Milltown Historical Society

Category: Historic Sites

This Day in History: January 22nd, 1910

Milltown Historical Society 0 Comment Misc. Historic Sites, News , , , , ,
German-Reformed-Church-Post-Card-Milltown, NJ
German-Reformed-Church-Post-Card-Milltown, NJ

IMPROVEMENT TO CHURCH
German Reformed Has New $1,600 Organ—Edifice Remodeled, New Carpets, Steamheating Plant, etc.

MILLTOWN, Jan. 22.—The improvements to the German Reformed Church are about completed. The auditorium has been completely remodeled and an addition has been built on the rear, in which will be placed the new $1,600 pipe organ.

The Ladies’ Aid Society purchased a Brussels carpet for the floor of the auditorium. Henry Christ, the local plumber, installed the steam heating plant in the church. The members now have a house of worship of which they may well be proud. The improvements cost about $5,000.

Rev. Leon Chamberlain will preach a sermon on missions to-morrow morning. His subject will be “The Open Door.” In the evening, Miss Ellfrich, of Haddonsfield, the president of the Camden County Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, will give an interesting talk on W.C.T.U. work. Miss Ellfrich is a fine speaker, and will draw a large audience. Sunday school will be held as usual at 2 p.m. Miss Mabel Schencker will lead the Epworth League meeting at 6:45 p.m.

Services at the German Reformed Church: Sunday school, 9:30 a.m.; morning service, 10:30 a.m.; young people’s meeting, 6:45 p.m.; preaching by Rev. W.F. Barny at 7:30 p.m.

IRVING CRABIEL BREAKS WRIST.
Irving Crabiel, the 12-year-old son of Mrs. Joseph Crabiel, of School street, broke his wrist on Thursday night while coasting on the hill in the rear of the M.E. Church. There was an old iron wagon tire frozen on the side of the hill, and the boy did not see it until his hand had struck it. Dr. N.N. Forney is in attendance.

RED MEN INSTALL OFFICERS.
The Wiekatunk Tribe of Red Men raised their chiefs at their regular meeting last evening. The following officers were installed:
Sachem, George Loun; senior sagamore, Augustus Ruprecht; junior sagamore, Gilbert Gill; prophet, Milton Brindle; chief of records, E.V. Emmons; keeper of wampum, Adam Wagner; trustee, George Heyl; examining physician, Dr. N.N. Forney.

The installing deputy was Max Lemchen, of South River. There were other visitors present from South River.

Jan 22 1910 – The Daily Home News – Pg. 8Download

This Day History: January 11th, 1909

Iliveinapark 0 Comment Historic Sites, News, This Day in Hisotry , , ,
This Day History: January 11th, 1909

NEW HALL WAS DEDICATED

About 400 people attended the dedicatory ceremony of Red Men’s Hall at Milltown, Saturday evening, conducted by State officers, consisting of chief of ceremonies, great prophet, great sachem, Sr., sagamore and junior sagamore, and speeches were made by the officers and Rev. Francis Smith, of Spotswood, and Rev. William Barney, of Milltown.

Rev. Leon Chamberlain made the opening prayer.

Delegates were present from all the surrounding towns and after the ceremony supper was served in the public hall of the new building. Silzer’s orchestra of this city furnished the music.

Jan 9 1911 – The Daily Home News – Pg. 1Download

This Day in History: January 7th, 1905

Milltown Historical Society 0 Comment Misc. Historic Sites, News, People of Milltown, This Day in Hisotry , , , , ,
This Day in History: January 7th, 1905

FACTORY STILL IS ANTI-TRUST
Milltown Plant, Which Has Just Been Sold, Has Had Interesting History.

While playing cards are to be made at the Milltown factory just bought by Willis Russell, of New York, the factory will remain an anti-trust factory. It was born an anti-trust factory to buck the rubber trust and now it will buck the playing card trust.

