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!JJo,~"ough o.f.(}!]lzanvi//e DEDICATION EXERCISES

of the

MANVILLE SEWERAGE SYSTEM

and DISPOSAL PLANT

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.Jo~t.·ph ( )nk.t, tormct M.tyur of 'fhc Borough ot M.tnvillc

Th .. 0111111it t t · on I )crt ir·n t ion

Excrcis feel -- thnt RinndtntH.'

ously with th publi nt ion of 1his

prograrn, special tribute ~hould

be paid to th fforts, in it i~l tive

and organizing ahilit ies of fortn

. . . t d 011 tl1e banks of the beautiful Rarita11 andM anvtlle 1S sttua e . R . itl vie\V of tl1e azure-colored Watchu11g Moutltains

Mtllstone t vers. . . · . area of approxi111ately two square m1les, 1t embraces

Includ1ng an . . during tl1e days of the An1ertca11 R evolutton manyw eston, \Vhere

. t t skirmishes were fougl1t. Though these encounters n1ay not1mpor an -- . . . e been decisive from a military pomt of v1ew, they curtalled thehav · h ·

activities and movements of British soldiers tn t e regton.

Manville is located in the central eastern part of The State of N ew Jerse)r, in the County of Somerset, between the towns of Bound .Brook a11d Sotner,,ille. It is thirty-six miles southeast of New York City and 12 miles northwest of New Brunswick.

In earlier times, the Raritan Canal provided passage for a great many bulk-freight carriers bound for Philadelphia, Trenton, Perth Amboy and New York. Today, Manville is adequately cot1nected \\Tith four principal railroads: The Central Railroad of New Jersey, The Baltin1ore & Ohio Railroad, The Reading Railroad Company, and The Lehigh Valley Railroad. Also, concrete highways connect with the main arteries leading to the metropolitan centers of New York and Philadelphia.

In 1906, the community had a population of only 190. Tl1e Federal Census in 1930 showed that this figure had i11creased to 5,441, and today Manville is a thriving little metropolis of more tl1an 7,000 people.

'I'he fanvilJe ,ational Bank 1"hc Ma nville Post Office

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VJ!l(,11l ;II()

(!; /,"1·ches

Upper left, Church of St. Peter and St. Paul.

Upper right, Pillar of Fire Church.

Directly above, Saint Mary,s Church.

Right, Sacred Heart Church -

C' F~· ·' (1/).s·fo ·J·z' o/.(}!J!la Jll); ffell l! \.._)a, lv 1l t1. ... . . earl settlement, the County of Somerset

During the penod of lts . y. ow - into towns, boroughs and was divided polit~call~-.a: :~~:y~nic stage, lay in the township of townships. Manvllle, m 1~ a permanent settlement at Hills-Hillsborough. Although t ere was rapid growth in the vicinity

h ly as 1690 there was n0 boroug as ear d ' d ther passage ways made travelling and until a network of roa s an .

0 t People were then afforded a better

nication more conventen · commu . d dvantages of the surround-a ortunity to observe the beauttes an a · PP ·d . d ,_s a result of their visits, several people whose tng countrysi.lle ,kan the locality of Manville, became the purC4 • names are st1 nown 1n

chasers of property.

In 1698, A. R. Miller purchased eight squa~e miles. of pro?erty which he later sold to Michael Van Vechte and etght of hts as~octates. Van Vechte as the records in the archives reveal, changed hts name to Van Veghten. It was upon the farm of his descendant, ~errich Van Veghten, that the American Army was quartered durtng the winter of 1778-79.

It was in November of 1776 that the first of the Somerset Troops marched to fight in the Revolutionary War under General Schuyler. The main body of the army in New Jersey was located at Morristown. There were many skirmishes in the vicinity of what is now M anville, the most important one occurring at Weston- in the southwestern section of Manville- where the Americans destroyed many of the English boats which were bringing provisions up the Raritan River. In another instance, the British attempted an attack on the American forces at New Brunswick with the intention of destroying fifty flatboats which Washington had ordered to be at Van Veghten's Bridge (between Manville and Finderne, and now the site of Johns-Manville property) . However, the scheme was found out, and the British retreated.

