USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 2 > Part 50
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"That the said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall have power to establish ordinances and regulations for the following purposes, to wit: To prevent vice and immorality ; to preserve the public peace and order; to prevent, quell riots, disturbances, disorderly assemblages ; to lay out, regulate and im- prove roads and water the same, and to remove en- eroachments thereon ; to lay out, regulate and im- prove parks and public grounds, with consent of the land-owners; to prevent indccent exposures, and to improve the sanitary condition of the place, and may carry said ordinances and regulations into effect, and may enforce them by penalties not exceeding one hundred dollars for each violation thereof, which may be recovered by action of debt by said commissioners, by their official name and title aforesaid, before any competent tribunal having jurisdiction of the amount of such penalty, for money due and owing, generally
giving the special matters in evidence, and execution may be awarded according to law, on judgments ren- dered under this act for the penalty and costs."
The territory composing the jurisdiction of the Long Branch Commission is described in the act "That portion of the county of Mon- mouth bounded north by the road running from Branchport to Atlanticville, south by Thomp- son's Pond, east by the Atlantic Ocean, and west- erly by a line running parallel with the coast and one-third of a mile west from high-water mark."
A supplement to this act was passed April 3, 1868, which appointed as commissioners Lewis B. Brown, Samuel Laird, Francis Corlies, Jacob Herbert and Cornelius Vanderveer, and described the limits to be as follows :
" Beginning in the middle of the road leading fromn Branchport to the sea, at the intersection of the Long Branch and Sea-Shore Railroad; thence, run- ning westerly along said road to Branchport, to the middle of the road leading in front of Cornelius Van- derveer's to the Eatontown and Sea-Shore turnpike ; thence along the same to the said Eatontown and Sea- Shore turnpike; thence along the same westwardly to the northwest corner of lands late belonging to John W. Slocum, deceased; thenee along the line thereof southerly to the northeast corner of Henry H. Wardell's farm, in the line of lands of Joseph Poole; thence along the line of said Poole's land westward and southerly to the road from Long Branch village to the Batlı Hotel; thence westerly along the same to the road leading out of said last-mentioned road to Lane & Corlies' store; thenee along the same to the Long Branch and Deal turnpike; thence southerly along said turnpike to the southwest corner of a tract of land purchased by Lewis B. Brown of Amzi McLean and others; thence along the southerly line of said traet of land to the ocean at low-water mark ; thence along the ocean at low-water mark northerly to a point due east and opposite to a certain monument on the line of the said Long Branch and Sca-Shore Rail- road; thence southerly along the middle of said rail- road to the beginning, the last course from said monu- ment to said point of beginning being seven hundred and seventy-five yards, more or less."
A supplement to the original act, passed in 1872, provided for an addition of territory to the commission, as embraced in the following described limits :
" Beginning in the road leading in front of Corne- lius Vanderveer's to the Eatontown and Sea-Shore turnpike, at the intersection of the same by the New
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
Jersey Southern Railroad ; thence running southerly along said road or avenue to said turnpike; thence along the same westwardly to the northwest corner of lands late belonging to John W. Slocum, deceased; thence along the line thereof southerly to the north- east corner of Henry H. Wardell's farm, in the line of lands of Joseph Poole; thence along the line of said Poole's land westward and southerly to the road from Long Branch village to the Bath Hotel ; thence west- erly along the same to the road leading out of said last-mentioned road to Lane & Corlies' store ; thence along the same to the Long Branch and Deal turn- pike; thence northerly along said last-named turn- pike to the road leading from Lane & Corlies' store to Mechanicsville; thence along the same to south- westerly corner of lands of Samucl Corlies; thence with the westerly line of said Corlies' land to corner of lands of Tucker Woolley ; thence with the westerly line of said Woolley's lands to the corner of lands of George W. Brown; thence with the westerly line of said Brown's land to corner of lands of Joel Potter ; thence with said Potter's westerly line to the afore- said Eatontown and Sea-Shore turnpike ; thence along the same to southeast corner of lands of A. M. Chris- tellar and others, and known as the Kensington Park property ; thence northerly along the eastern line of the same to the said New Jersey Southern Railroad; thence easterly along said railroad to place of be- ginning."
A supplement, passed April 8, 1875, author- izes the commission "to establish a Board of Health, define its powers and duties and pro- vide for the protection and maintenance of the health of the inhabitants." Under this authority a Board of Health was established, and has proved a great benefit to the people of Long Branch.
