The Estelle Huguenot family emigrated from France (via England) around 1685 to escape religious persecution. They were of considerable means and were prominent in the colonial days. They also played important business roles throughout the generations into the twentieth century. The Estelles were involved in the iron, glass and shipping industries and acquired vast land holdings, including the more recent Estelle Colony, which originally encompassed the Risley, Dorothy and Milmay areas.

Anderson Bourgeois (pronounced Burgess), a teacher turned lawyer, came into the picture by marrying Anna Estelle, whose parents owned the whole colony. Bourgeois then took over the promotion of the colony, entering into a real estate venture with Daniel L. Risley in 1886. Risley consequently surveyed, developed and become agent for the land sales. The contract included an arrangement whereby Risley would hold and pay taxes on the unsold land.

Daniel Risley had a brother, Jess, who actually surveyed the whole Estelle Colony, consisting of Milmay, Dorothy and Estelle Manor. The Dorothy portion was not named until about 1897, when it consisted of two tracts. There are several versions of how Dorothy was named. However, the most plausible one is that it was named after Bourgeois's oldest daughter, Dorothy.

Tract #8 encompassed the farm land west of the then South Jersey Railroad, to the Tuckahoe River, and between 9th Avenue and 16th Avenues. It was published in 1895. Tract #17 contained all the land east of the railroad, basically between 7th Avenue and 15th Avenue and was published in 1897. Lots were sold prior to 1895 for $20-30 per acre.

The first resident in the Dorothy area was Mike Roberto from Philadelphia. Mike related this to young Anna Schelken (and her mother), whose 3rd grade class was writing a history of Dorothy in 1923 for its teacher, William C. Strack. The history reports that Mike Roberto came down in 1886 and purchased land on west 12th Avenue, beyond Cape May Avenue (which was an Indian trail turned stagecoach road down to the seashore). There were no developed roads or intersections at that time, basically just a large forest with a few trails. Roberto returned alone on November 18, 1887, and built himself a log cabin. (He'd been a stonemason in Italy and was handy with tools.) When completed, he sent for his family. He lived here six years with his family until his first neighbor appeared in 1893. Mr. Russell settled a little east of Roberto, but on the south side of the road. He also built a log cabin. Three years later Russell sold the property to Pete Base Sr.

Early Taxes

According to a tax notice for 1899, a five acre lot selling for $125 was assessed at $25, with a 2-l/2% tax rate. This yielded a tax of $.64. A small farmhouse was also assessed at $25. Thus, the average family tax would be doubled. This appears reasonable, before one considers that no local services were included.

By 1920, the same five acre lot assessment had doubled and the tax rate increased to 3.7%, effectively tripling the land tax. By 1930 the same five acre assessment had doubled once more to $100, the tax rate increasing to 6.3%. Thus, between 1899 and 1930, the land tax increased tenfold, from $.64 to $6.29. Today the equivalent five acres and improvements are assessed at $48,000. With a current tax rate of 2.52%, this yields a tax of $1,200 per year.

In 1915 Anderson Bourgeois was still paying taxes on 5,700 unsold acres, most of which he had reacquired at the bankruptcy sale of D.L. Risley in 1903.

Probably due to Daniel Risley's promotions, by 1893 more people began to move to the area. It was the coming of the railroad line in 1894 which really boosted the population, however. The local railroad station was built in 1894 by the South Jersey Railroad Company (merged with the Reading Company in 1901). This station was not opened until 1897 due to insufficient business. Consequently, those traveling by rail between this period had to walk two-and-one-half miles to Risley to catch the train from there.

Families settled here because it was their dream to own a home and farm of their own, even though the farming life was more difficult than an urban one. Some of the families who moved here at this time seeking independence were:

Other families, reflecting the names of people still in the area, were: Merlock, Lewis (Hansen), Serbeck, Base, Richert, Clemenson, Josephson, Nelson, Klimek and Weiss.

