USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth county, New Jersey > Part 63
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It was then announced that the ladies had again spread the tables under the trees, and all present were invited to take tea before sepa- rating for their homes. The Doxology was then sung, the benediction pronounced, and the jubi- lee meeting ended.
At the conclusion of the Rev. Dr. Reiley's historical address, mentioned in the above re- port of the jubilee (and from which address the preceding historical sketch of the society has been chiefly taken), the speaker said :
"So far, the duty allotted to us has been performed. We have briefly traversed the history of the society from its feeble beginning; we have scanned the past, and have brought ourselves to the present time-the end of fifty years of responsibilities, of duties and of labor. While some would venture to say that this society has done all it might and could have done, and while few would deny that there is abundant reason for humiliation that so many opportunities of doing good have been suffered to pass unimproved, all may rejoice in the good hand of the Lord that has been upon the society, prospering His own cause, and enabling it, in the midst of the untoward circum- stances surrounding it, to attain to its present power and efficiency for good. It is true, we can see but little more than bare facts and figures, but we may well bope that higher results have been reached than appear to human vision. No one can tell this day how much the Monmouth County Bible Society has done to raise the standard of intelligence and morals in the county. There is no educator like the Bible, no reformer so efficient, while more than all is its in- fluence on the hearts and hopes of men as subjects of the Divine will, and as travelers to an eternal world.
" This much, however, we can all see in the work of the last fifty years, starting from the ' day of small things,' and reaching forward. This society has put
363
MONMOUTH COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY.
in circulation in the county of Monmouth 10,151 Bibles and 5817 Testaments, besides the 2500 and up- wards of Testaments furnished to the soldiers in the army, at an aggregate cost of $6036.45, less $882.93 standing to the credit of this society on the 1st of April last, on the books of the parent society, and which is now being drawn on for the supply of the county. There has been paid, in donations, to the American Bible Society, for its general work, 85670.85, and the contributions to the treasury have averaged $768.88 per annum for the last four years. If this sum shall seem less than might be expected, it is so much above the average of years in the past as to be highly encouraging ; and in connection with the donations made to the parent society is highly suggestive. The duty realized of sending the Bible to all the world creates the willing mind to give. As the Monmouth County Bible Society became con- seious of having a share in the spiritual advancement and eternal destiny of all the nations, the volume of her beneficence began to expand, and under the in- fluence of the Blessed Spirit, as we humbly trust, will continue to inerease till all nations shall receive the Word of Life."
Following is a list of the officers of the society since the commencement of the second half-een- tury of its existence, viz. :
1868.
President : Asbury Fountain.
Vice-Presidents : Rev. F. Slater, Rev. George Sei- bert, Rev. Thaddeus Wilson, D. H. Wyckoff. Secretary : Amzi C. MeLean, Freehold.
Treasurer : William Statesir, Freehold.
Executive Committee : Rev. Frank Chandler, Rev. William Reiley, D.D., Rev. William M. Moffat, Rev. J. L. Kehoe, John Baird, Horatio Ely.
1869.
President : Hon. William Spader.
Vice-Presidents: Rev. William D. Hires, Rev. J. B. Wilson. Nathaniel S. Rue, D. B. Strong. Secretary : Rev. Frank Chandler. Treasurer : William Statesir.
--
Executive Committee: Rev. John L. Kehoe, Rev. William Reiley, D.D., Rev. M. Relyea, John Baird, John Dorrance, Gordon D. White.
1870
President : John Dorrance, Freehold.
Vice-Presidents: Rev. J. B. Ketcham, Rev. H. Belt- ing, Hon. William P. Forman, A. T. Vanderveer. Secretary : Rev. George Swain, Marlboro'.
Treasurer : William Statesir, Freehold.
Executive Committee : Rev. Frank Chandler, Free- hold; Rev. William Reiley, D.D., Holmdel ; Rev. Edward Hewitt, Raritan ; Hon. N. S. Rne, Upper Freehold; D. B. Strong, Matawan ; J. F. T. Forman, Freehold.
1871.
President : Hon. William P. Forman, Manalapan. Vice-Presidents : Rev. W. D. Hyers, Rev. A. A. Za- briskie, William R. Mapes, Amzi C. McLean. Secretary : Rev. George Swain, Marlboro'.
