At the annual meeting of the West Jersey Surveyors' Association, held in January last, I was appointed to write an article on the original locations and old residents of Squankum, now Williamstown. When I commenced getting it up it occurred to me that while getting the history wanted by the Association, it would be interesting and of use to the people of this place to have a history thereof; and in hopes that my publishing the same in the county papers would induce parties in other towns and villages to write a similar history, I am induced to send it to you, and if you think it of enough interest to publish, please do so.

The first location or survey I find on record that was made in the vicinity of Williamstown (or as it was first called, Squaukum,) is one made by Henry Roe, October 13, 1726, recorded in the Surveyor General's office at Burlington, in Book M, page 76, for 121 acres. This was upon cedar swamp, and covered what used to be considered the most valuable to farmers living in the neighborhood of water courses. I suppose by information gathered that this man Roe lived near or at Woodbury.

The next location was made by Charles Brockden, May 10, 1737, recorded at Burlington, in Book M, part second, page 207, for 1200 acres. The description of the location thereof will give the residents of Williamstown a name I suppose they are not familiar with; it commences as follows: "Situate in the county of Gloucester at a place called Hospitality ponds." This tract is the location of what is known as Egypt place, the Levering and Whitehead, Babcock, both the Sykes places, the place that Jacob Irvhoff lives on, and part of the William Stellman place. I will give more detail of this location further on.

The next location I find was made by John Alford, May 13, 1737, recorded in Book M, page 339, in Surveyor General's office at Burlington, for 1442 acres, and covered the land of Peter Scott, Graham Hanken, the old Steelman place, Gottleib Pheiffer, Wm. B. Ireland, and several other settlements. When John Alford made the location he no doubt lived in Gloucester county, near the river, for I find his father's name connected with lands lying in the river townships, but after locating this tract Alford removed to Boston, and there became a merchant, and there died. I have one of the best preserved parchment deeds for this land that was made by his heirs to Savil Wilson, a prominent citizen of Deptford township, near Woodbury, dated August 30, 1774, in the 14th year of his Majesty's reign. The deed has the large seal of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, and on it the name of Thomas Gage, Governor. The second course of said deed reads as follows: "thence north thirty-two degrees, westerly one hundred and sixty-five chains by Squankum settlement." This is evidence of there being somebody living in this country at that time, which I hope to show by evidence further on.

The next location I find is one made by John Thomas and Richard Penn, June 1 and 2, 1742, recorded in Book A, at Burlington, page 230, for 1000 acres, and took in the head of Squankum Branch, and is popularly known as the Williams' survey, because Williams bought it and sold it out in sub-divisions. I will give the details more fully hereafter.

The next location is by the same parties, recorded in the same Book A, page 234, dated April 8, 1743, for 1136 acres. Robb's place, the County Timber, Samuel Bateman place, R. Miller, and considerable of wood land west of the Tuckahoe road was in this survey.

The next location I find is one made by Samuel McCollick, March, 1749, recorded in Book E, Burlington, page 221. This survey is now known as the Baynes, or Church property.

The next location, as to date, is the Richard Arrell survey, made November 26, 1751, recorded in Book S, No. 6, page 12, at Burlington, for 426 acres. This survey reads as follows: "Beginning at a pine standing on the southwest side of White Hall Branch near the swamp side." This shows it was the tract that White Hall Mill was built on.

The next location I find near this place according to date is one made by Richard Cheesman, November 11, 1758, recorded in Book L, page 59, which commences as follows: "Beginning at a W. oak marked 4 blazes, also R.C. near the road that leads to White Hall Mill." This shows that at this early date there was a mill at White Hall. This road runs on the northeast side of the Thos. Craver, formerly Daniel Craver, farm, and thence out somewhere through by where Thomas S. Bateman's farm is, and soon out by what is called the Hoffsey place, or Hospitality settlement, and so on out to the old Cape Road, which was a beaten track from Cape May, or the Ocean, to the Delaware River at Camden and Gloucester.

