Tabernacle Historical Society

On this page you will find a selection of writings from residents of our region. Click on any article below for a window into our written history.

• Harriett Ruster Haines
• Viola Cutts Sparagna Speech
• Viola Cutts Sparagna
• Author Unknown – dated March 1891
• Author Unknown – 1980

The following article was located by Allen Rowles and posted on the Tabernacle Historical Society’s facebook page.

Tabernacle

1883 Major E.M Woodward. Villages and Hamlets

Tabernacle- The Hamlet bearing this name was first settled by Friends, and is located in the extreme northern part of the township of Shamong. It contained a Methodist Episcopal Church, post office, two stores , blacksmith shop, school house, and six dwellings.

Among the early merchants of Tabernacle was Robert Wilson , who kept a small store in 1860, for three years, at which time he close out. The next to open a store was Westley Willetts, who carried on the business for a short time, when he disposed of his goods and retired from mercantile life. Since his retirement the store has had many occupants, the present one being Arthur Hains (Haines), who entered upon his mercantile career in 1880.

Henry Peters has carried on the mercantile business here for the past ten or twelve years.

The post office was established in 1877, with Caleb Wright as postmaster, who served until 1880, at which time Arthur Haines, the present incumbent, was appointed.

The present blacksmith of Tabernacle is Henry Allen.

Miss Sallie F. Haines is the present preceptress of the Tabernacle School.

Flyatt is the name of a little hamlet in the northern portion of the township, and is merely a collection of a few dwelling-houses in a farming district. At one time Flyatt loomed up and became a thriving little hamlet, but like some of her sister-towns, she only flourished for a short time.

Fruitland.- This prospective city was laid out a few year ago by speculators as a site for a large city. Being situated on the line of the railroad, and also on the Atsion Railroad, it has unusual advantages, and has grown considerable within the past few yea