LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
t 
 
 ? 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 Schools in Paterson, 
 
 NEW JERSEY; 
 
 with 
 
 Notices of Some Schools in the Vicinity. 
 
 BY WM. NELSON, 
 
 A member of the Paterson Board of Education, 
 April, 1868, to April, 1871. 
 
 Published By Obdebof the Boabd. 
 
 18 7 7. 
 
 PATERSON. N. J. { 
 Chiswell & Wubts, Pbentebs. 
 
 1S77. 
 
&^w %>&„ J--eJ^^, 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 Schools in Paterson, 
 
 NEW JERSEY; 
 
 with 
 
 Notices of Some Schools in the Vicinity. 
 
 BY WM. NELSON, 
 
 A member of the Paterson Board of Education, 
 April, 1868, to April, 1871. 
 
 Published By Order of the Board. 
 
 18 7 7. 
 
 ft ' 
 

 
Among the novel features of the very interesting Educational Exhibit 
 made by New Jersey at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, in 1870, 
 was the series of hisiories of schools in the several cities and counties in 
 the State. That of the Paterson schools was prepared at the request of 
 City Superintendent Rogers, and was rather hurriedly written, April 25 — 
 May 1st, 1876. The aim was to show the development of the educational 
 system from the simple village school teaching the merest rudiments, to the 
 highly-complex series of graded schools, from the lowest to the highest, 
 with a complex system of management, that prevails in large cities. As 
 this evolution from the homogeneous to the heterogeneous is the outgrowth 
 of a public sentiment, which is developed by changes in circumstances, 
 many details were introduced which, though trifling in themselves, are 
 more or less significant as showing the progress of education in a growing 
 community The truth embodied in the maxim, " The child is father of 
 the man," applies to most things in this world. Hence the importance of 
 studying the beginnings of movements affecting so iety. The history uf 
 educational progress in Paterson is in outline the history of the common 
 school system everywhere in America. Mons. E. Boisson, the distinguished 
 Commissioner of the French Government to the Educational Exhibit at 
 the Vienna Exposition in 1873, and President of the French Educational 
 Commission to the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia in 1876, doubt- 
 less took this view of this Historical Sketch, when he was kind enough to 
 say that he "regarded it as a model work of the sort," which he desired to 
 incorporate in his report to the French Government. 
 
 The Board of Education having unanimously resolved to have the 
 Sketch printed, the manuscript has been revised during the present month, 
 and the work is now submitted to the public, as a slight contribution, of at 
 least local interest, to the vast body of Centennial Literature. 
 
 Wm. Nelson. 
 Paterson, N. J., March, 1877. 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 -OF— 
 
 Schools in Paterson 
 
 Introductory. 
 
 "1742, den 1 Maij. Met Attestatie getrouwt Van Den Erw. Dom : 
 Vaughan van Eliza b Thown 
 James Billington Schoolmaster &c. 
 with Anna America &c." 
 
 The writer hereof was struck some years ago with the 
 above entry in the Acquackanonk Church Records,* the first 
 two lines being in the unmistakable chirography of Dominie 
 Van Driessen, then pastor of that church, 1 735-1 748 ; the 
 third line undoubtedly the autograph of the " Schoolmaster 
 &c," while the last was apparently in the yet unformed hand- 
 writing of the bride, whose marriage to the Schoolmaster (on 
 certificate- — -of proclamation of the banns — by the Rev. Edward 
 Vaughan, Episcopal clergyman at Elizabethtown, 1 709-1 747) 
 is thus set forth. The bride's unusual surname might not un- 
 naturally suggest the fancy that this record was a figurative 
 mode of conveying the idea that on or about the above date this 
 or any (Anna) part of America first became united to the 
 Schoolmaster. 
 
 Popular Education in New Netherland. 
 
 However, as Passaic county was originally settled by the 
 Dutch, we may get light on this subject by inquiring what was 
 done in " New Netherland" for the advancement of learning 
 
 *In MS., Vol. I., p. 489. 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 by the early Dutch proprietors. The charter of the West In- 
 dia Company, in 1629, enjoined upon the Patroons and colo- 
 nists the support of a minister and schoolmaster, in pursuance 
 of which policy Adam Roelandsen arrived four years later, 
 being the first schoolmaster in the colony.* In the Company's 
 new charter (1640) the support and maintenance of school- 
 masters was again pledged, but funds subscribed for the erec- 
 tion of a schoolhouse in New Amsterdam (now New York 
 City) were misappropriated, " and this laudable undertaking 
 failed in consequence."! The people insisted that better pro- 
 vision should be made for education, modestly urging that 
 " there should be a public school, provided with at least two 
 " good masters," and in 1647 Peter Stuyvesant promised that 
 the West India Company " would defray a part of the expen- 
 " ses of education, and would continue their assistance to pro- 
 " mote the glorious work," J and writing to the Classis of Am- 
 sterdam in 1649 " to send out a pious, well-qualified and dili- 
 ; ' gent schoolmaster," forcibly remarked : " Nothing is of greater 
 " importance than the right early instruction of youth. "§ The 
 next year the Classis sent to New Amsterdam a person to be 
 Zicken-trooster (consoler of the sick) and schoolmaster, and the 
 local authorities employed Jan Cornelissen to keep the common 
 school. || . In 1652, the Rev. Gideon Schaets was engaged to 
 come from Holland to Rensselaerswyck, one of the conditions 
 of his engagement being that he should " pay attention to the 
 " office of schoolmaster for old and young. "\ 
 
 The foregoing facts show that the Dutch progenitors of the 
 oldest Passaic county families appreciated the importance of a 
 common school system, and that the office of teacher was not 
 
 *0 , Callaghan's Hist. N. Netherland, I., 119, 143. 
 tlbid, 396. 
 
 ^Remonstrance of New Netherland, p. 48; Brodliead's History of N. Y., I., 516 
 4T6. 
 
 SBrodhead, I., SOS. 
 Illbid, 516. 
 110'Callaghan, II, 56T. 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATERSON. 
 
 inappropriately vested in the local clergyman or his substitute, 
 the Zieken-trooster. 
 
 First Schoolmaster in Passaic County. 
 
 In the absence of an ordained preacher, the congregations 
 of Acquackanonk and Hackensack were ministered unto spir- 
 itually by Guiliaem Bertholf, a Zieken-trooster, who in 1694 
 was sent to Holland by these churches to be ordained, and 
 served them as pastor for thirty years thereafter. 
 
 In a Dutch manuscript in Bertholf s handwriting, in the 
 writer's possession, dated April 10, 1693, he describes himself 
 as " Schoohneester en ordinere schrijver ten dtirfte Acquig- 
 " genonck Residerende" ("Schoolmaster and authorized 
 " scrivener, living at the village of Acquackanonk "), showing 
 that he joined to his office of Zieken-trooster that of 
 school-teacher as well. It is creditable to the first settlers of 
 our county that they thus early maintained a schoolmaster 
 among them ; beyond doubt, Guiliaem Bertholf deserves the 
 distinction of being the first in the county. 
 
 First Legislation. 
 
 It was not till the ensuing October or November that the 
 Legislature of East Jersey passed the first law relating to pub- 
 lic education in this State, providing for the annual election in 
 each township of three men " with authority to employ a 
 " School Master and levy a school rate upon the inhabitants of 
 " the town." The preamble to the act very properly sets forth 
 that " the cultivating of learning and good manners tends great- 
 " ly to the good and benefit of Mankind," and confesses that 
 the same " hath hitherto been much neglected within this 
 " Province." * 
 
 * Learning & Spicer, 328 ; Record of Governor and Council, 167. 
 
 Early Schools in Passaic County. 
 The marriage record given above is the next positive no- 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 tice we have of a successor to Dominie Bertholf at the school- 
 master's desk, and it is the only mention we find anywhere of 
 the spouse of Anna America. 
 
 But the tolerably frequent references to school-houses in 
 sundry records show that every considerable hamlet or village 
 in the county was prompt to provide facilities for the educa- 
 tion of the young. 
 
 The oldest reference of this kind we have found is in the 
 return in 1768 of a road at Pompton, " beginning at the fence 
 "of Abraham Bertholf, Near the schoolhouse." * 
 
 Again, in 1 775' a roa d was laid at Singack, to start from 
 " a certain Tract of Land which was purchased for the use of a 
 " school or schoolhouse." f There is reason for believing that 
 this tract has been ever since devoted to this honorable pur- 
 pose, and that it is to-day occupied by the modest but neat lit- 
 tle schoolhouse wherein assemble the children of Mountain 
 View (Mead's Basin) to receive their daily quantum of 
 learning. 
 
 Another like reference is in a road return dated 1794, which 
 speaks of " a log schoolhouse," apparently in the neighbor- 
 hood of Centreville, Acquackanonk township. In 1802 it is 
 alluded to as " the Log Schoolhouse so called," from which 
 we may infer that the primitive building had been removed, 
 but the new structure retained the old distinctive appellation. \ 
 
 As remarked above, there is no doubt that schoolhouses 
 were established in each settlement in the county as soon as 
 the hamlets grew up, but the records of them are exceedingly 
 scanty, and even tradition has scarcely occupied itself with per- 
 petuating recollections of the earliest attempts at popular edu- 
 cation. 
 
 * Bergen County Road Records, Book B, f. 3T. 
 
 t Ibid, f . 74. 
 
 X Essex County Road Records, A, 36.% 4G9, 4T2, 
 
OF 30S00LS IN PATERSON. 
 
 The First School tn Paterson — One of the 
 Olden Time. 
 
 Doubtless the first schoolhouse erected within the present 
 limits of the City of Paterson was at the corner of Market 
 street and the Wesel road, in the southeast corner of the pres- 
 ent city bounds. The " Wesel neighborhood " having been 
 settled about a century and a half ago, it is believed a plot of an 
 acre or two was at once set apart in the above location for a 
 schoolhouse. At the close of the last century the site was oc- 
 cupied by a building about forty feet long, running from east 
 to west, and twenty or twenty-five feet wide ; the walls perhaps 
 eight feet high, of stone laid up in clay mortar, supporting a 
 shingle roof. The house was thus large, because designed for 
 a double purpose — for a school, and for the dwelling of the 
 teacher and his family. Do you wonder where were his dining- 
 room, sitting-room, parlor and bed-room ? They were all 
 comprised in a space of twenty feet square. Perhaps he divid- 
 ed that into two rooms ; for three-quarters of a century ago the 
 Jersey Dutch in the rural districts were scarcely as fastidious 
 as we are now, and the almost universal practice of " bundling " 
 a whole family into one room, if not into one bed, was a won- 
 derful economy of space, whatever may be said of it in other 
 respects. Under the teacher's quarters was a cellar ; under the 
 other half of the building, none. A vast fire-place at each end 
 of the house was all the heating and ventilating " apparatus " 
 provided for many years. They answered the purpose of ventil- 
 ation admirably, but for heating were not particularly success 
 ful, although consuming vast quantities of cordwood provided 
 from time to time by the parents. By the year 1820, the clay 
 mortar had fallen out from between the stones, and the walls 
 were so full of air-holes that the old schoolhouse was familiar- 
 ly termed " the Bellows." When the wind was from the north- 
 
10 , HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 west, you might pile cords of wood on the fire, and the tre- 
 mendous draft would almost carry the entire building out 
 through the chimney ! About 1825 the Trustees put in a box 
 stove, which was more comfortable, and afforded the boys in- 
 tense amusement in expectorating on the cast-iron, and hearing 
 the curious " sizz," and enjoying the consequent annoyance of 
 the Master. As for furniture, a plank ten or twelve feet long, 
 with frequent legs, answered for half-a-dozen children ; and a 
 like plank, with a slight slope, supported by longer uprights, 
 formed a desk that was substantial, if not ornamental. Com- 
 fortable chairs, fitted to support every part of the body, and 
 handsome desks, with lids or drawers, book-racks, ink-wells, 
 etc., etc., were all undreamed of for the school room, and 
 would have been regarded as the designs of a fit candidate for 
 the insane asylum — had there been such an institution in those 
 days. The boys and girls sat on opposite sides of the room, on 
 the north and south, respectively, and were about equal in 
 numbers. Each pupil brought his or her own books, slates, 
 pencils, pens, and ink-bottles, provided by their parents. The 
 school held two sessions daily, three hours in the morning and 
 three in the afternoon, there being a half-holiday every Satur- 
 day afternoon, subsequently changed to a whole holiday every 
 other Saturday. Stated vacations were unknown, but the fre- 
 quent changes of teachers, who were about as uncertain as are 
 church choirs, afforded the children plenty of play-days 
 through the year. The rates for " schooling " ranged from six 
 to twelve shillings per quarter, while a few of the very oldest 
 pupils, who studied unusual branches, occasionally paid two 
 dollars per quarter — but that was an extravagance in which 
 few parents thought of indulging their children. About 1820 
 the teacher was paid twelve shillings per pupil per quarter if 
 he " found " himself, or ten shillings if he " boarded 'round." 
 Prior to 1826 there was no bridge across the river at Market 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PAT ERSON. 11 
 
 street, and until 1S15 there was no river bridge within three 
 miles of the VVesel schoolhouse ; consequently those children 
 who lived on the opposite shore were ferried over in summer 
 by their older brothers or parents, and in winter of course 
 crossed on the ice. The space now occupied by Market street 
 near the river was then used by the teacher as a garden for the 
 raising of vegetables, to eke out his scanty living. — These de- 
 tails are given, because of the antiquity of the Wesel school, 
 because it was in many respects typical of the earliest country 
 schools, though rather superior to most of them, and because 
 for nearly a century it enjoyed an enviable reputation through- 
 out what is now Paterson. 
 
 Some Old-Time Schoolmasters. 
 
 The first teacher there of whom the writer has been able to 
 hear anything was William Jenner. His grand-father came to 
 America about the middle of the last century, and his father 
 settled at Preakness. William left home and followed the sea 
 for some time, picking up an excellent education and a valu- 
 able fund of general information, of which he made good 
 use when he returned and took charge of the Wesel school, 
 about 1798- He next taught school at Preakness, where he 
 took Paul's advice and followed after Charity — the daughter of 
 James Ackerman. From 1813 to 1815 he taught once more at 
 Wesel, living there with his wife and two or three children. 
 About this time, or two or three years later, he mysteriously 
 disappeared, and was never heard of more by his relatives. 
 
 Joseph Henderson, described by some of his pupils as " a 
 " full-blooded Englishman " and " an old tyrant," succeeded 
 Jenner at Wesel, about 1802, living in the schoolhouse with a 
 charming young wife whom he married at Clifton, and who 
 was worshipped b} r the pupils, to whom her kindness was in 
 marked contrast to her husband's sternness. Henderson was a 
 
12 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 capital surveyor, and did considerable work of that sort, run- 
 ning out many farm-lines in Acquackanonk, between 1804 and 
 1 810, his surveys being regarded as very accurate. While 
 at Wesel he created some excitement by instructing the schol- 
 ars in the art of declamation, and for the better exercise of their 
 lungs, and the accommodation of the parents, who used to at- 
 tend the occasional " exhibitions " in crowds, these exercises 
 were held in a large barn near by, the floor of which was 
 cleared for the purpose. Who shall say that those unpreten- 
 tious " exhibitions," held in a dreary barn, were not as de- 
 lightsome and intellectual as the more ambitious demonstra- 
 tions of our schools and seminaries of to-day? 
 
 About 1806-7, Bernard Sheridan, an intelligent Irishman, 
 with a marked brogue, succeeded Henderson at Wesel, and 
 kept the school up to a very high standard : so much so, that 
 he had as many as seventy pupils at one time, and children 
 came as much as three or four miles to enjoy the benefit of his 
 instruction. He was teaching there in iSti, as appears by the 
 following communication in the Newark " Sentinel " in June 
 of that year : 
 
 " On Saturday last a school exhibition was held in Mr. B. 
 " N. Sheridan's school, in the neighborhood of Weazel, near 
 " Paterson ; and it is but due justice to Mr. Sheridan (consider- 
 " ing the short period of tuition) to say that his pupils exceed- 
 " ed the most sanguine expectations of their parents, as well as 
 " the numerous audience who had the pleasure of being present 
 " at the exhibition." 
 
 On Sheridan's tombstone, in the First Reformed Church- 
 yard at Passaic, is this flattering tribute to his undoubted 
 
 worth : 
 
 " Here lies an honest man at rest, 
 As ever God in his image blest. 
 
 A friend of man, a friend of truth, 
 A friend of age, a guide of youth. 
 If there's another world he lives in bliss, 
 If there's none, he made the best of this." 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATERSON. 13 
 
 Thomas Gould taught at Wesel about 1S20, being succeed- 
 ed by Jacob Goetschius, who " used to take the hide off," say 
 some of his old pupils from personal experience. Mr. 
 Goetschius taught for a great many years all about this sec- 
 tion, and was regarded as a remarkably thorough instructor. 
 
 Bryant Sheys next wielded the rod at Wesel. He was an 
 Irishman, who retained a rich brogue to the last. He was a 
 political exile, it is said, and came to America about a century 
 ago, settling at Taunton, Mass., where he taught school during 
 the Revolution. Of the incidents of "the times that tried men's 
 " souls," he was very fond of talking, especially when his 
 tongue was loosened (and it was ever quite limber) by a glass 
 or two. He used to say he " always liked the Baptists, be- 
 " cause he never knew a Baptist who was a Tory during the 
 " Revolution." He came to Paterson previous to 1800, and 
 kept tavern in Oliver street, adjoining St. John's Roman Cath- 
 olic Church, and being somewhat of an antiquarian, accumu- 
 lated a valuable collection of local curiosities. He sold his tav- 
 ern in 1802 to Judge Charles Kinsey (who occupied it as a 
 dwelling), and took charge of the Wesel school for a short 
 time. He was a Protestant, and married a farmer's daughter 
 near Clifton, it is said, and when he resumed his sway at the 
 old schoolhouse in 1S23, his wife, his son James B. (after- 
 wards a New York lawyer who achieved quite a reputation), 
 and his daughter Harriet lived with him. Sheys was short and 
 stout in build, was a man of fine parts, an excellent scholar, 
 frank and generous, and his only fault was an overfondness for 
 a " social glass," which unfortunately grew upon him in his 
 later years. He taught at Wesel till 1S28, and died' soon after. 
 — His eldest son was something of an artist, who one day see- 
 ing Thomas Paine in a butcher's shop, with great rapidity 
 sketched his portrait upon the smooth side of the butcher's 
 block, and, he used to claim, thus made almost the only por- 
 
14 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 trait of Paine in existence, that noted free thinker being mor- 
 bidly averse to sitting to an artist. This singularly-obtained 
 sketch was for many years to be seen at the old " Museum 
 Hotel," at the northeast corner of Main and Smith streets, Pat- 
 er son. 
 
