Yes, Vigilantes in East Amwell! For over 54 years, from 1885 until 1939 there existed in East Amwell, The Ringoes Vigilant Society. It was set up as “a society that would pursue and apprehend horse thieves, robbers, tramps and incendiaries, or other such criminals or marauders who threatened the well being of the community”. This was part of a larger movement throughout the State that ultimately in 1891 formed the Consolidated Vigilante Society of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, of which Ringoes was a member. Other towns in the area that had similar societies who were members were Mt. Airy, Titusville, Pleasant Valley and Lawrence Township. A state law enacted in 1884 authorized members of “thief detecting societies”, “without warrant, to apprehend and arrest all persons committing breaches of the peace.” This law led to the formation of the Ringoes chapter the following year.

The Ringoes Vigilant Society met once a year, in January in the Ringoes Grange. Initially started with only 29 members, the organization grew to encompass almost 100 residents by 1900. When the alarm was sounded, members had specific Pursuer Routes to cover so they could, hopefully, apprehend the culprits. There were 12 routes. Each route had 3 men assigned to travel the route looking for the criminal. A typical route was Route #4 –Flemington, Whitehouse and Germantown (Oldwick). Another, Route #8- encompassed Wertsville, Rocky Hill, and Millstone. It is not known if the Society ever caught any criminals, but it is known that the last horse that was ever reported stolen in Ringoes occurred in 1899 and belonged to the local undertaker, Hiram Wilson .

A “Minute Book of the Ringoes Vigilant Society from 1903 to 1939”, part of the Quick Collection, resides with the East Amwell Historical Committee. In reading the minutes of the yearly meetings it is interesting to see how the organization evolved. Members paid dues, fines and occasionally an added assessment. If a member had any property stolen, the Society would reimburse the member up to three quarters of its value. In essence it was a local insurance policy. Some of the stolen property members were reimbursed for over the years included “12 bushels of wheat; a stolen overcoat; loss of a typewriter; 100 chickens; 4 milk cans; a stolen bicycle; a blanket and flashlight stolen from a car while parked in Lambertville”. But times were changing when in 1918, P. C. Young was reimbursed $300 when someone stole his car!

The annual meetings appear to have been a great social event in the community. Typical meetings had 50-60 members present (you were fined if you didn’t make the meeting). Two events however killed the Society. The first was the formation of the New Jersey State Police in the early 1930’s. Now when something was stolen you would pick up the telephone and call the State Police. With this, the 12 Pursuer Routes were dropped from the organization. The second event seems to have been the Depression. More and more members dropped out of the Society because they couldn’t pay their dues. Throughout the 1930’s the membership talked about how to increase their rolls. Their numbers kept dwindling. Finally, with only 13 members left the Ringoes Vigilant Society disbanded on April 1, 1939.

Jim Davidson