The next survey for this neighborhood I find upon record at Burlington, is one made by Joseph Hollingshead, Feb. 9, 1759, recorded in Book H, page 429. This is only of special use to us in this paper, as we find 100 acres thereof were sold July 9, 1783, to Thomas Stiles, and this was settled and is known as Stiles' field, down Squankum Branch on the north side thereof, about four miles below this place, in Squankum neck. There is evidence of the old settlement thereupon, also an old road leading thereto.

I find several surveys located around or about this place as follows: S. Powell, 1739; Rodman, 1740; John Owen, two surveys in 1740 to '42; these four surveys were afterward re-surveyed by Philip Freeze; in 1829 the Penns, in addition to the two foregoing mentioned surveys, located 940, 200, 1900, 1250 and 1000 acres, respectively; and one to Richard Arrell, 1748, for 360 acres; two surveys to Isaac Kay, in 1755, about 333 acres.

I find a survey made by John McCarty, Dec. 8, 1757, for 190 acres; and one made to Joseph Harrison, May 6, 1760, called 24 acres; these two tracts are what Cole's Saw Mill was established upon, but I have not been able to fix the time definitely when Cole's Saw Mill was built. I find a survey located by Thomas Coles, March 16, 1787, that adjoins the McCarty tract. I also find that the description locating the beginning corner, says: Standing 28 links northerly of the road from Canada to Cole's Mill. This would show that there was a mill at this date.

I find a deed recorded, in which reference is made to a survey made to Joseph Harrison, on the south side of Four Mill Branch. Also one made by John Bispham, which I should think was located previous to 1775, although this I cannot say, as they have lately come to my knowledge by searching the deed books. I do not find records of any locations from 1775 until the Solomon Haines' location, made April 19th, 1781, recorded in Book R, page 144, Sur. Gen. office, Burlington. This began on the northeast side of Williamstown, and will be more specially referred to hereafter.

The next is a re-survey, made to Thomas Tabor May, 27th, 1782, recorded at Burlington, in book R, page 225. This was made upon a David Roe survey, because the Roe interferes with Brockden's survey. The next survey of importance was one made to Isaac Parker, April 15th, 1786, recorded in book U, page 40, at Burlington, and is at the upper end of Williamstown. I find a survey made to William Smith, March 23d, 1787, for 167 1/4 acres, lying near this place; also one made to John Williams, June 2d, 1787; one to Daniel Ellis, made July 7th, 1792, for 900. This survey lays near this place, to the east, and takes in where James Eleson and Henry Smith live. There were some smaller surveys made after this date - one to Jonathan Collins, one to John Tice - but the last century appears to have closed up the larger surveys about here. It shows that the active times of the Revolution were fully occupied without making survey of lands, at least in this place.

