xt75x63b2v8n https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt75x63b2v8n/data/mets.xml New Jersey Historical Records Survey Project Division of Professional and Service Projects, Work Projects Administration New Jersey New Jersey Historical Records Survey Project Division of Professional and Service Projects, Work Projects Administration 1940 228 l.: ill. 28 cm. UK holds archival copy for ASERL Collaborative Federal Depository Program libraries. Call Number: FW 4.14:N 42j/3/no.16 books English Newark, N.J.: Historical Records Survey This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. New Jersey Works Progress Administration Publications Archives -- New Jersey -- Passaic County -- Catalogs Passaic County (N.J.) -- Politics and government -- Sources Passaic County (N.J.) -- History -- Sources Inventory of the County Archives of New Jersey. No. 16. Passaic County (Paterson), 1940 text Inventory of the County Archives of New Jersey. No. 16. Passaic County (Paterson), 1940 1940 1940 2020 true xt75x63b2v8n section xt75x63b2v8n NIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
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INVENTORY OF THE COUNTY ARCHIVES OF NEW JERSEY
Prepared by
THE NEW JERSEY HISTORICAL RECORDS SURVEY PROJECT
Division of Professional and Service Projects
Work Projects Administration
Sponsored by
NEW JERSEY STATE PLANNING BOARD
NO. 15 PASSAIG COUNTY (PATERSON)
-)(--X--)€*—X-**
Newark, New Jersey
The Historical Records Survey
1940
The Historical Records Survey
Dr. Luther H. Evans, National Director
John A. Millington, State Director
DivisiOn of Professional and Service Projects
Florence V. Kerr, Assistant Commissioner
Elizabeth C. Denny Vanns State Director
WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION
F. C. Harrington, Commissioner
Robert W. Allan, State Administrator
FOREWORD
The Inventory g: the County Archives 9; New Jersey is one of a
number of bibliographies of historical materials prepared throughout the
United States, by workers on the Historical Records Survey of the Work
Projects Administration. The publication herewith presented, an inven-
tory of the archives of Passaic County, is N0. 16 of the New Jersey
series,
The Historical Records Survey was undertaken in the winter of
1935-36 for the purpose of providing useful employment to needy unemployed
historians, lawyers, teacherS, and research and clerical workers. In car-
rying out this objective, the project was organized to compile inventories
of historical materials, particularly the unpublished government documents
and records which are basic in the administration of local government, and
which provide invaluable data for students of political, economic, and
social history. The archival guide herewith presented is intended to meet
the requirements of day-to-day administration by the officials of the
county, and also the needs of lawyers, businessmen and other citizens who
require facts from the public records for the proper conduct of their af—
fairs. The volume is so designed that it can be used by the historian in
his research in unprinted sources in the same way he uses the library card
catalog for printed sources.
The inventories produced by the Historical Records Survey at-
tempt to do more than give merely a list of records -— they attempt fur—
ther to sketch in the historical background of the county or other unit of
government, and to describe precisely and in detail the organization and
functions of the government agencies whose records they list. The county,
town, and other local inventories for the entire country will, when com-
pleted9 constitute an encyclopedia of local government, as well as a bib-
liography of local archives.
The successful conclusion of the work of the Historical Records
Survey, even in a single county, would not be possible without the support
of public officials, historical and legal specialists, and many other
groups in the community. Their co—operation is gratefully acknowledged.
The Survey was organized and has been directed by Luther H. Evans,
and operates as a Nation—wide project in the Division of Professional and
Service Projects, of which Mrs. Florence V. Kerr, Assistant Commissioner,
is in charge.
F. C. HARRINGTON
Commissioner
PREFACE
The Historical Records Survey of New Jersey was organized in
February 1936 as a divisiOn of the Federal Writers' Project of the Works
Progress Administration. In November of the same year, the Survey became
a separate Nation-wide unit of Federal Project No. 1 under the technical
supervision of Dr. Luther H. Evans, National Director, and under the ad~
ministrative supervisiOn of Mrs. Elizabeth C. Denny Vann, State Director
of Professional and Service Projects. On September 1, 1939, the New
Jersey project became a State-wide project under the local sponsorship of
the New Jersey State Planning Board. At present, in addition to those
mentioned above, the project is under the supervision of Mrs. Agnes CrOnin,
Regional Supervisor of Professional and Service Projects, and Mr. R. C.
BraniOn, Regional Director of WPA.
The Inventory gf the County Archives 9f New Jersey will5 when
completed, consist of 21 volumes, One for each county in the State. The
individual units are to be numbered according to their respective positiOns
in an alphabetical list of the counties. Thus, the inventory herewith pre-
sented for Passaic County is No. 16. The inventories of the State and mu-
nicipal archives will be published in separate series.