The presidents of the commission since its organization have been Joseph H. Cooper, Thomas R. Wooley, R. H. Woodward and George W. Brown. The president of the Board of Health is Dr. S. H. Hunt.
The first physician of whom any knowledge has been obtained as having practiced near Long Branch was Dr. Elisha Perkins, a native of New England, who was an eccentric genius, and practiced medicine in accordance with liis peculiar ideas. He lived here before 1800, and owned a large farm, and built a starch-fac- tery where St. James' Church now stands. A part of the farm reached to the beach. The old residence was standing in 1855, and is now used as a barn. He moved to Baltimore, Md., after 1812.
Dr. Jacob H. Van Derveer began practice in this place in 1846.
Dr. Z. W. Scriven began practice in 1851, and continued until his death, in 1876.
Dr. Thomas G. Chattle came to Long Branch in 1855 and is still in practice liere.
Dr. James O. Green opened an office here in 1864, and is still in practice.
Dr. J. B. Goodenough came to Long Branch, from Blue Ball, in 1875, and is now practic- ing here. 1
Dr. James H. Chasey, a student of Dr. Scri- ven, graduated and located here in 1875. He is one of the present physicians of Long Branch.
Dr. Henry H. Pemberton came to the Branch in 1874. His brother, Dr. John Pemberton, began practice in 1880. Dr. George W. Brown, a student of Dr. Chattle, began prac- tice in 1878. These are all now in practice at Long Branch.
The Long Branch News, the pioneer news- paper of Long Branchi, was first issued No- vember 1, 1866. It was a six-column paper, published by Major James S. Yard, of the Monmouth Democrat, with James B. Morris as assistant editor, and who succeeded Major Yard in the proprietorship in 1868, and continued till his death, in 1871. It was continned by Major Yard until April 6, 1872, when Mr. J. Stultz, the present proprietor, purchased it and became the editor. It is now an eight-column paper. The office is on Second Avenue, near Broadway. A daily edition was started for the summer months May 28, 1866, and con- tinued as such until 1882, when it was issued, as it still is, tri-weekly.
The Long Branch Record was established in Long Branch village by R. M. Stultz, Janu- ary 4, 1883. On the 1st of October following, L. S. Bennett became a partner, and it is now conducted by Stultz & Bennett.
There are four post-offices within the limits of the Long Branch Commission, viz. : Long Branch village, Long Branch, North Long Branch and West Eud. The post-office at Long Branch village was established May 28, 1834, and was designated on the books of the department at Washington as " private." This
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OCEAN TOWNSHIP AND LONG BRANCH.
meant that the mail was carried at private ex- pense from the nearest post-office, which then was Eatontown, where an office had been estab- lislied a few years before with John P. Lewis as postmaster. The first postmaster at Long Branch was William W. Croxson, appointed May 28, 1834. The mail was carried from Eatontown to Long Branch by, William R. Maps, who, iu his diary, says : " April 19, 1838. -The last we expect to carry the mail from Eatontown." Uriah Smalley took the first mail contract, and carried it until about 1851, when James Reamer contracted for a term of years, but did not complete it. William West and John Van Wart carried the mail the re- maining time of his contract, and in 1856, John Van Wart made a contract to carry the mail, and continued until the railroad was opened, in 1861, when the mails were carried by the railroad company.
The store of William W. Croxson was partly on the site of the present Van Wart Hotel. Mr. Maps, iu his diary of date February 6, 1839, says : " William W. Croxson moved the post- office from Long Brauch to Israel Williams' store without consulting the people. March .- People indignant on account of removal to Me- chanicsville. Croxson brought it back on the 6th."
Mr. Croxson continued in the. office until about 1846, when Charles Lyou was appointed and served two years. The office was kept in his cabinet-shop. He was succeeded in 1848 by Henry Howland, who was appointed and served until May 21, 1854, when Jolin A. Mor- ford was appointed. The office was removed to his store, where Curtis, the hatter, now is, and where it remained until 1860, when John Slo- cum was appointed postmaster, and remained until about January 1, 1875, when the present postmaster, J. A. Howland, was appointed. Under Slocum the office was moved to the east side of the present building and moved to the west side of the same building, when Mr. Howland came to the office, the west side having been fitted up with special reference to use as a post-office.