 One Carpenter succeeded Sheys at Wesel. After him came 
 another teacher who remained but a few weeks. He dismissed 
 the school one Saturday night, promising the pupils a sound 
 flogging on the following Monday morning, for some real or 
 fancied misbehavior, But alas for human frailty ! That very 
 night he visited a tavern at the Broadway bridge, got drunk, 
 fell to fighting, and received two such black eyes and such a 
 general battering that he was ashamed to be seen again by his 
 pupils, and left the country for parts unknown. And so the 
 children's quaking hearts on that gloomy Monday morning 
 were once more full of gladness. 
 
 The old schoolhouse which had stood time's ravages for un- 
 known years, at last fell into a state of hopeless decay, and 
 about 1835 was torn down and replaced by a neat little frame 
 building. This was supported as a "Union" school by the 
 neighboring families on both sides of the river, until three or 
 four years ago, when the State law required all school districts 
 to lie wholly in one county. The people on the Bergen countv 
 side of the river set about building a schoolhouse of their own, 
 and soon the venerable landmark was removed, and the 
 " Wesel schoolhouse " is no more. 
 
 First Schools in the Town of Paterson. 
 
 The town of Paterson was founded in the Summer of 1792, 
 by the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures (popular- 
 ly known as the l ' S. U. M." ), which aimed to build up here a 
 great manufacturing city. During the following year quite a 
 number of families were brought hither, to work in the numer- 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATER SON 15 
 
 ous shops, built or projected, and at a meeting of the Board of 
 Directors of the Society, held April 15, 1794, 
 
 " The Superintendent representing to the Board that a num- 
 " ber of Children were employed in the Factory, whose par- 
 " ents were so poor and the wages of the Children so low, 
 " that they cannot get to School, and that if something is not 
 " done a number of Children will be withdrawn — resolved 
 " therefore that Mr. Colt be authorized to employ a school 
 " Master to teach the Children of the Factory on Sunday's * — 
 " and that the compensation of the Master shall not exceed Ten 
 " shillings per week." 
 
 According to tradition, the late Miss Sarah Colt, the 
 daughter of Mr. Peter Colt, the Superintendent of the S. U. 
 M., she being at the time but twelve years of age, began in 
 April, 17941 to teach some of the factory hands on Sunday, in 
 the basement of her father's residence. This Sunday school 
 was preceded by but one or two in America. Seventy-four 
 years later (in 186S) Miss Colt had the gratification of seeing 
 a procession of five thousand Paterson Sunday school children 
 march in review past her house, acknowledging her as the 
 founder of the system in this city. 
 
 The success of her modest effort at doing good doubtless 
 led to the Society's action, mentioned above, and a school ■ 
 master was employed to continue the work this child had be- 
 gun. The records are silent as to the manner in which this 
 movement was carried forward, the only reference thereto be- 
 ing the following, in the minutes of January 25, 1796 : 
 
 "Mr. Colt laid before the Board a letter from |no. Wiight, 
 " the school master of Paterson, relative to the small tenement 
 
 *It may not be generally known that Sunday schools onginally devoted most of their 
 attention to teaching poor children how to read and cipher. So late as 1822, the con- 
 stitution of the Taterson Union Sabbath School Society declared that society's object 
 to b.e " the instruction of children and youth in the rudiments of the English Lan- 
 " guage, Religion and Morality"— elementary' education being placed first. 
 
16 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 " of the Society which he occupied as a School House for the 
 " children in the employ of the Society — 
 
 " Resolved, that the Superintendent do not charge any rent 
 " for the said House whilst it was occupied as a School 
 " House." 
 
 The Society failed in 1796, and was dormant for nearly 
 twenty years, else better school accommodations would have 
 been provided, beyond doubt, for at a meeting of the Directors 
 held April 5, 1814, 
 
 " The Governor reported that in the first formation of the 
 '• Society, it was resolved that a Tract of Land should be ap- 
 " propriated for a School and another for a Church — but as 
 " there appeared no call for them, in the then State of the So- 
 " ciety, nothing was done." 
 
 Within six or eight years after Paterson was founded, a 
 schoolhouse was built at the southeast corner of Broadway and 
 Prospect street — one story high, of frame, about 20x30 feet in 
 area. Hither thirty-five or forty little folks repaired daily to 
 learn reading, writing and 'rithmetic. The teacher bore the 
 remarkable name of Smith, and his jurisdiction extended over 
 a wide range of territory, for children sometimes came from 
 Totowa, the " Bocht" (Riverside), and even Wesel, to attend 
 " the Paterson school," either because of its superior reputa- 
 tation, or because those neighborhoods had no schools, or were 
 temporarily in want of teachers. We may dismiss this school 
 — or the consideration thereof — by adding that Joseph Sher- 
 burne succeeded Mr. Smith, teaching there for three years, up 
 to May 1, 1S05, paying the S. U. M. £3 rent per annum, and 
 eight shillings for rent of a stove. Bryant Sheys also taught 
 there for some time. 
 
 Thomas Wills was one of the last teachers in this building, 
 about 1S20. Wills taught in and about Paterson (especially at 
 Wagaraw) for perhaps tnirty years, and was highly esteemed 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATERSON. 17 
 
 by pupils and parents. Being a very superior penman, he was 
 employed in 179S to transcribe the records of Saddle River 
 township from 17891 a task which he executed with great neat- 
 ness. He was a fluent speaker, and was a leading member of 
 a little debating society which used to meet on Saturday nights 
 in Godwin's or Weller's tavern, sixty or seventy years ago. An 
 oration which he delivered in Paterson on the Fourth of July, 
 181 1, was so greatly admired that it was published in full in 
 the Newark Sentinel, September 10, following. It is quite a 
 rhetorical effort, and delivered by a good speaker must have 
 sounded well. Wills lived during the later years of his life in 
 a modest little house, still standing in Broadway, now the resi- 
 dence of Mr. E. B. King. A quaint knocker on the door con- 
 tained a strip of brass on which was engraved an imitation of 
 his autograph. Before the establishment of a postoffice at Pat- 
 erson, the published lists of unclaimed letters in the Newark 
 office generally advertised one or more missives for the Pater- 
 son pedagogue, showing that he carried on quite a correspon- 
 dence. Wills died here February 7, 1S23, aged fifty-two years, 
 and lies interred in the neglected old burying ground at the 
 foot of Totowa. His son, of the same name, was admitted to 
 the New York bar in 181 7. 
 
 An Ambitious Enterprise. 
 
 In 1799? Paterson being then a village of but two or 
 three hundred inhabitants, there was attempted here a project 
 so ambitious as to excite a smile when we consider its charac- 
 ter and the circumstances under which it was started. This 
 was a public boarding school, for young ladies and gentlemen, 
 conducted by the Rev. John Phillips and wife. The young 
 ladies' school was kept in the " Old Hotel," a large wooden 
 building erected in 1794-5 for hotel purposes, on Market street, 
 between Hotel and Union, and destroyed by fire in June, 184S. 
 
18 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 The young gentlemen were taught in the old " Colt House," a 
 two-story-and basement frame dwelling, occupied by the Colt 
 family for several years, and standing on Market street near 
 Main, the site of the present Masonic Hall. It was said by the 
 late Judge Dickerson* that these schools were well attended for 
 two years. From an old account-book in the writer's possession 
 it would appear that the enterprise was continued until the 
 Spring of 1S03, or for nearly four years. Phillips appears to have 
 been in a state of chronic impecuniosity, paying "on account" 
 but two or three times a year. Judge Dickerson said the dis- 
 continuance of the schools was owing to causes of which he 
 had no knowledge. The old account-book referred to would 
 seem to furnish an explanation. The Rev. Mr. Phillips was 
 incessantly buying rye or corn — averaging six bushels of the 
 former weekly, varying with the latter in the Spring. Now, 
 rye and corn may be a wholesome diet, but after a while must 
 get rather monotonous, and if the reverend boading-school keep- 
 er really fed his pupils on such food (and he does not appear to 
 have bought any other), is it any wonder that his school even- 
 tually ran down? Mind, I do not assert it as a positive fact 
 that he really was so extreme a vegetarian as to provide such a 
 bill of fare as rye and corn to his pupils, but if he did, the fail- 
 ure of his educational institution was not surprising. He is 
 charged June 3, 1S01, with £44 ($no) rent for a house; and 
 June 19, 1S02, with £50 ($125) rent for a house and barn; 
 also with " one season's rent for two ten plate stoves, at ten 
 " shillings each." In the Spring of 1803 he was sued for rent, 
 etc., by the S. U. M., and his property sold to pay his debts. 
 Phillips was something of a farmer, owned land on Totowa, 
 and kept at least eight cows. After he was sold out, he left 
 this part of the country. Mr. Phillips was probably the first 
 clergyman who preached in the English language in or about 
 * A Lecture on the City of Paterson, 1856, p. 21. 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATERSON. 19 
 
 Paterson, holding Sunday meetings in his school -room in the 
 Colt house. He was doubtless a graduate of Princeton in 
 j 774** To his matriculation there he may have owed the fact 
 that Richard Stockton (of the class of 1779) sen t at least one 
 child to Mr. Phillips to receive ' ; schooling," for which Mr. P. 
 was paid $81.39 m May, 1802. The real failure of this ambi- 
 tious attempt was doubtless because it was at least three-quart- 
 ers of a century in advance of the times. 
 
 Other Schools and Schoolmasters. 
 
 For the year ending May 1, 1S06, the Colt house in Market 
 street near Main was occupied in part by the family of Mr. 
 Henderson, previously at the Wesel school, he paying £50 
 ($125) rent for the building. He gave instruction in mental 
 gunnery to about thirty children. To their great joy, he soon 
 left, and subsequently removed to the far-off wilderness of 
 Ohio, settling at or near Cincinnati, where it was subsequently 
 reported that he had made a handsome fortune in civil engin- 
 eering. 
 
 David Stevenson hired the same house during the year end- 
 ing May 1, 1S07. 
 
 Thomas Wills and Abraham Willis are also said to have 
 taught there. 
 
 Willis was a surveyor, apparently a man of superior intelli- 
 gence, whose dwelling still stands, in Willis street, next the 
 Baptist church. Dying Monday, December 3,1810, the New- 
 ark " Sentinel " remarked of him : " His life was useful, his 
 " character generous, honest and truly respected. His death 
 " most sincerely regretted, and his memory will ever be dear to 
 " every lover of his country." 
 
 From 1810 to ]Si2, the building was occupied for a school 
 by "Joseph Sherburne, above mentioned. He came to Pater- 
 
 * Princeton Triennial Catalogue. 
 
20 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 son from Maine as early as 1S00, taught school ten or twelve 
 years, then kept a store and acted as Justice of the Peace, until 
 his death in 1829, in his sixtieth year. 
 
 About 1804-10 there was a very select school kept in the 
 rooms over Henry Godwin's store, at the southwest corner of 
 River and Bank streets, by the sweet, refined and intellectual 
 wife of Benjamin Helme (who died there May 17, 1S04), his 
 poverty being thought by some to be the result of his reputa- 
 tion, which was such as to gain for him the extraordinary 
 soubriquet, " the Honest Lawyer." Mrs. Helme had few pu- 
 pils, but they were of the best families in the place. 
 
 The north or "Manchester" side of the river had been 
 growing steadily in population, and about 1S09-10 a frame 
 schoolhouse some twenty feet square, one story high and very 
 rough in its construction, was erected fifteen or twenty feet in 
 the rear of the old Totowa Dutch church on Water street near 
 Matlock. Richard Todd was the first teacher, doubtless, and 
 he is said to have been equal to teaching anything.* One 
 Thompson, an Irishman, taught there about 181 2-13. For sev- 
 eral years John W. House, a leading Baptist, had charge of the 
 school ; in 1824 he had forty pupils. In 1825 the school seems 
 to have passed into the hands of Charles Upson, who had thir- 
 ty-five scholars. In 1827 Mr. House had resumed the teach- 
 er's desk and rod, and swayed the latter over forty-five heads. 
 The schoolhouse was occasionally used for evening church 
 meetings through the week, and in winter the young people 
 gathered there for frolics under the guise of " singing- 
 " schools." 
 
 The early annals of this school, were they fully chronicled, 
 
 would be found crowded with records of fierce battles between 
 
 the pupils from the opposite sides of the river — there being an 
 
 * Still earlier than this, Todd taught a school in the western part of Totowa, per- 
 haps where the Totowa District School now stands. 
 
OF SCHOOLS lit PATmsON. 21 
 
 inveterate animosity between " the Dutch boys " on the North 
 side against the " the Paterson boys" — whom they regarded as 
 intruders — " carpet-baggers," so to speak — on the South side. 
 One winter's day sixty years or more ago, the leader of " the 
 " Paterson boys " dared the enemy to follow him across the 
 river on the ice, and threatened them with figurative annihil- 
 ation if they presumed to venture on Paterson soil. In his eager 
 defiance, as he backed across the river, his face to the foe, he 
 failed to perceive the dangers behind, and suddenly he broke 
 through the treacherous ice, and only escaped a watery grave 
 through the promptness of a family servant of his grandfather's, 
 who had noticed the boy's danger from the Passaic Hotel. In 
 the excitement of the moment the enmity between the clans 
 was forgotten, and the leader of " the Dutch fellows" cor- 
 dially clasped hands with the doughty champion of " the Pat- 
 erson boys." * 
 
 On the south side of Broadway, opposite the Washington 
 Market, there formerly stood a long, old-fashioned building, 
 originally a tavern. The upper floor was occupied for a school 
 for many years ; an outside stairway at the western end led up 
 to it. Otis Wilmarth wielded the rod there in 1824, and Mrs. 
 Phoebe Fairchild conducted the school in 1825. In 1826 John 
 W. Woodward came from New York to take charge, offering 
 " to instruct youth in Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Geo- 
 *' graphy, and Grammar, for $3 a scholar per quarter." Brad- 
 ford W. Lyon (familiarly known as "Dominie" Lyon) also 
 taught there at one time. 
 
 An old stone house on the site of Mrs. John R. Van 
 Houten's residence, on Broadway, adjoining the Erie Railway, 
 was occupied for a school by Thomas Wills prior to 1S13, 
 
 Another building long used in part for school purposes was 
 
 .* For names, etc., consult the still active Captain Stephen Allen, and Mr. Abraham 
 H. Godwin. 
 
22 HISTORICAL BKETOB 
 
 that large double tenement house in Marshall street, east side, 
 a short distance south of Oliver ; B. W. Lyon taught the chil- 
 dren about 1819-20. 
 
 The following lists of (private) schools, etc., in Paterson in 
 the years named were made at the time by the Rev. Dr. Sam- 
 uel Fisher, and are doubtless quite complete : 
 
 1824 — Mrs. Haywood, Oliver street, 40 scholars; Enoch 
 Williams, Ward street, 45 scholars; Mrs. Joseph F. James, 
 Congress street (now Market, west of Union), 40 scholars. 
 (Her husband appears to have kept a beer and cake shop in 
 the same house.) James McGrorty, John street, 25 day and 10 
 evening scolars ; Mr. and Mrs. Davis, Market street, near 
 Union (doubtless in "the Academy"), 80 and 10 scholars; 
 Otis Wilmarth, Broadway near Washington street, 45 schol- 
 ars ; Jacob Goetschius, Division street (near Washington, 
 building erected in 1824), 40 scholars. This makes a total of 
 315 children attending day-school, out of a population of 2,17s 
 persons under sixteen years of age. 
 
 1S25 — Mrs. (Win.) and Miss Haywood, Oliver street, 35 
 scholars; Uzal Freeman, Prospect street, 70 scholars ; Mrs. 
 Phoebe Fairchild, Broadway near Washington street, 22 schol- 
 ars ; Mrs. Van Winkle, Market street, between Clark and 
 Prince, 30 scholars ; I. Mosher, Market street, between Clark 
 and Union, 37 scholars ; Jacob Catlin, about the same location, 
 (probably both were in " the Academy "), 12 scholars ; Mrs. 
 Wilde, Market street, between Union and Main (probably in 
 the " Colt House"), 15 scholars ; Wm. L. Roberts and Jacob 
 Goetschius, Washington street (doubtless Division street near 
 Washington, as in 1824), 102 scholars. Total, 323 scholars. 
 
 1S27 — Enoch Williams, Main street near Broadway, — 
 scholars ; Miss Walmsley, Ward street, 9 scholars ; A. Van 
 Winkle, Ward street, 38 scholars ; the Rev. James C. Fisher 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATER SON. 23 
 
 Ward street, corner Cross, 31 scholars* ; Mrs. A. L. Wilde, 
 Congress street, 12 scholars ; Hugh Dougherty, White Alle} r , 
 60 scholars ; Wm. B. Hamilton, John street, 60 day and even- 
 ing scholars ; Miss Bumstead, Prospect street, 6 scholars ; 
 Z. Searle, Prospect street, 70 scholars ; Jacob Goetschius, Di- 
 vision street, 105 scholars ; Moses E. De Witt, Broadway near 
 Main street, 28 scholars ; L. Sythoff, Market street near Clark 
 (the Academy?), 45 scholars. Total, 469 children attending 
 school. (In a newspaper summary Dr. Fisher stated that there 
 were " eleven male and six female schools," attended by 633 
 scholars. |) 
 
 In 1829 — Dr. Fisher published a summary as follows : 
 Number of school children between three and sixteen years, 
 2,629 ; there were in the town nineteen pay-schools, twelve 
 male and seven female, in which were instructed 664 children. 
 " There is a free school for poor children which is supported 
 " by the town ; also an infant school for children between three 
 " and eight years; 121 pupils at present. There are six Sab- 
 " bath schools, in which are instructed 1,072 scholars ; of these, 
 " 528 attend no other school. Consequently there are in Pat- 
 " erson 1,393 children who enjoy daily or weekly instruction 
 " in the different schools." \ Among the educational an- 
 nouncements in the newspapers of the day were the following : 
 
 May, 1826 — M. E. De* Witt, from Greenville Academy, New 
 York, gives notice that he will open a school " in Main street, 
 u in the room above the Hat Store of Mr. Brown " — a few 
 doors north of Van Houten street, on the west side. In addi- 
 tion to the ordinary English branches, he undertook to teach 
 Latin and Greek. Mr. De Witt soon became a successful pol- 
 
 *For some years Mr. Fisher occupied the lecture-room of the First Presbyterian 
 Church— a small frame building, subsequently removed to Ward street, south side, 
 next to the corner of Cross, where it was used as a dwelling. This Spring it was re- 
 moved to Cross street, west side, one door north of Oliver, and remodeled. 
 
 t Paterson Intelligencer, July 25, 1S2T. 
 ' t Paterson Intelligencer, Aug. 26, 1829. 
 
