The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-10-01

la. He said that Bowman's treasure
is buried in the hill and that he had
plans and diagrams at home that
would probably lead to its discovery.
He left with the ayowed purpose Of
returning next year with the drawings
to look for the hidden gold. He never
came, but word was finally received
that his house was burned and he and
the precious diagrams with it." So if
treasure there be it still lies buried
in the friendly bosom of the old hill.
OTHER GRAVES ON THE HILL
The Pidcock family tradition says
that Jonathan Pidcock, the old pioneer
and his wife are also buried on the
top of the hill. And various other
graves are said to be located there.
There was an Indian village on the
western slope of the hill. It's site was
marked for many years by the thou
sands of tortoise shells to be found
there.
On the southwestern slope of ''Bow-
mans Hill' is small hamlet called
"Lurgan," named after the English
birthplace of James Logan, a close
friend of William Penn. A school was
kept here at one time in one story
building, but recently torn down. At
this school many men, who in time be-
came prominent in the affairs Of the
county and state got their education.
Prominent among these was Hon. Oh
liver H. Smith, United States Senator
from the state of Indiana. The story
is told that at one time group of
senators, including Charles Sumner,
| Soloman P. Chase, Oliver H. Smith,
| and others were lounging in the cloak
room of the Senate, when the subject
of early education was introduced.
One had been graduated from Har-
ward, another from Yale. Some one
turned to the Senator from Indiana
saying: Senator Smith, from what
university were you graduated ?"
From Lurgan, if you please he an
swered.
Prior to 1853 John Beaumont set
tied on part of the Hondon Com
pany's tract near "Bowman's Hill",
the land remaining in the family I'M
til recently They were often called
'sBlue Mounts, and are so called in
some of Washington's letters.
BROWNSBURG.
Brownsburg, the hamlet on the RI
yer near the hill is not an old town.
/ In 1890 it had but two houses owned
and probably built by Mahlon Doane.
The older, built of stone, still stands
almost in the rear of the old hotel.
| Nothing remains of the other but the
chimney The place was called Peb-
bletown until 1927 when it was given
its present name by Stacy Brown who
had the postoffice established. David
Livezey built the stone house at the
1 river near the end of the century.
Samuel Opdyke came there IN 1877
| and operated ferry. This was knewn
for many years as "0pdyke's Ferry
and the ferry house was used as
hotel until within the memory of peo-
pie now living.
John Knowles was the pioneer own
er of the land abaut the mouth of the
.-.J- ls-1o,,- D1Joaoly,r +ba4 ann
tying into the Delaware about half
way between Brownsburg and Tay-
louisville. His original holdings en-
braced several fthe farms of the i'm
mediate vicinity, and was purchased
from the PENIS, it being part of
the "Proprietary's Manor of High
lands He built the east end of the
present stone house and lived there
for many years. The woodwork In the
upstairs rooms of the house is still
untouched by the art Of the painter
The hinges of the doors and the nails
are all handmade. The creek took the
name of the land owner and was
known as knowles Creek until very
recently when, in some unaccountable
way it had degenerated into STONY
Brook" Further up this creek, on the
south of Jerico Hills, William Keith
bought a farm prior to 1850. On this
he built a stone house in 1868, which
was destined to become famous in our
national annals, and will be mention
1 ed hereafter.
| FAMILY NAME ORIGINATED.
The story of the origin of proper
names is always interesting, but not
always ascertainable. Here is the or
igin of a family name of this partlc-
ular region that may be either real
ity or romance, know not which.
| Neither is it at all probable that the
allegations of the story will ever be
certainly proven to be either fact or
fiction.
The story was told to the writer by
Amy Bender, who then lived IN the
did Groom house in Lurgan. That was
some twelve years ago, and she was
| then eighty five. She said she had Of
ten when a little girl, heard her par
ants and others recount the incident.
md she believed it to be substantial
ly correct.
ain Cononial days two wood-chopp-
| ,o,-l,;,,rr ,,aar the river not