Treasurer : William Statesir, Freehold.
Executive Committee : Rev. Frank Chandler, Free- hold; Rev. William Reiley, D.D., Holmdel; Rufus Ogden, Raritan ; Hon. N. S. Rue, U'pper Freehold; D. B. Strong, Matawan; Tunis T. Conover, Freehold.
1872.
President : Holmes W. Murphy, Freehold.
Vice-Presidents: Rev. J. L. Kehoe, Rev. J. B. Dob- bins, D.D., John Baird, Henry Seabrook.
Treasurer : William Statesir, Freehold.
Secretary: George Swain, Marlboro'.
Executive Committee : Rev. Frank Chandler, Free- hold; Rev. William Reiley, D.D., Holmdel ; Rufus Ogden, Raritan : Hon. N. S. Rue, Upper Freehold; D. B. Strong, Matawan; James J. Conover, Freehold.
1873.
President : G. H. Van Mater, Holmdel.
Vice-Presidents: Rev. R. J. Andrews, Rev. James B. Wilson, Rev. Frank Chandler, William Ely.
Treasurer : William Statesir.
Secretary : Rev. George Swain.
Executive Committee : Rev. William Reiley, D.D., Holmdel ; Holmes W. Murphy, Freehold ; Rev. C. H. Hageman, D.D., Freehold; Gordon D. White, Matawan; Rev. J. L. Kehoe, Manalapan ; Rufus Ogden, Keyport.
1874.
President : John Van Doren.
Vice-Presidents : Rev. A. C. Millspaugh, Rev. J. E. Adams, Rev. Frank Chandler, John E. Johnston.
Treasurer: William Statesir.
Secretary : Aaron C. Hart.
Executive Committee: Rev. William Reiley, D.D., Rev. C. S. Hageman, D.D., Rev. James Bolton, James S. Yard, Charles Meirs, Daniel D. Hunt.
1875.
President : James S. Yard, Freehold.
Vice-Presidents: Rev. T. W. Wells, Marlborough ; Rev. George Reed, Branchburg; A. T. Vander- veer, Long Branch; Daniel B. Strong, Mata- wan.
Treasurer : William Statesir, Freehold.
Secretary : Aaron C. Hart, Freehold.
Executive Committee : Rev. William Reiley, D.D., Rev. C. S. Hageman, D.D., Rev. Frank Chand- ler, C. V. Golden, Charles Meirs, Daniel D Hunt.
364
HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
1876.
President : Rev. A. C. Millspaugh, Marlborough.
Vice-Presidents : Rev. J. M. Anderson, Matawan ; Gilbert H. Van Mater, Holmdel; Holmes W. Murphy, Freehold.
Treasurer : William Statesir, Freehold. Secretary : Aaron C. Hart, Freehold.
Executive Committee: Rev. William Reiley, D.D., Holmdel; Rev. C. S. Hageman, D.D., Freehold; Rev. Frank Chandler, Freehokl; Rev. A. Law- renee, Freehold; C. W. Fountain, Matawan ; Charles Meirs, Upper Freehold.
1877.
President : Hon. N. S. Rue, Cream Ridge.
Vice-Presidents: Rev. W. H. Pearne, Freehold ; John Dorrance, Freehold; Hon. William Spader, Mata- wan.
Treasurer: William Statesir, Freehold.
Secretary : A. C. Hart, Freehold.
Executive Committee : Rev. William Reiley. Holm- del ; Rev. C. S. Hageman, Freehold; Rev. Frank Chandler, Freehold; Rev. Dr. Stokes, Ocean Grove; Charles W. Fountain, Matawan ; Charles Wilson, Upper Freehold.
1878.
President : George W. Bell.
Vice-Presidents : Rev. C. S. Hageman, D.D., G. H. Van Mater, N. S. Rue. Treasurer : William Statesir.
Secretary : Rev. J. M. Anderson.
Executive Committee: Rev. William Reiley, D.D., Rev. Frank Chandler, D.D., Rev. T. W. Wells, William Spader, D. B. Strong, Rufus Ogden.
1879.
President: William L. Terhune.