When the South Jersey Railroad opened the line on June 23, 1894, it had built a station at Milmay, Dorothy and Risley. The Dorothy and Risley stations were alike and smaller than Milmay's, where the population was greater. These stations had wooden shingle roofs which were flammable. In 1913 the Dorothy station burned down, due either to being struck by lightning or being ignited by sparks from a train engine. The destroyed station was replaced with a larger one with a slate roof. The Dorothy station eventually was sold to a black cemetery on Route 40 in Mays Landing for use as a storeroom when the railroad liquidated its excess properties to save taxes.

The train engines used oil headlights until 1916, when they were outlawed and converted to electric lights. The oil lights were filled with oil and had eight 10" reflectors which were kept shined by the fireman. These performed fairly well since there was very little horse and buggy or other night traffic in those days.

Dorothy's first station agent was a Mr. Miller, followed by Mrs. M.A. (Brown) Robertshaw. Miller lived on Miller Avenue, after his namesake, and had a peg leg. Mrs. M.A. (Brown) Robertshaw's daughters Bertha and Nellie assisted their mother with the station work. Mrs. (Brown) Robertshaw first lived in Barton Lane and had the telegraph lines run to her home there in order to improve on her and Nellie's Morse Code skills.

On April 25, 1898, Mrs. (Brown) Robertshaw was also appointed Postmistress of Dorothy by Postmaster General Charles Emery Smith. She held both positions for a time in the station building. She then moved the post office into her more recent home across the street from the station on South Jersey Avenue (Tuckahoe Road). Elwell McNeil (father of Mrs. Louis Szigethy) served as station agent next (from 1925). McNeil was succeeded by Joshua Mitchell, who was transferred from Risley when his station closed during the latter 1940's when the railroad was consolidating its expenses and discontinued a number of stations.

                                                                                                                                     Postmistress Mrs. M.A. (Brown) 

                                                                                                                                            Robertshaw,  1905.              

The stations were originally built with large freight platforms across the track. Here the farmers would bring produce such as cucumbers, peppers, fruit, etc. This was shipped daily to Philadelphia and even New York City. Later, eggs were shipped in thirty-dozen wooden crates. I can remember my father taking three or four crates at a time on a wheelbarrow to the station. This was before truck pick-ups were made bi-weekly by large egg dealers.

The railroad station was always the focus of activity, with the post office across the street from it. There were also three stores clustered around the station. Inside the station waiting room a large potbellied stove used soft coal (from the train) for heat. Here people collected to talk, keep warm and wait for trains on benches around the walls. The station agent's office jutted out toward the track so the agent could look both ways down the track. During train time, many people assembled outside, especially for the Philadelphia train, which exchanged passengers, mail, and freight cars twice a day. Quite often, the local people would be waiting for mail order merchandise from a Sears catalogue, or Montgomery Ward.

The train would stop for five minutes or less. During this period trainmen worked feverishly to unload incoming freight and load crates of eggs and produce for the city. There were two scheduled stops each day arriving from and leaving Philadelphia and New York. In 1900 the schedule was:

Southbound: 10:18 AM and 7:18 PM

Northbound: 8:14 AM and 5:31 PM                                                          Waiting for the train.

There was also a great deal of cordwood stored along the tracks or being loaded onto flatcars. The people in the business of shipping cordwood, like William Brown and Steve Merlock, would have to wait for cars to be assigned to them for loading. This was big business from before World War I into the World War II era. Even my father, from necessity, cut cordwood for William Brown for $1.00/cord (one day's work) until he built coops for raising chickens.

After the cordwood petered out, Atlantic City Electric Company built a power plant in Beesley's Point in the 1950's which consumed hundreds of tank cars of fuel oil and soft coal monthly to fuel the boilers. Sometimes a hundred cars would be standing on the sidings in Dorothy, on into both Milmay and Risley.

