DANE - Danish Archives North East - Perth Amboy
Danish Communities
DANE - Danish Archives North East
Perth Amboy and Middlesex County area in New Jersey
- Churches:
- St. Stephens Danish Lutheran Church
Originally at: 99 Broad Street, Perth Amboy, now
at:120 Pleasant Avenue, Edison, NJ 08837-2665. The church was
organized on August 20, 1872 (41 people) and on September 15, 1872,
the first worship service was conducted in Danish by Pastor Anders
Lausen Jensen Søholm. Circa 1875, a church was built on East
Avenue. In 1888, a new church was built on the corner of State
and Broad Streets. In 1896, a brick church and a frame parsonage
were built at 101 Broad Street. In 1939, Crown Prince Frederick and
Princess Ingrid of Denmark visited the church. In 1941, dual services
in English and Danish were started. In 1949, a Sunday School was
built on the corner of First and Pleasant Avenue in Raritan Township
(Edison). The Broad Street church was sold in 1957. In 1960, the
church was built on Pleasant Avenue in Edison. In 1964, services in
Danish were stopped. The records have been copied and we indexed
the records. The records are from 1872-1948. The records
for November 1882-August 1887 have been lost. If you would like us to
look up something, then please contact us at [email protected].
(picture of 1875 church, 1888
church, 1896 church) (list of
ministers) (church records
information) (1911 mission
meeting photo of ministers)
- Forste Dansk Methodist Menighed
First Danish Methodist Episcopal Church, Perth Amboy, New Jersey
The congregation was organized June 1869. The
founding members were James Buck, Jacob Thompson, and Nels
Hansen. They met in James Buck's home. The church was
incorporated October 26, 1874. In 1876, a small frame church was
erected at 320 State Street, Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Rev
Burriel Smith was church's first pastor. Smith was born in Slesvig,
Denmark. The cornerstone for the new church at Madison & Jefferson
Street, Perth Amboy was laid on 17 September 1898. The church
was was dedicated on Sunday 17 December 1899.
In 1942, the church was reincorporated as the "Wesley Methodist
Church". Circa 1956, a large part of the church property was
destroyed by fire. A new Wesley Methodist Church then was built at
5053 Woodbridge Avenue in Edison. (Church webpage)
(pictures of church) (list
of ministers)
- Our Savior’s Danish Lutheran Church, Perth Amboy
On Thanksgiving Day 1868 Our Savior’s Danish Lutheran
Church, Perth Amboy, New Jersey formed a congregation and adopted a
constitution. The pastor was Pastor O. Juul. Trustees were Jens
Hansen, Hans Jorgensen, and Thomas Thomsen. Treasurer was Hans
Jorgensen and Secretary was C.F. Eskesen.
Under the leadership of Pastor V B Skov, a church building was planned
in 1889. It was located at State and Market Street. With gifts of
labor and materials the church was constructed for six thousand
dollars. Dedication was held on Thanksgiving Day 1896.
Under the sponsorship of the Ladies Aid a new parsonage was built in
1904. The church services were conducted in Danish until 1925 and at
that time the church became know as the Our Savior’s Evangelical
Lutheran Church. The church is now located at 50 Calvert Avenue,
Edison, New Jersey.
We have a copy of the microfilm of the church records from 1873-1901
in the DANE holdings. If you would like us to look up something,
then please contact us at [email protected].
(picture of church) (Sunday School) (first
church) (Interior of church circa
1943) (Pastor V.B. Skov) (WWII
Honor Roll)
- Danish Seventh Day Adventists
- in 1920, they had a church on Neville Street in Perth Amboy
- Grace Lutheran Church (picture)
(picture)
- Danish Home:
- Danish Children's Home, Perth Amboy
- Cemeteries:
- Alpine Cemetery - some information gathered
from various sources (tombstones, obituaries, etc.)
