USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 2 > Part 52
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The water system of Long Branch extends from Elberon to Seabright, about ten miles. Over fifteen miles of pipes are laid.
The Long Branch Gas-Light Company was incorporated March 15, 1884. Nothing was accomplished until 1868, when (July 1st) con- tract was made with James H. Lowry for the ereetion of buildings and laying fourteen thou- sand feet of mains for forty thousand dollars ; works to be completed September 1st in the same year. They were not, however, com-
pleted and accepted until October 22, 1868. They have at present about ten miles of pipe laid and connected. Joseph R. Thomas is president of the company and William W. Silkworth is the secretary. The works are in East Long Branch.
Arioch Lodge, No. 77, I. O. O. F., was in- stituted March 13, 1848, with six charter mem- bers (of whom Hamilton Taber is the only sur- vivor). Odd-Fellows' Hall was fitted up and is still used. The lodge has a membership of one hundred and sixty-nine.
Long Branch Encampment, No 49, I.O.O.F., was instituted in 1872. It now has forty-five members. Meetings are held in Odd-Fellows' Hall.
Empire Lodge, No. 174, I. O. O. F., was instituted September 17, 1873, in Washington Hall, with ten charter members, and with Henry Haekman as Noble Grand. In April, 1878, the lodge fitted up Odd-Fellows' Hall, in the third story of the building on Broadway, near Liberty Street, where their meetings are still held. The lodge at present has ninety- eight members.
Long Branch Council, No. 429, R. A., was instituted in January, 1880, with nineteen mem- bers, in Templars' Hall, where they still meet. They have at present sixty-three members.
Piqua Lodge, No. - , I. O. of G. T., was instituted May 14, 1868. In the next year a Templars' Hall, twenty-four by seventy eight feet, was fitted up over the store of Case & Conover, which was dedicated Jime 26, 1869. The lodge disbanded several years ago. The hall is now used by the Long Branch Conneil, No. 429, R. A.
Long Branch Lodge, No. 78, F. and A. M., was instituted March 3, 1867, with George W. Brown as Master. Meetings were held in Odd- Fellows' Hall abont two years, and in 1869 the lodge removed to Templars' Hall, and in April, 1878, to Odd-Fellows' Hall, in the lower village, where they are at present. The lodge has at present one hundred members.
Standard Chapter, No. 35, R. A. M., was in- stituted in 1875, and now has forty-five mnem- bers. Meetings are held in Odd-Fellows' Hall, in the lower village.
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
James B. Morris Post, No. 46, G. A. R., was organized July 5, 1880, in Odd-Fellows' Hall, where they still hold their meetings. The post has a membership of seventy-nine, with the fol- lowing officers: W. T. Cobb, Commander ; James Minton, Senior Vice-Commander; Ste- phen H. Lippincott, Junior Vice-Commander ; Howard A. Brinley, Adjutant ; Charles E. Den- nis, Quartermatser.
Ocean Lodge, No. 83, K. of P., was instituted April 29, 1873, with forty-five members, and George W. Brown as Chancellor Commander. Meetings are held in Odd-Fellows' Hall. The lodge now contains ninety-six members.
Endowment Rank, Section 430, K. of P., was instituted June 29, 1881, and has at pre- sent fourteen members. Meetings are held in Arioeh Lodge-room.
Long Branch Uniform Rank, No. 8, K. of P., was organized in November, 1882, with thirty- eight members. Meetings are held in the White building.
Crescent Lodge No. 764, K. of H., was or- ganized May 31, 1882, and now contains twen- ty-two members. Meetings are held in Odd- Fellows' Hall, in East Long Branch. The offi- cers . are Albert Embley, Dictator; James S. Brown, Reporter; William W. Silkworth, Treasurer.
BRANCHPORT joins the Long Branch corpo- ration on the north and west, and has Pleasure Bay as its northwest boundary. It is op- posite Port-au-Peck, an old Indian camp- ing-ground. Eighty years ago and many years afterwards it was the property of the Wardells, and known as the Peter Wardell farm. It has a dock on Pleasure Bay from which two steamboats make trips to New York. A hotel is near the dock. Because of its prox- imity to Long Branch, it has no church or school-house. Two wooden bridges have been erected over Pleasure Bay at Braneliport, and in 1880 the present iron bridge was crected at a cost of five thousand six hundred dollars.