I now come to the settlement of this place, which was first called Squankum, and as will be recollected, is mentioned in the deed of Alford's heirs to Savil Wilson. The first evidence of settlement near Squankum was the Richard Cheesman location, made 1758, giving the beginning corner near the road leading to White Hall mill. This, I think, clearly evidences a settlement. This corner is just out of the settled part of the village, the second location being the Brockden, made in 1737, as I before said was the first one I find of what was properly Squankum, and appears to bear an important part, for it is upon this tract that I find the first settlement. As will be surmised from the name "Brockden," must have been a German. I find by referring to the first deeds upon record at Woodbury for any part of this land, the citation of title, which used to be quite common in the body of deeds giving the previous transfers. I find as follows: Charles Brockden conveyed the 1,200 acres as located to his daughter, Mary Patterson, and her husband, Thomas Patterson, by two deeds, dated 24th and 25th of February, 1769. Said Mary and Thomas mortgaged the same to John Reynolds, March 1771. This mortgage is recorded in our office at Woodbury, in book A of Mortgages. In the copy of the mortgages, fourth course says: "Then by lands of Johannes Hoffsey," &c. I could not find the deed from Brockden to Patterson recorded in Trenton, but I find recorded in book A G, page 57, a deed from Thomas and Mary Patterson to the said Johannes Hoffsey, dated December 14th, 1773, for 100 acres, more or less. I think there is no doubt of the said Hoffsey being located there previous to 1771, for the mortgage gives the boundaries of the Brockden tract, independent of the piece afterward sold the said Hoffsey (now called Huffsey) in 1774. The Pattersons mortgaged the same to one Ellis, and in the description in that mortgage it says that Thomas and Mary Patterson, of Hospitality, Gloucester county, which would indicate that they lived on this tract at that date. In fact, when the writer first came to Squankum, thirty-nine years ago, there was an old cedar log house standing upon what is known as the Sykes place, from being owned for nearly as many years as I have lived here by a father and son named Sykes. This house in its earlier days, must have been quite a palatial residence; it was built of cedar logs, hewn square and dove-tailed together at the corners, and was two stories high; it was wainscoted inside with planed cedar boards, one edge beaded, in it a wide open entry about eight feet wide, with an open stairway, and no doubt the residence of the "Patroon," as the old German land owners were called; for by the old records I find that Charles Brockden, to whom it was located, was quoted as of the city of Philadelphia, and after he got too old to live out, then I think his daughter and her husband and family occupied the house. I find the same house was occupied by an old German family named Craver, some of whose descendants live in our place and form part of our best citizens. In fact I find one of the sons of this original Craver, that I am told by one of the descendants, was born in that old house, and now lies buried in our grave yard; from the tombstone I find he was born in 1777. Another evidence of the early settlement of this tract I think is, that to this day near by where the old log house stood, which was on a knoll, there is a beaver dam, so called to this day, and the description of the survey is as follows: "Situated in the county of Gloucester, at a place called Hospitality ponds, and bounded as follows:" I have heard old people say that they recollected when there was a great deal of wet land on the tract. And it is well-known that beavers will not stay where people live, and when settlers came the beavers left; that let the dam go down and the lands became more dry and are now farmed.

The aforesaid mentioned Hoffsey appears to have been a man of some note and perseverance, as I find he made two surveys in the year 1789, one for 86 acres, and the other for 30 3/4 acres. The 86 acre tract was a strip between the Brockden survey and the 1136 acre Penn survey, and was nearly two miles long and quite narrow. The 30 3/4 acre tract was a triangular piece that lay between the Brockden, Penn's 1000, and the Taber survey. One line was a trifle over a mile long. It happens that I bought a portion of this tract, and in mapping the whole tract, as was divided mutually between John and Samuel Hoffsey, sons of the said old Johannes, it made the most singular looking map I ever saw, and until I got these surveys and placed them to the map of the original deed to Hoffsey, I had often wondered how he ever got such a shaped piece of land.