24 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 itician, and was rewarded with the postoffice about 1832, a few 
 years after coming to Paterson, and in 1843 was elected Sheriff 
 of the county. 
 
 May, 1826 — Mrs. Hamilton, from Belfast (Ireland), adver- 
 tises a school for young ladies, in John street, for plain and or- 
 namental needle work, etc. A Mr. Hamilton (presumably her 
 husband) already had a school in that street. 
 
 April, 1829 — A "Common School" was opened by Mr. 
 Larned in Mr. Goetschius's schoolhouse in Division street near 
 Washington ; terms, $1.50 and $2. 
 
 May, 1829 — Mi. Hartley, from Providence, Rhode Island, 
 began a school in the basement of the Baptist church in Broad- 
 way, between West and Mulberry streets, now occupied by the 
 Second German Presbyterian Church. These premises were 
 occupied at different times through many years for school pur- 
 poses. 
 
 In the Fall of 1S31, Isaac Serven opened a day and evening 
 school in the basement of the old Main street Reformed 
 Church. 
 
 The Rev. John Croes, jr., rector of St. Paul's Episcopal 
 Church, 1825-30, had a very superior classical school at one 
 time in the rear of his residence, which occupied the site of the 
 present First Presbyterian Church parsonage on Market street. 
 
 The mere mention of these names will recall to many of 
 our older citizens the circumstances under which they ac- 
 quired the education that was considered sufficient in those 
 days " to give a boy a start in the world." Of the character of 
 the instruction imparted, it may be said in brief that it was as 
 diverse as the teachers who flitted across the early dawn of ed- 
 ucational progress in Paterson. 
 
 Female Education. 
 Female education received considerable attention in those 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATERSON. 25 
 
 days, and some branches were taught which no longer find a 
 place in the most elaborate courses of study in the most famous 
 of modern seminaries for young women. A few specimens of 
 the curriculum and charges of a "young ladies' school" in 
 Paterson half a century ago may not be without interest. 
 
 In April, 1826, Mrs. Wilde advertised that the Summer- 
 term of her school would begin May 8, " in the School Room 
 " now occupied by her, at the Corner of Main and Congress 
 " Streets, in the Village of Paterson, where Young Ladies will 
 " be carefully instructed in the various branches of English 
 " Education, — such as, Reading, Writing, English Grammar, 
 " Arithmetic, Geography, History, and Rhetoric. Also, Em- 
 " broidery on Lace, to any required pattern for Veils, Dresses, 
 " Caps, Edgings, &c. Also, the most approved method of 
 " Painting on Velvet, of taking any pattern of Flowers, and of 
 " Painting them in a superior manner." 
 
 This was in the old " Colt House." 
 
 In November, 1826, Miss Collis began a " select school for 
 " young ladies," " in the house lately occupied by Miss Ben- 
 " net, on the bank of the river." She proposed " to teach Read- 
 " ing, Writing, Arithmetic, Grammar and Composition, His- 
 tory, Rhetorick, Philosophy [i. e., physics] and Chemistry, 
 " with Drawing and Painting in water colours, Velvet Paint- 
 " ing, Lace, and other ornamental Needle-Work. Hours of 
 " attendance from nine in the morning until three in the after- 
 '.' noon. Saturday will be devoted to Drawing. Terms from $3 
 " to $5. Drawing a separate charge of $5. Velvet Painting $3. 
 " Lace- Working, separately, $3." 
 
 In May, 1828, Mrs. Conover opened a young ladies' school 
 which seemed to be on a less ambitious scale than the above, 
 " at the brick house lately built in Broadway, the second house 
 " next to Mr. Robert King's. * Terms — for Reading and 
 
 * Broadway, north side, between Washington and Bridge, 
 M 
 
26 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 " Plain Sewing, $3 per quarter ; with Writing and Arithmetic, 
 " $4 per qr. ; with Geography and Fine Needle Work, $5 
 " per qr." 
 
 There are people who think that some features of that 
 course of study — to wit, the " plain sewing " and " fine needle 
 " work" — might be introduced with advantage into the schools 
 of to-day. 
 
 The Paterson- Academy. 
 
 The premature attempt of the Rev. Mr. Phillips to found a 
 school of a higher order in Paterson was followed a few years 
 later by an organized effort of a number of leading citizens to 
 establish a superior institution of learning in the place. On 
 May 6, 181 1, a The Paterson Academy" was formally incor- 
 porated under the provisions of the general " Act to incorpor- 
 ate societies for the promotion of learning," the following 
 gentlemen being elected Trustees : Abraham Van Houten, 
 Charles Kinsey, John Parke, Samuel Colt, William Ellison. 
 Mr. Van Houten was an old resident, who lived where the 
 " Wigwam " now stands, an extensive property-owner, and at 
 this time was the agent of the S. U. M. Charles Kinsey had 
 started a paper mill here in 1802, and was one of the most in- 
 telligent, progressive and valuable citizens Paterson has ever 
 had. John Parke was another man of great enterprise Sam- 
 uel Colt was a new-comer, a nephew of Peter Colt, of superior 
 education and foremost in every good work for several years ; 
 he had just started a rolling mill, under the patronage of his 
 cousin, Roswell L. Colt. William Ellison was a native of 
 Ireland, a graduate of the University of Edinburgh, and of 
 great ability as a physician. 
 
 The Society U. M. generously gave a site for the Academ}', 
 at the southeast corner of Market and Union streets. The 
 latter thoroughfare was not opened till later, when, and for 
 many years after, it was known as Academy street. 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATERSON. 27 
 
 Referring to this matter in 1814, the Governor of the S. U. 
 M. reported to the Directors : 
 
 '■ That lately the population has so increased, that it became 
 " absolutely necessary, to build a school house. A Lot was 
 " fixed on in the least inconvenient place for the Society, and 
 " that he executed a Deed to the Trustees of the School ac- 
 •' cordingly." 
 
 His action was formally approved by the Board. The deed 
 was executed September 4, 1S12, but it is not unlikely that the 
 lot had been occupied by the Trustees before this date. The 
 Academy was a very plain frame structure, two stories high, 
 about forty feet long on Market street, and twenty-five feet 
 deep. The records of the society would doubtless be interest- 
 ing reading, could they be found. Without them, the details 
 of the school's history are exceedingly scanty. About 1820, 
 , Bradford W. Lyon is said to have taught there. James W. 
 King was in charge for a while, and was succeeded by a Mr. 
 Ware, who introduced the then popular Lancasterian system 
 of managing by monitors. 
 
 In 1S23 the Trustees advertise the opening of the Academy 
 on June 2d, "under the superintendence of Mr. William S. 
 "Davis, of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., assisted by Mrs. D. and a 
 " young lady," who were to " take charge of the female part 
 " of the school." Reading, writing and plain needle work 
 were taught at the very reasonable rate of $3 per quarter ; 
 arithmetic, the elements of grammar and geography, for $2.50 ; 
 " the critical and more abstruse parts of Geography and His- 
 " tory upon a new and interesting plan, with drawing and use 
 " of Maps," $3 ; rhetoric, composition, drawing, painting, 
 botany and " the translation of the French," $4. A Latin 
 class was also promised, " under the superintendence of a 
 " young Gentleman of ability," as soon as a sufficient number 
 pf scholars should offer. 
 
$8 T&lSfORIOAL SKETdS 
 
 In the Fail of 1S25, Dr. Lambert Sythoff, a physician who 
 practiced out of school hours, took charge of the Academy, 
 and his reputation was such that his complement of pupils was 
 more than filled at once. During the following Spring he de- 
 voted eight hours a day to instruction, the better to accommo- 
 date the scholars. In a prospectus dated March, 1826, Dr. 
 Sythoff says : 
 
 " In this Seminary, youth are led by easy gradations from 
 " the first rudiments of knowledge, to the higher classics, and 
 " to every species of Literary acquirement that may qualify 
 " them for admission into any of the classes of American Col- 
 " leges, or fit them for the various stations of active life." 
 
 It is probable that the Trustees had ere this ceased to have 
 anything to do with the school, and simply rented the building 
 to teachers. In the Spring of 1829 the Rev. Wm. J. Gibson 
 " informed his friends and the public" that he intended " open- 
 " ing a school in the lower room of the Academy, lately occu- 
 " pied by Mr. De Witt." At the same time Mr. Lyon an- 
 nounced the beginning of his " next quarter" in " the upper 
 " room of the Academy ; also an evening school." Of Lyon 
 it has been said : " He had been clerk, writer, pettifogger, 
 " pedagogue, politician and editor ; and though a man of very 
 " moderate parts, by his constant mingling in public matters 
 '' became quite a prominent character in the town."* Lyon 
 was a native of Litchfield, Conn., and came to Paterson from 
 Middlesex county, New Jersey, in 1816 or 1S17, opening a 
 school at 65 or 67 Broadway. He died suddenly, January 30, 
 1838, aged fifty-five years. 
 
 About 1S30, Henry White, during the later years of his life 
 (he died in 1865) known as "Daddy" White, taught upstairs 
 in the Academy, and a Mr. Collins on the first floor. 
 
 ♦Paper read by the late Wm. Gledhill, before the Passaic County Historical Soci- 
 ety, July 16, 1S6T, 
 
OP SCHOOLS 1$ PAT fiRBON. 29 
 
 The association seems to have become financially embar- 
 rassed soon after this. In 1S36 the Legislature authorized 
 those of the subscribers who had paid $8 to assign their inter- 
 est to the Trustees. The building was then removed to an- 
 other lot belonging to the S. U. M., at the northwest corner of 
 Academy (or Union) and Smith streets, for which $600 was to 
 be, but never was, paid. The structure was remodeled, and 
 continued in use as a school-house for ten years, being 
 partially destroyed by fire in 1846. The concern being now 
 hopelessly bankrupt, Mr. Nathaniel Lane, for the Trustees, 
 surrendered the premises to the S. U. M., November 29, 1848, 
 and " the Paterson Academy " was a thing of the past. 
 
 Though it scarcely realized all the hopes indulged in by its 
 founders, the Academy in its day exerted a moral influence not 
 easily estimated. While it stood, Science had a home peculiar- 
 ly her own. New church societies met there till they were 
 strong enough to build for themselves * ; the first permanent 
 Sunday school in Paterson (the First Presbyterian) was or- 
 ganized there ; it was the popular lyceum ; and indeed, for 
 fifteen or twenty years " the Academy " was the headquarters 
 of nearly every movement for the spiritual, moral, intellectual, 
 social or physical improvement of the town — so naturally do 
 men turn to the schoolhouse as the proper starting-point for 
 any good work the}' may have in hand. 
 
 Other Academies. 
 
 The Methodists erected a neat little frame edifice for religious 
 worship in Prospect street (where the present church stands), 
 in 1820, and in the Winter of 1824-5 put up on the same lot a 
 frame building, the front of which was adapted for a dwelling 
 and the rear for a Sunday school, etc. January 20, 1825, Mr. 
 Uzal W. Freeman moved into the yet unfinished building with 
 
 *Among them, the First Presbyterian, in 1813, and St. Paul's Episcopal, in 1818. 
 
30 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 his family, and four days later opened che " Methodist Acad- 
 emy."* Two months later he was obliged to give up the 
 dwelling to the Rev. John Creamer, the first regular pastor of 
 the church. The successive preachers lived in this building 
 till 1830. Mr. Freeman was very successful with his school, 
 and during the Summer of 1825 had seventy pupils. f He 
 kept it up until July, 1826, when he went to Newark, and al- 
 though he returned a few months later he did not resume 
 teaching, but applied himself to surveying and book-keeping — 
 regarded as cognate pursuits a generation ago — until 1833, 
 when he removed to Ohio, where he remained until his death. 
 He was a native of Orange, N. J., but came to Paterson from 
 Montville, Morris county. 
 
 In April, 1826, Edwin E. Griswold, from Connecticut, ad- 
 vertised that he had leased the " Methodist Academy " for one 
 year, and would also teach evening school ; but a week later he 
 confessed that he had not met with sufficient encouragement, 
 and the school remained in charge of Mr. Freeman a few 
 months longer, when Zetus Searle took it in hand — a young 
 man, lame, who kept the school up to the standard, seventy 
 children attending in 1S27. \ He removed to New York, con- 
 tinuing there as a teacher. The " Methodist Academy " then 
 passed under the control of a Mr. Briggs, who was succeeded 
 by a one-legged pedagogue, who was an excellent preceptor, 
 too, about 1 830- 1. 
 
 About May 1, 1S29, the Rev. Jacob T. Field, pastor of the 
 Second Reformed Church, started the " Manchester Acad- 
 " emy," in a roomy building which he erected for the purpose 
 adjoining his residence on Water street, nearly opposite Al- 
 bion. Eighty to one hundred pupils could be accommodated. 
 Mr. Field conducted the classical department, and Asahel Ab- 
 
 *MS. Diary of A. H. Freeman, Esq., of Orange, son of Uzal W. Freeman. 
 tJDr. Fisher's Census of Paterson, 1825.— Nelson MSS, 
 t Ibid, 1827. 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATERSON. 31 
 
 bott, of New Hampshire, taught the English branches. The 
 school seems to have been quite successful, but Mr. Field dis- 
 posed of his interest in it in 1831. * 
 
 In connection with these movements for a higher education, 
 it may be remarked that teachers of languages frequently came 
 to Paterson, often remaining for some time. One Daniel Hey 
 man taught French at the old Academy, and gave private les- 
 sons in the same, during 1S26. 
 
 John J. Larena, a Spaniard, in the same year offered to teach 
 persons how to read his native tongue in four lessons, but pru- 
 dently required forty lessons to instruct his pupils how to con- 
 verse in Spanish. 
 
 In the Spring of 1S29 a number of the Paterson admirers of 
 Miss Fanny Wright organized the "Jefferson Institute," the 
 nominal object of which was to establish a public school "•free 
 " from sectarian bias," the projectors being deeply tainted with 
 the Deistic or atheistic sentiments prevalent at that day. A 
 school was actually kept up for a few months in St. John's 
 (Masonic) Hall, which then stood on Broadway where Wash- 
 ington street now joins that thoroughfare, from the south. 
 
 About the same time, a far nobler movement in the direction 
 of higher education was started by some young men, who 
 formed a " Philosophical Society," for their mutual improve- 
 ment and the instruction of others. At their weekly meetings 
 there were addresses and discussions evincing extensive study 
 and deep thought on the part of the participants. The So- 
 ciety became very popular, and won the respect and sympathy 
 of the better class of citizens, who contributed freely of books 
 and money, until a valuable library and collection of philoso- 
 phical apparatus had been acquired. The members were so 
 greatly encouraged by their success that in 1832 they bought a 
 
 * Paterson newspapers of the day. In 1825 the " Po-npton Union Academy " was 
 flourishing at Pompton, managed by Trustees. Mr. Harrison, from Princeton Col- 
 lege, was in charge. 
 
32 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 plot, 50x100 feet, at the northwest corner of Ward and Main 
 streets, and erected a fine building for a " Mechanics' Insti- 
 " tute." It was an enterprise too extensive for their means, 
 and in advance of the popular demand — though not of the pop- 
 ular need. The Institute soon ran behind in its finances, then 
 in its usefulness and interest, and after languishing for some 
 years was disbanded and the property passed into other hands.* 
 It was really the most promising attempt that has been made 
 in Paterson to supply the demand that has always been sup- 
 posed to exist, for an institution devoted peculiarly to the high- 
 er educafion and cultivation of mechanics. That this attempt 
 received little or no support from that class, and that no such 
 institution has yet been permanently established, would seem 
 to indicate that the want referred to is more imaginary than 
 real. 
 
 First Free Schools. 
 
 Until 1827, there was no free public-school in Paterson or in 
 the present limits of Passaic county. The Legislature had en- 
 acted a law in 1820 looking toward the establishment of free 
 popular education, but few communities availed themselves of 
 its provisions for many years. In some cases Township Trus- 
 tees selected teachers for what were called the public schools, 
 and a small tax was raised to help defray the expenses, but the 
 parents paid the teacher a certain sum for each child's tuition ; 
 the children of indigent families were of course taught free, if 
 they were willing to be distinctively known as " poor children," 
 as few of them were. 
 
 A number of the public-spirited citizens of Paterson being 
 of the opinion that the town ought to support a free school, 
 held a meeting at the Academy on Saturday, April 7, 1827, and 
 appointed Mark W. Collet, Dr. James Warren and Abraham 
 
 * It is now occupied by Dr. Charles Inglis as a residence. 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATERSON. 33 
 
 Godwin, Jr., a committee to draw up a memorial to be pre- 
 sented for the consideration of the voters at the Town Meeting 
 the next Monday, recommending the raising by tax of $400 for 
 school purposes in Acquackanonk township, " to be expended 
 " by the Town Committee, agreeable to the act of 1820, in the 
 " education of poor children of the township." This recom- 
 mendation was almost unanimously adopted by the voters at 
 the Town Meeting. In June the Town Committee met and 
 allotted $275 to Paterson and $125 to the rest of the township, 
 a committee of prominent citizens being appointed " to take 
 "' charge and select such children whose parents were not able 
 " to pay for their education, and employ teachers and apportion 
 " the amount of money equally amongst them for their educa- 
 tion :" for Paterson — the Rev. Samuel Fisher (Presbyterian), 
 the Rev. John Croes, jr. (Episcopalian), the Rev. Francis O'- 
 Donoghue (Roman Catholic), the Rev. John Kennaday (Metn- 
 odist Episcopal), the Rev. Daniel D. Lewis (Baptist), the 
 Rev. Wm.J. Gibson (Covenanter), and Mr. Caleb Munson 
 Godwin ; for the neighborhood of Acquackanonk — the Rev. 
 Solomon Frosligh (True Reformed Dutch), the Rev. Benjamin 
 C. Taylor (Reformed Dutch), and Mr. Cornelius G. Van Ri- 
 per ; for the neighborhood of the Notch and Little Falls — 
 Messrs. Evert H. Van Ness, John R. Speer, Ezekiel Miller. 
 The Paterson committee engaged the Rev. Mr. Gibson, a grad- 
 uate of Washington College, Penn., at $75 per quarter, he to 
 find his own fuel ; they also hired the lower room of the Acad- 
 emy, at $7-5o per quarter, and the first free school in Passaic 
 County was opened there July 2, 1S27. During the year, 134 
 scholars were enrolled, 70 or So of whom began with the al- 
 phabet ; the average attendance was about 80, and the children 
 made admirable progress. The school was visited at least 
 once a week by some member of the committee. 
 
