History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 65

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148

USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth county, New Jersey > Part 65

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

1 The " Freehold " here meant was " Old Freehold," a little village marked on the map of 1769, as standing on or very near the site of the present village of Holmdel,

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Thomas Estill's ; so along the road till it comes to a black oak tree mark't on two sides; thence turning out on the south side of the path, along the new mark't trees till it comes to Moses Robbin's corner tree, standing under Cunny Hillside ; thence running along Cunny Hillside ; thence along the new mark't trees till it comes to Robert Hutcheson's corner tree ; thence to two white oaks mark't on both sides, stand- ing in the Post Road, and all roads to be four rods in breadth.

"Another highway beginning at the Falls River Bridge above the landing aforesaid; then in the most direet and most convenient way to the old Swimming River bridge in the road to Middleton; thence, as the road went, to Jumping Brook; thence to Crooked Run as the road formerly went to Nutswamp; thence to Mordecai Gibbons', his fence; thence along the fence, by the path as it now is, to the middle of the road, and so along the path, as it now goes, to Poriaca, the most convenient way over; thence, as the road now lies, till it comes to Moses Lippett's new wheat field ; thence across the field to the fence at the head of the gully, so along to a small walnut tree standing in Wilkins' wheat field, so to the road down the hill and over the brook along as the path now goes to the corner of Wilkins' fence, so up the line between Wil- kins and Hartshorne (the line to be in the middle of the road) till it comes over the gully ; thence all into the highway; so along Wilkins' fence till it comes into the street, which is to remain four rods wide."

March 21, 1705-6. " Record of a highway from Middletown to ye county line towards Amboy: Be- ginning at James Grover's; thence along Waycake path to a red oak marked; thence to the brook called Cochowdes Brook to a marked tree; thence to William Hendricks' Mill: thence to the bottom of James Dorsett's bog; thence to Benet's old house; thence to Wigwam Point; thence to Freehold Bridge by ye Rocks; thence the most convenient way to the bot- tom of Mohwhingson bog; thence to ye brook at the Pound, so direct to the Point where the Indian Path went, down below Thomas Smith's; thence crossing ye brook so to Amboy Path ; thence ye directest and best way to the County line.

" ELISHA LAWRENCE, " JOHN HEBRON, "OBADIAH BOWNE, "Commissioners."

"A Record of a driftway by Thomas Boels, March ye 14th, 1705-6 .- Layd out a driftway in Freehold, beginning at Samuel Redford's fence by the highway, then running as ye mark't trees goes cross ye lots of Augustus Gordon and Thomas Boell, allowing to said Boell two gates upon ye said way, to ye head of a gully upon ye north side of ye said Boell's lot; thence cross a branch of Holman's Bog to the bridge that lays by Looechyell's lot, so cross Looechyell's lot as ye way goes through the brook by Thomas Boell's

Barn, so along ye path to Stone Hill, and to Thomas Hankinson's land, along as the road goes, till it comes where ye old road went into ye field; thence where the old road went till it comes out of the field at the head of the Spring by Hankinson's house; thence as the road now goes, till it comes to Amboy road, allowing swinging gates upon this road, which are not to be hung within ye space of ten years, but to lye open."

" April 2, 1706 .- Then laid out a highway of three rods, beginning at Wm. Hendrick's mill, thence, as direct as sireumstances will admit of, to Cowder's Brook,1 where Walter Wall's path went over; thence over along the path till it comes to Ruckman's path that goes to Waycake; thence cross the bog that comes from John Smith; thence direct, crossing a brook to Stout's Bridge, so over ye swamp; thence along ye mark't trees to Raile Bridge; thence direct cross ye corner of John Jobs' field to a dead white oak tree standing between ye fence and ye brook ; thence along ye old marked trees till it comes to the path that goes to John Jobs' from John Bowne's ; thence along the marked trees till it comes to ye path ; thence along ye path till it comes to ye fence of Samuel Culver's; so, cross the corner of Samnel Culver's field, to the Brook that parts Culver's land from Hartshorne's land. Also another road from the month of James Bowne's Creek; thence along ye marked trees and path, as it now goes, till it comes to Henry Mashes [Marsh's]; thence along ye path till it comes to ye Brook below John Stont's, to be two rods wide. Also another road from Waycake along ye new path till it runs to ye path that goes to John Smith's; thence direct to the bog that comes from John Smith's where ye path comes from * bridge. To be two rods wide.

" OBADIAH BOWNE, " ELISHA LAWRENCE, " BENJAMIN BORDEN, " Commissioners. " Entered April 29, Anno Dom. 1706."

