 Mt. Olive Township is comprised of 32 square miles. It consists of two sections named for people or events, such as: Budd Lake, named for John Budd, and Flanders, named for a group of early settlers who vacationed in Flanders, Long Island. Roads in the Township are named after early settlers as well, such as: Smithtown because of the many Smiths that lived there; Drakestown named for the Drakes; Bartley Road for the Bartley family; Waterloo, which had served as a French Army Officer's hospital in 1740 and later when Napoleon met his defeat, the Americans there, who were sympathetic to the British, named the Township, Mt. Olive, for Benjamin Olive.
The beginning of the first hundred years was on March 22, 1871, when Mt. Olive was created through the splitting of the area then known as Roxbury Township. Records indicate that those present were Jared Hathaway, John Smith, David Wolfe, Richard Stephens, Harry Sovereign, Josiah Meeker, Mr. McNeeley and a Mr. Riggs. The amount of taxes to be assessed by Mt. Olive was 786.65. Names of boundaries were changed and the taxpayers listed.
Before that, indications are that land was purchased from the Indians in 1708. There is no known record of the price paid. Speculation is whether the land included Mt. Olive, an area roughly the size of Manhattan Island, and whether the price was $24 and some trading goods.
In 1713, the upper part of the western division of the province of New Jersey, Lying Northward of the Brook called Assanpink, was created into a county called Hunterdon. Roxbury Township, including what is now Mt. Olive, became the fourth township in Morris County in 1740. Chester broke away from Roxbury in 1799. Mt. Olive was separated from Roxbury on March 11, 1871.
Before the white settlers "invaded" this part of New Jersey, the Lenni-Lenape Indians lived here in tepees and caves. From the cleared fields, many arrowheads, tomahawks, corn grinders and other relics along the lake road, it is believed that their councils were held in Budd Lake in the Vicinity of High Street.
In selecting their homelands, nearby water was a necessity, whether lakes, brooks, streams or swamp. There had to be abundant hunting grounds - places where animals and water fowl congregated. Sandy or loamy land was preferred to stony or rocky spots. Weapons were primitive and the Indians used them with great strategy. They did not stay too long in one spot, because when game became scarce, they moved on. Every clan hunted in a well-defined area, large enough to support all its members. They did not trespass on their neighbor's hunting grounds, and it is estimated that there was one Indian to each square mile. Periodically they united with other tribes to go the seashore for their much loved oysters and clams, or to take trips across the country to the Delaware River, where they held their great councils. The Lenni-Lenape (meaning "original people") were friendly. The whites around here respected this attitude and always bought, rather than take the land.
As far as we know, the first white men who came to this region in 1713 were Peter Garbut and Francis Breck, who staked out an initial settlement area of 2500 acres, part of which is now Mt. Olive, formerly called Battletown. After Garbut came John Reading, who took up 250 acres, which included the northern half of Budd Lake. In 1714, John Budd located 1300 acres, part of which is the present Flanders. Following these initial settlements, the industrialists of that period moved in. Because of the many swift streams, water power was abundant. Grist and saw mills, distilleries, tanneries and creameries flourished. The entire community was rich in Iron and other minerals. Forges and wood-fuel iron works abounded. One foundry built in 1845 is still in operation. L However, in the early 1900's, Pennsylvania, with its vast coal regions, plus the fact that many of our mines were marginal and too costly to operate, overshadowed us.
Colonial commerce had looked to England for capital, but gradually business and industry had developed sufficiently for colonial capital to become available. For those who are concerned about taxes today, it might be well to consider that in 1722, the court ordered Elisha Bird to assess and collect taxes on inhabitants toward the support of His Majesty's government. As an example: $1.00 for a piano; $1.00 for a carriage (trucks were excluded). In 1794, William Woodhull had to collect the sum of 10 pounds, 6 shillings, 5 pence for the month of September. By 1865, the tax schedule was divided into State, $1.10, County $1.76, Polls, $1.11, Township $1.06, Dogs $ .30, Bonds $46.31, and Roads $1.76. The collector at that time was Paul Drake, Constable.
It was the custom in the late 1800's to publish an Annual Mt. Olive Financial Report in booklet form, listing credits and debits and the names of delinquents. In the resume for 1898 we note: Snow bills $43.62, Election bills $51.38, Poor bills $151.24, Board of Health $11.00, Assessors and Collectors fees $229.47, Miscellaneous $246.39, Bounty bills $246.24, (this included obnoxious animals (such as skunks), Committee and Clerk's fees $112.00. Balance in Treasurer's hands $136.47, Total: $1,126.70.
According to the History of Morris County (1882), two churches and four houses made up the village of Mt. Olive. Flanders was the largest settlement with 50 houses within a mile of the two churches in Mt. Olive Village. Budd Lake had 20 houses clustered around the Sharpe's Boarding house (later known as the Forest House).
A hundred years ago, water was obtained from springs and wells. Sanitary facilities consisted of outbuildings with a capacity of one, two or three. A home for sale advertisement of the time could amount to "four rooms and path." As Mt. Olive began to develop faster, there came into being local water companies to serve certain areas, for example Flanders Water Company, West Jersey Water Company and others. Sanitary facilities went to cesspools and then to septic tank systems.
In the early 1960's, with the advent of the Clover Hill Residential area in Flanders, water and sanitary sewer systems were designed and constructed to service that area. This set off a building boom, particularly attractive to new residents who came here to escape the problems of the built-up areas and to enjoy the kind of living available in a rural area. Before long, it became apparent that Mt. Olive was on the way to becoming a rural-suburban community.