In a 1901 article, the Dorothy Weekly states that the first school was a small, one room ``tar paper shack'' and was a disgrace. It was built in the area of the present Municipal Building (school #3) in 1898 for 24 pupils. Dorothy already had 66 pupils of school age, but since truancy was heavy, the building sufficed. This building had wall benches for seats and boxes topped with boards for tables. It had a wood burning stove in the middle of the room. The building was probably constructed by volunteers with donated lumber.

In 1901 the School Board of Weymouth Township alternated their meetings between Tuckahoe, Head of the River, Dorothy, Risley, Hawkinsville and Estellville. The meetings were usually held at 2:00 PM. The Board members at this time were Otto Geyer Sr. (Dorothy), Chairman; Anderson Campbell, Secretary at $40.00 per annum; Tomlin, Shaw, Joe Flanagan (Dorothy), Garrett, Alfred Rodenback, McKeague and Anderson Bourgeois (the land owner).

On August 1, 1901, the Board passed a resolution authorizing the erection and furnishing of a new, larger schoolhouse in Dorothy. It was to be built of lumber, contain two rooms, and its cost was not to exceed $1,500. The money was raised by issuing five bonds of $300 each. One bond would be issued for one year, one for two years, one for three years, one for four years, and one for five years. A tax was levied on the whole district for five years to repay the bonds, plus interest.

A building committee, comprised of Joe Flanagan, Anderson Bourgeois and George Shaw was appointed to take care of the new building project. The size of the school was to be 28' wide x 40' long and two stories high. The committee posted notices in all area schools, and an ad in the Dorothy Weekly News Letter to obtain bids for the project. Only one bid was received, from A.S. Bushay, for $1,495. He built and furnished the schoolhouse on three lots opposite the Episcopal Church.

New school books were purchased for the school at $.22 for spellers, $.65 for elementary geography books, and $.52 for arithmetic books (at a discount). Two stoves were also bought at $8.10 each.

After the building was complete, the School Board agreed to allow the St. Bernard Church Alliance (before the church was built in 1904) the privilege of holding meetings and services in the new school, providing the Alliance cleaned up after the meetings.

Every month the board purchased approximately eight cords of firewood ($2.25/cord, plus $1.00 for labor) for all the schools. Kate Glenn received $1.50 for cleaning our first school.

Later local board members were Joshua Mitchell (Risley), H.K. Lewis (Dorothy), Richard Markman (Dorothy), William Flanagan (President), Andrew Richert (Secretary), and George Evans (Dorothy).

Early School Board Actions

The Dorothy School Bell

Our two-story second school was built with a belfry. Mrs. Marie Seelman recounted how the Dorothy Ladies' Aid Society made collections and ran benefits to raise money to purchase a bell. A brass bell was ordered and cast in England and received in 1902.

The bell was installed and served for eighteen years. It was tolled every school day at 9:00 AM, noon and around 4:00 PM. Its peals could be heard over more than half the community on a quiet day. When the third school (the present Municipal Building) was built, the bell was reinstalled. After the latest brick school was built in 1974 on 11th Avenue (the Merrill School, or Dorothy School #4), the bell was displayed in its hall.

                                                                                                                  Second Dorothy School with Belfry, l910.

Teachers at the Dorothy School

Dorothy's first teacher was young Daniel Bailey from Tuckahoe, who roomed in Dorothy during the week and received $35 a month in salary. Bailey taught here for two years.

The second teacher hired was George Eldridge, a man in his forties who received $40 per month and taught from 1900-1902.

Studying the school registers for this period is quite interesting. Aside from noting the teachers' excellent penmanship, it becomes obvious that teachers were changing some surnames to make the foreign names phonetic, as many pupils of this period had no birth certificates. For instance, the Hungarian name Besz was altered to Base. Kopacsi was changed to Kobash. Others altered included: Kahle to Colley; Richert to Richard; Kraus to Krause; Clemenson often to Cleminston; Eisenschmidt to Isansmith; Kovacs (meaning a blacksmith) to Smith; Murljock to Merlock. A number of these variations were later adopted to become legal names.

