Notes
Ref#141:
He signed the organizational agreement with the Milford families and
removed from Connecticut to Newark NJ in 1666-67 when less than twenty
years old.
Removed to Montclair sometime between 1694 and 1715. E. B. Crane p.303
states: "As early as 1715, he was living at his home place at the
Mountain, and it is almost certain that he located there many years prior
to that date..."
By trade he was a tanner. He was a deacon in the Newark Church until his
death.
Birth year recorded as 1647/9. Death date recorded as 5/15 Nov 1730.
Ref#168:
From NJ Colonial Documents, Calendar of Wills
pg. 115
1721-2 Feb. 10. Crane, Azariah, of Newark, Essex Co., yeoman;
will of. Wife -----. Children--Nathaniael, Azariah, John, Robert,
Jane Richards, Mary Baldwin. Home lot adjoining David Pierson's, a
piece of boggy meadow in the Great Cove, salt meadow on Maple Island
Creek, formerly belonging to John Ward, land on a branch of Second
River between James Nuttman and Nathanael Ward; personal property
(a silver bowl, given to Christ Church, Newark, a negro man). Executor,
son John. Witnesses--John Baldwin, Samuel Cooper, Simon Hunting-
ton. Proved January 12, 1730-1.
Lib. B, p. 183
pg. 486
1704 Oct. 4. Wakeman, Jabez, of Newark, minister; will of. Wife
Unis to have the use of all the little estate in Newark, real and
personal.
In case of her death or remarriage the house and lot goes to the Town
of Neark, on condition that they first pay her the arrears due him at the
time of his death, for his labours in the ministry and make good what he
has spent on the house and lot, about £60. The library goes to the first
of his father Wakeman's "house and family, which shall be educated and
brought up at the University" for the ministry. Bro. John Wakeman re-
ceives a lot of upland on the West side of the Town; sister Mary Clayton a
lot in Stout Buck Plain, at Fairfield, Conn., and part of the meadow;
broth-
er-in-law Abraham Howel, of South Hampton, 60 acres of upland, near the
Mountain, adjoining Peter Condit; and brother Joseph Wakeman lands
in Fairfield, Connt. The wife sole executrix, with Theophilus Pierson
and Jasper Crane as supervisors. Trustees--"my Loving and faithfull
Neighbors Mr. John Treat, Mr. Theophilus Pierson, ** Mr. Asariah Crane **,
Mr. Jasper Crane, Eliphalett Johnson, Joseph Harrison, and Thomas Da-
vis or their surviving Substitutes." Witnesses--John Prudden senior,
Eliphalet Johnson and Seth Tompkins. Proved June 7, 1705, the execu-
trix Eunice Wakeman sworn in June 26.
Lib. 1, p. 114, and Essex Wills
The fourth pastor of the First Church, Newark, from November 16, 1699, to
October 8, 1704. His tombstone, removed about 1850 from the Old Burying
Ground
to the rear of the present First Presbytarian Church, bears the following
inscription:
"Here lye the remains of ye Revd Mr. Jabez Wakeman, the faithful Pastor of
ye Church of Christ in this place, who Departed this life Octr 8th 1704.
AEtatis 26.
"Hoc sunt tumulo Wakeman venerabilis ossa."
Ref#17:
Town Meeting, March 11th, 1718/19 -- They have also agreed to renew the
Line between Newark and Ackquackonong, the first Monday in April next.
April 6th, 1718/19 -- The Line was then Renewed, and there was present
from Newark ** Deacon Azariah Crane **, Mr. James Nottman {Nutman},
Joseph Peck, Joseph Ball, Joseph Baldwin, Moses Ball, Doct'r Jacob Arent,
John Cooper, Thomas Stagg -- From Acquackonong Mr. Michael Vreelandt,
Thomas Uriansen, Garret Harmanusen.
A Brief History of Montclair
Soon after Henry Hudson in 1609 discovered the river that bears his name,
Dutch settlers arrived to trade in and colonize. From fur trading posts
in New Amsterdam (now Manhattan), they explored the rich lands to the
west -- lands that were the home of the Lenni-Lenape Indians.
These Indians were a branch of the Algonquin, who crossed and recrossed
the area that now is Essex County, New Jersey. They were more interested
in hunting and trading than settling down. In 1660, the Dutch established
the first permanent European settlement in
what is now New Jersey near present-day Jersey City, but the claim was
disputed by the English.
In 1667, the Dutch ceded control of the area -- and the English purchased
from the Lenni-Lenape Indians the land that stretched from the Passaic
River to the foot of the Watchung Mountains, the site of present-day
Montclair.
Dutch settlers remained in the region, putting down roots and cultivating
farms and orchards. During the late 1600s, Dutch farmers established a
tiny village at the base of the Watchung Mountains, which later became
known as Speertown. That tiny settlement marked the origins of Upper
Montclair.
The Duke of York in 1665 gave a grant of land -- the area that is now the
state of New Jersey -- to John Berkeley and George Carteret.
They drew up a constitution with very liberal political and religious
privileges. That set the stage for the heterogeneous development that
marks the region today -- and remains particularly evident in Montclair.
Colonists pressed westward from Newark in search of open land. Englishman
Jasper Crane and his son Azariah established a small settlement called
Cranetown at the foot of the Watchung Mountains where present-day
Montclair stands.