The Long Branch post-office was established about 1864 with Charles Sprague (who theu
kept the Ocean Hotel) as postmaster. It was afterwards moved to the railroad-station and kept by James Allaire until 1871, when Lewis Slocum was appointed. He was succeeded by Matthias Wooley, the present postmaster, in December, 1874, when the office was removed to the present building, on Broadway, opposite Third Avenue.
The West End post-office was established in September, 1881, with D. M. Hildreth post- master, who holds the position at the present time.
The North Long Branch post-office was established in 1874, with George Hoyt as post- master. At his death George E. Ferguson became postmaster and continued a few mouths, being then succeeded by the present postmaster, C. E. Francis.
THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT LONG BRANCH VILLAGE was formed abont 1840. Long Branch was made a preaching- place of the Shrewsbury Presbyterian Church many years ago, and on the 12th of July, 1846, the trustees of the church at Long Branch pur- chased a lot of Jonathan Slocum, not far from where the Reformed Church now stands, on which they erected an edifice, the corner-stoue of which was laid July 12, 1848, and the church was dedicated July 29, 1849. It was used for worship until about 1855. On the 6th of March, 1856, an act of Legislature was approved, au- thorizing Jacob H. Van Derveer, John W. Slocum and Charles Herbert to sell the prop- erty, which was done. The building is now used as a store.
In December, 1883, the Presbytery of Mon- mouth were invited by a petition, numerously signed, to form a Presbyteriau Church at Long Branch. A committee was appointed, who ar- ranged to meet the petitioners in Library Hall, and, after examination of the case, organized the First Presbyterian Church of Long Branch, with about fifty members, who were largely members of the Second Reformed Church, and the elders of the Second Reformed Church were chosen as elders in the Presbyterian Church. Services are held in Library Hall. It is the intention of the society to ereet a church in the near future.
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
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THE FIRST REFORMED CHURCH OF LONG BRANCH dates back in its organization nearly forty years. Among those who settled at Long Branch were many families of the Reformed Church faith, and a request was made in 1847, of the "Particular Synod of New York," to " come and oceupy the ground." In the year 1847 the Board of Domestic Missions sent the candidate, Nathaniel Conklin, lately graduated from the Theological Seminary, to assume . charge. He was ordained as an evangelist by the Classis of New Brunswick on the 4th of January, 1848.
Efforts were at once and successfully made to obtain means to erect a church. A lot was purchased, and the corner-stone was laid, July 18, 1848, by the Rev. Dr. Van Vrankin, of New Brunswick, Rev. D. V. Scott, of Newark, and the Rev. William Reilley, of Holmdel. The church was completed and dedicated No- vember 22, 1849. The following, from the Minutes of the Synod, gives the history of the church to the resignation of the Rev. Mr. Wilson :
"In the spring of 1851, Mr. Conklin received a call to another field of labor, and he left before the church was organized. A committee had been appointed for that purpose as early as April, 1849, but the act of organization had so far failed for want of material. But now, a new minister being needed, the Board of Missions required that he should be a pastor and no longer a missionary. And hence the necessity arose that the church be organized. This was accomplished on the 12th of July, 1851, nine persons presenting themselves for membership, of whom four were males. In the month of August following, a call was made on the candidate, James B. Wilson, a recent graduate of the seminary, to bceome their pastor. This call was accepted, and he was ordained and installed on the 11th of November following. In that field he lived and labored for twenty-seven years, and with what success we may gather from a few leading facts.
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" The church, we have said, was organized with nine members. It found itself surrounded by a peo- ple who knew nothing of its doctrines, order or his- tory ; and who, indeed, were indifferent on the sub- jeet. Passing by a few families, the whole population, execpt such as were regular attendants at the old Methodist Church, represented a mission field. The Board of Missions gave the pastor two hundred and fifty dollars for the first year. The church found itself in debt six hundred dollars. This was paid in the next four years. In two years more a parsonage was
obtained, leaving a debt of only about six hundred dollars, and in seven years from the beginning of his ministry the church was self-supporting. And, better than all, in the eleventh year the church reported sixty-eight members in full communion. This church, so small in its beginnings, has come to be strong and influential. And not only did Mr. Wilson care for and labor to build up his own church, but he felt called upon to extend the influence of the Reformed Church as he had opportunity. Three churches, be- sides the First Church, are what they are to-day through his efforts and sacrifices. His connection with the church was dissolved during 1878. The present pastor, the Rev. Charles J. Young, was in- stalled February 6, 1879."
