
ing manner, VIZ. the first of Thirt v
pounds i'll the first week in Nav next
| aud second payment in the month of
| May following the sum must be
| agreed on hereafter the said Henry
Van Dolah doth further agree to mak q
the snid Hunt mn English Bodie to
his Wagon and if in case new road
~ laid ont for the conyenlency of snid
Hunt IN the course of fifteen months
the said Hunt is to pay Van Dol
ali for the Wagon Bodie, but should
the said road not be laid out within
four years the said Van Dolah agrees
to make Hunt present of said Wap-
gou Bodie for the due performances
of the above promisses we agree to
pay unto each other the penal sum of
eighty pounds. In witness whereof
we have hereunto set our hands and
seals the Twenty first Day of March,
One Thousand Seven Hundred and
Ninety five. Witnesses present
James Mountier, Theobald Ent, Dan
iel Batterfos, Samuel Hunt, Henry
Van Dolah.
The body was made according TO
agreement and is still III fair condi-
ton. After the death of Samuel Hunt
III 1925 1t became the property of the
late Garret Van Doah and after his
death it was bought by Elijah Hol-
c0mbe whose son-in-Iaw William II.
Hitler now owns it. In it's early
history this body had wider sphere
of usefulness than the prosaic duties
of the farm. 1t was the vehicle OF the
neighborhood for excursions for
pleasure or profit. On one such oc-
casion the owner, Carrot Van Dolah
took jolly company to witness what
seems then to haye been something
Of an entertainment namely-a public
hanging. This was the execution Of
Nina Limo Amalia -Espos Y. Mina at
Doylestown, June 81, 1882. The
party consisted Of Garret Van Dolnh,
Jacob Godown, Abram Hagaman,
Jacob Warman, Ent Butterfose, John
Hunt lson of Samuel, the signer of
the agreement) Tobias Shadenger,
John Van Dolah. John and Garret
Van Dolah were brothers. Abram
Hagaman WAS the father of Joseph
Hagaman, who died at Sandy Ridge
in 1904.
Ent Butterfoss was the father Of the
late Amy Butterfoss Hunt aud Esther
A Butterfoss who lived together for
many years on the place now owned
by John Daley, near the Sandy
Ridge Church
Tobias Shadenger owned the lot
now owned by DR.. w. ID. Wolverton.
He was carpenter by trade, was the
father Of Mrs Lewis G. Paxson. of
Stockton, and grandfather Of Samuel
Van Cleve, of Stockton, and Lewis r..
Bodine, Of Lambertville. John Hunt
was the grandfather of Pembroke l..
Hunt, Of tockton. He died in 1860
and was buried at Sandy Ridge.
Jacob Godown, the Jolly wheelwrigbt
OF Dilts' Corner, was the father of A.
Dewitt Godown, Of Sandy Ridge,
Johnston Godown, OF Lambertvile,
and the late Charles W. Godown,
member Of the Assembly in 1879 80.
He was the life Of all such companies
as which took the memorable ride TO
Doylestown in the English Wagon
Bodie" seventy five years ago.
James Mountier, who drew the ar
ticle OF agreement was teacher in the
old log house at Dilts' Corner, the
forerunner Of the present Van Dolah
building.
Samuel Hunt lived ON the farm adj