An Historic Perspective of the Township of Ocean (1974) by Township of Ocean Historical Museum

AN "ISTOR C PERSPECTIVE

OF THE

TOWNS"I

OF OCEA

10 ~10UTH CO

EW fER EY

Writer and Illustrator tarjorie Edelson

Researcher l' ay Zimmerer

A 125th A

IVERSARY PUBLICATION of

THE TOW SHIP OF OCEA

1974 Township seal on cover designed by Robert Hazelrigg

I TRODUCTIO

This book wa written for anyone witll an affection for, or a curio it Township of Ocean in lIonmoutll County, ew Jersey.

about, th

Representing 300 years of llistory, this prawling Township has been overshadowed in the development of the Shore rea b it more flamboyant neighboring communities. From the summer camp of the Indian tribe to the peaceful farm and lakefront village, Ocean Town足 ship boa ted neither resort attraction nor vital geographic location; it has been for three cen足 turies imply "a nice plac to live." Thi is not a comprehen i e hi tory; rather, it is a uarrati e of known fact wo en into the events of their times. This permanent record of our heritage i meant to encourage an appreciation of the role the Township has played in local history. Through anecdotes and incidents, we have tried to capture the pirit of the de loping community. B preser ing these glimp es of life, we can- trace the di ers life- tyle that ha e haped the per onalit of our Township and take pride in the stability and beauty that ha resulted. On tllis 125th nni ersar of the incorporation of th Town hip of Ocean, it i appro足 priate that we upport the goal of the ational Bicentennial, tho e of the ad ancement of public knowledge and the recollection of our heritage, b publi hing A HI TORIC PER足 SPECTIVE OF rrlfE TOW HIP OF aCE . We llope ou will find this hook int resting and that it will in pire you to participate in the present and futur hi tor of thi communit .

Marjorie Edelson a Zimmerer Town hip of Ocean Hi torical ociety

PUBLISHED BY

THE TOWNSI-IIP OF OCEA

Joseph Palaia, ayor Thomas Bellissimo Benjamin Harvey Richaru English Phillip Wetzel Ronald Frano, anager

TABLE OF CO TE TS

THE EARLY YEARS AN INDIAN LAND

"A GOOD LAND TO F ALL IN WITH "

THE FIRST SETTLERS

DRUMMOND PURCHASES WANAMASSA

THE WOOLLEYS OF POPLAR

SETTLERS IN OAKHURST AND ELBERON

MILLS, THE FIRST BUSINESS VENTURES

THE GROWING N.]. COLONY

ATIO

EMERGES 17

REVOLUTIONARY TIMES

III

SCHOOLS, A FIRST PRIORITY

THE EARLIEST CHURCHES

NAMES TELL THEIR OWN STORY

INDUSTRY FROM THE LAND

THE TOW SHIP OF OCEA

ITS OW

CHANGING BOUNDARIES

OCEANVILLE EMERGES

ROADS, THE KEY TO GROWTH路

LOCAL GOVERNMENT - FOR THE PEOPLE

THE TOWNSHIP IN THE CIVIL WAR

.17

THE FAMOUS COME TO LONG BRANCH

THE RAILROAD AND THE STEAMBOAT COME TO THE SHORE

THE F AMIL Y TREE BRANCHES OUT .

WAYSIDE - FROM STAGE STOP TO RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY

OCEAN, A VACATION RETREAT

LIFE IN THE LATE 1800's

DEVELOPMENT ALONG DEAL LAKE

VOLUNTEER UNITS ORGANIZE路

FROM BOOM TO BUST

THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA

ACKNOWLEDGE E TS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

FOOT OTES

The Early Yea rs

A INDIAN LAND

Dates are an outline of history.

They tell us "when" and possibly "where" but they

never tell us "how" or "why." February 21,1849 is the date that the Township of Ocean揃 was created by the New Jersey State Legislature. That date was not the beginning nor was it the end.

This book will attempt to trace the "how" and "why" that preceded and

followed that milestone. Hundreds of years before colonial development and political division, the human his足 tory of Monmouth County was written by the Lenni Lenape Indians. This was the name applied to the Delaware Indians who lived between the Long Island Sound and the Chesa足 peake Bay. Within this large area there were many sub-tribes whose colorful names have been given to the lands they once claimed. Although some Indians lived in the region year-rollnd, the big inflllx was dllring the summer months. These Indians were the original "summer visitors:' They came from their camps deep in the protected woodlands not as a result of a promotional campaign for resort attractions but because of the natllral resources. It was a good place to bring the family. Naturalists tell us that the lands of Monmouth County were rich with wild fruits and game. The waters were abllndant with sea life. There was no ban on clamming in local waters, and pollution had not taken its toll of the oysters, shrimp, lobsters and endless var足 iety of fish. There was no need for hunting laws to protect the deer, bear, beaver,marten, mink, muskrat, wild turkey, geese, ducl{s or quail. The Indian took only that which he needed to feed his tribe. The Indian visitors to the Jersey Shore could not be called "vacationers:' They were more akin to the present beach-front concessionaire who spends the winter enjoying the fruits of his summer labor. Their activities centered around gathering and processing the food and furs they would need for the long winter ahead. It was a season of work but also of rich reward.

Although there were few actual records of the Indians" nomadic life in County, evidence of the long abandoned campsite in

Ocean Township* was found by

early farmers who culti ated the land in the Cold Indian Springs area of Wayside known as Kepwel Springs). vessels.

onmollth (also

Here they unearthed arrowheads, implements and broken

ayside, the Indian found a natllral spring of fresh water, elevated land and a

stream bed leading from the spring that was a natural path to the Great Pond (Deal Lal(e) and the ocean. It was in real estate term, ' a desirable location."

,, \

/ I \

, \

3,' -,

-z,' \..

--,"

(j'),

Z, "'J' '.,

* colloquial name used in

place Q con-eel name Township of Oeeciz

, r

~ \~~ ~o

There were two major Indian paths that came to the Monmouth County area. They were the Burlington Path, leading from the Delaware足 Pennsylvania area and the Minisink Trail leading from the North area. From these major paths, the tribes would set out to find their own campsite, often following animal paths.

Jersey-Pennsylvani~

"A GOOD LA D TO FALL I

WITH..."

Another recorded date in the history of onmouth County is September 2,1609. It was then that Henry Hudson anchored his ship the Half Moon in the Sandy Hook Bay. The lands of Monmouth County were de cribed in the ship's log as follows, "This is a good land to fall in with and a pleasant place to see." But more important to the Dutch West India Company who sponsored the exploration was the description of the local Indians, "clothed in deere skins 100 e and well dressed [tanned]... some in mantles of feathers and some in skins of divers sorts of good furres ...they had red copper pipes and other things of copper did they wear about their necks." 1 Disappointed that their investment did not result in a passage to the Far East and China, the Dutch did see an opportunity to capitalize on the natural resources of the new land. They had established a settlement on Manhatten Island by 1614 and were fur trading with the Indians up the Hlldson as well as along the coastal. waterways. They called the lands they claimed in

ew York and

ew Jersey,

etherland.

Although some Dutch settlement did tal e place along the fertile valleys in orth Jersey and on Long Island, Monmouth County wa to remain unsettled until the English ousted the Dutch in 1664. The first permanent settlements in Monmouth County were to be made by families fleeing from religious perseclltion. They saw in Monmouth a hospitable climate and a remoteness from not only their Puritan tormentors but also from the watchful eyes of an authoritarian government. It was characteristic of their Baptist and Qua}(er beliefs that they respect the "human rights" of all men. Therefore, even before it became a law, these men negotiated to buy the lands that surrounded the Shrewsbury and avesink Rivers from the tribes known as the Nevesinks, Navarumsunks and the Pootapecks. After completing their purchase, the Baptists settled in tIle village they called iddletown and the Quakers called their village Shrewsbury after their home in England. In the meanwhile, Richard icholl who had led the sllccessful ouster of Peter Stuy足 vesant and the Dutch was acting Governor of the land soon to be called New York in honor of the Duke of Yor}( and ew Jerse named for the Island of Jersey. icholls acted at once to encourage settlement in the Central Jersey area. He issued a proclamation setting forth rules and conditions for purchasing lands from the Indians and establishing towns.

Then in April 1665 he i sued the

onmouth or

icholls Patent.

The Monmouth Patent applied to all lands in Monmouth and Ocean Counties, part of Mercer and part of Middlesex. It guaranteed that the twelve men signing the document had title to the land and could transfer title to future settlers.

Under tllis directive the

Patentees purchased their lands from the Indians for what was regarded at the time as a "good and honest price:'

It was one of the few examples of fair dealings with the

Indians in our history. The mo t attractive conditions of the Monmouth Patent to the independent millded settlers of Central Jersey were the clauses that entitled them to rllie themselves on local matters and enjoy "free liberty of conscience without any molestation or disturbance whatsoever in the way of worship." But the clauses that were to promote the growth of the area were those that allowed generous acreage for every man, woman, child and servant to settle on the land, and the promise that the land would remain tax-free for seven years. In return, it required that at least 100 families settle there within three years, "manuring and planting the land." Although the "tax incentive" clause would be the basis for the first act of rebellion in New Jersey, the stage was now set for the first settlement in the area to be know as the Township of Ocean.

THE FIRST SETTLERS

Land peculation is not a twentieth centur phenomenon. It began in 10nmouth County in 1665 with the 'Tonmouth Patent. "Thile man - purcha ed land with the intention of settling here, development.

there were other who ne er came to the area or contributed They cho e in tead to re ell their original grant

to its

often subdi iding them.

It wa not urprising that familie. he itated before lea ing the afet settlements for the unl nown wilderne . Those who did enture into the '

of e. tabli hed frontier~~

of the

Jerse Shore ,,,ere an unu ually independent and hardy breed of ettler. The life style of those first settlers was illustrated by this 1860 discover.

It was

described in the following manner:

The first settlers in ew Jerse built ca es wherein th Ii ed until more pretentious dwellings were erect d. Tllese cave were dug orne 3 or 4 feet into tIle ground, wall were built making them 3 feet abo e the surface, and boughs were laid across the top on which sad and soil were thrown until the whole gave the appearance of a solid mound of earth with one entrance and a hole in the roof for somc. Such a residence as this was built by Thomas Potter next to the Drummond Farm, in a marl bank bordering Hog Swamp Creek. [Har ey ~s Drook] Often after the house wa built the c.ave became the blacksmith workshop. bout 1860 Eden oolle, a descendant of Thomas Potter, while digging Inarl on his farm, truck hi ancestor~s cave and found old tool as hammer, tong and ariou implement. 2

Thoma

Potter cam

Jer

immediatel

following the l\lonmouth Patent.

In spite of his humble beginnings, he managed to accumulate more than 1000 acres of local land.

Born in Deale England Potter ettled temporarily in Rhode I land before moving

hi famil to

~lonmouth Count

ceording to record Potter wa a

coman" or a "planter. ~ Tllat meant that he wa

a free man, untitled and a farnlcr. By toda"

tandard 7hi land dealing would earn him a

title of "developer." Potter . "old land to many early ettler路 hi name appear' frequentl" on earl land deed ". Unfortunat ly, we have no record of the Potter homestead or of the life of this earliest settler who did so much to tart the development of the To,vnship of Ocean. In 1675 a fello'v Engli hman from Deale bought land from Potter. Thoma "Th te had settled fir t in Long Island. But he too aw the opportunities in Central Jer e. Wh te died in 1684 before his farm was de eloped. His on Samuel hite <..-pelling changed) took over his father~ land and accumulated additional acreage. The White farm then included

the area now called Asbury Park. Thomas and Samuel were called "carpenters."

The White homestead was credited with

being one of the earliest clapboard dwellings in fonmouth County.

Originally built in

1687 at what was to become 1005 llmmerfield A enue., Asbury ParI<-, a rebllilt portion of that house now rests at 1 Lake Drive in

anamassa..

