Page:History of West Hoboken NJ.djvu/37

 CHAPTER IV.

"Early Municipal Affairs."

The first members of the Township Committee of our town were Messrs. Sinclair, Cox and Aldcorn, three in all. Mr. W. Sinclair was the first chairman of the Township Committee, and Mr. John A. Freeland was the first Township Clerk. At that time the treasurer was elected from among the members of the Township Committee, and the first person elected to that position was Mr. Sinclair. The office of assessor and collector was combined in one, and Mr. Andrew Anderson was the first incumbent.

Mr. Anderson held the office for twenty-three years, and no person in our town has yet equalled his record as to the length of time in office.

The first meeting place of the Township Committee was in the office of Mr. John Hague, and after a while meetings were held at the houses of different citizens, but most of the meetings were held at Mrs. C. H. Piebes hotel, which was the old hotel on the Hillside road and Palisade avenue recently burnt down.

In 1868 the township erected a town hall on Palisade avenue, near High street. After a while they moved this building to Charles street, where it remained until 1888, when the present town hall was erected. The old building was purchased by Chas. E. Galbraith, who moved it to Clinton avenue, and uses it to this day as a real estate office.

The office of recorder was not created until the year 1875. Previous to this time the Justices of the Peace tried most of the cases. There were no policemen in those days, and on holidays and other extraordinary occasions, the Township Committee would engage the services of the constable to preserve the peace. After the office of recorder was created the first incumbent was Mr. W. E. Simms.

The offices of assessor and collector was separated in the year 1871, and our first assessor was Mr. Herman Brusing.

At the time of the incorporation of the township, the post office was situated on Paterson avenue, in a grocery store kept by John Freeland, who was also the postmaster.