Page:History of West Hoboken NJ.djvu/25

 CHAPTER II.

West Hoboken In Its Early History.

Our town was, as may be supposed, in its infancy, composed mostly of farms, and what part of it was not farms was thick woods, mostly of cedar trees. Some of the owners of these old farms, and their descendants, still live here to-day, among whom may be mentioned the Kerrigan's, De Mott's, Van Vorst's, Syms's, Ludlows, Maskers, Rosemons, Traphagens, Dubois, Bonns, and my own ancestors, the Dreschers. All of the above owned large tracts of land in the early 60's, and some of these places were only recently cut up into building lots.

At the time the town was incorporated it was a small village of 1,500 inhabitants, the only part which, in any way, resembled a village, was in the lower end in the vicinity of Paterson avenue. In the northern end of the town in the vicinity of the car depot, there were also a few houses grouped together, but the center of population was in the neighborhood of Paterson and Clinton avenues, people living in other parts of the township wishing to acquaint others of the fact that they were going in that direction, would inform them that they were going to "the village."

One of the first houses built in the vicinity of the car stables still stands there to-day, and is occupied by Baker Lanugel. This house was erected by a man named Morris, who, on account of being minus the sight of one eye, was nick-named "one eyed Morris." One day as he was doing some work in his garden, he suddenly turned his head around, and in doing so thrust a branch of a tree in his good eye and thereby became blind.

Another old land mark in this part of the town is the house which stands on the south side of Angelique street, and is the first building east of Summit avenue. It was built by my grandfather in 1843, and previously stood where Leuly's house now stands, having been moved to its present site, when the Leuly's purchased the Florist business from Mr Drescher. Although this old building is sixty years old, it is still in good condition and serves as a comparison as to the methods employed in those days in house building and those in vogue to-day.