Records of the proceedings of the commis- sioners appointed for the laying out of high- ways in Monmouth County in 1708 and the succeeding six years are found as follows :

"September 22d, 1708 .- Then laid out a road two rods wide, beginning att Swimming River Bridge; thence along ye old road on ye northeast side of ye orchard, by ye path to ye house that formerly Wil- liam Hunt dwelt in; thence turning ye corner, as ye road now lies, to ye bridge that now goes over [illegible] River, a road laid out by us beginning in

1 This brook rises among the Middletown hills at Cocowder Spring, which the Indians and early settlers believed to pos- sess medicinal properties. Jobn Ruckman. Sr., settled on and owned the lands around this spring, and there he spent the remainder of his life and was buried near it.

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INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

ye road at Jumping Brook ; thence as ye path now goeth to the road by Skank's Hill.

"September ye 22nd, 1708 .- Also a road laid out, of two rods wide, beginning in ye road by James Gro- ver's, in Middletown ; thence along ye road as it goes to Shole Harbour, until it comes to ye; bogge meadow ; thence up ye barren hill, the most direct and conven- ient way along ye way as now marked, along ye east side of Jonathan Ruckman's field till it comes to the old path.

" Laid out a road of two rods wide, beginning in ye road by David Johnston's house; thence along ve path to ye old school-house; thence along the parti- tion line of Holmes (Jonathan) and Cottrell (Eleazar). at ye pathway, in ye pathway marked, to Cheeseman Brook ; thence, as ye road now lyes, to Middletown. Given under our hands this 22d day of September, 1708.

" OBADIAH BOWNE, " JOHN LEONARD, " ELISHA LAWRENCE, "Commissioners."

"Also, a road laid out in Freehold, beginning by Richard James', att ye Indian Path, and along yr sª path to ye Pine bridge ; thenee, as ye old Indian Path goes, to ye west side of David Stout's field ; thence along ye marked trees to ye division line of ye Prov- ince; to lye and remain of ye breadth of two rods wide, allowing to David Stout one swinging gate, to Marmaduke Horsman one swinging gate, to John Kirby one swinging gate and to Anthony Woodward two swinging gates. Laid out by us this twenty- seventh day of October, Anno Domini 1708.

" OBADIAH BOWNE, " ELISHA LAWRENCE, "Commissioners."

"The highway to run from the rear of Richard Hartshorne's west * to John Havens' land, * عاد two chains and a half to the southward of his house ; thence the most direct conrse to Rack Pond, above head of ye lott. Also, a driftway to go partly on Richard Stout's land and partly on John Lawrence's land from ye aforesaid highway. Also, a highway from ye highway that goeth along ye rear of Joseph Lawrence's land, as ye way now goeth, to Hockoeson Swamp; then to ye line that parts Morris and Thomas Leonard's; thence along ye said line to ye brook ; thenee down ye brook to ye bridge; from thence to ye place where ye bridge was made over, below ye Saw-mill; thence, as ye way goeth, to William Lawrence's Mill.

"Also, a highway to go from ye rear of Joseph Law- rence's land, where ye other ways meet, as ye way is now marked. Also, a highway from ye way that runs along ye rear of ye lott along ye line that parts Good- body's land and Brindley's land ; thence along Brind- ley's line till it comes into ye aforesaid way to go | ers, without dare.

* Also, another highway laid out four rods broad, beginning at ye west side of ye Meeting-Honse in Shrewsbury, betwixt Jndah Allen and Restore Lippincott's lines, as it was formerly laid out to ye North River." Dated March 1, 1709, and signed by Obadiah Bowne, John Leonard, Elisha Lawrence and John Woolley, commissioners.

"This 7th day of May, Anno Dom. 1709, laid out a bye-way for Captain Anderson. Thomas Malt- age, - Mattison. from their plantations, to fall into ye Landing Road. "Tis to eross Manalapan River at Joseph Allen's old bridge, a little below ye month of Clear Brook; ye said way to run from | ye Walnut tree to ye point of upland. and is to cross Clear Brook to ye said point at ye maple tree in ye brook, by a fallen old great tree, and so along ve marked trees to Manalapan Brook, where Ben Allen built a bridge ; thence following ye mark't trees until it falls into ye Landing Road before it comes at William Davison's bridge.

" JOHN REID, " JOHN HEBRON, "Commissioners."