Mrs. Mabel (Clinton) Lewis, the daughter of a Connecticut minister, began teaching the lower grades in 1917 (before her marriage). For $60 per month, Mabel had to begin by teaching all eight grades on two floors, because Miss Anna Wenker, also recently hired as the new Principal, arrived three weeks late. Mabel became Principal in 1918, receiving a raise to $70 per month, plus a $15 bonus. Regardless of her qualifications, she remained hired for only three years. Teachers were not kept any longer during this period to avoid having to offer them tenure. However, Mabel Lewis returned in 1925 after having two children (Adelaide and Henry).

When I interviewed Mabel in 1983, she told me that the year she first started at the Dorothy School there were 59 pupils in two rooms. School was also delayed a few days for that school year of 1917 because larger stoves were being installed (and moved from the center of the rooms to the front corners). Dismantling the old chimney and building a new one caused the delay.

During her first teaching period in Dorothy, Mabel boarded with the Postmistress, Mrs. M.A. (Brown) Robertshaw for $4.50 a week. When Mrs. Robertshaw raised the board to $6.50 in 1918, Mabel left to board with H.K. Lewis, the Dorothy florist (more recently John Hanson's business) for $4.50. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis had three adopted boys and Mabel married the youngest one, Tom, on May 24, 1919. Both Mabel and her husband were talented musicians, and they played together with my father (whose instrument was the violin) at affairs for the Episcopal Church.

                                                                                                                Bill Lewis in the H.K. Lewis Greenhouse, 1920. 

As the bigger boys in Dorothy's upper grades were difficult to control, the School Board in 1919 assigned Mabel Lewis to the lower grades and hired a man, David L. Smith, to deal with the boys. Smith, from Mays Landing, was a husky, former semi-pro baseball player. In later correspondence with Smith it was learned that when he first arrived the boys were practically climbing the walls, not to mention bringing revolvers to school. He related one incident in which the Principal became so angry with Tony Merlock that he shook him till Tony fell down the flight of stairs to the first floor.

In 1920 the Board added a third teacher for the lower grades and initiated a kindergarten. Anna Merlock of Dorothy, then twenty, was hired. Esther Logergreen, who was eighteen, was also hired since Mabel (Clinton) Lewis's first three years had been completed. Edwin Kraus was employed in 1921 and later transferred to the Belcoville School. He taught there for many years with his future wife Winnie.

                                                                                                                                             Dorothy Teachers in 1937.  

To summarize, the first four years of the Dorothy School (1898-1902) were taught in the one room ``tar paper shack'', by one teacher for all eight grades. Between 1902 and 1921, school was taught in the two-story, second school by two teachers until 1920, when a third teacher was hired and a kindergarten class was inaugurated. In the fall of 1921, the third grammar school opened. The new Dorothy School had four rooms on one floor. One room was used as a spare, however, so only three teachers continued.

               The Third Dorothy School, 1950.

High School

Prior to World War I only a few students were interested in moving on to high school. The Township paid the tuition for Hammonton High School and also paid for the train fares. Anna Merlock remembers needing to meet the train in Dorothy around 7:00 AM and then changing for Hammonton at Winslow Junction. She wouldn't return till about 7:00 PM when her father met her at the station and walked her home.

Later, some of our students attended Mays Landing High School for two years before transferring to Pleasantville High School. Emma Zboary, who lived near 12th Avenue on Tuckahoe Road, worked in the Mays Landing Court House and drove the students, among them Anna Schelken.

By 1928, when I began high school, the School Board made arrangements with Atlantic City to accept Dorothy's students. Atlantic City High School was a nearly new, posh building where tuition was high at $300 a year. Estelle Manor was sending their students there also.

Our first bus driver was Edwin Clemenson, who was only 21 years old and had purchased a rickety, boxy, wooden-sided bus to handle the job. It creaked going into turns and was only used for a year. (One icy morning in Pleasantville the bus spun completely, ending up backwards on the road.) There were about thirty students picked up from Dorothy and Belcoville, including a few attending the Atlantic City Vocational Training School (a program which was discontinued in 1933, just before my younger brother Alex was scheduled to matriculate in it).