The Survey is now engaged in preparing a comprehensive statement
of the general laws regarding county government, to be entitled gggnty
Government in New Jersey. It is expected that this book will serve as a
handbook on the organization, structure, and evolution of county g0vernment
in New Jersey, and will make it unnecessary to repeat certain items of gen-
eral information in the various inventories. The office essays in this
inventory are, therefore, limited to information on the creation of the
office and its present status, the manner in which it is filled, and the
term. In addition, a sentence or two setting forth the major duty or
function of the office has been included. All Special legislation pertain—
ing to the COunty will be found in the governmental organization essay.
Pending issuance of the volume on County Government in New Jersey it is
suggested that the reader consult the Inventory 9; the County Archives 9f
EEK gigggy, N9. g, gaggen ggunty, for more detailed information On counties
of the sec0nd class than is found in the Passaic County Inventory.
Work On the survey of the records in Passaic County began
September 27, 1939, and with the exception of "Hope Dell," the county wel~
fare home, records of which were not accessible, was completed October 17,
1939. The field work was supervised by Frank J. Erwin, District Supervisor,
assisted by Louis A. Lupton, David Keeffe, Erwin Schroers, and Henry Van
Haste. The recheck was made by Henry Losee, James Gallagher, and Lawrence G.
Ryan, of the editorial staff.
Preface
The historical sketch was prepared by members of our editorial
staff. The essays on housing, care, and accessibility of the records and
governmental OrganizatiOn, as well as the maps and charts, are the work of
Elmer V. Swan. The office essays were written by B. James Motte and William
Yacavone and edited by Calder B. Perryclear. The entries were edited under
the supervision of Allyn G. JaCKSOn, with the assistance of Louis J. Perrelli,
Harold Waters, and H. Alfred Rapa. Legal research for entries and essays and
citation checking was done under the direction of Thomas P. Chichi. The
inventory was compiled under the editorial supervision of Gustave Koeppe,
editorial assistant, and Max Birnbaum, consultant. The format of this volume
was designed and its publication was supervised by Harold P. Mountan. Admin—
istrative detail of the project was directed by Carl John Bostelmann, assis-
tant project supervisor.
The inventory in final manuscript fOrm was edited by Mabel S.
Brodie, assistant archivist in charge of public records inventories, of the
Library of Congress Historical Records Survey project staff.
The various volumes of the Inventory 9f the County Archives 9; New
Jersey will be distributed without charge to government offices, libraries,
and historical societies in New Jersey, and similar institutions and deposi—
tories in other states. A list of inventories and other volumes already
published will be found on the final page of this book.
This Inventory could never have been completed but for the co—
operation of Dr. Luther H. Evans, NatiOnal Director, Sargent B. Child,
Regional Director, and of the officials of the county. Grateful acknowl-
edgment of their aid is hereby given.
The editorial staff of the Historical Records Survey of New Jersey
wishes to express its gratitude to RObert W. Allan, State Administrator, for
his personal service and attention which were of inestimable aid in the pro-
duction of this inventory and for the continuance of the Survey under local
sponsorship.
Requests for information concerning any unit of the inventory
should be addressed to the undersigned at 1060 Broad Street, Newark, New
Jersey.
January 1940. John A. Millington
State Director
{0
.
HISTORICAL SKETCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Maps of Boundaries of Passaic County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION . . . . . . . . . .
Introduction. Administration. Finance: Taxation;
Fiscal Control. Recording. Administration of
Justice. Enforcement of Law. Elections. Education.
Welfare. Health. Public Works. Miscellaneous.
Charts of County Government. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
. . . . . . . . . 16
HOUSING, CARE) AND ACCESSIBILITY OF THE RECORDS . . . . . . . . . . 25
ABBREVIATIONS3 SYMBOLS5 AND EXPLAEATORY NOTES . . . . . . . . . . . 35
I.
II.
BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS. . . . . . . . . .
County Offices And Their Records
38
o
o
a
n
a
n
Minutesa Bylaws9 and Proceedings. Reports:
Office; Committee. Deeds, Leases, and Bill 0
Sale. Bonds. Releases. Proposals. BidsS
Specifications, and Estimates; General
Construction; Bridges and Roads. Drawings and
Blueprints. Contracts and Bonds: Bridges and
Roads; County Buildings; Miscellaneous. Maps.
Maintenance of Patients. Budget Appropriations
and Bills. Ledgers and Journals. Requisitions
and Order Books. Miscellaneous Records. Corre-
spondence.
H)
REGISTER OF DEEDS AND MORTGAGES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
General Register. Real Property: Deeds;
Mortgages; Assignments of Mortgages and Tax Sale
Certificates; Releases of Mortgages and Judgments;
Discharges of Mortgages and Tax Sale Certificates;
Notices of Lis Pendens; Certificates of Reimburse-
ment Agreements; Federal Tax Liens; Streets; Maps
and Surveys; Partitions; Miscellaneous Real Property.
