Born in 1664, Robert Hunter grew up in Scotland. His father was a lawyer, and his family was well respected in Edinburgh. As a young man, he was an apprentice to an apothecary. He was well educated and spoke fluent Latin, Spanish, French and English. He was an avid writer, and eventually wrote several plays. He was quite the socialite and a ladies man. His literary friends included Jonathan Swift, whom he later appointed as the first bishop of his Anglican church in New Jersey. However, in 1689 he left his usual, humdrum life to join the British Army. He fought in Queen Anne’s War, served under Marlborough, and reached the rank of colonel. He served in the royal army for over twenty years. From there, in 1707, he was appointed the governor of Virginia. While enroute to being the governor of Virginia, he was captured by the French and was returned to France. He was held in a ‘socially dazzling captivity’ in France for two years, and then he was traded, as commonly reported but not officially confirmed, for the French bishop of Quebec. When returned to the British Army, he was then appointed governor of New York and New Jersey. Both states at that time had their own problems. New York was dealing with the natives, and they lived in constant fear of attack. In New Jersey, people were fighting over land, livestock and timber. There were two main groups in New Jersey who were vying for power and influence. The first was commonly called the Coxe group, as the head of the group was Daniel Coxe, the son of a former governor of New Jersey. At the time, religion and politics were almost inseparable. Used as a tool, the Coxe’s religion (the Anglican faith, the official Church of England) had been essential for gaining influence and power over the people. They were previously favored and protected by Lord Cornbury, the first royal governor of New Jersey, and held all of the highest spots in the local government as well. The Quakers, however, were not looking at their religion as a tool of political power, but instead a way of life. The Quakers were headed by Lewis Morris, and were an honest and simple group of people. They had formerly bought land from an older Coxe family member, although the younger Coxe had made claim that the Quakers had never purchased the land but had been living there. To make matters worse, both groups had supporters in the Royal Government of England who were pressuring Robert Hunter to take a side. While Hunter was trying to even out the odds for both sides, he successfully stalled any meetings of the legislature while the Coxe group was still in power. He called for elections and created new positions for the Quakers. Then in 1714, they passed a whole set of laws in favor of the Quakers. For example, these laws included allowing Quakers to serve on juries without taking an oath*, and also allowing them to serve in office. It was at this time that the new county, Hunterdon County, was established. The Coxe party was not happy. They tried to regain control over the local government, but Hunter called for elections repeatedly until there was a 50/50 representation of both groups. In Robert Hunter’s words: “The true interests of the people and the government are the same, I mean a government of laws. No other deserves the name, and are never separated or separable, but in imagination by men of craft.” Robert Hunter married Elizabeth Orby, the widow of Robert Hunter’s own commander, and changed his last name to HunterOrby. This was common in order to inherit land and money from her estate. Together they had five children, and he also had one illegitimate child with his mistress, Betty Holland. Robert Hunter got tired of the politics that came with being governor, so he traded jobs with William Burnet, and was appointed governor of Jamaica in 1727, where he died in 1734. Robert Hunter was living in a very difficult time, saw what was wrong with the laws, and was not elected right away. He was governor of New Jersey for over 15 years, and during that time, helped to create equality and fairness for the citizens of New Jersey. *The Quakers forbid taking an oath, so they were allowed to serve in the jury without taking an oath, but making an affirmation. Resources: http://slic.njstatelib.org/slic_files/imported/NJ_Information/Digital_Collections/Governors_of_New _Jersey/GHUNT.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hunter_(governor)
