Early in 1764 a new Post route was established between New York and Philadelphia, and Abraham Messier, who owned a wharf at the foot of Cortlandt street, New York, and Michael Cornelissen made arrangements with Cornelius Van Vorst for a landing at Paulus Hook (foot of Grand street.) The boats were two periaugers, which made the trips across the river "as the wind served." The Ferry Company was to keep in repair the causeway leading out to the road to Bergen. The new Post route to Philadelphia was by way of Bergen Point and Staten Island. Formerly travellers from New York to the south had gone by boat to Amboy, thence by stages to Philadelphia and other points. Just when the Post route was changed I have been unable to ascertain, but in 1715 commissioners were appointed to lay out a road across the meadows, intersecting the Bergen Point road, with ferries across the Hackensack and Passaic. The road was nearly the same as the one since known as the Newark plank road. Mr. Thomas Brown, one of the commissioners, owned the land from New York Bay to Newark Bay. He owned what is known as the Gautier house, and on his land on Newark Bay side built the ferry known as Brown's ferry. After the completion of this road and ferries the Post route came by the mill and church road to Bergen, thence by the road across the meadows. The stages stopped over night at Princeton.
Van Vorst laid out a small park, semi-circular in shape, at what is now the foot of Grand street. Michael Cornelisen built a tavern just north of Grand street, near the water, a low frame house about forty feet in length, with a porch in front over which projected the extended Dutch roof. In 1800 this house, used as a tavern and ferry-house, with several spacious barns, stables and a store-house, were the only buildings on the Hoeck. In 1769 Van Vorst laid out a race course one mile long around the sand hills and along the edge of the upland; this was in use, except during the war, until the founding of Jersey City in 1804. This was the only race course in Jersey City until the Beacon Race Course was established on the Hill in what was later Hudson City, about 1837-38, and discontinued about 1845. It was located southeast of where the reservoir now stands and was the scene of some very celebrated races. It was here on August 1, 1839, that Dutchman, trotting against time, made three miles in seven minutes, thirty-two and a half seconds. Hiram Woodruff claimed that he could have done it in seven minutes, twenty-seven seconds, or better; this record was not beaten until by Huntress at Prospect Park, September 21, 1872.
The ferry was leased to several different parties. In 1771 Abraham Messier obtained a lease for three years; this was renewed in 1774 and as he died soon after his widow remained in charge, probably during the war subject to military control. Soon after the war her name is connected with the ferry, and in 1786 she petitioned for repairs to the ferry stairs on the New York side.
[REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD.]
In the early spring of 1776, Lord Stirling, then in command of the American forces in this locality, took measures to put Bergen and Paulus Hoeck in condition of defense, and to open means of communication with the interior of the State. A fort was built at Bergen Neck, later called Fort Delancy, to prevent the English from coming over from Staten Island. It was located on the rising ground now bounded by 44th and 45th streets and Avenues B and C in Bayonne, one quarter of a mile below the canal. After it was given up by the Americans it was held by the Tories until September, 1782. Lord Stirling personally examined the grounds and proposed to have the militia of Bergen, Essex, and Middlesex counties build broad, good roads from Paulus Hoeck to Brown's Ferry on the Hackensack, and from Wiehawken Ferry to Hackensack Ferry. Upon the arrival of Washington, the immediate construction of works at Paulus Hoeck was ordered as "of great importance." These were soon completed and troops from New York and Pennsylvania stationed there, under command of General Mercer, the veteran of Culloden and De Quesne.
On July 12th, 1776, the batteries of the new fort opened fire on the British men of war, the Phoenix of forty guns and the Rose of twenty guns, as they came up the Bay to New York. The fire was returned with broadsides as they passed. That same evening Lord Howe sailed up the harbor to New York. Troops were stationed at Paulus Hoeck and Bergen ready to reinforce Washington. After the battle of Long Island these orders were countermanded and the troops were stationed at Paulus Hoeck and Bergen Neck. On the 15th of September, the British captured New York City and again the Paulus Hoeck troops had a little skirmish with the enemy. Occasionally Washington came over from his camp at Harlem to reconnoiter along the Jersey shore as far as Paulus Hoeck. Recognizing that the fort could not be held, preparations were made for its evacuation. General Mercer removed all guns, stores and troops with the exception of a small guard under orders to leave upon the first appearance of the enemy. On the afternoon of September 23d, 1776, the English ships cannonaded the fort for half an hour or more, then landed a force. About twenty boats also came over from New York. They found nothing but a few guns unfit for use. General Mercer and his troops retired to Bergen with an outpost at Prior's Mill. October 5th, the American troops left Bergen to join Washington in his retreat to the Delaware.
For a long time Paulus Hoeck was the only British stronghold in New Jersey. They greatly strengthened the defences built by the Americans and made their landings at this point. At high tide boats could pass over the marsh and even over the causeway that connected Paulus Hoeck with the main land. An elevated foot path or board walk had been made parallel to the road to enable people to pass at all stages of the tide. This was still in use well into this century.
I quote Mr. Winfield's description of the fort: "It was a very strong position with the waters of the river and coves on the north, east and south, and on the west a marsh, with a creek running near the westerly edge of the upland from near Montgomery street southwesterly into the southerly cove near the foot of Van Vorst street. This creek had been connected with the Harsimus cove by a ditch about on the line of Warren street. Over this ditch on the line of Newark avenue was a drawbridge with a barred gate. Thirty paces inside of the ditch and the creek was a row of abattis extending into the river. The main works were in the line of Sussex street extending from about St. Mathews Church easterly to Greene street. The barracks were at the intersection of Essex and Warren streets. From the main fort a redoubt extended southerly along Washington street to a half moon fort on the southerly side of Essex street. There was one fort on the north west corner of Grand and Washington streets. Some block-houses had been constructed north of the main works, and one of them north of the road leading to the ferry. The burying ground was on the west of Washington street, extending from Sussex to a short distance south of Morris street."