Prior to the days of the Revolutionary War, in about the year 1685, the Raritan River served as a means of transporting slaves to the vicinity and also northward to New York and Canada.

During the period between the end of the Civil War and 1912, ·Hillsborough Township was a quiet retreat with a small number of inhabitants. Th~n c~me the awa~ening in which industry called forth a~d welcomed tnto tts haven groups of hard-working, conscientious alten people who were to help in fulfilling the demands for new commodities required by contemporary civilization.

6

(J(;g/,/;g/lis IN THE DEVELOPMENT

OF MANVILLE BOROUGH

1924 Camplain Road sidewalks laid.

1925 Concrete pavement (one mile in length) laid on M illstone R oad

(now Main Street) .

1926 Manville National Bank organized.

1928 Roosevelt School completed.

1928 On April 18th the inhabitants of the territory now comprising Manville voted in the affirmative on the referendum to incorporate the Borough.

1929 Aprillst, the State Legislature passed an act making M anville an incorporated Borough.

1929 On May 21st the first meeting of t h e M ayor and Council was held at Fire Company House No. 1 on Main Street.

Mayor . . . . . .

President . . . . .

Councilman Councilman Councilman Councilman Councilman

. .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Gustav Boesel P atrick J. Whelan John Greasheimer N athan Weiss J oseph Onka Benjamin Czaplicki J oseph Sidorski

1929 November 4th: term.

Joseph Onka elected Mayor for the first full

1930 The Borough installed costing $247 ,000.

a municipally owned water system

1931 Royce Creek Bridge (South Main Street) constructed.

1931 Curbs and sidewalks constructed on Washington Avenue.

1932 The Herrick A:ct enabled the Borough Camplain Road thoroughfare.

to macadamize the

1932 Storm Sewer laid (Fifth Avenue to L ehigh Valley Railroad) .

1932 Two La France Fire Engines, costing $12,000, purchased during the term of Fire Commissioner Alexander B atcho.

1932 The tax map was completed at a Engineer C. J. Kupper.

cost of $4,000 by Borough

1933 Municipal Finance Commission assumed jurisdiction over the Borough of Manville.

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. s Supervising Principal of t~e schools of B. ]. Boyer restgned a d d by Harold I. M erntt.1934 ·n He was succee e Manvt e. . Manufacturing Company pu rchased a

1934 March 8th: The Stnlge~ from Bernard Meyer at F inderne. 289 acre tract of an .

- f N Jersey approved 38-foot brtdge across April 12th: St~teo ew1934 the Raritan Rtver. · ·

· 1·pal Finance Commtsston approved theMa 1Oth: The M untc . .1934 .Yl d Avenue improvement proJect.Ra1 roa . . . P. ]. Whelan received a four-year commtsston as

1934 May 23rd. f th Borough from Postmaster General Jamespostmaster o e A. Farley.

Raritan River Bridge was closed as construction1934 July 5t h : The

started on the new bridge.

The State E . R. A. granted $35,050 for the construction of a1935 storm sewer on North Second Avenue.

May 11th: Dedication exercises for Van Veghten's Bridge1935 were held. The Public Service Co. extended the gas mains to Weston.1935

1935 Mayor Joseph Onka showed the State Municipal Finance Commission the need for a Borough sewerage system and disposal plant.

1935 September 5th: $350,909 allotted to the Borough for sewer lines and for the construction of a disposal plant.

1935 September 12th: The Borough filed application for Duke's Parkway Improvement.

1935 October: The W.P.A. granted an additional $18,447 for the construction of a storm sewer line on North Second Avenue.

1935 November 4th: Mayor Joseph Onka reelected. 1936 April 4th: Mayor Onka and the Council officially broke

ground for the sewage disposal project. 1937 Harold I. Merritt resigned as supervising principal of the

Borough School System. He was succeeded by a native of the Borough, John W. Zorella.