Vice-Presidents: Rev. George Swain, D.D., Hon. W. P. Forman, John Statesir, Jr. Treasurer : William Statesir. Secretary : Rev. James M. Anderson.
Executive Committee : Rev. William Reiley, D.D., Rev. Frank Chandler, D.D., Rev. George C. Mad- doek, Charles W. Fountain, James J. Conover, Joseph W. HuIse.
1880.
President : Hon. Amzi C. McLean, Freehold.
Vice-Presidents : Horatio Ely, Rev. II. A. Hendrick- son, Holmes W. Murphy.
Treasurer: William Statesir, Freehold.
Secretary : Rev. J. M. Anderson, Matawan.
Exeetive Committee: Rev. William Reiley, D.D., Rev. Frank Chandler, J. J. Conover, J. W. Hulse, Rev. G. C. Maddock, Rev. T. S. Griffith, ยท William L. Terhune.
1881.
President : William R. Maps.
Viec-Presidents : G. H. Van Mater, A. H. Harris, D. B. Strong, Daniel H. Wyckoff.
Treasurer : William Statesir.
Secretary : J. M. Anderson.
Executive Committee : Rev. I. P. Brokaw, Rev. Frank Chandler, James S. Yard, Rev. T. W. Wells, James J. Conover, Andrew Perrine, Alfred Wal- ters.
1882.
President : Hon. Amzi C. McLean, Freehold.
Vice-Presidents : G. H. Van Mater, Holindel ; A. H.
Harris, D. B. Strong, Matawan; D. H. Wyckoff, Asbury Park.
Treasurer: William Statesir.
Secretary : James J. Conover, Freehold.
Executive Committee : Rev. I. P. Brokaw, Rev. Frank Chandler, James S. Yard, Rev. Theodore W. Wells, Andrew Perrine, Rev. G. C. Maddock, A. Walters.
1883.
President : Rev. G. C. Maddock, Freehold.
Vice-Presidents : Peter Rue, Freehold ; John Baw- den, Freehold; Lafayette Sehenek, Holmdel; John H. Heyer, Holmdel.
Treasurer : William Statesir.
Recording Secretary : James J. Conover, Freehold. Executive Committee: Rev. Frank Chandler, D.D., Rev. I. P. Brokaw, Rev. William Reiley, D.D., Rev. Theodore W. Wells, Benjamin Griggs, James S. Yard, Andrew Perrine.
1884.
President : Rev. Theodore W. Wells, Marlboro'.
Vice-Presidents: John Statesir, Jr., Colt's Neek ; La- fayette Schenek, Holmdel; G. H. Van Mater, Red Bank ; John Baird, Marlboro'.
Treasurer : William Statesir.
Recording Secretary : John B. Conover, Freehold. Executive Committee : Rev. I. P. Brokaw, Freehold ; Rev. Frank Chandler, D.D., Freehold; Rev. George Swain, D.D., Allentown; James S. Yard, Freehold ; Andrew Perrine, Freehold; D. D. Hunt, Colt's Neek; William Spader, Matawan.
1885.
President : Rev. George W. Swain.
Vice-Presidents : John Statesir, G. H. Van Mater, Lafayette Schenek, John Baird. Treasurer : William Statesir.
Recording Secretary : John B. Conover.
Executive Committee: Rev. I. P. Brokaw, James S. Yard, Andrew Perrine, William Spader, Rev. G. W. Labaw.
365
THE MONMOUTH COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
THE MONMOUTH COUNTY AGRICULTURAL The meeting was held at the appointed time SOCIETY 1 commenced its existence in December, , and place, and although the day was stormy, a 1853. Earlier in the fall of that year, while a : large number of people from various parts of the large number of gentlemen of Monmouth County were traveling by railroad to attend the annual fair of the Agricultural Society at Jamesburg, Middlesex County, one of their number (Hon. Joel Parker) remarked to some of the others that the people of Monmouth ought to have an agricul- tural society and annual fair of their own, instead of traveling many miles to attend those of the less important (agriculturally) county of Middlesex. The idea met the approval of those present ; the proposition was made and concurred in, that such a society be formed in Monmouth County, and a committee was informally ap- pointed to make the preliminary arrangements to carry the project into execution. That committee, composed of James S. Lawrence, of Upper Free- hold ; Joel Parker, of Freehold ; Andrew Simp- son, of Howell ; James Thompson, of Marlboro'; Hendrick Wikoff, of Raritan ; Samuel W.