I find in connection with the subdivision of the tract into plantations, or smaller lots, the names of Hazelett, Hart, Vandegrift, Van Sciver, Butler and Young, one of the settlers on the Penn location of 1136, that nearly joined this tract, the name of George Sennor, which by the names would indicate a German settlement. This location lies to the south and west of what is called the Penns or Williams settlement. Of the Penn location I will say more further on. This Hoffsey place has further claims to notice, as being the place where the first Methodist preaching was held in this vicinity. I cannot better give the evidence than to quote from the records of the stewards of the church, which were collected by a committee in 1858, and while some of the old pioneers of Methodism were alive, and no doubt are correct. The history of Methodism of Williamstown and vicinity dates back as far as the year 1796 or '97, at which time preaching meetings were occasionally held in an old house which stood on what was known as the Hoffsey place. The names of some of the men of God who dispensed the word of life at this time and still remembered, are Hutchinson, Cawn and Turk. This Brockden tract seems to have been divided as follows: First Patterson to Hoffsey, then Mary Howell, who was a Patterson, deeded the land to John Hart in 1786 for 1,100 acres, and Hart to Timothy Young, by the Sheriff, 283 3/4 acres, now known as the Whitehead, Levering, Taggert, and the place where C. Pfuhl lives; then Hart deeded the balance of the 1,100 acres to Samuel Hazlett, who sold 123 1/2 acres to Vandergrift. This is now in the Babcock place; 50 acres to Butler. This also is part of Mr. B.'s 447 1/2 acres, to Jesse Van Sciver; this covers the Sykes Imhoff part of William Steelman and others. He also sold lots to parties named Sharp. This does not appear to cover all the acres of the tract, to count the acres, but no doubt the several parties got an overplus, as I know Hoffsey did. At this point I think it proper to name a very prominent man who bought the Vandergrift and Butler tracts in September 1793. I mean William Nicholson; he bought these two tracts and settled here, and for upwards of 40 years he was a prominent man in this neighborhood, and became an extensive land owner and had a large family of sons and daughters, who mostly settled in the surrounding country. There are numerous descendants of his around us; in fact I know of sons, grandchildren, great and great great grandchildren of his. He was connected with the glass works in the first years they were carried on; some of the older men in the county knew him well.

The Penn 1,136 acre survey appears to be next in order, as from this tract I find some of the earliest sales or subdivisions. I find one feature in this location, the 7th course says to a black oak standing by the old Cape road. This would show that there was a main leading road in this neighborhood at the time of its location (1743,) and the mention of a road leading to White Hall mill has led some of the older inhabitants to recollect the old road leading by the old cedar log house, and by the old Hoffsey place and the Sennor place, to the old Cape road. The first sale of this tract, was from Penn to Richard Cheesman, the elder, June, 1772; Cheesman deeded a piece to George Sennor in 1777, then April 25th, 1782, Cheesman deeded to his daughter Marian Jackson 400 acres, and she in 1804 deeded 104 acres to Timothy Young; April, 1808, she deeded the balance of the 400 acres to Jacob Jennings, 328 acres; it afterwards passed through the hands of several owners until now it is owned and occupied by Mr. James Robb. The piece of Young's in connection with George Sennor's, was deeded to the county of Gloucester June 6th, 1812, and is now partly owned by the county of Camden, for the use of wood for her County House. A large part of the Carvin farms, David C. Tweed, Samuel Bateman and Robert Miller places are a part of this tract.

The Tuckahoe road was laid out the 23d and 24th days of February, A.D., 1784; this was laid partly on the old beaten road. The next in order will come the Solomon Haines, Joseph Harrison and Bispham surveys; they lie to the north and east of Williamstown. Andrew Pearce bought lands of the Harrison location, 51 3/4 acres, June 7th, 1790, and 3 3/4 acres of Solomon Haines, and 81 1/4 acres of John Marshall, which, I believe, is the Bispham; these pieces make up what is known as the Ayres place. I learn that Obadiah Eldredge, the grandfather of our respected citizens, Joshua, Job and Obadiah Eldredge, moved upon the place where Washington A. Sickler now lives, in 1776; then Joshua, the father of our present Joshua and brothers, was ten years old, Obadiah, the elder, bought 80 3/4 acres of Solomon Haines, June 6th, 1792, and he sold the same to his son Joshua the next year, and made part of the land Joshua, the senior owned at his death. Josiah Albertson, the grandfather of Thomas C., Aaron, Gideon and David Albertson, who are now living middle aged and elderly men, lived just over four-mile branch, at what is known as the Bobby lot, now lying on the railroad. While living there in April, 1779, Thomas, the father of the above mentioned men was born; how long before that the father had lived there I know not. This gives us certainly settlements to the north and east as well as the south and west for over one hundred years. The next in order is the Thomas Taber survey that lays southeast, which was deeded to Jacob Brick, May 10th, 1784. The said Brick, no doubt, lived upon said land, and I think the settlement was somewhere near where Levi Prickett now lives. He having died about 1800 the tract was divided into four shares and allotted to his daughters. The farm now owned by Thomas Craver was one share; one share is still woodland. William H. Bodine and Savil Porch own some of the tract. I find a family of Sharps owned and lived upon one of the shares, and was quite prominent in this neighborhood, but at this time I do not know of one of the family remaining about here.