Frank Huttle got the bus contract next and continued to drive until 1936, when Charlie Applegate from Mays Landing took over the job. Frank was a strict disciplinarian and allowed no foolishness!

During the height of the Depression in 1931, the School Board transferred high school students to Egg Harbor High School (where the tuition was only $100/year) to save money. It was a tremendous disappointment having to leave the more advanced Atlantic City High with its 2,500 students for a country high school with an enrollment of 300.

The Dorothy School Strike

One later event in Dorothy's school history should be noted. This was the Dorothy School Strike of 1949. Rachel Irma Cartledge (Neal) was an aggressive teacher hired in 1947. She advocated the consolidation of the Township's Dorothy and Belcoville schools, and also initiated the hot lunch program. It was the mothers and school pupils of Dorothy who actually went out on strike for several days, protesting the removal of Dorothy's upper grades to Belcoville. In September, the School Board finally agreed that the two schools be combined to allow grades to be held individually in one room, rather than continuing the traditional three per classroom. Dorothy was to transfer their fifth to eighth grade pupils (34 of an 86 total) to Belcoville, and Belcoville was to send their kindergarten to fourth grade students (18 of 30 total) to Dorothy. A transportation problem was created which took a while to resolve.

After moving my family back to Dorothy in 1955 during the chicken business boom, I was elected to the School Board for twelve years (1959-71). During the latter part of this period the Board planned the construction of the new, fourth elementary school on 11th Avenue. The Merrill School was constructed in 1974 and at the current time additions and an enlargement of the gymnasium are in progress.

The Dorothy Private School

Mr. and Mrs. John Illingworth were retired school teachers from England. As early as 1904 they were advertising their services as Notary Publics and agents of real estate and fire insurance in the Dorothy Weekly News-Letter. Just after World War I the Illingworths began operating a small private school for kindergarten pupils from their home on 11th Avenue, between Tuckahoe Road and Cape May Avenue (opposite Kuhar). The school had only a handful of students and charged about $3.00 per quarter. Two of the known students were Emily Burkman and Anna Radley. Anna remembers enjoying the little school. Perhaps partially due to this early ``head start'', both she and Emily Burkman advanced rapidly in their subsequent public school educations, even winning awards in the Atlantic County Arithmetic and Spelling contests.

The Belcoville School

In the fall of 1920, the Belco Society of Belcoville clamored for the School Board to open the unused school already built for local pupils by the Bethlehem Loading Company on the government reservation. Mr. Mendal, Chairman of the Society, offered to turn it over to the Board $175. This amount had been subscribed for the purpose of employing two teachers, providing the Weymouth Township School Board initiate the hiring and assume charge of the school building upon return of the property to Township control in November, 1920.

There seems to be no record of the first few teachers hired, but Edwin Kraus of Mays Landing (formerly a teacher at the Dorothy School), began teaching at Belcoville in 1923, at a salary of $90/month. Two years later, Miss Winnie Flaherty was hired for $85/month and boarded at Butch Johnson's Meat Market for $40/month. Edwin and Winnie fell in love and married. Mr. and Mrs. Kraus taught together for seven more years until Edwin left in 1932 to teach in Pleasantville (1932-1944). From this post Edwin Kraus moved to Kenilworth, N.J., to become Supervising Principal and later Principal (1944-1964). Eventually the two retired to Clearwater, Florida.

Top: Helen Johnson, George Manning, ?, Harry Fuorsen, Gerald Turna, Thelma Yearsley, Olga Thurson, Elsie?, Evelvn Revel, 1926.

Fred Nichterlein became Principal for five years after Edwin Kraus left, and in 1949 the Dorothy and Belcoville Schools were combined. The Belcoville School was closed in 1974 when the new, larger Alfred R. Merrill School (Dorothy School #4, named for Merrill in honor of his long term as President of the School Board) opened on 11th Avenue, about midway between the two towns.