The purchase by Mr. Russell brings to a close a long series of negotiations for the sale of the place. W. K. Lyons, who has been the New Jersey representative for the sale of the place since the U.S. Rubber Company placed it on the market, has been negotiating with firms in London and Paris, as well as a large firm of rug manufacturers of Tabriz, Persia. He has had parties from Chicago and other Western cities here to look at the plant, and the place has been considered in connection with all sorts of business enterprises.

At the time that the deal with Mr. Russell was closed, one of the largest printing press manufacturers in the United States and a large rug manufacturer, who has an office on Fifth Avenue, New York, were also negotiating for the place. The rug manufacturer had offered $10,000 cash for the place, and he had intimated that he would pay the price asked, $48,000, rather than lose the building.

Then a receiver was appointed and, as told in last night’s Home News, the plant was sold by Trustee W. E. Florance to Fred Smith of Providence, who is supposed to have bought the place for the rubber trust.

The cornerstone of the plant was laid in 1899, and it was the following spring that the plant began operations. George K. Parnell was the architect. William H. Van Sickle & Son were the mason contractors, and J. & T. Holman were the contracting carpenters for the building.

It was built under the rules of the Mutual Insurance Company. It has patent ceiling sprinklers, automatic iron doors, and the stairways are enclosed in brick towers outside the main walls. It has railroad switches and spurs, tracks, and cars on two upper floors. The main building is 302 feet long by 60 feet wide, the ells are 40×58 feet, and the tower is 23×23 feet. The floor space is 57,500 square feet.

The new factory will be a great boon to Milltown, and it is to be hoped to New Brunswick, as many of the hands will be drawn from here.

“There is a decided boom in factories at the present time, in fact more demand than we can supply in and around New Brunswick,” said Mr. Lyons in an interview. “For some reason, not only are manufacturers coming out from New York, but we have applications from both the Northwest and East. Our New York factories have not been in as great demand as those out of town, and nearby towns are offering all sorts of inducements, while we offer nothing but low prices and facilities.”

“Mr. Russell feels he has obtained a great bargain as a New York appraiser has assured him it would cost him $165,000 to replace today.”

On the first of the year, the price was raised to $50,000, and it was then that Mr. Russell secured the building. The papers for the deal were signed in the office of Nichols & Co., with whom Mr. Lyons is associated in factories and factory sites.

Mr. Russell says that he will begin operations as soon as he can equip the building for his purposes. He has engaged Mr. Perry, of Milltown, as master mechanic and engineer. Mr. Perry was formerly with the Milltown Rubber Company, and also with the United States Rubber Company.

Willis W Russell Card Co. -1905
Milltown, NJ – 1905

The building has had an interesting history. After the Milltown branch of the United States Rubber Company had been idle for years, the late John C. Evans, who had been the superintendent of the trust factory, severed his connections and built the immense brick structure which became known as the Milltown India Rubber Co.

He threw his whole energy into the building of the plant, equipping it with modern methods of making rubber shoes. Local capital invested into the enterprise heavily. Besides the people of Milltown, who entered into the company willingly with their savings in order to start again the industry which had been the support of Milltown for years, New Brunswick people invested their money. Edward H. Radel, Gottfried Krueger, and Matthew Suydam were among the principal investors.

The company had a hard time fighting the trust. At first, it seemed prosperous, but at times when more money was needed to put into the business, the money was not forthcoming, and the concern was pushed to the wall. The strain told on Mr. Evans, and he died suddenly of a stroke of apoplexy.

Jan 7 1905 – The Daily Home News – Pg. 1Download
Jan 7 1905 – The Daily Home News – Pg. 2Download

This Day in History: January 4th, 1911

Iliveinapark 0 Comment News, People of Milltown, South main street firehouse, This Day in Hisotry , , , ,
Mayor Conrad Richter 1910

MAYOR WANTS FIRE APPARATUS
Recommends That Borough Purchase One in Annual Message — Other Improvements Needed — Council Meets in Renovated Rooms.