The White Homestead, 1 Lake Drive, Wanamassa One of the earliest homes in the Shore area, the White (or Whyte) Homestead was originally built in 1687 at what is now 1005 Summerfield Avenue in Asbury Park. A fire was said to have destroyed a portion of the original house in 1735 when visiting Indians brought live coals from the fire into the room in which they were sleeping to keep wann. 11ze house refnained in the White family for 200 years. Although it has been moved three times, few of the original lines of the house have been lost. It still reflects the Dutch influence the Whytes saw while living in the Dutch settlefnent on Long Island. Photo by Jason Grossman

THE EARLIEST SETTLERS The earliest settlement in Ocean Township, according to available records was Thomas Potter in 1670. Others who purchased land and settled in the area in this 1670 - 1715 period were: Thomas Whyte, John Woolley, John Tucker, Gavin Drummond, Francis Jeffrey and William Brinley. The earliest business enterprises were the mills in the 1700's that were built by the Drummonds and the Brinleys.

Brinley

SawMill

Potter

~~'

White

TUCke:J Deale

~'f ~'"" ..

>CJ

\~J

?~ Jeffrey

".>~~t

Brinley Grist Mill!

路路"t.

DRUMMOND PURCHASES WANAMASSA

Gawen (Gavin) Drllmmond was the most romantic of our early settlers.

A surveyor

from Locharbour, Scotland, Drummond pllrchased his land in 1687 from three Indian chiefs

named Wanamassa, aywinohlnce and allammassekem. The lands he purchased included the present anamassa, Interlaken and West Allenhllrst. He paid "one gun, five match coats, one kettle and two pounds weight of powder." It was while he was surveying his land that Drummond met his future wife, ISSlma, an Indian maiden. Secretly courting her while her Indian father fished, the "sLImmer romance" ended when the Indians returned to their winter camp. That winter Nissima went to work in the household of a mini ter at Delaware Water Gap caring for his children.. Several years later, Drllmmond went to visit a cousin in Delaware Water Gap. It happened to be the minister for whom issima worked. The romance was rekindled and the cOllple married and settled on their land in Ocean Township. Drummond was a man of regard in the County and was chosen in 1701 to serve as the Clerk of the Court of Sessions. It was to be a spirited COllrt session. The people decided to rescue the prisoner on trial "One Moses Butterworth, a confessed pirate who sailed with Captain William Kidd on his last voyage, was rescued when the Governor, Justices, Attorney General and Clerk of the Court (Drummond) were kept under guard from March 25 to the 29th to their great discomfort." 3 There is no fllrther record of Drum足 mond's public service. The Drummond homestead stood for many years on Wickapecko Drive near Darlene Avenue in Wanamassa llntil it was destroyed by fire in 1933. Gavin Drummond and early generations of the family were buried in the Quaker cemetery in Shrewsbury. Later gener足 ations are buried in the family cemetery once part of the farm that is on Wickapecko Drive just south of Roseld Avenue. The tiny perpetual cemetery is all that remains of the extensive farmlands of the Drllmmonds.

THE WOOLLEYS OF POPLAR

Bordering the land of Potter and Drummond to the north and west is a ection of the Town hip once referred to a Poplar so named becau of the numerou poplar tree in the region. Poplar Road, now running through the heart of the section, wa the site of the Woolle home tead. Emmanuel,VooUe of Rhode I land purcha ed hare in llonmouth County in 1667. Although he never ettled here, hi son were to malce their home on the land at Poplar. Of the three 1arrying I(erc

oolley sons, John ,va to become the patriarch in Ocean Township. Potter, daughter of Thoma

John "Toolle began a famil

tree that ha

branche throughout the Count . A the falnil

grew it wa the cu tom to gi

to e tablish their home and farm.

the on a portion of the land on which

Con,,'eqllently, there ,vere e eral

oolle home" tead .

"r oolle

farm i the H \nder on Hou e now tanding on the corner of

Deal Road and Route 35.

The smaller section of the home is believed to have been built

A remaining in the earl

1700's, the larger section about 1750.

architectural features of the hou e.

authenticity is ba ed on the

In 1849, \vhen tile Town hip wa incorporated this

was the home of Eden Woolley the first To nship Committeeman. There are few records that document the growth of rural area such a Ocean wa In its earl car. Occa ional reference in will deed in entorie and lett r howe er give

a glimp e of the life tyle and character of our earl re ident .

Such reference reveal that the oolle of Poplar ere in trumental in providing education for the children of the district. 'fhe will of Rachael Woolley (J ohn 's second wife) in 1752 tells us the had e tabli hed an "Indian

chool:'

In 1784

athan '''oolle had

provided for a chool on hi land at Cold Indian Spring, and in 1864, th Poplar chool stood on the land of Edwin WooUey. Even the earliest settlers realized that in order to ha e a voice in public affairs or to conduct personal affairs, citizens need

tIle basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic.

A woman in tIle community or a traveler with minimum skills was the first "teacher." The information was of a practical or religious nature. Since trained teachers were unheard of until the 1800' , the quality of instruction wa often improvised resulting in the creative spelling and expression found in earl correspondence and documents.

The Woolley Homestead, Deal Road and Route No. 35 This typical New Jesrsey farmhouse was built in the mid-1700's from native materials. The interior of the house was reno足 vated in 1840 by the owner f.-aen Woolley. Mr. Woolley, a prosperous farmer who was one of the first elected officials of the new Township, required a more formal home and remodeled it in the Greek revival style reflecting the "taste" of the period. The original beams and fieldstone foundation remain as the countryside changes from farmland to shopping centers. Photo by Jason Grossman

SETTLERS IN OAKHURST AND ELBERON

The lands now referred to as ()akhur.. l, known as Tuckerville. "Deale.~'

Township.

~~lberon

.Park and Elberon were at one time

In] 684 John 'rucker purehased lands from Thomas Potter at

Tucker, a Quaker from Massachusetts, acquired more than land in Ocean It was here that he mel Rulh Woolley, sister of John "Toolley of Poplar.

In 1688, they were married at the

eeting House in Shrewsbury.

By 1692 Tuck.cr had

accumulated 1092 acres of land and had a son James, who would develop the Tuc}(er land. The Tucker homestead was said to have tood on the bluff in Elberon approximately where the railroad station stands today.

Nestled on a lane behind tIle modern llouses of Slladow Lawn Manor, sits a Jeffrey homestead once the farmllouse for tIle land that included the entire Shadow IJawn area. In 1712 Francis Jeffrey took title to the land that bordered the halepond Brook. The Ilouse is believed to have been built by his son William Jeffrey about 1750. The Jeffreys were the first settlers in this section of the Township.

Like the homesteads of "rhite and Vl oolley, the house has a stone foundation, one or two inside chimneys and insulation of mud and sand held together with animal hair and straw. Window panes were slightly green and wavy and used sparingly since they were so costly. The doors often had a "cross over Bible" pattern to }(eep the evil spirits outside the house. The early settlers were practical men. labor.

Even their ba ic needs required long hours of

The lumber for their llouses was sawn from trees on their land.

were hand fashioned. imported from England.

Shingles were hand cut.

The nails or pegs

Blown glass, if it was used, had to be

The colonial sub titute was oiled paper.

Of necessity, their

homes were simple, flilfilling their immediate needs. Usually the house was built in two sections.

The earlier one, the smaller section,

consisted of one large room which was a }(itchen and sitting room with a large fireplace for heating and cooking. The upstairs loft-li}(e room was for sleeping. As the family grew and became more materially comfortable, a wing was added. A center hall with a staircase separated the two sections with two rooms added on the opposite side of the center hall. Small fireplaces heated these two rooms as well as the bedrooms upstairs. Cupboards were used :to tore dishes, linens and clothing. (Closets were a rarity.) Tlhe walls were plastered and a chair rail adorned them and protected them.

The Jeffrey Homestead, 4 Helen Court, Shadow Lawn Manor Built along the Whalepond Brook in the mid-1700's, this farmhouse has been restored to its original condition. Typical of the early New Jersey farmhouse, the center hall divided the old and newer sections. Heat from the fireplaces warmed the rooms and the walls were lined with mud and animal hair as an insulation against the wintery winds. The size of the homes may have differed (a sign ofaffluence) but the layout remained essentially the same. Photo by Jason Grossman

MILLS, THE FIRST BUSI ESS VE TURES The lands were purchased, the Indians were befriended, and then came the

back~足

breaking work of clearing the land and carving a life from the wilderness. Isolated from the village of Shrew bury by distance and a lack of roads the early settler learned to depend on their neighbors. Sharing the hardest work and trading their kills they established a permanent settlement in the area to be known as the Township of Ocean. A the settlement began to de elop there was a need for local commercial services. The first two of these were to be a saw mill and a grist mill. The saw mill was built on a mill pond along the Hog Swamp Creek. by the Drummonds. Although no records of its operation or appearance exist it i referred to on early map and It was located on the pre ent ight of the Hollywood Golf Club, near Roseld in wills. Avenue and Wicl apecko Drive. The grist mill stood on the south side of the Whale Pond Brook near the present Monmouth Road in Oakhurst.

The land was purchased under the

onmouth Patent by

William Reape in 1665. It was willed to William Brinle in 1715 by his grandmother, Sarah Reape. The mill was probably built in the 1700' by John Brinle ,son of

illiam. In his

will dated 1745, John is called a "miller" and he is listed a the owner of a gri t mill and a saw mill. The saw mill in Brinley's will was probably one built on another mill pond of the Whale Pond Brook. The pond was located on the west side of the present Route 35. Tllis mill is later referred to as aps' ill and the pond is called laps' Pond.

The gri t mill wa the center of the gro ing community's acti ities. It was here that farmer brought their grain, e changed their news, collected their mail and weicomed new settlers. The mill remained in the Brinle family until the earl 1800's. Changing hands many times, the mill continued in operation until the 1900's. In the mid-1800's it was known as Hopper's Mill~ later it was called the Ocean Flour Mills. The fir t mills were water-powered by the waters of the mill pond. In the mid-1800's, most water-powered wheels were replaced with turbines. And so it was with the Brinley ill. The mills served an important need into the 1900's. The advent of commercial feed and flour at low cost spelled the end of the era of the grist mill.

The saw mills were to go the way of the grist mill.

The railroad line that brought

vacationers to the growing resort city of Asbury Park also brought cheaper lumber to the lumber yards of Smock and Buchanon and the Princeton Lumber Company in Asbury Park. Maps' Pond was to enjoy a totally new use from the mid-1800's. In the days before refrigeration and ice cubes, ice was cut from local ponds and stored in ice houses for use in the summer for food storage and refreshment. Two such ice houses at . aps' Pond served the visitors and residents of Long Branch.

The Brinley Grist Mill on the Whalepond Brook at Monmouth Road, Oakhurst as it appeared in the late 1800's

SHREWSBURY TOW SHIP Created in 1693

East Jersey

The East Jersey population was growing steadily~ by 1745 it was 61,400. This growth required division of the sprawling townships and counties. In 1693, Shrewsbury Township included all shaded area. Staf ford, Dover and Freehold were carved from Shrews足 bUly as they became settled.

THE GROWl G

.J. COLO

The early political history of the colony of New Jersey was one of turmoil. Boundary lines changed, colonial rule changed, methods of governing changed, and the laws of the colony changed. Only the fiercly independent settlers who demanded their "rights" remained unchanged through the 1700's. Acts of defiance and rebellion are written in the history of the period. Politics was the popular sport of the day. As early as 1667 when Shrewsbury was incorporated, the settlers were holding public meetings and electing local officials and representatives to the General Assembly. The politically minded colonists demanded a government responsive to their needs, one" in which they could participate. In 1683, New Jersey was divided into East Jersey and West Jersey by a diagonal line that ran from Little Egg Harbor to approximately Delaware Water Gap. Included in the section known as East Jersey were four counties: Bergen, Essex, Middlesex and Monmouth. By 1693, the Provincial Assembly recognized the need to establish boundaries for its polit足 ical divisions. They called all the land south of the Navesink River Shrewsbllry. It included the present Ocean and most of the present . onmoutll County. The village of Shrewbury was to be the hub of activity for the entire area. An iron works had been built at Tinton Falls by the late 1660's. The Quaker Meeting House was built by 1672. By 1699 a tavern now known as the Allen House served the needs of travel足 ers with rest and refreshment. The Christ Churcll (Episcopal) was built in 1715 and by 1727 the Presbyterian Cllurch had joined the community. It was natural that the first roads in the area would lead to Shrewsbury. It was here the settlers went for town meetings, wed足 dings, baptisms and burials.

Although the early Ocean Township settlers were busy establishing their own homes, they traded their skills with their neighbors for the establishment of a "community." Among these early men we find the Whites who were carpenters, Drummond and Brinley the mill owners and Potter the blacksmith. Ocean Township men also offered their skills for "public service:" Drummond served as a surveyor andClerk of the Court and John Wool足 ley served as road commissioner in 1708. This sharing of skills and public involvement was the spirit that built the first communities.