1937 The sewer lines and disposal plant were completed. 1937 July 17th: Johns-Manville silver jubilee held at Manville. 1937 Sewer extension project, costing $125,000 was passed. 1937 November 4th: Alexander Batcho was elected Mayor. 1937 ~e~e~b~r 3rd: The Borough of Manville was released from the

JUrlsdtctlon of the Municipal Finance Commission. 1938

May 14th: The Manville Sewage Disposal Plant is dedicat ed .

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(

The Johns-Man':ille Factory at Manville, New Jersey

Manville is located strategically, since four railroads, two rivers , a canal and several concrete highways connect it with metropolitan markets. Because of these factors it has forged ahead in attracting industry, and its future is limited only by the prosperity of the country as a whole.

The most important industry located in Manville is the JohnsManville Company~ which has been carrying on manufacturing operations here for more than twenty-five years. It was on the sultry summer afternoon of August 12, 1912, that a group of industrial leaders, Somerset County officials and prominent residents met near a point- now within the boundaries of Manville - where they formally observed the establishment of the H. W. Johns-Manville Company's key factory in the East. It was heralded as "the largest asbestos plant in the world."

Since that day, this plant has grown continuously, and now it is a main unit in the far flung system of sixteen factories and mines which are owned and operated both here and abroad by Johns-Manville. From the employment of five workers in 1912 with a monthly payroll of $91.92, this plant grew steadily until it attained some 3,000 workers with a monthly payroll of $400,000.

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11 i1 '"Un n a l in ~ ~ nun 1 r o f 11 11 d tl1 ·1v1 autl riti in n1~u1 ..v oth r n1uui i1 1 faciliti

110 h r irnp r an indu try that has s tt~ d in Jylanvil! i tl F d r 1 Cr O"Otin Con1p ny, a vvood 1 r s rvtn rvtc whtcll c 1n h r in 1 09. Althou h i doe 110t enlplO)' as tna11y p OJ)} h r

Upper left, Manville Public School No.1. Above, Manville Public School No. 2. Left, The Roosevelt School in Manville. In circle, Mr. John W. Zorella, Supervising Principal of the Manville schools.

The future of any community depends upon the education of its children. The early forefathers of M anville and the neighboring vicinit y realized the important part that education plays in the welfare a nd progress of a community, and therefore they established a school in W eston (near the Van Nest Cem etery) in about the year 1720.

At the present time, although the educational system of the Borot1gh has facilit ies to supply but the minimum essentials outlined in the curriculum, M anville has made good progress in this respect and is proud of its three schools with a teaching staff of twenty-six teachers under the direct ion of three principals and a supervising principal.

The growth of t h e community's school system , from the one class room that was informally conducted in the early days to the present organization employing a staff of some thirt y people, is evidence of Manville's conviction that one fundamental basis of t rue democracy is an adequate educational program.

Manville sends some 250 h igh school pupils to the neighboring t own of Bound Brook, and it is justly p roud of the scholarship and athletic records of these students.

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] Jl (I I , I. ; II(. I 1] J\' 1~ 1

" 11 cl1 1~

1, h,1 n . ~llt:hI sr .. t r t ch I

""h (, t :-. .J r cv.;

I i a ourc of and gratifi ation

or tl ta D partn1 nt of Health to

./t nd "On ra ulation to he Borough of

an ·ill upon he con1ple ion of its modrl1 , a di po a1 ) stexn. At no time

did h Sta e of e\V Jerse:y find it 11eces- J. Lynn ~Iah. ffe), 1.1). ary o in oke cotnpulsion against the Borougl1 i11 the constructi n

progratn. Rather, he Borough, motivated by a fi11e civic spirit and ag r ssi n ss proceeded upo11 its ow11 n1omentum to accotnplish for i s ]f h b nefits of an up-to-date disposal plant.