Following is Mayor Conrad Richter’s annual message to the Milltown Borough Council:

To the Common Council of Milltown, N.J.
Gentlemen — Under the law, it is my duty as Mayor to recommend to Council such measures as I may deem necessary for the advancement and welfare of our borough.

STREETS.
In regard to streets, I would recommend that you macadamize all the streets in the borough. I would strongly recommend that you begin on Riva Avenue, as all the property owners, excepting a few, have signed a petition willing to give to the borough enough land to make this street wider, and if the same is curbed and the gutters cobbled it will be a great improvement to the borough. The cobble gutter on Main Street, from the car barn to lands now owned by the Kuhlthau Brothers Company, should be gone over and carefully overhauled.

FIRE.
As the Borough Hall is now remodeled so that any kind of fire apparatus may be kept therein, I would recommend that you purchase some kind of apparatus for the borough. I intend to call a meeting of the citizens and place the matter before them for the purpose of organizing a fire company, and I would suggest you to encourage them in any and every way possible.

PEDDLERS.
I would request you to either enforce the present peddler ordinance or drop the same altogether, as at present the same is not enforced the way it should be. I would recommend that you put the borough marshals out and arrest all peddlers who have no licenses.

SNOW.
I would request you to enforce the snow ordinance in regard to having all snow removed from sidewalks so that the same may be passable as soon as practicable after a snow storm, as during the last snow storm many sidewalks were impassable.

STREET LIGHTS.
I would recommend that a superintendent of street lights be appointed. A man who could keep a record of all transformers and of the load they carry, to whom the citizens may apply when they desire to use the current for light and power. This man could also read the meters and collect the moneys due the borough. He could keep a record of all the material used and could recommend to the Council from time to time such supplies as would be needed, and at the end of the year he should make a report to the Council of all the receipts and expenditures during the year. In getting this light matter down to a business basis we know just how much the borough is profiting or losing in our municipal lighting system. I would recommend that more lights be erected in various places in the borough and the lighting system extended to Ryder’s Lane.

BOROUGH HALL.
Now that the Borough Hall is about completed, I would recommend that the driveways and walks be graded and concreted as soon as the weather will permit. I would also recommend that steam heat be installed as soon as possible in the Borough Hall.

SAFE.
I again strongly recommend that you purchase a safe of sufficient size to be placed in the Council Chambers so that the borough books, papers, maps, and other property belonging to the borough may be kept therein and be protected from fire. It will be found to be of great value to the members of the Council to have on hand the borough books, etc., which are often referred to and found necessary to have at Council meetings.

TELEPHONE.
I would also urge you to have telephones installed for the convenience of the Mayor, Councilmen, and other borough officials. I have found that considerable time and expense can be saved if the borough would supply at least two telephones, one in the Borough Hall and one in the Mayor’s residence.

Feeling confident that each one of you will exert yourself for the future welfare of the borough, and wishing you the compliments of the season, I remain,
CONRAD RICHTER, Mayor.

MILLTOWN, Jan. 4 — Bernard Gill has returned from a trip to Atlantic City. Walter Prill entertained a stag party of local young men on Sunday night at his restaurant.

H. S. DeHart spent Monday at Lawrenceville.

Mr. and Mrs. Elwood Boice have returned from Tottenville, where they enjoyed the holiday.

William Prill returned from Detroit on Sunday night.

Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey Kuhlthau spent Sunday afternoon with Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Kuhlthau at New Brunswick. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph DeHart and family were entertained by William Kuhlthau, Sr.

Harry Jones has returned from a trip to Beach Haven.

Howard Moore and family are moving from School Street to a new home, recently erected on Ford Avenue.

Miss Elsie Hyde, of New Brunswick, watched the coming of the New Year with friends in the borough.

Mrs. Conrad Kuhlthau is recovering from a severe attack of grip.

Oscar Pillar has accepted a position with the New Brunswick Tile Company.

Miss Pauline Baldorf, of New York, was the guest of Mrs. Elizabeth Roeder on Sunday and Monday.