Joseph Turner (1701–1783) was a seaman, merchant, iron manufacturer, and politician in colonial and post-colonial Philadelphia. Turner was born in 1701 in England. He came to America in January of 1714 without his parents. For many decades prior to the American Revolution, he was in business with Chief Justice William Allen; their firm, Allen & Turner, was one of the most important in the colonies. Turner entered into trade agreements and iron mining and manufacture ventures, including the Union Iron Works in Hunterdon County, at present-day High Bridge, New Jersey. What he did to change Hunterdon County: He started an iron mining and manufacturing business that played a significant role in developing manufacturing in High Bridge and Hunterdon County. Justification: The original iron forge business is the second-oldest business in North America, after the Hudson Bay Company. Turner and Allen Iron Works became Taylor Iron Works which became Taylor Wharton. Custom Alloy now works from this site. Owned by: William Allen and Joseph Turner 1742 - 1778 Robert Taylor and Family 1778 - 1863 Thomas Iron Company 1863-1872 Taylor Iron Works 1872- 1912 Taylor Iron Works merged with William Wharton to form the Taylor Wharton Iron and Steel Company 1730 - 1889 Supplied ore for Solitude (Union) Forge . In 1742, two Philadelphia businessmen, William Allen and Joseph Turner, leased a 3,000-acre tract from the King of England in what is now High Bridge. They began operating an iron forge, mining iron from the surrounding hills and cutting down the forests to fuel the forge. The business was eventually purchased by Robert Taylor, who supplied cannonballs for the Revolutionary Army. In later years, the foundry made cannonballs for the Civil War, track and railroad car wheels for the burgeoning railroad industry, steel dredge-bucket teeth for digging the Panama Canal and ammunition for World Wars I and II. When it closed, the Taylor-Wharton Iron and Steel Company claimed to be the second-oldest business in North America, after the Hudson Bay Company. The site is now occupied by Custom Alloy, which makes fittings for piping systems. Resources: Revolutionary War Sites in High Bridge, New Jersey / High Bridge ... Book: Pictorial History of High Bridge www.highbridge.org www.revolutionarywarnewjersey.com/westjerseyhistory.org/images/hunterdon/highbridge/ www.scout.me/old-iron-mines www.nytimes.com/ www.us-mining.com/new-jersey/high-bridge/iron-mines www.state.nj.us/dep/njgs/enviroed/oldpubs/IronMines www.pinterest.com
In 1720 in the center of Trenton, the first county Courthouse was built. The government met once a year and transacted business at the Courthouse. Trenton proved to be a difficult meeting location. An act of the New Jersey Legislature in March of 1780 enabled the governing body to meet in the John Ringo’s Tavern in Amwell for the convenience of the County's residents. The Legislature was petitioned to relocate the Courthouse and Jail for Hunterdon County in May of 1790, Flemington was chosen. Resources: County of Hunterdon, State of New Jersey, Historical information. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/history.htm johnringo/'s tavern - Google Search.
Daniel Morgan was born in 1736 in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, and at the age of seventeen he went to Virginia to work at a saw mill and became a Wagoner. He joined the American army and got captured by the British and later paroled. After the American defeat in South Carolina, he rejoined the army, and received a promotion from Congress to Brigadier General. Daniel Morgan was an American who led the colonists to victory at the Battle of Cowpens. He used his knowledge of the enemy and how they would react, fooling the British by retreating and surrounding them. Before he died in 1802, he became a Representative. In 1790 he won a gold medal from Congress for his victory at Cowpens. Resources: Article from the U.S. National Park Service website, http://www.nps.gov/cowp/historyculture/daniel-morgan.htm
Abraham Bonnell opened his tavern on February 15, 1764. In the later part of 1775, the Bonnell Tavern became a political meeting place for the colony of New Jersey. Charles Steward used the tavern to organize New Jersey’s first regiment of minutemen. Minutemen during the Revolutionary War were soldiers known for quickly deploying their forces. Resources: Revolutionary War Sites in Clinton, New Jersey / Clinton Historic Sites. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.revolutionarywarnewjersey.com/new_jersey_revolutionary_war_sites/towns/clinton_nj_revolutionary_war_sites.htm Town of Clinton, NJ - Historic Clinton. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.clintonnj.gov/history_tour_bonnell.html