Int rvention of the State Department of Health was 11ecessary onl to bring about tl1e issuanc of c 1 Order of Necessity, so tl1at tl1 Stat fiscal at1thorities would sat1ctio11 th requisite })ond issue for fi11ancn1 purJ)Oses.

Manvill 's l)tll)lic wat r tlf>J)l was a11oth r factor i11fluen i11 tl1 Borottgh's d cisio11 to er ct , s wag disposal plant. Tl1e Borottgl1, af r cotnpl ting a wat r supply sy t 11 in. 1931, realized the pote11tial dang t s ir1cident to tl1e overflowing of s pools, which might make their way to, and contaminate, the Borough's water supply.

The records of the State Department of Health show approval of engineering plans for Manville at1d construction progress as follows:

Johns-1\lan,ille Transite Sewer Pipe being installed in the new system.

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An aerial view of the new M an ville sewage treatment plant In the f d · h d · · · . . . . oregroun 1st e a mtntstrauon butldtng. The sed tmentatton tanks for the primary treatment of the sewage are to the rear of the

buildi n g, w h ile the trickling filter is in the background.

D ecember 10, 1935: Plans for partial sewer system and sewage treatment works approved.

January 1, 193 7: Construction completed.

M ay 1, 1937: Sewage disposal plant is placed in operation.

J uly 2, 1937: Sewerage system and disposal plant officially accepted.

Investigat ion of the pollution of the waters of the Raritan River and it s t ributaries was begun by the State Department of Health in 1931 , with a legislative appropriation of $25,000. The field survey was confined t o that section of the river adjacent to the junction of t he north and south branches of the R aritan River and east to a portion of the R aritan Bay.

Summarized, t he findings of t hese investigations indicated that: upwards of 50,000,000 gallons of sewage and industrial wastes were being discharged daily by 15 municipalities and certain industries into the 25 -mile length of the Raritan R iver from t he Town of Raritan to the Bay. This polluting material was not t reated or purified, although at several points sewage sett ling tanks had been constructed to remove the coarser floating solids.

The discharge of this sewage into these waters injured or threatened injury to the health, comfort or property of certain inhabitants of this State in the following ways.

The waters derived from the R aritan River for potable use at the junction of the Millstone R iver below the municipalities of R aritan,

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Somerville, and Mat1ville, were polluted so as to create a potential hazard to consumers using this water for that purpose.

The waters below the potable watershed were rendered unsuitable as a source of water supply for manufacturing or potable purposes.

The recreational assets of the lower portions of the Raritan River were destroyed.

The shellfish beds at the mouth of the river and the oyster grounds in the bay were abandoned, at the expense of a heavy economic loss, even though the bay municipalities- since they were more interested in the shellfish industries- had installed sewage treatment plants for the protection of this asset.

The typhoid fever case rate of the municipalities along the Raritan River was generally higher than for the rest of the State as a whole. In the absence of any other apparent reasons, it was believed that the infections may have been contracted in the consumption of the polluted shellfish or in the use of the waters for recreational purposes.

Left: In this modern chemical laboratory, tests are run daily at Manville to determine the characteristics of the sewage before and after treatment and in intermediate stages. Below: An interior view of the pumping station showing the mechanical equipment used to pump the

sewage to the disposal plant.

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~~·~-!n bein~ sprayed by t_his rotating trickier at the disposal plant, the liquid is oxidized by the oxygen 10 the atr; and when 1t passes through the bed of crushed stone, bacterial action takes place which

further decomposes it.

~ased upo~ these findings, the State Department of Health issued n?t1ces ord_ering the municipalities to cease this pollution and to dispose of Its sewage in a manner satisfactory to the Department. In the aggregate, there were four notices issued under the Potable Water Act and thirteen notices under the act known as the State Sewerage Act.

At about this time an economic crisis developed which interrupted the progress of the Department's proceedings. Most of the municipalities, caught in the financial difficulties, petitioned for an extension of time within which to comply with the orders issued against them. Fully cognizant of these conditions, and pursuant to the recommendation of the Attorney-General, the Department, on February 2, 1932, granted a two-year extension subject to the condition that each municipality benefiting from the extension admit the allegations set forth, and agree to enter into a consent decree in the Court of Chancery. With one exception, these terms were accepted by all of the municipalities served with notices, based upon the terms of the State Sewerage Act.

