Howell Homestead in Jefferson Township, New Jersey

David Howell and Keziah Pierson settled in what became Jefferson Township in the north west part of Morris county sometime after they married in February of 1800. Jefferson Township was created in 1804 out of existing parts of Roxbury and Pequannock Townships. David and Keziah lived on about 25 acres of land just off of what by 1805 was known as the Union Turnpike, now Route 15, about a half mile north of Berkshire Valley Road (then Longwood Road), where Taylor Road (which more than likely did not exist back then) now intersects Route 15. Part of the property was in a lowland area known as the ravine bordering the Rockaway River, which pretty much runs the entire length (N/S) of the township. GPS coordinates would be approximately:+40° 56' 17.16", -74° 35' 28.32". The property in Jefferson Township was part of a larger parcel of land divided into three sections bequeathed to Keziah and her siblings Jonathan and Elizabeth Pierson, as part of the will of their paternal grandfather Joseph Pierson, who had died in 1785 when Keziah was 6 years old. How Joseph Pierson, who although born and raised in Southampton, on Long Island in New York, lived and died in the Morris Town area of Morris County, New Jersey, had come to own this land isn't known, although land auctions on the steps of the Morris County court house were fairly common in those days. Division of the property can be seen with the original plat of June 7, 1800 here.

Mining

Iron mining in the north west part of New Jersey and surrounding states was a very important part in the development of America during the 1700's and early 1800's. Morris County played a significant part in this with mines and forges all over the northern part of the county. In fact George Washington gave specific credit to the forges in Morris County as important to the Revolutionary War effort.[1] Jefferson Township in the far northwestern most part of the county was populated with many iron mines and forges. In the early 1800's there were as many as eight or nine forges up and down the Rockaway River in Berkshire Valley alone.[2] One, the "Valley" forge, was in the southern part of the township near the Howell homestead.[3] Nearby, just over the mountain from Upper Berkshire Valley in Rockaway Township, the "Aetna" forge, perhaps better known and renowned as the "Middle Forge," eventually became the basis for what is now the Picatinny Arsenal.[4] From about 1804 to 1816 the township was very prosperous and the whole valley, not just Jefferson township, is said to have been the center of the iron interest of the entire country.[5] Although there is no known evidence to suggest this Howell family was involved in the iron trade in any way, at least in mining itself, forging or charcoaling, it is hard to imagine they, given the location and the times, were not directly and completely influenced by it.

The Homestead

Almost all of Jefferson Township is and was rural and remote. It is covered with rugged hills and lakes and is quite difficult in it's terrain. More than just hilly it is rocky, thickly forested and would have been difficult to farm, of which there was likely very little of that done anywhere in the township. The immediate area in Berkshire Valley where the Howells lived was situated on a downward slope off the side of Mase Mountain and although the land here somewhat more agreeable, not to the point it would be considered good farm land. The Union Turnpike, or what was generally known as the "Road to Morristown" before 1805, ran right through the original Pierson property and was quite literally on what was the western boundary and high side of Keziah's property. This was an important artery through the Berkshire Valley, north and south, probably since it's days as an Indian trail and a path for Elk before that. With all the ore due to forges and charcoal for the operation, one could be certain this was a well traveled, well worn and in some parts a dangerous and even treacherous road in those days. One would to have been pretty brave indeed to have taken a wagon loaded with iron ore, hitched to a team of horses down some of those steep mountain grades. There were no railroads and other than the road to Longwood along the Rockaway River there pretty much was no other way to go north or south. The east - west Morris Canal wasn't built until in mid 1820's and then not completed until the mid 1830's.

The small village of Berkshire Valley was just down the road from the Howells and would have been an easy walk and a big influence on their life. Not too much further down the road was the area now known as Wharton, It too would likely have been influential to the Howells. Not to far north was Hurdtown and although a more difficult journey it too would undoubtedly have been part of their life.

Berkshire Valley Church

It is not known if David, Keziah and their family belonged to or attended any specific church, although it would have been likely they were part of the Berkshire Valley Presbyterian Church in Lower Berkshire Valley. This church was founded in November of 1803. Preliminary meetings were held from 1803 until 1820 in the schoolhouse near the main road which runs from Dover to Lake Hopatcong and Sparta (Union Turnpike, now Route 15).[6] A proper church was built in it's present location on Berkshire Valley Road about 1820, two decades after they had moved there and after David had died (1818). The founding fathers of the Berkshire Valley Presbyterian Church were said to have been some of the founding fathers for the Township of Jefferson and it is possible David was one of those. Unfortunately all records prior to 1908 were destroyed by fire at the home of Reverend Theodore Chambers[7] in Dover, who was the pastor at that time. There was also a fire that destroyed the original church some five years after it was built and this too may have destroyed very early records. It is also possible the family belonged and/or attended some other church in some other location but that is unlikely or at best sporadically, because of what would have been a long and difficult commute.

Union Turnpike

Union Turnpike was built, or at least started, in about 1805. The work began at Sparta in Sussex County and was for the most part improvements and expansion to what would have been already existing roads and paths, most likely of lower quality and varying conditions. It then proceeded south and east for about 25 miles to Morristown, in Morris County. The Union Turnpike became the principal and most important route from Morristown to the Sparta area of Sussex County and would definitely have been important, busy and a huge influence on their lives during the time the Howells lived in Jefferson Township where their property actually bordered it. Over the years it has been improved and expanded to what is now New Jersey State Route 15 which starts as a two lane road, called Clinton Street, in Dover. Nowadays, as it progresses north from Dover, it becomes a divided double two lane highway near the entrance to Picatinny Arsenal. This continues on this way as a limited access highway north through the mountain range all the way to Sparta. After Sparta, where Route 15 joins New Jersey Highway 181 it reduces to a more normal road again. The Union Turnpike, like many privately funded and built roads of that time would have been a toll road, although nowadays it is a typical free New Jersey highway. Parts of this highway, at least in Morris County, are still called "Union Turnpike." Just down the road from what was the old Howell property there are still road signs using that name. In fact, Abe and Phebe (Milburn) Morgan (Clarinda Howell's daughter) lived in the "Toll House" (picture here) in Mount Pleasant (now the town of Wharton) on what was that same road (since demolished to make room for the construction of Interstate 80.

Miscellaneous

Records indicate that the family sold off much of their land piecemeal in the years following David's death, ending in 1828 with the sale of the final piece.

Most of the family, including Keziah, had moved away by 1830 after the last of their land had been sold. Clarinda (by then Clarinda Milburn) however stayed with her husband and raised a family of 13 children in all, of which some descendants can still be found in the larger Morris County area today.

More detailed and personal information can be found on David Howell's individual page, the page on his family and a narrative page on his personal history here.

Nothing is known about the other Pierson siblings who owned the adjoining properties. In fact it is not even known if they lived on the land or had any presence in the area at all.

The old Howell homestead property is now (early 2000's) occupied by a commercial company - apparently construction and landscaping and a recycling center. Current use of the property seems to be surprisingly close to how it had been originally - before it was split and given to the Pierson children who in turn sold it off in smaller pieces. Nowadays the double lane divided New Jersey Route 15 goes right through and occupies quite a slice the western side of it.

Compiled by Mary E. Ritzer and John A. Jameson