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Dupres entertained a number of friends on Sunday. Philip Roeder, of Yonkers, enjoyed the holiday with his mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Roeder.

NOW A CASH GROCERY.
When Christian Crabiel opened his store yesterday morning, he did business only on a cash basis. This is preparatory to selling out by April 1st. All groceries, which are still the high grade which he always kept, are receiving “substantial revision downward” in price. Amos Brown is selling Mr. Crabiel’s goods on commission.

A NEW DELICATESSEN STORE.
I. Glickenstein has opened a grocery and delicatessen store in the place owned by Mrs. William Werner, on Main Street.

Jan 4 1911 – The Daily Home News – Pg. 6Download

This Day in History: December 6, 1912

Milltown Historical Society 0 Comment Historic Sites, News, This Day in Hisotry , , , , , , , , ,
This Day in History: December 6, 1912

UNION HOTEL HAS STOOD ALMOST FIFTY YEARS
Has Only Changed Hands Twice During That Time—Charles Denhart is the Present Popular Proprietor

Sold Krueger Beer Since War Times

As the weary, hungry and, mayhap, thirsty traveler to Milltown alights from a Public Service chariot just past the car barn in that thriving little suburb of ours, his eye alights on a cheering sign.

“Union Hotel” are the words it bears. It hangs before a cozy frame building, which is at the head of Milltown’s small lake. And there is the home of Charles E. Denhart. The Union Hotel was established almost a half century ago, when the boys were just returning home from the Civil War. And in all the long stretch of years since then the hotel has changed hands only twice. Conrad Kohlhepp was its founder.

After him, George Kohlhepp took possession. And then came Mr. Denhart, its present proprietor. Each of the three who have acted as hosts in the Union Hotel have come from the original German settlers of Milltown. Each has had the respect of the community for himself and for his hotel.

Charles E. Denhart Proprietor of Union Hotel Milltown, NJ

Faithful to Krueger Beer
A feature of the hotel’s life has been the fact that one brand of beer alone has been served since it first came into existence back there in war times. Krueger & Hill got the Union Hotel’s patronage in 1865, and held it until 1883. Then the firm became the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Co., which it is to-day. But the change in name didn’t change the brewery’s output, so the Union Hotel continued faithful to its allegiance to the celebrated Krueger firm, and is to-day. Mr. Denhart doesn’t think that there’s much chance of a change now or in the future.

Dec 6 1912 – The Daily Home News – Pg. 8Download

This Day in History: September 24th, 1907

Milltown Historical Society 0 Comment Historic Sites, News, This Day in Hisotry , , , , , , , , ,
This Day in History: September 24th, 1907

MILLTOWN


MILLTOWN, Sept. 24—The storm made trouble with the electric wires in Milltown last evening, when one fell and was burned in two in front of Mr. Snedifler’s. The live wire lay sizzling on the sidewalk until he pulled it off and the power was shut off.

Carl Herrmann played ball with several little boys the other day and while trying to catch a fly, bumped into a boy and broke his own nose.

Adam Christ has just moved into his new house on Booraem Avenue. Mr. Bassing has moved into the house just vacated by Olden Snedeker.

Mr. Dunham is getting a fine concrete walk in front of his house.

Great pieces of machinery are being slid along the streets from the depot to the new factory. They are about fifteen tons weight and not convenient for any wagon to carry.

The schools had a half session yesterday on account of the severe storm.

The new school building has been entirely enclosed and walls are being put on inside.

Two trolley cars collided the other day at the Musical String factory. Charley Dare and O’Hara were the motormen. A man from Sayreville received a severe blow on the hip and others were shaken up.

Motorman Bowmont has resigned after several years with the trolley company.

The 700-horsepower engine in the power house has broken some piece so that the 500-horsepower engine must run the small summer cars.

The-Daily-Times-New-Brunswick-NJ-tues-September 24-1907pg.-4Download