II A New Nation Emerges

REVOLUTIONARY TIMES

During the 1700's, Ocean Township wa growing slowly. Still largely isolated and rural, they received their news from traveling peddlers and artisans or from the sailors at the docks in Oceanport, where they sold their urplus food" products. The Colonies were tiring of the sacrifices necessary to support the British Empire.

ew Jersey alone had.lost

a thousand men in the French and Indian Wars, and the people were heavily taxed to pay for "their defense." In spite of the growing anti-British sentiment, the outbreak of the V\Tar in 1776 found many local citizens torn in their loyalties. and many were peace-loving Quakers.

lost local settlers were of English descent

It wa to be a long and exhausting war for

Jersey and Monmouth County. The roster of the Continental Army contained the names of many local families. Those who served in the army or who sympathized with them were called Patriots. Those who remained loyal to the Crown were called Loyalists or Tories. These divided loyalties were to cause bitter feelings between neighbors and within families. Throughout the "Tar, Sandy Hook was a British stronghold.

It was here that many

Tories sought refuge when driven from their home by their Patriot neighbors. It "vas here that the Tories reported any family who might be helping to supply the Continentals or was sympathetic toward the American effort. Because of their clo e proximity, a raiding party from Sandy Hook could easily sweep down and investigate any suspicious activity or commandeer any needed provisions for their troops. These raids made a local militia a necessity. Organized for the purpose of protecting the llome front, the militia also served in the Battle of onmouth. Salt was to be the cause of many British raids along the

ew Jersey coast, including

Ocean Township. In the days before refrigeration, salt was a necessity in the preservation of foods. The British had succeeded in blockading the importation of salt. To ~eet the crisis, the Continental Congress called upon coastal residents to distill sea water. The high price that salt was bringing convinced some residents to risk discovery; among them were the Drummonds of Wanamassa. It is not known if the altworl(s ever got into production, but a British patrol discov足 ered the operation and destroyed it. Mrs. Drummond who hid 17

the~

The family valuables were saved by a quicl(-thinl(ing

in the well as the soldiers searched the property.

Another activit

of coa tal

residents was privateerin~.

British records from

1776 to 1782 show that an e timated 20 million dollars worth of good and propert wa lost, mainl to the privateers. Lacking the funds to outfit a na the Continental Congre

able to compete with the legendary British

issued letter of permi ion to individuals.

them the right to raid enem

This "license" gave

shipping.

The privateer ,in small fast boat, Thi "legal pirating" was dangerous bu ines . would attempt to capture merchant or uppl hip coming into the harbors at ew Yorl( or Philadelphia. The cargoe would b unloaded in one of the coastal bays. Tal(en inland the cargo would be sold at auction. The pri ateer risl(ed everything on the gamble of capturing a aluable cargo. During thi period, there wa a ship being built for privateering on Deal Lake. A Tory neighbor reported the activit to the Briti h and a patrol wa di patched. Learning of the approaching British, the Patriot tool( the caulking out of the boat and let it ink to the bottom.

When the patrol arri ed, thinl ing the hip had already ailed, they de troyed

the material and property near the ight.

The hip wa later refloated and j~ined

the

privateering fleet, according to the stor .

But it did not end the bitt rne

) '--

SCHOOLS, A FIRST PRIORITY Under British. control, the colonies could not engage in manufacture or trade freely for foreign products.

This was done to promote the British economy and to l(eep the

colonies dependent on the" lother Country."

Vlith independence, the Americans were

able to trade, manufacture and compete in the open market. ew Jersey was to be in the forefront of thi move from a rural to an industrial natioll. The popularity of the resort attractions and the growth of the commercial centers were all to influence the development of Ocean Township. But historically it was to remain as it had started, simply a nice place to live. The colonies did not have an established class system lil(e the European countries. onetheless, many colonists brought with them an attitude that accepted "their station in life." Then along came the Declaration of Independence that told them "that all men were created equal " and the Constitution that gave the lowly farmer the same vote as the highest government official.

It was an idea that sparked the imagination and ambition of a nation

and powered a social revolution that has not ended. It was a new nation of new opportunitie. Recognizing the importance of this, one of the first developments to tak.e place in Ocean Township was the establishment of schools. l.Jong before free public education, the rural families of this community were building and supporting schools for their children.

In 1780, the first school in the area was built

in the present "Test Long Branch. In 1784, the families of Poplar C'Vayside) built their own school on the land of Nathan Woolley.

This was replaced in 1835 by a school located on

Cold Indian Springs Road just south of Deal Road. located on Poplar Road just south of West

Park~

In 1864, the Poplar School was

Avenue

on the land of Edwin

"1 00 11 ey .

In 1885, there were 56 pupils in the Poplar School.

It was to serve the community

u.ntil the

"Then the pupils were transferred

new

Oal(hurst School was built in 1900.

to Oakhurst, they were transported by horse and wagon or horse and sleigh, depending on the weather. This was the beginning of "pupil transportation." The section of Vl aysid.e where Bowne, Wayside, Hope and Green Grove Roads meet, was called Centerville in the 1800's. The children from this settlement of homes and farms attended tIle first Wayside School,

on Hope Road.

This school was built in the late

1800's and is now a private home on the New Shrewsbury side of Hope Road. In the meanwhile, the Oakhurst area was also growing. A two room school house was located on the site of the present Oal(hurst School on lonmouth Road. before 1819. It was located on "Sandy Lane" which, according to the maps,was an undeveloped road from the corner of Park and Larchwood Avenues to the school site. 19

Th chool on onmouth Road wa called the Deal District School and was subject to much r modeling to accomodate the growing pupil enrollment. In 1870, a second floor was added at a cost of

]

2000, making it a four room school.

By 1885, the school had 156

~ [I

pupils. f i t fi

Th need for larger facilities resulted in the four room brick chool built in 1900,

cost of

Histor a ne

12,000.

how u that growing school enrollments and the need for new facilities is not

re pon ibilit for Township ta payers.

The Old School House, Monmouth Road, Oakhurst The old school house of the 1800's was moved from its original location to make room for the new Oakhurst School that was built in 1900. At its present site, 84 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst, the old school served the community as a Red Man's Hall, a temporary church and Sunday school and a social club before it became a private home. Photo by Ronald McNeal

The Oakhurst School, built in 1900 at a cost of$12,000, had four rooms and outside plumbing. The teaching princi足 pal was Professor Ralph Busch who received $700 per year. Electricity was added in 1905. Two classro'oms and an audi足 torium were added in 1908. In 1912 running water and lavatories were installed. With an enrollment of 210 pupils in 1921, two more classrooms and the present auditorium were constructed at a cost of $25,300. The last addition to the original building was made in 1932 when two classrooms were built over the auditorium. The new wing of eight classrooms was added to the original building in 195J. Although few of the Township students attended college, the local taxpayers realized the value ofadequate schools and good teachers in preparing their children for life and they provided them. The educational reputation of the Township was established early in this century by the determination of its residents. Among the early educators who served the com足 munity and helped establish the strong educatio1Ul1 heritage were:. Mr. Samuel Wiseman, Dr. Charles Strahan, Miss Estelle Voorhees, Mrs. Victoria Green and Mr. Harry Patterson. It was during the tenure of Principal Charles Strahan, 1903 to 1914, that a note was taken from a local bank to purchase a movie projector for the school. Mr. Strahan and another teacher had co-signed the note, intending to repay it by showing films in the school auditorium and charging admission. When bank officials learned of the unorthodox use of the money they recalled the note. Mr. Strahan appealed to Mr. Steinbach of Steinbach's Department Store and the note was repaid. In exchange, Steinbach's advertisel1)ents were flashed on the screen at every show until the amount of the debt was cleared. Photo by courtesy of Marion Davis

The first fVayside School was this building now a private home on the ew Shrewsbury side of Hope Road. Serving the Wayside farm families until the districts were consolidated in 1911 and th e pupils were transported to the Oakhurst School. Pupils de足 siring to attend high school were transported to Long Branch by stage coach and later trolley cars when the first secondary classes were offered in 1876. The Chattle High School was built in Long Branch in 1899. Photo by Ronald MeN eal

.~~

-----足

Students living in the Wanarruzssa section of the Township walked to the Bradley School i'1 Asbury Park until the Wanamassa School was built in 1931. For high school they walked to the Bond Street School un~il the new Asbury Park High School was built in 1926. In 1951 an eight room addition was added to the Wanamassa School to ease the overcrowd足 ing. The growing enrollments have necessitated a constant building and expansion program within the Township school system. In 1956 the Ocean Township Elementary School on Do~ A !'enue was built, in 1965 the Ocean Township High School was added, in 1970 the Wayside Elenlentar.y School was needed in the growing WaJ side area, in 1975 the new Jun足 ior High School will open.

THE EARLIEST CHURCHES

A ure sign of the growth of the area was the establishment of the first church in 1791. It was built on land deeded to the church officers by William Brinley, miller. The church and cemetery were located 200 yards north of the Brinley filIon onmouth Road in what i now ~T est Long Branch. The church ,vas u ed by the lethodists and the Presbyterians until 1809. At that time a larger building occupie .

as erected on Locu t Avenue, the ite it

0 longer ser ing e eral denominations the church is the Old Fir t

odist Church of

"1e t Long Branch.

still

nited teth足

The old building on the Brinley property ,vas used occasionall by "clergymen of ill repute," probabl revival-t pe meetings, according to old records. Later it was moved across the road and used as a barn. All that remains of this first church is the cemetery on Ionnl0uth Road ju t south of West Palmer A enue in We t Long Branch. eekl churchgoing was a social a well a a religioll occa iOIl for the rural familie . Prior to the building of churches, we find wor hiper gathering in private home. The need for additional churches in Ocean Township was not to occur until the late 1800's, after the Township was incorporated.

{~t(

(c C, il

Wayside United Methodist Church

The little settlement of Centerville (Wayside) was the site of the first church within the present Township. In 1881 residents lneeting at the Poplar School organized the planning of the new church. By 1882, the church was built and the cost of $1200 was pledged by church members. Today it is known as the Wayside United Methodist Church and it is located on West Park A

venUB.

This 1910 cornerstone ceremony of the First United Methodist Church of Oakhurst, established the second church within the Township, the first being the Wayside United Methodist Church. The congregation had previously held prayer meetings in private homes. The meetings were referred to as the HPearl Street Prayer Meetings. " (Pearl Street was the former name of Roosevelt Avenue.) Later, services and Sunday school were held in the Red Man's Hall. Land for the church and later for the parsonage were given by the William Campbell Clarks whose estate was on Park Avenue, adjoining the church property. The Clarks and the Frelinghuysen family were generous contributors to the building fund of the new church. Another generous member was opera singer Madame Lillian Nordica, whose hOlne is presently the main building of the Hollywood Golf Club. Madame Nordica donated carpeting and landscaping. The first Catholic services in the county were held in Long Branch in 1848. A t that time masses were said in the old Cooper House. The first church was St. Mary's Star of the Sea built on Chelsea Avenue in 1852. St. Michael's in fVesl End was built in 1891 and St. Mary's of Deal was built in 1901, both served early Township residents. The oldest Jewish congregation along the New Jersey resort coast is Temple Beth Mirianl, founded in 1881 in Long Branch and moved to Elberon in 1958. In 1898, the orthodox synagogue, Bro.zhers ofIsreal was established in Long Branch. The first Jewish synagogue within the Township was Temple Beth Torah of Wanamassa which built its sanctuary in 1957. Photo courtesy of LO\li~ J. Barbour ana the Historical Society of the Old First United Methodist Church, West Long Branch

NAMES TELL THEIR OWN STORY

From 1693, when the bOllndaries of Shre~sbury Township were first defined, until 1849, the Township of Ocean was part of Shrewsbury. Old deeds and wills and other docu足 ments refer to the area as Shrewsbury. (Often Shroesbury or another misspelled form was used.)

The need for identifying localities resulted in colorful and changing designations.

Names often had a historic or geographic

link~

to the land or the first settlers.

Many of the old names have disappeared from the area, btlt the early maps remind us of the history the names reflect.

Centerville or Poplar is now

called Bennet Town and Oceanville.

