sioned April 29, 1886; elected first lieutenant February 9, 1891.

William F. Williams-Elected February 9, 1891; commissioned May 2, 1891; retired May 16, 1893.

CHAPTER XXVII.

FIFTEEN YEARS OF PROSPERITY.

In 1876 William Doolittle, of Ocean View; W. V. L. Seigman, of Cape May City; Dr. John Wiley, of Court House, and Downs Edmunds, of Lower township, were appointed by the State Centennial Commission as a local committee to gather agricultural and horticultural specimens from Cape May county for exhibition at the Centennial Exposition, held that year in Philadelphia. They asked the Board of Freeholders for one hundred dollars, with which to accomplish their purpose. It was refused, and Cape May was, therefore, not represented officially.

In 1876, '77 and 78 William T. Stevens, of Cape May City, was the member of the Assembly. He was born in Lower township on November 13, 1841, and was a great grandson of Henry Stevens and of Henry Young Townsend, both captains in the Revolution, and a grandson of Joshua Townsend, lieutenant in the War of 1812, and afterwards a member of both branches of the Legislature. He obtained his education in the public schools and under Rev. Moses Williamson and James R. Hughes. He served in Company F, Twenty-fifth Regiment, during the Civil War, and, after being mustered out, as a recruiting officer. Having learned the carpeenter's trade, he was employed after the war in the rebuilding of light houses in the South. In 1871 and '72, and again from 1886 to 1892, he was a member of the City Council of Cape May City. In 1888 he was president of the body. He was a member of the Board of Freeholders from 1893 to 1896, and was chosen in 1897 for an additional term of three years. He has been building inspector of Cape May City for two years. In politics he has always been a Republican. He is a deacon of the Baptist Church, with which he united when a young man.

In 1877 William Hildreth, of Court House, was appointed

sioned April 29, 1886; elected first lieutenant February 9, 1891.

William F. Williams-Elected February 9, 1891; commissioned May 2, 1891; retired May 16, 1893.

CHAPTER XXVII.

FIFTEEN YEARS OF PROSPERITY.

In 1876 William Doolittle, of Ocean View; W. V. L. Seigman, of Cape May City; Dr. John Wiley, of Court House, and Downs Edmunds, of Lower township, were appointed by the State Centennial Commission as a local committee to gather agricultural and horticultural specimens from Cape May county for exhibition at the Centennial Exposition, held that year in Philadelphia. They asked the Board of Freeholders for one hundred dollars, with which to accomplish their purpose. It was refused, and Cape May was, therefore, not represented officially.

In 1876, '77 and 78 William T. Stevens, of Cape May City, was the member of the Assembly. He was born in Lower township on November 13, 1841, and was a great grandson of Henry Stevens and of Henry Young Townsend, both captains in the Revolution, and a grandson of Joshua Townsend, lieutenant in the War of 1812, and afterwards a member of both branches of the Legislature. He obtained his education in the public schools and under Rev. Moses Williamson and James R. Hughes. He served in Company F, Twenty-fifth Regiment, during the Civil War, and, after being mustered out, as a recruiting officer. Having learned the carpeenter's trade, he was employed after the war in the rebuilding of light houses in the South. In 1871 and '72, and again from 1886 to 1892, he was a member of the City Council of Cape May City. In 1888 he was president of the body. He was a member of the Board of Freeholders from 1893 to 1896, and was chosen in 1897 for an additional term of three years. He has been building inspector of Cape May City for two years. In politics he has always been a Republican. He is a deacon of the Baptist Church, with which he united when a young man.

In 1877 William Hildreth, of Court House, was appointed

surrogate to succeed Dr. Jonathan F. Leaming, who resigned. He was that year elected for five years, and has been three times re-elected, holding the office at the present time. He is a son of Joshua Hildreth, who was born in 1774 and died in 1859, and who was a judge of the Court of Common Pleas. Surrogate Hildreth is also a grandson of John Dickinson, colonel of the Cape May regiment in the War of 1812. He was born at Court House on June 10, 1828. He was first chosen assessor of Middle township.

WILLIAM T. STEVENS,

On March 26, 1878, a part of Maurice River township was set over into Cape May county by act of the Legislature. The new boundaries were as follows: Beginning at a stone on the old Cape road, on the division line between Cape May and Cumberland, thence along the several courses of the said Cape Road to the intersection with the Dorchester and Estelleville road. Following that highway to the Cumberland and Tuckahoe road, the line ran thence along said road to a point on Hunter's Mill Dam in the Cumberland and Atlantic line, thence along the latter line to the terminus of the present Cumberland and Cape May line, thence to beginning. This land was made a part of Upper township.