county were in attendance. James S. Lawrence, of Upper Freehold, was called to the chair, and Charles Scars, of Atlantic, was appointed seere- tary of the meeting. An adjournment was had to the court-house, where the Hon. Joel Parker made a brief statement of the circumstances which originated the project to organize a county society for the promotion of agriculture and kindred interests, and presented the value and advantage of such an organization. He referred to the action of the committee, and offered, as the result of their labors, the draft of a consti- tution and by-laws, which were adopted unani- mously, and the blanks filled by a vote of the meeting. The constitution then adopted de- clared that the object of the society should be- " the advancement of agriculture, horticulture and manufactures ; " that " each resident or con- tributing member shall pay the sum of one Jones, of Atlantic; and George 1. Corlies, of dollar per year ; and the payment of ten dollars Ocean township, attended to the duty with , at any one time shall constitute a member for which they were charged, and on the 26th of life, without any further contribution ;" that November issued the following notice, which was published in the Democrat and Inquirer, of Freehold, and the New Jersey Standard, of Middletown Point, viz. :
the annual meeting of the society should be held on the third Saturday in January, and quarterly meetings on the third Saturdays of April, July and October, together with many other pro- visions, embracing, in all, fourteen sections.
A committee of five, composed of Michael Taylor, D. P. Van Dorn, Tunis Hubbard, James I. Conover and Joel Parker, were ap- pointed to report nominations for officers of the society, to hold their respective offices until the annual meeting of 1855. The committee reported the following-named persons, who were all elected, without opposition, as the first officers of the Monmouth County Agricultural Society, viz. :
President : William Henry Hendrickson, of Rari- tan.
Vice-Presidents : James S. Lawrence, of Upper Freehold ; Thomas Baird, of Millstone, John M. Per- rine, of Manalapan ; John S. Denise, of Frechold ; Andrew Simpson, of Howell; Colonel Abram Os- borne, of Wall; John W. Ely, of Marlborough : Samuel W. Jones, of Atlantic; Pierson Hendrickson, of Shrewsbury; Benjamin W. Corlies, of Ocean; Robert Allen, of Middletown ; Peter Smock, of Raritan.
" MONMOUTH COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY- NOTICE .- A meeting will be held at the house of N. S. Rue, in the village of Freehold, on Saturday, the 17th of December next, at 12 o'clock M., for the pur- pose of organizing an Agricultural Society for the County of Monmonth. A Constitution will then be reported, and the officers of the Society elected.
"The Committee, who were requested at a former meeting to give the above notice, deem it a duty to urge upon the citizens of the county to attend at the above time and place. A general attendance of the Farmers, Mechanics and others interested in the ob- ject of the meeting will insure the success of the Society."
1 " The Monmouth Agricultural Society " was organ- ized at a meeting held for the purpose, at Freehold, on the 26th of April, 1838,-William I. Bowne, secretary. This is learned from the newspapers of that time ; but beyond this, and the fact that a special meeting was held February 25, 1839, with regard to the annual dues of members, nothing has been ascertained of the history of that old so- ciety, which was, doubtless, of very short duration.
366
HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
Recording Secretary : Bennington F. Randolph. Corresponding Secretary : Joseph Combs. Treasurer : Henry Bennett.
The organization being effected, and a series of resolutions passed, the presiding officer, Vice-President James S. Lawrence (President Hendrickson being absent) appointed the fol- lowing-named persons a committee of ways and means, viz. :
Charles Meirs, James I. Conover, Upper Freehold ; Thomas M. Perrine, James M. Smith, Millstone; Joseph Ely, James A. Perrine, Manalapan ; William H. Conover, John H. Vanderveer, Freehold; Charles Butcher, James Cooper, Howell; Thomas Lafetra, Robert Laird, Wall; Joseph H. Vanderveer, Daniel Schenck, Marlborough ; James I. Taylor, Henry Bnck, Atlantic ; Michael Taylor, Henry H. Conover, Shrews- bury; Jordan Wooley, Francis Corlies, Ocean ; Thomas S. Field, William V. Conover, Middletowu; John S. Hendrickson, Tunis Hubbard, Raritan.