 The experiment was so successful that at the next Town 
 
 N 
 
34 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 Meeting, in April, 1828, the sum of $500 was voted for school 
 purposes, which the Town Committee thus apportioned : Pat- 
 erson, $340 ; Committee — the Rev. Messrs. Fisher, O'Dono- 
 ghue, Gibson, Wiggins (Reformed Dutch), Croes and Lewis, 
 and Adrian Van Houten ; Acquackanonk, $50 ; Committee 
 (also for Wesel) — the Rev. B. C. Taylor and C. G. Van Riper ; 
 Wesel, $30 ; the Notch, $30 ; Committee — John R. Speer and 
 Simeon Brown ; Little Falls, $50 ; Committee — Ezekiel Mil- 
 ler and Evert H. Van Ness. The Paterson Committee held 
 their school in the room under the Baptist (now Second Ger- 
 man Presbyterian) church edifice on Broadway, near Mulberry 
 street. The Rev. Mr. Gibson declined a re-engagement at the 
 old rates, and started a school of his own in Mr. Goetschius's 
 building; so the Committee employed a Mr. Childs, a gradu- 
 ate of Union College, N. Y., at a salary of $300, he to find his 
 own fuel. He remained but two quarters, when Mr. Gibson 
 took charge once more. The number of scholars this year 
 was 157, with an average attendance of 80. No reports were 
 published by the other Committees. 
 
 In 1829, $500 was voted, and appropriated as in 1828, the 
 Committee being : for Paterson — John W. Berry, David Reid 
 and John Strong ; Acquackanonk and Wesel — Cornelius G. 
 Van Riper, Esq. ; Little Falls and the Notch — Simeon Brown, 
 John R. Speer, Ezekiel Miller, Evert H. Van Ness. 
 
 The records for 1830 have not been found. 
 
 The Elm Street Infant School. 
 
 A number of benevolent ladies of the town who had long de- 
 sired to provide gratuitous education for the children of the 
 poor, agitated the subject during the winter of 1S26-7, and pre- 
 pared their plans for starting an " infant school " for the free 
 education of poor children between the ages of three and eight 
 years. They expected to have shared in the apportionment of 
 
OF SCEOOLS IN PATERSON. 35 
 
 the township school-tax (and indeed claimed the credit for se- 
 curing the levying of that tax), but failing to receive help from 
 that source, they with commendable pluck organized the " In- 
 " fant School Society," May n, 1827, in the lecture room of 
 the Baptist Church, and appointed as officers : Mrs. Fisher, 1st 
 Directress ; Mrs. E. Berry, 2d do. ; Mrs. S. Collet, Secretary 
 (declined, and Miss C. Colt appointed) ; Miss M. Wallace, 
 Treasurer (declined, and Miss E. Colt appointed) ; Mrs. P. 
 Sythoff, Mrs. E. B. D. Ogden (declined), Miss R. Wallace 
 (declined), Mrs. E. Catlin, Miss M. Godwin, Miss S. Colt, 
 Mrs. Elizabeth Speer, Mrs. Eveline Godwin, Miss Jane Van 
 Houten, Managers. Mrs. Catharine Inslee was employed as 
 teacher, and the Society U. M. gave the free use of a room. 
 The school opened August 1st, 1S27 ; 92 children were en- 
 rolled during the year, the average attendance the first two 
 quarters being between 50 and 60, and during the third quarter 
 between 70 and 80, families of eveiy denomination contribut- 
 ing. The ladies received $65 from voluntary contributions, 
 and paid their teacher $85. May 1st, 1828, the ladies engaged 
 Mrs. Inslee (a daughter of Abraham Willis, previously men- 
 tioned as a teacher) at a salary of $150 per year ; the Society 
 U. M. gave a lot of land, and through the generosity of a few 
 friends a neat frame schoolhouse was erected in Elm street, 
 where the German Presbyterian Church now stands. Thus 
 this noble enterprise was placed on a firm basis, and for a gen- 
 eration or more afforded rudimentary instruction to those who 
 else would have received none. In its later years, the upper 
 floor was occupied for a " select school " by Miss Rachel Red 
 man (" Aunt Rachel," everybody has always called her), 
 while the " Infant School " was conducted by Miss Isabella 
 Ray (now the wife of Charles Smith Kinsey, of Newark), 
 under the auspices of the " Infant School Society," the chil- 
 dren of the poor being charged the nominal tuition fee of one 
 
36 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 cent per week. Miss Redman charged her pupils $1.50 per 
 quarter. 
 
 Paterson Township Schools. 
 
 The township of Paterson having been incorporated in 1S31, 
 in that year the inhabitants voted a tax of $300, " to be appro- 
 priated for a free school of all denominations," and elected the 
 Rev. James Richards, John Brown and Henry Whitely a 
 School Committee. The sum of $203.50 was also received 
 from the State. In 1832-3-4, $300 was voted. In 1835 it was 
 ' Resolved, that nothing be raised this year for support of Free 
 ' Schools, inasmuch as the law will not allow the school 
 'money to be appropriated for the exclusive benefit of poor 
 ' children — and the Town Meeting recommend the School 
 k Committee in behalf of the inhabitants of Paterson, to peti- 
 ' tion the Legislature of the State of New Jersey to alter or 
 ' amend the Law, that each township can have it in their pow- 
 ' er to appropriate their school money for one or more 
 'schools." Accordingly, January 26, 1S36, the Legislature 
 passed " An act to provide for the establishment of Public 
 ' Schools, in the township of Paterson, in the county of Es- 
 ' sex." This act made it the duty of the School Trustees " to 
 ' establish one or more public schools within the township of 
 ' Paterson, and provide, as far as the means may extend, for 
 ' the education of all children in the said township not other- 
 ' wise provided for, whether such children be or be not the 
 ' proper objects of gratuitous education." The Trustees were 
 also " authorized to require of the pupils received into the 
 ' schools under their charge, a moderate compensation adapt- 
 ' ed to the ability of the parents of such children." No child 
 was to be " denied the benefit of said public school on the ground 
 ' of inability to pay for the same," but should " at all times be 
 ' freely received and educated by the said Trustees." The 
 
OF SCHOOLS i# PATFIttSOtf. 8? 
 
 Trustees were authorized, with the approval of the Town 
 Committee, to acquire and dispose of real school property. 
 
 The township school tax in 1836 was only $200; in 1837-8, 
 $500 ; in 1839, nothing* ; in 1840-41, $500 ; in 1842-3, $300 ; in 
 1844-5-6-7-8-9, $500; in 1850, no tax for any purpose was vot- 
 ed, save $50 for the poor — and that only after several town 
 meetings had been called. 
 
 In 1847, a Superintendent of Public Schools was elected, for 
 the first time (the office having been created under the general 
 school law of 1846), Silas D. Canfield being chosen. In 1848 
 there was none appointed; in 1849, John K. Flood was 
 elected. 
 
 The designation, " free schools for the poor," was dropped 
 after 1S36, and they were known as " free schools " or " public 
 schools," open to all classes and creeds. 
 
 The School Committee, originally composed of three mem- 
 bers, was by the act of 1836 increased to not less than five nor 
 more than nine members, and generally included some of the 
 most prominent citizens of the town,| 
 
 The school accommodations in the days of the township 
 educational system were rude and temporary. In 1835-6, the 
 school was held in the Mechanics' Institute. In 1837-8 the 
 Committee hired the basement of the Cross street Methodist 
 Episcopal church, and the school was carried on there for two 
 years. The first term of the Passaic County Courts was held 
 in the same premises in the Spring of 1837, the school taking 
 a brief vacation meanwhile, or occupying a building in the 
 
 * In 183S an act was passed prohibiting townships from raising more than double 
 the amount of their respective apportionments of the State school fund. By an act 
 of February 20, 1839, Paterson was relieved from this restriction, and the inhabit- 
 ants were authorized to raise for the support of public sohools any amount. The 
 failure to vote anything, after securing this liberal legislation, is singular. It is be- 
 lieved the Committee elected in 1838 were regarded by the citizens as too progressive, 
 and they were accordingly ousted, and no school money voted. 
 
 tFor list of School Committeemen, 1831-50, see Appendix. 
 
38 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 rear of the church. The basement of the Baptist church in 
 Broadway (now owned by the Second German Presbyterian 
 church) was next occupied by the public school, which re- 
 mained there for several years. Then it was removed to the 
 old "Academy," corner of Union and Smith streets, and con- 
 tinued there until that building was destroyed by fire one Sat- 
 urday noon in 1846, presumably from sparks from the black- 
 smith shop of the adjoining Oldham Machine Works, which 
 occupied most of the block bounded by Market, Union, Smith 
 and Hotel streets. Much difficulty was experienced in secur- 
 ing suitable accommodations now, and the school was dis- 
 missed for some weeks in consequence, and then moved tempo- 
 rarily into the Cross street M. E. church, nearly 200 children 
 being crowded into two small rooms. After three or four 
 months, the Piincipal, Mr. Samuel B. Brands, rented to the 
 Committee a school-room under his dwelling. This was a 
 small two-story frame building in the rear of what is now No. 
 90 Ellison street (Mr. Joseph Barned's premises). It belonged 
 to the estate of Dr. William Ellison, and had been a school- 
 house for twelve or fifteen years, at least.* 
 
 Notwithstanding the repeated enactments looking toward 
 making the public schools entirely free, and really popular, 
 there was always a conservative, retarding tendency, as a con- 
 cession to which the rule was established that but one child 
 from a family should be allowed free schooling. Forty years 
 ago, the children were required to have a permit from the 
 School Trustees before they could receive free instruction. 
 This rule obtained generally until the organization of the city 
 schools. After a while it became customary for the teacher to 
 
 *About 1832-3, Thomas Briggs taught a private school in this building ; then 
 Adam Dookson ; some time after, Justice Charles Inglis, Sen., who sold the "good 
 will "of the school in 1845 to Mr. Samuel B. Brands, who lived upstairs and kept a 
 private school down stairs for a year and a half, until at the request of the present 
 Pr. Charles Inglis he took charge of the public school in the " Academy." 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PA TEESON. 39 
 
 receive additional children from one family, charging a tuition 
 fee for them. From 1S48 to 1852, one dollar per quarter was 
 the charge for all children of a family after the first. The pu- 
 pils were always expected to furnish their own books and sta- 
 tionery, unless too poor to do so. 
 
 Township School Teachers. 
 
 John D. Keily was the Principal, 1835-7. ^ e was an Irish- 
 mail, educated in France for a priest, but he joined the Metho- 
 dist Church in Paterson and then became a public school 
 teacher. He had about one hundred children in his charge, 
 and was a good preceptor and disciplinarian. While in Pater- 
 son he was a fierce abolitionist *, but afterwards removed to 
 Virginia, and there became quite as earnest a champion of 
 slavery. 
 
 Miss Mary Wylie had charge of the infant class of the public 
 school while at the Cross street church, having as many as six- 
 ty or eighty little folks under her care, generally. She was so 
 successful that a separate primary school was established there, 
 which she managed to the satisfaction of the successive School 
 Committees for nearly twenty years. 
 
 Joseph Perry came to Paterson in the Summer of J 838"^, and 
 was employed as teacher of the w ' Free School " in 1S39. He 
 continued the occupation in a public or private capacity, in 
 the basement of the old Baptist Church in Broadway, and af- 
 terwards in the "Academy," until 1S46, when he left Paterson, 
 entering the Baptist ministry. For the past ten years he has 
 been pastor of the Seamen's Bethel at Philadelphia. He was 
 lax in discipline, but won the respect and esteem of his pupils. 
 
 Sampson W. Buffum was the next Principal. He was from 
 New Hampshire (where we believe he still lives, an honored 
 
 * He explained his love for the African by saying that while bathing in France he 
 was attacked by a marine monster— possibly Victor Hugo's devil-fish— and his life 
 wis saved by a negro who came to his rescue at the risk of his own life. 
 
 t He joined the Baptist Church, on certificate, in July of that year. 
 
40 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 citizen), and was possessed of an energy and zeal which 
 brooked no opposition. His outspoken denunciations of sla 
 very aroused a bitter public sentiment against him that greatly 
 impaired his usefulness. He was prominent, too, in organizing 
 the " Free Church " (in which progressives of various sorts 
 were foremost), that met in the "New Market" in Cross 
 street, west side, between Ellison and Passaic, and took part 
 in the anti-slavery meetings at the same place that were ulti- 
 mately stopped by a dangerous riot. Buffum was loved by his 
 associates, and hated by his opponents. He was a very strict 
 disciplinarian — excessively so, beyond doubt, but there is much 
 reason to believe that his punishments of pupils were exagger- 
 ated by those who were politically opposed to him. However, 
 he was actually indicted for cruelty to a scholar, tried in open 
 court, convicted and heavily fined. Among the charges against 
 him, it was said that he tied a boy up by the thumbs while he 
 flogged him, and that he fastened another to a door by an awl 
 thrust through his ear ! 
 
 Isaac Hamilton, son of William B., was another public 
 school teacher, and not long after L. D. Williams presided, in 
 the " Academy," giving place in 1846 to Samuel B. Brands. 
 Mr. B. conducted the school there for about six months, until 
 the building was burned down (there were 112 pupils enrolled 
 at the time,) and then for three months in the Cross street 
 church, and then for five or six months in his residence in El- 
 lison street, as previously mentioned. His health failing he 
 gave up for a while, and his father, David I. Brands,* conduct- 
 ed the public school for about half a year, until the Spring of 
 184S. 
 
 His successor was Sherburne R. Merrill, formerly from 
 
 *David I. Brands came to Paterson from Warren county in the Spring of 1S32, and 
 for fifteen or twenty } ears spen his time alternately in farming or in trade, and in 
 teaching. He was the first of three generations of teachers, and at the present time 
 two of his sons— Samuel B. and Orestes M. — and a grandson — Alexander M.— are 
 Principals of public schools in Paterson. We doubt if a parallel case can be cited. 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATERSON. 41 
 
 Deerfield, Mass. — a young man with his head full of New Eng- 
 land ideas of what a public school ought to be. Being ap- 
 pointed to the Ellison street school he set about reorganizing 
 it, and meanwhile set on foot a project for securing better ac- 
 commodations. In company with Mr. James Stiles he bought 
 a lot on the opposite side of the street (where the " Arcade " 
 now is), whereon stood a small dwelling, paying $i,Soo for 
 the property. Then, mainly through the generosity of Mr. 
 Nicholas Kip, lumber dealer at Passaic, and Mr. Andrew Der- 
 rom, carpenter, they put up in the rear of the dwelling (which 
 was rented to other parties) a two-story schoolhouse, 30x40 
 feet in size, at a cost of about $800, and in September, 1S48, 
 the public school was transferred thither, occupying the upper 
 floor, while Mr. James Stiles conducted a private school on the 
 first floor. Mr. Merrill had as many as two hundred children 
 under his care in one room, 30x40 feet in size ! He was al- 
 lowed an assistant teacher, and was aided not a little by the 
 older pupils, who acted as monitors and were often given 
 classes to teach. Among those who thus began a career of 
 pedagogism was the present City School Superintendent, Mr. 
 William J. Rogers.* Mr. Merrill designed a combined desk 
 and seat — a vast improvement over the furniture then in vogue, 
 and embodying substantially the same principle now universal- 
 ly adopted by manufacturers of school desks and seats. He 
 also introduced a thorough system of registration — quite an 
 advance upon anything previously in use hereabouts. In 
 1S48-9, he had a class of young mechanics who were so anxious 
 to improve that they gathered in his school-room every morn- 
 ing at six d clock to study industrial drawing, mechanics, alge- 
 bra and surveying, and they kept this up all Winter, too. We 
 
 *Once when Mr. Rogers was but. fifteen, Mr. Merrill took a trip West, leaving Mr. 
 R. in charge of the school, and he was warmly complimented on his successful man- 
 agement. 
 
 • O 
 
42 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 hardly know which most to admire — the zeal of the pupils, or 
 the self-denying patience of the teacher. 
 
 Largely through Mr. Merrill's efforts, too, the "Paterson Ly- 
 ceum " was organized in 1S48 and continued for about three 
 years, meeting in the school room. The weekly exercises 
 (public after the first year) were participated in by ladies as 
 well as gentlemen, and were enjoyed by crowded audiences. 
 
 When the State appropriation ran out in 1850, the school 
 was continued as a private enterprise by Mr. Merrill until the 
 ensuing Spring. 
 
 Paterson City Schools. 
 
 In 1850, Paterson (south of the Passaic river) had a popula- 
 tion of 11,341 inhabitants, and the simple township system of 
 government was found to be inadequate for an effective admin- 
 istration of the town's multifarious interests, particularly the 
 educational department and the prosecution of street improve- 
 ments. The failure of the annual town meetings in 1850 to 
 vote any appropriations whatever resulted in a strong move- 
 ment for incorporation as a city, which succeeded in March, 
 1 85 1. The city was divided into three wards — -East (now 3d 
 and 4th), West (now 6th) and South (now 5th, 7th and 8th) — 
 with two School Committeemen elected from each, having the 
 same powers as like township officers. A more liberal appro- 
 priation was also made, and the whole of Messrs. Merrill and 
 Stiles's building was hired for school purposes, Mr. Merrill 
 continuing in charge, up stairs, while his brother Samuel C. 
 taught on the lower floor. The first public evening school 
 was opened there during the Winter of 1851-2, and was well 
 attended. In October, 1852, Mr. Sherburne Merrill, who all 
 the while — in addition to teaching school eight or ten hours a 
 day — had been studying medicine with Dr. A. W. Rogers, 
 went to Philadelphia to attend medical lectures, and when he 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATERSON. 43 
 
 returned to Paterson he was Doctor Merrill, and is to-day one 
 of our most popular and successful practitioners. He was 
 succeeded in the school by the Rev. William E. Westervelt, 
 who taught until April, 1853. Mr. S. C. Merrill continued in 
 charge of his own department for some time longer. 
 
 Meanwhile, the School Committee of the East Ward had 
 hired Mr. Jacob Goetschius's schoolhouse, in Division street, 
 north side, just east of Washington, where the Swedenborgian 
 church now stands. The South Ward School Committee hired 
 the First Presbyterian Sunday school building in Elm street, 
 where the First German Presbyterian church was afterwards 
 located. 
 
 Steps Toward Organization. 
 By a supplement to the city charter, approved March 9, 1854, 
 it was provided that three School Committeemen should be 
 elected in each Ward, who should constitute bodies politic and 
 corporate in and for their several Wards, with power to buy 
 land and erect schoolhouses, subject to the approval of the 
 City Council, the latter body being authorized to appoint a 
 School Superintendent. This legislation was the result of an 
 advanced public sentiment, which was awakening to the im- 
 portance and necessity of better school accommodations in the 
 growing city. In this Spring, also, the North Ward (now 
 First and Second Wards) was added to the city. Among the 
 new Committeemen were some energetic friends of education, 
 who were disposed to make the most of the new powers con- 
 ferred on them. The East Ward Committee secured the ser- 
 vices of Samuel C. Hosford, who was then teaching in 
 Connecticut, and he came on and took charge of the school in 
 Division street,* that same season, and being recognized as a 
 man of superior ability he was encouraged to devise a uniform 
 
 *A primary school, subsidiary to that in Division street, was held at this time in 
 the Broadway Baptist church. 
 
