History of Jersey City, (Hudson County) New Jersey United States of America

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Local History Notes:

JERSEY CITY, capital of Hudson county, New Jersey, on the right or W. bank of the Hudson river, at its entrance into New York bay, and opposite New York city, from which it is 1 mile distant. It is the eastern terminus of the New Jersey railroad leading to Philadelphia, and the southern terminus of the Hudson and Paterson railroad. The Morris canal connects it with Easton, in Pennsylvania. Five large ferry-boats ply continually between New York and this city, and the Cunard line of ocean steamships run from this port. Jersey City is well built, with wide streets, crossing each other at right angles, and lighted with gas. There are 8 churches, viz. 2 Methodists, 2 Reformed Dutch, 1 Presbyterian, 1 Baptist, 1 Episcopal, and 1 Catholic. It contains 2 banks, a large manufactory of glass, one of black-lead, one of porcelain or delft-ware, several iron foundries, and two newspaper offices. It has several seminaries and a high-school, which enjoys a distinguished reputation. Arrangements have recently been made to supply this city with water from the Passaic river, 7 or 8 miles distant. The reservoir is on Bergen Hill, 2 miles W. from the city. The cost of the water-works is estimated at $600,000. The introduction of good water will, it is thought, commence an era in the growth and prosperity of this city. Steamers can always leave Jersey City for Europe, without obstruction from ice, which they cannot do from New York. Population in 1853, 18,456.

Biographies:

William Marinus Willett, educator and author, was born in New York city, Jan. 3, 1803; son of Col. Marinus Willett . He was ordained to the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church in 1823; preached in eastern New York and Connecticut, 1823-26, and was transferred to the Genesee conference in 1826, serving till 1833. He was instructor in Hebrew at Wesleyan university, 1838-41; professor of Hebrew and Biblical literature there, 1841-42 and in 1843 founded the Biblical Institute at Newbury, Vt., of which he was president, 1843-48. He edited the Newbury Biblical Magazine, 1843-44; the New Bible Magazine in 1882, and is the author of: Scenes in the Wilderness (1842); A New Life of Summerfield (1857); The Life and Times of Herod the Great (1860); Herod Antipas; with Passages from the Life of Jesus (1866); The Messiah (1874); The Restitution of All Things (1880). He died in Jersey City, N.J., Dec. 8, 1895.

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

William James Courtnald Berry, librarian, was born in Jersey City, N.J., May 28, 1847. After his graduation from the Englishtown (N.J.) academy, he devoted some time to the study of law, and was admitted to the bar, after being graduated from Columbia college law school in 1876. He then entered the employ of a prominent law-publishing house in New York city. In 1870, when the New York bar association was organized, he became its first librarian, and held the position for over twenty-seven years.

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

George Bragg Fielder, representative, was born in Jersey City, N.J., July 24, 1842; son of James F. and Charlotte (Bragg) Fielder; grandson of Samuel Fielder and of Thomas Bragg, and a descendant of Revolutionary stock. He attended the public schools in Jersey City, N.J., and Selleck's academy, Norwalk, Conn., and in 1862 enlisted in the 21st N.J. volunteers, being promoted from private to sergeant-major and lieutenant. He was wounded and taken prisoner, May 4, 1863, at the battle of Marye's Heights, Va. He was elected register of the county of Hudson in 1884, and re-elected in 1889. He was a Democratic representative from New Jersey in the 53d congress, 1893-95; refused a renomination, aud was elected register for the third term in 1894.

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

Robert Gilchrist, lawyer, was born in Jersey City, N.J., Aug. 21, 1825. He was admitted to the bar in 1847 and was afterward made a counsellor of the U.S. supreme court. He was a member of the New Jersey assembly in 1859; entered the service as captain in the 2d New Jersey volunteers and served. 1861-65. In 1866 he was a Democratic candidate for representative in the 40th congress. He was appointed attorney-general of New Jersey in 1869 by Governor Randolph to fill the unexpired term of George M. Robeson, appointed to President Grant's cabinet, and was reappointed for a full term in 1873 by Governor Parker. In 1875 he was the Democratic candidate for U.S. senator. He was an authority on constitutional law and by his interpretation of the fifteenth amendment to the Federal constitution, secured the right of suffrage to the negroes of New Jersey. In 1873 he was appointed one of the commissioners to revise the state constitution, but resigned before the work was completed. He declined an appointment as justice of the supreme court of the state and the office of chief justice of New Jersey. He was instrumental in securing to the United States the sum of half a million dollars bequeathed by Joseph L. Lewis for partial liquidation of the national debt. He was the author of the riparian-rights act of New Jersey, from which is derived a large part of the state public school fund, and was the counsel for the state in the suit that tested the constitutionality of that act. He was married to Fredericka, daughter of Gen. Samuel R. Beardsley of Oswego, N.Y., and the author of The True Story of Hamlet and Ophelia (1889). He died in Jersey City, N.J., July 6, 1888.

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