This page will be used to post any references I come across regarding the section of Washington Township known as Hermann.
The place called Hermann or Hermann City was founded by Joseph Wippler and Company, or by a wealthy New York investor, John H. Rapp, in 1869 or 1870, who for some reason believed he would make a lot of money by running a glass works in Washington Township. Perhaps Rapp worked for the Wippler company, as sources differ on the name of the founder. He also erected 50 dwellings for the workers at the glass works. Glass was a common industry in South Jersey in the 19th century, especially in Washington Township. However, it seems an odd time to open a glass works: the one at Bulltown had closed down that same year; a year prior, in 1869, the second glass house at Crowleytown closed down (the first having burned down in 1866.) Even the one at Batsto had bee closed for more than five years, after no less than fourteen fires. Apparently the founders were undaunted by this string of failures. Mr. Rapp did not run the business himself, however; according to historian E.M.Woodward, it was run "under the supervision of Charles W. Wapler." Whether this man bears a relation to the Joseph Wippler mentioned by William McMahon in Historic South Jersey Towns, written in 1964, is uncertain. Although the Hermann City glass works got off to a good start, by 1873 the company had gone bust.The people that had lived and worked there, however, did not abandon the site. In 1895, there were still 78 residents of Hermann, and as late as 1910 16 homes were still occupied. Oddly enough, this is four more than were claimed to be inhabited in 1883 when Major E.M. Woodward wrote his History of Burlington County.By 1920, the name of the town does not appear on the census; it's residents had probably been absorbed by nearby Green Bank.
When William McMahon was writing his South Jersey history in 1963, he noted that at low tide three sunken ships could be seen on the river where Hermann City stood. He identified these ships as the Argo and the Frances (he does not name the third.) Koster's hotel was still standing at that time as well. According to him, one of the principal streets in the town was one known as "Skin Row."Although it is supposed to have been founded in 1870, a map of the area by F.W. Beers made in 1872 makes no reference to Hermann. Oddly enough, some modern maps produced by Hagstrom do feature it on their maps, although there is no structure standing on the former site.
The following is all I have uncovered so far regarding the inhabitants of this small town.
Below is data taken from poll books found in the research library at Batsto Historic Site; they show clearly which residents voted from Hermann in 1892 and 1894, which was extremely helpful in separating the residents of Hermann from the rest of the census in the next census year, 1895.| 1892 | 1894 |
|---|---|
| James M. Crowley | Albert Sooy |
| A.E.Koster | A.E. Koster |
| Samuel P. Ford | Samuel P. Ford |
| Frank G. Ford | Frank Ford |
| Reuben Mick | Reuben Mick |
| Charles H. Ford | Wesley Ford |
| Richard C. Ford | Joseph M. Birdsall |
| Thomas Cobb | Thomas Cobb |
| William H. Simpkins | William H. Simpkins |
| John R. Ford | Alfred Woolston |
| George Gale | John W. Simpkins |
| Albert Gale | John W. Ford |
| Martin Gale | William H. Johnson |
| Elwood Gale | William A. Johnson |
| Richard Ford | Benjamin Ford |
| Wesley B. Ford | Wesley Ford |
The entire population of Hermann in 1895 was as follows:
House #1:Mary A. Woolston and Alfred Woolston
House #2:Albert, Emma, Bertha, Ermyn, and Orin Sooy
House #3:Rebecca and William Crowley
House #4:Joseph M. Birdsall; he lived with Hazelton and Augustus K. Birdsall.
According to the voting records, in 1892 he was listed not in Hermann but in
Crowleytown.
Listed as a separate family, but in the same house, was the family of
George W. Woolston, with Jennie, Harold, and Willie Woolston
House #5:Reuben Mick, along with Jennie, Ida L., Olive L., and Florence M. Mick
House #6:Thomas Cobb, who apparently lived alone.
House #7:Wesley and Phoebe Ford
House #8:Benjamin and Clara Ford
House #9:Ellen and Richard Ford
House #10:Rachel Ford and her
family: Charles, Ernest, Malinda, Cora B., Willie, and Eugene
Ford
In that same house was a second family: William F., Hannah, and
L. Jeannette Gaul
House #11:Louis, Amy, Beaulah, Frank, Eprhaim, and Bessie Ford
House #12:Asa, Sarah, and Grover Ford
House #13:Samuel P. Ford, with Sarah E. and Alice Ford.
House #14:Samuel P. Ford, sr. with Emmeline and Julia B. Ford
House #15:John, Georgiana, Johnnie, and Eva Simpkins
House #16:J. Wesley Ford, Sarah E., Johnnie, Sammie, Emma, Leonard,
and Arthur Ford
House #17:William H. and Maggie Ford; Daniel Johnson also lived with them
House #18:Amanda ans William A. Johnson.
House #19:
Augustus Ernst Koster and his wife, Augusta with five of their children: