History of Oakland, (Bergen County) New Jersey United States of America

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Rodman McCamley Price, governor of New Jersey, was born in Sussex county, N.J, May 5, 1816. He attended the College of New Jersey but did not graduate, owing to ill health, and later became a lawyer. He was appointed purser in the U.S. navy, Nov. 5, 1840, serving on the Fulton, and on the frigate Missouri when destroyed by fire in 1841 at Gibraltar; was transferred to the Cyane, and joined the squadron of Commodore Sloat at Monterey, Cal., where he advised and aided in taking formal possession of that country, July 7, 1846. He was appointed prefect and alcalde and was the first citizen of the United States to exercise judical functions in California. He carried secret dispatches to General Scott in Mexico, and a report of the military and naval operations to President Polk in Washington. On his return to California he was a member of the convention that framed the state constitution, and was appointed naval agent of the Pacific coast. He resigned from the U.S. navy, Dec. 16, 1850, and in returning to New Jersey on the steamer Orleans, which was burned at. St. John, he lost large sums of money, valuable papers, vouchers and accounts. He was a Democratic representative from New Jersey in the 32d congress, 1851-53; was defeated for re-election; and was governor of New Jersey, 1854-57. During his term the normal school of the state was established; the militia system improved; the first life-saving apparatus and stations on the New Jersey coast organized, and the exclusive rights and privileges, granted to the Camden and Amboy railroad in 1830, were settled by fixing a date to terminate the monopoly. He was involved in a litigation with the U.S. government, which extended from 1850 to 1890, in which he sought to recover $75,000 advanced to his successor, the naval agent at California, pending the arrival of the government funds. In 1856 the government began an unsuccessful counter-suit against him for money alleged to have been withheld by him as naval agent. He renewed his suit against the government for $75,000, and in 1890 congress ordered the payment of the claim, from which the sum of $60,000 was deducted by the Treasury officials. In 1892, however, the U.S. court of claims awarded him $45,704. He was arrested and imprisoned on a charge brought by the heirs of Samuel Forrest, U.S.N., of misappropriating the funds of that officer, and he died at Oakland, N.J., June 7, 1894, before the court reached a decision on his case.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Oakland, (Bergen County) New Jersey

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