44 STSfORtOAL SKETCH 
 
 system of school management for the whole city. So far as 
 this particular work was concerned, however, Andrew Derrom 
 seems to have taken the initiative. Having been elected School 
 Superintendent, he immediately called a meeting of ail the 
 Ward School Committeemen, who assembled in the City 
 Council chamber on Saturday evening, April 15, 1S54.* They 
 organized as the "Joint Committee," and adopted by-laws, call- 
 ing for quarterly meetings. Dr. Charles Inglis, jr., Cornelius 
 T. Vandervoort, Robert Miller and Isaac D. Blauvelt, from the 
 South, East, West and North Wards, respectively, were ap- 
 pointed a committee to draft school regulations, and reported a 
 series of nineteen rules on May 22, which were adopted, and 
 form the basis of the ninety-two regulations now in force. 
 The original report was mainly the work of Dr. Inglis. There 
 were to be four terms in the school year, beginning May 1, 
 September 1, November 1, and February 1 ; vacation only in 
 August, and between Christmas and New Year's ; holidays on 
 New Year's, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas. f 
 A course of study was prescribed, and a series of text-books 
 adopted, the latter to be furnished by Paterson dealers. In 
 July a Normal School was suggested. In January, 1S55, a 
 " delinquent class " was authorized. (Three years later it was 
 resolved to organize a " delinquent school," but it does not ap- 
 pear to have been done.) 
 
 *The City Council Chamber was used in common by the Aldermen and the School 
 Committeemen until June, 1858, when the Aldermen proposed to charge the latter $100 
 a year rent. For a month the School Committeemen then met in the office of Socrates 
 Tuttle, which h-s generously placed at their disposal. Then they fitted up a room for 
 their accommodation in the East Ward school, where their sessions were held until 
 1860. They next moved into the West Ward school, and remained there until 
 April, 1871, when the present room in the new City Hall was placed at their disposal 
 by the Board of Aldermen. Seven years ago, the subject was mooted of erecting a 
 separate building for High School, Boar 1 of Education and public library. The same 
 idea has lately been revived. 
 
 tThe Board has repeatedly, as in 1854, tried to do away with holidays on Easter 
 Monday and Whit Monday, but the old Dutch sentiment in favor of " Paas " and 
 " Pinkster " has been too much for them, and those holidays have been always kept 
 by the pupils, whether the Board authorized them or not, as it generally has. It is 
 only since 1869 that July has been added to the Summer vacation, 
 
OP SCHOOLS 'L& PATPRSOtf. 45 
 
 In March, i S55, the Legislature passed a supplement to the 
 city charter, in which were some important changes relative 
 to the schools, drafted by John Hopper and Dr. Inglis. The 
 several Ward Committees were authorized to issue $6,ooo ot 
 bonds each, and to provide schoolhouses in their several Wards. 
 It was also enacted, that the several Ward boards of School 
 Committeemen should together constitute a City Board of Ed- 
 ucation. Mr. Derrom was reappointed Superintendent by the 
 City Council. 
 
 Increasing the School Accommodations. 
 
 Meantime steps had been taken to acquire school property 
 and to provide increased educational facilities. 
 
 May 23, 1854, the West Ward Committee bought of Messrs. 
 Merrill and Stiles their property in Ellison street, for $2,900, 
 and with considerable modifications from time to time it contin- 
 ued in use for eighteen years. 
 
 August 1, 1S54, the East Ward School Committee, mainly 
 through the efforts of William Swinburne (now City Comp- 
 troller), took action and bought of Jane Van Saun a plot on 
 East Van Houten street, 75x97 feet, for $1,500, whereon they 
 proceeded to erect a three-story brick building, now known as 
 School No. 1.* The structure was formally dedicated on 
 Monday, September 3, 1855, all the school children in the city 
 turning out in procession, with gay banners and streamers. 
 Exercises were held on the Island, also, consisting of singing, 
 and addresses by the Rev. James M. Freeman and others. In- 
 deed, it was a gala-day in the town. 
 
 * An historic interest attaches to the bell on this schoolhouse. It was originally 
 swung aloft on a tall post at the corner of Main and Market streets, about 1S32, to 
 ring out notice to the people of the departure of the cars for New York. The cars 
 were at first drawn all the way by horses, and the track extended down Main street 
 to the corner mentioned, from the depot, which until 1830 stood at the corner of Main 
 and Grand streets. When this extension was discontinued the bell was placed on the 
 depot, and there remained until September, 1S55, when it was bought for the new 
 school. 
 
46 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 The South Ward School Committee bought of the S. U. M., 
 September 30, 1854, three lots on Main street, being 75 feet 
 front and from 111 ft. 8 in. to 107 ft. 7 in. deep, for $1,200; 
 May 31, 1S55, a lot adjoining was also purchased, for $450. 
 It was decided to build at once, and contracts were given out, 
 but the action was reconsidered, a change in location was agi- 
 tated (the corner of Jersey and Slater streets being favored by 
 many), and it was not till July 21, 1856, that the final contracts 
 were made : Cornelius G. Garrison being given the carpenter 
 work, for $3,090, and the furnishing for $1,012; Wm. 
 Ackerman the masonry, for $4,645. The school (now 
 known as No. 3) actually cost about $10,000. It was 
 dedicated June 15, 1857, Daniel Barkalow delivering the 
 address. Before its completion the South Ward school 
 was held in the First Presbyterian Sunday school in 
 Elm street (where the German Presbyterian Church now 
 stands), and a primary school was held in the Wesleyan chap- 
 el, in Marshall street near Clay, Miss W'ylie teacher. Both 
 these schools were transferred to the new building. 
 
 Some of the schools on the north or Manchester side of the 
 river have been mentioned. The school accommodations there 
 were of about the same character as those in Paterson town- 
 ship. Some public-spirited citizens organized two " societies 
 " for the promotion of learning," under the general law, one 
 being the " Manchester Literary Association," and the other 
 the " Manchester Academy," and after various efforts to fur- 
 ther the cause of education the former bought of John R. 
 Berdan, February 29, 1S4S, for $200, a plot of land on Clinton 
 street, west side, " 594 feet northwesterly from High street," 
 whereon they erected a two-story frame schoolhouse *, which 
 
 * It is said that this remote location was chosen, because a prominent citizen on 
 North Main street — one of the School Committee, it is asserted— was strongly opposed 
 to public schools, believing they would ruin the country, and so he insisted on having 
 this schoolhouse built as far as possible from his residence ! In 1852 S. B. Brands 
 taught 40 children downstairs, and Miss C. G. Tuttle 35 upstairs. Jonathan Irish, a 
 brother of the gallant Captain Hugh C. Irish, preceded Mr. Brands in this school. 
 
OF SCHOOLS IJY PATER SON. 47 
 
 was occupied as a public school for twenty-five years there- 
 after. The society's principal object perhaps was attained 
 when proper accommodatious had been provided for the 
 school. — The "Manchester Academy" on September 13, 1S49, 
 bought of Samuel Graham, for $200, a lot "on the northwesterly 
 " side of Division (now Northwest) street," fifty feet from Mat- 
 lock street, and being 30x100 feet, and this site was occupied 
 for a public school until 1857. In the Summer of i860 the 
 property was sold for $400. This institution was long known 
 as the " Staggtown school." When part of Manchester was 
 annexed in 1854 to Paterson, as the North ward, the School 
 Committee of that Ward seems to have acquired possession of, 
 if not title to, both the school properties mentioned. In June, 
 1S56, the Board of Education bought a plot, iooxiooft, at the 
 northeast corner of Temple and Matlock streets, and in the 
 following month awarded contracts : for the carpenter work to 
 Andrew Derrom, $2,880 ; the furnishing to the same, $1,068 ; 
 the masonry to William Titus, $3,800. The structure was 
 completed in seven months, at a cost of about $9,000, and dedi- 
 cated with appropriate exercises February 9, 1857. The two 
 other schools in the Ward were then closed. 
 
 In this connection it may be added, that in accordance with 
 the provisions of a supplement to the city charter, in 1856, the 
 several School Committees in March of that year transferred 
 all the real school property they had acquired* to the Mayor 
 and Aldermen, in whom the title of such real estate has ever 
 since been vested. The Mayor and Aldermen were also au- 
 thorized to issue not exceeding $50,000 of school bonds, to re- 
 deem those issued by the Ward Committees, and to complete 
 the improvements already begun. 
 
 These measures of course caused a great increase in the ed- 
 
 *May 27, 1856, the " Manchester Academy " also made a conveyance to the Mayor 
 a.nd Aldermen of the "Staggtown" school property, probably to confirm the title pre- 
 viously transferred by the North Ward School Committee. 
 
48 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 ucational expenditures of the city. While the schools cost but 
 $1,664 in 1S51, $2,960 in 1852, and $1,540 in 1S53, the outlay- 
 rose to $8,047 m J S54i and $13,165 in 1855 ; in 1856 $23,700 
 was spent in building, $2,095 for school Iocs, and $12,284 f° r 
 current expenses, and in 1857 * ne permanent improvements 
 cost $8,203, an d the current expenses $11,588. 
 
 A System of Schools Established. 
 Each Ward having at least one school, as before remarked 
 steps were taken in 1854 towards organizing a system of grad- 
 ing and managing them, and something was done in that direc- 
 tion. The new law of 1S55 conferring the needed power, on 
 May 8 the Board resolved to consolidate and organize the 
 schools under one system. In July it was decided that the 
 East Ward school should be the Grammar School for the 
 whole city, all the others to be Primary. Mr. Hosford was 
 appointed Principal, at a salary of $900 ; Miss Tanner, Vice 
 Principal of the female department, at $350, and Miss Eliza Stitt 
 of the primary department, at $300. Miss Mary Stitt was 
 Principal of No. 2, in Ellison street, at $300 ; Miss Elizabeth 
 Cox of No. 3, in Elm street, at $275 ; Miss Mary Wiley of 
 No. 4, in Marshall street, at $250 ; Miss Charlotte Donkersley 
 of Intermediate No. 1, in Elm street, at $285: Miss C. G. 
 Tuttle of No. 5, in Clinton street, at $300 ; Miss Ford of No. 
 6, probably in the same building, $250 ; Miss E. R. Geroe of 
 No. 7, in Northwest street, at $200 ; Miss Eliza M. Halsted of 
 the Colored school, at $350. In all, there were twenty-six 
 teachers, their salaries ranging as low as $75- Male teachers 
 were dispensed with. Among them was Charles O. Hurlbut, 
 from the Spring of 1854 Principal of the South Ward school 
 in Elm street. From Paterson he went to the State Normal 
 school, and subsequently located in New York city, where he 
 is now a very successful teacher of elocution.* 
 
 *Prof. Hurlbut gave a series of lectures on elocution before the Paterson Normal 
 School in 1ST3. 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATER SON. 49 
 
 At this time, and for some years after, there were male and 
 female departments in the larger schools, but for a long while 
 past there has been " no distinction on account of sex" in mak- 
 ing up the schools and classes, and the present plan works so 
 satisfactorily that it is likely to be permanent. 
 
 When the Main street schoolhouse was occupied, a Gram- 
 mar department was established there, Miss Cox being Prin- 
 cipal, with brief interregna, until 1S65, when Alfred H. Deck- 
 er was appointed, who was followed by Samuel B. Brands. 
 The Temple street school was first in charge of Miss Osborn, 
 with, Miss Ford as assistant; Peter A. Youngblood (1861) and 
 Orestes M. Brands were the successive male Principals. 
 
 Male assistants were soon employed in the male department 
 of the East Ward Grammar school. C. M. Harrison was the 
 first; then Robert De Hart, who being transferred to the 
 charge of the South Ward school * was succeeded by C. M. 
 Myers, and later by Edward S. Ellis, now Superintendent of 
 the Trenton public schools. 
 
 Normal and High Schools. 
 
 In July, 1S54, the subject of organizing a Normal school was 
 broached in the "Joint Committee," but no formal action was 
 taken. Soon after, Mr. Hosford began to convene the teach- 
 ers in an informal way in the West Ward schoolhouse, 
 for conference, counsel and instruction. These conferences 
 developed into a Normal School, which was formally au- 
 thorized by the Board in April, 1S55, and regularly opened in 
 the new East Ward school in the ensuing Fall. The sessions 
 were held on Wednesday evenings, then on Tuesday and 
 Thursday evenings, and afterwards on Saturday mornings. In 
 
 * His transfer was hastened by the indignation he excited by an unusually severe 
 chastisement he administered to two boys in the East Ward school. The parents de- 
 manded redress, but the two boys aforesaid were impatient, and lying in wait for 
 their teacher one night gave him au unmerciful thrashing. 
 
 P 
 
50 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 February, 1857, f° ur classes were formed, with Mr. Hosford, 
 Mr. De Hart, Mrs. Van Quenaudon (soon succeeded by Miss 
 Donkersley) and Miss Stitt as teachers; in January, 1858, the 
 classes were reduced to two, "on account of the expense." Not 
 withstanding the direst penalties were ordered by the Board — 
 such as one dollar fine for each absence, and even dismissal — 
 the school was not a success, and in i860 it was proposed to 
 abolish it, and organize a Teachers' Association for mutual 
 impi-ovement in their profession. But the Board was reluctant 
 to confess the school a failure, and resolved to reorganize it in 
 three classes, with Messrs. Hosford and Myers and Miss Donk- 
 ersley as teachers. The course of study was not changed, 
 however, and the Normal School, instead of aiming to teach 
 how to teach, continued to be in fact an elementary school for 
 teaching the rudimentary branches. It is not strange, therefore, 
 that it ultimately died quietly. 
 
 Ln September, i860, the High School was organized, all 
 the more advanced pupils in the Grammar schools (No. 1 and 
 No. 3) being taken to form the new school. Chemistry, bot- 
 any, geology and astronomy were added to the course of 
 stud} 7 . 
 
 At this time it was also decided that male and female pupils 
 of the same grade should recite in the same classes. 
 
 Soon after, a Senior school 'was organized at No. 1, and all 
 the other schools were organized with Junior and Primary de- 
 partments. 
 
 This system continued substantially unchanged until 1S6S. 
 
 Colored School. 
 
 In January, 185^, a colored school was established, Miss 
 Eliza M. Halsted being the first Principal — a position she re 
 tained for neaily twenty years, or until the school was dis- 
 banded. The sessions were held for a few months in the God- 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATERSON. 51 
 
 win street (colored) M. E. Church ; then in the Goetschius 
 schoolhouse in Division street, when the East Ward school va- 
 cated those premises. In September, 1857, ^ was amoved to 
 the Clinton street schoolhouse. The location was so remote 
 as to create much complaint from the parents of the children, 
 and with good reason. At length, in 1873, the Board of Edu- 
 cation bought for $4,000, four lots in Godwin street, south side, 
 between Washington and Bridge, for a new edifice. But 
 December 27,1872, the Board had voted that the colored children 
 could attend the schools in their respective districts, and all 
 but five or six availed themselves of the privilege, and as the 
 plan seemed to work well a separate school for them was no 
 longer necessary, and on May 30, 1S73, the Colored school was 
 ordered disbanded and the Godwin street propeity sold.* Miss 
 Halsted had eight)' or ninety pupils on the roll most of the time, 
 the average attendance being about fifty. The school did a good 
 work in its way, and none the less so that it was done with a 
 patient unobtrusiveness and self-denial that commended its 
 teacher to the favor of every friend of education. 
 
 Object Teaching. 
 
 In October, 1861, the Board of Education appointed Dr. 
 Ezra S. McClellan, a member, a committee of one to visit 
 Oswego, N. Y., and inspect the system of object teaching 
 there in operation. On his favorable report, the system was 
 introduced in the primary department of School No. 1. In 
 March, 1862, a Miss Parsons was brought on from Oswego 
 and employed as a special teacher of a Model Training 
 School, which was opened in the basement of the Second Pres- 
 byterian Church, whither the primary department of School 
 No. 1 was transferred. The younger teachers were required 
 
 *The Clinton street property was offered for sale, but has not been disposed of 
 yei 
 
'62 mSTOSIGAL SKETCH 
 
 to spend an hour at this place every afternoon, to acquire a 
 knowledge of the theory and practice of object teaching, that 
 they might be able to use it in their classes. The school 
 proved to be very expensive, the results were not all that were 
 anticipated, and the teacher being arrested for punishing a pu- 
 pil unduly was compelled to resign, and after less than a year's 
 trial the experiment was discontinued. 
 
 Miscellaneous Notes. 
 
 The laws relating to the school management underwent some 
 change almost annually. In 1856 the Board of Education was 
 given the power of electing the Superintendent, and he was to 
 preside over that body. A member was elected Secretary, and 
 another acted as Financial Secretary. Andrew Derrom was 
 elected Superintendent in 1S56-7 ; in 1S58-9-60, Cornelius 
 S. Van Wagoner was chosen; in 1861 , William Swinburne. 
 In 1862, for the first time, a member of the Board was elected 
 to the position — Dr. Ezra S. McClellan. The Legislature of 
 1S63 provided that the Board should elect one ol its members 
 to be President, and another person to be Secretary and Super- 
 intendent. Dr. McClellan was a candidate for the latter office, 
 and for six months the Board was unable to agree on the sub- 
 ject, and then elected Mr. Hosford for the rest of the year. In 
 1864-5-6-7-8 Wm. Swinburne filled the office. 
 
 The relations between the Board of Education and the Board 
 of Aldermen have generally been harmonious, if not exactly 
 cordial, but as the powers of the former were enlarged the lat- 
 ter seemed to resent each additional step in that direction as a 
 trespass upon their own prerogatives. In 1S59 tne Board of 
 Aldermen failed to make the school appropriation, as required 
 by law, until two months after the time prescribed, and then 
 cut it down below the Board of Education's estimates, having 
 assumed that the latter were based on erroneous returns of at- 
 
OP SCHOOLS IN PATW&SON. 53 
 
 tendance on the schools. The School Commissioners ap- 
 pointed a committee (C. E. Van Beuren, Ezra Osborn, I. D. 
 Blauvelt, Robert Bailing, S. Maconachy) to consider the mat- 
 ter, who on September ist presented an elaborate report, re- 
 viewing the whole subject, and remarking (and their conclus- 
 ions were based on a law which is substantially the same to- 
 day) : 
 
 " There is no discretionary power given the Mayor and Al- 
 " dermen. They may not ask, 'Will not a less sum answer ?' 
 " They cannot even inquire into the correctness of the Report. 
 '• The law says they must appropriate according to the number 
 " reported by the Board of Education. The responsibility for 
 '■" the correctness of the Report is placed upon the Board of 
 " Education, and to the people alone from whom their powers 
 "emanate, this Board is responsible for the conscientious dis 
 "charge of this as well as the other duties which they under- 
 '•' take to perform." 
 