The time limit, however, expired and financial recovery did not materialize as anticipated. The municipalities could not comply with the terms of the notice. But shortly thereafter occurred the organization of the Public Works Administration by the Federal Government. Of the municipalities in question, Perth Amboy and Manville were among the first to proceed on their own initiative and receive funds without further pressure from the State Department of Health.

The failure of the other municipalities to demonstrate the same alertness caused the Department to request the Attorney General to institute court proceedings. This action resulted in the issuance of

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Chancery Court decrees on April 2, 1935, c?mmanding and enjoix:ing the Boroughs of Bound Brook, Middles~x, Htghland Par~, South Rtver and Sayreville; the Townships of Raritan and Wodbrtdge; and the City of New Brunswick and the Pierce Estate tn the ~oroug~ of Middlesex to cease the pollution of the waters of the Raritan Rtver and to dispose of their sewage in a satisfactory manner.

At the time of this writing, contempt proceedings against the Township of Woodbridge are pending in the Court of Chancery. A court order has been obtained against the Borough of South Amboy for its failure to comply with a notice issued by the Department.

Municipalities in the lower Raritan Valley have their sewage treatment facilities about seventy-five per cent completed, representing an outlay of $4,000,000.

At the close of the fiscal year, June 30, 193 7, data summarized by the State Department of Health indicated that facilities for the treatment of 33.7 million gallons per day of sewage and other polluting material contributed by the municipalities in the lower Raritan Valley will be provided upon the completion of the sewage works.

Municipalities have completed their works, as follows: Manville, $312,035.46; Highland Park, $264,045; Keyport, $49,998.82 ; Metuchen, $105,170.18; New Brunswick, $495,914.50; Perth Amboy, $929,360 ; Plainfield, $84,066.71; Johns-Manville Company, sewer connections to Manville System, $38,000; Middlesex Borough, $550,909; Sayreville, $283,191.75; Somerville, $229,909; South River, $178,830. Bound Brook's plant is practically completed, estimated to cost $263,183.34; and the plant for the Town of Raritan is 90 per cent completed, estimated to cost $213,636.

New Jersey was congratulated on its accomplishments in pollution abatement by new disposal works by C. E. Velz, chief engineer of the Public Works Administration of New Jersey, at the convention of the New Jersey Sewage Works Association in Trenton, March 11, 1937.

Speaking of the Raritan River situation, Engineer Velz said: "This concerted effort at abatement of serious pollution will go far toward reviving the splendor of this great water heritage and restoring it to its ri.ghtful posit_ion in the li:res of the people of the valley. Already a pubhc response 1s apparent tn the movement for full utilization of the restored river for water supply and recreational purposes.

"I understand there is agitation for the creation of water front parkways an~ revival. of b~th!ng, boating and fishing. With the tmpetus of thts splendtd begtnntng it is not inconceivable that fresh wat~r fish will return, _including the silvery frost fish, peculiar to the Rarttan, ~nd that agatn the Raritan will be the scene of gala water events as.tn 1922 when Gertrude Ederle broke the 440 yard record to def~at Hllda James of .England, and eventually that the river will agatn be worthy of the tttle bestowed upon her by a poet 130 'Thou Queen of Rivers, Raritan.' , years ago,

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http:263,183.34http:283,191.75http:84,066.71http:495,914.50http:105,170.18http:49,998.82http:312,035.46

Mr. Walter R . Darby, Chief Auditor

of The State of New Jersey.