OCEANVILLE and Deal post-office are lo- cated a short distance south of Wreck Pond, and west of the south part of the incorporated district of Long Branch. At this place, in
1823, Brittan Tucker was keeping a store, and the Ocean Mills were in operation a short dis- tance north of it. In 1825 a tavern was kept here by Hannah White, and later by John R. Conk. In 1857, Brown & Cook established a store, and in 1860, Thomas Cook withdrew and built the store he now occupies. George Brown kept the other store and became the postmaster of the office established here in that year. He was succeeded by Vincent Brown, and the office is now held by John Metzger. The present hotel was built first as a wheelwright's shop by Robert Bennett, and in 1854 was changed by John R. Conk into a hotel. It has been carried on by several, and at present is kept by Henry Gugel.
In the northeast part of Ocean township, from the north line of the incorporated district of Long Branch to a point three-fourths of a mile below the Highland bridge over the Navesink River, are the lands of the Monmouth Beach Association, the Seabright Fishing Company, the village of Seabright and the Smith property. All these lands were originally patented by Eliakim Wardell, the first sheriff of Monmouth County, and also one of the associate patentees of Monmouth. He came to this county with the Slocums and Parkers, and took the oath of allegiance at the same time. He was a son of Thomas Wardell, who came to Boston be- tween 1633 and 1640, and later moved to Exeter, N. H. He was a follower of Anna Hutchinson. Eliakim, after marriage, settled in Hampton, N. H. His wife joined the Society of Friends, which brought persecution upon them, and they went to Rhode Island, and thence, about 1667, moved to Monmouth County, where, in 1670, he secured a patent of land in Shrewsbury, lying north of what is now North Long Branch, bounded by Pleasure Bay, South Shrewsbury River and the ocean. He bought the Indian rights of this tract for four ponnds. He was evidently a man of influence, for, on December 14, 1667 he was selected as a deputy to repre- sent Shrewsbury township in the council. In 1669 he was appointed constable; in 1673 was elected " seliepen," or magistrate, under the Dutch. On May 13, 1683, he was appointed
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high sheriff of Monmouth County, and in 1688 he was chosen a member of the Provincial Assembly of deputies.
Eliakim Wardell lived on what is now Mon- mouth Beach. He had several children, of whom Joauna became the wife of John Eaton about 1715 and settled 'at what is now Eaton- town, as kie at that time owned the mills there. Jacob, a son of Eliakim, settled on the original tract, and had two sons, Joseph and Peter. Joseph settled on Narumson, or Rumson, where his descendants still live. His brother Peter remained at home a few years and moved away, and his children settled elsewhere. He returned to the old homestead in his old age and dicd there. After Peter left the homestead, Joseph bought out the heirs and placed his son Ben- jamin on the place. He was born in 1763, and built the house now a part of the Monmouth Casino. He died in 1821, and left the property to his sons, Charles and Henry. The former moved to New York and engaged in active busi- ness, and was prosperous. Henry remained on the homestead, where he lived until his death. Of other sons of Benjamin, John went to Colt's Neck and was in business there in 1812.
In 1865, Dr. Arthur V. Conover, a physician of Freehold, purchased of the heirs of Major Henry Wardell all the land from Atlanticville (now North Long Branch), between the South Shrewsbury River and the ocean, to a mile nortlı of Seabright, with the exception of the track of the railroad company. Dr. Conover removed to the old Wardell house, and, in 1869, sold Seabright to Mr. Mifflin Paul, and the place began to develop at once.
In the spring of 1871, Mr. Keashey, of New- ark, Cortland Parker and John Torrey, Jr., thoroughly examined all the capabilities of tlic place, staying in thic old Wardell homestead, where Dr. Conover was residing. It was built in pre-Revolutionary times, and was filled with delightful relics of a past age, full of historical interest. The three gentlemen then worked out the plan of the Monmouth Beach Association, and, enlisting with themselves seventeen others of the foremost men of New Jersey, including Secretary Robeson and Senator Cattell, formed the association definitely, and by the 17th of
June had purchased the entire place, from Mr. Gould's down to the Seabright line. Mr. Tor- rey, having leisure time and great energy, went to work, with the assistance of Harry Fosberg, a Swedish engineer, and laid out the whole place, shifting the New Jersey Southern track from the beaeli and running it back where it is now, at an expense of twenty thousand dollars, the company furnishing the iron rails. Ocean Avenue was then continued until it met the Seabright road.
In 1872 the old Wardell house was remodeled and made into the present Monmouth Casino. A survey of the property was made, and lots and streets were laid out the entire length of the tract. A charter had been granted in the winter of 1869-70 for the Seabright aud Long Branch Turnpike Company, which was built in 1870. This was purchased by the association and made part of the plan. A large gang of men were set at work grading the lots which are on both sides of Ocean Avenue. A large number of cottages have been erected. An Episcopal Church (St. Peter's of Galilee) was built on the extreme north line of the associa- tion's land and near the ocean, at a cost of eight thousand dollars, and was dedicated August 26, 1873. It is supplied by visiting clergymen, and is used only during the summer season.