The section of

Oakhurst was

"rest Long Branch was at different times called

Branchburg, Hopper's Town and Mechanicsville. Racoon Island was Monmouth Beach.

"r ayside.

Wardell's Beach was Sea Bright and

orth Long Branch was Fishtown then

tlanticville.

eptune south of the Asbury Traffic Circle was called Logantown.

Logan

Road led to Logantown. Like the villages, the bodies of water also had various llames. Deal Lake was called The illiquecks by the Indialls, later it was Great Pond, Corlies Pond and White's Pond. north branch was called Hog Swamp Creek. and Marl Creek. The branch between We t Allenhurst and Interlal en was called Ironwell Creek.. The branch between Interlal en and Wanamassa was Romaine's Creek, and the SOllth branch was ew Bridge Creek. Sunset Lak.e was k.nowll as Little Pond, and Sylvan Lal e was

DllCk~

"r esley Lake was Long Pond, Fletcher Lake was Goose Pond,

Pond.

INDUSTRY FROM THE LAND

It has been said that our early ancestors were not generally good farmers.

. ost of

them were tradesmen or craftsmen in their native lands and knew little of the science of agri足 culture. onetheless, in America they were forced to farm their lands for survival. All too often the land was mined rather than farmed. ith trees removed the top soil washed into the streams and harbors. As the fields became worn out, the farmers cleared more land

It soon became apparent that something had to be put back into the soil. One of the earliest forms of fertilizer was a natural material called marl. deposits were abundant along the Poplar Brook.

In Ocean Township,marl

Marl was dug in Poplar from the early

19th century into the 20th century. Heavily laden wagons would carry the material to farms throughout the area. Mixed with soil the marl, a dark crumbly material of calcium carbonate and clay, would act as the soil conditioners and commercial fertilizers do today. It was in the marl deposits along the Poplar Brook, east of Route 35, that mastodon bones were reported to have been found in 1828. The site is noted on the 1868 map of J.H. Schenck. The environmentalists of today would shudder at anotller of our early local industries, that of charcoal burning. Early iron furnaces alone required 4 square miles of woodland as a basic supply. "It was the need for charcoal far more than agriculture that denuded the Eastern seaboard of it's forests." 4 Charcoal burning was a means of supplementing family income in Ocean Township. Charcoal pits were discovered along the banks of Deal Lake in the late 1800's.

III The Township of Ocean On Its Own

CHANGI G BOUNDARIES

The growth of Monmouth County can be traced by the political divisions made during the 1800 and 1900's. As settlements developed, citizens demanded a local government responsive to local problems. Distant township centers did not satisfy the taxpayer's con足 cern for the needs of his community. Hence, we see the breaking up of large township areas. In 1801, Howell Township was carved from Shrewsbury and in 1847, Atlantic Town足 ship was created from parts of Shrewsbury, Freehold and .iddletown Townships. The incorporation of the Township of Ocean in 1849 was a reflection of the growth of the shore area of Monmouth County. The boundaries in 1849 extended along the entire coast from Sea Bright to Shark River, (which accounts for the designation "Ocean"), and west to the present eptune and Eatontown. Following the separation of Ocean came the creation of Wall Township in 1857. As we shall see, the development of communities within the Township of Ocean result足 ed in the same reduction of territory that was experienced by Shrewsbury. Today, Shrews足 bury Township has several acres of territory and the Township of Ocean no longer has an oceanfront. SHREWSBURY

and the townships carved from it 1800 - 1857

THE TOWNSHIP OF OCEAN

and the communities

created from it

Long Branch

"--"

Eatontown

-. '

,_ -,West Long Branch: "

- ..

\_~\

(

" "....

.".,.,.

" \

•• '

- - - -,\

• • • • • • "",I

TOWNSHIP OF OCEAN

-.. . . r

Neptune Township

: ..

--,. {

{

OCEANVILLE EMERGES

The discovery of Long Branch as a vacation resort began in 1788 when the first boarding house opened place to visit!

it~s

doors for paying guests.

The traveling Americans had found a

The attraction of the seashore was the salt air and sea bathing which was

reported to be good for your health. Another Ilealth fad of the period was the drinkjng of mineral water. In 1828, a Philadelphia physician discovered a natural spring with mineral content along the north bank of the Whale Pond Brook near Monmouth Road. Water from the spring was bottled and sold as mineral water. The business prospered until the late 1800~s and was known as the Long Branch Mineral Spring at Oceanville (Oakhurst). One of the major reasons for the growth in eastern fonmouth County in the

1800~s

was the development of the commerce generated by the docks of tlle Shrewsbury and the avesink Rivers.

During this period heavy wagons rumbled along the back roads to the

warehouses at Oceanport bringing iron from tIle furnaces at the Howell Iron Work.s. Farm wagons brought fresh produce and fishermen sold their daily catch. One of the routes to the doc}(s was the present Monmoutll Road. It was in the early 1800~s

that a village emerged in the area now called Oakhurst.

The little settlement was

first called Bennet Town, presumably in recognition of a family of that name. TIle first businesses in the village were the grist mill, a tavern, a general store and a wheelwright shop.

A tavern or "ordinary" was usually established as one of the first busi足

nesses in a community.

An order had been enacted as early as 1668 requiring that every

town have an "ordinary for the "relief and entertainment of strangers." In the

1840~s

a blacksmith shop was added to the village.

In 1854 the wlleelwright

shop was changed to a hotel, evidence of the growing traffic through the settlement.

1849, wIlen the area became part of the new Township of Ocean, the tavern owner John Conk named his establishment the Oceanville Inn in honor of the new Township. residents liked the name and tllereafter the village was called Oceanville.

The

The grist mill at

this time became known as the Ocean Flour Mills. In 1857 George Brown and Thomas Cook ran the general store on the nortllwest corner of wlonmouth Road and West Park Avenue. Thomas Cook withdrew from the part足 George Brown nership in 1860 and built a competing store on the opposite corner. then became the first postmaster and the post office called the Deal Post Office was lo足 cated in his store. 29

In the early 1900~s, this general store in Oakhurst was owned by Harry Van Note. It was the village Post Office and boasted the first public telephone. in the area. It is the site of the first general store in the village, dating back to the early 1800 's. Photo Courtesy of Marion Davis

Originally built as a wheelwright shop in the early 1800's, this building later became a hotel and tavern for weary travelers. Located on Monmouth Road, a feeder route to the docks at Oceanport, stage coaches also stopped here to refresh their hOrses and passengers. The building today, still in the heart of the village, holds offices, shops and apartments. Photo Courtesy of Marion Davis

The earliest homes in the village of Oakhurst that remain today are similar to this one found at 333 Park Avenue (left). It is estimated that these were built in the early 1800's before the Township became incor porated. The two houses below are typical of the houses built in the 1850 to 1885 period. Examples of these are found along Roosevelt and West Park A venues and along Monmouth Road. The house at 44 Monmouth Road (left) was built around an earlier and smaller house. Photos by Ronald McNeal

A predecessor of the modern Township Library that was built on Deal Road in 1966 is this building on Monmouth Road in Oakhurst that was used at the turn of the century as a public reading room. Current news papers and magazines were available for residents to read. The Wanamassa Fire House also served as a library prior to the opening of the new building. This little building served for many years as the Oakhurst Post Office before the dedication of the new building in 1961. Before postal delivery everyone stop ped by the post office to pick up their mail•. It became a village gathering spot. The resourceful post master also sold candy and ice cream. For one year the post office was moved across Monmouth Road to the feed and grain store on the corner ofPark Avenue, (now the hardware store) but it was returned the next year to

the little red building in the heart of Oakhurst.

rn;r[[1

n:-

Cemetery

• •

Mineral Spr*g

•

• • •

~ok

----.....--

Jeffrey

••••

•

~\\$

l-1

atere

• . !fyar •

g~ ~.\r===-= ~\ ~

C/)

g. ~

Booth McVickar

~ ~ p..~

...-'~

~I ~

•

~ ~ Store

~SChOOl

•

- .----==--===

•

• ~.~\. r;-~osevelt

•

~ . "Gard

•

A Composite View of the Township of Ocean 1849 - 1873 w

Drummond

•

~eat Pond (Deal Lake)

\\t\

Ave.)

ROADS, THE KEY TO GROWTH

The building of roads has been an" merican obsession" since the first days of the republic.

Concerned at first with adequate mail service, a series of passable roads between

major villages was established.

As the roads developed, so did the first "traveling

merl足

cans:' Stage coach was tlleir mode of transportation. The conditions of the roads and the discomfort of the coaches made frequent stops for re t~ refresllment, and repair a necessity.

TIlis ga e

rise to a series of bu ines es that

would serve the traveling public. Goods and passengers traveled on hips tllat docked at Eatontown (Oceanport) and Red Bank.

stage line connected the docks witll Squan Village (~lanasquan). The route

from Red Bank made stops at Eatontown, the Halfway House in Centerville (now Wayside), Trap Tavern in Hamilton, Bailey's Corner and Squan a private residence on the

illage. The old Halfway House, now

ew Shrewsbury side of Green Grove Road, still faces tIle road

along which rumbled the stage line. The stage line traveled the inland route because of the lack of bridges over the many lal(es and streams that empty into the ocean along the sllore. The marshy quality of the land made even "good roads" unreliable. It was a problem that would concern local governments up to tIle present day. The need for reliable overland transportation was economic. At first traveling artisans craftsmen and peddlers were the link betwe n the rural family and the world of business . The travelers made their way along rutted and marshy roads often staying with the farmer if the roads became impas able.

With the emergence of villages and general stores,

mercllants needed roads over which wagons carrying tlleir goods could travel. They needed road that would bring customers to tlleir businesses. In the 1800's, State and County governments had few funds for road building.

response to the need, private companies w re formed to put up tIle money to grade and build decent roads.

sually planks wer laid lengthwise in tIle roadb d to s rve a a

foundation for gravel, stone or crosswise planks on tIle surface. The roads were called turn足 pikes, and a toll was charged as a means of r covering tIle investment made by the company. The investors also built a toll house and hired a toll keeper to collect from all travel r . Unfortunately, the roads deteriorated quickly and the public resented paying to travel on poor roads. By 1875, the public was demanding that the State Ilelp pay for major road. Ifowever, it wa 1892 before the State would take the first step toward responsibility for hie;h"UTay -improvement.

In Ocean Township th re were two toll road. One wa the pre ent 10nmouth Road between Oal(hur t and We t Long

l~ranch.

It was called the

pike and the loll hou c wa appro imatcl today, according to the 1868 map. giv

\11

road.

to the pre ent

orwood

enue.

wherc the

~lel:hanicsville -

Oceanville 'rurn足

est IJong Branch Fire flou e tand

T'hc Long Branch and Deal 'rurnpike wa the nalne The 1873

tla

how two toll houses along that

()ne wa' on the outhwe t corncr of outh Lincoln and

Park, and the other was located near Roseld and

orwood

enue in Elberon

orwood Avenues in Deal.

/' The toll house was a good location for posting hand-bills and general advertising. The toll keeper and his wife were a vital part of the community. All the villagers and travelers stopped to chat briefly. Their interest and sympathy in neighborhood affairs earned them respect in the communities on either side of the toll gate.

LOCAL GOVER

IE T - FOR THE PEOPLE

In 1849, witllin the newly incorporat d Town hip of Oc an, there ,ver t village.

One wa the d veloping re ort of IJong Branch with it'

Village.

The oth r was the bu tling port and bu inc

pper

maIn

illag ) and IJo\ver

di trict of Eatontown.

The center

of the new township would alternate between the two communitie . TIle first town meeting wa h ld on 1\larch 13, 1849 at tIle home of Jame ndec-,ol1 in Eatontown. The Town hip minute tell u tllat arl meeting were held in th hom of prominent citizen, usuall Van Woerst's and L.T.

in Eatontown.

Later notation ref r to meeting being h ld at

ewling's Hotel in Long Branch.

of the meeting were held in the Ilotel in 0 In 1849, the Township of Ocean paid

During the late 1800', orne

an ille. tate and Count

In 1850, the taxes had risen to $2431.77. Local

amounting to .. 2113.80.

penditures wer largely for the repair of

roads and tIl care of the poor. (TIle forerunn r of puhli a i tanc and welfare.) Lacking regular Township emplo

es a a Public Work or Road Department tho e

duties were performed by the elected Overseer of the Roads. The Over eer of each <Ii trict was bonded and empowered to ha e r pair

ork don on th ) road in hi t rritor .

lIe

would tllen submit the bills for the work at th regular Township meetin a where the ,vere approved for payment. n Overseer of the Poor was a imilar po ition in local go ernm nt. the needs of the poor within the Town hip.