SHOW

COOPERATIVE SPIRIT

By William R. Darby, Chief Auditor

of The State of New Jersey

T he B orough of M anville came under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Finance Commission on January 30, 1933, and it was the first municipality to be released from the jurisdiction of the Commission on D ecember 3, 1937. This was made possible because the Borough Officials gave full cooperation to the Commission and also because t h e obligations of the Borough were held entirely by residents of t he State of N ew Jersey. The problem was simplified because of the lack of litigation on the part of any creditor of the Borough, and all were willing to cooperate in a solution of the Borough's financial difficulties.

R efinancing bonds were issued as of June.15, 1934, but the Borough desired the aid of the Commission in the installation of a sewer plant. This wa s undertaken in 1935 and involved the expenditure of $313,000, of which $138,150 was supplied under a P. W. A. grant. The sewer system has been completed and put in operation, and it is regarded as a model system for municipalities of the size and topographical

features of the B orough of Manville.

It would not have been possible to rehabilitate the finances of the Borough of Manville in so short a time had it not been for the spirit of cooperation with wh ich the problem was viewed by the Borough Officials, the citizens and the creditors. It shows what can be done under d ifficult circumstances when everyone connected with the

situation approaches t h e problem with that point of view.

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Mr. M. \V. Lieberman, ResidentEngineer Inspector ofThe Public Works Administration.

cil of the Borough of realize this fact.

CONGRATULATES MANVILLE BOROUGH

By M. W. Lieberman

Resident Engineer Inspector

The Public Works Administration heartily congratulates the Borough of Manville upon the dedication of its Sewage Treatment Plant. The operating results at the plant have to date more than lived up to expectations and it must be a source of great satisfaction to the Mayor and Coun-

Manville and their Consulting Engineer to

The Public Works Administration on its part is proud of its connection with the construction of this treatment plant, its adjoining pumping station and system of sewers. Throughout the period of construction there was perfect cooperation between the officials of the Borough of Manville, the Consulting Engineer, the Contractors, and the Public Works Administration, which fact in no small measure accounts for the excellent results obtained. In making this statement I am sure that I am expressing the feelings of Col. C. C. Vermuele, Acting State Director ; Mr. Denis J. O'Mahoney, State Engineer Inspector; Mr. T. Hayden Hamilton, Chief Engineer Examiner ; Mr. Clarence J. Velz, Assistant Chief Engineer Examiner and Mr. A. P. Ackerman, Engineer Examin~r, State Officials of the P. W. A. during the construction of the project.

I am sure that Manville's growth, health and general well being will be gre~tly enhanced by the work and again I congratulate you upon your wisdom and forethought in bringing it to such a successful realization.

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Mr. C. J. Kupper, Engineer

for the Borough of Manville.

crnamJille

c!JJorough

~6

J OSEPH ONKA A. BATCHO A. STANSLEY G. SOPKO F. S. POLONKO

JOHN MACK

N . FIERRO P. MENZAK C. } . K UPPER M.A. WEISS

1933

J OHN ZWATSCHKA P. ]. WHELAN J. PRZYBYLA T. K REMPA A. BATCHO S. WASS N. FIERRO ]. J. BULAT C. J. KUPPER GEORGE ALLGAIR

1930

JOSEPH ONKA J . J . JASINSKI ANDREW PERSINKO NICHOLAS FIERRO JOSEPH SUNDAY WILLIAM MAZUR JOHN ZWATSCHKA JOHN MARKOVITCH C. ] . K U P PER MILTON A. WEISS

JOSEPH O NK A A. BATCH O J. PRZYBYLA G. SOPKO S. WASS N. FIERRO F. S. POLONKO P. MENZAK C. J. KUPPER M.A. WEISS

1'>~2

JOHN ZWATSCHKA P. J. WHELAN PAUL SULLA THOMAS KREMPA WILLIAM MAZUR ALEX. BATCHO NICHOLAS FIERRO ADAM B. CHASE C. J. KUPPER G. W. ALLGAIR

1929

GUSTAV BOESEL P. J . WHELAN J . GREASHEIMER N . WEISS J . ONKA B. CZAPLICKI J. SIDORSK I JOSEPH J. BULAT CHARLES J. KUPPER GEORGE ALLGAIR

19

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