 The same issue has been raised during the present year. 
 
 In 1S61 the City Council again neglected to vote the required 
 appropriation, cutting it down $3,000. The Board of Educa- 
 tion decided to close the schools, and the Aldermen then placed 
 to their credit the sum which had been withheld. It was to 
 prevent any similar misunderstanding that it was provided in 
 the charter of 1S71 that the sum estimated by the Board of 
 Education should " thereby become appropriated," thus reliev- 
 ing the Aldermen of all responsibility in the matter, and placing 
 the onus on the School Commissioners. 
 
 The seal of the Board of Education was prepared by Super- 
 intendent Van Wagoner, and adopted September 1, 1S59. 
 
 For ten or twelve years after the organization of the schools, 
 it was customary to appoint the teachers and fix their salaries 
 yearly. For some years they held their positions indefinitely. 
 Within the past six or eight years they have been required to 
 
54 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 submit to periodical examinations for renewal of certificates, 
 their positions depending on their passing such examinations 
 satisfactorily. 
 
 Until 1869, proposals were solicited annually for Janitors of 
 the schools, who then entered into contract with the Board for 
 the faithful performance of their duties, which included keeping 
 the schools thoroughly clean and, at first, in repair. Since 
 1869 the Janitors have held office during good behavior. 
 
 October 24, 1S59, the ma i n doors of the schoolhouses were 
 ordered to be so altered that they would open outward. 
 
 In 1S60 the number of School Commissioners was reduced 
 to two from each Ward, one to be elected every two years. 
 
 The State Teachers' Association met in Paterson in Decern 
 ber, i860, in the First Presb}terian church lecture room, and 
 at Continental Hall. 
 
 On Monday, June 3, 1861, the "Sandy Hill" school was 
 opened, in the Baptist chapel — a long low frame building then 
 standing on Straight street, between Market and Willis, and 
 now located on the north side of Willis street, between the 
 Erie Railway and Straight street. There were 140 children in 
 attendance when it opened, and within three days the number 
 swelled to 215. Miss Susan H. Rathburn was the first Princi- 
 pal, succeeded in June, 1862, by Miss Jennie Andrews. In 
 March, 1S69, the building changed hands, and the school was 
 removed (pending the completion of No. 6) to an old building 
 in Dickerson street, previously used as an orphan asylum. 
 
 Twenty years ago special teachers wei - e employed to instruct 
 the pupils in writing. Music teachers were also engaged oc- 
 casionally, and so long ago as iSj4 the instruction of drawing 
 was proposed. 
 
 A striking reminder of the war-times is found in a resolution 
 of the Board, September 4, 1862, authorizing "all the schools 
 u to pick lint on Friday afternoons." 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATERSON. 
 
 A special census taken in 1854 showed that the population 
 of the city was 17,941, and that there were 4,968 persons from 
 5 to 17 years of age (inclusive), of whom 869 attended free, 
 and 1,459 attended private schools. The effect of the increased 
 school accommodations provided during the ensuing two or 
 three years is shown by the fact that in December, 1S55, 3 '473 
 persons were attending the public day and night schools, and 
 that 3,670 pupils were enrolled during the year 1S56, the aver- 
 age attendance being 2,048, with 45 teachers. 
 
 The census of 1S65 showed that Paterson had 24.893 inhab- 
 itants, an increase of fifty per cent, in ten years, and yet the 
 Board of Education had been unable to provide for the greatly 
 increased number of school children, owing to a lack of co-op- 
 eration on the part of the Board of Aldermen. After repeated 
 urging, however, and the offer from James Crooks of the gift 
 of a site for a schoolhouse, and the taking of a special school 
 census of Totowa, the Aldermen consented in 1S66 to permit 
 the Board of Education to erect a two-story frame building, 
 40x50 ft., on the proffered site — a plot of six lots, on Sherman 
 avenue. Superintendent Swinburne prepared the plans and 
 specifications, and supervised the construction. The new 
 schoolhouse — now known as No. 5 — was completed during the 
 ensuing Winter, and opened in May, 1S67, with Orestes M. 
 Brands as Principal, who being shortly transferred to No. 4, 
 was succeeded by his brother, Samuel B. Brands. 
 
 Reorganization of the School System. 
 
 In the Spring of 1868, by the creation of three new Wards 
 
 the number of School Commissioners was inci eased from ten 
 
 to sixteen, and this infusion of new life led the Board on April 
 
 20 to appoint a committee (William Nelson, Charles Inglis* 
 
 *It was a curious coin idence that Dr. Iuglis, who had mainly drafted the first 
 School Regulations, should be appointed on this Committee to evije and adapt them 
 to the wants of the greatly extended system. It was a fitting recognition, too, of his 
 thorough familiarity with the schools and their needs, from many years' experience. 
 
56 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 and James M. Baldwin) to revise the Board's by-laws and the 
 School Regulations, which revision was finally approved by 
 the Board Tuly l 9- By these Regulations the schools were 
 classified in three grades — High, Grammar and Primary — and 
 the course of study was partially revised. In 1869 the same 
 gentlemen were appointed a committee to again revise the 
 Regulations, and their report was adopted November 16. A 
 very carefully-elaborated course of study was prescribed for all 
 the schools at this time. These Regulations remain substan- 
 tially unchanged to this date The Normal school was revived, 
 and with the High school was placed under the supervision of 
 a committee appointed for the purpose, the effect being to stim- 
 ulate a new interest in both. A system of grading teachers 
 was also introduced, and a schedule of salaries for the various 
 positions was for the first time adopted, the rates being raised 
 materially. 
 
 As part of the history of this time it may be mentioned here 
 that Samuel C. Hosford, after fifteen years' service as Principal 
 of the " East Ward school," resigned March 31, 1869, to enter 
 a manufacturing business. His successor in the High school 
 was Samuel W. Rice, a highly successful and popular teacher,* 
 who resigned June 7> l ^7°-> being succeeded by Andrew 
 Mclntyre ; the latter was removed, and in September, 1873, 
 Wm. B. Ridenour was appointed to the vacancy. 
 
 In May, 1S71, Mr. Hosford was appointed School Superin- 
 tendent for three years, but resigned in September, 1873, to 
 give way to John Laird, who resigned in September, 1874. 
 His successor was William J. Rogers. 
 
 The schools in 1S69 were so overcrowded, especially in the 
 lowest grades, that new accommodations were imperatively 
 needed. A mission chapel of the Congregationalists, on Stony 
 
 * Mr. Rice has ever since been located at Passaic, where he is Principal of the 
 main school and City Superintendent. 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATERS ON. 57 
 
 Road, large enough to seat 70 or So children, was rented hy the 
 Board and opened as a public school (No. 7) in September, 
 1868, being at once half filled. In April, 1869, another school 
 (No. 10) was opened in a mission chapel at Weavertown, and 
 upwards of 100 pupils were immediately enrolled. 
 
 Increased Powers of the Board. 
 
 Much of the expansion of the school system just mentioned, 
 besides more important measures to be dwelt upon hereafter, 
 had been rendered possible only by material changes in the 
 law relating to the Paterson educational department. The gen- 
 eral revision of the city charter being under consideration by 
 the Board of Aldermen, the School Commissioners on Novem- 
 ber 30, 1S68, appointed William Nelson, James M. Baldwin 
 and Elias A. Vreeland, together with the President (Henry L. 
 Butler) and the Secretary (Wm. Swinburne) ex officio, a com- 
 mittee to revise that Title of the charter relating to the Board 
 of Education, and through the cordial and effective co-opera- 
 tion of Senator John Hopper the work of the committee was 
 incorporated in the new charter of 1869. The sections in this 
 Title were re-arranged and the powers and duties of the Board 
 more clearly defined. The annual appropriation had been fixed 
 by the act of 1856 at not less than $7 nor more than $10 per 
 capita on the average attendance reported by the Board ; it 
 was now required to be not less than $12 nor more than $15. 
 The Board, was given all the necessary power to acquire 
 real estate and to build, alter or repair schoolhouses, without 
 the approval of the Board of Aldermen, as formerly, the latter 
 Board being required to appropriate the money necessary, to 
 facilitate which they were authorized to issue bonds. The 
 School Commissioners were also empowered to separate the 
 offices ol Secretary and Superintendent, hitherto vested in one 
 person, and to fix the salaries, the compensation having been 
 Q 
 
58 HISTOBICAL SKETCH 
 
 previously restricted to $600. Mr. Swinburne was continued 
 in the two offices for another year, when Samuel Thorp was 
 elected Secretary, holding the position for about a year, when 
 he resigned ; Peter A. Youngblood filled the place temporarily, 
 and was succeeded by Vernon Royle in the Spring of 1872. 
 Mr. Swinburne remained Superintendent until May, 1871- 
 
 New Schoolhouses Provided. 
 The Board promptly set about exercising to the best advan- 
 tage the large powers with which it had been entrusted by the 
 charter of 1869. A special committee (James M. Baldwin, 
 Charles Keeler and Henry L. Butler, Charles Inglis and Wm, 
 Nelson being afterwards added) was appointed September 10, 
 1868, who on May 27, 1869, reported two sites for a new 
 schoolhouse in the Fourth Ward — one on Willis, William and 
 Mechanic streets, and one on the northwest corner of Summer 
 and Ellison streets. The Board decided, June 3, to buy the 
 latter — five lots, for $6,500. The committee spent a great deal 
 of time, thought and study on the plans, which were finally 
 prepared under their general direction by E. J. M. Derrick, 
 architect, and adopted by the Board September 21, 1869. On 
 October 23 the contracts for the masonry and carpenter work 
 were awarded to John P. Post & Sons, for $40,845. Messrs. 
 Heber Wells, Henry Shurman and John I. Corcoran were then 
 added to the committee. — The structure complete, furnished 
 and fenced, cost a little less than $60,000. Its extreme dimen- 
 sions are 90x95 ft. ; three stories high, the fronts of Philadel- 
 phia pressed brick, trimmed with light yellow stone. It was 
 almost the first building in Paterson of any architectural pre- 
 tensions, and was regarded at the time as one of the handsomest, 
 most substantial and best-arranged schoolhouses in New Jersey. 
 It is safe co say that School No. 6 has few superiors in the 
 State yet. It was opened informally in February, 1871, Wil- 
 
OF 8GS00L8 IN PATERSON. 59 
 
 Ham J. Rogers being Principal, who remained in charge but a 
 few weeks, when the High school was transferred from School 
 No. i to the new building, the Principal of that school — An- 
 drew Mclntyre — exchanging buildings with Mr. Rogers. 
 
 The condition of the schoolhouse in Ellison street had been 
 very poor for many years, and on November 25, 1869, the com- 
 mittee on erection, repairs and furniture recommended the pur- 
 chase of a new site. The matter was considered for some 
 months, but ultimately, February 25, 1S70, the Board decided 
 to abandon the old site, and to buy a plot 87x100 ft. on the 
 southeast corner of Mill and Passaic streets, for $7,000. Some 
 months later they adopted plans (prepared by Mr. Derrick) 
 for a new building, which was erected by John P. Post & Son 
 during the ensuing year, at a cost of about $25,000. It was 
 opened in the Spring of 1S71, with Miss Sarah J. Perry as Prin- 
 cipal. In September, 1873, Mr. Hosford succeeded to the Prin- 
 cipalship, holding the position until his death, June 27, 1875. 
 The building is a very attractive one, and by many is considered 
 the most elegant owned by the Board of Education. The El- 
 lison street property was sold soon after, and the buildings re- 
 moved to make way for the " Arcade." 
 
 By the annexation of a slice of Acquackanonk township to 
 the city in March, 1869, a neat brick schoolhouse, 30x50 ft., 
 one story high, erected in 1868, was brought within the city 
 limits, and soon transferred to the control of the Board of Edu- 
 cation, which opened a school there (now known as No. 7) in 
 June, 1869, in charge of William J. Rogers. He being trans- 
 ferred to No. 6 in 1870, Alexander W. Brands was appointed 
 to the vacancy. 
 
 In 1870, also, as a part of the plans for increasing the school 
 facilities, the schoolhouse in Temple street was enlarged by the 
 addition of a third story, and was greatly improved in other 
 ' respects. The Totowa school was also extended. 
 
60 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 The permanent improvements made in 1S69-70-71 cost about 
 $115,000. 
 
 In 1871 anew city charter went into effect, which restricted 
 the cost of permanent improvements to $20,000 in any one 
 year It was also provided that the annual appropriation for 
 current expenses should not " exceed thirteen dollars per schol- 
 " ar on the average number reported by the Board of Educa- 
 ' ; tion as enrolled in the public schools in the preceding year." 
 In 1874 the law was so amended as to give the Board of Alder- 
 men a quasi authority over the expenditures of the Board of 
 Education. 
 
 In the Fall of 1872 four lots were bought on Stony Road, 
 whereon the Board proceeded to erect (David Henry being the 
 contractor) at a cost of about $15,000, the neat and commod- 
 ious three-story brick schoolhouse, 40x60 ft., known as No. 8, 
 which was completed and opened in the Spring of 1874, with 
 Isaac B. Condit as Principal. 
 
 In the Summer of 1874 the Board set about building a school- 
 house at the southwest corner of Getty and Michigan avenues, 
 at Lake View, and a very neat brick edifice of two stories and 
 a high basement, 40x60 ft., the plans being prepared by Charles 
 Urich, was erected (Martin Fitzpatrick, builder) at a cost of 
 about $10,000. It was opened in September, 1875, with the 
 Rev. A. G. Ryerson as Principal. It is called School No. 9. 
 
 In the Spring of 1875 the Board purchased a plot 150x120 
 feet, on Warren street, in the Third Ward, for School No. 10, 
 and erected thereon a three-story brick building, 6oxSo ft., 
 which was finished in February, 1876, at a cost of about $19,- 
 000. It was declared by not a few to be " in all its details and 
 " appointments the most commodious and complete school 
 " building in the city."* Charles Urich prepared the plans; 
 Charles Hatrick was the contractor. Miss Lizzie D. Young 
 was appointed Principal. 
 * Annual Report for 1875, p. T7. 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATERSON. 61 
 
 All the schoolhouses since No. 6 have been erected under 
 the supervision of the respective committees on erection, re- 
 pairs and furniture, assisted in 1871-2 by Wm. Swinburne, and 
 in 1S73-4-5 by Dr. Charles Inglis, Superintendents of Build- 
 ings.* 
 
 The development of the public school system ofPaterson has 
 been so fully detailed in the annual reports f of the Board of 
 Education of late years that it is needless to dwell at length 
 here upon the subject, pleasing as it must be to every friend of 
 popular education. A few statistics will present the main 
 features at a glance, and will most strikingly exhibit the pro- 
 gress of ten years : 
 
 1865. 1870. 1875. 
 
 I. No of schools 6 10 10 
 
 2 Value of school property $33,000 $182,500 $245,313 
 
 3. Seating capacity of schools.... 3,000 4,849t 5,509§ 
 
 4. Scholars enrolled 5,455 6,212 7,540 
 
 5. Average attendance 2,51111 2,612 3,666 
 
 6. No of teachers 46 78 103 
 
 7. Average yearly Falary $308 $423 $502 
 
 8. Total current expenses $22,855 $50,199 $72,841 
 
 9. Expended for permanent im- 
 
 provements $68,334 $19,781 
 
 10. Population of the city 24,893 33,518 38,824 
 
 II. Valuation of the city $8,432,860 $17,961,339 $22,292,000 
 
 * These committees were as follows: 
 
 18T0— Charles Keeler, George Townley, Heber Wells, John T. Dunn, Alexander 
 Eae. 
 
 1871— Alfred Stoutenborough, Andrew H. Van Wagoner, Ira King, Thomas Hogg, 
 John Clark. 
 
 1872— Andrew H. Van Wagoner, Ira King, John H. Robinson, John Brannin, 
 Joseph B, Stewart. 
 
 1873— James M. Baldwin, John T. Probert, John Sommer, William Reid, Aaron 
 Clegg. 
 
 1874— Charles H. May, David T. Gillmor, John Sommer, William F. Bertkau, Mari- 
 nus Houman. 
 
 1875— David T. Gillmor, Gilbert G. Cooper, John Hinchliffe, Jr., Marinus Houman, 
 Isaac Van Houten. 
 
 t Prior to 1869 but four or five Annual Reports of the Board of Education were 
 printed in a permanent form. Since that year the Reports have been regularly 
 printed in pamphlets, a collection of which presents a very thorough exhibit of the 
 work done by the Board, and of the progress and condition of the schools. 
 
 1 1,572 seats at desks. 
 
 § 3,374 seats at desks. 
 
 |i Prior to 1870 the average attendance reported was greatly exaggerated. 
 
62 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 In 1865, there were but three good schoolhouses in the city 
 — brick structures of the very plainest description. In 1876, 
 the city owned ten spacious school edifices, two of them unsur- 
 passed in New Jersey, and seven of which would be 
 creditable to any city in the State. In 1865, and indeed until 
 1869, there were less than a dozen teachers receiving $300 
 yearly salary, the pay running down to $150. Now, the mini- 
 mum is $375- It is believed the improvement in the efficiency 
 of the schools has corresponded with this greater liberality 
 shown in their management, and the consequent extension of 
 the system. And it is most pleasant to observe that the school- 
 tax is the most cheerfully paid of any, by the taxpayers of Pat- 
 terson. 
 
 The growth of the public schools of the city is the more re- 
 markable, when it is understood that within the past six or 
 eight years the Roman Catholic priesthood have been estab- 
 lishing parochial schools of a higher order than formerly in 
 various parts of the town, and have been gradually prohibiting 
 absolutely the attendance of children of their church upon the 
 public schools. There are six or eight hundred pupils now at- 
 tending these parochial schools, where ten years ago there were 
 barely two hundred. 
 
 Private Seminaries. 
 
 It is just thirty years ago since a pamphlet was published 
 presenting " Considerations in favor of erecting a good edifice 
 for a Scientific and Classical School, in Paterson, N. J." — The 
 author was J. Ennis, who had a superior school of that descrip- 
 tion in a small wooden building at the northwest corner of 
 Church and Ellison streets, previously taught by one McKee, 
 and commonly called the " Quality school," children of the 
 best families in town attending it. 
 