" Also another drift-way or road laid out by, and beginning upon the top of ve hill where ye path now goes, up over ye part of Swimming River that leads up to Henry Leonard's saw-mill, where ye road that comes from William Lawrence's to Shrewsbury crosses said river : thenee running southwest to a small hlack oak tree, being ye corner tree of Johan- nex Polhemus and Ouka Leffers; and thenee along ye line of ye said Polhemus' and Leffers, to lie and remain upon Polhemns' land until it comes to where ye aforesaid road crosses said Polhemus and Leffers' land or line ; to lie and remain ye breadth of one rod, allowing one swinging gate nearest to the aforesaid corner tree, and another at or near to the west end of Polhemus' new cleared land." Signed by Obadiah Bowne and Elisha Lawrence, commissioners, and dated June 13, 1710.

"Laid out in Shrewsbury a highway of two rods wide, beginning at a white oak tree, a corner between ve land of John Eaton and that of William Hull by the highway that goes by ye meeting-house and Long Branch. and running south sixty-five degrees west fifty chains, to into ye way by Henry Allen's N. E. corner ; thence, as ye way goes, south eighty-three degrees west twenty-three chains; thence south eighty-six degrees west fourteen chains; thence south sixty-one degrees west seventeen chains; thence west fifty-two chains and one rod, to ye road that comes from Manasquan to ye Falls.1

An entry of the laying out of roads in Monmouth County, dated October 13, 1713,

1 Signed by John Reid and John Leonard, commission-

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

and signed by John Ried, Obadiah Bowne and | records show the following entries of roads John Hebron, commissioners, is as follows :

" Then laid out several drift-ways in Middletown " Laid out a highway from Henry Leonard's saw- bounds : (First) that part of the way from Middle- mill to Barnegate ; that is, from said saw-mill along town to Chinquerors [near Keyport], beginning at a John Hawkins' path to Haypath ; then to ye head of Sarah Reape's meadow, and down ye side of ye said meadow as ye line of mark't trees to ye Fish Path ; white-oak tree on the east side of Daniel Tilton's mill-dam; thence to the east end of the dam, and then over along upon the dam to the other side thence as that goes, to Manasquan ; thence along thereot, and then along the way to Chinquerors; to ve Fish Path to the Cedar Path, and along the Cedar Path as the marked trees that lead to Metetecunk, and following the mark't trees to Goose Creek, called Tom's River, and over said river by marked trees to the line of land late of Thomas Hart. be two rods wide, except on the dam, where 'tis to be of a convenient bredth for strength and substance. Also another way of a rod and a half wide from Chin- querors' road by the corners of the fence> of James Hubbard and Cornelius Covenhoven, and running " Laid ont a drift-way from Burlington Road to Thomas Melag's mill ; beginning at a black oak tree marked by ye road which goes from Shrewsbury to Burlington about ten chains eastward from Cornelius Thompson's house, and following ye line of marked trees to the said mill. This third day of April, Anno Dom'n 1714. Tis two rods wide." along by Dr. Hubbard's house and thence to the bridge on Hop Brook; and thence over the brook along the line between Benjamin Stout and Hendrick Hendrickson to a valley near the end of it; then to | Joseph Golden's southwest corner of his new field, and following his and Obadiah Bowne's line to the gully ; then rounding the hill to Mahoras Run, where "Memorandum, this 29th day of November, 1714: Laid out a part of a drift-way from ye way which crosses ye brook and dam of Daniel Tilton's, begin- ning at a chain westward of sd Tilton's Mill-House, and running down on ye tops of ye bank about four chains to a small red oak tree on ye top of ye bank ; thence right across the brook and the best and shortest way into ye way again, which was formerly laid out." the path from Daniel to Hendrick Hendrickson's passes, and following the path to Daniel's line, and then through his field, as he shall appoint, to the line between him and John Wall, and along between 'em over the swamp and along by Wall's fence and path to the line between Thomas Smith and Cornelius Dorn, and then the best way to the mill-dam of Thomas Tilton, and over along the dam to the path that goes to Wakick Landing,1 and following the same path to the said landing. Also another way from the old path at the line between Daniel Hen- drickson and Peter Wyckoff, and following the line between 'em and to the old ford of Mahoras Brook ; and then along the south side of Andrew Wilson's to Samuel Buckman's. and between him and Wilson to John Buekman's, and along between John and Samuel Buckman's to Middletown."