We now come to the John Alford location: this I mention particularly because it covers the farms where Gotleib Pheiffer and Wm. B. Ireland now live, and is where Edward Wilson, the grandfather of our Conductor, Jacob Wilson, and Savil, a brother of Edward, lived, the tract having been bought by Samuel Wilson, Sen., in 1774, and his sons as mentioned, settling thereon had a considerable to do with the business of the settlement in its early history. There was a Jonathan Collins that lived near where the Wilson's lived. who made two locations early in this century; he afterwards, in March 1820, sold out all his lands in this neighborhood and went West, as then called (Ohio). In the same neighborhood there lived Joel Wescott and Job Eldridge, that formed a settlement of five families within half a mile of each other. I know none of the immediate descendants of Collins, Savil Wilson, Wescott, or Job Eldridge, that are now living around here.

I have gone over what would properly be called the outside locations and settlements, and now will come to the Penn's location of 1000 acres, or as it is usually called, Williams' survey. This is the tract upon which the village of Squankum is built; this tract was 120 chains long from north to south, and about 90 chains wide from east to west, and lays about equally on both sides of Squankum Branch, the head of the Branch being on the northern end of the tract; the north end crosses the turnpike where the division line between Jacob, Joseph and James Leigh's places run, and crossing the pike and runs through the fields to the Hoffsey line and crosses the road on the southern end between Thomas Hewitt and John Dehart's places, and follows the Hoffsey and Taber line on the west, and the Ayres line on the east, and follows to near the sand hole. The Penns deeded the tract to Israel Williams, but in what year I cannot determine, but as I find they deeded the 1136 acre tract and some other tracts they owned to parties in the year 1772, I conclude this must be the time of deeding to the said Williams. I find mentioned in some deeds on record, but not by the deed of Israel, that Israel deeded to his son John Williams in 1783. After that date was when the tract was divided up into lots and farms. And by the neglect of recording deeds I have found great difficulty in fixing all parties whom Williams sold to. I find the following as persons that Williams sold to, and all of them, except the first piece, I can locate. The first I find was 51 1/2 acres to Jeremiah Dilks, July, 1789. This I could not find recorded to Dilks, but when it was sold from Dilks; the next was 11 acres, sold April 1, 1793, to William Strong - this I can locate, the original Church lot is from this piece: the next was 98 acres, sold to Joseph Smallwood, Dec. 12, 1799. This takes the lot upon which John Hutchinson's home is, and where Henry Tice and wife lived for many years and where they died, and the land back of them and some of the property known as the old Sears' Tavern property. The next was Isaac Hooper, April 9, 1796, for 71 acres, and covered the Paul Sears farm, and where Joseph Leigh lives. The next was a deed to John Swope, for 150 acres, made April 9, 1796. This covers part of what is known as the Swope farm, and part of it is owned now by Mr. James D. Souders, with the old mansion of Mr. Swope, Mark Brown, B. Simmerman, the Eames House, Mrs. S. Cordery's store, I.V. Sharp and Richey place, and the present M.E. Church, with those houses up the Porch Mill road, are upon this tract. The next sale I find was to Thomas English, April 6, 1797, for 154 acres; this was at the southeastern end on the south side of the Branch, is now in occupation of Samuel P. Dehart, Thomas B. Hewitt, Simeon Rammell, Thomas Hays and part of Samuel C. Dehart's heirs. The next was a deed to John Spencer, made July 3, 1797, for 54 acres - this is a part of the farm known as the Thomas Bateman farm. The next was 60 acres, deeded to Timothy Young, June 20, 1798. This, I believe, was afterward sold to Major John Tice. I find, in searching for conveyances, a mention of the names of Samuel Farrows, Peter Wheaton and David Tice, as owning lots, but don't find any conveyances to or from them. I find that Williams conveyed the balance unsold to Richard Matlock, by deed, in 1805, and the same Matlock conveyed the same property to John Tice, Sept. 9, 1809. The road from May's Landing to Woodbury, was laid April 20, 1793, to and from this road some of the foregoing pieces of land were sold.