 In 1S65 George C. Tallman, jr., freshly graduated from Rut- 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATERSON. 63 
 
 gers College, came to Paterson with his wife (formerly 
 Miss Mary Stitt, a teacher in this city), and started a class- 
 ical and scientific school in the building now known as 
 No. 215 Main street, or thereabouts, subsequently removing 
 to the present No. 227. Two or three years later he sold 
 out to Henry Waters, also from New Brunswick, who 
 soon, with the aid of some friends, succeeded in realizing the 
 dream of Mr. Ennis, building a handsome and commodious 
 three-story frame edifice on the southwest corner of Auburn 
 and Van Houten streets, where his flourishing " Paterson Sem 
 inary" has a home of its own. 
 
 In the Summer of 1866 the Rev. P. E. Stevenson opened 
 the " Passaic Falls Classical Institute" in the First Presbyterian 
 lecture room, and after changing about several times within 
 two years settled down in the Chapel of the " Independents," 
 in Van Houten street, opposite School No. 1. This Institute 
 was almost exclusively for young ladies, and at once took a 
 very high rank, which it has maintained ever since. Its ven- 
 erated founder died in 1S70, but the school was kept up to the 
 standard by his widow and his son Eugene. About a year ago 
 it passed into other hands and was removed to Church street. 
 
 A few years after disposing of his school to Mr. Waters, Mr. 
 Tallman (who had left Paterson) returned to this city and 
 started the " Tallman Seminary " at Lake View. He died 
 soon after, and Mrs. Tallman removed to York avenue, where 
 she has established a very popular school. 
 
 Past, Present and Future. 
 
 In what has gone before the writer has aimed at giving a 
 mere outline of the rise and progress of popular education in 
 the city of Paterson. A complete history — treating of every 
 school and every teacher in detad, describing the gradual 
 change ol public sentiment toward free schools, and the phi- 
 
64 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 losophy of the successive notable events in the educational 
 progress of the village, the town and the city — would take 
 more time and space than the writer has at his command, and 
 would too greatly tax the patience of most readers. But it 
 may be said with truth, that whatever advance in culture Pat- 
 erson has made in the last half century, she owes in a large de- 
 gree to those far seeing men who just fifty years ago met at the 
 old " Academy " — may its memory be ever blessed ! — and or- 
 ganized the movement that resulted in the first free school in 
 Passaic county.* From that little school there has resulted the 
 system which has furnished to tens of thousands of men and 
 women all the education they have acquired. From that little 
 seed has sprung up the giant tree which now shelters four 
 thousand school children under its foliage, which imparts far 
 more wisdom to the neophyte than did ever the rustling leaves 
 of mystic oaks at Dodona. 
 
 Looking back over the past we can thank God and take 
 courage. The Free School system seems to be established for 
 all time. But in order to be permanent it must keep abreast of 
 the times — must meet the popular want. Already there are 
 those who doubt if the public schools are all that they should 
 be and could be. There is a question as to whether they are 
 not too straitly set in certain grooves. There is a desire to 
 have less theoretical and a little more practical training in our 
 schools, which shall teach boys and girls not merely how to 
 read and write and cipher and parse, but which shall put them 
 in the way of earning a living by the intelligent use of the fac- 
 ulties their Maker has given them. Why should not boys and 
 girls be taught something of the art which enters into the de- 
 signing of those beautiful patterns in silks, carpets, laces and a 
 thousand other articles of use and admiration ? In a manufact- 
 uring city like ours, what an inestimable advantage it would 
 
 *See pages 32-3, ante. 
 
OF SCHOOLS IN PATE RSON. G5 
 
 be could we train our own boys in all the arts that would tend 
 to make of them first-class mechanics, draughtsmen, designers, 
 and workers in every trade ! Not that all have a bent this way, 
 but should not a reasonable opportunity be given for the ad- 
 vancement of those who have the natural talent ? And our 
 girls : could we not forego a little algebra for the sake of see- 
 ing them taught somewhat of the needle's use and how to make 
 home comfortable and attractive ? The field of household and 
 decorative art, too, is peculiarly fitted for the exercise of the 
 feminine fancy with pencil and graver's tool. Moreover, there 
 are. those who would like to see a little more attention paid to 
 the culture of the immortal souls of those who attend our 
 schools ; in short, are almost disposed to say in the words of 
 old Desiderius Erasmus, " Teach nothing in the schools but 
 " what bears upon life and duty." Genuine culture should in- 
 clude somewhat of religious (not necessarily theological or sec- 
 tarian) teaching, for the etymology of the word indicates that 
 in ancient times mental and religious culture were regarded as 
 almost identical. 
 
 But all these matters will be settled by the people in their 
 own good time, by putting in control of the schools men who 
 will best represent their views, and who will act wisely and 
 prudently for the best interests of the whole city. 
 
 Meanwhile, we should never be satisfied with anything short 
 of perfection in the schools of Paterson. The progress that 
 has been made should but encourage us to think of the possi- 
 bilities in the future. The power of that surging tide which 
 sweeps through our city driving an hundred mills, and which 
 could be made to drive a thousand, is as nothing to the power 
 of our educational system, which ought to furnish the motive 
 force to ten thousand busy little brains, enabling the owner of 
 each to make his mark in the world. As the engineer, observ- 
 ing the use to which our water-power is put, is more astonished 
 R 
 
6(5 HISTORICAL SKETCH 
 
 at the force wasted than that utilized, so may the friends of ed- 
 ucation won dei that the admirable school system of our city is 
 taken advantage of by barely half the children for whom it is 
 designed. It is not strange that there should be a disposition 
 to coi?zpel the attendance of all children at some school. Still, 
 the improvement under good laws and wise administration is 
 so marked that we may safely trust to an enlightened public 
 sentiment to make the best possible use of the educational fa- 
 cilities provided, and to constantly improve and extend those 
 facilities until our chiefest boast shall be the Public Schools of 
 Paterson. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 Paterson Town School Committees — 1831—1850. 
 
 1831— James Richards, John Brown, Henry Whitely. 
 
 1832— John Brown, James Richards, C. Hequemborg. 
 
 1833— John Thompson, James Richards, James Moore. 
 
 1834— John Thompson, William Ridgway, Charles P. Jacobs. 
 
 1835— Blias J. Marsh, John Tilby, Wm. Ridgway. 
 
 1836— Elias J. Marsh, John Tilby, James Bentley, Silas D. Canfleld, Halmoth Van 
 Winkle, John Avison, Henry Van Houten, Wm. Ridgway. Amos Munson and 
 Stephen Allen had a tie vote. 
 
 1837— Henry Whitely (declined), Andrew Hopper, John P. Brown (declined), Wm. 
 Ridgway, Elias J. Marsh, Halmah Van Winkle, John Avison. 
 
 1838— Elias J. Marsh, John Avison, Lemuel Burr, Henry Van Gieson, Andrew Hopper. 
 
 1839— Isaac H. Van Riper, Wm. S. Thompson, Peter O'Blenis, James Panning, Wright 
 Plavell. 
 
 1840— Thomas Forbes, Charles English (Inglis), Jr., Wm. Ridgway, Andrew Snyder, 
 Josiah W. Shippey, Henry Van Gieson, John Wild. 
 
 1841— Wm. Tfidgway, Charles Inglis, Jr., James Gordon, John J. Brown, Wm. Masters, 
 Hiram Hathaway, John P. Brown, Andrew Griffith, Thomas D. Hoxsey. 
 
 1842— Charles English (Inglis), John J. Brown, Hiram Hathaway, Daniel Barkalow, 
 Andrew Griffith, Moses E. De Witt, James Shorrock, Henry Van Gieson, Thom- 
 as D. Hoxsey. 
 
 1843— John P. Brown, Robert L. Giddons, Philip Rafferty, Robert Cunningham, Fran- 
 cis Barber, Thomas Beggs, John S. Fayerweather. 
 
 1844— Henry Van Gieson, James Shorrock, John P. Brown, John S. Fayerweather, 
 Samuel S. Townsend, Thomas Adams, Thomas Beggs. 
 
 1845— Jacob Goetschius, John S. Fayerweather, Wm. C. Smith, Albert Westlake. 
 Walter E. Stephens, Samuel S. Townsend, Chas. Inglis, Jun. 
 
 1846— Jacob Goetschius, John S. Fayerweather, Wm. C. Smith, Frederick S. Weller, 
 Samuel S. Townsend, Charles Inglis, Jun., David Burnett, John Brown, Tohn 
 P. Brown. 
 
 1847-Jacob Goetschius, John S. Fayerweather, Charles Inglis, David Burnett, John 
 Brown. 
 
 1848— John J. Brown, John S. Fayerweather, Wm. H. Quackenbush, Benjamin Buck- 
 ley, Jacob Goetschius, Edwin P. Parke, David Burnett. 
 1849— Alfred Stoutenborough, Edwin P. Parke, Abraham C. Van Blarcom, Henry Van 
 
 Gieson, Charles O'Neill, Cornelius Hopper, Chas. Inglis, Jun. 
 1850— Edwin P. Parke, Charles O'Neill, Albert A. Hopper, Robert T. Creamer, Andrew 
 Derrom, Benjamin Ruckley. 
 
«8 APPENDIX. 
 
 Paterson City School Committeemen. 
 
 1851— East Ward: Tunis Speer, James M. Smylie; West: John Sanderson, David 
 Beam ; South : Edwin P. Parke, Abraham Garrison. 
 
 1852— East Ward : Henry B. Crosby, Tunis I. Speer; West: Hiram Hathaway, John 
 Sanderson; South : Charles O'Neill, Abraham Garrison. 
 
 1853— East Ward : Jacob V. R. Van Blareom, Abraham Carter, Jr. ; West : James M. 
 Wright, Milton Sears ; South : Cornelius C. Hopper, Francis A. Gallagher. 
 
 1S54— East Ward : Cornelius T. Vandervoort, William Swinburne, Garret A. Hopper;* 
 West: Robert Miller, Josiah F. Calvin, William Van Dalsen; South: John 
 King, Charles Inglis, Jr., John Hopper; North: Henry Fredericks, Isaac D. 
 Blauvelt, Isaac A. Bogert. 
 
 1855— North Ward : Nathaniel Lane, William Rowe, Henry Fredericks ; East : Garret 
 A. Hopper, Cornelius T. Vandervoort, Lewis R. Stelle ; West: Josiah F. Cal- 
 vin, William Ridgway (declined, and Henry Hathaway was appointed), 
 Adolphus Matthias ; South : George Townley, Tunis Stagg, Peter Bell (died in 
 June, 1855) ; Fifth : Cornelius S. Van Wagoner, George Vandenhoff, Benjamin 
 Crane. 
 
 School Commissioners. 
 
 1856— North Ward : Nathaniel Lane, Lewis L. Conklin, John Graham; East: Lewis 
 R. Stelle, James Stiles, Sherman Jaqua; West: Hiram Hathaway, Adolph 
 Matthias, William Allison; South: Henry Hagedorn, John Warren, B. Mur- 
 ray ; Fifth: Cornelius S. Van Wagoner, Frederick Weller, John Agnew. 
 
 1857— North Ward : Nathaniel Lane, Peter D. Hopper, Cornelius C. Blauvelt ; East : 
 Wm. Hulme (resigned in June, and Garret I. Blauvelt elected), James Stiles, 
 Edward Clark (declined and Samuel A. Van Saun elected, who removed from 
 the Ward in January, 1858, and was succeeded by John C. Bensen) ; West: 
 Adolphus Matthias, Geo. Swift, Hiram Hathaway ; South : Henry Hagadorn, 
 John Beyea, Hugh Manish ; Fifth :gCornelius S. Van Wagoner, Ezra Osbbrn, 
 Benjamin Buckley (resigned in January, 1858, having to attend the Legislat- 
 ure, of which he was a member; Samuel A. Van Saun was appointed to fill 
 the vacancy). 
 
 1858— North Ward : Nathaniel Lane, A. N. Ackerman, Isaac D. Blauvelt; East: So- 
 crates Tuttle, Albert A. Hopper, Victor Aldridge ; West : Andrew Derrom, 
 James Watson, George Swift; South: Robert Smith, Titus Ward, Patrick 
 Curran ; Fifth : William S. Hudson, Ezra Osborn, Robert S. Hughes. 
 
 1859— North Ward : Isaac D. Blauvelt, John Reynolds, Charles R. Hopson ; East : 
 John E. Van Winkle, Garret I. Blauvelt, Charles E. Van Beuren (resigned in 
 November, and Socrates Tuttle elected) ; West : Robert Hailing, Richard Van 
 Iderstiue, William H. Harmon ; South : Michael Morris, John Dougherty (of- 
 fice declared vacated, Oct. 6, for non-attendance, and John C. W estervelt 
 elected), Samuel Maconachy; Fifth: Ezra Osborn, Peter Green, George Por- 
 ritt (office declared vacated, Oct. 6, for non-attendance and John Hopper 
 elected). 
 
 I860— North Ward: Robert James Fields, Ezra S. McClellan ; East : Horace O. Hedge, 
 Josiah P. Huntoon; West: Hamilton Arnot, Robert Dalliug ; South: John 
 Keys (seat vacated November, 1S61, for non-attendance and John C. Wester- 
 
 * For many years past, a private school teacher. 
 
APPENDIX. 69 
 
 velt appointed), Van Riper ; Fifth : Henry L. Butler, Abram Garrison.* 
 
 1861— North Ward, Ezra S. McClellan (resigned in May, 1862, and Ralph Spear ap- 
 pointed) ; East, Josiah P. Huntoon ; West, John P. Zeluff ; South, George 
 Springsteen ; Fifth, Abram Garrison (resigned December, 1862, and John I. 
 Goetschius appointed). 
 
 1862— North Ward, Robert J. Fields ; East, Horace O. Hedge ; West, Hamilton Arnot 
 (died November, 1862, and John R. Daggers appointed) ; South, John C. Wes- 
 tervelt ; Fifth, John Hopper. President— Josiah P. Huntoon. 
 
 1863— North Ward, Ralph Spear; East, Ezra Osborn ; West, John P. Zeluff; South, 
 Michael J. carmody (resigned and Patrick Mclnerney elected) ; Fifth, Henry 
 L. Butler. President— Tohn C. Westervelt. 
 
 1864— North Ward, Charles P. Gurnee; East, John Cooke ; West, John Murphy ; South, 
 Henry McClory (April 18th, 1864, McClory and Mclnerney resigned and Alex- 
 ander Hill and Michael A. Harrold appointed); Fifth, John Hopper. Presi- 
 dent—John Cooke. 
 
 1865— North Ward, Charles Sandford ; East, Henry L. Butler; West, Alexander Rae ; 
 South, Samuel McCunachy, Peter V. A. Westervelt ; Fifth, W Illiam S. Hudson. 
 President — John Cooke. 
 
 1866— North Ward, Alfred Dillistin ; East, John Swinburne ; West, John Murphy ; 
 South, Frederick Spindler (elected to fill a vacancy), John Dougherty ; Fifth, 
 James M. Smylie. President— Wm. S. Hudson. 
 
 186T— North W T ard, Heber Wells ; East, Henry L. Butler ; West, Alexander Rae ; 
 South, Elias A. Vreeland ; Fifth, Charles Inglis, Jr. President— Henry L. 
 Butler. 
 
 1868— 1st Ward, Alfred Dillistin; 2d, Richard Van Houten, Wm. Nelson; 3d, John C. 
 Paulison ; 4th, James M. Baldwin, Charles Keeler ; 5th, William Cole ; 6th, 
 Heury Shurman ; 7th, Jacob H. Quackenbush, Elias A. Vreeland ; Sth, George 
 H. Glass, Michael Counell. President — Henry L. Butler. 
 
 1869— 1st Ward, Heber Wells ; 2d William Nelson, Jacob H. Blauvelt (vice Richard 
 Van Houten, resigned) ; 3d, Henry L. Butler ; 4th, Charles Keeler ; 5th, Charles 
 Ingiis; 6th, Alexander Rae ; 7th, John I. Corcoran; Sth, Thomas Hogg ; 9th, 
 George Townley, Frederick Wagner. President — Henry L. Butler. 
 
 1870— 1st Ward, Isaac Van Houten ; 2d, Jacob H. Blauvelt ; 3d, John C. Paulison ; 4th, 
 Alfred btoutenbor©ugh, Sr. ; 5th, George Bock ; 6th, Robert Gillmor (removed 
 from the Ward, and James Mills elected) ; 7th, John T. Dunn (removed from 
 the city before the election of 1871) ; 8th, John Clark ; 9th, George Beider (to 
 succeed Frederick Wagner). President— Henry L.Butler. 
 
 Commissioners of Public Instruction. 
 
 1871— 1st W T ard, Andrew H. Van Wagoner; 2d, Ira King; 3d, John A. Van Winkle ; 
 4th, George B. Day; 5th, John H. Hopper; 6th, Joseph B. Stewart; 7th, 
 George Be.der, long term, and John Clark, short termt (tseider resigned, Feb- 
 ruary 29, 1872, and Joseph Mosley was appointed) ; 8th, Thomas Hogg (held 
 over, there being no election in the 8th Ward). President— Henry L. Butler. 
 
 *These members drew lots in accordance with the new law, to decide which 
 should hold office for one year, and which for two years. Messrs. Fields, Hedge, Ar- 
 not, Keys and Butler drew the long term.— The names given for the following years 
 are only of the newly-elected members. 
 
 t By the charter of 1871 the 9th Ward was abolished, and the boundaries of the 
 Wards so changed that Messrs. Clark and Beider were left in the 7th Ward ; their 
 'seats consequently vacated. They were then re-elected from that Ward. 
 
to APPENDIX. 
 
 1872— 1st Ward, Isaac Van Houten ; 2d, William S. Black ; 3d, John H. Robinson ; 4th, 
 James M. Baldwin ; 5th, John T. Probert ; 6th, William F. Bertkau ; 7th, 
 John Brannin ; 8th, Isaac D. Rogers (died in office, and James Dunkerley ap- 
 pointed, October, 1872), Wm. High, Jr. (to succeed Thomas Hogg)'. President 
 —George B. Day. 
 8^3— 1st Ward, Albert W. Stagg; 2d, William Reid ; 3d, Aaron Clegg; 4th, Charles 
 H. May; tth, William P. Richardson; 6th, Joseph Parker; 7th, Charles Helm- 
 rich ; 8th, John Sommer. President— Isaac Van Houten. 
 
 1874— 1st Ward, Isaac Van Houten; 2d, William P. Allee ; 3d, David T. Gillmor, 
 Alexander T Groser (elected vice Aaron Clegg, resigned) ; 4th, George L. 
 Catlin ; 5th, Marinus Houman ; 6th, Isaac McGee, William P. Bertkau (ap- 
 pointed vice Joseph Parker, resigned); 7th, William Pierce; Sth, George 
 Yorkston. President— Isaac Van Houten. 
 