In 1714 the commissioners of roads for Mon- month County were John Reid, Obadiah Bowne, Elisha Lawrence, John Hepburn, John Wool- ley, Richard Stout and Stoffel Longstreet .? The

1 Afterwards Tanner's Landing.

2 In Book D of Monmouth County Deeds. page 211, is found the following : " Memorandum .- This seventh of March, 1714, We, the under Subscribers, Surviving Commissioners appointed by the Act of the General As- sembly for laying out highways in ye County of Mon- mouth, do appoint Capt. Richard Stout and Stoffel Long- street in place of Benjamin Borden, who is removed out of said county above a year, and Capt. John Leonard, deceased, above a year.

" JOHN REED, "OBADIAH BOWNE,

". ELINIIA LAWRENCE, " JOHN HEPBURN, " JOHN WOOLLEY."

laid out in the county in that year, viz. :

The preceding extracts from the minutes of the laying out of roads by the Monmouth com- missioners extend down to the time when the county seat was established in what is now the town of Freehold, but then, and for almost a century afterwards, known only as " Mon- mouth Court-House." With reference to the route of travel at that time from Middle- town to the court-house, the Honorable G. C. Beekman, who has made a careful study of the matter, says that the highway, as actually nsed in those early years, " followed the road to Shrewsbury as far as the old Hub- bard house, lately owned by R. P. Smock ; thence turning southwesterly, erossing the stream near the brick house built by David Williamson; then following nearly the same di- rection as the present road by the Barnes Smock farm ; then across Hop Brook at the present bridge, and up the hill by the old Van Meter race-track; then over to the road running to Phalanx; thence turning southwesterly on the present course of the road past S. W. Jones' house; thence by a road (now closed) to the sonth of Edinburgh; and so over to the old

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INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

Barrentown road, now ealled Montrose ; thence veys made in the year 1769, and purporting to following the general course of the present show the principal roads of the province at that time there appear only the following deseribed roads within the county of Monmouth, viz:

road and Dutch Lane to Freehold. This road avoided all streams of any size except Hop Brook and the brook near Williamson's brick 1. A road running from Bordentown, by way of Crosswicks, to Monmouth Court-House; thence to a little village located where Holm- del now is, and laid down on the map as " Free- hold ;" thence by way of Middletown to the Highlands. house, and nearly all hills, ravines and mead- ows, and was for the most part sandy, and, there- fore, better in winter than in summer. There was an important highway, and one greatly used until about 1730, running from Middle- town over to Holland, by the old Luyster house 2. A road running from Black Point by way of Shrewsbury to the " Freehold" village, there crossing the first-mentioned road, and con- tinuing thenee to a point a little cast of Cran- bury, Middlesex County where it intersected the "lower road " from Long Ferry (Amboy) to Burlington. From a point on the road between Shrewsbury and old " Freeholdl " a branch road and Hendrickson house, to the Crawford neigh- borhood ; from thence to what is now Jackson- ville,1 in Middlesex County, and from there a path ran to the Indian Ford, on the Raritan, three miles above its mouth, and also a road down to the mouth of the river, near where the railroad docks are now located. This road from Raritan River to Middletown was what was ran to Tinten Falls, and thence to the sea-shore ealled a ' King's Highway,' that is, six rod- in the vicinity of Long Branch. wide, without swinging gates, and free for all 3. A road from Middletown to the west boundary of the county, and thenee continuing to Spottswood. to travel without molestation. In early times it was deemed a very serious offense to offer violence or indignity to a person on a King's Highway."

During the first century of the existence of the county many roads which appear on the re- cords as having been laid out were never ar- tually opened and made passable, or were par- tially opened, and then, from want of use, grew up again with trees. Others, again, degenerated into mere drift-roads, winding through the woods, and were frequently changed by indi- viduals without legal authority as clearings were made and new farms and settlements came into existence.

On an ancient map of New Jersey, 2 from sur-

1 Formerly Cheesequakes.

2 The title and remarks printed on this map, are as fol- lows :

" The Province of New Jersey. Divided into East and West, commonly called the Jerseys."

" Engraved and Published by William Faden, Charing ; Freehold to Keyport, by way of Matawan. - Cross [London], December 1, 1;77.

" This Map has been drawn from the Survey made in 1769. by order of the Commissioners appointed to settle Partition Line between the Provinces of New York and New Jersey, by Bernard Ratzer. Lieutenant in the Sixtieth Regiment, and from another large Survey of the Northern Parts, in possession of the Earl of Dunmore, by Gerard Bancker. The whole regulated and ascertained by Astro- nomical Observations."

4. A road from Shrewsbury, by way of Mid- dletown, to Long Ferry, at (Amboy).

5. A road from Shrewsbury to Tinton Falls and to a point a mile or two south of the Falls, where it ended abruptly.

This short piece of road south of the falls is supposed to have been constructed for the haul- ing of ore for Lewis Morris' Tinton Iron- Works.