- Braga Hall - (picture in 2005)
- Frem Singing Society - (picture in 2005)
- Dana Relief Society:
The Dana Relief Society began on September 11, 1884. They met in
the home of Jens Andersen at 278 Prospect Street in Perth Amboy. The
organization was formed to aid members and their families in times of
distress. They set up a fund to pay a fixed sum weekly to a member,
who on account of illness, was not able to work. On the death of
a member, they paid the widow or other survivors $200. At the
death of his wife, a member was paid $100. Another fund was set
up to assist widows and orphans of members. Meetings were held
at Jens Andersen's home until January 1885 and then for 2 years at the
home of J.C. Iversen on State Street in Perth Amboy. The upper
floor of 107 Smith Street was rented from Therkelsen and Brown until
in December 1895, Dana moved to the McCormick building at 90-92 Smith
Street. In March 1894, they purchased 2 lots at 224-226 Smith
Street almost opposite the Jersey Central Railroad Station. The
building was completed about November 1, 1898. The property was sold
to Emil Koyen on August 1, 1920. They then moved to Dana Hall on
Market Street. (list of charter
officers and members)
- Danish Brotherhood in America Lodge:
- Danish Sisterhood of America Lodge: Perth
Amboy, Lodge 36 - Freia -(1896-founding
members)
(1944) (1946)
(1960)
- Danish Sociable
Athletic Club (DSAC): The Danish Sociable Athletic Club in
Perth Amboy was formed in the winter of 1902. The first meeting
was held in a shed in the rear of the store that became
Melbourne & Ritter's Accessory store at the corner of Park Avenue
and New Brunswick Avenue. The club was started by Peter Hansen,
Chris Hansen, Jens Friis, Gus Madsen, and Martinus Lauritzen.
Later a two story frame building was built on New Street. It was
considered one of the foremost athletic and gymnastic clubs in New
Jersey. The gymnastic team was under the direction of Nels
Fonskov. The gym stars were Marinus Hansen, Walter
Mathiasen, Henry Axen, Hans Svarre, Chris Hansen, Peter M.
Hansen, Peter Hansen, Martinus Lauritzen, and Hans Stockel. The
club also was involved in wrestling. The star wrestler was H.P.
Hansen. Other wrestlers were: John Larson, Jorgen Hansen,
Peter Jensen, Hans Stockel, Hans Svarre, Chris Miller, Marinus Hansen,
Peter Hansen, Walter Mathiasen, Henry Axen, Charles Howe, Chris
Larsen, Johnny Janderup, and Jimmie Christensen. In October
1908, the new members were: Nels Finslov, Edward Petersen, Arthur
Petersen, Ole Jorgensen, Jorgen Oleson, August Kroeger, and Andrew
Dahl. In December 1908, William Poulsen became a new
member. In 1910, the club added baseball to its program. (1911
baseball team picture) (1915
gymnastics team) (wrestling team
picture)
- Perth Amboy School
District - some report cards
- Perth Amboy Immigration Records: The National
Archives and Records Administration (NARA)-Northeast Region New York
Office has the records below. They are unable to search these records
for specific entries or provide reproductions in response to letters
or telephone calls. These records are available for use in the NARA
public research room. The office address is: 201 Varick
Street, New York, New York 10014-4811, Telephone: 212-401-1620:
- Inward and Outward Bound Manifests for the Port of
Perth Amboy, NJ for the period 1801-1857 (Entry 973A-B). These
records filed with the Office of the U.S. Customs Service (Record
Group 36). They appear to be in chronological order by date of
arrival and are not indexed by passenger name.
- Microfilm copies of publication M575 Copies of
Lists of Passengers Arriving at Miscellaneous Ports on the Atlantic,
and Gulf Coasts and at Ports on the Great Lakes, 1820-1873. This
series includes the Port of Perth Amboy for the period 1820-1832
(Roll 8)
- It is unknown if any manifests for the Port of
Perth Amboy exist after 1857. It is possible that after 1857,
they became included in the Port of New York
records. The Port of New York arrival records are not
indexed until June 16, 1897. After June 16, 1897 the passenger
manifests are indexed by passenger
name to 1948.