He would ee to

otation refer to pa ments for the boarding

of poor widows and orphans, purchase of item -, of clothing and doctor's f e for medi al care for the destitute. house in the present

Althougll it i not located on th map, th,ere wa a Town llip poor ayside area that served the entire Ocean Township in tIle late 1800' .

Vital statistics give us an intere ting view of the growtll of the area. were 400 inhabitants in Shrewsbur .

In 1682, there

State censu in 1737 howed a population

6086. In 1830, there were 4700 re ident in Long Branch. 1850 wa the fir t cen u for tIle Township of Ocean figures. ith a total population of 4327, it wa broken down in the following manner; males - 2052, females - 1897, colored males - 149, colored females - 139. Following the eparation of Eatontown in 1873 a population count of Ocean Township In 1875 shows a total of 6100 residents. Furth r defined the statistics tell us in 1875 there were 70 deaths, 239 farms, 647 dwellings, 679 familie and 115 producing cow.

The seat of Township government from 1849 until the 1880's was elusive. Township meetings were at first held in private homes in Eatontown~ later they were held in hotels. The Township govern足 ment found a permanent meeting place with the building of the Long Branch City Hall (right) in the 1880's. It was not until after 1904 when Long Branch became an independent city that Township offi足 cials sought a permanent meeting place within the present Township. Photo by Ronald MeN eal

Built in the early 1900's as a Mechanic's Hall, this building at 76 Monmouth Road in Oakhurst served as a Township Hall and Police Headquarters for nearly fifty years until 1955 when the present Township Hall was built on the corner of Deal Road and Monmouth Road. During the early 1900's this was the only poll足 ing place within the Township. Early Wanamassa resi足 dents tell of traveling to Oakhurst to vote. Photo by Ronald MeNeal

THE TOW SHIP I

THE CIVIL WAR

III spite of the relatively i olated po ition of the '-Iownship and the facade of fyaiety that marked the mid-] 800's of Long Branch, the nation was growing increa. ingly tense over the i sue of slavery. had Leen slav -owner

ew Jerseyan

from the beginning of its

ettlement in the

In an effort to encourage ettlement of the colony, a 1665 law rewarded ettler

1600's.

T, 0 arl Town hip re ident Thoma Potter and Thoma hite, in the in entori of their e tate were Ii ted a owning one egro man." Dy 1776 there were 4500 sla es in ew J r ey, about 7.5% of the population. with an additional 60 acre for e er

TIle influenc of the Quakers in

la e held.

ew ] er e prompt d a erie of la'" tllroughout the

1700' that resulted in an act in 1820 abolishing laver in The econom

ew Jerse .

of the Soutll depended hea il on the labor of tIle la e and th ir re i t足

ance to abolition r ulted in lave running away from their bondage. The establishment of the "Underground Railway" in tIle 1800' was designed to assi t fugitive

la e in reaching freedom in Canada.

Beginning in 1815 and reaciling its

peal in the 1850' ,thi movement depended on tIle opposed to slavery.

mpathetic invol ment of tho e

Tra eling at night, the runaways sought refuge at different "stations."

The "stations" were homes or buildings in which they w re Ilidden and protected until mov足 ing on to the ne t top.

In tIle Town llip of Ocean, one uch" tation" wa on the Gardner farm.

located on the corner of Grant

TIle hOll e

venue and lonmouth Road in the Oakhur t ection i

aid

to ha e a hidden tunnel that wa used as part of th "Underground Railway." Th

outLr ak of the Ci il "'Tar in 1861

Town hip minut

aw man

local men go off to th

war.

indicate that to n had quota of men to recruit. Onc r cruit d it , a

the re ponsilJilit of the town to rai e the fund througll taxation to upport the troop. In December of 1863, Ocean Township ber of 1864,

oted to rai e 300 for each man draft

5300 wa rai ed for the

nd in Januar

olunteer.

In epteln足

of 1865 additional

fund were needed. nother contribution of the J r of the

ea Rrlght

l{iff_"

hore and Ocean Township wa the de

The hoat \; a. aC'tuall

clp

~loplnent

loped in Long Branch in 1859 by

Walter Seaman.

The skiff acquired tl1e name "Sea Bright Skiff" because it was built in Sea

Brigllt. In 1861, Seaman and a number of area fishermen were recruited for a naval" expedi足 tion to New Orleans. The new skiff was taken along and used to land the men on the beaches. Unlike the keel boat8 which capsized easily the new skiff landed tl1e men dry footed and ready for action.

The Gardner Farm, Grant Avenue and Monmouth Road in West Deal A farmhouse of early Ocean Township that is said to have been part of the HUnderground Railway" of the 1850's. A secret tunnel was dug for the purpose ofhiding fugitive slaves in their flight to Canada and freedom. The owner of the farm risked prosecution if his actions were discovered. The anti-slavery movement had many such sympathizers in New JerJey. Photo by Ronald MeNeal

THE FAMOUS COME TO LO G BRA CH

The growing prominence of Long Branch was demonstrated by the increasing number of resort accommodations and the well known figures who vacationed there. One year after the area became the Township of Ocean, Henry Clay was reported to have come to Long Branch to rest following his debates on tIle Compromise of 1850. Another visitor was General

infield Scott, hero of the .exican War of 1847 and Whig

candidate for the Presidency in 1852.

It was said tllat General Scott was lured to Long

Branch by a specialty of local kitcllens, "clam pie." Progress in tIle form of the Long Brancll and Squan Telegraph came to the village in 1850. And by 1860, a railroad spur from Eatontown connected Long Branch with the Raritan and Delaware Bay Railroad. Tl1e line was started in 1856, stretching from Port MonmoutIl to Plliladelphia. It was completed just in time to transport ew Jersey volun足 teers to tIle battle lines of the Civil War. Although the city could boast natural and man-made attractions, it was the statlls of the visitors that contributed to the increasing popularity of the resort. In 1861, rs. Abraham Lincoln vacationed tIlere. In 1869 General Grant cl10se the resort as the summer capitol. Following llis lead otller military men came to summer at "TIle Branch." Among the notables were General Willla~ Sllerman, General George .ead, General Phillip SIleridan and Admiral David Farragut. President Rutllerford B. Hayes elected in 1877, continued the tradition of summering at Long Branch.

Hayes chose to stay at a hotel instead of a "cottage" as Grant llad.

President James A. Garfield, inaugurated in 1881, chose the Francldyn Cottage in Elber足 on as llis "summer White H.ouse." Just four months after taking office I1e was Sllot and mortally wounded by a disappointed office seeker in Washington D.C. on July 2, 1881. Garfield was taken to tIle White House with a bullet lodged in his back. TJle inept medical care and the stifling Washington summer served to weaken the President's llealtll. By mid足 August a decision was made to take Garfield to his cottage in Elberon. In order to do this, railroad tracks had to be laid from the depot to tl1e door of the Francklyn Cottage. Within 24 hours tIle land was surveyed, the rail bed laid and the spikes driven. Almost 2000 men worl(ed tllrougll tl1e night. Women served cool drinks, bakeshop rema~揃 ed open to supply food and meals were transported from tI1e West End Hotel to the workers.

t first Garfield seemed to respond to the refreshing Atlantic breezes, but on Septem足 ber 19, 1881 he died in Elberon, Township of Ocean During tl1is same period a "native son" was rising to recognition and success. Garret A. Hobart was born in 1844 in the family homestead on Broadway near Locust present West Long Branch. family moved to

venue in tl1e

Hobart's father was a school teacher in Long Brancll.

farlboro wIlen Garret was 8 years old.

opened his law office in Patterson, Long Branch during his term as

He studied law at Rlltgers and

ew Jersey where lIe gained his reputation.

Hobart was cllosen as the running mate of William

Tl1e

cKinley.

In 1896,

Hobart returned to West

ice President, summering at the estate that is now tl1e

Guggenlleim Library of Monmouth College. McKinley and other prominent national figures. as a popular and brilliant Vice President.

While there, Hobart entertained President At his death in 1899, Hobart was hailed

TIle last of tile presidents to enjoy the surroundings of the Jersey Sllore was Woodrow Wilson wl10 stayed at Shadow Lawn, the present site of Monmouth College, in 1916.

The Summer White House of 1916, Shadow Lawn, West Long Branch Wilson campaigned for the 1916 presidential election from the front lawn ofShadow Lawn. It was here on election night that Wilson went to bed believing he had lost the election to Charles E. Hughes, only to learn upon waking the next morn足 ing that the returns from California had changed the results of the election. Wilson went on to lead the Nation in and out of World War I and through the founding of the League ofNations. Photo Courtesy of Aleta Jones

THE RAILROAD AND THE STEAMBOAT COME TO THE SHORE

Long BrancIl had become a summer resort for Philadelphians, but it was almost inacces足 sible to New Yorkers. the

TIle development of steam boat passenger service from New York to

.Ionmouth County area was spurred by the building of the Long Brancll

and Sea足

shore Railroad, which took vacationers by rail from tIle steamboat dock at Sandy Hook to Long Brancll. The Raritan and Delaware Bay Railroad had its dock at Port onmouth and had a spur into Long I3rancIl. The Central Railroad of ew Jersey built a lluge pier at Atlantic Highlands. in order to compete for passenger service. The speed and reliability of the steamboats gave LirtIl to the "daily excursion"" to tIle Sllore. Steamboats came down the

avesin}( and Shrewsbury River, too.

Pleasure Bay and

Branchport were the two stops in early Ocean Township. Undaunted by tIle winds

and

tides as the earlier sailing vessels were, tile steamboats could bring entire families, their luggage, their carriages and their horses for a summer at the Shore. In 1879, tile famous Ocean Pier was built off the beacll at Long Branch, adding an attraction and excitement to the resort. TIle side-wheelers would then cross tIle Lower Bay and make the "outside run"" down to "The Branch."" Unfortunately, ocean swells and tides made it difficult to dock the cumbersome steamboats and some days the boats returned to tIle city witllout the passengers even setting foot on the beach. It was apparellt that with the influx of people in the summer months the village needed reliable local services.

In 1867, a body was formed called the "Long Branch Police, Sanitary

and Improvement Commission."" The Commission maintained police, fire,

sanitation and

road improvement services. At this time tIle village attained a borough status but remained part of Ocean Township until 1904 wilen it adopted a city charter and establislled boundary lines. From the 1850"s until the old

onmoutll Park Race Track opened in 1870, local

promoters staged horse racing for tile amusement of the vacationers. The opening of the Track, however, attracted tIle gambling crowd and its undesirable followers. It was a development that contributed to the eventual fading of the popularity of Long Branch as a fashionable re ort, the "Queen City"" of the coast. The period from 1870 to 1890 saw the growth of factories in Long Branch. Manufac足 turers were attracted to the railroad connections and the labor force that followed the seasonal job market. By this time Long Branch had a newspaper and a bank. 41

Tllis <levelopment and prosperity was important to tIle residents of the Township of Ocean. rrIle growth of Long 13rancIl, just as tIle later growtIl of AsLury Park. and tIle otIler re ort communities, meant a new market for local farm products and for local services 路 lthougll the farms fed tIleir families, farnlers generally needed to supplement their family Income. work.

Job meant younger members of tIle family would not Ilave to leave llome to find The increa ingly maller size of tIle family farm could no longer upport

generation.

Ocean Township families were now turning from the farm to

-'everal

find otller

means of earning a living.

"On the Beach at Long Branch - The Children's Hour" from Harper's Weekly In the days before newspapers could reproduce news photographs, illustrators traveled to the scene of national events and drew what they saw. Here, the famous American artist, Winslow Homer, captures the scene on the beach at Long Branch in 1874. The swimming rules of the day forbid Hmixed" swimming. Men, women and children swam at different times of the day. A flag on Broadway signaled the changing periods of bathing.

Monmo,uth County Family Tree

Middletown I Township

1693

Holmdel Township

IAtlantic Highlands

1887

Keyport Boro

1908

Highlands

1900

Union Beach Boro

1925

I .