6. A road from Monmouth Court House run- ning north-westerly into Middlesex county, by way of Englishtown.

Projects for the building of plank-roads were much agitated from about 1847 to 1856, and several were incorporated, to be constructed wholly or in part in Monmouth County. Only three of these, however, were built. The first was the Monmouth County Plank-road, from The next was the Freehold aud Howell plank- road, constructed chiefly for the transportation of marl, which required the use of a great num- ber of wagons. Another plank-road was laid from Middletown village, through Chanceville (now New Monmouth), to Port Monmouth, as that point on Shoal Harbor was then called for

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

the first time. The company was incorporated in 1854, with the following-named corporators; William Morford, David Luyster, Samuel I. Taylor, Charles Morford and George C. Murray. At Port Monmouth the transportation com- pany built a long pier, which was the northern terminus of the plank-road, and from which the steamer " Eagle" made regular trips to New York. The plank-road enterprises proved unsatisfac- tory and unprofitable, and were abandoned after a few years' use.

The construction of turnpike roads in Mon- mouth County was commenced at a compara- tively recent date. In 1857 two companies were incorporated for the building of turnpikes, one from Shrewsbury town, by way of Tinton Falls, to Colt's Neck, and the other from Red Bank to Shrewsbury town. The latter was built and proved to be a great advantage to travel between the points named. A number of other turn- pike charters have been obtained, and under these charters turnpike roads have been eon- structed (in most cases over the old road-ways) between all the most important points in the county.

The first railroad line constructed within the county of Monmouth was that running from Freehold to Jamesburg, which was first defi- nitely projected in 1849, and was put in success- ful operation four years later.

The discovery and use of marl, and the con- sequent increase of agricultural products, popu- tion and business of all kinds, had created a pressing demand in the central parts of Mon- mouth County for an easier mode of communi- cation than then existed with the markets of the great cities. Before the construction of the railroad, travelers and freight had to be trans- ported a long distance in carriages and wagons to the sea-coast, Raritan Bay or the Delaware River, which was both tedious and expensive ; and many articles of produce that are now re- munerative would then have perished and be- come worthless while on the way to market.

be a general belief that such a road would be built, and an advertisement is found (dated five years before the road was actually commenced) of real estate for sale in Freehold, with a posi- tive statement, as an inducement to purchasers, to the effect that a railroad would be in opera- tion within five years from that time. In the mean time public attention was directed to the subject through the press and by public meet- ings, and the necessity for such a mode of con- veyance became more and more apparent the more it was discussed. At one of the meetings, Mr. Richardson, principal of the Young Ladies' Seminary, related his difficulties in making his first visit to Freehold. He was in New York City and could find no one there who could give him any information about getting to Freehold, so he went by railroad to Philadelphia, where he found a person who was able to give him the desired information.

Jamesburg being the nearest point on the line of the Camden and Amboy line, many peo- ple advocated the building of a railroad to that place. For the purpose of bringing it into notice, Mr. James Buckalew, of Jamesburg, and Mr. Nathaniel S. Rue, of Freehold, on the 21st of July, 1845. commenced running stages be- tween the two villages, carrying passengers and connecting with the Camden and Amboy Rail- road. To their surprise, the stage-line soon proved a profitable enterprise, and in June of the following year they commenced running, in connection with their stages, a line of baggage- wagons for the purpose of carrying freight.

The subject of procuring a charter for a com- pany to build the proposed road from Freehold to Jamesburg was agitated for several years before any action was taken towards that end, the friends of the project urging that it was the only feasible route, being the shortest and cheap- est one to build, and affording equal facilities for New York and Philadelphia travel. On the 2d of January, 1849, the Hon. James M. Red- mond, of Mercer County, chairman of the Com- mittee on Corporations in the General Assembly, reported a bill to incorporate the Freehold and Jamesburg Railroad, but this bill was defeated by a vote of twenty-eight to twenty-seven. On

The project of building a railroad from Free- hold to some point of daily communication with the great cities was talked of for several years before any action was taken. There seemed to the 15th of February, 1850, the Hon. John A.

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Morford, then Senator from Monmouth, intro- duced the same bill in the Senate, where it was passed unanimously on the 21st of the same month, but it was defeated in the House of As- sembly, on the 1st of March following, by a vote of thirty-two to twenty-three, some of the mem- bers from Monmouth and all of those from Middlesex County voting against it. One of boy Railroad at or near Jamesburg."

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History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 65

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co. Number of Pages: 1148

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148