 1875— 1st Ward, Andrew H. Demarest ; 2d, Samuel Lair; 3d, Alexander T. Groser ; 
 4th, Gilbert G. Cooper ; 5th, James W. Ensign (resigned, and James Johnston 
 appointed); 6th, John H. Hogan; 7th, Joseph McCrystal ; Sth, John Hinch- 
 liffe, jr. President — George L. Catlin. 
 
 1876 — 1st Ward, James Huyssoon ; 2d, Thomas Longbottom ; 3d, William L. Bamber ; 
 4th, Ezra Osborn ; 5th, John McGowan ; 6th, Isaac McGee ; 7th, William 
 Pierce ; Sth, Henry T. Bergen. President — Alexander T. Groser. 
 
 1877— 1st Ward, William Shinton ; 2d, Samuel Lair ; 3d, James Mills ; 4th, Charles N. 
 Sterrett ; 5th, Robert H. Paxton ; 6th, William Senior ; 7th, Timothy Delaney ; 
 8th, Michael Browne. President— William L. Bamber. 
 
INDEX 
 
 Abbott, Asahel, 30. 
 
 Academy, Manchester, 30, 46, 47 ; Meth- 
 odist, 30 ; Paterson, 22, 26, 38, 39, 
 40 ; Pompton Union, 31. 
 
 Ackerman, Charity, 11 ; James, 11 ; Wil- 
 liam, 46. 
 
 Acquackanonk, 7, 8, 33. 
 
 ' part of annexed to Pat- 
 erson, 59. 
 Church Eecords, 5. 
 
 Allen, Captain Stephen, 21. 
 
 America, Anna, 5, 7. 
 
 Amsterdam, Classis of, 6. 
 
 Andrews, Miss Jennie, 54. 
 
 Annual appropriation for schools, bases 
 Of, 57, 60. 
 
 Annual reports, 61. 
 
 Arts in the schools, 64. 
 
 Baldwin, James M., 56, 57, 5S, 61. 
 
 Baptists during the Revolution, 13. 
 
 Barkalow, Daniel, 46. 
 
 Barned, Joseph, 38. 
 
 Bell on School No. 1, 45. 
 
 Bennet, Miss, 25. 
 
 Berdan, John B., 46. 
 
 Berry, Mrs. E., 35 ; John W., 34. 
 
 Bertholf, Abraham, 7 ; Dom. Guiliaem, 
 
 7, S. 
 Bertkau, Wm. F., 61. 
 Billington, James, 5. 
 Blauvelt, Isaac D., 44, 53. 
 Bocht, the, 16. 
 Board of Education, where meetings of 
 
 were held, 44; relations with 
 
 Board of Aldermen, 52, 53, 55, 59 ; 
 
 seal of, 53. 
 Boisson, Mons. F., 3. 
 Brands, Alexander M.. 40, 59; David I., 
 
 40 ; Orestes M., 40, 49, 55 ; Samuel 
 
 B., 3S, 40, 46, 49, 55. 
 Rrannin. John, 61. 
 Briggs, Mr., 30, 31 ; Thomas, 38. 
 Broadway bridge, 14. 
 Brown, John, 36 ; Simeon, 34. 
 Buffuni, Sampson W., 39, 40. 
 Bumstead, Miss, 23 
 Butler, Henry L., 57, 58. 
 
 C 
 
 Canfleld, Silas D., 36, 
 
 Carpenter, , 14. 
 
 Catlin, Jacob, 22 ; Mrs. E., 35. 
 Census in 1854 and 1865, 55. 
 Centreville, 8. 
 Childs, Mr., 34. 
 ' City schools, 42. 
 
 Clark, John, 61. 
 
 Clegg, Aaron, 61. 
 
 Clifton, 11. 
 
 Clinton street school, 46, 4S, 50. 
 
 Collet, Mark W., 32 ; Mrs. S., 35. 
 
 Collins, Mr., 2S. 
 
 Collis (Collins ?), Miss, 25. 
 
 Colored school. 48, 50, 51. 
 
 Colt, Miss Catharine, 35 ; Peter, 15, 26 ; 
 Xoswell L., 26 ; Samuel, 26 ; Miss 
 Sarah, 15, 35. 
 
 Colt house, the, 18, 19, 25. 
 
 Committees on erection, repairs a nd fur- 
 niture, 1S70-75, 61. 
 
 Compulsory education, 64. 
 
 Condit, Isaac B., 60. 
 
 Conover, Mrs., 25. 
 
 Contrast, 1S65-76, 62. 
 
 Cooper, Gilbert G., 61. 
 
 Corcoran, John I., 58. 
 
 Cornelissen, Jan, 6. 
 
 Cox, Miss Elizabeth, 48, 49. 
 
 Creamer, the Rev. John, 28. 
 
 Croes, the Rev. John, jr., 24, 33, 34. 
 
 Crooks, James, 55. 
 
 Cross street M. E. church, 37, 39, 40. 
 
 culture, genuine, 64. 
 
 D 
 
 Dalling, Robert, 53. 
 
 Davis, Mr. and Mrs., 22 ; William S., 27. 
 
 Decker, Alfred H., 49. 
 
 DeHart, Robert, 49, 50. 
 
 Delinquent class and school, 44. 
 
 Derrick, E. J. M., 5S, 59. 
 
 Derrom, Andrew, 41, 44, 47, 50. 
 
 Designing for the industrial arts, 64. 
 
 DeWitt, Moses E , 23, 2S. 
 
 Dickerson, Judge, 18. 
 
 Dockson, Adam, 38. 
 
 Donkersley, Miss Charlotte, 48, 50. 
 
 Doors of schools to open outward, 54. 
 
 Dougherty, Hugh, 22. 
 
 Drawing in the schools, 54. 
 
 Dunn, John T., 61. 
 
 E 
 
 Ellis, Edward S-, 49. 
 
 Ellison, Dr. William, 26, 38. 
 
 Elm street Infant school, 34. 
 
 Ennis, J., 62. 
 
 Erasmus, Desiderius, saying of, 64. 
 
 F 
 
 Fairchild, Phoebe, 21, 22. 
 Field, the Rev. lacob T., 30. 
 First free schools, Si. 
 
 preaching in Engl'h in Paterson, IS 
 
VI 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 First school in the town of Paterson, 15, 
 16. 
 
 schoolmaster in Passaic county, 7. 
 
 Sunday school in Paterson, 15. 
 
 permanent do., 29. 
 Fisher, Mrs., 35 ; the Rev. James C, 22, 
 
 23; the Rev. Dr. Samuel, 22, 23, 
 
 33, 34. 
 Fitzpatrick, Martin, 60. 
 Flood, John K., 36. 
 Ford, Miss, 48, 49. 
 Free Church, the, 40. 
 Freeman, A. H., 30 ; Uzal W., 22, 29, 30. 
 Froeligh, the Rev. Solomon, 33. 
 
 G 
 
 Garrison, Cornelius G., 46. 
 
 Geroe, Miss E. R., 48. 
 
 Gibson, the Rev. William J., 28, 33, 34. 
 
 Gillmor, David T., 61. 
 
 Gledhlll, William, 28. 
 
 Godwin, Abraham, jr., 33 ; Abraham H., 
 21 ; Caleb Muuson, 33 ; Miss Eve- 
 line, 35 ; Miss M , 35. 
 
 Godwin's (Henry) store, 20. 
 
 Godwin's tavern, 17. 
 
 Goetschius, Jacob, 13, 22, 23. 
 
 Goetschius's schoolhouse, 24, 34, 43, 51. 
 
 Gould, Thomas, 13. 
 
 Graham, Samuel, 47. 
 
 Griswold, Edwin E., 30. 
 
 Hackensack, 7. 
 
 Halsted, Miss Eliza M., 48, 50, 51. 
 
 Hamilton, Isaac, 40 ; Mrs., 24 ; William 
 
 B., 23. 
 Harrison, Mr., 31 ; C. M., 49. 
 Hartley, Mr., 24. 
 Hatrick, Charles, 60. 
 Haywood, Mrs., 22. 
 Helme, Benjamin, 29. 
 Henderson, Joseph, 11, 12, 19. 
 Henry, David, 60. 
 Heyman, Daniel, 31. 
 High School, 50, 55. 
 Hinchliffe, John, jr., 61. 
 Hogg, Thomas, 61. 
 Holidays, 44. 
 Hopper, John, 45, 57. 
 Hosford, Samuel C, 43, 48, 49, 50, 52, 56, 
 
 59. 
 Houman, Marinus, 61. 
 House, John W., 20. 
 Hurlbut, Charles O., 48. 
 
 Industrial arts in the schools, 64. 
 
 Infant School Society, 35. 
 
 Inglis, Justice Charles, 38 ; Dr. Charles, 
 
 38, 44, 45, 55, 58, 61. 
 Inslee, Mrs. Catharine, 35. 
 Irish, Hugh C, 46 ; Jonathan, 46. 
 
 James, Mrs. Joseph F., 22. 
 •lanitors, how appointed, 54. 
 Jefferson Institute, the, 31. 
 Jenner, William, 11. 
 
 K 
 
 Keeler, Charles, 58, 61. 
 
 Keily, JotinD., 3^. 
 
 Kennadav, the Rev. John, 33. 
 
 King, E. B., 17 ; Ira, 61 ; James W., 26 ; 
 
 Robert, 25. 
 Kinsey, Charles, 13, 26; Charles Smith, 35 
 Kip, Nicholas, 41. 
 
 Laird, John, 56. 
 Lake View school, 60. 
 Lane, Nathaniel, 29. 
 Larena, John J., 31. 
 Larned, v r„ 24. 
 Lewis, the Rev. Daniel, 33, 34. 
 Lyceum, the Paterson, 42. 
 Lyon, " Dominie " Bradford W., 21, 22, 
 27, 28. 
 
 M 
 
 Maconachy, S., 53. 
 
 Manchester Academy, 30, 46, 47 ; Lite- 
 rary Association, 46 ; schools, 46. 
 
 Market, the New, 40. 
 
 Market street bridge, 10. 
 
 Masonic Hall, 18. 
 
 May, Charles H., 61. 
 
 McClellan, Dr. Ezra S., 51, 52. 
 
 McGrorty, -lames, 22. 
 
 Mclntyre, Andrew, 56, 59. 
 
 McKee, Mr., 6>. 
 
 Mead's Basin, 7. 
 
 Mechanics' Institute, 32, 36. 
 
 Merrill, Samuel C.,42,43 ; Sherburne R., 
 40, 41, 42, 43, 45. 
 
 Methodist Academy, 30. 
 
 Miller, Ezekiel, 33, 34 ; Robert, 44. 
 
 Model Training school, 51. 
 
 Mosher, I., 22. 
 
 Mountain View, 7. 
 
 Museum hotel, 14. 
 
 Myers, C. M., 49, 50. 
 
 Nelson, Wm., 55, 57, 58. 
 New Amsterdam, 6. 
 New Netherland, 5. 
 IS ew York city, 6. 
 Normal school, 44, 49, 55. 
 
 O 
 
 Object teaching, 51. 
 
 O'Donoghue, the Rev. Francis, 33, 34. 
 
 Ogden, Mrs. E. B. D., 35. 
 
 Oldham Machine Works, 38. 
 
 'Old Hotel," 17. 
 
 Osborn, Ezra, 53 ; Miss, 49. 
 
 Paine, Thomas, 13. 
 
 Parke, John, 26. 
 
 Parsons, Miss, 51. 
 
 Passaic Falls Classical Institute, 62. 
 
 Passaic Hotel, 20. 
 
 Past, present and future of Paterson 
 
 public schools, 62. 
 Paterson Seminary, 62. 
 Paterson Union Sabbath School Society, 
 
 15. 
 
INDEX 
 
 73 
 
 Permanent improvements, cost of, 1854- 
 
 1851, 48; 1869-T1, 60. 
 Perry, Joseph, 39 ; Miss Sarah J., 59. 
 Phillips, the Kev. John, 17, 25. 
 "Philosophical Society", the, 31. 
 Pompton, 7 ; Union Academy, 31. 
 Post, John P. & Sons, 58. 59. 
 Preakuess, 11. 
 Private Seminaries, 62. 
 Probert, ohn T., 61. 
 
 Q 
 
 "Q.uality School," 62. 
 K 
 
 Rae, Alexander, 61. 
 Rathburn, Miss Susan H., 54. 
 Ray, M iss Isabella, 85. 
 Redman, Miss Rachel, 35, 36. 
 Reid, David, 34 ; William, 61. 
 Rensselaerswyek, 6. 
 Reorganization of school system, 55. 
 Rice, Samuel W., 56. 
 Richards, the Rev. .lames, 36. 
 Ridenour, William B , 56. 
 Riverside, 16. 
 Roberts, William L., 22. 
 Robinson, John H., 61. 
 Roelandsen, Adam, 6. 
 Rogers, Dr. A. W., 42. 
 Rogers, William J., 3, 41, 56, 59. 
 Roman Catholic parochial schools, 62. 
 Royle, Vernon, 58. 
 Ryerson, the Rev. A. G., 60. 
 
 S 
 
 Saddle River township records, 17. 
 
 "Sandy Hill" school, 54. 
 
 Schaets, the Rev. Gideon, 6. 
 
 School No. 1, 44, 45, 48, 51, 56, 62 ; No. 2, 
 45, 48, 59 ; No. 3, 46, i% 49 ; No. 4, 
 47, 49, 59 ; No. 5, 55, 59 ; No. 6, 54, 
 5S, 61 ; No. 7, 57, 60 ; No. 8, 59 ; No. 
 9, 60; No. 10, 57, 60. 
 
 Schools, laws relating to the public, 7, 
 32, 36, 37, 43, 45, 47, 48, 52, 53, 57, 
 59. 
 
 Seal of the Board of Education, 53. 
 
 Searle, Zetus, 23, 30. 
 
 Second German Presbyterian Church, 
 24, 34, 38. 
 
 Second Presbyterian Church, 51. 
 
 "Sentinel," Newark, quotations from, 
 12, 19. 
 
 Serven, Isaac, 24. 
 
 Sherburne, Joseph, 16. 19. 
 
 Sheridan, Bernard N., 12. 
 
 Sheys, Bryant, 13, 16 ; Harriet, 13 ; James 
 B., 13. 
 
 Shurman, Henry, 5S. 
 
 Singack, 7. 
 
 Smith, , 16. 
 
 Society for Establishing Useful Manu- 
 factures, 14, 15, 16, 18, 26, 27, 29, 35. 
 
 Sommer, John, 61. 
 
 Speer, Mrs. Elizabeth, 35; John R.. 33, 34 
 
 " Staggtown " school, 47, 48. 
 
 Statistics of ten years' progress, 61. 
 
 Stevenson, David, 19 ; Eugene, 62 ; the 
 Rev. P. E., 62. 
 
 Stewart, Joseph B., 61. 
 
 Stiles, James, 41, 45. 
 
 Stitt, Miss Eliza, 4S ; Miss Mary, 48, 50 
 
 63. 
 St. John's Hall, 31. 
 St. Paul's Episcopal church, 29. 
 Stockton, Richard, IS. 
 Stony Road school, 56, 60 
 Stoutenborough, Alfred, 61. 
 Strong, John, 34. 
 Stuyvesant, Peter, 6. 
 Superintendents of buildings, 61 ; of 
 
 schools, 36, 52, 56, 58. 
 System of schools established, 48. 
 Sythoff, Dr. Lambert, v3, 27 ; Mrs. P., 35. 
 Swinburne, William, 52, 55, 57, 5S, 61. 
 
 T 
 
 Tallman, George G, jr., 62; Mrs., 63; 
 Seminary, 63. 
 
 Tanner, Miss, 48. 
 
 Taylor, the Rev. Benjamin G, 33, 34. 
 
 Teachers' Association, State, meeting 
 of in Paterson, 54. 
 
 Teachers, mode of appointing. 53 ; sal- 
 aries of, 53, 55, 62 ; of music, 54 ; 
 of writing, 54. 
 
 Temple street school, 47, 59. 
 
 Thompson, , 20. 
 
 Thorp, Samuel, 53. 
 
 Titus, William, 47. 
 
 Todd, Richard, 20. 
 
 Totowa, 16 ; burying ground, 17 ; dis- 
 trict school, 20 ; public school, 55, 
 59. 
 
 Townley, George, 61. 
 
 Township schools, Pater. on, 38. 
 
 Turtle, Miss C. G., 46, 48. 
 
 U 
 
 Upson, Charles, 20. 
 Urich, Charles, 60. 
 
 Van Beuren, C. E., 53. 
 
 Vandervoort, Cornelius T., 44. 
 
 Van Driessen, Dominie, 5. 
 
 Van Houten, Abraham, 26; Adrian, 34; 
 Isaac, 61 ; Miss Jane, 35 ; John R., 
 21; 
 
 Van Ness, Evert II., 33, 34. 
 
 Van Quenaudon, Mrs., 50. 
 
 Van Riper, Cornelius G., 33, 34. 
 
 Van Wagoner, Andrew H., 61; Cornel- 
 ius S., 52. 53. 
 
 Van Winkle, A , 22 ; Mrs., 22. 
 
 Vaughan, the Rev. Edward, 5. 
 
 Vreeland, Elias A., 57. 
 
 W 
 
 Wagaraw, 16. 
 
 Wallace, Miss M., 35 ; Miss R , 35. 
 
 Walmsley, Miss, 22. 
 
 Ware, Mr., 27. 
 
 V» arren, Dr. James, 32. 
 
 War-times, a reminder of, 54. 
 
 Waters, Henry, 62. 
 
 Weavertown school, 57. 
 
 Weller's tavern, 17. 
 
 Wells, Heber, 58, 61. 
 
 Wesel neighborhood, 9; school, 9, 10, 11, 
 
 12, 13, 14. 
 Wesleyan chapel, 46. 
 
74 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Westervelt, the Rev. Wm. E., 43. 
 
 West India Company, 6 
 
 White, Henry, 28 
 
 Whitely, Henry, 36. 
 
 Wiggins, the Kev. Mr , 34. 
 
 Wilde, Mrs. A. L., 22, 23, 25. 
 
 Williams, Enoch, 22 ; L D , 40. 
 
 Willis, Abraham, 19, 35. 
 
 Wills, Thomas, 16, 19, 21 ; Thomas, ir„ 
 
 17. 
 Wilmarth, Otis, 21, 22. 
 
 Woodward, John, 21. 
 
 Wright, Miss Fannv, 31 ; John, 15. 
 
 W T ylie, Miss Mary, 39, 46, 4S. 
 
 Young, Miss Lizzie D., 60. 
 Youngblood, Peter A., 49, £8. 
 
 Zieken-trooster, 6, 
 
 CH^=55^.