1683

1857

1848

Howell Townshiv

1693

1857

Raritan Township

Keansburg Boro

IShrewsb!lry Townshzp

Matawan Township

1917

1801

OCh"'AN TOWNSHIP

1849

Rumson

1907

Red Bank

Wall Township

1851

Farmingdale

1903

Matawan Boro.... 1895

Belmar

1872

Manasquan

1887

Spring Lake

1892

Sea Girt

1917

Brielle

1919

IEatontown 路 Township

1873

1908

Neptune Township

1879

Fair Haven

1912

Sea Bright

1889

Bradley Beach '" .1893

Little Silver

1923

Allenhurst

189 7

Asbury Park

1897

Shrewsbury Boro

Deal

1898

Avon

1900

1926 Long Bronch

! 904

Ocean Grove.":.... 1869

Monfnouth Beach

1906

Interlaken

1922

Loch Arbour

195 7

~Shrewsbury.1950

IAtlantic Township .t.

1847

Upper Freehold Township 1735

Freehold Township

1693

Millstone Township

1844

Manalapan Township

1848

Marlboro Township

1848

Freehold Boro

1919

*Ocean Grove refnains a part ofNeptune Town颅 ship. 1869 marks the establishment of the Cafnp Meeting Association.

t A tlantic Township waS' created froln parts of Middletown, ShrewsburJ) and Freehold townships. It is now Colts Neck Twp.

THE FAMILY TREE BRANCHES OUT

TIle focus tllat Long Branch brought to the Jersey Sllore and the means of transporta tion tIlat gave it access, led to tIle growth of neighboring Monmoutll COllnty communities. As the communities developed, tlley sought their own governments and tIleir own identities. By 1873, Eatontown had separated from Ocean, taking witll it tIle areas that later be caIne Oceanport and West Long Branch. III 1869, a tract of land was pllrchased along the oceanfront "as a Cllristian seaside summer resort and camp-meeting ground." TIlus was born the unique community of Ocean Grove, operating today as it did in 1869, under the terms of tIle corporation that formed the Ocean Grove Camp Meetillg Association. In 1871, James A. Bradley purcllased 500 acres adjacent to Ocean Grove and planned a year-round resort city tllat became Asbury Park. With these two settlements to the SOUtll, Ocean was divided in 1879 when tIle Town ship of Neptune was formed including all binds in the southern half of the Townsllip. WitIl in the original Township of Neptune were the towns of Asbury Park~, Bradley Beach, Avon and eptune City. Like Ocean, Neptune finds itself with a seaside identification and no beaclles. In 1889, Sea Bright began the secession of independent communities from Ocean. TIle Coast Land Improvement Corporation was formed in 1895 to develop tile land now known as Allenllurst, into a residential community. The promoters succeeded in attracting buyers and the community became known as Allenhurst, in honor of the early settler Abller Allen in 1897. A similar community was being planned to tIle north of Allenhurst by the Atlantic Coast Realty Company. In 1894, they had purchased a tract of land and had 11ired well known landscape architect Nathan A. Barrett. wide avenues and palatial estates.

The result was an exclusive community of

It became tIle community of Deal in 1898.

TIle independence of Long Branch in 1904 was followed by the separation of Mon mouth Beach in 1906. Last to leave the Townsllip of Ocean were the towns of Interlaken in 1922 and Loch Arbour in 1957.

WAYSIDE - FROM STAGE STOP TO RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY The village at Centerville (Wayside) tllat developed along the stage route of the 1800~s, lost its importance as the railroad took over tIle transportation of freight. Centerville became a sleepy rural village taking care of the needs of the local farmers. l'he Halfway House became a tavern and peg-legged Jim Dangler, a Civil War veteran, was the proprietor. The first general store in tile area was found on Deal Road near Poplar Road and was called Daniel William ~s Store. About 1900 the general store was located on the present Bowne Road south of Deal Ro,ad, and was called Bowne ~s Store, selling "dry goods and groceries. ~~ Known at first as Centerville, tile village was also called Danglerville for a while. The designation Wayside has been used since 1905. The quiet rural area of Wayside was the site of two institlltions, disturbingly common to the period before medical advancelnent and social awareness. One was a "poor house, ~~ An institution established by the community to care for the indigent and the homeless before public assistance and welfare. Wayside was the site of the County Poor House in the 1800~s and later maintained one just for the Township. Unless they had a family able to care for t.~em, in the days before social security and pension plans, older citizens faced the possibility of spending their final years in the "poor house. " Another such institution found in Wayside was commonly called the "pest house." Actually a hospital for communicable diseases, such facilities were needed to quarantine those persons with illnesses tIlat medical science knew little about. Polio patients could be found there as well as sm~lpox and scarlet fever patients. An unmarked cemetary adjoined the hospital but its use was discontinued by ordinance in 1901. The hospital~s use was continued into the 1900~s. The rolling farms, woodlands and pastureland of Wayside remained untouched by com足 mercial interests with a few exceptions. One was an airport established on the fields at the corner of West Park Avenue and Poplar Road. It was called the "Asbury Airport" in the late 1930~s. At Cold Indian Springs two businesses evolved. One was the bottling of spring water., which was established in 1887. The other was the creation of a rustic recreational swim club at the lake formed by the spring. It was called Kepwel Park. The roadside vegetable stands along the old Route 35 that served the vacationers headed back to the cities have been replaced by shopping centers and office buildings. Deal Road and Route 35., once known to all as Wertheim~s Corners., is now identified as tIle Middlebrook Shopping Center. Where prize cattle once grazed on tIle fields of the Mid足 dlebrook Farm, apartments house thousands of Townsllip residents. In tIle 1950's and 1960~s the farms and woodlands gave way to residential and business development., changing forever the rural character of the Township of Ocean. 45

GROCERIES

DRY GOODS -----------AT--------

E'S

Bet~een

The Following Prices for CAS" and at STORE ONLY A Fine Flour, 2476 lb Bags, " "12}.(" Per Barrel SPECIAL-A FINE N. O.

.ST

Green Grove and Wayside

The object of this .~ale is to get the 'public acquainted with the store. Our new prices eve~:

This Sale Will Last Until J!louary

month will keep.

'14, 1905

them cOIr..:ng •

. . _ _ _ _ _ _~~~~.neWhi~ Beans, 3 qts .75 .38

Fine Pork T.J~_rd, 3 lbs

39c gal

Not over !5 Ihs to a. customer

A Fine Special Blended Coffee never sold less than 22c or 25c, for this sale . . . . . 15c lb Grain or Ground

LOOK AND THINK ABOUT THIS A Fine Mixed Tea, never sold before less than 40c lb, for two weeks only 25c Ib

A Fine Cigar

5cPa 25c 8c Pkg 5c Pkg - 250

A Fine 60c Tea, Mixed or Plain, for only

45c 25c

Any quantity you want 9c 5c :ra $1.00 per box

~IC.A.LPIN'S SHORTS

.25

Best, Condensed Milk, 3 cans

Not over 5 Ibs to a customer

Ante Tobacco, 2 P's

8c lb .25

10(} Corn Starch Good Rice, 6 lbs 2 Ib Package Best Rolled Oats Nut Flakes ~ Zest, 2 Packages

MOLASSES,

, worth 55c gal., for only

Pure Cider Vinegar, from our own orchards Small Hams Fine Butter

•

20c gal lb 25c

7~c

Fine Mixed Candy . " Christmas Candy Toys " Seeded Raisins, 3 Pkgs Seedless Rajsins, 3 Pkgs " New Dates, 41bs New Figs, lb Pkgs " Cranberries, 3 qts

10c lb 10c lb 25c 25c 25c 10c 250

Good Soda Biscuit, 4 lbs " .LpUlon" 4 Ibs .Best Fine Salt, 4 bu Sacks New Ma~kerel . Herring (Smoked) . 4 Cans Tomatoes, Large 3 Cans GoM Corn . 3 Cans Fine Peas 3 Cans Pumpkin. Extra Fine Smoked Beef 3 Pkgs Shredded Codfish

The quantities on some of above ~oods are limited as we cannot get more at the prIce. Be early if you want any of these bargains.

25c 25c 1.50 5c Pc 18c Box 25c 25c

Look and think about this-A fine $1.00 Axe, a~l Ha.ndled, for only 6sc. FOR THE LADIE8-~tandard Calicos, fast colors, Quilting Cotton, opens ~ice, only D\l~'t

Good Cotton Flannell A. C. A. Feather Ticking Extra Good Straw Ticking Handsome Chambrays

8c vd

'. 14c yd

10c yd . 8c yd

4~ c y~rd 11 ellb bundle.

Pins . Horse Blankets . Axe- Handles, good ones Heavy Wool Socks .

'. 1c Paper $1.00 to $3.50 each 15c each 25'c pr

Special low prices on .Wire Nails by the Keg, also on

Ribbon and Barbed Wire and Staples

for cash only

How Can we Sell at These Prices?

rent to pay, no CORPORATION Taxes, no Clerk hire.

The above. bargains win not

Only one to a cUhtomer.

Miss This Item.

Tutts Stock Food 01' Condition Powders

3 pounds for 25 cents

none better

~Ve.have no

25c 25c 20c lb 25c

We do our own work.

offered after January .4, 1905, but on the 16th of January will make a new sale, but of other goods. Fancy Mixed Nuts,

. 2 Ibs for 25 cents.

By attending these 'sales you will be able to get ~ost of your goods at as Iowa price .as any merchant . . can buy. by the car load. Bak.ed Bean8~ 3 large cans for 25c, rfomato Sauce_ - - - - - - - -.•.~--~-------------------------'-------------

Attention. for your Hors~s, 10 lbs Glauber Salts, 25c.

Oil Meal, Sulphur, Salt Petre; at lowest prices

46 Advertisement Courtesy of Leon F. Bowne

OCEAN, A VACATION RETREAT

The era of prominence that brought presidents to the Jersey Shore, also brought the wealthy and the famous.

Local farms, woodlands and oceanfront fields were transformed

into "vacation cottages" of mansion proportions. The summer population swelled not so much from the vacationing families as from the "army" of servants who accompanied the very rich. In the present Ocean Township, large homes of the era were being built along Norwood and Park Avenues. The section was often called "Long Branch" or "Elberon" to capitalize 路on the reputation the two towns had acquired as fashionable resorts. Most famous of the early "cottage" owners was the actor Edwin Booth, brother of John Wilkes Booth. Edwin Booth first came to Ocean Township to visit at the home of his father-in-law, James H. McVickar. It was at the McVickar Home that Booth was married. {

B~oth-Kinney-aark

Estate, Park Avenue in Oakhurst

In 1871 Booth completed the building of his own brick victorian "cottage" on the southwest corner of Park and Larchwood Avenues.

The family stayed there in 1871. By

the end of the year the house was sold due to Booth's financial difficulties. In 1875 the house was sold to T.T. Kinney, publisher of the Newark Daily Advertiser. TIle grounds of the Kinney estate were bounded by Monmouth Road, South Lincoln, Larchwood and Park~ Avenues. Several of the homes along Park Avenue served as living quarters for "the help" of the estate. One of the Kinney daughters married William Campbell Clark of the Clark Thread Company. The Clarks took over the estate from the Kinneys and lived there until the 1940's. TIle name of the estate was "The Oaks," in recognition of the many native oak trees in the area. It was from this that the name "Oakhurst" evolved. Across Park Avenue on the north side. of the street, another Kinney daughter built her family vacation home. A thirty five room mansion and exquisite gardens were the cen足 tral features of the Frelinghuysen Estate. It was not unusual for families of wealth to maintain several homes in which they lived with the changing of the seasons. The Clarks had, in addition to "The Oaks," a hunting lodge in Maine, a winter home in Newark and a family homestead in Scotland, which they visited annually. Both the Clarks and the Frelinghuysens were interested members of the local commun足 ity although they only lived here part of the year. Records show they contributed to local needs and spoke out for necessary municipal improvements. The McVickar House still stands at 104 Norwood Avenue. purchased by the stage star Maggie Mitchell.

In 1875, the home was

The twenty acre estate included stables, or足

chards and farmland. It was from her great success in the play "Fancheon, the Cricket" that she named her home "Cricket Lodge." Here she entertained Ellen and John Drew, Buffalo Bill Cody, the Barrymores and other notable theater stars of the day. The completion of the New York and Long Branch Railroad in 1875 Inade commuting to North Jersey and New York more practical. Large homes were soon built as summer retreats for the wealthy. With the railroad completed husbands found it convenient to join their families at the Shore_

These were the first "shore commuters."