Personal Property: Chattel Mortgages and Conditional
Bills of Sale; Crop Mortgages. Miscellaneous.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
Xi.
III. COUNTY CLERK . . . . . . . . . . .
COURT OF CHANCERY . . . . . .
SUPREME COURT
COURT OF COMMON PLEAS
Daily Register and General Indexes.
Mechanics' Notices of Intention and Liens9
Stop NoticesS and Building Contracts.
Roads. Maps. Hospitals' and Physicians'
Liens. Corporations, Partnerships9 and
Business Names. Taxes. Elections. Vital
Statistics. Officials' Bonds and Oaths.
Affiliation Bonds. Registers of Officials.
Licenses and Certificates: Professional;
Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Exempt
Firemen; Firearms. Bail Bonds. Justices'
of the Peace Records. Jury Records.
Proceedings for Change of Name. Manu-
missions. Newspapers. Miscellaneous.
CorrespOndence.
COURT OF OYER AND TERMINER . . . . . . . . . . . . .
COURT OF QUARTER SESSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Minutes. Dockets and Case Papers.
Conviction Records. Miscellaneous.
COURT OF SPECIAL SESSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CRIMINAL JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT . . . . . . . . . . .
First Judicial District: Dockets and Case
Papers; Reports; Financial Records; Miscel—
laneous; Correspondence. Second Judicial
District: Dockets and Case Papers; Court
Calendar and Investigations; Financial Records;
Miscellaneous; Correspondence.
CIRCUIT COURT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Minutes. Dockets. Case Papers. Writs of
Attachment. Judgments. Executions. Tax
Records. Miscellaneous.
2 c n u o o u u a u o .
MinuteS. Dockets. Lists of Causes and
Appeals. Judgment Records. Executions.
Juvenile Records. Insanity Records.
Tuberculosis Records. Naturalization
Records. Liquor Records.
87
88
92
&O
‘1
DISTRICT COURT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
District Court of Passaic: Small Claims
Division. District Court of Clifton:
Small Claims Division. First District
Court of Paterson: Small Claims Division.
Second District Court of Paterson.
XIII. SMALL CAUSE COURT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
XIV. ORPHANS‘ COURT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
XV. SURROGATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Surrogate and Orphans' Court Records:
Probates and Administration of Estates;
Reports; Guardianship; Inventories;
Accounts; Appraisers; Bonds; Assignments;
Adoptions; Maps; Financial Records;
Miscellaneous; Correspondence.
XVI. JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS COURT . . . . . . . . . . . 124
XVII. COMMISSIONERS OF JURIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Eligible, Exempt, and Ineligible Jurors.
Records of Jurors. Registered Voters.
Correspondence.
XVIII. CHIEF PROBATION OFFICER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Case Histories. Commitments. Correspondence.
XIX. COUNTY COUNSEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
XX. SHERIFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Foreclosure Records. Executions.
Indictments. Prisoners. Financial
Records. Miscellaneous. Correspondence.
Jail Records: File of Prisoners and
Wanted Persons; Commitments; Discharges;
Photographs and Fingerprints; Reports;
Miscellaneous.
XXI. PROSECUTOR OF THE PLEAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Minutes and Case Papers. Dockets.
Indictments. Arraignments. Miscel-
laneous. Correspondence.
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
SUPERINTENDENT OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
Certifications, Requisitions, Appli-
cations, and Requests. Reports.
Correspondence.
XXIV. CORONER . . . . . . . . . . .
XXV. COUNTY BOARD OF TAXATION . . . . . .
Minutes. Abstracts of Ratables. School
Budgets. Tax Lists and Duplicates.
Appeals and Decisions. Corrections of
Assessments. Miscellaneous. Correspondence.
. . . . . . . . 144
XXVI. COUNTY TREASURER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
I Bonds and Contracts. Pay Rolls. Appropri—
ations. Ledgers. Cashbooks. Receipts and
Disbursements. Reports. Miscellaneous.
Correspondence.
XXVII. COUNTY AUDITOR (Defunct) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
XXVIII. SINKING FUND COWISSION (Defunct) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
XXIX. COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . 154;
Signature Copy Registers. Poll Books.
Transfers. Miscellaneous.
XXX. COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Teachers' Records. Reports.
Miscellaneous. Correspondence.
XXXI. WELFARE BOARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Minutes. Case Histories. Denials. Deaths.
Insurance Policies. Reports. Financial
Records. Correspondence.