At this point, to make connection of the whole village, I find a location made at the northwest end of this Penn's 1000 acres, made by Isaac Parker, the time and reference given previously. This tract was disposed of as follows: Parker sold David Evans, December 24, 1791, 100 acres. This adjoined the Penn's or Williams'. Evans afterward sold to William Peas, 1801; Peas sold it to Stephen Rhoads and Cornelius Tice. Eventually, about the years 1812 and 1815, these 100 acres were sold to John Swope, and is now partly owned by Jacob, Joseph, Levi Prickett, James D. Souders, Timothy Reed, and those tenant houses of R. Wilson. July 23, 1795, Parker deeded to George Stiles 120 1/2 acres. Stiles sold to Jacob Spencer, he to Thomas Whiticar, thence through several parties until it reached the writer's family, in 1845. Since then we have sold 75 acres, of which Job D. Eldridge has about 50 acres and R. Wilson and Mr. Bugbee the balance. The balance of the Parker tract is owned by Joshua and Job D. Eldridge, where they live, and the places where John C. Atkinson and John M. Lutze live. The residence of Isaac Parker was on what is known as Eldridge's lane, nearly half way between the turnpike and the Glassboro road. Isaac Parker died thereon, and left a family of six sons, who grew up, and the property that was left was divided among the six sons in 1811. I find that Major John Tice filled quite an important position in the early settlement of the place. He moved here from Tansboro somewhere about 1798 or 1799, and built the first two-story frame house in the place. That house stood just where the railroad crosses the main road or street. The house is yet standing, but has been moved and turned into a barn. The house was finished and they moved therein, so one of the Major's sons (Uncle Porty, as we call him) says. Franklin Davenport was born in the new house in 1800. This was one of the nine sons; all grew up to manhood. This house was kept as a tavern for a number of years. When we think how many hunting scenes - deer and bears killed - and how we missed a nice buck, what long hunting-tramps taken, how much toward saving the country, politically, as Federals and Democrats, and how much my land is worth more than yours, and how big a load of logs my team can haul, was talked over in that house, we must admit this first frame house had some notoriety. John Williams, the land owner, set apart 2 7/8 acres of land for a school and meeting-house just where the present tavern and barn-yard are, but as he never deeded it as such, consequently when he deeded all the residue of the 1000 acres, as unsold by his deed of 1805, it took the said lot with that deed. In connection with this lot I will quote further from the church records of the M.E. Church, which is: "They did not, however, long continue to hold their meetings here (Hoffsey House), but in 1800 the preaching was transferred to Squankum and the first society organized, consisting of about twelve members, who were formed into a class, with Joseph B. Smallwood leader. Thomas Everhardt was the preacher at the time. The house that was used for holding meetings was a log school-house that was built upon the lot above referred to (2 7/8 acres.) The small and young society was not long left to peaceable worship in this humble place. They encountered the opposition of the owner, or would-be owner of the log building, who was not of the same household of faith. Through this opposition they were compelled to change their quarters, and again occupied a part of a building that has since been used as a hotel, which was the one known as the Sears' tavern. And here they were not long left in peace and quietness, but, as were many others in the early days of Methodism, called