THE SECOND REFORMED CHURCH OF LONG BRANCH is of but recent date as to its organi- zation as a religious body. For many years prior to 1878 visitors at the sea-shore had desired a more convenient place of worship than the edi- fice of the Long Branch First Reformed Church. This resulted in the building of the "Sea-side Chapel" by subscription. The corner-stone was laid August 16, 1866. Before the work was far advanced a lady from Hartford offered five thousand dollars to enlarge the chapel from the size intended. The offer was accepted, and the chapel was completed and dedicated July 14, 1867. Preaching was supplied by visiting clergymen for eleven years. In 1878 it was thought advisable to place the chapel under control of some religious organization, and, in accord with the desire of most of the people constituting the congregation, the Second Re- formed Church of Long Branch was organized, May 28, 1878, with thirty members. The Rev. James B. Wilson resigned the pastorate of the First Church and was installed pastor of the new congregation. He continued until April, 1881, when he resigned, and was succeeded by the Rev. William Phraner. The church dis- banded December 17, 1883. The chapel is now used for services during the summer season.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF OUR LADY, STAR OF THE SEA, is. located at Long Branch, at the corner of Second and Chelsca Avenues.
Fifty years ago there was not more than five or six resident Catholics in Long Branch and vicinity, and these were natives of Ireland. In the summer several families usually came from
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New York and Philadelphia. It is probable that visiting priests often offered Mass in the summer hotels for the accommodation of the Catholic guests, but the first well-authenticated instance of the offering of the Mass in the place was about the beginning of September, 1848; probably Bishop Hughes, of New York, was the celebrant. This Mass was said in the dining-rooms of the Cooper House, now the Ocean Hotel. In that hotel Mass was said by visiting clergymeu during five suminers, and then Father John Kelly, of South Amboy, of- fered Mass at stated intervals in the house of Michael Hogan, which is yet standing back in the field near the Catholic Cemetery of Mount Carmel.
The first Catholic Church built here was erected in 1852, on the eorner of Chelsea Ave- nue and the New Jersey Southern Railroad, on the lot where Mr. Noyes' cottage now stands. Mr. Patrick McCormaek, of Elizabeth, N. J., took a warm interest in its welfare, and it was mainly through his generous efforts that it was completed. It was known as "The Church of Our Lady, Star of the Sea."
Fathers Kelly, Killeen and Saloan ministered to the congregation after the church was built, and the last-named clergyman was obliged, owing to the increase of his flock, to erect the new church. Shortly after its completion the old church was pulled down.
In 1877, Rev. James A. Walsh became resi- dent pastor, and remained until May, 1883. During the ministrations of these clergymen Catholieity inereased both spiritually and tem- porally.
The congregation has a handsome frame church fronting on Second Avenue and a com- fortable rectory on Chelsea Avenue. The present rector, Rev. James A. McFaul, took charge of the church May 1, 1883, and he is gratified with the continued increase of the con- gregation, both in winter and summer, and he feels that the Catholics under his charge are keeping pace with the progress of this beautiful seaside resort. The congregation numbers about two hundred and fifty in winter and about two thousand five hundred in summer. As a further proof of the progress of his church,
he points to the partly-completed new church of St. Michael (of which he is also the rector), situated at the West End, near Takanassee Lake. Mass was first celebrated in the tempo- rarily-roofed basement of the church on August 19, 1883, at eight A.M. The churchi is closed in winter, but the summer congregation num- bers about four hundred.
ST. JAMES' EPISCOPAL CHURCH was organ- ized in 1853 as a branch of Christ Church of Shrewsbury, and was for a short time under the care of the Rev. Harry Finch, who served about five years. He was succeeded by the Rev. Jacob H. Moore, who served two years. The Rev. R. A. Poole was called, and remained from 1860 to 1873, when he was followed by the present reetor, the Rev. E. D. Tompkins.
Soon after the organization the lot on Broad- way was secured and a small church building was ereeted, which has been added to from time to time. The church has at present about two hundred communicants.
ST. LUKE'S METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH had its beginning as a branch or preaching-place from the First Church of Long Branch, at Branchburg.
In 1856 the Methodists of Long Branch vil- lage purchased the Presbyterian Chureh build- ing, which stood on Broadway, opposite the head of Washington Street, and is now used for stores. A parsonage was built, in 1861, on the lot ad- joining. The present church organization was effected in 1860 from members from the First Church. Later, the society was incorporated as the Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church. A lot was purchased at the corner of Main and Washington Streets, and building commenced in January, 1866.