01
k0
XXXII. COUNTY ADJUSTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Case Histories. Financial Records.
XXXIII. SUPERINTENDENT OF COUNTY LUNATIC ASYLUM (Defunct) . . . . . 164
XXIV. COUNTY PHYSICIAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Case Histories. Reports. Death Certifi-
cates. Correspondence.
MORGUE KEEPER
BOARD OF MANAGERS OF COUNTY TUBERCULOSIS HOSPITAL . ..
Minutes. Patients‘ Records: Register;
Case Histories; Medical, Surgical, and
Clinical; Maintenance; Discharges and
Deaths; Pneumothorax; X rays. Reports.
Financial Records. Miscellaneous.
Correspondence.
XXXVII. COMMISSION FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF CAMP HOPE . . . . . . . 172
XXXVIII. SUPERINTENDENT OF SOLDIERS' BURIALS . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
XXXIX. COUNTY PLANNING BOARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
XL. COUNTY ENGINEER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Plans9 Specifications, and Estimates.
Maps. Reports. Financial Records.
Miscellaneous. Correspondence.
XLI. COUNTY PARK COPEUSSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Minutes and Legal Documents. Maps and
Photographs. Engineers' Records. Park
Police Records. Financial Records.
Reports. Correspondence.
XLII. COUNTY ROAD SUPERVISOR . . . . . .
Applications and Permits. Personnel
Records. Financial Records. Miscellaneous
and Correspondence.
. . . . . . 182
XLIII. MOSQUITO EXTERMIKATION COLIJSSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Minutes. Raps and Charts. Reports:
Budget and Annual; Inspection; Collection.
Financial Records. Miscellaneous.
XLIV. COURTHOUSE COMMISSION (Defunct) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
XLV. HOUSING AUTHORITY or PASSAIC COUNTY (Defunct) . . . . . . . 188
XLVI. COUNTY LIBRARIAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
SUBJECT INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
(First entry, p. 38)
1. HISTORICAL SKETCH
Introduction
Passaic County is unique among New Jersey counties and in the
Nation as the scene of the initial impetus given by Alexander Hamilton to
organized American industry.1 The county was created in 1837 from sectiOns
of Essex and Bergen Counties.2 The area, settled originally both by the
English from Newark, seat of Essex County, and the Dutch from Hackensack,
seat of Bergen County, experienced a development different from that of ad-
jacent regions. Consequently, to understand its history it is necessary to
trace these beginnings in the area which has been incorporated into Passaic
County.
s___ett_1_er_neoi
The Indians in New Jersey, prior to 1655, were so numerous and
their attitude was so uncertain that the whites did not penetrate far in-
land. However, the settlers established supremacy after a brief but bloody
war, and colonization of the interior began.3 Newark was settled in 1666
by a group of New Englanders, whose purchase stretched northerly along the
Passaic River to the Yantacaw, or Third River.4
The first settlement in Passaic County was at Acquackanonk, part
of which has become the city of Passaic.3 Two Labadist6 missionaries, sent
1. William Woodford Clayton, History of Bergen and Passaic Counties, New
J_e_r§_e_v_ (Philadelphia, 1882), pp. 404, 405 (hereafter cited as Clayton,
Barren and Passaic Counties).
2. Acts of the State of New Jersey, "Pamphlet Laws“ (Trenton, New Jersey,
1837), p. 96 (hereafter cited as P.L.).
3. William Nelson, “Historical Sketch of Passaic County," in ££l§§_9:
Passaic County. New Jersey (New York, n.d.), p. 17 (hereafter cited as
Nelson, ”Historical Sketch," Atlas).
. Levi R. Trumbull, A History of Industrial Paterson (revised, Paterson,
1882), p. 15 (hereafter cited as Trumbull, Industgial Pategsgn).
5. Clayton, Bergen and_Passaic Counties, pp. 376, 377; William Nelson,
comp., "Historical and Statistical Memoranda Relative to Passaic County,
New Jersey," revised, in New Jersey Pamphlets, Vol. 62, No. 3, p. I
(hereafter cited as Nelson, ”Memoranda Relative to Passaic County").
6. They were a mystic sect, followers of Jean de Labadie (1610-74), who
sought to reform life rather than doctrine. Frank Moore Colby and
Talcott Williams, ed., The New International Encyclopedia (2d ed.,
23 vol., New York, 1924), XIII, 403, 404; Clarke F. Ansley, ed., The
Columbia Encyclopedia (New York, 1935), p. 991; Bartlett Burleigh James
and J. Franklin Jameson, ed., The Journal of Jasper Danckaerts,
gem-logo (New York, 1913), Introduction (hereafter cited as dome;
of Jasper Danckaerts).
Historical Sketch
to America from Holland to investigate the poss' ility 01 sticli=h1rg a
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colony here, have leit an account of ncquac 4-
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44. Clayt