In 1688, the first Indian purchase was made in Hunterdon County. The last purchase was in 1758. In 1703, one of the most important purchases was made. It is known as the “Lotting Purchase”, (or the New Indian Purchase Above the Falls). Right after this purchase, a road was put down right about where our current day Route 519 is. The road was called the “King’s Highway”. In those times this road was a main road during colonial times. Whenever a new road was put down there was a group of people called the “Survey Team”. They were assigned the job of looking for really tall trees. These trees from Kingwood were used to build many ship masts. In the 1800’s, several war boats, including the USS Philadelphia, were built from Oak and Hickory wood from Kingwood. Once they found the trees, they would using a branding iron that had the King’s seal on it and they would burn it into the tree to claim it to use for those things. Kingwood at the time was a thick forest full of Chestnut, Oak and Hickory trees. People began to refer to the areas surrounding “King’s Highway” as the “King’s Woods” and eventually that transformed in Kingwood. Resources: Image: http://www.kingwoodtownship.com/ http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2013/11/victim_of_fire_found_on_delawa.html Information: Farnham, Barbara, and Alexander Farnham. Kingwood Township of Yesteryear. Stockton, NJ: Kingwood Studio Publications, 1988. Print. http://twp.kingwood.hunterdon.nj.us/township_history_of_yesteryear.html http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/history/Ch1-DawnofHunterdon.pdf goodspeedhistories.com/tag/kingwood-twp/ http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/history/Ch1-DawnofHunterdon.pdf Mr. Sal DeSapio, Township Historian: Visit to our school and PowerPoint Presentation
Captain Daniel Bray was born and grew up in Kingwood Township and became a farmer. In his earlier days, Bray worked at a place called Rodman Boat Works, along the Delaware River. This was located where Byram is now. He learned to be a great river man and also learned to build boats. He was a member of the Hunterdon County Militia during the Revolutionary War. In 1776, when George Washington crossed the Delaware River, he sought out Captain Bray’s help. Washington asked Bray to find and bring him all of the boats between Easton, PA and Philadelphia. Washington used these boats to carry the Continental Army into Pennsylvania in the fall. He also used the same boats when he crossed the Delaware on Christmas Eve in 1776 to fight at the Battle of Trenton. Bray was later promoted to General and also served as a Hunterdon County Freeholder. To honor Daniel Bray, in 1960, the State of New Jersey named a portion of Route 29, “The Daniel Bray Highway”. He is buried in Rosemont Cemetery. Resources: Image: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11192245 Information: Farnham, Barbara, and Alexander Farnham. Kingwood Township of Yesteryear. Stockton, NJ: Kingwood Studio Publications, 1988. Print. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11192245 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Bray
The Oak Summit Church was originally built as the Old Stone Meeting House in 1754. Lawrence Hoff, who owned a nearby plantation, gave 1¼ acres to a group of trustees of the Presbyterian Congregation of Kingwood. Originally, the church was built in the cemetery across the street. The Continental Army stayed at the church for about 10 days in 1778. During this time, they were taking British and Hessian prisoners to Virginia The original church began to fall down after the Revolution so the Presbyterians built a new church in 1837. They did use some of the stones from the old church though. This is the church that stands today. It was empty for much of the 20th century, but is now “The First Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Township of Kingwood”. The cemetery, pictured above, is the burial place for at least eleven veterans of the revolution including Col. Thomas L. Lowrey. Col. Lowrey came to America from Ireland and then found success in real estate. In 1775, Lowrey was elected to the NJ Provincial Congress. He later served in the State Legislature. His wife, Ester, lies next to him in the Oak Summit Cemetery. She was known for raising over $14,000.00 to help many soldiers. Col Lowrey became Commissary General of New Jersey and a colonel in the New Jersey Militia during 1776. Resources: Images: http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/mun/kingwood/history.htm Information: Farnham, Barbara, and Alexander Farnham. Kingwood Township of Yesteryear. Stockton, NJ: Kingwood Studio Publications, 1988. Print. http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/mun/kingwood/history.htm http://twp.kingwood.hunterdon.nj.us/township_history_of_yesteryear.html Mr. Sal DeSapio, Township Historian: Visit to our school and PowerPoint Presentation