An act was passed February 23, 1866, which recites that the trustees of the churchi had pur- chased a lot and commenced the ereetion of a house of worship. It authorized the trustees to " sell the old house of worship known as the Long Branch Village Church." The corner- stone of the church was laid May 4, 1866. It was finished and used, but not dedicated until Angust 9, 1868, by Bishop Edward S. Janes. The name of the church was changed from Centenary Church to St. Luke's Methodist
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
Episcopal Church, by act of incorporation, Feb- ruary, 1880. The following named have been pastors of the church : 1862, J. Atwood ; 1865, C. W. Heisley ; 1866, J. J. Gross ; 1874, H. M. Brown ; 1875, C. S. Van Cleve; 1876, G. C. Maddock ; 1878, C. R. Hartranft ; 1880, J. Moore ; 1883, R. Thorn. .
THE ASBURY METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, at North Long Branch, was erccted in 1869. The corner-stone of the building was laid April 22d of that year, and it was dedicated on the 8th of August following. The society was organized in April, 1872, from members of St. Luke's Church. It has been served by the following pastors: J. W. Morris, 1873-74; W. P. C. Strickland, 1875-76 ; E. C. Hancock, 1877-78 ; S. W. Lake, 1879-80 ; S. F. Wheeler, 1881-83; S. S. Wetherby, 1884.
THE SIMPSON METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH was organized in 1882 from members of the Centenary Church. Its pastors have been J. A. Jones (1881-83), A. H. Eberhardt (1884). A church was erected in the lower village in 1881-82, and was dedicated July 16, 1880.
THE TRINITY AFRICAN METHODIST EPIS- COPAL CHURCH was organized in 1882 under the Rev. Alfred Garrison. A church was built on Liberty Street, near Brook. It was dedi- cated August 28, 1882. The present pastor is the Rev. F. R. Martin.
THE BAPTIST CHURCHI edifice at Long Branch village is situated at the corner of Pearl Street and Bath Avenue. The land on which it stands was purchased in 1872, and prepara- tions were made to build, in the expectation of having the church completed in the spring of 1873. This was not accomplished, and an effort was again made in 1881, again resulting in failure. On the 17th of December, 1883, the corner-stone of a chapel was laid. The building, thirty-four by fifty feet in size, with a seating capacity of two hundred and fifty, was completed and is now in use. The church is under the charge of the Baptist Church of Eatontown, Rev. William Russell, pastor.
" A Mormon obtained eonsent to preach in
the school-house in the village,-the first ser- vices of the kind ever held in Long Branch." This is extracted from the diary of William R. Maps, where it is found under date of January 7, 1842. On the 15th of February in the same year he made this entry : " Considerable difficulty with the Mormon and anti-Mormon preachers." Again, Sunday, March 13th: " Mormon preaches against the Methodists ; Betsey Tallman baptized by the preacher,-one of his first converts." March 27th : " Henry Brinley arrested the anti-Mormon preacher for disturbing Mormon meeting." The Mormon preacher made several eonverts, but beyond this faet nothing appears in reference to the matter.
THE LONG BRANCH SCHOOL DISTRICT (embracing Seabright, which is outside the limits of the corporation) contains six sub-dis- triets and seven school-houses, ineluding the High School building. The first house of which any information has been obtained as having been occupied for school purposes in this vicin- ity was built about 1780 on land then owned by Elisha West, and now by John Hoey, on Cedar Avenue, one mile east of Branchburg. This house was used until 1812.
In 1811 the people living at the Braneli and along the shore became desirous of having a school-house nearer to them than the old one, and to that end Benjamin Wardell drew a subseription agreement, dated January 28, 1812, which, with the names appended to it, is given below,-
"Whereas, it is judged of great benefit to the inhabitants of Long Branch that a school-house should be built in some central situation in that dis- trict, and whereas, Benjamin Wardell agrees to give half an acre of land adjoining Tucker Cook's line, fronting the main road, for that purpose to be used, occupied and enjoyed by the said inhabitants, as long as they continue to keep a school in said house, con- templated to be built, which half-acre of land the subscribers shall put in good lawful fence, if the said Wardell at any time requests it, it being always understood, however, that the said land shall revert to and again become the property of him, the said Wardell, or his heirs, as soon as it eeases to be occupied for the purpose aforesaid." The names of the subscribers to the agreement and the sum sul-
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