The Seabright Fishing Company own a tract of land between Monmouth Beach and Sea- bright, it being two hundred feet on the ocean and three hundred feet on the river. There are upon it a few cottages, an ice-house, a steamboat wharf and boat-houses. At this place fish are packed for the New York market. On the 1st of June, 1884, two hundred and sixty-eight small boats were on the shore at this place, each having two men, and all loaded with fish.
SEABRIGHT is situated on the narrow neck of land that lies between Shrewsbury River and the ocean. The land forming its site was sold June 25, 1869, by Dr. Arthur V. Conover to Mifflin Paul, who was the contractor of the Long Brauch and Sca-Shore Railroad, and (1865) built the road from Long Branch to the steamboat wharf on Sandy Hook in 1865. The land he purchased extended from the north line of the Seabright Fishing Company's land one
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
mile and three chains, northward to the Ocean House property (now Bellevue), owned by Lewis Smith.
On the 1st of July, 1869, William W. Ship- pen, of New York, and Samuel B. Dod, of Princeton, became partners in the property, with the intention of developing it. A stipulation in the purchase was that a bridge should be built across the river, connecting with Rumson. A bridge between three hundred and four hundred
Hoboken. In the spring of 1870, Robert Emory erected a hotel which has since been enlarged and improved, and is now the Seabright Inn.
MIFFLIN PAUL .- Josiah Paul emigrated from England and settled in Camden, N. J., where his death occurred in 1796 of yellow fever. His two sons were William A. and Benjamin. William A. was a native of Camden, and spent his life in the State of New Jersey, having mar- ried Elizabeth Bennett, of Bordentown. Their
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Mifflin Paul,
feet in length was built, which was torn down in ; children are William B., Mifflin, Jane (Mrs. 1881 and replaced by the present iron bridge, at a cost of thirty thousand dollars. A station- house was erected at the place, on the line of the railroad.
The Long Branch and Seabright Turnpike Company was chartered in the winter of 1869- 70, and the turnpike built in 1870, under the management of Mr. Paul. Cottages were built in that year by Mifflin Paul, William W. Ship- . pen, Samuel Dod and Mrs. E. A. Stephens, of
Joseph Rickey), Joseph, Harriet (Mrs. Robert Narraway), Richard, Sarah E. (Mrs. Howard Knowles) and Mary Ann (Mrs. William Utter). Mifflin Paul was born on the 6th of April, 1814, at Moorestown, N. J., and in youth he moved with his parents to Groveville, Mercer County. Though deprived of opportunities for a thorough education, he devoted his leisure hours to intelligent reading and study, acquir- ing a thoughtful habit of mind and mental dis-
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OCEAN TOWNSHIP AND LONG BRANCH.
cipline, which made ample amends for the want of an academic course. In 1825 his father ex- changed his property in Mercer County for two farms in Jefferson County, N. Y., to which the family removed and continued to reside for eight years. Mifflin Paul, in 1833, entered the employ of the Camden and Amboy Railroad in a subordinate capacity, and was finally pro- moted to the position of conductor, which he continued to fill acceptably for a period of eighteen years. He was then madesuperintendent of the Burlington and Mount Holly Railroad and directed the construction of the Pemberton Branch of the road. In April, 1861, he re- moved to Hoboken, having been made general superintendent of the various railroad enter- prises projected by the late Edwin A. Stevens. He built the Hoboken and Newark Railroad, as also the Hoboken and Jersey City Horse-Car Railroad, and put both into operation, continu- ing for a while as manager of each. In 1865 he commenced building the Long Branch and Sea-Shore Railroad, of which he was for four years superintendent. Determining, in 1869, to embark to some extent in real estate operations, he purchased one mile and three chains on the sea-coast, now familiarly known as Seabright, and at once began the work of building and improving the property. It is not extravagant praise to say that Mr. Paul was the moving impulse in all the improvements made at this point, and has manifested much enterprise and taste in his extensive and varied undertakings. He obtained the charter and built the bridge across the Shrewsbury River against great opposition from the freeholders of the county, who at the time placed an injunction on the same, thereby delaying its completion. He has also erected two hotels, various cottages and other attractive buildings. Mr. Paul was, in September, 1835, married to Catharine, daughter of Benjamin Yard, of Mercer County. The children of this marriage who grew to mature years were Sarah E. (Mrs. George B. Sandt), Loretta (deceased), Jane A. (Mrs. D. W. Bedford, de- ceased) and Julia A. Mr. Paul was again married, in 1855, to Mrs. Martha HI., widow of John P. Martin, whose children are Martha M. .(Mrs. Charles Dederer) and one who is de-
ccased. Mr. Paul manifests little interest in the political issues of the day other than to vote the Republican ticket. His church relations are with the Baptist congregation at Red Bank. Of this church he is an active and useful mem- ber.
