Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-07-01
WALL Tells Of
CITY HISTORY
Tells How Perth Amboy Lost
and Brunswick Gained
County Seat

At the meeting of the History Club
in the public library yesterday, John
L. Wall of New Brunswick spoke oil
How Perth Amboy lost and New
Brunswick gained the county seat"
There are a great many people
who wish TO know the answe to
this question, but very few to do the
research work in order TO establish
;.n answer. Mr.. Wall has spent II
number of years looking up material
on this subject and has written d
paper concerning his findings.
A little known fact, as pointed out
by Mr.. Wall in the history of Middle
sex county. is that Piscataway was
the first county seat. In 1908 Wood
bridge became the county seat and
remained so until 170S, when Perth
Amboy took over the reins. In 1913
the residents built a court house
and Jail. In 1865 the latter was
burned. At this time several men,,
highly influential in state politics,
had the county seat transferred to
New Brunswick by a resolution at
Trenton. Perth Amboy made no
fight and it is doubtful whether a
fight would have made any differ
ence, since the influential residents
of New Brunswick went so far as
to almost make their city the capital
of New Jersey.
I'm the early part, January, 1873
Mr.. Wall said, there were two mat
tiers of local interest in New Bruins
wick which overshadowed all others.
One was the proposed building of
a bridge over the Raritan, now
known as the Albany street bridge,
and the other was, where shall the
new county court house be situated
Both of these enterprises had been
sanctioned by recent enactments OF
the legislature. OF course, two rivals
for the honor and profit were Perth
Amboy and New Brunswick" the
speaker said.
Dodgers were distributed by resi-
dents of Perth Amboy giving the
arguments for having the court
house remain where it was. These
were distributed in an attempt to
gain votes. The dodgers stated, we
already have a substantial court
house, we are a free port of entry,
we will transport court officials, wit
nesses and those interested in mat
ters to be brought before the court,
across the ferry from Perth Amboy
to South Amboy free of charge. AS
"A matter of economy the court house
should De located here
The New Brunswick people said:
We live in the largest town, VIC are
OIL the line of the stage route, we arc
the center of a prosperous agricui-
tural country. the business done here
far exceeds that done at Perth AM
boy, and what is more, If 1t CONES
to a question of economy, we will
contribute $500 to the building OF
the new court house in this city.
New Brunswick" Mr.. Wall said,
then in both Somerset and Middle
sex counties the dividing line being
French street, resorted to trickery in
order to bring the court house to
their city. A notice was advertised
that there would be a county vote
on the special tax question. At the
last minute the question o election
was switched and the voters were
practically forced to decide the loca-
ton of the new county court house.
About twenty-one hundred votes
were cast. When 1900 of these had
been counted, it was found h n $50
were for New Brunswick and $40
for Perth kmboy. The counting OF
the remainder OF the votes was LETT
for a future time.
Not content with this, sharp
practice amounting to a bride was
INDUCED in by New Brunswick. Con-
ditions were proposed to the Board
of Freeholders for the use of the
court house and Jail by the city on
payment of 1900. 1t is a pity that
New Brunswick used these unfair
means to gain the county seat. be-
cause in the course of :ime. they
would have received the honor any
way in view of the fact that New
Brunswick is on the road from New
York to Philadelphia, while Perth
Amboy is off in a corner and that
the richest and most influential men
of the county resided there.
The speaker brought his talk to a
close in the midst of great applause.
A vote of thanks was rendered him.
After a brief business discussion the
meeting was adjourned.