- Danish population in Perth Amboy (those
listed as born in Denmark):
- 1860 census - 9 of 2,302 (less than 1%)
- 1870 census - 131 of 2,861 (about 4%)
- 1880 census - 387 of 4,809 (about 3%) 136 more with Danish
parent - (about 11% of population of Danish descent)
- 1900 census - 1,344 of 17,678 (about 7.5%)
- 1920 census - 1,190 of 41,678 (about 3%) 1,700 more with
Danish parent - (about 7% of population of Danish descent)
- 1930 census - 520 of 43,424 (about 1%)
- Danish population in Middlesex County
(those listed as born in Denmark)
- 1860 census - 20 of 34, 813 (less than 1%)
- 1870 census - 199 of 45, 045 (less than 1%)
- 1880 census - 583 of 52,312 (about 1%)
- 1900 census - 1766 of 79,753 (about 2%)
- 1920 census - 1848 of 162,317 (about 1%)
- 1930 census - 1164 of 211,434 (less than 1%)
- Home of Gov Morgan Foster Larson, High St. Perth Amboy, NJ
The Larson house on High Street was built by Danish
Contractor, Iver C. Ostergaard. Morgan Foster Larson (1882-1961), born
in Perth Amboy, New Jersey was the son of Peter and Regina Larson.
Peter Larson was a Danish blacksmith who immigrated to the United
States at the age of 22. Morgan Foster Larson served as the fortieth
governor of New Jersey and was a prominent civil engineer in Middlesex
County. (picture of house)(bigraphy
and
picture of Gov. Larson) (biography)
- Home of Laurids B Eskesen (1872-1914), 39 Gordon Street,
Perth Amboy, NJ circa 1912/13
Home of Laurids B Eskesen (1872-1914) and wife
Asta H (nee Schmidt). Eskesen was Vice President of NJ Terra
Cotta Co. Perth Amboy at the time of his death in Dec 1914. The house
was still in existence in 2003. (picture of
house)
- Statue of George Washington, City Hall Park, Perth Amboy, NJ
In 1895 the Danish and Scandinavian population of Perth
Amboy commissioned Nels Nielsen Alling (1861-1955), a Danish sculptor,
to create the statue of George Washington. It was to express
pride and love for their adopted country. The funds were raised within
the Scandinavian community and the statue was dedicated on 2 September
1895. Alling worked on the statue at the the NJ Terra Cotta Co in
Perth Amboy. (picture)
- Home of Peter S Sondergaard, Keyport NJ
Peter Sondergaard joined Karl Mathiasen and four Eskesen
Brothers in the Spring of 1895 to establish a Terra Cotta factory in
Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Sondergaard made his residence in Keyport,
New Jersey. Karl Mathiasen had a large mansion in the town as
well. The company went on to become one of the largest suppliers
of building terra cotta across the United States. The
facades of many great edifices were adorned with architectural terra
cotta made at the Perth Amboy factories. (picture
of house)
- Matawan Tile Company, Matawan NJ
Orginally known as the Rue Pottery Company the factory
was purchased by Karl Mathiasen. The first kiln was fired in
Fall 1896 and it's name was changed to Matawan Terra Cotta
Company. It was located at 32 Main Street in Matawan. In
1902 Mathiasen, Bennet and L B Eskesen established the Matawan Tile
Company. The company lasted until 1936 when the tile market was
declining due to the events happening in Europe and eventually the
start of World War II. (picture of company)
- Various Perth Amboy Danish vital statistics: Marriages, Births,
Deaths
- Historical maps
- Rutgers Special Collections - (1872, 1876, 1914, 1920, etc.)
- Newspaper: Perth Amboy Dansk
Amerikaner (1886-1913) (if anyone knows where any copies exist, then
please contact us)
- Books at DANE: "Images of Perth Amboy", Joan Sequine-LeVine
- Various Perth Amboy pictures
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