The Octagon Hotel was built by Mr. Panl for his daughter, Mrs. George B. Sandt. This was used a few years, and in 1879 the present hotel was built on its site. The Penin- sula House was built on the river side in 1881, by Mr. Paul for his daughter, Mrs. C. H. Dede- rer. In the winter of 1884-85 it was moved to the ocean side, when the original structure became the wings of a central building, then erected, making it the largest hotel in Seabright. The Hotel Shrewsbury was originally erected by Cornelins Stokem as a refrigerator for fish. It was later turned into a cottage, and in 1880 into the present hotel, now kept by Woolman Stokes, Jr. A life-saving station is near the hotel. A post-office was established at this place in 1870, and located at the station. In August, 1872, John Megill, station agent, was appointed postmaster, and is still in office. In 1881 the office was moved from the station to the present location.
Seabright is Sub-District No. 5 of School- District No. 85, Long Branch. The first house was built in 1874, destroyed by fire in 1878, rebuilt of brick in 1879, and enlarged in 1882, at a total cost of three thousand six hundred dollars.
Water is supplied to Seabright by the Long Branch Water Supply Company. A company had been formed at Seabright, who laid pipes and connected with the Long Branch Company. In November, 1882, the companies consolidated and are now working as one.
The Ocean Fire Company of Seabright was organized May 25, 1881, with fifteen members. An engine was proenred and an engine-house erected on Ocean Avenue.
THE TABERNACLE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH was organized in February, 1875, with six members and with the Rev. William P. Strickland as pastor. He has been succeeded by Revs. Jolm Wilson, - Given, E. C. Hancock, J. E. Lake, C. E. Hill and the pres-
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
ent pastor, A. M. Lake. Serviees were held for a time in private houses. A church edifiee was begun on Ocean Avenue in the spring of 1875, and dedicated in June 26th in that year by Bishop Janes.
In 1877 a small Presbyterian Church was erected, which was replaced in 1880 by the present ehureh. It is used only in the summer, and is supplied by visiting elergymen.
A Roman Catholic congregation was organized in 1883. Services are held in Poppinga Hall.
The iron bridge aeross the Shrewsbury River conneets Seabright with Jumping Point, on Rumson Neek. Many fine residences have been built at the place. Opposite Jumping Point was at one time the old Shrewsbury Inlet, through which the waters of the river entered the sea. The inlet has been several tinies open, and as often closed, as at present, foreing the waters of the river to seek an outlet into Sandy Hook Bay. In the diary of Robert Harts- horne (now in possession of his grandson, Ed- ward Hartshorne) are found the following en- tries :
" January 10, 1756, with a very violent gale from the northeast, the sea broke through the beach opposite the mouth of Shrewsbury River."
" On January 20, 1757, with a very violent gale from the northeast, the sea broke through the beach at Jumping Point, now Salter's." The place here mentioned was the land of Rieh- ard Salter, opposite the Wardell property, which is now Seabriglit.
Shrewsbury Inlet was closed before 1775, and again opened in 1778. It was again elosed in 1810 and again opened about 1830. In 1847 the "Cricket " steamboat, owned by Thomas Hunt, then running from Port Washington (now Oceanic), was wreeked on the bar. The wrcek gathered the sand around it and thus hastened the closing of the inlet in that year.
Bellevue is the next property north of Sea- bright. It was part of the Wardell estate, and there, over forty years ago, Major Henry War- dell built a hotel known as the Ocean House, which was kept by Anthony H. Haggerty. It was destroyed by fire May 20, 1862, and came into possession of Lemuel Smith, who built the · present Bellevue Hotel and still owns it.