Today, the mansions of this era are fading from the community as is the life-style that supported them.

Built in an age of low property taxes and cheap labor, maintenance of

such buildings and grounds became prohibitive even for the very rich. The homes that are now along Norwood and Maplewood Avenues were once part of the property of the estate of financier, Samuel Sachs. The home of stucco walls and tile roof, resembled a Mediterranean villa.

The estate included a private four hole golf course.

The education building of Monmouth College was built in 1900 as a 110me by the Gaddis and Plum families. Originally encompassing all the lands of Shadow Lawn Manor which they bougllt from the Jeffrey family, the Greek Revival mansion has survived sub足 divisions and a changing economy because a useful purpose was found for the building.

The Sachs' Estate (above) formerly along Nor足 wood Avenue near Maplewood Avenue. The Plum Estate (left) known as "Brookside" is now the educa足 tion building ofMonmouth College. Photo Courtesy of Monmouth College

The McVickar Home on Norwood Avenue Built in 1868 by James H. Mc Vickar, Shakesperien actor and theater owner, this victorian "cottage" was typical of the architecture of its day. The male figure on the porch of the cottage is actor Edwin Booth, son-in-law ofMc Vickar. This home was sold in 1875 to actress Maggie Mitchell who called it "Cricket Lodge." Photo from"Album of Long Branch"

The "Sea View" on the northwest corner of Park and Norwood Avenue This was called the "rural retreat" ofactor Edwin Adams. Secluded from the resort crowd yet part of the fashion足 able scene that was Long Branch, these victorian vacation homes were symbols of success and affluence. Photo from "Album of Long Branch"

LIFE IN THE LATE 1800'S

The record of growth in the Township was seen in the minutes of the Council meetings and the Ordinances of the period. In 1895, the Atlantic Coast Electric Railroad made an application for permission to run trolley cars through the Township along the present

or足

wood Avenue. TIle trolley was a convenient means of transportation for local residents. The line went nortll to Pleasure Bay in Long Branch and south to Asbury Park~ and Belmar. In 1899, when Chattle High Scllool in Long Branch opened, many students traveled to school by trolley. In 1897, the Consolidated Gas Company applied to install poles and gas lamps along public roads.

Tile lights must have been installed in other parts of the Township, llowever,

because in ] uly 1900, the residents of

orwood and Park

venues complailled that "other

tllan moonlit nights, the roads were unsafe for public traveL"" Concern for the growing menace of automobile traffic was reflected in two 1900 Or足 dinances. One prevented "the running at large of llorses., cows, sheep., swine, goat and other animals."" Farm animals were an early driving hazard on country roads. Another allowed for the punishment of automobile operators "driving at immoderate speeds, whicll are defined as greater than six miles per hour.. "" The traveling peddler was still part of rural life in Ocean Township in 1900. An Ordin足 ance required that foot peddlers pay a twenty dollar license fee for selling "rugs, jewelry, food 7

pt~_'"

The arrival of "society" at the Jersey Shore did not change the pace of life for local residents. The 1865-66 Ledger of Harry Van Note's General Store reflected the life-style of Oceanville at that time. It was here that residents bought their hardware, their clothes and their food staples. They bought straw hats to protect themselves fromthe summer sun and buckskin gloves and flannel to ward off the winter cold. At Van Note's they found buckets for their well, school books for their children and kerosene for their lamps. They bought salt, vin足 egar and sugar to preserve and cure their own food. They bought tobacco, linament and stove polish all in the same store. Anyone interested in specialty shops or stylish dress could travel to Long Branch. In 1870, the Steinbach Department Store opened on Broadway. In Oceanville, the village boasted a second blacksmith shop to handle the increased "traffic."

The General Store of Harry Van Note on the northwest corner of Monmouth Road arid West Park Avenue rho~o OOUIlIC~Y

or t\lclla

Jonc~

DEVELOPMENT ALONG DEAL LAKE

By the turn of the century, many communities had or were ready to separate from the Township, assuming identities that were uniquely their own. Very often this "identity" de termined how a community would develop and the direction its growth would take. Ocean Township, too, was developing an "identity." With the choice oceanfront prop

erties gone, the exploiters saw few opportunities for a "fast buck." in the woodlands and farms of the Township. It was a rustic and rural community, and its residents were content with' it as it was. The rustic setting proved to be the charm that attracted its growth in the early 1900's. One of tIle first attempts at land development in the Township took place on the wood ed Wanamassa Point, north of Sunset

venue.

In tile late 1800's, this tract was purchased

by the YMCA as a camp meeting and revival community. An auditorium and a running track track were built and several lots were sold before the project fell victim to a depressed real estate market. III 1907 some 250 lots were sold and the development began to take s}lape. It was not long before

anamassa had acquired a reputation as a "high class bungalow community."

Tile Wanamassa Realty Company, organized a few of Sunset

ears later, developed the area

outh

venue.

One of the first busine s ventures within the Township, significantly took place near the present industrial park. It was near the pre ent sbury Circle in the 1880' that John and Robert Drummond established their brickyard. Selling bricks to tile builders con truct ing tile early homes and Ilotels in Asbury Par}r, the Drummond Brick.yard prospered until 1900. The Drummond's were also sportsmen and horse racing enthusiasts. On the land now known as Colonial Terrace, the brothers built a half-mile race track. It became so popular tllat a corporation was formed in 1890 to stage other sporting events on the Colonial Ter race property. In 1891 a grandstand was built and the onmouth County Fair was held on the fields where a residential community now stands. It was some thirty years later that the section was first planned as a community of homes by Frederick Bimbler. About 1895 J. Edward Wortman, began promoting the development of the section he called "Edgemere." He later changed tile name to "West Allenhurst" to capitalize on the publicity the developers of Allenhurst were promoting throughout the State. "llen hurst Park" was the name given to the property sold in the northern section of West Allen hurst in the 1920's by Wallace Blanchard and Adrian Chamberlain.

The George W. Rosenstiel Bridge over Deal Lake at Sunset Avenue was built in 1924 to replace an earlier wooden structure. The bridge was named in honor ofa Wanamassa resident so highly regarded by his neighbors that they gave him the complimentary title ofMr. Mayor. Beneath the bridge is one of the launches that was operated hourly from Wortman's or Waters' Boat Livery, located in Asbury Park near Eighth 路Avenue. Residents living along Deal Lake took the launch to Eighth A venue where they caught a trolley that took them to the beach or shopping in Asbury Park. At night the launch brought customers up to Ross Fenton Farm from the Loch Arbour Hotel on E'dgemont Drive or from the many hotels in Asbury Park. Wanamassa residents, in an effort to retain the residential character of their community did not allow stores in their village until the 1920's. Prior to that..residents walked to Asbury Park, shopping at Smock's Grocery Store on Pine Street or Bulfs Market across from the North Asbury Railroad Station. Commuters living in Wanamassa walked to the North Asbury Station to catch the morning trains for the city. At night their wives took turns ca"ying a lantern down the unlighted and sparsely populated Sunset Avenue to meet the return颅 ing husbands. Photo CourtesY of Mrs. Frederick Holman

Wanamassa in the early 1900's was a lakefront community. Homes such as these along Edgewood Avenue were The rustic setting was used as a background for several silent compared to the lakefront communities of Switzerland. films. Local residents were asked to act as extras when they came out to watch the early movie making. Wanamassa was also the setting for the novel "Why Not?" written by the popular poet and novelist of the World War I era, Margaret Widdemer. Canoe regattas and community clambakes were annual affairs for Wanamassa families. "Marshmallow Point" was the name given to the site of the annual clambake and marshmallow roast. It is now known as Wanamassa Point Road. Photo Courtesy of Mrs. Frederick Holman

Prominent Township resident, Colonel George Mc Clellan Harvey. Born in 1864 in Vermont, during his lifetime Colonel Harvey served as managing edi tor of the New York World, editor of the Washing ton Post, President of Harper Brothers, early pro moter of Woodrow Wilson for the presidency and Ambassador to Great Britian. Colonel Harvey was a principal in the Atlantic Coast Electric Railroad and had many ties at the Shore. In 1903, he built his home on the southeast corner of Roseld A venue and Wickapecko Drive where it still stands.

"Ivy Hedge" on Wickapecko Drive was built in 1901 Across Wickapecko Drive fronl the home of Colonel Harvey was HIvy Hedge" the estate ofM.H. Harper, owner of Harper Brothers. The Harper estate passed into the hands ofJames B. Regan in 1916. Regan operated the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York City and was the father-in-law of actress Alice Joyce. Regan entertained prominent New York politi cal figures as well as theater Hpersonalities" at his home in Ocean Township. From 1923 until 1960, HIvy Hedge" was the home of the Lyle Kinmouth family. Mr. Kinmouth was the editor and publisher of the Asbury Park Press until his death in 1944. Since 1960 the estate has been used as a school.

The YMCA Auditorium built in the late 1800's was used as a community club until the 1930's. It was the center of the community's social gatherings, from masquerade balls to firemen.s fairs. It was located on the corner of Camp A venue and Sunset Avenue in Wanamassa.

In 1898 the rustic setting of a Wanamassa restaurant known as "The Farm" made an attractive investment for entertainers Charlie Ross and Mabel Fenton. The well-known vaudevillian comedy team of Ross and Fenton turned the business into a popular road-house restaurant. The gala opening in 1899 attracted many "personalities" from the Weber and Fields Company with whom Ross and Fenton had worked. In 1902 the lure of the stage proved too great and the comedy team resumed their vaudeville career, leasing the restaurant to a Philadelphia caterer, Charles W. Smith. In 1918 Charles Ross died and his wife returned to Wanamassa and operated the business until her death in 1931. The resraurant was an elegant night spot and it featured the biggest names in the entertainment field of the day. Local residents often sat in their canoes along the lake listening to the music as it drifted down the lakefront. The zeal with which the management pursued big name entertainment was demonstrated by the appearance ofHelen Morgan who was appearing on Broadway. Featuring her at their midnight show, Miss Morgan was whisked to Wanamassa following her final curtain by seaplane. Residents were given torches and instructed to stand along the banks and across the Sunset A venue Bridge to provide an outline of the lake on which the pilot would land. Miss Morgan made the show and joined a list of notables that included Sophie Tucker, Vincent Lopez and Eddie Duchin who appeared there nightly. An attraction of "The Farm" was an elaborate pheasant house. The large pen included a log cabin to shelter the pheasants. Residents knew that the cabin was also used to conceal illegal liquor during Prohibition. From 1931 until it burned in 1950, Ross Fenton Farm passed into several hands. During its "heyday" the road house enjoyed a reputation throughout the Shore that has been unrivaled since its closing. Photo Courtesy, of James F. Durnell Collection

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In 1910, the Township of Ocean made aviation history with "America's Greatest Aviation Meet" sponsored by the Asbury Park Aero and Motor Club and promising prizes totaling $20,000. Just seven years after the Wright Brothers had made their historic flight, the air show was held on the fields of Interlaken along Wickapecko Drive. (Interlaken was still part of Ocean Township in 1910.) Grandstands were built for 10,000 people and parking was provided for 3,000 cars. Admission was $.50 per person and a near sell-out crowd filled the grandstands. Wilbur and Orville Wright attended the rneet and acted as flight directors, but they did not fly in the C0111pe足 tition. The first day of the meet opened with a near mishap when a plane crashed into a corner of the grandstand, injuring several spectators, none seriously. The cause of the crash was reported to be the "high winds," 20 to 25 fn.p.h.! This was a gale to early aviators. Several firsts were scored during the 17 day show. The first air mail was carried from the field in Interlaken to the Deal Golf Club where the Qub President received the letter and wrote a reply that was flown back to the show officials. Another historic footnote occured as a result of the rivalry between two of the competing pilots. Trying to outdo each other, they planned stunts that were unheard of at that time. Their competition resulted in the first night flight which lasted six minutes in the skies over Ocean Township. Tragedy struck the show on the third day when when a parachutist while adjusting his equipment fell from the cross足 bar and plunged to his death. The mishap seemed to generate more interest in the event and the meet continued to its conclusion. The crowds were treated to more excitement when a small dirigible shaved the roof off the administration building at the show site while trying to elevate the craft. When the show ended,the dirigible pilot, having fnore luck in controlling his craft by then, flew the dirigible to the Allenhurst railroad station, deflated the aircraft and took the train to Pittsburgh!