Third grade students at Whitehouse Elementary School in Whitehouse Station, Readington Township, learned about an important person in the history of Readington. After exploring the involvement of the state of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War, students were introduced to a local patriot, John Taylor. At the start of the Revolutionary War John Taylor decided to fight for liberty. He was a Colonel in the 4th Regiment, Hunterdon Militia, during the Revolutionary War. He also owned a grist mill, built in 1760, on the Rockaway River. It was located near Taylor’s Mill Road and Rockaway Road in Readington. This mill played a significant role in the Revolution by providing grain for the troops. Grain was ground into flour and meal for General George Washington’s Revolutionary Army. After the war Colonel Taylor continued in the Militia and was promoted to General. As an important citizen and large landowner, John Taylor was also elected to serve as a Hunterdon County Freeholder representing Readington. He was one of the three Freeholders chosen to design plans for the Courthouse in Flemington. Farmers from the surrounding countryside brought their grain to the mill to be ground into flour for their families or coarse meal for their animals. Sacks of grain were unloaded on the first floor. The grain was then hoisted up to the third floor and dumped down a hopper to be ground between large millstones located on the second floor. The ruins of this mill still stand on Rockaway Road.
The Bloomsbury Black Mill is a lost part of history and should be recognized by the people of this quaint town. This most certainly mysterious Mill was built and opened in 1760 and originally it was used to ground various types of grains. The grain was ground by using water to power a massive water wheel that turned the much smaller grist stones. The grist stones would then grind the tough grain. Tragically in 1760 it was burned down to the ground by a fire, then rebuilt in 1825. That same year it burnt down again and was once more rebuilt. Then the obvious happened and it was burnt down one last time in 1878 and of course rebuilt one last time. The reason for all these peculiar fires was because of all the very hot machinery and a lack of knowledge on how to get to fires quick enough, put them out easily, and put them out quickly. After standing vacant for four years it was converted into a Graphite Mill in 1882 and owned the one and only T.T. Hoffman of Bloomsbury. For years they ground and mixed graphite and soap stone in order to make a lubricant used in many castings. It’s said that who worked there came out of the horrid building with so much graphite on their bodies that they were practically black, therefore the name The Black Mill. Today the Mill stands empty waiting and waiting for someone to care for it. ***Who’s that? A mound of black ashes? No, it’s a worker in the Grist Mill. When you drive into Bloomsbury, one of the first eye catching sights is the Black Mill. It may look creepy and a bit frightening, but that old building has a load of history behind its boarded up windows and latched up doors. The Black Mill was erected in 1760, and it ground grains before it was destroyed by a fire. In that time it was known as the Grist Mill. It was destroyed by fire twice more, once in 1825 and again on February 6, 1878. It kept on producing ground grains until a resident of Bloomsbury, T.T. Hoffman bought the Mill. They then nixed and ground graphite and soap stone, and with that, they could produce a lubricant for castings. The workers who mixed the graphite and ground the grains went in ready for a hard day of work. They ground grains and mixed graphite, and came out like they took a full body dip in black bean soup. That is how the Black Mill got its name, from the workers unrecognizable by friends and family. The reasons for the fires earlier in the Black Mill’s history are uncertain. One hypothesis is that two stones were rubbing together and a spark ignited the grain and it started from there. Another theory is that on a windy day a piece of wood fell in a pot of bubbling, melting hot fire and it ignited the entire building. My theory is that some teenagers with pipes snuck in the building and set it on fire. No one has a certain answer, but eventually we will find out why, who, what and how. The mill does not operate now, due to the unsteady structure and dangerous chemicals and substances inside. The Black Mill is a great place to walk around and admire the ancient architecture. It is a shame it is not still producing its products. Although it is abandoned and not in use, it is very, very, very historic to our town, even though some would consider it rather insipid. You can find loads of history as long as you know where to look.