At this first meeting thirteen gentlemen be- came life members of the society by payment of ten dollars each, viz. : Daniel B. Ryall, Joel Parker, Daniel D. Denise, William T. Sutphin, of Freehold ; James S. Lawrence, of Upper Freehold : Benjamin B. Hance, of Shrewsbury ; Sammuel W. Jones, of Atlantic ; John W. Ely, of Marlborough ; Andrew Simpson, of Howell ; Peter S. Conover, of Raritan ; and Dr. Joseph C. Thompson, of Manalapan. And the follow- ing named became members, by payment of one dollar each: Michael Taylor, Asher Hance, Joseph B. Lewis, of Shrewsbury ; Dr. John T. T. Woodhull, J. F. T. Forman, John Bowne, Orrin Pharo and Daniel W. Ellis, of Freehold ; Jacob S. Jones, William L. Jones, James J. Taylor, James C. Taylor, Charles Sears, John B. Angell and John French, of Atlantic; Tunis Hubbard, Daniel B. Strong and Henry Mor- ford, of Raritan ; Hendrick Conover and Heury D. Ely, of Marlborough; Edward J. Clayton, of Millstone; and Robert Dye, of Manalapan. After the adjournment of the meeting several others became members of the society. At the first annual meeting, held at the court-house, on the 17th of January following, the number of life members, reported was thirty-three; an- nual members three hundred and twenty-three, -total membership, three hundred and fifty- six.
At a special meeting held at the court-house, May 12, 1854, the following communication from citizens of Freehold was received :
"To the Monmouth County Agricultural Society :
" Believing that the citizens of Freehold should furnish the ground for the Fairs, free of charge to the Society, and understanding that Hudson Bennett will rent a lot of land of about ten acres, situated on the east side of his new street, for $50, for the use of the Fair the coming fall, we, the undersigned, do agree to furnish the said lot for that purpose, and hereby tender the use of it to the Society for the next Fair, free of charge.
"Aaron R. Combs, A. T. Manning, U. Smalley, J. H. Russell, William Middleton, J. R. Patterson, Henry Bennett, Applegate & Woodhull, R. Hulse, Joseph Combs, Elias Hart, Joel Parker, D. C. Cono- ver, A. H. Reed, W. A. Walton, William D. Davis, R. A. Ellis, William H. Conover, on behalf of them- selves and others.
"May, 1854."
The meeting resolved to accept this tender of grounds for the fair of 1854, and also to pay the owner " any reasonable damage that may be done to the fencing on the day of the exhibi- tion." The committee of arrangements then appointed was composed of Nathaniel S. Rue, Daniel D. Denise, B. F. Randolph, Jacob M. Rue, Joel Parker, Joseph H. Rossell, William H. Conover, Henry Bennett, Daniel P. Van Dorn. The committee of reception of dele- gates from other societies was composed of Daniel B. Ryall, Colonel William D. Davis, John A. Morford, Dr. John B. Throckmorton and Henry Morford. The fair was held on the 21st of September on Mr. Bennett's land (near where now stands the buildings of the Freehold and New York Railroad), and was a very suc- cessful exhibition.
At the second annual meeting of the society, held at the court-house, January 20, 1855, it was resolved to rent the same grounds for the fair of that year, at a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars, the citizens of Freehold agree- ing to contribute a generous proportion of the expense. At a meeting held on the 19th of May following it was " Resolved, that the Com- mittee procure a tent, not to exceed in cost two hundred and fifty dollars ; and, if they deem it expedient, rent stands on the fair-grounds. That the trial of reaping and mowing-
367
THE MONMOUTHI COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
machines be held in the vicinity of Eaton- incorporation, and the life members of said town."
The fair of 1855 was held on the 27th of September on the same ground that was used in the preceding year. The financial success attending the fair of 1855 was shown by the report made at the annual meeting, held Janu- ary 19, 1856, viz. : Amount of receipts during past year, $1473.49 ; expenses, including pre- miums ($554), tent and printing, $1187.43; leaving a balance of $286,06 in the hands of the treasurer.
society shall be entitled to shares in this by reason of such transfer and the payment of eight dollars additional on one share, and if any more shares are taken, to pay the same as others."