to suffer, so were they called to endure opposition and persecution. They were beset by a mob, though happily no force was used, and reproached with being false prophets and preaching the false Christ. This drove them to buy a lot and build a church. The lot bought was from William Strong, by deed dated September 25th, 1804, and contained one acre. The first board of trustees was John Sickler, Joseph B. Smallwood, Joel Westcott, Henry Craver and Israel Lashley. They soon after built a church. This was a very large meeting-house for that time, and where quarterly meetings for Gloucester circuit, which took in nearly one-half of the present county, were held. In fact, I have heard the family of Mr. John Swope say that they would entertain in the old-style, hospitable way, visitors and attenders to these meetings in such numbers that the whole floor of the rooms in the house would be filled with shake-downs, as they were called. They came from long distances to attend. In this way our forefathers did their duties to the world, and many of them left their marks in the community where they lived, to this day. This old church was the one in use when the writer first knew Squankum, in 1839. I recollect the gallery around three sides, and the high pulpit, the old-style movable seats, with one and two bars across the backs, and everything as clean and neat as soap and water could make it; but no paint had ever been used in the building inside. When the Presbyterian church was organized in our place in 1840 or 1841, the Methodists let them have the use of their church to organize in, and ever since there has been the kindest of feelings between the two societies, with frequent interchange of pulpits. They soon built a good church of their own. This building was used as a church until 1844, when it become too small, the congregation decided to build. The only school-house in the village had for years stood in one corner of this church lot, and it as well as the church become too small for the purpose of accommodating all the scholars, so the school trustees sold the house and it was moved off the ground. The old church building was moved from the ground and loaned to the public to hold school in. They used it some five years, and then the people concluded to build a school-house, which was done. Then the old church building was sold, and is in use today as part of a barn. The second house was dedicated in the fall of 1844, and that was used until 1860, when it was found to be too small for the congregation. The trustees decided to build, provided they could get a subscription of $5,000. It happened that two of the trustees were walking through the woods, looking at some timber. After finishing their looking, they commenced talking about the new church, and sat down on the ground and took out pencil and paper and wrote the names of the members of the congregation, and marked at the end of each name the sum they thought each one should give to make the amount wanted. When they got through they had nearly the amount. They got blanks printed, and one of the trustees took upon himself the task of calling upon each individual and talking them into contributing the sum fixed, and requiring notes payable in three, six, nine and twelve months, for equal amounts, and, I believe, he did not have to back water on but one of the parties in the sum fixed. They went on and built the present church. The old church, the one built in 1844, was sold to the township for a town hall, and makes as good a building for that purpose as there is in the county. When the church organized in 1800 they had twelve members. We now have 320 members and probationers. What increase for the small seed! It shows the good seed sown.