Cranetown was situated on the trail that led westward through Crane's Gap
to Horseneck (now the Caldwells) and the Delaware River. A sawmill was
built, and the village prospered. Soon craftsmen arrived, and some
travelers set up shops.
Cranetown expanded until it met Speertown directly to the north. The line
where the two towns meet is roughly at present-day Watchung Avenue, which
divides Upper Montclair from Montclair.
Farming remained the primary land use for both villages, and many
orchards became renowned for their production of cider and vinegar. As
the area developed, small shops prospered in the late 1700s. It is
believed the first black people arrived as early as 1780.
During the Revolutionary War, the high points along Watchung Mountain
became important lookouts for Continental Army scouts. Although no major
battles were fought in this area, there were private skirmishes between
householders and soldiers from both sides
foraging for food.
General George Washington set up short-term headquarters in Cranetown,
and the French General Marquis de Lafayette set up a headquarters at
Speertown.
After the war the two villages were connected by what is now known as
Valley Road.
Later development was aided by construction of the Newark-Pompton
Turnpike, now known as Bloomfield Avenue. Freight trains pulled by oxen
struggled west from the port of Newark with dry goods and returned with
the produce from farms along the Passaic River valley.
After the War of 1812, textile mills were built, and workers imported
from Europe to provide skilled hands. Blacksmiths, wheelwrights,
carpenters, mill workers, printers, masons, cabinet-makers and bakers
added to the economy.
In 1812, the territory was divided, and the western portion was named
Bloomfield. Cranetown and Speertown became known as West Bloomfield.
Slavery was practiced in the area, and a 200-year old house still
standing at 369 Claremont Ave. is believed to have once been the slave
quarters of the Crane family. In 1831, records show, Gen. Nathaniel Crane
gave the house to James Howe, one of his former slaves.
The Morris Canal opened in 1832, passing the West Bloomfield (Montclair)
area half a mile east on the route from Newark to the Delaware River. But
the biggest boost to economic development came with the building of the
railroad from Newark to West Bloomfield (Montclair). It stopped at the
point where the Erie Lackawanna Station now stands. It allowed easier
access to Newark and to New York City, and many families were lured from
New York and Connecticut by the lovely country town on the mountain.
The growing population and prosperity of the community in the 1850s and
1860s prompted rapid development. Roads and streets were laid out;
schools and churches were built.
In 1860, a group of town leaders proposed a new name for the community --
and Montclair, the French word for "clear mountain" -- was chosen.
New residents proposed building better transportation to New York City
and Newark, measures they believed would enhance the economic life of
Montclair. Other residents wanted to preserve the rural quality of the
area, and resisted plans for development. It was a classic struggle,
shades of which continue today.
Within the township of Bloomfield, to which Montclair still belonged,
feelings were deeply divided. Montclair's residents appealed to the state
for charter as a separate township. The charter was granted in 1868, and
the independent town of Montclair was born.
The new railroad line, now known as the Erie-Lackawanna, was finally
built in 1873, and became a major factor in Montclair's growth. Families
whose wealth came from commerce, manufacturing and finance moved to
Montclair, where they could combine the advantages of rural ambiance with
work in Newark and New York City.
Grand new houses were built in town within walking distance of the train
stations. Wealth businessmen moved to town, building great houses on the
mountain slopes. Craftsmen, teachers and servants came to town to meet
their needs.
The new citizens employed notable architects, who designed Queen Anne,
Italianette and other eclectic structures. European craftsmen and stone
masons were imported to build elaborate Victorian mansions. Reproductions
of Tudor houses, stone manor houses and Cotswold cottage deigns
demonstrated the affection for English styles in a building surge that
continued through the end of the century.
The population of Montclair boomed from 5,147 in 1880 to 42,017 by 1930.
By that time, the bulk of the vacant land was either developed or set
aside for parkland. The character of Montclair became firmly established.
A number of innovations came to Montclair between 1873 and 1925. The town
provided street lighting, first by gas light, in 1873. Electricity came
in 1895. Mountainside Hospital was founded in 1890. The YMCA was
organized in 1891. The public library was chartered in 1893. Trolley
service was extended to the town from Newark in 1896. The State Normal
School, now Montclair State University, was opened in 1908. The Montclair
Art Museum opened in 1914. And the Unity Institute -- now known as Unity
Concerts began its concert series in 1920. Also in 1920, a group of
Montclair women who were active in the women's suffrage movement
organized the first chapter of the League of Women Voters in New Jersey
-- the second chapter to be established in the country.
As the town was expanding, it added to its recreational facilities by
acquiring parklands: Edgemont and Nishuane Parks in 1906, and
Mountainside Park in 1922. Anderson Park had been given to Essex County
in 1903.
The first black church was organized in 1881, and in 1886 became St.
Marks Methodist Church.
The prominent painter George Inness settled in Montclair in the late
1880s, drawing other artists to an informal art colony that enhanced the
town. In addition to sculpture and painting, the group sparked musical,
dramatic and literary organizations and put on tableaux and pageants.
Religious diversity increased with the population. In addition to the
original Dutch Reformed came Congregationalists, Methodists and
Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, Quakers, Baptists,
Lutherans, Unitarians, Christian Scientists and Jews.
A second building boom began after World War I in the commercial
districts. Today the central business districts are along Bloomfield
Avenue (as it had been in colonial times) and in Upper Montclair, where
the shops of Speertown took on the atmosphere of an English village.
Source: The Montclair Home Page on the WWW
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