At the meeting held in January, 1857, the committee on grounds reported that a lot of twenty acres of land could be purchased of Colonel W. D. Davis, at $150 per acre, and the meeting " Resolved, That not less than fifteen aeres be purchased ; " and " Resolved, That the society accept Colonel Davis' proposition for his land." At a meeting held on the 13th of June
In 1856 the fair of the society was held on the 24th and 25th of September on land of | following, the committee reported "that they Andrew Perrine.
had rented grounds of Mr. Henry Brinkerhoff for sixty dollars, provided the society does not purchase any." The society did not purchase at that time, and the fair of 1857 was held on Wednesday, September 23d, on Mr. Brinker- hoff's land, south of the village.
At the annual meeting, held on the 17th of January, 1857, it was voted to procure an act of incorporation and reorganize the society as a stock company. The incorporation was effected by an act of the Legislature, approved March 5, 1857, providing that "Samuel W. Jones, On the 20th of March, 1858, the society re- solved to purchase the tract offered by Colonel Davis, and to fit it up as a fair-ground. The purchase was made in accordance with the reso- lution, and on these, the society's fair-grounds (lying just outside the town of Frechold, towards the southwest), the yearly fairs have been held to the present time. Since the first purchase, an additional one of five acres has been made, which, however, is nearly balanced by a sale of four and four-tenths acres, leaving the grounds about the same in area as at first. Horatio Ely, John C. Smock, Andrew Simp- son, James I. Conover and Ezra A. Osborne, of the county of Monmouth, and their asso- ciates and successors, shall be, and they are hereby, constituted a body politic and corporate, by the name of ' The Monmouth County Agri- cultural Society.' . . . That the said corporation may purchase, use, hold, possess and enjoy such real estate as shall be necessary to promote the objects of the society. Provided, that such real estate shall at no time exceed in valne the sum of ten thousand dollars. . . . " Under In 1875 the fair-grounds were improved by the society at an expense of $983.79. A race traek (half-mile) was laid out and graded, and in the summer of 1877 a grand stand was erected at a cost of $1650. In 1881 the track was improved to its present excellent condition. The track and the horse department are the leading features of the annual fairs, the trials Trotting Association, with which the Monmonth Agricultural Society is in connection and mem- bership. this act the society was reorganized at a meeting held in the court-house, June 13, 1857, and formed into a stock company, with a capital stock of four thousand eight hundred dollars, in three hundred shares at sixteen dollars each ; the officers of the company, to be a president. two vice-presidents, a secretary, treasurer, and a board of twenty managers, to include the presi- of speed being under the rules of the National dent and vice-presidents ; the annual meetings of the society to be held on the third Saturday of January in each year at Freehold. The fifteenth section of the new by-laws (adopted at The fair of 1884 was held on the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th of September, and was the most successful one in the history of this society. In its report of this fair the Monmouth Demo- erat said,- the meeting of June 13th) provided that "The moneys and property of the Monmouth County Agricultural Society, heretofore existing, shall be transferred and become the property of this
368
. HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
"In the whole history of the society we venture to say that there never was a fair which was conducted in a more orderly, judicious and successful manner than this one of 1884. President Spader, Secretary Ward, Treasurer Butcher and their fellow-directors had spared no pains in preparing for the event.
"The grounds were placed in excellent order. The track was in fine condition. The fencing and build- ings were in good repair, and were bright with paint and whitewash. A neat new building for the art and fancy-work department was an attractive feature, and a much-needed improvement. Heretofore the speci- mens of art and ladies' work have been exhibited in the main building, where they were not only subjected to a miserable light, but were also liable to damage from exposure to dust and dampness. In addition to these improvements, we noticed that the rules and regulations which had been adopted for the manage- ment of the fair were faithfully enforced, not with harshness, but with a gentlemanly firmness which commanded respect. This was noticeable particularly in the conduct of the trotting and racing. The judges applied the rules strictly, yet impartially, so that there was no unseemly disorder in the vicinity of the judges' stand. The utmost good order prevailed also on every other portion of the grounds, which were under the surveillance of a corps of special policeman, with Marshal John Neafie as chief."
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