Until 1968, government in Mt. Olive consisted of a three-man Township Committee. At this time it was enlarged to five members. For the first time a Department of Finance was created, which made it possible by the end of 1970 to reorganize the finance office, install mechanical equipment and increase tax collections to over 92% from the previous 87%. This was done by a committeeman in charge of finance and a new tax collector. L All other Township departments were organized as before. In 1969, by action of the committee, supported by citizens, the people voted for a new mayor-council form of government. On January 1, 1972, there was an elected mayor and seven-man council elected at large. The mayor would operate the government with a paid, appointed administrator. The council would be essentially a legislative group with no administrative power.
BARTLEY
Originally known as Bartleyville, the name was changed in 1901 to Bartley, because of the common usage of that word by the officials of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, which runs through this community. Although sparsely settled, this enterprising farm section has always had some type of industry. Col. Hugh Bartley, who settled in Mt. Olive in 1810, not only owned a large farm, but built an iron forge on the estate, and a few years later, William Bartley founded the continuously operated "William Bartley & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop". Recently, this was taken over by the Richardson Scale Co. of Passaic. In 1882, according to the Munsell's History of Morris County, there were six houses, an iron foundry, a school and a post office. As of the writing of this history book, the foundry was still in operation and the population had increased.
In 1876, the Central Railroad of New Jersey was built from High Bridge to Dover. In 1902, this was a very busy branch with four three-car passenger trains a day (discontinued in 1932). Freight trains were so long that it took three engines to pull them from German Valley (now known as Long Valley), up the "long grade" to Ledgewood.
The history of Bartley is actually history of Bartley Family. Although Bartley does not have a church, it does have a quaint chapel which was constructed in 1913, and which stands, almost as a challenge to the surrounding communities. It seems to reflect the early pioneer spirit engendered in the United States for the first influx of Anglo-Saxon immigrants.
Mt. Olive was essentially a farming community with a resort area around Budd Lake, and with the Village of Flanders and the Flanders hotel, where the drummers (salesmen) stayed overnight. Then there were the bungalows and the tent colonies, particularly around Budd Lake. These were the vanguard of those who followed after - the flight from the cities to the rural areas. They were the first developments.
"I can still see very clearly, my first glimpse of Budd Lake as I approached along Budd Lake Road each summer. It brings back that nostalgia which I believe I will never lose. I was one of these, and I lived (camped) behind the Budd Tavern (now demolished). We had deluxe tent quarters, three rooms: living and sleeping, kitchen and in between an open dining area. We had wooden floors underneath, homemade ice boxes and a kerosene stove. Each fall we would pack it all away in the old ice house behind the Budd building and stand the floors up against the building. An event was when we took up the floors in the fall. We usually had to chase away the mice that lived under us in the summer. I first came here as a Boy Scout and camped on a little hill overlooking the lake. We had our fife and drum corps, led the July 4th Parade and gave a concert that evening at Oppenheim's residence facing Elizabeth Lane. Budd Lake was a real summer resort then. It took two and a half hours to get there from Newark. Between July 4th and Labor Day, Budd Lake was alive with activity. Before and after that it seemed virtually deserted. I played hardball, third base, on a ball field where there is now the Pavilion parking lot. The local farmers sold fresh vegetables. Farmer Stephens sold us milk, dipped out of a milk can and poured it into our bottles and mason jars. There were 14 taxis to take the commuters to Netcong Station every day. We had movies on Saturday night run by the Budd family. There was no electricity and power for the movies came from a one-lung engine which could be heard all over the lake, drowning out the piano player. Later we went to the various dance places. It is different now. The resort life of Budd Lake then has "gone with the wind."
DRAKESTOWN
Drakestown is situated on the farm of 200 acres purchased by Ebenezer Drake in 1759. This land was part of the great Boynton tract of 3314 acres taken up by Joseph Pigeon in October, 1718, Burlington A.193). It was sold in part to Boynton and in part to Allen. Samuel Barber bought the Drake farm and sold it in 1800 to John Peter Sharp of German Valley (Long Valley). He left this property to his son, John in 1826. John built a store and Matthias Thomas, his clerk, purchased the store and house connected with it, including five acres, a wagon house, a barnyard and an orchard. This store housed the post office from 1837 to 1911 and Mr. Thomas was the last postmaster serving after Messrs. Lawrence, John and Jesse Sharpe, David Hildebrant, and Daniel Anderson. Before rural delivery came to Flanders, Long Valley and Hackettstown, horses and wagons brought the mail to the store for distribution. The store is now the attractive home of Frank Harvey.
As is the case with most old localities, the first consideration has been to build a church. The Methodist church in Drakestown was built, and three of Mr. Thomas' daughters played the organ there. and next to that was the old blacksmith shop which took down its shingle when the 'horseless carriage' made its appearance. There were two generations of Thomas' before Matthias Thomas, who owned the store. The grandfather of John, born in 1772, was the first of the family to emigrate from Holland. In the same locality there was a six sided schoolhouse, which was later used as a Sunday School, when in 1898, the brick building was abandoned and a wooden one built. This was used until 1925 when buses took the children to Flanders or Budd Lake. A very fine dwelling is there now, in the school, pupils carried spring water from the Thomas place to keep the water bucket in the school filled. Each pupil drank from the same cup.
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