Beyond Bellevue (northward) is the Higli- land Bridge and a railroad station for the High- lands of Navesink. On March 25, 1875, the Highland and Seabright turnpike was incor- porated, and contracted with Mr. M. Paul to build a turnpike to connect Seabright and the Highland Bridge for the sum of seven thousand dollars. It was finished and delivered to the company June 30, 1875, and on the next day, July 1st, a sehooner ran into the draw of the bridge and destroyed it. It remained unused for three years. The turnpike was not used under this company. When the Navesink Bridge Company was organized, a new turnpike company was also organized (December 18, 1878). April 15, 1879, Mifflin Paul was chosen superintendent, and the turnpike was soon after put in operation. During the inter- val from 1875 to 1878 eneroachments had been made upon the turnpike by lot-owners building stables, fences, &c. These were ordered to be removed, which aetion, together with the fact that members of the first company felt aggrieved that the turnpike was under other management, occasioned long and tedious litigation, which is not yet entirely ended.
The sea-shore from Deal Lake, the southern extremity of Ocean township, northward to the southern line of the incorporated distriet of Long Braneli is composed of numerous traets of land taken up under several different patents and purchases, eoneerning whieli tracts the following information has been gathered :
In 1820, Jacob Corlies owned a large traet bordering on Deal Lake and the ocean, and now divided as follows :
A traet of land thirteen hundred and twenty feet on the ocean and four thousand two hundred and twenty-four feet on Deal Lake is now called Locharbor. It is laid out into streets, and is being improved. A life-saving station is on the dividing line between this traet and Asbury Park.
The Abner Allen house and grounds are situated next north, and next north is the John C. Hathaway house. The next property is known as the Deal Beach, the territory of which, and for several miles back in the coun-
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OCEAN TOWNSHIP AND LONG BRANCH.
try, was known as " Deale " or " Dale " before 1700.
In 1693 persons living in " Deale " peti- tioned for a passage-way through Francis Jef- frey's and John Tucker's land to their meadows.
In 1712 all the land from Hog Swamp to the beach was owned by Thomas White. On the 9th of November in that year he made his will, making his brother Amos and his wife, Eliza- beth, his executors. His property was disposed of as follows : To Amos, his brother, of Shrewsbury, one-quarter " of my plantation sitnate, lying and being in the said Shrewsbury at a place commonly called Deale, and the fourth part of all my meadow upon Crosswork and Longwork." To his oldest son, Samuel White, " one-fourth part of Deale and Crosswork and Longwork." To his second son, Thomas, the same. To his third son, Amos, the same. To his fourth son, Jacob, " All that part of my plantation I now live on which lyeth to the west of the highway that goes through my plantation to Long Branch, with the half of all the meadows on the said plantation." To his youngest son, Levi White, " all that part of my said plantation I now live on which lyes below the highway that goes to Long Branch, except the half of the meadow to be divided to the said Jacob White, as aforesaid." He gave to his wife, Elizabeth, all his remaining real estate in Shrewsbury during her widow- hood, and to his five daughters a certain amount of money.
The land of Thomas White was on the old highway from Long Branch to Squan ; the highway ran through the White farm, as is shown by the will. The old homestead was, a few years ago, owned by James and Amos White, now by Thomas Murphy, west of the Deal Beach Station. The old house standing at the intersection of Deal Beach Station road and the Long Branch road to Asbury Park is said to have been built in 1770, and in 1820 was owned by Jacob White. This was part of the old White tract. It is now owned by Bloomfield Drummond and Samnel Hendrick- son.
Gordon's "Gazetteer " of 1834 says of Deal : " There are several boarding-houses at this
place, where from fifty to one hundred persons may be comfortably accommodated."
A post-office was established at Deal Beach Station in 1874. The postmasters have been Edward Combs, Abner Allen and Samuel W. Hendrickson.
Northward from Deal is Elberon, which has already been mentioned in connection with the Long Branch district.
THE CENTREVILLE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH edifice was built in 1882 at a cost of fourteen hundred dollars, and dedicated September 20th, in that year. Services were held in 1881 in the school-house of the dis- triet, under the care of the Rev. R. J. An- drews. He was succeeded in 1883 by the Rev. William Barnart, and in 1884 by the Rev. B. C. Lippincott, who is also in charge of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Long Branch, located at Branchburg.
The school districts of Ocean township are three in number,-Long Branch, Deal and Pop- lar Districts,-all containing three thousand and fifteen children of school age. The Long Branch schools are noticed separately in the history of that place.
Poplar District, No. 81, is situated in the west part of the township, west of Oceanville. The first school-house within the bounds of this district was built about 1784 on land then owned by Nathan Woolley, now by Mrs. Mary Beecroft. It was torn down about 1835, hav- ing then been in disuse for several years.
In 1836 a house was erected on land of John Howell, which was used until about 1864, when it was abandoned and the present house was erected on land of Edwin Woolley. The district at present contains fifty-six children of school age.
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