VOLU TEER U ITS ORGANIZE

Site of the First Oakhurst Fire House The Blacksmith Shop of Marcus Coon was located on Monmouth Road in Oakhurst. In 1917, it was purchased by the Established in 1913 with a hand drawn hose Oakhurst Independent Hose Company as the site of its first fire house. cart given them by a Mrs. Wilson, owner of an Oakhurst estate, the firemen at first rented space at the Mechanic's Hall In 1915, with the purchase of motorized equipment, the fire department needed a building of its own and used the site of the blacksmith shop to locate the two story brick fire house that served them from 1917 until 1968. In the late 1920's a First Aid Squad was organized and an ambulance was donated to the squad by Sanders Wertheim. The growth of the community and the need for more equipment to serve the Township necessitated the building of the new fire house on Photo Courtesy of Walter Brown Larkin Place in 1968.

Wanamassa Fire House on Sunset Avenue, 1923 to 1927 By 1922, Wanamassa was a settlement of homes along Deal Lake. The need for a fire fighting unit to protect local properties was realized that year when the Wanamassa Fire Company was organized. The first piece of equipment was an old hose reel donated by the Spring Lake Fire Company, and kept in the garage ofJoseph Smith on South Wana足 massa Drive. By the end of the year a motorized pumper had been purchased and a firehouse built on Sunset A venue

between Carven and Laurel Avenue. By 1927, the equipment had outgrown the first building and a larger structure was built at Sunset Avenue and Wick足 apecko Drive. Two years later the First Aid Squad was organized with an ambulance donated to them by Sanders Werth足 eim. The growth of these volunteer units has continued to keep pace with the needs of the community. Photo Courtesy of Wanamassa Fire Company

The "Cinderella Tea Room" was located at 514 North Edgemere Drive in West Allenhurst. Typical of the Hhome businesses" that flourished in the 1920's and 30's, the Tea Room had a gift shop and served luncheons. Taking advantage of their location on the scenic drive along Deal Lake, the resourceful family found a way to supplement their income. Another such establishment was the -Home stead Tea Room that was located at 365 West Park Avenue in Oakhurst. In the days before strict zoning there are records oflocal families operating bake shops, laundries, antique shops and dancing schools from their homes in Ocean Township.

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Another development of the 1920's that would affect the future of the community was the 1919 sale of the Fox hurst Farm in Oakhurst to Western Electric. The 63 acre test center was the site of early wireless telephone experiments. In 1920, the main building was erected to house a ship to shore transmitter. Soon the landscape was dominated by relay towers. The center was the first station to broadcast musical programs for entertainment and was the site of the development of the short-wave transmitter for early transatlantic radio telephone service. Bell Laboratories took over the center in 1925 when they assulned the experimental work for Western Electric. In 1928, additional land was purchased bringing the acreage to 208. With the outbreak of World War II, the station conducted highly secret experbnents in radar research and develop ment. In 1953 the facilities were leased to the U.S. Signal Corps of Fort Monmouth. The Astro-Observation Center they established at the site picked up some of the first signals from the Russian satellites HSputnicks I and II. " The center was then called the Deal Test Site and continued to serve as.a monitoring center for succeeding satellite activity. In 1960, the site played a key role in handling radio traffic from HCourier I B," the nation's first successfid com munications satellite, developed at Fort Monmouth. The Deal Test Site is no longer an experimental center; it is now owned by the Township. It was purchased for the purpose of preserving for future generations the open spaces and woodlands that once characterized the entire community.

FROM BOOM TO BUST

The return of "the boys" from World War I ushered in a new era for the country and for the Jersey Shore. The 1920~s saw the isolated rural residents of the countryside become ot only had the veterans come home with a new outlook on life "citizens of the world." but the radio, the movies,and the automobile gave people new access and awareness of different life-styles. Although there were no sweeping changes in Ocean Townsh ip, the pro file of the community by the end of the 1920~s pointed the way to the future growth of this Township. The inflated prosperity, easy credit and real estate boom of the '20~s led to speculative development of such communities as Shadow Lawn Manor, Deal Park, West Allenhurst and Colonial Terrace. In 1924, the "Model A" Ford was selling for $290; it gave the housewife and the busi nessman new mobility. Families were now interested in moderately priced homes "in the country. " The new homes in Ocean Township were designed for that market. The bargain-price'd land of the 1920~s led to an attempt to develop small summer homes for North Jersey and city residents in the "Deal Beach" section of Oakhurst. The sum mer cottages are still scattered throughopt the section, but have long since been converted to year-round llomes. The 1920~s was also the era of Prohibition. Local entrepreneurs saw the possibilities of the isolated farms and secluded setting of Ocean Township. Several Township "speak easies" were reported to have been popular gatheri~g spots. A farm in West Deal boasted a gambling room as well as a bar. The gambling casino of the Ross-Fenton Farm is now a pri vate home on South Wanamassa Drive. Another home near the lake in Wanamassa was re ported to have a tunnel that led to Deal Lake for smuggling illegal shipments of liquor. The colorful era came to an abrupt end with the depression and the thirties. It was a difficult period for local families. With "tight money" resorts closed, businesses laid-off workers and even the self-employed found their customers unable to buy or pay for their serVIces. Local doctors accepted home-grown vegetables and work in exchange for medical care. Mortgages were foreclosed and many new homes stood empty for lack of a buyer. One Depression promotional scheme illustrated the depressed value of local land in that period. A ewark newspaper offered a parcel of free land in Ocean Township with each years subscription to its newspaper. The Board of Adjustment has been plagued with these undersized lots ever since! It was the last time that homes and land were available at "har gain prices" in the Township of Ocean.

Smith's Butcher Shop on Monmouth Road in Oakhurst as it appeared in the early 1900's. Photo by courtesy of Marion Davis

The village shoemaker was [ocacea on Monmouch Koaa in OaKfJursl

Photo by courtesy of Walter Brown

THE BEGIN ING OF A

EW ERA

The outbreak of World War II saw the mustering of the young men of the community for the defense of their country. The rolls of the Veterans of Foreign Wars list over 500 men and women who served in the armed forces in World Wars I and II from tIle Townsllip. On the homefront, most residents were "returning to the land." Many planted "victory gardens;" some raised poultry and livestocl(. Women canned and preserved and men helped gather scrap iron, tin and recycleable materials for tIle war effort. Children bought saving stamps in their schools, and parents bought savings bonds through their pay checl(s. Black out shades were hung in the windows of the homes, car lleadlights were painted half black and air raids reminded residents tllat shore towns were targets for possible attack. Following the end of World War II, veterans returned home to find Ocean Township virtually unchanged, but not for long! There were several factors that accounted for the tremendous growth that started in the 1940's and has. yet to end: the returning veteran Ilad money for G.I.Mortgages and wanted a llouse he could afford; there was undeveloped land in Ocean Township on which to build; the community had good schools and few problems; the Fort Monmouth facilities had expanded greatly providing a new job market; the influx to Monmoutll County of North Jersey urban families in search of suburban communities in which to settle; and finally the development of new businesses within the community to serve the needs of the new residents. The era of tIle rural, rustic and verdant community was ending. The tangle of native pine, bayberry and mountain laurel gave way to housing developments. Open fields and displayed "no trespassing" or "no llunt llnderbrush, once the domain of the fall hunters, ing" signs. The sparkling streams and lakes filled witll top soil as the trees were cleared from the land and tile rain erroded tile soil. Increased traffic required improved roads and safety measures. Increased problems of the taxpayers demanded a more responsive and efficient local government. In 1962, tile Township adopted a Council- . anager form of government, electing a five man Council every four years. A Zoning Board, a Planning 130ard and a Board of Adjustment were appointed from the residents to oversee the future development of the Township. A new taxpayer awareness and concern Ilas resulted in tIle Shade Tree and Environmental Commis SIons. Historically, tllis community llas reflected its residents' need to find "a 11ice place to live." TIle stability of tllis community was due to the vigilance and concern of past gener ations of taxpayers. Preserving the cllaracter of the Townsllip in tIle future is tIle responsi bility of the present citizenry.

ACK OWLEDGEME TS

This project of publishing an updated history of our community has been a goal of the Township of Ocean Historical Society since its establishment in 1970. We are particularly grateful to Mayor Joseph Palaia and the Township Council for their sponsorship of this effort as part of the Township's 125th Anniversary celebration. The basis of our work on this book began with the fine research done by the Centennial Committee in 1949, headed by Malcolm Swan and William Kemble. Additional information was accumulated and verified by the members of the Historical Society. Of particular note were the efforts of Mrs. Nathan King, Mrs..Isaac C.King, and Mrs. Walter Kirchner. in locating the old photographs. We would like to thank the following people for their interest and their time in assisting us in the production of this book:

The Asbury Park Press Mr. Robert Van Benthuysen, Monmouth College (New Jersey Collection) Miss Louise J ost, Monmouth County Historical Society Library Mr. James F. Durnell, New York (The James F. Durnell Collection) Mrs. Henry Brinley, Long Branch (Brinley Family) Mrs. Marie K. Jones, Township Clerk (Current History) Mrs. Rebecca Moore, Office of the Superintendent (Ocean Township Schools) Mrs. R. Huntington, Oakhurst (Oakhurst First United Methodist Church) Mr. Donald Vineburg, Oakhurst (Oakhurst School) Mrs. Leroy Smith, Oakhurst, (Old Oakhurst School House) Mrs. William I. Thompson, Wanamassa (White Family) Mrs. Frederick Holman, Wanamassa (Wanamassa) Mr. Isaac C. King, Oakhurst (Poplar and Oakhurst) Mr. Hans Mattes, West Deal ( Deal Test Site) Mr. Stephen Z. Merlin, Wanamassa (Drummond Family) Mr. Karl S. Zimmerer, Ocean Township (Brinley Mill) Mrs. Robert Edelson, colonial Terrace

BIBLIOGRAPHY

History of Monmouth County.

Ellis, Franklin,

Philadelphia:

R.T. Peck & Co., 1885.

Book of the Dead of Monmouth. Asbury Park: Martin and Allardyce,

Martin George C., 1915.

Martin, George C., The Shark River District - Monmouth County N.J. Genealogies. Asbury Park; Martin and Allardyce, 1914. McNear, Harrison, Stillwell, John E., Historical & Genealogical Miscellany: Relating to Settlers of New York and New Jersey. New York: J.J. Little & Co., 1930-32. Moss, George H. Jr., Price, T.T.,

Steamboat to the Shore. Locust: Jervey Close Press, 1966.

Atlas of the Jersey Coast, 1878. Philadelphia: Woolman & Ross, 1878.

Salter, Edwin, A History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Bayonne: E. Gardner & Son, 1890. Schenck, J.H., Album of Long Branch, A Series of Photographic Views with Sketches. New York: John F. Trow, 1868. Stillwell, John E., M.D., Historical and Genealogical Miscellany, Data Relating to the Settle足 ment and Settlers of New York and New Jersey, Vols. I-V. Baltimore: ( different pub足 lishers and dates).

The Township of Ocean, 1849 - 1949. New Jersey: Ocean Township Centennial Corporation 1949 Tunis, Edwin.

Colonial Living. New York: The World Publishing Company, 1957

Weiss, Harry B. and Sim, Robert J.

The Early Crist and Flouring Mills of N.J.

Trenton;

N.J.Agricultural Society, 1956. Wilson, Harold F.

The Jersey Shore, Vol. III. New York, Lewis Historical Publishing Co.,

1953. W.P.A. Writer's Project.

Entertaining a Nation - The Career of Long Branch. Bayonne; Jer足

sey Publishing Co., 1940.

FOOT OTES

1. Salter, Edwin. A History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. (Bayonne: E. Gardner & Son, 1890), Page 7

The Shark River District - Monmouth County N.J. Genealogies. (Asbury Park: Martin and Allardyce, 1914), Pages 62 - 64

Martin, George C.

Ibid, Page 78

Tunis Edwin. Colonittl Living. (New York: The World Publishing Co., 1957), Page 113

In 1857 George Brown and Thomas Cook formed a partnership to run a general store on the northwest corner of West Park Avenue and Monmouth Road. In 1860 Thomas Cook withdrew from the business and built this store on the southwest corner across from his former partner. In the 1900's this.store was run by Harry F. Davis who was the Township Tax Collector from 1904 to 1946.