Page:History of West Hoboken NJ.djvu/17

 The deed conveying this property bears date July 12, 1630, and conveys all of what is now Hudson County, except that part which lies west of the Hackensack River.

In a short time Pauw got into disfavor with the New Netherland government for reasons now unknown; and they, in 1634, took his land away from him.

The first white inhabitant of the northern end of the county was Hendrick, son of Cornelius Van Vorst, who lived in a small hut in Hoboken, in the year 1636; he stayed for three years, and in the summer of 1639 returned to Holland and died.

On February 15, 1640, Aret. T. Van Putten secured the place, he, without delay, began to improve his home, he cleared the land, fenced in fields, and maintained a general farm. He erected a brew house and thus became the first brewer in the State and Hoboken, the place where beer was first brewed. On the breaking out of the Indian War in 1643, Van Putten was away from home on a trading expedition and was killed near Sandy Hook. His farm and buildings were destroyed and burnt, and such was the fury of the Indians that the place was abandoned by every white settler.

The Indians must, at this time, have gotten complete control of this entire part of the county, for we find another deed, conveying this property to the whites, which is, in part, as follows:—

"On the 30th day of January, 1658, the Indians sold to the Noble Lord Director General Pieter Stuyvesant and Council of New Netherlands a tract of land lying on the west side of the North River.

"Beginning from the Great Clip (Dutch for stone, referring to the Palisades) above Wiehachen (note the spelling), and from there right through the land above the Island Sikakes (meaning Seacaucus) and therefrom thence to the Kill von Coll, and so along the Constables Hoeck again to the aforesaid clip above Wiehachen."

Perhaps the price paid for this vast piece of land now worth many millions of dollars, would interest you. This tract was purchased for 80 fathoms of Wampum, 20 fathoms of cloth, 12 brass kettles, 6 guns, 1 double brass kettle, and half barrel of strong beer, valued in all at $675.00.

Before this tract of land was settled there was a settlement made at Bergen, which is the oldest town in this State; it was settled in 1616 by Dutch colonists, and the first house was located about where Bergen Square is now.