In the year 1835 the glass works were started, and a factory built by a company calling themselves the Washington Glass Company, but without a charter. It was run by various parties until 1839, when the father of the writer bought an interest in the property and moved to Squankum the last day of June, 1839, since which time the glass works have been under the control of some of our family, and I have lived here since that time. When we came here there were thirty-five houses, four of them double, making thirty-nine tenements; two of them taverns on the Williams and Parker location; one glass house, one church, three stores, two blacksmith shops, two shoemaker shops and three or four out buildings at the glass factory. Now we have one hundred and sixty-eight houses, thirty-six of them double, making two hundred and four tenements, one of them a tavern, two glass houses, with necessary out buildings, one steam grist and saw mill, five stores, four blacksmith shops, three wheelwright shops, one drug store, four shoemakers, one harness maker shop, two churches, one tailor shop. Until 1842 the place had no post office, our mail matter came to, and went from the Cross Keys mail, tri-weekly. At this time it was thought best to make an application for an office, but as there was a place in Monmouth county called Squankum, we must have a new name for this place, so we called a public meeting of the inhabitants and organized by appointing Paul Sears, chairman, and he suggested the name of Williamstown, by using the name of the party that every body here supposed made the location, but who owned and sold the one thousand acres into farms, which was carried unanimously, and under that name we got a post office, and now have two mails daily, (except Sunday.) When this place was first settled it was in Deptford township, and that up to 1836, when Washington was taken therefrom, and up to the session of the Legislature of 1844, we remained in old Gloucester county. That winter there was an application made by some residents of Camden city to set off Camden, Waterford, Newton, Union, Delaware and Gloucester townships into a new county, to be called Camden. At that time one of the members of the Legislature from Gloucester county lived in our place, and was strenuously opposed to the new county. When the bill, as originally drawn, came up in the House for final passage, it lacked one vote of passing. I recollect our member came home over Sunday, and brought with him remonstrances against the passage of the bill, but the following week we learned to our dismay, that the bill had been reconsidered and recommitted, and the township of Washington added to the first bill, and then the bill passed; our townsman voted for it with Washington therein. Very soon after the Legislature adjourned, the member moved to Camden, he having been appointed Clerk for the new county. We fought Camden city against having the Court House and jail there, for several years, but after a long fight Camden city won. The people of Williamstown and New Brooklyn, and below Williamstown, while we continued in Washington township, had to drive to Cross Keys to attend election and town meetings, and there got to be so many voters (450) that there were too few offices to be divided among so many, we concluded to divide, and applied to the Legislature in 1859, and had the present township of Monroe made, and that brings Williamstown the place for elections and town meetings. We remained in Camden county until 1871, when it was found that Gloucester county would lose one member and Hudson county would gain, or really West Jersey would lose and East Jersey gain one. Upon turning the matter over and investigating the subject, it was found that to take the two townships of Washington and Monroe, which were in Camden county, and annex them to Gloucester county, would save her the member, and not hurt Camden county. So after showing the senators and members of each county the facts, and finding that there was no "gentleman of African descent in the wood pile," we concluded to have a bill passed. I drew a bill and started it going, which after due course of time was got through, and after twenty-seven years of injustice, I lived to see it righted. The township of Washington should never have been set off in the first instance to the county of Camden, but necessity will sometimes drive people to do things they know are wrong; but we got our rights after long waiting, and I know of no one in this place, or in the two townships, that is dissatisfied with being set back to old Gloucester county. We started with the early ones in West Jersey in getting a charter for a turnpike company in 1849; we got a charter for a road company to Camden, but this was too much length for one corporation, and was not built in 1852. There was a charter obtained for a road from here to Good Intent, that was built and opened in 1853, that made us in connection with the Woodbury and Good Intent and Red Bank road, a good road to Philadelphia. This caused me a large amount of work to get this built. This we felt satisfied with until railroads came in South Jersey, when we became restless, and obtained a charter in 1861 for the Williamstown Railroad Company, but with all the hard work and money spent, we could not get a railroad built until the fall of 1872. When we got through to Atco, on the Camden and Atlantic road, we then thought we had as fair prospects as any other place, but the crash in times coming on in 1873, served us like others were served. Take the quality of our land in its natural state; and Williamstown being the nicest place in the world, (because my home is here) we have reason to feel satisfied that we are as well situated in these respects. I have gone over the location and history of this place, and the settlement of the same, in a rambling, prolix way, and hope I may give information to many that will be of use to them, and if people could know the amount of work and labor in making searches to get this amount of information, they would pardon imperfections. We flatter ourselves that we have our share of good and bad with other parts of the county, and want to do our part to sustain the reputation of the county.

When I look over the names of Brockden, Hart, Patterson, Hazelett, Vandergrift, Vansciver, Butler, Hoffsey, Burch, Williams, Alford, Parker, Haines, Bispham, Harrison, Evans, Hooper, George, Stiles, Rhodes, Sennor, Jennings, Jackson, Dilks, Strong, Morrow and Lashley, and cannot find any descendants of the above named parties, with others named previous around here, and the names of Smallwood, English, Spencer, Young, Craver (there are a few of their descendants left around here). I find that there was large emigration from this country to the West, which then was Ohio and Indiana, and their descendants are now in those countries. So the world moves.